Go fuck yourselves FSG

[Saintslfc13]

There are a number of major flaws with this plan.

 

1. The Fa wouldn't allow it.

It would pretty much kill off the football league. It would mean huge numbers of clubs would end up having to go part time. There would be uproar amongst most people in football, and Dave Whelan would have a heart attack!

 

2.Champions League and Europa Qualification.

Which teams would qualify? How could we bring this in without the rest of Europe following suit?

 

3. Loss of gate receipts.

The 8 qualifying clubs would be ok, but the other 20 clubs would only have 7 home games a season! No Chairman in their right mind would take this risk!

 

4. Criteria for being a chosen club?

There are too many teams outside the Premiership that would have good claims to be involved, potentially you would have virtually all the Championship bar Yeovil Doncaster and Huddersfield. Then Clubs such as Charlton, Wolves, Sheffield United, Preston and Portsmouth. Celtic and Rangers would most likely try and get involved too. How could it possibly be decided on who makes the cut?

 

Yep, it's a terrible idea and I'm saying that as an American.

 

I love most of our sports (not the biggest baseball fan but then the team I support are dogshit this year despite having arguably the best field player in baseball and definitely the best young player, there's also so many games that it becomes a bit tedious to follow the whole season and your team can kick ass in may and be shit by july with the season basically over despite only half of it being played) but bar the NFL they aren't really as competitive as some would have you believe.

 

In the NBA there are a handful of teams always in the conversation for example the Lakers have reached the NBA finals on average about every 2 years since the current format was implemented, they're down right now but eventually will get players via free agency, the draft, or trade and own the league for 2 to 3 years at a time, right now Miami is that team. The only reason the Knicks aren't on a similar level is because of their owner being terrible.

 

In baseball it's even more stratified, there is absolutely no fucking point in being a KC Royals fan for example as once they get good they start selling players because they don't have a choice. Free agency for all it's benefits fucks teams like the above because who the fuck really wants to live in KC when you're other options are New York (and I don't even like New York City), Los Angeles, Miami, etc.? Not many people I suspect. Occasionally you'll get a player who stays with his first team out of loyalty but in general when the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Giants, or Angels come calling players from the other teams are very interested for more factors than just pay as well. If one of the above teams are having a down period then the rest will at least attempt to poach their best players off of them as well, which is probably going to happen to the Angels if they don't get their shit together soon.

 

The NFL has the most parity by far but still there are those teams always in the conversation. The main difference being the hard salary cap keeps it more competitive and/or gives owners excuses for not spending money. Still, teams very rarely join that elite conversation and when they do it's usually because they have a masterstroke coaching hire. Sean Payton for example turned my Saints from perennial "also-rans" to a team always in the conversation but even then it was San Diego's ineptitude and an injury that allowed us to get one of the leagues best players for cheap at the right time. This subsequently has more players coming there because they see the Saints will pay (eventually at least) and will also be capable of winning a championship. Whether it's sustainable after Payton and/or Brees is another matter entirely. In terms of playoffs, one need only look at the Patriots a few years ago when they went undefeated all year only to be fucked by a few lucky Eli Manning passes and lose it all. The nature of American football doesn't allow for playoffs to have series but you still can't tell me the Giants were really the better team. They were just the better team on the day. Instead of trying to add extra games to the regular season that cunt Goodell should be trying to get home and home aggregate games added to the playoffs (bar the Superbowl as it would take away from what that day already has become). He kills two birds with one stone in that he gets extra games, in the playoffs as well, and increases the legitimacy of the championship game. Instead though he's trying to add two regular season games which will be meaningless for most teams as they'll either be out of it by then or trying to get stay healthy for the playoffs.

 

I don't know if Scott is a hockey follower but an negative example of playoffs is easily found there, for a few years recently the Vancouver Canucks pissed all over the league in the regular season only to be fucked once the playoffs came for some reason. Still at least there are series in hockey's playoffs.

 

The only reason I'm in favor of College Football having a playoff system is because they already do except it's just one game, and that one game has resulted in blowout wins for all to often recently, usually by SEC teams which I love (I'm a Gator fan) but it goes to show that one team didn't deserve to be there at all. With the fact that there are so many teams that it's impossible to have everyone play one another it makes sense, but it's not so in the Premiership. I also have a sneaking suspicion that those who don't follow the SEC will be tired of the playoffs once it becomes clear that more often than not two SEC teams will be playing each other for the championship.

 

Since I was first exposed to proper football I've felt that most American sports could benefit with a relegation/promotion system, of course for financial reasons of those already involved it would never happen (why take the risk that your team gets replaced when you don't have to?), but it would generate interest (loads of people turn up at minor league baseball games for example, imagine how many more might turn up if those teams had a shot at winning it all one day?) as well as give more people the opportunity to play a sport professionally.

 

TL;DR - I agree with you.

[Anubis]

To some extent the promotion play-off's are a taster for this sort of thing, and as entertaining as they can be, I have to say that I'd happily see the system go back to the top three teams being promoted because the system is unfair (it's a cup-like lottery for the team who came third over so many games) and it only exists because of greed.

[Ranxerox]

Clearly desperate for the player. Like I say, it's a judgement call. If they have the money - and they do - then surely backing the manager's vision for another few million was the right call. Even if the player isn't worth quite that amount.

 

I can see it from both sides. If somebody came in and demanded more after you'd agreed, you'd rightly tell them to fuck off. But such is the desperation for quality players, we need to push the boat out.

 

....I fear they're letting the perfect be the enemy of the good.

[Lycan]

To some extent the promotion play-off's are a taster for this sort of thing, and as entertaining as they can be, I have to say that I'd happily see the system go back to the top three teams being promoted because the system is unfair (it's a cup-like lottery for the team who came third over so many games) and it only exists because of greed.

 

 

Yeah, I agree with this. The play-offs certainly do create some excitement for some fans but, if you look at it they can be quite unfair and they're just another way to make money.

[xerxes]

To some extent the promotion play-off's are a taster for this sort of thing, and as entertaining as they can be, I have to say that I'd happily see the system go back to the top three teams being promoted because the system is unfair (it's a cup-like lottery for the team who came third over so many games) and it only exists because of greed.

 

I disagree with your assessment of the value of play-offs up to the PL.

 

In the lower tiers they offer competition, excitement and hope ( and danger) for many more club's fans for far longer into the season. It is one of the few innovations which has benefitted the fans. the drama of the Championship play-off final takes some beating.

 

It is true that the meritocracy of a top three finish determining promotion is more fair. But it is not true that a team that limps into third place will automatically do better than a team that has bought well and charges into the play off places in the second half of the season.

[Captain]

He should be given his budget plus sales and allowed to spend it as he pleases. That way he lives or dies by his own sword.

 

The way things are right now, Brendan's just going to end up being the fall guy through little fault of his own. Tbh I don't think a more experienced manager would be putting up with this.

 

Moratti tried to pull that one on Rafa, didn't last long.

 

It's pretty clear Rodgers doesn't have a total budget to prioritize as he likes. Which is just fucked up.

[satmann]

Blame everything but them that is the FSG way. Can't spend big on players due to the money spent on Carrol. Can't get players in because of not being in the champions league. Hicks spent too much money on planning for the new stadium so that's why it's delayed. Brief the press bascombe etc to say liverpool are finding it hard due to what's happened in the past. Then it will be in a couple of years we can't compete with the top four.

 

They got the club cheap, tv contract has Doubled this year, the extra mony they will get form the contract over the next 3 years will be what they payed for the club. They are just a fraud, liars. Now I wouldn't be surprised if they got parry to do this

 

BBC Sport - Liverpool: Rick Parry says Gillett-Hicks reign still affecting club

 

Rick Parry says Gillett-Hicks reign still affecting club

 

28 August 2013

Last updated at 08:06

 

Liverpool are still recovering from the ill-fated reign of former owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks, according to ex-chief executive Rick Parry.

 

Their three-year spell at Anfield was dominated by financial problems caused by the loan they used to buy the club.

 

"That period of destabilisation is when we fell out of the Champions League," Parry told BBC Radio Merseyside.

 

"Once you're in there, you're achieving those regular revenue streams. It's a mountain to climb when it falls away."

 

The two US businessmen bought Liverpool in February 2007 for around £220m, shortly before the club reached the Champions League final for the second time in three years.

 

They saw off competition from another interested consortium, Dubai International Capital, with the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) providing them with a large loan facility which they used to help purchase the club.

 

They also revealed plans to build a new all-seater stadium in nearby Stanley Park, although fans quickly became disillusioned and Gillett claimed his relationship with Hicks had become "unworkable" a year into their partnership.

 

In the meantime, the debt against the club's holding company continued to grow as they struggled to repay the loan. The debt stood at £237m when Fenway Sports Group, led by John W Henry, completed its takeover in October 2010.

 

The change of ownership was pushed through, despite a last-ditch attempt from Gillett and Hicks to block the sale in court.

 

Parry said it was only until around nine months into the Gillett-Hicks reign that the scale of the financial problems became apparent.

 

"The debt was never on the club because [previous chairman] David Moores and I blocked that," added Parry, who spent 12 years at Anfield - including just over two seasons as chief executive while Gillett and Hicks were co-owners - before departing in 2009.

 

"It was in the holding company, but clearly they needed to get money from the club to pay the interest so that was going to be a burden.

 

"Our clear understanding was that it was short-term debt while they reorganised their own finances. It was in the offer document that there would be no debt on the club, or the club would not have to bear the costs, and certainly that changed. We weren't comfortable or happy with that.

 

"Their position was that the world had just hit the credit crunch and they didn't plan it that way, but those were the circumstances that we were all faced with and we were going to have to deal with it and move on."

 

The 2009-10 season was the last time that the Reds appeared in the Champions League, while they have failed to finish higher than sixth in the Premier League since ending as runners-up to Manchester United in 2008-09.

 

"That's maybe the best ever chance we've had to win the Premier League and that was a time where we should have been kicking on," said Parry. "With a few more adjustments to the squad, who knows what might have happened in the next year or two.

 

"You'd do a million things differently with hindsight, but that's not an option. We all wish passionately that they hadn't owned the club."

[Bobby Hundreds]

There's only so long we can hark back to gillet and hicks and its only so long FSG can use it as an excuse. Nobody is asking for them to go bananas just buy a couple of players who will improve us, do what it takes.the football takes precedent, at the minute micromanaging every single penny is stifling us, planning for the future doesn't just consist of buying young potential having a team good enough now to attract players and be in with a chance of winning things is as important to the future. It looks like a club whose managers ambition isn't backed by its owners,

[Tyler Durden]

I'm behind this thread now, they can get fucked as far as I'm concerned, they've had all summer to prove how ambitious they are, like they have said, and they have fucked about all summer and made the club look small time. If not being used by agents then talking to the wrong fucking people.

 

They haven't got a clue and should pack up and fuck off, no doubt they won't and we'll receive another letter that's probably already been inked about how the big bad football world has been so hard on them, lessons learned, blah blah blah.

[ngogswilly]

I'd bet my house there will be an interview from Henry or Werner over the next few days littered with words like "Value", "Difficult", "Long term", "Past" etc... etc...

[Horus]

Parry worming out of it again.

 

It was all H&G's fault, not ours because we didn't do our homework. Definitely theirs. Not ours because we sat on a stadium for 10 years. Definitely theirs. Not ours because we did fuck all in general. Definitely theirs.

 

The best thing about FSG is that they exist.

[Horus]

I'd bet my house there will be an interview from Henry or Werner over the next few days littered with words like "Value", "Difficult", "Long term", "Past" etc... etc...

 

But we can compete with anyone in world football. They've already told us that.

[Nightcat]

I'd bet my house there will be an interview from Henry or Werner over the next few days littered with words like "Value", "Difficult", "Long term", "Past" etc... etc...

 

I think the "letter"/"interview"/"statement" is already ready, they're just waiting for the window to close, before they press "send" to the media LFCtv etc...

[Pureblood]

Reading back over that open letter from Henry 12 months ago it's the biggest load of patronising garbage, it makes my blood boil.

[RobbieOR]

I'm just wondering what's in it for fans of teams other than the top 4 or 5 clubs. Baseball, US Football, hockey, NBA all gave up the "first past the post" structure years ago and without a multi-division format with playoff's the sports would not have grown as much as they have.

 

I'd like to see the EPL reorganized into 28 teams, and 6 divisions. A post-season involving the 6 division winners plus 2 with next best records overall (compensates for overly competitive divisions).

 

Get rid of promotion/relegation as it is so disruptive and seems more or less a waste.

 

 

The mega rich clubs would still have an advantage but not the near insurmountable one they currently enjoy. More clubs would have something to play for late into the season and more fans could be optimistic for longer than the end of September.

 

Fucking hell.

[magicrat]

I'm behind this thread now, they can get fucked as far as I'm concerned, they've had all summer to prove how ambitious they are, like they have said, and they have fucked about all summer and made the club look small time. If not being used by agents then talking to the wrong fucking people.

 

They haven't got a clue and should pack up and fuck off, no doubt they won't and we'll receive another letter that's probably already been inked about how the big bad football world has been so hard on them, lessons learned, blah blah blah.

 

I can't argue with this .I started thinking a year ago we needed new owners with deeper pockets if we were ever to return to the top table.

This summer window has confirmed for me that the FSG way is not the right way we start challenging for titles again. It may keep us ticking over and make them some money but in the long term even that will become problematic as our position as a global brand fades without successful campaigns both domestically and in the CL. They dont seem to grasp that everything stems from success on the pitch and we now need people running the club that do and have the resources to make it happen.

[RobbieOR]

Parry can fuck off too. He was half the reason why Hicks and Gillett bought the club.

[Alan Sex]

FSG can't spend the cash they got from tv rights and sales this summer. They've spunked on it. It's all stuck together.

[Josef Svejk]

I'd bet my house there will be an interview from Henry or Werner over the next few days littered with words like "Value", "Difficult", "Long term", "Past" etc... etc...

 

I think the "letter"/"interview"/"statement" is already ready, they're just waiting for the window to close, before they press "send" to the media LFCtv etc...

 

Reading back over that open letter from Henry 12 months ago it's the biggest load of patronising garbage, it makes my blood boil.

 

This year's letter has already been leaked.

 

I am as disappointed as anyone connected with Liverpool Football Club that we were unable to add further to our first team in this summer transfer window, but that was not through any lack of desire or effort on the part of all of those involved. They pushed hard in the final days of the transfer window on a number of targets and it is unfortunate that on this occasion we were unable to conclude acceptable deals to bring those targets in.

 

But a summer window which brought in three young, but significantly talented starters in Simon Mignolet, Iago Aspas and Aly Cissokho as well as an exciting young potential star of the future - Luis Alberto - and an experienced defender - Kolo Toure - could hardly be deemed a failure as we build for the future.

 

Nor should anyone minimise the importance of keeping our best players during this window. We successfully retained Luis Suarez and Daniel Agger. We greatly appreciate their faith and belief in the club.

 

No one should doubt our commitment to the club. In Brendan Rodgers we have a talented young manager and we have valued highly his judgement about the make-up of the squad. This is a work in progress. It will take time for Brendan to instill his philosophy into the squad and build exactly what he needs for the long term.

 

The transfer policy was not about cutting costs. It was - and will be in the future - about getting maximum value for what is spent so that we can build quality and depth. We are avowed proponents of UEFA's Financial Fair Play agenda that was reiterated by Mr Platini last year - something we heartily applaud. We must comply with Financial Fair Play guidelines that ensure spending is tied to income. We have been successful in improving the commercial side of the club and the monies generated going forward will give us greater spending power in the coming years.

 

We are still in the process of reversing the errors of previous regimes. It will not happen overnight. It has been compounded by our own mistakes in a difficult first three years of ownership. It has been a harsh education, but make no mistake, the club is healthier today than when we took over.

 

Spending is not merely about buying talent. Our ambitions do not lie in cementing a mid-table place with expensive, short-term quick fixes that will only contribute for a couple of years. Our emphasis will be on developing our own players using the skills of an increasingly impressive coaching team. Much thought and investment already have gone into developing a self-sustaining pool of youngsters imbued in the club's traditions.

 

That ethos is to win. We will invest to succeed. But we will not mortgage the future with risky spending.

 

After almost three years at Anfield, we are close to having the system we need in place. The transfer window may not have been perfect but we are not just looking at the next 16 weeks until we can buy again: we are looking at the next 16 years and beyond. These are the next steps in restoring one of the world's great clubs to its proper status.

 

It will not be easy, it will not be perfect, but there is a clear vision at work.

 

We will build and grow from within, buy prudently and cleverly and never again waste resources on inflated transfer fees and unrealistic wages. We have no fear of spending and competing with the very best but we will not overpay for players.

 

We will never place this club in the precarious position that we found it in when we took over at Anfield. This club should never again run up debts that threaten its existence.

 

Most of all, we want to win. That ambition drives every decision. It is the Liverpool way. We can and will generate the revenues to achieve that aim. There will be short-term setbacks from time to time, but we believe we have the right people in place to bring more glory to Anfield.

 

Finally, I can say with authority that our ownership is not about profit. Contrary to popular opinion, owners rarely get involved in sports in order to generate cash. They generally get involved with a club in order to compete and work for the benefit of their club. It's often difficult. In our case we work every day in order to generate revenues to improve the club. We have only one driving ambition at Liverpool and that is the quest to win the Premier League playing the kind of football our supporters want to see. That will only occur if we do absolutely the right things to build the club in a way that makes sense for supporters, for us and for those who will follow us. We will deliver what every long-term supporter of Liverpool Football Club aches for.

 

JOHN W HENRY

[TheHitman]

They don't even need to do an open letter now as lemmings have been spreading the gospel according to Henry for the past year non-stop.

[Trucker Paddy]

Said this on the other thread, Southampton have outspent us by £40m.

I'd be amazed if people will still defend them after this window.

[waddy78]

What did they say when they bought the club "judge us on actions" ooops!!

 

In my opinion we'd have to spend around £100m (wisely) this summer to have a realistic chance of top 4 and champions league football something I don't think FSG would do or being willing to do, they talked about soccernomics when they bought us and it was muted that they liked the way Lyon was run in france and they'd achieved cl football and won title after title, problem is Lyon done this as the rest of French football (domestically not internationally) fell apart, clubs were going into admin,running up massive debts and even had 4 of the previous 7 years league winners relegated at one point, The premier league isn't Ligue 1 and I doubt Lyon's way of working would even get them in to a Europe league spot in the premier league.

 

They need to spend big now if not we will become (if were not already) a mid table club who has a good cup run every now and again.

[andrew78]

Said this on the other thread, Southampton have outspent us by £40m.

I'd be amazed if people will still defend them after this window.

 

Wonder if the likes of sos will call them out over this,ive said it once il say it again our summer cash was spent last jan,.We are big club in name and that's it its over for us now the other top teams are fucking kaneing us wiht what they are spending we are a 6th place team

[Barrington Womble]

Said this on the other thread' date=' Southampton have outspent us by £40m.

I'd be amazed if people will still defend them after this window.[/quote']

 

Rich, you know they will, as fans want to believe in them. As every day passes you see the expectations being lowered by our own fan base.

 

When pre-season started and Rodgers was taking about 3 players for the 1st team, plenty took that as the intent of the owners, not the wish of the manager. Those of us who said no way will we spend the £50/60m people were talking back then were ridiculed. As time has gone on, the expectations have lowered, 2 good players and a youngster. 1 top player will player will do and a loaner. Finally, Remi Moses on loan from the man united veterans team, what a smart financial move, he's only on £500 per game appearance money and we snatched him from under David moyes nose.

 

It's a shame because Rodgers is doing well with his limited resources, but as we could see when looking at the impact of last nights injuries, those resources are as limited as they could possibly be, one or two injuries and we've a bench full of teenagers, we look like some league 2 outfit - but at least the wage bill is down, we can spend big in the next window.

[WaltonRed]

Rumour going round that due to SOS listing Anfield as an asset of local importance a deal which was In place to sell a stake in the club in order to redevelop has now fallen through meaning and funds for players will now go towards doing up the ground

 

Sounds like a load of shite to me

 

Anyone buying in would want us all surely, sounds like a Hicks plan