A letter from America...Henry.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

Liverpool Football Club's principal owner John W Henry has written the following open letter to supporters:

john henry

 

I am as disappointed as anyone connected with Liverpool Football Club that we were unable to add further to our strike force 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 forward 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 Joe Allen, Nuri Sahin and Fabio Borini as well as two exciting young potential stars of the future - Samed Yesil and Oussama Assaidi - 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 Daniel Agger, Martin Skrtel and Luis Suarez. We greatly appreciate their faith and belief in the club. And we successfully negotiated new, long-term contracts with Luis and with Martin.

 

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 EUFA's Financial Fair Play agenda that was this week reiterated by Mr Platini - 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 two 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 two 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 first 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

 

Taken from the offal.

[Faustus]

As I said on the other thread, Rafa Benitez was right, albeit with regard to different owners. "All we do is talk." It's all we have done as a club for 20 years.

[Unrighteous]

We'll see what next summer brings... Hopefully, we'll have Europa League to play.

[TheHitman]

Henry and Werner really do have a relentless attacking propaganda style.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

They know what is written by fans, its just a letter to appease the fans and keep them hanging on. Long term plan...16 years....they won't fucking be here in 16 years and football changes from season to season.

[Guest davelfc]

Building for the future, a player on loan.

Retained Agger, tried to sell but he would not go.

 

Words are a lot cheaper than players.

[RedPaul]

Henry and Werner really do have a relentless attacking propaganda style.

 

They do and they're very good at it. This all sounds very reasonable, but whether they like it or not, the Premier League is full of cash and clubs wanting to better themselves by spending. I don't like it, but that is the reality. If we are fortunate enough to have a coaching team able to bring through a load of talented youngsters then time will tell. If we don't, then we could find ourselves falling further and further behind.

[Gym Beglin]

Wow.

 

Not sure what to say.

 

I applaud the 'we shall not waste money' aspect of it, but the FFP aspect of it is concerning.

 

From 2014-15 Clubs can only spend what they earn. Well, for example, look at Arsenal selling Van Persie for £30m. United can spend oodles of cash because they earn so much, and in effect they can dope rivals with inflated fees to make them more competetive.

 

The principle behind FFP is to stop another club being developed like City, or Chelsea, or QPR. It shuts the stable door after the horse has bolted. So there's nothing to stop City, or Chelsea, continuing to spend vast amounts of money on players because we all know that creative accounting will result in abnormally huge sponsorship deals and naming rights generate huge income for the huge clubs.

 

But I do applaud the impact it will have on no-mark twat clubs like Spurs, and Newcastle, and Sunderland, and Aston Villa, throwing down huge amounts on players they have no business being able to get.

[Elite]

More spin than a tornado.

[johnno]

Add dempsy and/or sturridge to those 5 signings and no one would be complaining.

 

I dont think he gets just how hard its going to be for rodgers to keep this team in the top ten this season.

 

Six million for dempsy was hardly going to set fsg plans back a few years,lets hope brendan can lift the players that he has,as they must be feeling pretty shit at the crazy transfer policy that has left us so thread bare with a rookie manager,good luck brendan your going to need it.

 

PS we have to get behind the players and manager lets not start booing the players we have as they are all comitted to the liverpool cause.YNWA.

[Whelan]

So what were you all expecting?

 

I know you want action and signings, which is fair and correct, and it is because of that failing that they are responding in this way. They are admitting to mistakes and admitting to learning, unfortunately we have to wait and see if they learn quickly enough.

 

They need to appoint a CEO who is experienced in dealing with a football club on day to day basis, someone who can ensure that we don't fuck up two signings on the final day.

 

Like it or not, they have responded quickly to explain their point of view so it isn't an objective point of view, but the alternative is they say nothing and let everything fester and rumours and counter rumours replace them.

[RedKnight]

I don't believe a lot of it but there's no harm in stating that we're done being mugs in the transfer market, that's happened way too often. It's been stated by Rodgers that there's the price and the "Liverpool price" when we go in for players. Henry admits that they made mistakes too. They'll have to do a lot more than espouse words but that section I have no problem with.

[Bobby Hundreds]

How did they try hard for deals. They had months instead waited till the last day and then offered pittance, we cant dictate to the market. It's embarrassing is anyone at the club competent.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

How did they try hard for deals. They had months instead waited till the last day and then offered pittance, we cant dictate to the market. It's embarrassing is anyone at the club competent.

 

It is easier to fool fans with final day deals going tits up, deals should have been done earlier, our squad was thinned out early enough. We needed a another striker before Carroll was shipped out on loan at the death. Now we are down to scraping "the free agent" pool...No transfer fee, not even a player who wants to come to the club but is desperate for wages to go into his bank account. Those words from Henry will mean diddly shit if we give the likes of Owen a contract.

[Rick Sanchez C-137]

Unless that letters going to grow legs, stick on a pair of boots and play up top, you can fuck completely off. Wouldn't sanction 2m extra to get Dempsey, on deadline day, because it didn't represent good value. It was fucking deadline day. And we have zero striking options. How much value will be lost on your investment if we finish 8th again. Or lower?

 

 

If he thinks were gonna hold out for bargains here and there and win the league somehow he's high as a fucking kite.

 

Most of us don't want a sugar daddy. A decent fucking striker would be enough right now.

[Redder Lurtz]

Well anything he said will have been criticised. I think it's good that he's come out immediately and communicated with the fans. It's a lot more than most owners would have done.

 

No, a few million for Dempsey wouldn't have broken the structure but it sounds like they've drawn a line in the sand that they're not going to cross. None of us have crystal balls and nobody's sure 100% that what they're doing strategically will work or not. What is clear is that if we'd carried on doing what we were doing even up to a year ago we were well and truly fucked.

 

I'm really fucked off with the position we're in but I do get where Henry is at and I do get the strategy. This is a fucking disgusting "sport" thanks to the likes of Sky, one which thrives on throwing money at teams. If you've got a multisquillionaire oil baron running your club that's all well and good but for anyone else that's not sustainable.

[Unrighteous]

Add dempsy and/or sturridge to those 5 signings and no one would be complaining.

 

You are right in my case. I'd be very happy if we signed Sturridge, and fairly optimistic had we only signed Dempsey.

 

Add both of them? I'd have been fairly thrilled.

[Tyler Durden]

What a load of fucking waffle, why is he even mentioning Sahin, he isn't our fucking player. Fact is him and his gobshite mates have left us massively short in attack, negligence at best you could call it. The season is a complete write off already because our 2 forwards are bound to be out at some point.

Adhering to FFP rules that arnt even implemented yet, wanker.

[cartman]

Suarez stayed because of the support he got from Kenny and the fans last year, not because of FSG. He could have fucked off to Juventus or PSG. So don't you dare, John Henry. FSG also tried to sell Agger, but he wanted to stay.

 

John Henry hasn't got a clue about football. I bet he hadn't even heard about Borini, Allen, Assaidi and Sahin.

[RedPaul]

What gets me from reading that is that you can almost sense his rather desperate hope that FFP does become a reality, because if it doesn't then their plans are going to be in disarray. I have a nagging doubt that FFP will play much of a role in football for the foreseeable future.

[Whelan]

What a load of fucking waffle, why is he even mentioning Sahin, he isn't our fucking player. Fact is him and his gobshite mates have left us massively short in attack, negligence at best you could call it. The season is a complete write off already because our 2 forwards are bound to be out at some point.

Adhering to FFP rules that arnt even implemented yet, wanker.

 

If that is negligence then it isn't a unique accusation to make towards owners is it?

 

We had Torres and N'Gog for 3 years, and Caroll and Suarez for the past 2. We got £50m for Torres and spent the majority on a lump who we now can't sell for half of the £35m we paid for him. They haven't ignored the problem, they have fucked up solving it. It is different to completely ignoring the problem to save money, they acknowledged the weakness but haven't been able to close the deals, regardless of Dempsey they should have ensured Sturridge signed.

[Kevin D]

Got as far as him taking credit for retaining Agger before I laughed and decided it wasn't worth it. Utterly shameless.

[Walton Park]

To be fair on the Dempsey deal we were never gonna get him coz we were getting fucked over by Fulham so I think we can take a bit of blame away form some of the people we have been giving shit to about that one. There is a possibility that agents of other players and team knew we were desperate and have shoved up the price last minute or agents fees to get the deal done. I dont thing we are going to negotiate like this any more coz it has hurt us big time in the past. (Carroll / Cole et etc etc etc..)

If we take into account the £35m they paid off from the old debt on top of the wage bill that still haunts us us the Benitez / Hodgson and certainly the Dalglish era I can see where the are coming from. We are still gonna take a hit getting rid of Henderson and Downing because of their contracts.

 

I was fucking fuming with them but you cant run a club the way we have done in the past you just cant.

 

My only gripe with the while thing now is that I understand what they want to achieve but its gonna take fucking years before we can start spending real money and unfortunately for the owners I dont think most of us have the patients anymore. Although their shareholders are loaded they dont put in their own dosh it just not the way they operate.

 

It just hurts seeing other clubs spending loads and we are going mad because we never bought the likes of Dempsey.

How mad is it that we are gutted because we never bought Dempsey. He is average and we all need to take a step back and think fucking hell is the lies of him really the answer to our problems. No is the answer.

 

Ive calmed down about it all now. Come on you reds !

[Dan Vito Corleone]

Still no mention of the true elephant in the room, the stadium. The deadline day disgruntlement is just topical.

[Guest davelfc]

Coming soon to Liverpool FC in 2013, "He failed the Medical"