Liverpool being lined up for 700m Middle Eastern takeover.

Nah mate, Rafa said at the time that he needed players to help him now and couldn't afford to wait for them to develop.

I stand corrected

I stand corrected

You can't say Rafa was wrong (not that you would ), we got to the CL FINAL that season and Pennant even had a good game that day.

Hellish thought.

Imagine us as a soulless club with no links to the community and buying boring boring bas**rds like Aguero (seriously, never has there been a more boring f**k of a world class player) who have no connection to the club they are playing, such to the extent the money grabbing sh*t can't even speak English despite being here for five years.

Our club would be riddled with these wankers. And there'd be no concerted effort of a link to the Merseyside community as our youth team would be packed full of young players from abroad who would only be here for the money, therefore neglecting the chance for local lads to pursue their dream and play for Liverpool FC.

We'd win a league title, but never could such a decades long pursuit be achieved in a more hollow and emotionless manner.

Just think - we'd be like City. And they're so plastic, we don't even give them the courtesy of being named a rival. We want success with the soul we currently have - never in a million years would I sell that soul for a piece of silverware. If people don't get that, they don't get the city of Liverpool.

Surely real fans would get a greater sense of fulfilment with victory OUR way and not the way of all the financially doped club? Just look at what Dortmund did, or just like Atletico Madrid are doing. It's not beyond possibility you know - we do have the manager.

Agree,
I don't want some rag head sandal wearing camel jockey sand dancer buying our club,look at what we are building now, we have decent but not perfect owners,a world class manager on the first rung of the success ladder,

IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT, like has already been said, FSG know their initial investment is growing, it's starting to bare fruits, why the F**k would they sell now,

Their not some fly by night get rich quick outfit, there here long term and will sell when they feel the time is right, if after 5 yrs their investment has risen to £400m, without the success pitch side, what will it rise to once the titles and the tin start rolling in, and why bring in a Jürgen Klopp to oversee those proceedings, just to hand over to some shaky sheik,

Nah no thanks,  I would hate LFC to become as soulless as the plastics or Abu Dhabi United!!

YNWA

Presumably we couldn't afford him mate. You can't blame the player if we don't make the offer. At the time when he wanted to come here we bought Kuyt and Pennant instead as we thought £17million for a teenager was too much.

Nope we could afford him, people other than the manager thought they knew better!

Same with Alves and Silva too!

Nope we could afford him, people other than the manager thought they knew better!

Same with Alves and Silva too!

Nah we couldn't mate... that's why Moore's had to lend Liverpool the money to buy Kuyt.

So if Sheikh Jeffery Jaffa was to buy us tomorrow and give us money to spend on Hummels,Rues,Gundongan etc etc to add to our current squad and we win the title you would think thats selling our soul for some piece of silverware?

Exactly Shabs and the fact is we could afford those players right now but the investors (as JWH told us) just want optimum return on their minimal investment. The truth is; when Chelsea (for e.g.) set off, with their new money, on the path to greatness they had no history and a very poor team. In short; they had to spend big to attract players. They don't now.

Abramovich used (and risked) his own money and it paid off but it might not have. Thirteen years and fifteen(?) trophies later - he's still there. I'll wager any F***ing one, right here and right now - the carpetbaggers won't come close to matching either of Abramovich's figures.

It's also, quite simply, a F***ing lie to say either Chelsea (or Man City) don't invest in their communities or have no connection with them - believe that low-brow, sh*t and you'll eat everything you can see.

Would new owners need to start from scratch with us; to build tradition; to build history? Nah. The only difference we'd see between them and the carpetbaggers is a primary objective (and will) to win football matches, titles and trophies. There would be no more F***ing about or need to peddle the open ended, 'Long-term Lie' bullshit to half-witted mugs. 

Each to their own - if people don't want to win because they actually believe the spiel, the lies and the bullshit from our snake-oil salesmen (and their PR dept) and have bought into some romantic notion that FSG care - so be it...

Me? I'd have an owner like Abramovich who actually wants his football team to win, over the Boston charlatans, all day every day.

Exactly Shabs and the fact is we could afford those players right now but the investors (as JWH told us) just want optimum return on their minimal investment. The truth is; when Chelsea (for e.g.) set off, with their new money, on the path to greatness they had no history and a very poor team. In short; they had to spend big to attract players. They don't now.

Abramovich used (and risked) his own money and it paid off but it might not have. Thirteen years and fifteen(?) trophies later - he's still there. I'll wager any F***ing one, right here and right now - the carpetbaggers won't come close to matching either of Abramovich's figures.

It's also, quite simply, a F***ing lie to say either Chelsea (or Man City) don't invest in their communities or have no connection with them - believe that low-brow, sh*t and you'll eat everything you can see.

Would new owners need to start from scratch with us; to build tradition; to build history? Nah. The only difference we'd see between them and the carpetbaggers is a primary objective (and will) to win football matches, titles and trophies. There would be no more F***ing about or need to peddle the open ended, 'Long-term Lie' bullshit to half-witted mugs. 

Each to their own - if people don't want to win because they actually believe the spiel, the lies and the bullshit from our snake-oil salesmen (and their PR dept) and have bought into some romantic notion that FSG care - so be it...

Me? I'd have an owner like Abramovich who actually wants his football team to win, over the Boston charlatans, all day every day.

What I should have added people mourning saying its buying the league , get real that's been happening since it went epl and before it , we are trying to buy it now difference being we are trying to do it on the cheap , we would all prefer to see class players striding around anfield instead of rookie kids . With potential .

Exactly Shabs and the fact is we could afford those players right now but the investors (as JWH told us) just want optimum return on their minimal investment. The truth is; when Chelsea (for e.g.) set off, with their new money, on the path to greatness they had no history and a very poor team. In short; they had to spend big to attract players. They don't now.

Abramovich used (and risked) his own money and it paid off but it might not have. Thirteen years and fifteen(?) trophies later - he's still there. I'll wager any f**king one, right here and right now - the carpetbaggers won't come close to matching either of Abramovich's figures.

It's also, quite simply, a f**king lie to say either Chelsea (or Man City) don't invest in their communities or have no connection with them - believe that low-brow, sh*t and you'll eat everything you can see.

Would new owners need to start from scratch with us; to build tradition; to build history? Nah. The only difference we'd see between them and the carpetbaggers is a primary objective (and will) to win football matches, titles and trophies. There would be no more f**king about or need to peddle the open ended, 'Long-term Lie' bullshit to half-witted mugs. 

Each to their own - if people don't want to win because they actually believe the spiel, the lies and the bullshit from our snake-oil salesmen (and their PR dept) and have bought into some romantic notion that FSG care - so be it...

Me? I'd have an owner like Abramovich who actually wants his football team to win, over the Boston charlatans, all day every day.

Really? There is f**k all 'low brow' about it when you dig beneath Manchester City's 'community outreach' programme.

'Investing in the community' isn't a notion that is satisfied by plundering money into the redevelopment of empty waste land around the stadium of which the vast majority of acres serves to benefit and serve the club and the club only. For sure if you want to call Manchester City's investment into a new academy and training complex around the stadium as 'investing in the community' then so be it. They have committed and built a new free school (free schools being by and large a failing and under performing government policy) on the site though so that will keep the image fresh and progressive...but that's about it.

I personally don't think that suffices when you realise that the vast acres of the land which these hotels, medical facilities and training grounds are all going to be built upon is going to be used, funded and profiteered by private means. The public contribution and benefit is very very little. The sites on that land and that are to be pursued on the collar site are merely acting upon plans that the Manchester authorities enacted well before the Abu Dhabi royal family came in.

By and large, when you look at the scale of the Etihad Complex you realise that it is a vanity project that offers little to the 'community' and instead is all about posturing to the football world of its superior facilities. Discussing the project in one of his books, David Goldblatt wrote that their contribution to the public sphere is 'nugatory' and he's dead right.

For a club with all the money in the world, it's absolutely pathetic. To say anything meaningful and glowing about Man City's community investment is to say everything about the success of their slick PR machine that this Arab regime runs and nothing about what is actually happening on the ground.

surely this will not happen  now they know Ayre will be leaving. Is this more likely to be to do with the naming rights and someone has just put two and two together and come up with £700mil

I think the idea of a naming rights partner with a share in the club of somewhere between 25-35% is in the cards and the most likely to happen with FSG maintaining operating control of the club.

So if Sheikh Jeffery Jaffa was to buy us tomorrow and give us money to spend on Hummels,Rues,Gundongan etc etc to add to our current squad and we win the title you would think thats selling our soul for some piece of silverware?..


I couldn't give to shekels if Aguero is a boring c**t,a along as he finds the back of the onion net whilst wearing the Red jersey he could be boring as f**k mate

My oldest mate in the world is a season ticket holder at City. He's a few years older than me and I can remember going to Maine Road with him to watch City play Plymouth Argyl with him in the late 80's when I must have been about 14, and I remember about 10 years ago him telling me that the Top 4 was basically a cartel, it was Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and the mancs. A closed loop that no other club could break into.

You should hear him now, all he frickin goes on about is how much he misses playing the likes of Argyl, about how City will never sign another like Shaun Goater and he's always whinging about the cost of flights to places like Milan and Madrid. I can't shut the whinging fu..cker up.

For a club with all the money in the world, it's absolutely pathetic. To say anything meaningful and glowing about Man City's community investment is to say everything about the success of their slick PR machine that this Arab regime runs and nothing about what is actually happening on the ground.

Aye... you're probably right mate.

Setting aside the investment in and economic benefits of the £200m academy and the cheapest season tickets in the PL, for example - I just accepted that the 6,000 new homes being built in a regeneration programme, (which City's owners are funding, in a £1bn deal), was a good thing just because the local media and council appear to think so. I should have known better.

I suppose £1.2bn + investment is all relative tho' and I'm sure FSG are every bit as committed to the city of Liverpool. 

You should hear him now, all he frickin goes on about is how much he misses playing the likes of Argyl, about how City will never sign another like Shaun Goater and he's always whinging about the cost of flights to places like Milan and Madrid. I can't shut the whinging fu..cker up.

Class...

City started from scratch (a distant 9th or 10th) and in 7 years Mansour has brought 2 titles and two trophies. Will he stay longer than the Boston boys? Will he make as much money from 'the deal' as the Boston boys? I'm betting "yes" and "no" (in that order).

Football before profit all day every F***ing day. 

Aye... you're probably right mate.

Setting aside the investment in and economic benefits of the £200m academy and the cheapest season tickets in the PL, for example - I just accepted that the 6,000 new homes being built in a regeneration programme, (which City's owners are funding, in a £1bn deal), was a good thing just because the local media and council appear to think so. I should have known better.

I suppose £1.2bn + investment is all relative tho' and I'm sure FSG are every bit as committed to the city of Liverpool. 

A 'regeneration' programme? Utter utter bullshit! 

You've completely misread the situation, they're not being charitable - it's called gentrification where the new 6000 homes will cost a bomb and will be available to those exclusive hip sorts, driving local communities that originally built the club up to the outskirts of town.

Don't try and paint this as some sort of paternalistic owners with communitarian values - they're contributing to eradicating community. Just read David Conn's account on City to get a better grasp on all off this first.

FSG aren't perfect but there's no gentrification of the Anfield area. House prices there are still some of the cheapest in Liverpool with local residents not being high flying yuppies. And while The Anfield Project will see unoccupied and derelict houses redeveloped and put on the private market (most likely won't be affordable knowing the housing market in the UK), there's a concerted effort from FSG and Liverpool City Council to create jobs and offer training to the local community in order to boost employment in the area.

It helps that the Spirit of Shankly group are keeping tabs on this and that John Houghton - a member of SOS and a consultant and advisor on city and housing - is able to mediate a professional approach to make sure Anfield residents see an improvement. So yeah, fans and supporters groups have that influence to strengthen the communitarian bonds between club and and the surrounding area.

But hey, as long as some dodgy human rights abusing Sheikh buy Messi and Neymar, who gives a f**k about all these traditional club values eh? If you fail to appreciate this, then what is the f**king point in supporting Liverpool?

Aye... you're probably right mate.

Setting aside the investment in and economic benefits of the £200m academy and the cheapest season tickets in the PL, for example - I just accepted that the 6,000 new homes being built in a regeneration programme, (which City's owners are funding, in a £1bn deal), was a good thing just because the local media and council appear to think so. I should have known better.

I suppose £1.2bn + investment is all relative tho' and I'm sure FSG are every bit as committed to the city of Liverpool. 

Less extortionate ticket prices is hardly groundbreaking IMO.

Granted there is that investment in housing and 1 billion is a lot and is impressive...in an investment sense but not in a community sense. Besides this isn't a plan concocted by Man City. It's a local authority drive that is only part of a wider plan to build 57000 houses in Manchester so 6000 is par for their resources I suppose. These sort of deals are not uncommon in Manchester and given the city's track record and commitment to private investment and entrepreneurial urbanism since the 80s (fully embracing the changes heralded in by Thatcher no less) it's not like it is anything groundbreaking. Given the city council's partnership with hundreds of private investors that particular hole would have been filled by other investors and is indeed already attracting many more investors. Personally I think it's a policy that goes hand in hand with the extortionate culture the UK has turned into which has been to the detriment of community, not the benefit. I think those 6000 homes are all private rented as well...and I highly doubt they will go to local residents at an affordable rate. It's investment for profitable means. Not communitarian means.

You should hear him now, all he frickin goes on about is how much he misses playing the likes of Argyl, about how City will never sign another like Shaun Goater and he's always whinging about the cost of flights to places like Milan and Madrid. I can't shut the whinging fu..cker up.

 

I don't know as much as many of you do about this rumour and certainly am not as in touch with the local feeling as many of you Liverpudlians are so my opinion is based purely upon being a die hard fan for 35 years from living in Worcestershire and now Los Angeles.
But I would say that the last 10 years or so have been a very turbulent and unsettling period in regard to the custodians of our great club.
The hicks and Gillette period was an utter fiasco and I believe that some sort of credit has to go to FSG for attempting to understand the uniqueness, move us back to stability and listen to the community. The tireless work of the SOS and other knowledgeable groups has been a great example of 'checks and balances' that any foreign and ignorant ownership has needed.
Football is all about money these days. Has been for 20 odd years.
In the distant past we seemed to operate based upon the community whereas now the revenue gained from tv rights, shirt sales, sponsorships and fan bases across the globe are more important than the match going fans hard earned money.
That's appears to be the reality.
We are once again at a massive cross roads.
FSG seem to have steadied the ship and given us an economically rosey tint so it's obvious that potential suitors would be attracted to us now.
All I know for sure is that Liverpool, to me has always been unique, special, poetic and passionate. The highs and lows have always been earned or resolved due to the foundation laid many decades before.
Our uniqueness is our crown and to think that any potential owner doesn't get that, respect that or understand its weight is worrying.
There is a desperate and mandatory need to preserve that which makes us Liverpool.
Could be a very interesting next few months.
YNWA

Abu Dhabi aren't in football for the money, they probably make losses every year from Man City. Its all about buying symbols of Western culture for them, their reasons for investing are purely political and cultural.

A 'regeneration' programme? Utter utter bullshit! 

You've completely misread the situation

Er... erm... if you want to read what I wrote again (and not what you think I wrote) you'd see that it's actually your post which is "bullshit" fella. 

* FMS inferred that I hadn't looked behind the headlines; that I was naive.

* I replied that he was "probably right"... that "I just accepted that the 6,000 new homes being built in a regeneration programme, (which City's owners are funding, in a £1bn deal), was a good thing just because the local media and council appear to think so." and that  "I should have known better."

So which part of that is bullshit; the bit where I agreed with your buddy or some other part?

 

It's a local authority drive that is only part of a wider plan to build 57000 houses in Manchester so 6000 is par for their resources I suppose.

Again I was only going on what local media and the council had said... both of which were singing Mansour's praises on the issue.

I also said it was all relative and (without knowing)- I'm sure that FSG have committed as much if not more [relatively speaking] to the City of Liverpool.

Er... erm... if you want to read what I wrote again (and not what you think I wrote) you'd see that it's actually your post which is "bullshit" fella. 

* FMS inferred that I hadn't looked behind the headlines; that I was naive.

* I replied that he was "probably right"... that "I just accepted that the 6,000 new homes being built in a regeneration programme, (which City's owners are funding, in a £1bn deal), was a good thing just because the local media and council appear to think so." and that  "I should have known better."

So which part of that is bullshit; the bit where I agreed with your buddy or some other part?

 Again I was only going on what local media and the council had said... both of which were singing Mansour's praises on the issue.

I also said it was all relative and (without knowing)- I'm sure that FSG have committed as much if not more [relatively speaking] to the City of Liverpool.

Yeah but your 'assumption' that 6000 houses was good is naive - come off it, this is the UK we're talking about, a cardboard box costs well over £500k. It's fairly low-brow to fall for that one easily!! 

I'm just happy to know the soul of our club is being protected by owners who will only sell when the price is right, when they have maximised their profit and made as much money as possible for the shareholders

I'm just happy to know the soul of our club is being protected by owners who will only sell when the price is right, when they have maximised their profit and made as much money as possible for the shareholders

Surely the owners are the shareholders,the days of shareholders of L.F.C. finished when Moores sold out to Twit and tw*t otherwise known as Hicks and Gillette.

Who'd have ever thought we'd see an FSG face turn, that's what working with a middlern eastern heel will do though #prowrestlingjoke