Do you like Ian Ayre?

[WhiskeyJar]

IAN AYRE grew up in L4, but for most of his working life Liverpool FC’s commercial director was forced to follow his team from further afield.

 

The Litherland high pupil was a committed young fan, going to all home and most away matches.

 

He even scored a penalty in front of the Kop while faced by an Everton goalkeeper – how he will be hoping for a repeat this Sunday – after winning a competition to take part in a half-time shoot-out during Chris Lawler’s testimonial in 1978.

 

At 16, he joined the navy. After leaving, his business career took him to Asia, an eight-year stint culminating in running the Asia-Pacific operations of Pace Systems, pioneers of the digital set top box, before returning to England.

 

He spent three years at Huddersfield Town FC as chief executive and chairman before another three years at sports TV firm Premium TV, a Virgin/NTL subsidiary.

 

He then returned to Asia as chief operating officer of Total Sports Asia at its Malaysian headquarters.

 

These experiences were key in him being selected by Hicks and Gillett to grow the club’s commercial revenues.

 

He started his “dream job” in August 2007 and his big achievement was the capture of Standard Chartered as main sponsor in a deal which could generate up to £81m over four years.

 

Earlier in his time at Anfield, he said privately he already knew the date of his departure.

 

After three years, Mr Ayre may consider whether the club has the potential for significant commercial growth under the new owners.

[moof]

Oh for heavens sake is there any need for this?

[J-V]

No.

[Jairzinho]

None of the options really describe my view. I just want him to go back to selling shirts in Asia.

[Duff Man]

Not sure I have an opinion on him, really. He seems to be the lightning rod for all our ire at the club's perceived transfer failings but whether that's fair or not I don't know.

[Koptimus Prime]

Stick him back to bean counting and get someone like a David Dein who knows his shit about the football transfer side of things and that would work better

[FrenchEyeGlass]

I'm genuinely going to send him a speculative job application. If he brings me on board then I like him, if not then he's a complete cunt.

[Kant]

I really don't know enough about his job description or the mechanics of his interaction with other members of the Board and Transfer Committee to offer a properly reasoned opinion...

 

But this is the internet so fuck it, I'm all in: I hate the cunt

[Russ Atmosphere]

I'm genuinely going to send him a speculative job.

Is the right answer.

[Anubis]

Stick him back to bean counting and get someone like a David Dein who knows his shit about the football transfer side of things and that would work better

 

This accuratley represents my stance on Ayre. I don't hate him, I just think he's incompetent in his current position, and a liability. 

[Dr Nowt]

Good, bad or indifferent in the past, I fail to see what he's done or not done this summer that he can be criticised for on his own.

 

Sanchez moved to Arsenal, like it or not a valid choice and had he picked us it wouldn't be on whatever their business guru numbnuts equivalent is called, and Bayern aren't prepared to lose Shaqiri.

 

He's brought in the majority of our primary targets for each position, whether those targets are ones people agree with or not. If we don't sign a striker then it's poor from the club, but Rodgers, the committee and FSG will all have an equal stake in that with him.

 

He's also been promoted again, which given FSG have shown they'll swiftly remove anyone displeasing them, indicates he's doing exactly what they ask of him and more.

[RobbieOR]

I like him purely because he seems to rub everyone else the wrong way.

[Faustus]

The Wolf of Walton Breck Road.

[Bjornebye]

I lean more towards dislike than liking him because I think he is weak in his role but a lot of the shit isn't really his fault.

 

He is an easy scapegoat though. 

 

Not voting, despise is too strong a word. 

[Captain Turdseye]

I wonder how Nightcat will vote?

[robbiefowler9]

My feelers tell me he's a fake Scouser.

[stringvest]

Let Coro and Nightcat have their go, then the thread can be closed.

[billypilgrimnz]

Mentioning trolls in threads in which they have yet to participate pretty much means that they have won.

[Paco]

only person hated more is Glen johnson.

 

when johnson goes who ll be the next player to be hated? lambert? allen? markovic?

[Iceman]

So, it's ok to hate on Johnson but Ayre is teflon? Fair enough. Then maybe it's ok to think Ayre is dogshit and he needs trimming. 

 

Firstly, I'm not trying to convince anyone to change their opinion, and I respect that there are other viewpoints and that mine may be totally wrong, but the main reason I can't take to Ian Ayre is that he has failed publicly to sign our targets way too many times, and that he over briefs the press in order to appease the supporters and look busy, and that he has made us look really foolish in the market. Also he seems to have given us a rep as a cheap club who fanny about instead of getting it done. I don't like it and I prefer we do our business differently. 'Monitoring' and 'targeting' are 2 words that I have read way too many times.

 

Our current transfer style, which is often big on talk and small on results, is new. We never used to do it like this. Hell, even Chelsea are more low key than us. I don't like it. I never know what is going on with us anymore. I get the impression Ayre is trying too hard to save money on the deals he's supposed to get sorted, so he can brown nose FSG and prove what a great money saving type he is, because he's ultimately looking a job over there. 

 

If he is good at shifting shirts, let him do that. If he is in any way responsible for us being in a derby just weeks before the season starts then he wants doing. That's my main problem with Ayre. It's the fact that he seems so out of his depth and yet he seems to have more and more control. That and his harley and the unfortunate 'I'm having a whale of a time, sorry we didn't sign anyone' type photos are just the icing on a rather unpalatable cake for me.

 

I think we as a club can do way better but for FSG he fits the bill nicely.

[zigackly]

Never met him.

[xerxes]

I think we as a club can do way better but for FSG he fits the bill nicely

Exactly.

 

FSG do not want an international class CEO, just like they don't want to build an international class stadium.

 

Ayre is good enough for the job they want.

[liverpoolsno9]

only person hated more is Glen johnson.

 

when johnson goes who ll be the next player to be hated? lambert? allen? markovic?

Lambert is already up there if you read some of the pre season match threads.

[Ranxerox]

he's a work in progress

[Saintslfc13]

I voted no though I don't despise him. I do think he should be relieved of transfer negotiations and the sooner that happens the better off we should theoretically be.