Search the Community

Nick Barmby, 10 years after leaving Everton, just been serenaded off the Woodison pitch with a loud and proud vocal airing of "Meeerderrrreeerrrsss", followed by an equally vocal "Die Die Nicky Nicky Die" "We do things with Class and Dignity" Indeed.

Billionaire owners can make £140m double deal happen By Rob Shepherd & Aidan Magee, 20/02/2010 WHEN Garry Cook courted Kaka, he became the laughing stock of world football. But the sniggering has stopped. And now the Manchester City chief executive has turned his attention to Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard, nobody should take him lightly. The chase for fourth place in the Premier League won't be decided at Eastlands today. The clash between City and Liverpool is more a symbol of a seismic shift between a waning power beset by internal and financial problems and a club that knows no limits. Even a defeat for Roberto Mancini's side does not alter that landscape. There are those at Anfield only too aware of the threat from City, not least to Liverpool's two biggest stars. After the false dawn of Thakskin Shinawatra, the pledges of owner Sheikh Mansour are proving to be no mirage. That sends out a compelling message to both Torres and Gerrard - that they may have to re-evaluate their futures in the summer. It's not even a secret within the City corridors of power that the hierarchy are plotting a £140million double swoop for both Torres and Gerrard this summer. City officials are already planning how they can pull off what would be one of the most audacious transfer coups of all time. Fourth place and Champions League football would inevitably help sugar the pill of an Anfield parting but even without the lure of football at the highest level, City believe they hold more than a few aces. If the injured Torres chooses to watch the game from the Eastlands stands, he will be taken by the modern facilities and the potential to increase the capacity to 65,000 - while visions of a new state-of-the-art Anfield remain a pipedream. Then he will look at Emmabuel Adebayor, a striker not remotely in his class, who picks up £140,000 a week, substantially more than the £95,000 a week Torres earns from a four-year deal signed last summer. Torres might then just to do some calculations not entirely based on money. He will wonder where Liverpool are heading. That's exactly the question one of Torres's advisors put to the Liverpool hierarchy recently. As it stands, it is difficult for the club to offer any conclusive answers. As diligently as chief executive Christian Purslow has been working to stabilise what has become a very rocky ship under the tiller of joint American owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, the future remains uncertain. What is certain is that Liverpool's owners must come up with £100million by the end of March to settle loans taken when the Americans bought the club. Hicks and Gillett could wipe out the problem at one stroke by agreeing the £100m sale of Torres to City during the close season. Selling Gerrard as well would then give the club an enhanced transfer kitty. Last summer, Liverpool rejected an £80m approach by City for their Spanish striker but this time around the club simply may not be in a position to refuse such an offer. City have moved up another level from the Kaka farce and whatever the wisdom of replacing Mark Hughes with Roberto Mancini there is far greater credibility to the club's aspirations of becoming not only a superpower in England but Europe too. There is no doubt that should City beat off the challenges of Tottenham and Aston Villa and eject Liverpool from their Big Four status, then Torres could have his head turned. Even if Torres could be lured, Gerrard would be much more reluctant to follow him down the M62. Part of Gerrard may still regret not moving to Chelsea five years ago. And while his red-blooded Mersey roots prohibit even the thought of defecting to Manchester United, the prospect of becoming part of City's adventure would not be out of bounds. The plain fact is, unless things change at Liverpool - and change quickly - Gerrard, 30 in May, might have to resign himself to never winning a Premier League winner's medal, while at City the potential is now palpable. Those who counsel Gerrard may suggest that if he did opt to leave Liverpool it would only be to play abroad, with Real Madrid a distinct possibility. Yet why not City? After all, if the blue half of Manchester roll back the red tide of United's dominance then, in a way it will be a mission well received on Merseyside, for a while at least. And how much more loyalty does Gerrard owe Liverpool? To cash in one or either may smack of heresy to the Kop faithful but if it helps finance a complete rebuilding of a tired team, then it may be a sacrifice worth making. Whatever the outcome of today's game and the race for fourth place, City would seem on the brink of breaking through the glass ceiling and, in the process, ensuring Liverpool's fall from greatness continues. Perversely, maybe the only way for Liverpool to alter that inevitability is to take the money for their two great talismen before it is too late. CITY SET UP EVERY LIVERPOOL FAN'S WORST NIGHTMARE | News Of The World