Liverpool- A real crisis

[Fish111]

Liverpool are a massive, massive club make no bones about it, they will survive. They are going through turmoil at the moment which can only benefit City (and Villa and Spurs) as far as freeing up a champions league spot goes but they will be bought by someone with a level head eventually. I don't know whether it will be bought by someone as rich as our bloke but stability will return in the long run. What is amusing though is how skint they are, the bosses there have somehow managed not to take advantage of their huge support around the world, unbeleivable business ineptness. They have also given Benitez a 5 year contract just 4 months ago, along with nearly total control over the incomings/outgoings and total control of the complete youth system of the club, so even if they wanted rid of him they couldn't afford the compensation he would be entitled to.

[AlpsMaster]

I expect and accept that this will be a minority view around here, but I don't really take any great pleasure in Liverpool's early exit from the CL for the following reasons:

1.When City smash their way into the CL and upset the Sky 4 cartel, ideally I want it to be because we have such a good team who are playing outstanding football and getting the results we all want, not because one of our rivals has imploded;

2. call me old fashioned, quaint and patriotic, but I want to see all English teams do well in Europe EXCEPT THE RAGS OF COURSE;

3. I have always welcomed the fact that Liverpool hate ManUre as much as we do, so I've always felt that in common with them.

I've already got my coat and crash helmet on.

[Goaters 103]

Liverpool going out forces them to focus on the league this year. Granted the financial hit is a big one but we will see how skint they are by looking at what they spend in January as they are crying out for depth in a paltry squad.

TBH I dont think them going out helps us a whole lot this year.

[ant london]

ooops

[ant london]

3. I have always welcomed the fact that Liverpool hate ManUre as much as we do, so I've always felt that in common with them.

I've already got my coat and crash helmet on.

I'm actually with you on this. I don't really like Scousers per se...but I am pretty indifferent to Liverpool FC and indeed I do like our mutual hatred of the scum.

In terms of English teams over the last few years in the CL, I always have a soft spot for Arsenal and want them to do well as I enjoy their football, Chelsea I am totally indifferent about, Liverpool I feel a bit better disposed towards and United I just want to lose at every turn.

They are a great club and they will be alright in the end....but I do see a couple of tough seasons ahead for them until their issues are sorted. Even if they do get new owners and they clear the existing debt the club will be cash strapped for a good few years (a la Arsenal) if the owners push ahead with the new stadium proposals

[ant london]

ooops again

[Hazy]

The reported 30,000,000 loss in revenue, may force the wheels to turn on selling the club, NEW MD making statements on no problems here. IMO new owners within 6 months.

[lets all have a disco]

Well come back to this thread in the future when its reported that some king has bought the club and deposited 800 million into their accounts.

[john@staustell]

As someone said above, and I dont think the press vultures are wise to this one yet, as 'Europa' has until now been off their screen, but:

The constant midweek Europa matches will batter an already battered squad. The great Rafa will either have to field reserves in the Europa and guarantee losing, or go for it and struggle even more in the League.

Shame.

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

Well come back to this thread in the future when its reported that some king has bought the club and deposited 800 million into their accounts.

With you mate.

I'd like to start bragging about their downfall but truth is there has been never any shortage of potential buyers and when the Yank duo decides to get rid, all their (financial) problems will be sorted.

[ronk]

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.

So a quarter final (good) is £5.6m, while £3.8 can be made winning the Europa League. It's only 4 matches and they can rest a few stars until later rounds and see what happens. It's 4 matches and I wouldn't be surprised if they get drawn at home for 2 or even 3 of those.

Sure it's not as big as the CL, but it's certainly eases the financial pain to manageable proportions.

[ant london]

mate, I wasn't saying that the financial loss was a disaster per se

More that, cumulatively it is another pressure, burden, obstacle for them to deal with. In aggregate all the factors I cite above spell potentially huge problems

[Beeks]

Reasonably amusing in the fact that someone took the time to do it...

http://www.lfc-endofseasonparty.com/

[Original Dub]

Well, I did say from the start of our takeover that in the long run it would be Liverpool who would make way for us. Luck can only take a thin squad so far and they used ALL their European luck in winning it a few years ago and all their domestic luck last season when they came close to causing an upset.

As most of you know I placed a bet with a scouse friend of mine on the day of our takeover that we would win the premier league before they do. €1000. All my friends thought I was crazy. I posted it on here and all but maybe one or two thought I was crazy. Maybe one or two still do? The thing is, I'm no fucking idiot with my money and this wasn't an excited little boy thinking Christmas had come early, this was something I had thought about long before our takeover....

I watched what Benitez was doing at Liverpool - buying bad squad players and insisting on changing a winning team from one week to the next, even to the frustration of in form star players. He had little respect for lower table teams and made too many changes, banking on them being so bad and paying the price season to season. I knew that the ONLY reason we couldn't compete with Liverpool was down to financial reasons, unlike United who have won title after title whilst becoming one of the biggest brands on the planet. I knew that if we did hit the lottery, we could quite easily overcome Liverpool in attracting players to our club ahead of their's, thus eventually overhauling them on the pitch and ultimately taking their champion's league place on a regular basis.

Since our takeover, Liverpool's luck in the league last season resulted in Benitez getting a new four or five year contract. I couldn't have been happier. Unless they are taken over - and how many in the world are richer than our owners - then sacking Benitez will result in both a major compensation pay-off, along with a large transfer kitty for the new manager to be able to rebuild.... and all whilst telling a 30 year old Gerrard to please be patient during the rebuilding process and telling a player in Torres that he won't be sold when they know he could fetch maybe £60m in one go....

So there are two options:

1) There is a richer guy than the Sheik who sees Liverpool as a sound investment and they'll be fine

2) They are in the middle of possibly their worst crisis since the premier league began and there is absolutely no sign of it ending anytime soon

[Blue in North London]

I have a soft pot for Liverpool FC, not scousers, of course. The fact that I can wind-up any Rag mate going on about how many trophies they have won, by simplying stating that Liverpool have won more European Cups / CL.

I don't like the "Cannot beat teh atmopshere at Anfield on a European night" blah blah and the fact that Alan Green supports them. However, as a club there is much to admire. I cannot buy into this "I hope they go bust" attitude. They are a great club. Apart from Leeds, I have never wanted any club to go bump.

I worry about the fact that now they have been knocked out of the CL, they will concentrate on getting a top 4 spot. I would rather they had stayed in the competition.

[Original Dub]

I have a soft pot for Liverpool FC, not scousers, of course. The fact that I can wind-up any Rag mate going on about how many trophies they have won, by simplying stating that Liverpool have won more European Cups / CL.

I don't like the "Cannot beat teh atmopshere at Anfield on a European night" blah blah and the fact that Alan Green supports them. However, as a club there is much to admire. I cannot buy into this "I hope they go bust" attitude. They are a great club. Apart from Leeds, I have never wanted any club to go bump.

I worry about the fact that now they have been knocked out of the CL, they will concentrate on getting a top 4 spot. I would rather they had stayed in the competition.

No, Liverpool's loss will be our gain. Admire them all you want matey, but somebody needs to fall in order for us to make the leap.

Fuck Liverpool FC.

[bluej]

A point on their owners - how likely are they to sell though? Presumably they are going to have to take a loss on them as they must be in a worse position now when they bought them?

[Hazy]

Would you swap Rafa for Hughes

[nickson71]

Would you swap Rafa for Hughes

Personally I wouldn't

I'm no Hughes inner or outer but if hughes was being replaced I'd like a better manager than Rafa

[Slim]

Rafa pisses money away on mediocre players, the one thing Hughes appears to be doing right and we want to get rid of that too?