Bleak but true unfortunately for us Reds.

[JMARKH]

Sorry about this. Today's column was intended to be a little more uplifting, more on the theme of a season of surprises. Liverpool for the title was the tag and it went west the moment the owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr, decided that they knew more about a footballer's worth to his club than their manager, Rafael Benítez. It is hard to fancy Liverpool to overturn Manchester United and Chelsea now, yet when the summer began, Gareth Barry was set to be Benítez's missing link and, had the club bought him, this could have been their season to evolve from a team capable of impressing in set-piece matches in Europe to one capable of emerging triumphant from the slog of the domestic season.

 

Instead, the way the move failed reveals much about the parlous state of the clubs under new ownership. At the weekend, Rick Parry, the Liverpool chief executive, said that Aston Villa's asking price of £18 million for Barry was too high. It is not. It is the going rate for an England central midfield player, as indicated by the fees paid by Manchester United for Michael Carrick (between £14 million and £18.6 million depending on success) and Owen Hargreaves (£17 million). Indeed, Barry is an England regular at present; Hargreaves and Carrick are not. Nor is age an issue, because Carrick, Barry and Hargreaves were all born in 1981. Barry is 34 days younger than Hargreaves and 155 days older than Carrick and Villa's valuation, for a player under contract, the captain and an important member of their team, is entirely reasonable.

 

 

Yet, privately, what is said to concern Liverpool's owners is Barry's resale value if he signs a four or five-year contract. And there is the key; if a player could be the difference between winning the championship and falling short, why should the eventual return matter? His cost would be reimbursed instantly if the trophy was installed at Anfield, and while that is a big if, so is every transfer of substance.

 

The resale issue with Barry confirms that there are serious financial concerns at Liverpool, despite the costly purchase of Robbie Keane from Tottenham Hotspur this summer. It has been well documented that Gillett would sell his half of the club at the right price, while Hicks wants to stay in the game. In the City, the word is that an American bank is ready to offer Hicks the funds to buy out Gillett, but not at the figure his partner wants because Gillett is insisting on a 30 per cent profit on the purchase price. Whether a Hicks buyout could resurrect the Barry deal, however, is questionable. If he plays for Villa against FH Hafnarfjördur, of Iceland, in the Uefa Cup tomorrow, and is cup-tied in Europe, Benítez may well give up hope.

 

Despite Parry's protestations to the contrary, the attitude of Liverpool's owners must greatly frustrate Benítez and threaten his commitment to the club. Funnily enough, in the paddock at Epsom, one rarely sees John Magnier, the head of the Coolmore Stud, overruling his trainer, Aidan O'Brien, so that he can pass instructions to Johnny Murtagh, the jockey; and Magnier knows a hell of a lot more about horses than Hicks and Gillett know of football. It seems bizarre to have an authority, a manager of experience and consistent success, and then ignore his expertise. Benítez must surely have impressed upon his employers the difference Barry would make to Liverpool: he would complete the starting XI.

 

Benítez is strong in most areas but requires a left-footed partner for Javier Mascherano in front of the back four. Barry is a perfect fit. With him, Liverpool could play the 4-2-3-1 formation that is all the rage right now, with Mascherano and Barry holding, Ryan Babel starting on one flank, Robbie Keane playing the Dirk Kuyt role on the other and Steven Gerrard behind Fernando Torres, with free range. Even the reserve options, Kuyt, Martin Skrtel, Sami Hyypia, perhaps Xabi Alonso, are good. The last piece of the jigsaw is an overused phrase, because even the best teams are in a permanent state of evolution, but Barry, potentially, was the most significant signing of the summer.

 

To be so close, and then to be distracted by talk of resale values, can only suggest a club perilously close to financial breaking point. Last season, it was believed that Liverpool's owners would struggle to service loan repayments if Champions League football was not secured and with Michel Platini, the Uefa president, intent on reducing the number of fourth-placed qualifiers from the leading countries, this precarious existence will not go away.

 

The team who finish fourth in the Barclays Premier League will have to play another non-champion from a leading European nation next season. Instead of FC Twente and Standard Liège, this season's opponents for Arsenal and Liverpool, the fourth-placed English team could be up against the likes of Fiorentina or Atlético Madrid, a far greater test.

 

General concern over the financial future of the club is likely to trouble Liverpool's owners more than the specific long-term worth of one player. At the weekend it was suggested that Benítez would now bid £18 million for David Silva, of Valencia, who plays on the left or as a playmaker behind the front two, the inference being that he has Barry's transfer fee available, but not for Barry. That would be madness. One of the positions Silva plays is already occupied by Gerrard, in the other Benítez has tactical options.

 

Why would any clear-thinking football business make a sum of money available, have the manager identify a target within that range and then tell him he cannot have the player, but can buy another instead? A year from now, Silva could be an excellent signing, as Liverpool move on, but right now, give Benítez what he wants.

 

Martin Samuel wrote this column, he's a man who normally spouts shite but this time he has hit the nail on the head.

[Guest davelfc]

Ouch! that is a nail on the head, just as I was starting to get a spring in my step and look forward to the start of the season I'm now looking for the razor blades.

[JMARKH]

it wouldn't suprise me if last seasons turmoil continued all season.

[RedinSweden]

bah.

[captainharris]

A good read and speaks a lot of sense. Regardless of what people think of Barry and his fee, it's ludicrous that Benitez is being overruled by people who until a year ago had never been to a football match in their lives.

[aws]

Really good article from Bluto. Strange that he's got such a good handle on what's going on.

[aws]

A good read and speaks a lot of sense. Regardless of what people think of Barry and his fee, it's ludicrous that Benitez is being overruled by people who until a year ago had never been to a football match in their lives.

 

Parry's been to lots of games though so that makes him an expert.

[Cath]

Quite a good analysis that. Depressing though that may be.

 

it wouldn't suprise me if last seasons turmoil continued all season.

 

Indeed. The greatest threat to our season is not whether we get someone to play on the left, in the middle or at right back its whether we attract someone who can prise the grubby paws of G&H off our club.

[captainharris]

Parry's been to lots of games though so that makes him an expert.

 

Regardless of the owners i'll feel a lot more comfortable if we did have a Chief Exec who genuinely had the clubs interests at heart.

[aws]

Regardless of the owners i'll feel a lot more comfortable if we did have a Chief Exec who genuinely had the clubs interests at heart.

 

Me too - he's long, long past his sell-by date.

[spider-neil]

that was absolutely spot on.

[RedKnight]

Still not sure that Barry is worth £18mil.

[stringvest]

fair post; agenda-free.

[navbasi]

Read the first line and stopped. I'm only boarding the Positive train...

[danielo]

I am not so sure about MS's article. I still do not believe barry is the missing link. I think Alonso has no problems in that formation. I think a skillful, pacey left footer is the order of the day.

:dunno:

[Dave Spart]

Really good article from Bluto. Strange that he's got such a good handle on what's going on.

 

Rafa probably gave him a bell.

[kopitegaz]

Still not sure that Barry is worth £18mil.

 

I cant think of anyone in football who is actually worth the transfer fees paid for them these days, because they are all totally crazy. However, what Piggy says about the comparisons in the fees of Hargreaves, Carrick and the value placed on Barry is correct, even if we dont personally think Barry is worth it.

[drewy]

Still not sure that Barry is worth £18mil.

 

That's not the issue anymore.

 

G&H and sporting director Parry overuling and subsequently undermining the manager is the issue.

[kop]

The going spin of the Barry-dealings is that the owners has overruled Rafa's wishes and has put the foot down in spite of having the funds available to buy him. The suggestions are even there that we can make a similar bid for other players, and that it is Barry himself that's the problem, not the funds.

 

Well, here's my take on those allegations:

 

1. We don't have £18m to spend on a player, at least not before we sell.

 

2. We (or G&H) won't even get a loan to fund the £18m, not even on the basis of future player sales.

 

3. The "Barry has no future sale value" - statements doesn't make sense. Liverpool FC is not, and has never been a selling club. The future value of a player is something smaller clubs takes in consideration, not LFC. What LFC considers is how big an influence the player will have on the results, not how much we can sell him for when he succeeds (and the price if he doesn't succeed isn't relevant in this contex; any player will go down in value when they get older/poorer, and every player not getting poorer is not a player we are selling).

 

4. All the possible explanations comming through the filter is all excuses and a smokescreen for what's really going on: G&H are making excuses to cover up their lack of support/funds.

 

5.To back up my allegations: I will pay £50 to HJC if we spend £18m on any player before September 1st, without selling other players first. Be it Barry, Silva, Downing or Snoogy Doogy.

[taliesin08]

That article sums all the crap up pretty well...fcukn hell.

[aws]

The going spin of the Barry-dealings is that the owners has overruled Rafa's wishes and has put the foot down in spite of having the funds available to buy him. The suggestions are even there that we can make a similar bid for other players, and that it is Barry himself that's the problem, not the funds.

 

Well, here's my take on those allegations:

 

1. We don't have £18m to spend on a player, at least not before we sell.

 

2. We (or G&H) won't even get a loan to fund the £18m, not even on the basis of future player sales.

 

3. The "Barry has no future sale value" - statements doesn't make sense. Liverpool FC is not, and has never been a selling club. The future value of a player is something smaller clubs takes in consideration, not LFC. What LFC considers is how big an influence the player will have on the results, not how much we can sell him for when he succeeds (and the price if he doesn't succeed isn't relevant in this contex; any player will go down in value when they get older/poorer, and every player not getting poorer is not a player we are selling).

 

4. All the possible explanations comming through the filter is all excuses and a smokescreen for what's really going on: G&H are making excuses to cover up their lack of support/funds.

 

5.To back up my allegations: I will pay £50 to HJC if we spend £18m on any player before September 1st, without selling other players first. Be it Barry, Silva, Downing or Snoogy Doogy.

 

I suspect you're right. But the smokescreen they've put up is a remarkably stupid one as it underrmines the manager (unless of course that's the intention). Far simpler just to say that the budget is used up and no Alonso sale equals no more cash.

[AL66GOLF]

Quite a good analysis that. Depressing though that may be.

 

 

 

Indeed. The greatest threat to our season is not whether we get someone to play on the left, in the middle or at right back its whether we attract someone who can prise the grubby paws of G&H off our club.

 

Wishful thinking but preferably someone with lots of money who isn't going to saddle the club with lots of debt like the current gangsters.

[kop]

I suspect you're right. But the smokescreen they've put up is a remarkably stupid one as it underrmines the manager (unless of course that's the intention). Far simpler just to say that the budget is used up and no Alonso sale equals no more cash.

 

It would be the simple way of breaking the news, I agree with that, but by doing it the way they do they will ensure that the mass don't get their head around the fact that they are broke. Those reading LFC-news several times a day know they are broke of course, but that's not the mass. Shifting focus to confuse, putting the preassure elsewhere, insinuate that not all issues and problems in the club stands and falls with them; that might be their strategy.

[halewood pete]

a fair appraisal of the current situation i think,albeit a bit depressing.

[Hooch]

That's not the issue anymore.

 

G&H and sporting director Parry overuling and subsequently undermining the manager is the issue.

 

Exactly.

Rafa may well be wrong about Barry, but it's his right as manager to make that decision, and we and the owners should be trusting him on it.

Depressing read that.

 

I will add though, if we do manage to shift Pennant and Voronin, and get past Liege and qualify for the champions league earning what, 10 mil is it?... then surely whether the yanks think Barry is overpriced or not they should back signing him?? Seeing as Rafa will have raised most of the fee himself?