Liverpool- A real crisis

[Colin the King]

Turfed out of the Champions League- This has severe implications on Liverpool. For a start, they're in enough financial turmoil as it stands without the added problem of far lower revenue. Secondly, the players without whom they'd be an average midtable side- Torres and Gerrard- won't be satisfied with being in a second tier European competition. As two of the finest players in the world, they need a platform to showcase their talents...and it's not the Europa League. Add the financial trouble and their reputations together, and we may see a couple of sales in January or June.

Five defeats in the Premier League- and that's with only thirteen games played. They're already 13 points off the top and with Chelsea in the form they're in, the odds would surely be very much against them even thinking about a title challenge. The aim now will squarely be on just getting back into the Champions League. An aim like that is alright for City, at this stage in our development, but Liverpool and their fans expect and have expected a title win. This will make it 20 years without a title.

The management- It's well documented that Hicks and Gillette don't get on, but also that there's not a great deal of confidence in Benitez. If they don't want him, it makes him feel uncertain, so he won't work as effectively, but they're so far in debt that handing out £10million or so in compensation isn't an option. So unsatisfied owners, unsatisfied managers, which inevitably leads to unsatisfied players.

And to compound their misery, key players getting injured every other day. They don't have the squad depth to deal with it. So that might make matters even worse.

There's been a lot of talk about our situation and how we're in a mini-crisis at the moment with six draws, but I think it pales in comparison to Liverpool at the moment.

[blootoof]

1 gone, 3 to go ;)

[Manx Blue]

1 gone, 3 to go ;)

Here Here Sir!

[Blue in the face]

Souness just said on Sky that they need a new owner from the middle east to come with a big cheque book to clear the debt. Do you think they're looking?

[john68]

Have you ever thought of writing comedy scripts Eoin?
The though of Liverpool imploding financially, having to offload their best players and slowly slide down the League into obscurity... makes me chuckle.

[Lionheart]

Souness just said on Sky that they need a new owner from the middle east to come with a big cheque book to clear the debt. Do you think they're looking?

Our own good sheikh turned Liverpool down in favour of us becuase they were a poor investment.

Poorly managed.
Need a new stadium.
Owners hate each other.
Skint.

Not looking good for them at all.

[gillie]

Mr Shankley will be turning in his grave with whats going on there at the moment.

[Citizen of Oslo]

A real crisis it might be. They badly need new investment. Apart from a lack of money they haven't got owners in harmony, a brilliant manager nor a very good squad. Leave out Torres and Gerrard and they are not good enough for 4th. With their reputation, tradition and expectations there might be trouble ahead.

[lets all have a disco]

Have you ever thought of writing comedy scripts Eoin?
The though of Liverpool imploding financially, having to offload their best players and slowly slide down the League into obscurity... makes me chuckle.

Liverpool wont implode someone will buy them in the end.

[john68]

Have you ever thought of writing comedy scripts Eoin?
The though of Liverpool imploding financially, having to offload their best players and slowly slide down the League into obscurity... makes me chuckle.

Liverpool wont implode someone will buy them in the end.

Huh!...fuclin spoilsport! I was enjoying that til you came along...:-(

[lets all have a disco]

Have you ever thought of writing comedy scripts Eoin?
The though of Liverpool imploding financially, having to offload their best players and slowly slide down the League into obscurity... makes me chuckle.

Liverpool wont implode someone will buy them in the end.

Huh!...fuclin spoilsport! I was enjoying that til you came along...:-(

Im a realist,i wouldnt be suprised if someone richer than the Sheikh bought them in the end.

[Bingo Lewis]

Have you ever thought of writing comedy scripts Eoin?
The though of Liverpool imploding financially, having to offload their best players and slowly slide down the League into obscurity... makes me chuckle.

Liverpool wont implode someone will buy them in the end.

Huh!...fuclin spoilsport! I was enjoying that til you came along...:-(

Im a realist,i wouldnt be suprised if someone richer than the Sheikh bought them in the end.

it'll cost a fuckload to buy the scousers, thats why they haven't been bought yet. its not good business sense as it'd take someone years and years to be earning a profit from it.
shit hole ground, shit manager, overpriced, overrated. not an attractive prospect.

has Benitez been sacked yet?

[shawzy]

Good post Colin..Thers only 2 players keepin that club together and thats a bad thing to rely on.They have no solid foundations to build on, unlike us.

[BobKowalski]

Have you ever thought of writing comedy scripts Eoin?
The though of Liverpool imploding financially, having to offload their best players and slowly slide down the League into obscurity... makes me chuckle.

Liverpool wont implode someone will buy them in the end.

Someone will probably end up buying Liverpool but I can't see it coming this season. The 4th spot is really going to be tight with us, Liverpool, Spurs and Villa currently in the mix but its true to say that the race for 4th is a realistic option this season. I still think we have the squad to make the best challenge followed by Spurs and then Liverpool. Villa don't convince me for some reason.

Rafa is a canny bastard so I ain't going to get too smug just yet but fingers crossed and all that...

[ronk]

They've already pocketed the money from the group stages, they're just missing out from the last 16 and maybe the quarter finals. It's only 2 home games (+ some TV money).

They can still transfer to the Europa Cup and get a few decent matches to make up a lot of the difference. They could win the damn thing and go home happy. It would be good for the profile of the new Europa Cup and would boost a commercially important team at an important time. They're likely to get a few lucky refereeing decisions their way. Have the rules been changed this year so the Europa Cup winner makes the CL? It would be typical of them.

Trouble is more likely to see them spending in January to stay in the CL places than selling.

[Colin the King]

They've already pocketed the money from the group stages, they're just missing out from the last 16 and maybe the quarter finals. It's only 2 home games (+ some TV money).

They can still transfer to the Europa Cup and get a few decent matches to make up a lot of the difference. They could win the damn thing and go home happy. It would be good for the profile of the new Europa Cup and would boost a commercially important team at an important time. They're likely to get a few lucky refereeing decisions their way. Have the rules been changed this year so the Europa Cup winner makes the CL? It would be typical of them.

Trouble is more likely to see them spending in January to stay in the CL places than selling.

It's not just the loss of revenue though. Playing Sunday/Thursday/Sunday can be an absolute killer, especially if you don't have the squad to deal with it- as we learned last season. So if they get a decent run it could compromise their league form, leading to no Champions League next year...not even the group stages, which would be a nightmare scenario for them.

[ronk]

They've already pocketed the money from the group stages, they're just missing out from the last 16 and maybe the quarter finals. It's only 2 home games (+ some TV money).

They can still transfer to the Europa Cup and get a few decent matches to make up a lot of the difference. They could win the damn thing and go home happy. It would be good for the profile of the new Europa Cup and would boost a commercially important team at an important time. They're likely to get a few lucky refereeing decisions their way. Have the rules been changed this year so the Europa Cup winner makes the CL? It would be typical of them.

Trouble is more likely to see them spending in January to stay in the CL places than selling.

It's not just the loss of revenue though. Playing Sunday/Thursday/Sunday can be an absolute killer, especially if you don't have the squad to deal with it- as we learned last season. So if they get a decent run it could compromise their league form, leading to no Champions League next year...not even the group stages, which would be a nightmare scenario for them.

Liverpool do have the squad though, so long as they don't have to play Gerrard or Torres. They're capable of it. Allowing them concentrate on the league could boost their form in that regard and make life tougher for us.

Overall, it's slightly better news than it is worse, the key point is that it doesn't change a lot. We need to focus on what we're doing.

[Wonderwall]

Good post CTK, I agree the pressure is certainly mounting on liverpool and their squad is thin on real quality. I would never write them off as they seem to have a knack of pulling off the improbable.

I dont think it was a smart move by benitez last night by saying he is 100% certain they will finish top 4 this season and be in the champions league next season. I really hope everton stuff them on Sunday, this will see them hit a new low and the pressure of losing that game along with everything else will see the proverbial hit the fan at anfield.

Also SSN has said this morning that the CL exit will cost liverpool around £30m, and that is money that they will have either (A) already spent or (B) have identified areas to spend it. This is really bad for them and I love it, I just hope it doesnt galvanise their resolve and their fans resolve and have a positive reaction. I want them to nosedive in spectacular fashion!

This looks a million miles away

[ant london]

Liverpool do have the squad though, so long as they don't have to play Gerrard or Torres. They're capable of it. Allowing them concentrate on the league could boost their form in that regard and make life tougher for us.

Overall, it's slightly better news than it is worse, the key point is that it doesn't change a lot. We need to focus on what we're doing.

I don't actually think they do, remotely, have the squad to cope with the demands that will be placed on the playing staff if they try (as someone mentions above) to do well in the Europa League.

For me, the smartest thing they could do is to essentially "throw" the EL participation from day 1 by playing a complete second string and not caring if they go out.

Even if they do that, the effect of playing Thursday/Sunday will be massively disrupting to the actual first team's efforts in the PL as a big group will bugger off each Thursday and the front line players will be on reduced training drills etc etc.

Ronk, you are also IMO significantly understating the financial loss from exiting the CL at this point. Yes they have had the group stage revenues but I bet they forecast to go further.

More to the point, the overall effect of being knocked out, sitting 7th in the PL, massive injuries, pressure of having to play in the Europa, owners at war, fans losing confidence in the manager.....well, that doesn't exactly look to me like a stable and positive platform to push for 4th and re-qualify for the CL.....especially in the light of the fact that (even if they had stayed in the CL) this season there are essentially four teams all looking eminently capable of claiming that spot (Liverpool, City, Spurs, Villa) which is the first time in years that this has realistically been possible.

The pressure on us is pretty significant, the pressure on them is intense.

Fact

edit. just seen this in today's Independent....re the financial implications

European returns: What Reds could win

The prize money for reaching:

Last 16 Champions League £2.7m, Europa League £270,000.

Quarter-finals Champions League £2.9m, Europa League £319,000.

Semi-finals Champions League £3.6m, Europa League £558,000.

Final Champions League £4.6m, Europa League £1.77m.

Winners Champions League £8m, Europa League £2.65m.

[Vhero]

Souness just said on Sky that they need a new owner from the middle east to come with a big cheque book to clear the debt. Do you think they're looking?

While that tossers managing them it don't matter how much cash you throw their way. He will find some way to squander it.