NESV/Fenway Sports Group: Owners of LFC

I don't know fella... buying a club for buttons and watching it's value grow (without having to use any of your own money... thanks to FFP), as lucrative TV deals pile in, "maximises the value of the club" too but... [here's the important bit...] WITHOUT ANY FINANCIAL RISK. 
Check out what Mr John had to say about what attracted him to LFC, untapped global markets, t.v. deals FFP and what sealed the 'deal'... It might help. 

Of course mate and a world away from their US sporting assets.

FSG are loaning the club monies, 'interest free' it might be but it does obviously require repaying, more to the point that arrangement does negate the hand in the pocket scenario for JWH & Co.

Well mate, in business terms it means capital investment, the interest is the cost of equity to the club, meaning the returns on that investment for the shareholders. I'm not sure to believe the ''interest free'' part, in the end any owner who puts his/her own money in the club or company will require (not a necessity, that's why usually the cost of equity is higher than that of cost of debts on loans from banks) the repayment of his/her investment annually with interest.

People are severely deluded if they think a club with top 4/6/8 ambitions are the avenue for riches.

Meh... People are proper F***ing deluded if they think the "riches" haven't already been made.
Not forgetting: club profit and stock value are very separate entities, of course. 
 
BUY LOW.. SELL HIGH.

Everything else is gravy... Easy money.

It's not a  "company": it's a famous football club that means a lot to millions of people.

And it has already been pointed out that John Henry can make a nice financial profit on Liverpool even if we keep finishing outside the top 4. That's the whole point that you're in denial about: financial success for him doesn't require big trophies for the club and supporters.

It's also a company and is run like one, live with it.

It's also a company and is run like one, live with it.

Well whoever is running the "company" needs to pull their head out of their arse. Because the "company" was pretty F***ing embarrassing yesterday - and has been for most of the season.

In terms of strategy, they are different than the owners of Chelsea and City, also in terms of resources. I'll give FSG the benefit of the doubt because there first 3 seasons with them as owners the club was in a financial mess and they had to solve issues before investing. Now that we have made a bit of a profit, I'm hoping the owners will reinvest some of those retained earnings (instead of taking them all into their pockets) into increasing the wage budget so the club can attract better players (even if we aren't in the CL). In addition, FSG has given lots of money to the transfer committee and to Rodgers, so it's not their fault that the lower management decided to spend 20m on 19-20 year olds with ''potential'', when instead we could have signed good players to improve the team. The money was given, we squandered it on poor signings. The only thing FSG has done wrong is giving out a 5 year contract to Rodgers last season, I thought they should have waited until end of this season to know if last season wasn't just a one season wonder.

Money Ball is FSGs preferred business model, that is why we're buying the type of players we are, the committee are only following instructions, and you're kidding yourself if you think they're going to chance their wage structure any time soon. Sign one players on big name players on big wages, then we the supporters might expect it all the time!

We can put all the blame on the committee, but if the committee isn't working , and FSG don't take action to change it, then they're being negligent IMO.

It's also a company and is run like one, live with it.

And, unlike the football team, the "Company" is very successful... Sadly yet (paradoxically) thankfully, most of us still follow the football team, rather than FSG.

Money Ball is FSGs preferred business model, that is why we're buying the type of players we are, the committee are only following instructions, and you're kidding yourself if you think they're going to chance their wage structure any time soon. Sign one players on big name players on big wages, then we the supporters might expect it all the time!

We can put all the blame on the committee, but if the committee isn't working , and FSG don't take action to change it, then they're being negligent IMO.

Moneyball is not a business model, it's a statistical strategy conducted by the team that oversees the transfers of players. I don't think FSG are telling the transfer committee to use the moneyball approach in signing players. What I do believe that FSG have put a management structure in place to deal with issues like buying players, hence the transfer committee. The transfer committee reports to the owners, but they are not instructed on how they choose the players or operate, only how their roles are defined. It wouldn't make sense at all if the owners are handling the recruitment policy when they are not experts in the industry they operate in (that's why they let the transfer committee and Rodgers to decide on footballing decisions). I didn't say anything about changing the wage structure, I said if they had the resources of Man City's owners, then they would have had more incentive to raise their wage structure. What we have to see is how they will react this summer, will they change people in the transfer committee and get better scouts? let's see...

So many flaws in logic being applied.

You don't sanction deals in the magnitude they did in the summer if you're in the business of a quick buck. And you don't outlay £10m on teenagers and loan them out.

If that's so, that quick buck has been made in Luis Suarez and they'd have pocketed and fu**ed off. They wouldn't purchase land and build a new stand and delay their big pay day for at least the next 5 years.

For heaven's sake. Same crap different day.

And, unlike the football team, the "Company" is very successful... Sadly yet (paradoxically) thankfully, most of us still follow the football team, rather than FSG.

Mate, I've been a supporter for more than 15 years (not as many on here I know most of you have been supporters for longer than that), love the club and will support it for the rest of my life. But I don't understand why we are shifting the blame on FSG, when they have taken us out of a big pile of mess and now we are more stable than ever. We should thank them for saving us from the inevitable bankruptcy 5 years ago. The owners are not stupid, they know through value that the supporters are important, all of us make the club, without us the club will not exist, and this is why I think they are looking to win things, rather than just be ''stable''. 

So many flaws in logic being applied.

You don't sanction deals in the magnitude they did in the summer if you're in the business of a quick buck. And you don't outlay £10m on teenagers and loan them out.

If that's so, that quick buck has been made in Luis Suarez and they'd have pocketed and fu**ed off. They wouldn't purchase land and build a new stand and delay their big pay day for at least the next 5 years.

For heaven's sake. Same crap different day.

Nobody is talking about a quick buck, (well I'm not) all I'm concerned about is, are we going to be successful under FSG, and how long do we have to wait before we see the benefits (if any). A healthy balance sheet means nothing to fans without on field success To go along with it. I don't see a day when FSG will ever sanction the signing of top class players a on a regular basis, regardless of a healthy profit.

Nobody is talking about a quick buck, (well I'm not) all I'm concerned about is, are we going to be successful under FSG, and how long do we have to wait before we see the benefits (if any). A healthy balance sheet means nothing to fans without on field success To go along with it. I don't see a day when FSG will ever sanction the signing of top class players a on a regular basis, regardless of a healthy profit.

I'm of the belief that had we any people with a brain in charge of signing players we wouldn't be sitting here in 5th spot, desperately short in quality and wondering where £117m went.

None of this mess happens if the committee didn't spunk £12m on Moreno, £16m on Balotelli, £4m on Lambert, £20m on Markovic and £20m on Lovren. All from monies given to them by FSG. The lack of quality in these players is not their fault. Had the committee any brains we would be sitting here probably challenging for a title. They decided who to sign and how to spend a significant amount of money.

Have your opinions on the owners (which in my opinion are beyond reason) but the finger SHOULD be pointed squarely at those buffoons identifying players and getting them to sign the contract. They got us in this mess and they should be out ASAP.

I'm of the belief that had we any people with a brain in charge of signing players we wouldn't be sitting here in 5th spot, desperately short in quality and wondering where £117m went.

None of this mess happens if the committee didn't spunk £12m on Moreno, £16m on Balotelli, £4m on Lambert, £20m on Markovic and £20m on Lovren. All from monies given to them by FSG. The lack of quality in these players is not their fault. Had the committee any brains we would be sitting here probably challenging for a title. They decided who to sign and how to spend a significant amount of money.

Have your opinions on the owners (which in my opinion are beyond reason) but the finger SHOULD be pointed squarely at those buffoons identifying players and getting them to sign the contract. They got us in this mess and they should be out ASAP.

All the owners to have to do to prove me wrong is change things for the better!

I'm of the belief that had we any people with a brain in charge of signing players we wouldn't be sitting here in 5th spot, desperately short in quality and wondering where £117m went.

None of this mess happens if the committee didn't spunk £12m on Moreno, £16m on Balotelli, £4m on Lambert, £20m on Markovic and £20m on Lovren. All from monies given to them by FSG. The lack of quality in these players is not their fault. Had the committee any brains we would be sitting here probably challenging for a title. They decided who to sign and how to spend a significant amount of money.

Have your opinions on the owners (which in my opinion are beyond reason) but the finger SHOULD be pointed squarely at those buffoons identifying players and getting them to sign the contract. They got us in this mess and they should be out ASAP.

Totally agree

So many flaws in logic being applied.

You don't sanction deals in the magnitude they did in the summer if you're in the business of a quick buck. And you don't outlay £10m on teenagers and loan them out.

If that's so, that quick buck has been made in Luis Suarez and they'd have pocketed and fu**ed off. They wouldn't purchase land and build a new stand and delay their big pay day for at least the next 5 years.

For heaven's sake. Same crap different day.

I think some people ever since H&G just revert to bash the owners instead of applying logic.

All the owners to have to do to prove me wrong is change things for the better!

We pulled a 1 million profit year before last, it looks as though we spent back into the squad every penny of Luis's transfer money and quite a bit more made up from TV money; when you look at our year over year salary number it has incrementally gone up each year.

I know you and many others don't give a flying F**k about FFP but where exactly is this magic money supposed to come from without falling foul of FFP?

Now my gripe here with ownership is the structure of who they are buying...I would rather have 1 Sanchez  or 1 Costa than a Markovic, Lovren & Origi combined...that part drives me crazy.

Perhaps because during the stretch last year we have zero options they decided to spend Luis's money on quantity over quality and Debs is right is saying that this summer should tell a big story.

As for the committee well Brendan heads it so part of this is on him but I don't believe for a second that the entire committee thing operates under its own free will, there are mandates in place.

The money is what the money is and we won't be going foul of FFP anytime soon, where and how we spend the money is what needs to change.

All the owners to have to do to prove me wrong is change things for the better!

Wave a F***ing wand and turn the shithouses the people in charge bought in to superstars? They didn't F**k this season up. The idiots who took £117 million and thought Alberto Moreno and Mario Balotelli would lead this club to glory are the F**k-knuckles who we should aim our displeasure at.

Owners had one job when they came in - reduce debt. Done.

Then to rebuild the club on and off the pitch - done.

Then that evolved in to the stadium - done.

Stop kidding yourselves that the only reason we aren't competing is levels of investment. We've used that argument for over a decade now. We've spent a fuckload and we've spent it on some utter crap.

Wave a f**king wand and turn the shithouses the people in charge bought in to superstars? They didn't f**k this season up. The idiots who took £117 million and thought Alberto Moreno and Mario Balotelli would lead this club to glory are the f**k-knuckles who we should aim our displeasure at.

Owners had one job when they came in - reduce debt. Done.

Then to rebuild the club on and off the pitch - done.

Then that evolved in to the stadium - done.

Stop kidding yourselves that the only reason we aren't competing is levels of investment. We've used that argument for over a decade now. We've spent a fuckload and we've spent it on some utter crap.

Does the manager bear some responsibility?, he is part of the decision making set up.

Does the manager bear some responsibility?, he is part of the decision making set up.

I am sure Rafa would have done better Shabs.

I am sure Rafa would have done better Shabs.

No doubt there at all,even Kenny too would have given the chance 

Anyway....

We pulled a 1 million profit year before last, it looks as though we spent back into the squad every penny of Luis's transfer money and quite a bit more made up from TV money; when you look at our year over year salary number it has incrementally gone up each year.

I know you and many others don't give a flying F**k about FFP but where exactly is this magic money supposed to come from without falling foul of FFP?

Now my gripe here with ownership is the structure of who they are buying...I would rather have 1 Sanchez  or 1 Costa than a Markovic, Lovren & Origi combined...that part drives me crazy.

Perhaps because during the stretch last year we have zero options they decided to spend Luis's money on quantity over quality and Debs is right is saying that this summer should tell a big story.

As for the committee well Brendan heads it so part of this is on him but I don't believe for a second that the entire committee thing operates under its own free will, there are mandates in place.

The money is what the money is and we won't be going foul of FFP anytime soon, where and how we spend the money is what needs to change.

You've got me wrong, I'm not asking for them to spend more money than we have, but I'm putting the onus on then to insure the people they hired, to implement their strategy, are doing their job better than the are.
If I had a multi million pound "Franchise"  I would make damm sure they weren't wasting most of it.

JWH is very intelligent when it comes to money, he knows he's on to a winner here, so why after 3 years are We still getting in wrong in the Windows, my guess is the committee are being too smart for their own good, trying to impress the boss, by trying to get value for money all the time.

sh*t rolls downhill, responsibility rolls uphill! Everything at the club should be overseen by FSG, do they seriously trust Ian Ayres with that responsibility?

Now my gripe here with ownership is the structure of who they are buying...I would rather have 1 Sanchez  or 1 Costa than a Markovic, Lovren & Origi combined...that part drives me crazy.

That is precisely where John W. Henry is banging the club up the pea-hole.  If Rodgers wants to blow his entire budget on a Benzema or Cavani, then let him stand or fall by those decisions.

If he doesn't trust Rodgers he needs to remove him for a manager he does trust.