Liverpool FC Forum

[kazza]

Investment, development and sustainability are the key factors of a business and wether fans like it or not football is very much a business and has been for a considerable time. I was listening to a Manchester United supporter this morning moaning about the Glazer’s and the fact that they have taken dividends in the region of £1b out of the business they have a majority shareholding in. He failed to add that they have allowed spending of £1b in net terms on players. Basically he was suffering from spoilt brat syndrome !! Now whilst I think the Glazer’s are a bunch of sh1ts lack of investment in the team has nothing to do with Manchester United’s failings over the last 7/8 years in the Premiership and in the CL. Bad management is the main reason for their on pitch failings and certainly not player investment. Having said that they still run a sustainable business.

I also think that had the Glazers not spent 1billion pounds the ManUre supporters would have rioted and probably boycotted matches considering what the Glazers are taking out of the club, so it is shrewd rather than generous. I always felt that they spend big to placate the fans to keep their money tree alive. I also read they have taken money out of the club to invest in other businesses. They spend within themselves but that is only because they make so much to begin with, they don’t seem to be spending on infrastructure that must be aging, they just spend on shiny players. They might be spending within their means but with a very short term outlook. Although they make so much more than us, our business model is better and at some point we will catch up and they will still be in lots of debt.

[Reg]

Got to say I'm a bit concerned.

The club is making a big issue of celebrating players extending their contracts. Thinking this through, its a hellova lot cheaper paying Mo an extra 20-30k a week than splashing 75 million+ on a replacement forward. Ditto with Mane, VVD, Becker, TAA, Robbo etc.. Every salary top-up avoids a transfer fee and kicks the can down the road another 2-3 years. How many millions have we saved in transfer fees by retaining our players?

Its another example of the club operating within FFP and with tight purse strings, another swipe at City/Utd/Chavs who've spent 200/250 million this summer and a net result of keeping our debt down and frustrating the transfer market all of whom want to see LFC spending big money. The only down side is the players are getting older.

Its good for our finances but we're not bringing in much top fresh blood to force the established players out. Is the club setting up a time in 3 years when Klopp exits and a new manager comes in with a budget for a new team?

[damjan193]

The aging squad, especially the forwards will be a major problem in the near future unless we get lucky with Elliot or someone. IMO this was probably the last window when we could have sold one of them for good cash and bring in someone younger. Our 3 main forwards will be at least 30 by next summer and their price will drop significantly, if anyone even wants them by then. It's not entirely the club's fault though, the pandemic did its part. Also, extending their contract was a good thing, because we'd risk losing them for nothing if we didn't do that, while the likes of TAA, VVD, Robbo, Alisson etc. have plenty more years in them at the top level.

[The Raven]

Im starting to think these guys take us for fools, continuing to cart out covid as the reason we cant spend while everyone else around us does is a farce. Granted they saved us from Hicks, but 300m is now worth 2 billion so they didnt do badly out of the deal. Lets not forget these guys signed us up to the super league to.

Its getting a stink of last season when they refused to spend and 5 months later we are reduced to playing hendo at the back. 

"next summer will be the big spend" lines rolled out, "look a new stand" and wow "contract renewals"   All going to be for naught if still need our keeper to score a last minute goal to keep us in the top 4. One injury to one of the front 4 and the other 3 will have to play every game of the season.

[UvS xR4GEx]

I agree I think they are now starting to take us for fools. It's like they've got all these sponsorship deals, we've expanded the stadium all to bring in more money.. more money for whom? The owners? Or the club?

We got a £500m pound investment which I hoped would have helped us add to the squad for this season ... but no it looks like someone investing just to get a slice of the pie.

Like you say we've heard the "next season will be the season we make the big signings" then all we do is renew more contracts and buy a £30m prospect.

[Lallana in Pyjamas]

You do know that

1. The investment was into FSG not the club
2. The investment has reportedly gone towards reducing the debt the club took out during the pandemic and also the Anny Road build
3. It’s not the club saying “next season” - that’s gossip journalists trying to get things going- the club have been very guarded when it comes to transfers
4. The clubs model is to buy those prospects or under the radar players that prove to be great value - they aren’t going to be spending the big money on the likes of Mbappe
5. For years we complained about losing our best players because we couldn’t keep them - now people complaining that we sign our best players to new contacts

[UvS xR4GEx]

That was ignorance on my part that the investment was into FSG and not us as a club..

We've become stale as a team.. we've become predictable as a team..

We have no plan b still to teams that park the bus.
The lack of atmosphere in the game yesterday was from frustrated supporters who can see the writing on the wall for this season unless we react in the transfer window.

This team/squad is not strong enough to win the EPL.. that's the facts. Some will argue its the team that run away with the league 2 years ago, and they're right. But United, City and Chelsea are way stronger than they were 2 years ago.

The excitement has gone right now.. we need a player to come in to bring some hope.

We waited too long in Jan transfer window to bring in a CB and it nearly cost us a UCL spot.. I don't want us making the same mistakes season after season.

[Reg]

We've become stale as a team.. we've become predictable as a team..
We have no plan b still to teams that park the bus.
United, City and Chelsea are way stronger than they were 2 years ago.
we need a player to come in to bring some hope.

My thoughts exactly. 

[red till i die!!]

Do you people not realise just how lucky we are to still exist as a club ?. The state this club was in when they took over and things were just turning a corner when Covid arrived.  Now fans want to bankrupt us again and risk the future of the club by signing a player who wont cost a lot of money on a fee or wages.

We already signed Konate and the likes of Ali, Fab and Salah again so I guess for some people the owners just cant do enough 

[Reg]

Red, we turned the corner 3+ years back and have a great financial track record, banks will give us credit hence the investment in the training ground main and Annie road stands. Now we have to revitalise our attack. We have to work as hard to stay at the top as we did to get there.

[ycsatbjywtbiastkamb]

Red, we turned the corner 3+ years back and have a great financial track record, banks will give us credit hence the investment in the training ground main and Annie road stands. Now we have to revitalise our attack. We have to work as hard to stay at the top as we did to get there.

I think red's post is a bit tongue in cheek Reg!

[Reg]

Sorry, I can be a bit dim at times!      

[ycsatbjywtbiastkamb]

Sorry, I can be a bit dim at times!   :p   

We all can mate! No different from anyone else on that score

[UvS xR4GEx]

Looks like Michael Edwards is now stepping down as sporting director. Even he must be frustrated by the miracles they're expecting him to make.

[red till i die!!]

They will be sick if Edward's does leave at the end of the season because of the amount of money he saves them. By the time this window is closed we could have spent less than 10 million.