NESV/Fenway Sports Group: Owners of LFC

Which leads me to your last paragraph which is something I very much believe in. It is so so SO difficult to take that last step back to the top after letting the others get a jump on ya. We let United first, then Arsenal, then Chelsea get a jump before we really started hitting it hard on the global front. To think Liverpool had never even turned up in Australia, one of their largest fanbases, until 2013, is nuts. Now it's pretty much every 2 years since then they make an appearance, as well as working in the other Asia-Pacific markets. US as well. The time spent "sitting on hands" as you said in the 90's is still being felt now. While we are almost there, that last step to being a consistent trophy winner is so hard - because you are trying to knock off teams that are established in that culture of winning. We don't have a culture of winning regularly, that disappeared in the 90's. Say what you want about history, no one here now has much of that in their DNA. We're the chaser, trying to knock off the big dogs. It's a lot easier said than done, and certainly isn't solved with irrational spending.

I would love to be consistently spending the money that City and co are, if it was financially viable. But it's not. FSG have always been in this with a view at sustainable growth, which I think if you take a good look at the club all the evidence is there. We have both extended our stadium and broken our transfer records, 2-3, maybe 4 times over the last couple years? Like seriously, until Mane wasn't Carroll still our record signing? Now Salah, Keita and soon VvD will be. All while massive redevelopment of Anfield has occurred, AND while a massive inflation in transfer prices that is, quite f**king frankly, ridiculous, is happening at the same time. To still be competitive with a solid business model (that again I stress, they've always been transparent about how they would run things) and showing growth in this age of massive prices that constantly seem to be skyrocketing, is a promising sign to me.

Do I believe they've made mistakes in judgement? Absolutely. But they've been learning as they're going and I think they're showing far more maturity in ownership the last few years. I see so much "well what did they do the first years!? NOTHING THE CHEAP SKATES" - well, they backed Kenny - against their better judgement they went with what the fans wanted, that didn't really work. All the while they were getting their feet wet and working out what they had to do to pick us up from the ground, because we were a f**king shambles both on the field and off it.

7 years in we have consistent growth, a bigger stadium, a squad that is ever improving in depth, lucrative sponsorships that if growth continues at pace will only get better, and the manager they AND we want.

I certainly wish they'd handle some transfers better, and not be so stubborn at times. But I also respect they stick to their guns and have never strayed from who they are, which we all (mostly) welcomed with open arms in October 2010.

Just my two cents. Again

Great Post.

What I wanted to mention was that this year they dedicated the new stand to King Kenny.

No naming rights ... No extra dollars...  they're not the Glazers .


Well done y'all.

It was the Centenary they named after Kenny.
It was a great gesture indeed, but it wasnt the new main stand. I think they would sell it to a naming rights partner if they could find the right one

It was the Centenary they named after Kenny.
It was a great gesture indeed, but it wasnt the new main stand. I think they would sell it to a naming rights partner if they could find the right one

I stand corrected of course. My bad my mistake. Fixed it.
Centenary it certainly was.
However ...... haven't named it ..... haven't re-named the stadium ..... haven't re-named the new stand .... and haven't got a coffee percolator sponsor yet.

Not sucking every dollar out of the club without putting anything back......see article in "Lets All Laugh At The Mancs" thread.

I stand corrected of course. My bad my mistake. er
Centenary it certainly was.
However ...... haven't named it ..... haven't named the stadium ..... haven't named the new stand .... and haven't got a coffee percolator sponsor yet.

Yeah that's true. I like things how they are with the stadium.
But I wouldn't be necessarily against renaming the main stand. It's not as if "main stand" is such a great name to begin with
And I do believe they were actively looking for a naming rights partner, just probably never had the right offer in the table and decided to wait.

So we have the biggest piece of evidebce yet that Coutinho looks set to leave, or at least the announcement that he will leave in the summer.

Perhaps the signing of VVD and the sale of little Phil are in some way linked?

Perhaps in 2019 we can sell Salah and bring in a really good goalkeeper?

Guys remember when Barcelona were prepping the press in the summer that Coutinho will be presented in a matter of days. Well that went down well.

He's not leaving now, if we didn't sell in the summer (which was the best chance), why would we now?

..." Look I said ring me if someting comes up..dats orll yer hadda do ring me.........I mean £75 million...for Christ's sake....Seventy..Fiiiiii iiivvvvvvvveeeeeee Million....I..I..I...fee l sick...wu iz dis guy anyhow..."

So we have the biggest piece of evidebce yet that Coutinho looks set to leave, or at least the announcement that he will leave in the summer.

Perhaps the signing of VVD and the sale of little Phil are in some way linked?

Perhaps in 2019 we can sell Salah and bring in a really good goalkeeper?

If Phil leaves I will be heartbroken

The people who own our club couldn't give a F**k

Honestly, I'm not trying to defend the owners here but cou wants to leave and there isn't much the owners or the club can do.
He wants to be in a top club that challenges for league and CL.
there are only two ways we can stop selling our best players, either we destroy our wage system or become a top club that challenges for everything.
Can't see the first thing happening and the second thing will take time, but we do have the right manager. We need to move on and try to find another gem.

Alonso went primarily because of how Rafa treated him the season before he went ... he was offered out willy-nilly to other clubs and he knew it.

Bullshit, the only reason we sold Alonso was because we owed £30 million to service the loan the dickhead yanks had took out. He was only saleable asset in the £30 mill range apart from Gerrard & Torres.

Also same reason we sold Mascherano!

If Phil leaves I will be heartbroken

The people who own our club couldn't give a f**k

Phil put in a transfer request, the Boss & owners told him knuckle down & earn his move, we have just signed VVD,Kieta & hopefully Lemar, 3 for the price of 1 is great value...

We are replacing quality with quality..

Guys remember when Barcelona were prepping the press in the summer that Coutinho will be presented in a matter of days. Well that went down well.

He's not leaving now, if we didn't sell in the summer (which was the best chance), why would we now?

Honestly, I'm not trying to defend the owners here but cou wants to leave and there isn't much the owners or the club can do.
He wants to be in a top club that challenges for league and CL.
there are only two ways we can stop selling our best players, either we destroy our wage system or become a top club that challenges for everything.
Can't see the first thing happening and the second thing will take time, but we do have the right manager. We need to move on and try to find another gem.

The only reason we'd not sell is if we're holding out for more money. Honestly £130m is really good money, almost double vvd. If not now when?

We all have a price that we will do a deal. Maybe for some it's £5b (I'll close the deal one week ago at that price). Ok, if it's selling a loved one or a body part, nobody would sell even for £50b. Let's not go there because Cou is a player that can be sold.

Can't deny £130m is really attractive. If the owners think about it, we cannot blame them. CL money this season is only below €75m assuming we win the thing. So £130m? What do you think? It's really possible.

Who's financing the £75m vvd money? Not one of us. Possibly Cou is financing it. £75m from the shareholders' pocket? Ouch! One player is fine. But every player? Not possible as well. He'd be gone. Either in Jan or in the summer.

Philippe Coutinho - SOLD! At least for £130m. Only a matter of when.

Phil put in a transfer request, the Boss & owners told him knuckle down & earn his move, we have just signed VVD,Kieta & hopefully Lemar, 3 for the price of 1 is great value...

We are replacing quality with quality..

We are without any doubt buying better players but we need to keep our best, if you want to challenge at the very top you attract the best and keep them.

Out manager, owners and anyone else connected to the club should be trying to persuade Phil to stay, nobody should want to earn a move, it is very backwards thinking.

The recent investment by FSG is most welcomed, if not long over due... Klopp stated that this is not down to Coutinho leaving   (The money Barca are paying) though I have my doubts... I would like to see the same level of investment and commitment in every window from FSG, But hopefully this is a start

We are without any doubt buying better players but we need to keep our best, if you want to challenge at the very top you attract the best and keep them.

Out manager, owners and anyone else connected to the club should be trying to persuade Phil to stay, nobody should want to earn a move, it is very backwards thinking.

Once player X has made it clear he wants to play elsewhere then as a club we must extract maximum value.

As s red through and through. If I was taken on by Utd, Arse, Spurs, Chavs. I would be made up to have arrived at the top level. If I thought Liverpool were interested in me, I’d want the move, as long as I was gonna get playing time.
Most of the South Americans and Hispanics, dream of playing mainly for Barca, then Real.
Couts is certainly top quality who can win a game for us in a moment of magic. Yes he’s under contract, but the move of his dreams.....
See us through this season, and ask him to reconsider for next, so he can be involved in a Liverpool revolution, with the new players we bring in.
He can win things with us the way the side is evolving, he may be willing to give it a go.
Hopefully all the talk is press and media hype and we don’t get an official bid in for him tomorrow.
If we do, end of season, take the money and reinvest. Also gives us time to single out a decent replacement !

It's funny all this talk about how FSG have "backed" different managers, and no one addresses the elephant in the room, which is that they wanted Klopp from the off.

They got their man, and they are backing his judgement.
He gets it right; unlike previous managers who wanted the likes of Adam, Carroll, The Welsh Xabi (although I think Allen is a decent player).

That's all it comes down to.
And the fact we have a sh*t ton of money to spend.
When we didn't spend it before, Mike Gordon put it into one of his offshore banking arrangements; "diverse growth portfolio".
Now he has a guy he trusts, so he goes the extra mile.

It's not f**king rocket science.

What we need is the release of those extra funds, come summer.
I'm not counting Keita in that, although maybe I should, given the price.

I've said it many times, that patience is the key.

Klopp will get us there.

How does that work with financial fair play mate?

I've always wondered about it...

For instance are we allowed to have a limited spend for say 5 years and save any surplus cash each year then spend the whole 5 years savings in one summer without any bitching from fifa?

I'm glad of the investment by our owners. Maybe they are finally starting to realise that we need that investment to push the team on. At the end of the day it maybe a business model to them but if the team isn't successful then they really have a hard job at promoting this team for new and better outside investment.
We have a manager that has had success in the past, working on a low budget but I don't think that was the reason they wanted Klopp. Jürgen had to work on a tight budget because at Dortmund because they were in dire straights. This is all probably crazy for him spending the amounts of money on players that we are now, hence his comments on the price of VVD when he said we should not be looking at the price but looking at the player, we needed VVD and these owners have now got to stump up the cash in this crazy market. If you look from next season the spine of our team is looking pretty good. Maybe in the summer he will look at the keeper situation but I think we have to be patient. We are not Man City who can pretty much go and buy a new team in one season.
Moving on to the Coutinho situation, yes it will be difficult when he moves on and he will move on now I think that much is certain. From FSG,s point of veiw this transfer is going to be hard on the fans of course but it makes perfect business sense for the owners. I meen Phil was bought for £8.5 million and we can get £130 million plus that's a no brainer if your a business owner. My only gripe would be if the money from the sale isn't re invested on quality. I for one will be sorry to see Phil go but if you look at it it's only really been the last 2 seasons where we have seen Phil being consistent. The shame now is that he is at his best, just like Suarez before him but we just have to move on. We have got a real gem now in Salah, the hard part now is to start winning things so that our current and future stars want to stay at the club and the players we have got and who we are planning to get looks like we could have on of the strongest squads around...I think these owners deserve some credit for that...we all know before FSG it could of been really worse.

How does that work with financial fair play mate?

I've always wondered about it...

For instance are we allowed to have a limited spend for say 5 years and save any surplus cash each year then spend the whole 5 years savings in one summer without any bitching from fifa?

They take into account your spend over a 3 year period.It means you can overspend in a season and make up the difference in the next as far as I know.

Said it before, Coutinho will NOT be sold mid season, why the F**k would Jürgen weaken the squad when we're still very much in the pimary competitions,

Would Spuds sell Kane, City sell de Bruyen, Scum sell Pogba No would they F**k,

So why in the name of F**k would we sell  Phil?

Transfer request is old hash, more spin by the fuckwit media, especially Spanish,,

FSG having gained brownie points with the VVD deal are hardly going to shoot themselves by now selling Coutinho are they,

He's contracted to us so have the absolute right to wait it out for as long as necessary, even t'il after the WC and even if we bring his replacement before he went, his valuation is reckoned to be around £130m but what will it be if (a) we win CL, if Brazil lift the WC, whatever, his value will rise regardless,

So i say F**k Barca they could get fu**ed over by tapping up Greizeman btw,   and that would scupper any deal,

YOU DON'T WIN sh*t SELLING YOUR BEST ASSETS,

So, Happy New Year Barca, but YOU  can F**k RIGHT OFF KUNT'S  !!


YNWA

Said it before, Coutinho will NOT be sold mid season, why the F**k would Jürgen weaken the squad when we're still very much in the pimary competitions,

Would Spuds sell Kane, City sell de Bruyen, Scum sell Pogba No would they F**k,

So why in the name of F**k would we sell  Phil?

Transfer request is old hash, more spin by the fuckwit media, especially Spanish,,

FSG having gained brownie points with the VVD deal are hardly going to shoot themselves by now selling Coutinho are they,

He's contracted to us so have the absolute right to wait it out for as long as necessary, even t'il after the WC and even if we bring his replacement before he went, his valuation is reckoned to be around £130m but what will it be if (a) we win CL, if Brazil lift the WC, whatever, his value will rise regardless,

So i say F**k Barca they could get fu**ed over by tapping up Greizeman btw,   and that would scupper any deal,

YOU DON'T WIN sh*t SELLING YOUR BEST ASSETS,

So, Happy New Year Barca, but YOU  can F**k RIGHT OFF KUNT'S  !!


YNWA

I LIKE your reasoning mate, but the only thing that worries me is that Barcelona, as you say could be hit with a transfer ban for tapping up, so they and FSG would want to get this deal over the line before that happens.

Based on current form, Coutinho is worth £160m at least.

If he carries on improving throughout the rest of the Season then his value will only go up. If we sell for £130 million we are getting shafted.

With Coutinho going to Barca the VVD signing actually means nothing to me.

It's the same old story, get a massive signing congratulate the owners for spending big (I made this mistake) and then sell big to make sure there is no significant net spend.

Great stuff.