Hicks promise #108 - Liverpool headed for "BIG" Summer transfer spree

Tom Hicks promises big summer splash as son walks the Anfield plank

Tom Hicks remained bullish in the wake of his son's resignation from Liverpool today when he pledged a "big" summer in the transfer market at Anfield and replaced the outgoing director with another Dallas-based ally.

Hicks's son, Tom Jr, bowed to pressure to relinquish his directorship of Liverpool and its parent company, Kop Holdings, following the furore over the obscene email he sent to a Liverpool supporter in a row over Rafael Benítez's spending power.

His place on the board has been taken by Casey Coffman, vice-president of Hicks Holdings and the chief operating officer of Hicks Sports Group, while Liverpool confirmed that Philip Nash and Ian Ayre, the club's chief financial officer and commercial director respectively, have been appointed directors.

The departure of Hicks Jr was announced this morning after he sent an abusive email to a supporter whom he told to "Blow me F**k face". It is understood the Liverpool director offered to resign when the controversy erupted on Saturday night, with the supporters' union, Spirit of Shankly, demanding his resignation and describing his position as untenable, before the decision was ratified 24 hours later.

A statement issued on behalf of Hicks Jr read: "I have great respect for Liverpool Football Club, especially the Club's supporters. I apologise for my mistake and I am very sorry for my harmful words. I do not want my actions to take away from the Club's future; therefore I am resigning from the Board. To the fans and to the Club, please accept my sincerest apologies."

Unsurprisingly, given their determination to remove Hicks and George Gillett as owners of Liverpool, the Spirit of Shankly group welcomed the American's decision to step down. A spokesperson said: "This club has standards; on the field, off the field, on the terraces and in the boardroom. The standards we have seen exercised in the boardroom have been unbefitting of this great club since Hicks Jr, his father, George Gillett and other associates arrived at the Club with false promises."

The dispute between Hicks Jr and the supporter, Stephen Horner, was prompted by last week's revelations that Benítez will have little to spend in this transfer window even if the Liverpool manager raises more than £15m through player sales. The club has so far raised £6.4m by selling Andriy Voronin and Andrea Dossena to Dynamo Moscow and Napoli respectively and are also hoping to offload Philipp Degen and Ryan Babel before the end of the month. Benítez has resisted efforts to cut his losses with Babel, however, amid concerns his budget will stretch no further than the proposed £1.5m signing of Maxi Rodríguez from Atlético Madrid and possibly one other loan deal.

Liverpool officials say Benítez's budget is a sensible approach to the difficult January transfer market and revenue raised now will be reinvested in the squad in the summer. The Liverpool manager has already started preparations for next season, with the Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh a target on a free transfer.

That stance was echoed by Hicks himself today when, shortly after the announcement of his son's resignation, he responded to another supporter's inquiry about transfer plans with the email that, in hindsight, Hicks Jr should have sent to Horner. The Liverpool co-owner said: "Our debt is very managable (sic) [see Man U] and we never use player sales for debt service. Our interest on £200m is about £16m. The new stadium will be the game changer. Christian [Purslow] is working very hard on it. Jan is a poor-quality market. The summer window will be big."

Purslow, Liverpool's managing director, is engaged in a worldwide search for new investors in the club as Hicks and Gillett seek an equity raise that would reduce their shareholdings but enable work on the proposed stadium in Stanley Park finally to begin.

Never use players to service debt?

So he made a profit on transfers in the Summer window at the start of the season for fun did he?

He has sold 2 players or 6.5m quid and is not spending it for fun again is he? When our club is threatened with no Champions League football next season.

F**k off c**t.

Tom Hicks has shrugged aside the controversial resignation of his son from the Liverpool board by claiming that the club’s debt problems are not as severe as those of Manchester United.

The Liverpool co-owner also vowed to spend “big” in the summer transfer window.

In a day of high drama for the two North-West giants, Tom Hicks Jr announced that he was stepping down as a Liverpool director after admitting sending an abusive e-mail to a fan.

United, meanwhile, announced plans to raise £500 million to restructure their debts after paying out £41.9 million in interest during the past financial year.
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United’s problems gave Hicks an opportunity to divert attention from the storm at his own club and he duly took it.

In an e-mail of his own to a fan, he intimated that Liverpool’s debt — in excess of £200 million — is more manageable than that of their great rivals.

He also insisted that while Liverpool will not be splashing out in the present transfer window, they are already planning to invest heavily in the summer to bolster Rafael Benítez’s squad, and claimed the long-awaited new stadium will be delivered.

“Our debt is very manageable (see Man U) and we never use player sales for debt service,” Hicks Sr wrote in the e-mail, responding to concerns from a supporter that Liverpool will not be big spenders in January.

“Our interest on £200 million is about £16 million. The new stadium will be the game changer. January is a poor quality market. The summer window will be big.

“We are working hard on the new stadium. We have an excellent management team and manager. We know we need more depth on the squad and will address it this summer. We hope to have a stronger second half of the season.”

Liverpool’s search for investment is continuing, but there is evidence that the financial concerns that have plagued them for so long are beginning to filter down to Benítez’s playing squad.

Ryan Babel, the Holland forward, responded to a question on Twitter, the social networking site, about his opinion on Hicks and George Gillett Jr, his fellow American, by saying: “We need money for the club.”

It is that apparent weakness that has prompted fears that Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres or both could be prised away from Anfield should Liverpool fail to qualify for next season’s Champions League. Reports in Italy suggest that José Mourinho will launch his third attempt to sign Gerrard, this time for Inter Milan rather than Chelsea, next summer.

The chances of Gerrard leaving Liverpool for an Italian club are remote, but rivals sensing weakness at Anfield will give their supporters added cause for concern.

The resignation of Hicks Jr from the club’s board at least solved one problem, the Texan falling on his sword after he sent an abusive e-mail to Stephen Horner, a Liverpool fan, in which he said: “Blow me, f***face.”

The Liverpool hierarchy did not hesitate to accept Hicks’s offer to step down. His place has been taken by Casey Coffman, the executive vice-president of Hicks Holdings.

Manchester City added to the pressure on Liverpool when they opened a five-point gap to them in the Barclays Premier League thanks, to a 4-1 win over Blackburn Rovers at the City of Manchester Stadium, Carlos Tévez scoring a superb hat-trick as Roberto Mancini made it four wins in four games since succeeding Mark Hughes as manager.

Damn right the summer transfer will big.

We'll make a big dent in that debt when we sell Torres and Gerrard because we've finished 10th.

w**ker.

What a lying c**t.

He must think we are all f***in thick.  

 

oh god how I wish we would spend big... but with these in charge its unlikely!

We'll see eh lads, Maxi in jan is a big move I think and soo cheap!

Lets hope & pray its the truth or we are fu**ed!

I'll believe the lying b***ard only WHEN it does happen.

Not holding my breath!

Tom Hicks promises big summer splash as son walks the Anfield plank

The Liverpool co-owner said: "Our debt is very managable (sic) [see Man U] and we never use player sales for debt service. Our interest on £200m is about £16m. The new stadium will be the game changer. Christian [Purslow] is working very hard on it. Jan is a poor-quality market. The summer window will be big."

16m a season? That could of been David Silva, or Mata, or Arshavin, or Turan, or any of the growing list of strikers Rafa wants/ed.

Even worse, that 16m could of been added to a purchase to fund an even better player.

If the stadium is the game changer, then we're stuck like this (a 'sell to buy someone half of what money Rafa earns on a transfer' policy) until atleast 2020. Atleast. The very least.

If the stadium is the game changer,

Of course its going to be a game changer....it isnt going to f*cking happen,

Even the bluesh*te will get their stadium in Southport before we get ours!!

F*ck off Yank c*nts!!!

yawnssss

Is anyone else sick of these Yanks "yanking our chains?" grrrrrrrrrrrr

missed oppertunities were a laughing stock in the premiership,players sold who should,nt have beeni.e crouch,alonso and players bought without much thought or reserch as far as i can see,little money to spend we will have to have a mighty 2nd half of season to salvage anything this year,i blame the owners and the manager.mr shankley would turn in his G.
sad days indeed

Yeah big. Is he giving us 1 mil. to spend? 

 Promises,promises,promises,talk about the lad that shouted wolf.Why should anyone believe a word H+G say regarding our new ground and new players.

Refer to the scum's financial position already posted.
The only way they made a profit is by not buying anyone and selling LadyBoy.
When you cant pay the bank you take something to Cash Converters.


Why in one breath Rafa is saying he may have to sell Stevie and Nando...

and lying c...t Hicks says the summer transfer will be "big"?


I.R.W.T.

I, for the F***ing life of me, can't see how this speak.......

"Jan is a poor-quality market. The summer window will be big." - Hicks

...... can lead to the headline....

Tom Hicks promises big summer splash as son walks the Anfield plank

We all know the "window" will be big, c**t - it always is - but the fact remains we won't be spending "big". Hicks, as ever, is just trying to make cu*ts out of us all. Using our hatred of Man U to try hide his own inadequacies is pretty vile to be honest.

Big F***ing deal - our debt is less than the scum's - that "title" will look well alongside 18 Leagues and 5 European Cups.

F**k off Hicks, you scabby dog's tool.




Hicks, trying to gloss over Mini Me's monumental F**k up, promised Rafa "One million Dollars for the big, Summer, transfer window.....a muhuhuhuhuh muhuhuhuhuh"

To quote Jerry McGuire 'Show me the money'

So far I have seen jack from these owners.

What is our net spend for the last four windows now (Summer 08, Jan 09, Summer 09 and Jan 10) ? Probably + £15m at least.

...we never use player sales for debt service...The summer window will be big..."

Dear Tommy,

Kindly clarify two things:

1. What you use player sales for??? Dividends to shareholders???
2. What do you mean by big summer window???

    Acquire some overweight players at no cost or on a free??? or
    A big transfer budet of £60m??? or
    A big dividend payout for you "well deserved" shareholders???

Yeah, you may as well convince our big name players like Kenny and Barnes to come out of retirement.
Seriously, we do not know what you mean by big until you stuff something like £60m down Rafa's throat!!!

Don't even try to sweet talk the fans!!! "Show us the money". Do you understand me!!!

He also insisted that while Liverpool will not be splashing out in the present transfer window, they are already planning to invest heavily in the summer to bolster Rafael Benítez’s squad, and claimed the long-awaited new stadium WILL BE DELIVERED.

 The summer window will be big.

“We are working hard on the new stadium. We have an excellent management team and manager. We know we need more depth on the squad and will address it this summer. We hope to have a stronger second half of the season.”

Stadium will be delivered... by IKEA and is a perfect 1/18 scale model of what the Stanely Park Stadium should look like.

Summer will be big... All players of value will be flogged.
C**t

He can shove his promises up his arse. Pr*ck.

FULL OF sh*t.

You couldn't give this tw*t the benefit of a doubt for a second, his total bullshit seems to become even more apparent in every statement he makes. I'd bet my house on it that we we sell more than we buy again this summer. I think with those two in charge we'll just have to accept that we're the type of club that has to sell.