John Henrys open letter to fans.

Just want to make a point here.

The mistakes made on the last day of the transfer window on the last day in January 2011 was far worse than anything that went on during the last day of the transfer window last Friday.

Well we did bring in Suarez on Jan 31, technically. So maybe not entirely true

Just want to make a point here.

The mistakes made on the last day of the transfer window on the last day in January 2011 was far worse than anything that went on during the last day of the transfer window last Friday.

Really fed up of reading utter kneejerk cack from the likes of corballyred etc. It's time to shut up, get over it and let's make do with what we've got.

Excellent point have a biccie.

I said it before and I'll say it again now there are very few here who have the bottle for what needs to be done.

FSG are not bad owners so far as I can tell and they told us when they arrived there would not be bucket loads of money.

Everyone knew that it will take time for Brendan to turn things around and get us playing the way we want.

The way a lot of people are talking here you'd think the world had ended and we're only 3 games into the season.

Like I said they haven't got the bottle for what is needed to get us back to where we belong. Some are living in the past, some are living in the past and can't get over Kenny, some just don't understand that we have to go through a painful, difficult period before things are turned around.

Three F***ing games and they've written the club and the future off.

YNWA

FSG did not arrive here in august 2012 so its not 3 games its almost 2 years. If you dont like Corbs posts ignore him otherwise it would be pretty boring reading how smart FSG are and how everyone loves Brendan on every single post.
Is there anything in his last post that isn't true? aren't people allowed to come on to a forum and vent their spleen.I have had plenty of fall outs with Corb in the past but if erveryone justs keeps posting the same old sh*te about regurgitating FSG propoganda then it will not be worth coming on here.
FSG have bolloxed the first two years of ownership we do have the smallest squad in living memory and we dont have a Centre forward at the club that should be enough to discuss for the next week until we actually get a game to talk about.
Just paraphrasing someones posts saying Theree F***ing games and they've written the club asnd the future off is just as bad as saying everything FSG do is sh*te.At least give the lad an argument.

I like your thinking. It would certainly do the owners no harm to show some initiative.

Yes wasn't it a pre contract agreement or the likes. If we knew reinforcements were coming in Jan then it would help a lot but at the moment lots of us are thinking Jan will be just as bad as August.

The first 15-20 mins The Anfield Wrap is a great listen this week discussing this very topic.

Although for me it really does crystallise, if that's the correct word, how I feel about the last week or so.

The letter is a vague statement that actually says nothing and holds no one accountable to what was a massive f**k up.

The first 15-20 mins The Anfield Wrap is a great listen this week discussing this very topic.

Although for me it really does crystallise, if that's the correct word, how I feel about the last week or so.

The letter is a vague statement that actually says nothing and holds no one accountable to what was a massive f**k up.

This is the essence of spin, whether it be sport, commerce or politics. What FSG forget however is that we've been lied to before and are vigilant against similar bs being tried again.

The first 15-20 mins The Anfield Wrap is a great listen this week discussing this very topic.

Although for me it really does crystallise, if that's the correct word, how I feel about the last week or so.

The letter is a vague statement that actually says nothing and holds no one accountable to what was a massive f**k up.

Massive F**K up indeed srslfc, but then we get back to a whole other issue. Do they hold people accountable out to the supporters or do they do the dirty laundry in house. When it comes to this issue you would probably get 1/2 dozen different answers where really there is no right way to do it.

Massive F**K up indeed srslfc, but then we get back to a whole other issue. Do they hold people accountable out to the supporters or do they do the dirty laundry in house. When it comes to this issue you would probably get 1/2 dozen different answers where really there is no right way to do it.

It's a fair point AZ and probably the last thing I want is Liverpool FC airing its dirty linen in public but after watching the transfer window unfold and holding off on any reservations I had, even going as far as defending FSG to an extent, I feel even more let down because of how they handled the last week or so.

As someone on the podcast said it's difficult to get past the fact that Dempsey was the bare minimum were expecting and as far as I'm concerned this letter is nothing more than an effort to placate those who were expecting that vry bare minimum.

It's a fair point AZ and probably the last thing I want is Liverpool FC airing its dirty linen in public but after watching the transfer window unfold and holding off on any reservations I had, even going as far as defending FSG to an extent, I feel even more let down because of how they handled the last week or so.

As someone on the podcast said it's difficult to get past the fact that Dempsey was the bare minimum were expecting and as far as I'm concerned this letter is nothing more than an effort to placate those who were expecting that vry bare minimum.

Saw that, also saw somewhere (don't know if its true) where Dempsey was basically waiting in a hotel room with his family waiting for Liverpool to call while rejecting other offers, when it was apparent they were not going to then he decided the spurs.

On all sides the club really messed this one up, you and I could have been more organized and done better I feel.

Saw that, also saw somewhere (don't know if its true) where Dempsey was basically waiting in a hotel room with his family waiting for Liverpool to call while rejecting other offers, when it was apparent they were not going to then he decided the spurs.

On all sides the club really messed this one up, you and I could have been more organized and done better I feel.

The Dempsey fiasco mirrored FSG's previous inaction over other apparent possible signings, contrast that to the decisive measures taken in giving Kenny Dalglish the bullet.
After keeping the powder dry I now have great reservation over the owners conduct and have no doubt there are a good number who are as concerned.

The Dempsey fiasco mirrored FSG's previous inaction over other apparent possible signings, contrast that to the decisive measures taken in giving Kenny Dalglish the bullet.
After keeping the powder dry I now have great reservation over the owners conduct and have no doubt there are a good number who are as concerned.

Does it? I recall Kenny saying he was happy with his squad, everyone knew that most of our business was done in the summer, and that we'd have a quiet window all along. It was Comolli who said there wasn't value.

Does it? I recall Kenny saying he was happy with his squad, everyone knew that most of our business was done in the summer, and that we'd have a quiet window all along. It was Comolli who said there wasn't value.

Given the implications and Kenny's desire to nurture what was available to him it would be totally destructive of him to go head to head with the owners at that time.
As it transpired Comolli was found to be wanting in the judgement stakes from beginning to end.

Has anybody considered that the board didn't want Dempsey. Seems a more likely reason than a cock-up.

Has anybody considered that the board didn't want Dempsey. Seems a more likely reason than a cock-up.

I'm not so sure about that. I think the board didn't want to pay the asking price for Dempsey because of his age and the probable absence of a decent selling on fee.

It seems we did make an offer for him but it wasn't enough for Fulham to accept.

Has anybody considered that the board didn't want Dempsey. Seems a more likely reason than a cock-up.

I'd hope that's not the case bricko... As that would potentially be even worse and also make an utter mockery of this fine peice of Mr Henry's PAs work.

I'd hope that ( within reason) the manager has full sway on team decisions...

And that if Dempsey wasn't especially wanted that this was conveyed to the manager a long time before deadline day so another option could be signed..

The whole last 48 hours of the window no one within the senior positions at the club can be proud of.

Has anybody considered that the board didn't want Dempsey. Seems a more likely reason than a cock-up.

Been considered, much like suggestions that Fulham didn't want to sell to us, we couldn't afford him, Ayre fu**ed up the negotiations, Rodgers fu**ed up by not having other targets.  You name it, someone has considered it.

I even considered the possibility that Dempsey was just a smoke screen for Higuain, Messi and Ronaldo signing in the last hour of the transfer window, then I realised FSG owned us.

 

MIAMI — Clint Dempsey arrived in Miami from London this week after a stressful, tumultuous summer, eager to put the drama behind him. On his to-do list: repair his image with Fulham fans, raise his game with Tottenham, and get the U.S. national team a few steps closer to the 2014 World Cup.

The 29-year-old forward is in town training with the national team for a World Cup qualifier in Jamaica on Friday, a welcome diversion from the highly publicized saga that finally came to a resolution last Friday night with his 11th-hour, $9.6 million move from Fulham to Tottenham on transfer deadline day.

The fact that an American made headlines as the transfer window closed is a sign of progress for soccer in this country. Dempsey, who scored 23 goals in 46 matches with Fulham, is also believed to now be the highest-paid U.S. player ever with a three-year contract worth $22.2 million.

"I think it can inspire American people because if a kid from Nacogdoches, Texas, can make it, they can, too," Dempsey said Tuesday after a storm-shortened workout at Florida International University. "I'm from a small town, had to work hard.

"I'm lucky I had parents driving me three hours to Dallas for practice and three hours back, made me appreciate at a young age that I couldn't take things for granted. You couldn't give less than 100 percent because of sacrifices your family was making for you. Hopefully, I inspire people."

U.S. captain Carlos Bocanegra said Dempsey's experience at the elite level will rub off on his U.S. teammates.

"Clint is going to a big club, and he's been fantastic at club level for the past few years," Bocanegra said. "We've got a lot of players playing in Europa League and Champions League now, and when they come into camp, they bring their quality, and it makes us better."

Dempsey got his wish: a legitimate shot at playing in the Champions League. Tottenham finished fourth in the English Premier League last season, which normally would have qualified for the elite competition, but sixth-place Chelsea took the last of England's four places by shocking Bayern Munich in the Champions League final. The reigning champion earns an automatic berth, so Tottenham got bumped.

Dempsey had made it clear early in the summer that he wanted to leave the Cottagers for a higher-profile club, and rumors began to fly that a deal with Liverpool was in the works. But the deal never materialized, and as the new season got under way in August, things got messy for Dempsey at White Hart Lane.

Fulham manager Martin Jol criticized Dempsey for refusing to play for the team while holding out for the transfer. Jol left Dempsey off the roster for the first two matches of the season.

Dempsey said he is upset with the way his exit from Fulham played out, that some things were said that were not true.

"It was very difficult," he said. "I'm disappointed in the way my time ended with Fulham, with the way I was portrayed in the end, but that's in the past now. I've got to move forward. That's part of the business, but I just want to thank the fans for five and a half great years. I look back on my memories there with a smile on my face.

"Some of my best memories in football were there, and I'll definitely miss the fans. I'm also thankful for the chairman (Mohamed Al-Fayed). He's the one who took a gamble on me in MLS, and I'm grateful for that. It gave me an opportunity to play in that league, one of the best in the world."

U.S. coach Jürgen Klinsmann knows better than most what it's like to play for Tottenham. He scored 38 goals in 65 games for the Spurs and believes it is a perfect fit for Dempsey.

"He has that type of character and personality. He was admired and loved at Fulham, and now it's another level to step up to for him," Klinsmann said after Monday's practice. "As long as you work hard, as long as you give everything that you have, he has all the technical ability and talent, the people will love him. I'm pleased because I can certainly tell him about that club, which is a very special one in England, obviously.

"He had that goal that he wanted to play European football at the highest level as possible, and he suffered over the last couple of weeks with the situation, and now it's all done and he's ready."

Dempsey is itching to play after sitting since June.

"I'm definitely excited, ready to go," he said. "It was good to get a little rest, to be honest, because I've been going nonstop for a few years now, and it's good to rest up. I was pretty beat up at the end of last season, so now I feel refreshed and ready to go, get back to work and have a good year."

Read more here: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012/09/05/2677029/clint-dempsey-brings-international.html#storylink=cpy

Interesting anyway, what does that work out to 100k/week?

MIAMI — Clint Dempsey arrived in Miami from London this week after a stressful, tumultuous summer, eager to put the drama behind him. On his to-do list: repair his image with Fulham fans, raise his game with Tottenham, and get the U.S. national team a few steps closer to the 2014 World Cup.

The 29-year-old forward is in town training with the national team for a World Cup qualifier in Jamaica on Friday, a welcome diversion from the highly publicized saga that finally came to a resolution last Friday night with his 11th-hour, $9.6 million move from Fulham to Tottenham on transfer deadline day.

The fact that an American made headlines as the transfer window closed is a sign of progress for soccer in this country. Dempsey, who scored 23 goals in 46 matches with Fulham, is also believed to now be the highest-paid U.S. player ever with a three-year contract worth $22.2 million.

"I think it can inspire American people because if a kid from Nacogdoches, Texas, can make it, they can, too," Dempsey said Tuesday after a storm-shortened workout at Florida International University. "I'm from a small town, had to work hard.

"I'm lucky I had parents driving me three hours to Dallas for practice and three hours back, made me appreciate at a young age that I couldn't take things for granted. You couldn't give less than 100 percent because of sacrifices your family was making for you. Hopefully, I inspire people."

U.S. captain Carlos Bocanegra said Dempsey's experience at the elite level will rub off on his U.S. teammates.

"Clint is going to a big club, and he's been fantastic at club level for the past few years," Bocanegra said. "We've got a lot of players playing in Europa League and Champions League now, and when they come into camp, they bring their quality, and it makes us better."

Dempsey got his wish: a legitimate shot at playing in the Champions League. Tottenham finished fourth in the English Premier League last season, which normally would have qualified for the elite competition, but sixth-place Chelsea took the last of England's four places by shocking Bayern Munich in the Champions League final. The reigning champion earns an automatic berth, so Tottenham got bumped.

Dempsey had made it clear early in the summer that he wanted to leave the Cottagers for a higher-profile club, and rumors began to fly that a deal with Liverpool was in the works. But the deal never materialized, and as the new season got under way in August, things got messy for Dempsey at White Hart Lane.

Fulham manager Martin Jol criticized Dempsey for refusing to play for the team while holding out for the transfer. Jol left Dempsey off the roster for the first two matches of the season.

Dempsey said he is upset with the way his exit from Fulham played out, that some things were said that were not true.

"It was very difficult," he said. "I'm disappointed in the way my time ended with Fulham, with the way I was portrayed in the end, but that's in the past now. I've got to move forward. That's part of the business, but I just want to thank the fans for five and a half great years. I look back on my memories there with a smile on my face.

"Some of my best memories in football were there, and I'll definitely miss the fans. I'm also thankful for the chairman (Mohamed Al-Fayed). He's the one who took a gamble on me in MLS, and I'm grateful for that. It gave me an opportunity to play in that league, one of the best in the world."

U.S. coach Jürgen Klinsmann knows better than most what it's like to play for Tottenham. He scored 38 goals in 65 games for the Spurs and believes it is a perfect fit for Dempsey.

"He has that type of character and personality. He was admired and loved at Fulham, and now it's another level to step up to for him," Klinsmann said after Monday's practice. "As long as you work hard, as long as you give everything that you have, he has all the technical ability and talent, the people will love him. I'm pleased because I can certainly tell him about that club, which is a very special one in England, obviously.

"He had that goal that he wanted to play European football at the highest level as possible, and he suffered over the last couple of weeks with the situation, and now it's all done and he's ready."

Dempsey is itching to play after sitting since June.

"I'm definitely excited, ready to go," he said. "It was good to get a little rest, to be honest, because I've been going nonstop for a few years now, and it's good to rest up. I was pretty beat up at the end of last season, so now I feel refreshed and ready to go, get back to work and have a good year."

Read more here: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012/09/05/2677029/clint-dempsey-brings-international.html#storylink=cpy

Interesting anyway, what does that work out to 100k/week?

He wont be on that much

 It is more than possible if we had matched the £6m Spurs would of offered him more money than us ?

 

Dempsey said that number is not right

Dear John: An Open Letter to FSG

Posted on 08. Sep, 2012 by Liam Tomkins in News

Now that the dust has settled on a disastrous deadline day and everyone has had time to come to terms with events, I thought I’d throw in my two-cents. And I mean that as a metaphor, not as a contribution to the transfer kitty.

This article shall take the form of an open letter to John Henry and FSG, one which I shall send to the man himself. So, here goes.

Dear John,

Firstly let me thank you for taking the time to address the supporters in the wake of what was a very underwhelming end to the summer transfer window. We do appreciate your efforts to explain the situation, but there is still a strong sense that you, and the other people involved in player recruitment, could have done much more by way of prevention in the first place.

The general consensus is that there were several factors in the failure to bring in attacking players after so many had gone the other way. That is to say that it would be unfair to point the finger at any one individual because, as I understand it, transfers are dealt with by a committee which includes several senior figures. It is therefore fairer to say that everyone involved in the process must take some of the blame.

Brendan Rodgers has talked a great game since arriving at Anfield, but he was perhaps hasty in allowing Andy Carroll to leave without being absolutely sure that a replacement was signed, sealed and delivered, while yourselves (FSG) have been accused of failing to back the manager by securing one of his top targets, even if it did mean spending slightly more than was wished.

I understand the ethos of your long-term project, buying prudently and promoting from within. In fact, more than that, I endorse it and believe it is the ‘right’ way to operate, but there has to be exceptions every now and then.

In this instance I feel that the long-term cost of another season like the last could be greater than the short-term cost of sanctioning a deal for Clint Dempsey, or another goalscorer who could help ease the burden on young Fabio Borini and misfiring Luis Suarez. Sometimes a player’s value on the pitch can compensate for what might be a slightly inflated value in the market, and it’s up to the club to decide whether or not they are worth that risk. If you thought Dempsey wasn’t then fair enough, but we didn’t leave ourselves with many other options, which was another complaint from the Anfield faithful.

Football is not an exact science and everybody has to compromise from time to time, especially those who claim not to be in the game to line their own pockets. If the owner of a club is not willing to be somewhat flexible, then I am afraid they may be in the wrong game entirely.

Lastly Ian Ayre, the man in the middle, also has questions to answer. He has done a brilliant job commercially, but some suggest he may be spinning too many plates at present, and that he might be better off focussed on his area of expertise, allowing someone else to come in and offer a more experienced hand.

All of the above issues seemed only to be exacerbated by a communication problem within the club. This is further evidence that the gap between Boston and Merseyside is too great to bridge via conference calls. You need an authoritative figure based within the same walls as the people who run the club on a day-to-day basis, and you need to be in touch with them on a day-to-day basis.

It is my understanding that FSG had a structure set in stone before Brendan Rodgers came in and sculpted from it his own vision for success. Perhaps it was a mistake to adapt your plans on the word of a manager preparing to enter his second season in the English top flight. Or perhaps it was myth entirely – hopefully that will become clear soon enough.

I’m sure you felt prepared for the challenge of running a football club when you first took over here, having already sampled success in another sport, but I’m also sure you’d be the first to admit that you underestimated the challenge of running Liverpool Football Club.

We are unique. We are patient, but demanding. We are supportive, but critical. And, perhaps most significantly of all, we are still licking the wounds left by the previous regime which makes us extremely wary of taking anyone’s word as gospel.

We know you know business inside out, but us supporters know the club inside out and that is just as, if not even more important. If you could find both of these attributes in one person they would be an ideal candidate to act as an intermediary between FSG and LFC, ensuring that communication is constant and constructive.

I don’t expect a response to this letter in writing, but I think I speak on behalf of every supporter when I say that we all expect a response in the boardroom and on the pitch.

We are an understanding bunch and appreciate that this is a learning curve for you and your company, and that mistakes are bound to be made. What is important is that they aren’t made twice.

We look forward to the January transfer window when the club will have the opportunity to redeem itself, and sincerely hope that lessons have been learnt so that we might enjoy a successful end to the season, and a long and fruitful future under FSG.

Yours faithfully,

Liam Tomkins

http://www.kopsource.com/dear-john-an-open-letter-to-fsg/

Excellent letter. I hope that John Henry reads it.

To be cynical a 'Dear John' letter is most appropriate in the respect that the object of our love is being fu**ed unmercifully.

Dempsey said that number is not right

But £80-90,000 per week (which gives you around the $ mark mentioned) does sound about right, even if it's around the £60-70,000 it could be about $17.5m over three years