Liverpool FC Forum

by **account deleted by request** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 3:40 am

Kharhaz wrote:
ruskiy playmaker wrote:
Kharhaz wrote:
ruskiy playmaker wrote:Seriously how long can all this last? We're in such deep , we're getting freaking draws every week and there is nothing but silence coming from the board. Why can't that stupid clown or the owners come out and say something. What the hell are they waiting for?

The board dont coach the team rafa does. And supposing the board do sit there in front of the press and say "yep, we are trying to refinance our loans for the future" what difference will it make? they are going to be hated regardless by many.

They are responsible for getting us into this mess. The least they do is to come out and say something positive. Surely they can see that the longer they stay quite the more hated they'll become.

Not necessarily they could quietly provide the funds for whatever players rafa feels he needs to sign. Already he has signed our record defender and not a word has been said from our owners. Silence is golden, or as the song goes.

Silence is golden, but my eyes still see or maybe you dont like the second part?

by **Kharhaz** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 3:43 am

s@int wrote:
Kharhaz wrote:
ruskiy playmaker wrote:
Kharhaz wrote:
ruskiy playmaker wrote:Seriously how long can all this last? We're in such deep , we're getting freaking draws every week and there is nothing but silence coming from the board. Why can't that stupid clown or the owners come out and say something. What the hell are they waiting for?

The board dont coach the team rafa does. And supposing the board do sit there in front of the press and say "yep, we are trying to refinance our loans for the future" what difference will it make? they are going to be hated regardless by many.

They are responsible for getting us into this mess. The least they do is to come out and say something positive. Surely they can see that the longer they stay quite the more hated they'll become.

Not necessarily they could quietly provide the funds for whatever players rafa feels he needs to sign. Already he has signed our record defender and not a word has been said from our owners. Silence is golden, or as the song goes.

Silence is golden, but my eyes still see or maybe you dont like the second part?

Thanks a bunch ! now the songs in my head ! Tubing as I type this ooo carly simon nobody does it better dont ask how I got that !

by **account deleted by request** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 3:46 am

Kharhaz wrote:
s@int wrote:
Kharhaz wrote:
ruskiy playmaker wrote:
Kharhaz wrote:
ruskiy playmaker wrote:Seriously how long can all this last? We're in such deep , we're getting freaking draws every week and there is nothing but silence coming from the board. Why can't that stupid clown or the owners come out and say something. What the hell are they waiting for?

The board dont coach the team rafa does. And supposing the board do sit there in front of the press and say "yep, we are trying to refinance our loans for the future" what difference will it make? they are going to be hated regardless by many.

They are responsible for getting us into this mess. The least they do is to come out and say something positive. Surely they can see that the longer they stay quite the more hated they'll become.

Not necessarily they could quietly provide the funds for whatever players rafa feels he needs to sign. Already he has signed our record defender and not a word has been said from our owners. Silence is golden, or as the song goes.

Silence is golden, but my eyes still see or maybe you dont like the second part?

Thanks a bunch ! now the songs in my head ! Tubing as I type this ooo carly simon nobody does it better dont ask how I got that !

by **Lando_Griffin** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 3:47 am

They can f*ck right off, is what they can do.

Regarding Hicks' statement saying he could plough LFC's profits into his yank sports - he could.

It would be his share of the profit - his own money.

by **Mark 23** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 4:08 am

Lando_Griffin wrote:They can f*ck right off, is what they can do.

Regarding Hicks' statement saying he could plough LFC's profits into his yank sports - he could.

It would be his share of the profit - his own money.

You play with feathers, you get your :censored:

tickled - these are businessmen we are dealing with

by **account deleted by request** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 4:10 am

To survive, Benítez must make a little money go a long way
If Liverpool's fortunes are to take an upturn, Rafael Benítez needs to rediscover the ability to sniff out a bargain
Kevin McCarraJanuary 22, 2008 1:28 AM
The Liverpool Supporters Network (www.lfcsupportersnetwork.com) is a coalition of fanzines and websites which has some acute questions for the club's owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett. It is also conducting an opinion poll in the hope of establishing the views of thousands of Anfield devotees. This is laudable, yet it must also come as a relief to the Liverpool manager, Rafael Benítez, because there is a limit to the number of inquiries that can be conducted at any one time.

The crowd at last night's match against Aston Villa were preoccupied with the ownership of the club, the complexities of providing a new stadium and the fear that the balance sheet will buckle under the weight of debt that Hicks and Gillett may heap upon it. In normal days there would have been horror that the immediate ambition was to beat Villa so that Liverpool, on goal difference, could nudge Everton out of fourth place in the table.

This cannot have been the campaign that Benítez, appointed in 2004, expected to be fighting at this point in his stay on Merseyside. There have been accolades for winning the Champions League once and for reaching last year's final. Success in the FA Cup also went down well. Nonetheless, the flood of joy over these achievements never sweeps away all the frustration over limp attempts to win the Premier League for the first time.

In Benítez's opening season Liverpool came fifth, 37 points behind the champions, Chelsea, but after overcoming Milan in Istanbul he had no need to beg pardon. The gap was cut to nine points when Chelsea retained the title in 2006, but the illusion of inexorable progress was exposed last year as Liverpool staggered home 21 points behind a revived Manchester United. There is a chance that this season will close with Benítez's squad at least as far adrift of whoever the victors prove to be.

Disliked as Hicks and Gillett may be, they bought the club only 11 months ago and cannot be held to account for all the anticlimaxes. In view of the usual hankering of new owners for a new manager, it was as well for Benítez that the Americans arrived in mid-campaign and then had a trip to the Champions League final to convince them of the merits of continuity. If they remain in charge, it looks as if they will settle accounts with an employee who has been vexatious to them and might have been ditched already.

If Hicks and Gillett seek a complaint to make that step look logical they can point to a drabness in Liverpool's play that was meant to have been purged by their investment in the squad. Benítez helped to raise funds by making sales but the recruitment still appears expensive in view of the squad's slog through the Premier League programme.

Andriy Voronin, with one goal since September, is mocked and although he was a Bosman signing the Ukrainian has not yet shown that he was worth the wages. Dirk Kuyt is not quite so short of sympathisers but the £9m stumped up to Feyenoord was excessive. Benítez's decision to sink £11.5m into the speculative acquisition of the 21-year-old Ryan Babel also seemed a grand gesture by a manager in need of instant impact from his team. On the other hand, well priced and fairly good players such as Yossi Benayoun, who has started 10 Premier League matches for Liverpool so far, have not been able to meet the demands that accompany a move to Anfield.

If Hicks and Gillett make out an ugly pattern to all this, it might explain why there has been a reluctance to confirm that they will rustle up £17m to make the midfielder Javier Mascherano's transfer long-term.

Benítez has a superficially potent case in defence of his record. He can choose to insist there has been no problem whatsoever when the club have paid the price needed to bring in outstanding players. Who regrets paying £10.5m for Xabi Alonso, even if it was a high fee in 2004, and who bemoans the arrival of Fernando Torres for £26.5m? The trouble is that such a line of argument detours round the fact that Liverpool lack the means to insist on recruiting only the very best. You need the wealth of Real Madrid, Manchester United or Chelsea to do that, and Liverpool do not have such funds. Even if Dubai International Capital takes over from Hicks and Gillett, the financial position in the transfer market may not alter radically.

Benítez got the Anfield post in the first place because he made relatively little money go a long way as it took Valencia past both Real and Barcelona. His fate may no longer be in his own control, but if he is to survive he will have to rediscover the shrewd parsimoniousness that was the basis of his triumph at the Mestalla.

by **LFC2007** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 5:07 am

Just thinking back to when DIC were on the verge of sealing a deal to buy the club, I thought it was as good as done. I was more than happy tbh, we knew what we were getting - supporters of the club and top class professionals with clear links to the Asian market. My brother took his apprenticeship with Jumeirah International (Jumeirah Group) - at the Jumeirah Beach hotel, they're a subsidiary group of Dubai Holding - of which another subdidiary group are DIC. Although a separate subsidiary from DIC themselves, he certainly got a feel for the professionalism and shrewdness of the organisation - I'm sure the same business ethos is mirrored throughout Dubai Holding and their subsidiary groups. For the reasons above I was quite confident we were selling to the right people. They are top, top professionals.

Then the yanks turned up, Moores rejected DIC's deadline and they pulled out. I was surprised, but I was also optimistic that the yanks would have the expertise, professionalism and commitment necessary to take over our club just not to the same extent as I was about DIC. I was disappointed DIC weren't able to takeover, but at the same time no-one could say at the time with absolute certainty or real conviction that the yanks were the wrong people to take over. I mean, Gillett was interested for a while, and he seemed extremely keen. All you could really go on as far as making a judgement was concerned was the fact that they weren't fans, they only had a superficial knowledge of European football, and the fact they were yanks (everyone looks at the yanks with a slightly more cynical edge I feel). They took over, their plan sounded assured and bright, the spirit of their words I thought boded well for our future. Of course you're aware of the fact that they are businessmen looking to make a return, but that would be the same for any prospective owner. You could only really say at the time; 'because they've never supported the club, or ever really taken a passionate interest in football across here perhaps they're more interested in making a financial return to benefit themselves, than say DIC for example'. I think that was as far as you could have gone. Other than that, anyone making criticisms of them would be going on gut instinct i.e. somehow you just got a feeling they weren't right for the club. The 'Liverpool Reds' comments may have reinforced this feeling of doubt.

Anyhow, they went back on their statements in numerous ways - the most worrying being the re-financing plan, and they appeared to take less of an interest in the club than we deserve and need (if we're serious about challenging our competitors). Their naivity was fully exposed with the Klinnsmann meeting, revealing the meeting to the media was a blow that consolidated peoples' doubts, and it became fully apparent that they probably weren't the right people to take the club forward in the long-term.

It makes you wonder what the take on the situation is in the inner sanctum of the club. That's what is most disconcerting of all IMHO. I don't know if these two can pull this saga round, I think they might have brought about irreversible damage to their relationship with the fans that means they have no option but to go (you know when BigMick starts calling them both c....s something is severely wrong) - whether it be now or in the summer. I just don't know how aware of the situation they are, but what we need is clarity and total focus on football (I don't think it's in any doubt that the uncertainty surrounding the club is affecting our results, and still has a real propensity to further harm our results on the field - see Gerrard's comments for example, or Rafa's. To what extent it affects us is anybody's guess). It's pivotal that we achieve a top-four finish, there is no room for complacency in that respect. We're forecast to finish on 68 points - along with the Bitters. The fact that we play them at home might well be counterbalanced by the fact that we've yet to visit any of the top three away from hom yet, it looks as if it could be tight.

Ideally DIC would make a bid and swiftly takeover the club, I don't think it's going to happen quickly though, if indeed they actually make a bid. I think the yanks will try and hold out until the end of the season at least, that was the impression I got from Hicks' comments denying he had accepted a bid for his share of the club. DIC will not roll over in the face of any stubborness presented to them, they're well respected and highly professional business people in their own right - the fact that they pulled out after imposing their own deadline on the club the first time around is enough to justify this. They don't take nonense.

It's a sad, sad situation (and it's getting more and more absurd), if the yanks really were aware of the significance of their actions and the subsequent reaction to them they'd fly over and hold a press conference clarifying everything - it's sad, so sad (why can't we talk it over

). I think they probably have a fair idea as to the severity of the situation, but are probably shirking away from their duties. A true custodian would resolve the problems head on, in Liverpool, a.s.a.p.

by **ConnO'var** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 7:16 am

LFC2007 wrote:Just thinking back to when DIC were on the verge of sealing a deal to buy the club, I thought it was as good as done. I was more than happy tbh, we knew what we were getting - supporters of the club and top class professionals with clear links to the Asian market. My brother took his apprenticeship with Jumeirah International (Jumeirah Group) - at the Jumeirah Beach hotel, they're a subsidiary group of Dubai Holding - of which another subdidiary group are DIC. Although a separate subsidiary from DIC themselves, he certainly got a feel for the professionalism and shrewdness of the organisation - I'm sure the same business ethos is mirrored throughout Dubai Holding and their subsidiary groups. For the reasons above I was quite confident we were selling to the right people. They are top, top professionals.

Then the yanks turned up, Moores rejected DIC's deadline and they pulled out. I was surprised, but I was also optimistic that the yanks would have the expertise, professionalism and commitment necessary to take over our club just not to the same extent as I was about DIC. I was disappointed DIC weren't able to takeover, but at the same time no-one could say at the time with absolute certainty or real conviction that the yanks were the wrong people to take over. I mean, Gillett was interested for a while, and he seemed extremely keen. All you could really go on as far as making a judgement was concerned was the fact that they weren't fans, they only had a superficial knowledge of European football, and the fact they were yanks (everyone looks at the yanks with a slightly more cynical edge I feel). They took over, their plan sounded assured and bright, the spirit of their words I thought boded well for our future. Of course you're aware of the fact that they are businessmen looking to make a return, but that would be the same for any prospective owner. You could only really say at the time; 'because they've never supported the club, or ever really taken a passionate interest in football across here perhaps they're more interested in making a financial return to benefit themselves, than say DIC for example'. I think that was as far as you could have gone. Other than that, anyone making criticisms of them would be going on gut instinct i.e. somehow you just got a feeling they weren't right for the club. The 'Liverpool Reds' comments may have reinforced this feeling of doubt.

Anyhow, they went back on their statements in numerous ways - the most worrying being the re-financing plan, and they appeared to take less of an interest in the club than we deserve and need (if we're serious about challenging our competitors). Their naivity was fully exposed with the Klinnsmann meeting, revealing the meeting to the media was a blow that consolidated peoples' doubts, and it became fully apparent that they probably weren't the right people to take the club forward in the long-term.

It makes you wonder what the take on the situation is in the inner sanctum of the club. That's what is most disconcerting of all IMHO. I don't know if these two can pull this saga round, I think they might have brought about irreversible damage to their relationship with the fans that means they have no option but to go (you know when BigMick starts calling them both c....s something is severely wrong) - whether it be now or in the summer. I just don't know how aware of the situation they are, but what we need is clarity and total focus on football (I don't think it's in any doubt that the uncertainty surrounding the club is affecting our results, and still has a real propensity to further harm our results on the field - see Gerrard's comments for example, or Rafa's. To what extent it affects us is anybody's guess). It's pivotal that we achieve a top-four finish, there is no room for complacency in that respect. We're forecast to finish on 68 points - along with the Bitters. The fact that we play them at home might well be counterbalanced by the fact that we've yet to visit any of the top three away from hom yet, it looks as if it could be tight.

Ideally DIC would make a bid and swiftly takeover the club, I don't think it's going to happen quickly though, if indeed they actually make a bid. I think the yanks will try and hold out until the end of the season at least, that was the impression I got from Hicks' comments denying he had accepted a bid for his share of the club. DIC will not roll over in the face of any stubborness presented to them, they're well respected and highly professional business people in their own right - the fact that they pulled out after imposing their own deadline on the club the first time around is enough to justify this. They don't take nonense.

It's a sad, sad situation (and it's getting more and more absurd), if the yanks really were aware of the significance of their actions and the subsequent reaction to them they'd fly over and hold a press conference clarifying everything - it's sad, so sad (why can't we talk it over ). I think they probably have a fair idea as to the severity of the situation, but are probably shirking away from their duties. A true custodian would resolve the problems head on, in Liverpool, a.s.a.p.

Excellent post. Agree 100%.

by **ruskiy playmaker** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 7:30 am

Some people on another site have this idea that Liverpool supporters should buy the club. Wouldn't that be great!

by **Number 9** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 7:36 am

LFC2007 wrote:Just thinking back to when DIC were on the verge of sealing a deal to buy the club, I thought it was as good as done. I was more than happy tbh, we knew what we were getting - supporters of the club and top class professionals with clear links to the Asian market. My brother took his apprenticeship with Jumeirah International (Jumeirah Group) - at the Jumeirah Beach hotel, they're a subsidiary group of Dubai Holding - of which another subdidiary group are DIC. Although a separate subsidiary from DIC themselves, he certainly got a feel for the professionalism and shrewdness of the organisation - I'm sure the same business ethos is mirrored throughout Dubai Holding and their subsidiary groups. For the reasons above I was quite confident we were selling to the right people. They are top, top professionals.

Then the yanks turned up, Moores rejected DIC's deadline and they pulled out. I was surprised, but I was also optimistic that the yanks would have the expertise, professionalism and commitment necessary to take over our club just not to the same extent as I was about DIC. I was disappointed DIC weren't able to takeover, but at the same time no-one could say at the time with absolute certainty or real conviction that the yanks were the wrong people to take over. I mean, Gillett was interested for a while, and he seemed extremely keen. All you could really go on as far as making a judgement was concerned was the fact that they weren't fans, they only had a superficial knowledge of European football, and the fact they were yanks (everyone looks at the yanks with a slightly more cynical edge I feel). They took over, their plan sounded assured and bright, the spirit of their words I thought boded well for our future. Of course you're aware of the fact that they are businessmen looking to make a return, but that would be the same for any prospective owner. You could only really say at the time; 'because they've never supported the club, or ever really taken a passionate interest in football across here perhaps they're more interested in making a financial return to benefit themselves, than say DIC for example'. I think that was as far as you could have gone. Other than that, anyone making criticisms of them would be going on gut instinct i.e. somehow you just got a feeling they weren't right for the club. The 'Liverpool Reds' comments may have reinforced this feeling of doubt.

Anyhow, they went back on their statements in numerous ways - the most worrying being the re-financing plan, and they appeared to take less of an interest in the club than we deserve and need (if we're serious about challenging our competitors). Their naivity was fully exposed with the Klinnsmann meeting, revealing the meeting to the media was a blow that consolidated peoples' doubts, and it became fully apparent that they probably weren't the right people to take the club forward in the long-term.

It makes you wonder what the take on the situation is in the inner sanctum of the club. That's what is most disconcerting of all IMHO. I don't know if these two can pull this saga round, I think they might have brought about irreversible damage to their relationship with the fans that means they have no option but to go (you know when BigMick starts calling them both c....s something is severely wrong) - whether it be now or in the summer. I just don't know how aware of the situation they are, but what we need is clarity and total focus on football (I don't think it's in any doubt that the uncertainty surrounding the club is affecting our results, and still has a real propensity to further harm our results on the field - see Gerrard's comments for example, or Rafa's. To what extent it affects us is anybody's guess). It's pivotal that we achieve a top-four finish, there is no room for complacency in that respect. We're forecast to finish on 68 points - along with the Bitters. The fact that we play them at home might well be counterbalanced by the fact that we've yet to visit any of the top three away from hom yet, it looks as if it could be tight.

Ideally DIC would make a bid and swiftly takeover the club, I don't think it's going to happen quickly though, if indeed they actually make a bid. I think the yanks will try and hold out until the end of the season at least, that was the impression I got from Hicks' comments denying he had accepted a bid for his share of the club. DIC will not roll over in the face of any stubborness presented to them, they're well respected and highly professional business people in their own right - the fact that they pulled out after imposing their own deadline on the club the first time around is enough to justify this. They don't take nonense.

It's a sad, sad situation (and it's getting more and more absurd), if the yanks really were aware of the significance of their actions and the subsequent reaction to them they'd fly over and hold a press conference clarifying everything - it's sad, so sad (why can't we talk it over ). I think they probably have a fair idea as to the severity of the situation, but are probably shirking away from their duties. A true custodian would resolve the problems head on, in Liverpool, a.s.a.p.

Well said mate!

in reality though we should have woke up and smelt the coffee when they called football soccer at the start!

Basta.rds!

Now they know thet are not dealing with just another business,the fans will dictate where we go and what we do at least to some extent.I cant believe that Hicks said he would use LFC money to fund his other teams in micky mouse American sports....It sems to be the American way to come shooting from the mouth with lack of education or understanding or any clear respect for other cultures.

G&H need to sit back and look at things and analize their next move with severe caution.LFC is more than a team,we care more than NFL or ice hocky fans ever will,its not just a saturday thing to us,its more than that...it goes way deeper,In fact it goes way deeper than they will ever comprehend and thats why they are slowly realising that they have bitten off more than they can chew with us.

By all means buy a football club but there is an unwritten rule that one should keep that clubs values at heart..These two gun ho yanks have stepped in with arrogance and showed us no respect at all.Just because they have money(or do they?) they seem to think they are unstoppable.

I was feeling for a while that there was nothing we could do...now i know there is plenty we can do!
We have a voice and they are hearing it!

by **Ciggy** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 8:35 am

Mark 23 wrote: As for Everton, they seem to be making good progress at the minute, taking things slowly and doing well for themselves, the key here is stability and realistic aspirations.

A lot of Liverpool fans I know are deluded

How come your still here? your deffo a bitter.

by **Ciggy** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 8:37 am

s@int wrote:The TimesJanuary 22, 2008

Fears that Dubai rescuers may be scared off as Liverpool tip towards crisis pointOliver Kay
The turmoil surrounding Liverpool continued yesterday amid growing fears that the proposed “rescue plan” from Dubai International Capital (DIC) will be abandoned if Tom Hicks, the unpopular co-owner, proceeds today with a £350 million refinancing package that will plunge the club deep into debt.

Oh dear will they get the loan today? :down:

by **bigmick** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 8:57 am

LFC2007 wrote:Just thinking back to when DIC were on the verge of sealing a deal to buy the club, I thought it was as good as done. I was more than happy tbh, we knew what we were getting - supporters of the club and top class professionals with clear links to the Asian market. My brother took his apprenticeship with Jumeirah International (Jumeirah Group) - at the Jumeirah Beach hotel, they're a subsidiary group of Dubai Holding - of which another subdidiary group are DIC. Although a separate subsidiary from DIC themselves, he certainly got a feel for the professionalism and shrewdness of the organisation - I'm sure the same business ethos is mirrored throughout Dubai Holding and their subsidiary groups. For the reasons above I was quite confident we were selling to the right people. They are top, top professionals.

Then the yanks turned up, Moores rejected DIC's deadline and they pulled out. I was surprised, but I was also optimistic that the yanks would have the expertise, professionalism and commitment necessary to take over our club just not to the same extent as I was about DIC. I was disappointed DIC weren't able to takeover, but at the same time no-one could say at the time with absolute certainty or real conviction that the yanks were the wrong people to take over. I mean, Gillett was interested for a while, and he seemed extremely keen. All you could really go on as far as making a judgement was concerned was the fact that they weren't fans, they only had a superficial knowledge of European football, and the fact they were yanks (everyone looks at the yanks with a slightly more cynical edge I feel). They took over, their plan sounded assured and bright, the spirit of their words I thought boded well for our future. Of course you're aware of the fact that they are businessmen looking to make a return, but that would be the same for any prospective owner. You could only really say at the time; 'because they've never supported the club, or ever really taken a passionate interest in football across here perhaps they're more interested in making a financial return to benefit themselves, than say DIC for example'. I think that was as far as you could have gone. Other than that, anyone making criticisms of them would be going on gut instinct i.e. somehow you just got a feeling they weren't right for the club. The 'Liverpool Reds' comments may have reinforced this feeling of doubt.

Anyhow, they went back on their statements in numerous ways - the most worrying being the re-financing plan, and they appeared to take less of an interest in the club than we deserve and need (if we're serious about challenging our competitors). Their naivity was fully exposed with the Klinnsmann meeting, revealing the meeting to the media was a blow that consolidated peoples' doubts, and it became fully apparent that they probably weren't the right people to take the club forward in the long-term.

It makes you wonder what the take on the situation is in the inner sanctum of the club. That's what is most disconcerting of all IMHO. I don't know if these two can pull this saga round, I think they might have brought about irreversible damage to their relationship with the fans that means they have no option but to go (you know when BigMick starts calling them both c....s something is severely wrong) - whether it be now or in the summer. I just don't know how aware of the situation they are, but what we need is clarity and total focus on football (I don't think it's in any doubt that the uncertainty surrounding the club is affecting our results, and still has a real propensity to further harm our results on the field - see Gerrard's comments for example, or Rafa's. To what extent it affects us is anybody's guess). It's pivotal that we achieve a top-four finish, there is no room for complacency in that respect. We're forecast to finish on 68 points - along with the Bitters. The fact that we play them at home might well be counterbalanced by the fact that we've yet to visit any of the top three away from hom yet, it looks as if it could be tight.

Ideally DIC would make a bid and swiftly takeover the club, I don't think it's going to happen quickly though, if indeed they actually make a bid. I think the yanks will try and hold out until the end of the season at least, that was the impression I got from Hicks' comments denying he had accepted a bid for his share of the club. DIC will not roll over in the face of any stubborness presented to them, they're well respected and highly professional business people in their own right - the fact that they pulled out after imposing their own deadline on the club the first time around is enough to justify this. They don't take nonense.

It's a sad, sad situation (and it's getting more and more absurd), if the yanks really were aware of the significance of their actions and the subsequent reaction to them they'd fly over and hold a press conference clarifying everything - it's sad, so sad (why can't we talk it over ). I think they probably have a fair idea as to the severity of the situation, but are probably shirking away from their duties. A true custodian would resolve the problems head on, in Liverpool, a.s.a.p.

It's a good post LFC and as always an interesting take, much if not all of which I agree with. What do we have to do though, to be heard?

That's what will become the main topic for the next few days if we don't get some kind of resolution, and I hope it's all sorted before we are out of everything completely this season.

by **Ciggy** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 9:03 am

Hicks planning to put Liverpool cash into US franchises
By Ian Herbert
Published: 22 January 2008
Liverpool fans' growing antipathy towards their club's co-owner Tom Hicks, who is close to strengthening his position at Anfield through refinancing the debt he incurred in buying the club, will be increased by the revelation of a US interview in which the American said that he intended to plough profits from the club into his US sports franchises.

Prospective suitor Dubai International Capital was waiting to see if the level of opposition against Hicks and his partner George Gillett before last night's home match with Aston Villa might make Gillett any keener to sell up. But the hard bargain being driven by Hicks is illustrated in a video interview with the Major League Baseball (MLB) website which deals with the fears expressed by fans of his Texas Rangers baseball and Dallas Stars ice hockey franchises, that the £218m American Anfield takeover last February would damage their own clubs.

"People are worried that I might take money away from the [Texas] Rangers [Hicks' baseball franchise] to go to Liverpool," Hicks said. "But it is just the reverse. Liverpool is going to throw off lots of extra money which, if I choose to, I can use for the Rangers or the [Dallas] Stars [ice hockey team]."

The interview was broadcast six months ago and Hicks' words were clearly aimed at pacifying American fans, but they will dismay Liverpool supporters, who turned out in numbers last night to voice distaste for the Americans, who seem almost certain to restructure their debt through a new £350m arrangement before any deal with DIC.

Despite persistent reports of an imminent formal bid from DIC, there were no developments on a potential buyout yesterday and the Arab consortium now seems to be playing a waiting game. It has not ruled out Gillett showing a willingness to sell up, thus forcing Hicks to follow suit. But sources in Liverpool suggest that the refinancing is a near certainty this week and that would make the club a far less attractive proposition to Dubai.

Contrary to reports, a meeting between DIC and Royal Bank of Scotland, with whom the Americans are restructuring their debt, has not taken place and will not do so today either.

It was revealed yesterday that Hicks intends to appear at the SoccerEx event in London in April, which hardly suggests that he is planning to move out of the sport any time soon.

The interview also provides a sense of how Hicks – whose Dallas Stars, purchased for $84m (43m), are now worth an estimated $254m – sees his sports franchises as business commodities. When he bought the Stars, he said, they were "a lousy franchise, playing in a crumbling arena... so I figured I could change all that; put them in a new arena, make them worth a lot more money and sell it and make money, because I'm a businessman. What I didn't count on was that I fell in love with hockey."

The angry Merseyside response to Hicks' revelation that he had approached Jürgen Klinsmann about the manager's job will hardly have left him "in love" with Liverpool and DIC may also find encouragement in Hicks' saying in the interview that he finds partisan Liverpool fans an alien entity. "There's a difference between American fans and not just European but UK," he tells MLB. "Liverpool football fans are on a different planet but God bless 'em they're proud of it."

The Liverpool hierarchy clearly relishes the prospect of investment by DIC, the investment arm of the Dubai government, which sources suggest is ready to issue sovereign bonds, allowing Liverpool's debt to be taken on by the Dubai state. DIC "would be welcomed by many on Merseyside," a senior Liverpool source said.

But DIC has so far failed to come close to a sum of money for Liverpool which would satisfy Hicks and Gillett, with a figure of £300m understood to have been rejected out of hand. Some financiers believe that even this represents the very top end of Liverpool's value, in view of the fact that £250m is needed for the redevelopment of the stadium.

Professor Tom Cannon, Dean of Buckingham University Business School and a long-time observer of the Merseyside football scene, said that if the costs of the stadium redevelopment, plus £50m for players, was factored in, the £300m valuation would make Liverpool more expensive than Manchester United or Arsenal and twice as expensive as Chelsea. "Liverpool have never made big profits – Manchester United have made big profits – but what is there apart from trophy cabinets?" he said "And trophy cabinets don't pay interest charges."

It is unclear whether the knock-on effect on the US stock market of the biggest fall in UK shares since 11 September may affect the Americans' position in any way. It was a bank holiday in America yesterday, but share prices on the Dow Jones seem certain to fall sharply today.

In Liverpool, the rancour felt for the Americans was voiced by the Reclaim the Kop group yesterday. "The fans want them out, unconditionally," said the group's Kevin Sampson. "The moment they confirmed our worst misgivings and admitted they'd been plotting to oust Benitez, they may as well have started saddling the horses. That's it. They are finished here."

The interview with Tom Hicks can be found at: http://mlb.mlb.com/media....wnwords

by **Redman in wales** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 10:17 am

From SSN: -- could be a blessing in disguise!!

Reds in refinancing blow

Reports indicate American owners hit by financial setback

Liverpool could be plunged into fresh turmoil amid reports their American owners have suffered a setback in their refinancing plans.

Already destabilised by speculation that George Gillett and Tom Hicks are considering selling the club, reports have emerged that the American duo's plans to refinance their loan have been hit.

The pair are understood to be struggling to secure the loan they require to pay back the original loan with which they bought the club last February.

The Daily Telegraph claims that the 'refinancing deal is on the verge of collapse' while The Times states that 'sources in the City believe that the Americans' regime is crumbling by the day'.

The news will not be met with disappointment by the club's supporters who made their antipathy with the American regime loud and clear during Monday's 2-2 draw with Aston Villa.

If Hicks and Gillett are to be thwarted in their plans, then the pair may conclude they have no choice but to sell their club to the Dubai-based Dubai International Capital (DIC) group.

Defiant

'Time is running out for the Americans to conclude the loan agreement. Contrary to reports that they had until the end of February to sign the deal, it is now understood their one-year loan with RBS expires in just under two weeks,' reports The Telegraph.

Speculation was rife at the weekend that DIC had formally bid £500m for the Anfield club. However, it is now believed that the offer was informal and only in the region of £300m - prompting Hicks to issue a defiant statement announcing he had no intention of selling his stake.

DIC, however, will not launch a formal offer until they have held talks with RBS but Hicks has refused to grant DIC permission to talk to the bank until any refinancing deal is completed.

Should the refinancing collapse, then DIC - run by ardent Liverpool fan Sameer Al Ansari - would be in a position to move in.

Link

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could be a good thing??

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