FSG

[gkmacca]

I'm surprised there's not been more interest in this.

5 Jan 2021

The planned deal between Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group and RedBall Acquisition Corp looks likely to be held up until later in the year.

Back in October it was revealed that FSG were in talks with RedBall, a special purpose acquisition company, over a potential £6bn deal that would see RedBall take around a 20 per cent stake in John W. Henry's business, which includes the Reds, the Boston Red Sox baseball franchise and the NASCAR team Roush Fenway Racing.

Any deal struck could see the Reds, as part of FSG, listed on the stock market, a move that would allow FSG to free up some £450m or so in capital that they could put back into their respective sporting organisations to help them remain competitive through the financial turbulence caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

There had been some suggestion that a deal in the early part of this year could be on the cards, but that timeframe looks set to be pushed back.

To push ahead with the deal FSG and RedBall must get approval from Major League Baseball (MLB) and its member franchises. While this is expected to be given the thumbs up, largely due to other teams seeking to explore the same route, it could well come after the 2021 MLB season has reached its conclusion - and that runs from April to November.

The main men behind RedBall are billionaire American financier Gerry Cardinale and baseball analytics guru - and the man whom Brad Pitt portrayed in the Hollywood film 'Moneyball' - Billy Beane.

One of the conditions of the merger going ahead would be that Beane, who serves in the front office of MLB side the Oakland Athletics as executive vice president, would have to leave the franchise he has been a part of since 1998 and where he made his name as a visionary, helping to populise the use of statistical analysis to garner sporting gains. This became known as sabermetrics and allowed the A's to compete with the best in the MLB despite their small payroll.

Beane is someone who Henry has long wished to work with, the 59-year-old even coming close to joining the Red Sox in 2002 for a multi-million dollar deal that he eventually declined to continue his work in Oakland and be able to spend more time with his daughter.

But the move to tie up FSG and RedBall looks set to be one that finally sees Henry get his wish, with Beane earmarked for a role in helping to create a portfolio of football clubs under the umbrella of the merged firms, much like Red Bull and City Football Group operate through RB Leipzig and Manchester City, respectively.

Beane already has small shareholdings in both Dutch Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar and Championship outfit Barnsley, while Cardinale purchased French Ligue 2 team Toulouse in the summer of 2020 through another one of his investment vehicles, Redbird Capital.

But working with Beane may have to wait for Henry.

Oakland general manager Bob Melvin told the San Francisco Chronicle: "It looked like at the beginning of the off-season that there might be several in that group not here (including Beane). At this point, it looks like everyone will be back.

"At some point, he’s (Beane) going to do something bigger and better. He’s pretty well-versed in other sports and in the business world, as well."FSG

 

[gkmacca]

27 Jan:

It was presented as a deal that would see John W. Henry finally get his man and one that could take Liverpool on the next step of their journey under the ownership of Fenway Sports Group.

Henry, FSG supremo and Liverpool's principal owner had long wanted to work with Billy Beane, the revolutionary baseball executive who pioneered the use of statisical analysis to such an extent that a book written on his achievements was turned into a Hollywood movie, 'Moneyball', with Brad Pitt in the lead.

His work in piecing together a small market team that challenged the biggest and best year on year by seeing value in players that others couldn't has since been replicated across baseball and made its way into other sports, Liverpool even following a similar model when they identify new recruits. It is all about spotting the room for growth, something that has worked so well with the likes of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, and Philippe Coutinho and Luis Suarez before them.

Henry had wanted to hire Beane for his Boston Red Sox team in 2002, a major offer on the table, but the Oakland executive decided to stay in California for family reasons.

But when Beane and billionaire Wall Street veteran Gerry Cardinale created their special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), RedBall Acquisition Corp last summer it seemed as if Henry may soon get his wish to tap into the knowledge of Beane and have him drive forward a new avenue for FSG.

The purpose of the SPAC, which also had former Premier League chief Richard Scudamore on the board, was to invest in a sports organisation, preferably a European football team, with Cardinale and Beane's interest in analytics a at the forefront.

Cardinale bought French Ligue 2 side Toulouse last summer, while Beane has minority stakes in Championship side Barnsley and Dutch Eredivise outfit AZ Alkmaar.

Creating a portfolio of European football clubs was something that Beane was to be tasked with heading up and they already had a target in mind when RedBall raised £421.7m ($575m) in its initial public offering (IPO) and sought to raise another £697m ($950m) through Redbird Capital Partners, the private equity firm that Cardinale used to purchase Toulouse, as well as other private outside investment.

A reverse merger with FSG seemed on the cards, especially given the previous history and mutual respect between all parties.

The RedBall deal would have seen them take a 20-25 per cent stake in FSG and their business interests including Liverpool, the Boston Red Sox and NASCAR team Roush Fenway Racing. It would have also seen FSG be able to capitalise their business in the midst of a pandemic with a public listing.

But on Monday it emerged that the talks with RedBall would proceed no further, but FSG and Cardinale remain in discussion, sources close to the deal have informed the ECHO.

The break off of talks with RedBall likely means the end of Beane's proposed involvement in any project with the Reds in the near future, but Cardinale could well invest in FSG through Redbird Capital, something that is very much on the table.

"It was a valuation issue," explained Brendan Coffey, a Boston-based sports finance reporter for Sportico.

"RedBall raised money at the IPO and struck a deal to take them public with FSG at an $8bn valuation, buying 20 per cent.

"They needed to raise extra money, close on another $1bn. They'd raised the money through institutional investors (a company that invests on behalf of clients) and at that stage the institutional investors said 'well, we want a better deal, we want a better valuation, more equity'. And that is where it fell apart."

While the ending of the potential link-up with the SPAC means that FSG won't be publicly listed any time soon, there was also a degree of concern that any such move might not get the approval needed by other Major League Baseball teams, particularly the smaller market teams who would want some kind of trade off to give the thumbs up to a move that would ultimately greater benefit the mid to large market teams.

But Coffey, a former reporter with Forbes magazine, isn't convinced publicly listing sports teams isn't always a wise move.

"I have some doubts about whether a sports team can successfully go public in the US," he told the ECHO.

"It is neither fish nor fowl and they are small compared to other public companies. FSG would be worth $8bn, and that's not a large public company.

"Then is it a growth business? It's not a tech company that would provide great growth, but it is not really a value play either in terms of how valuable the dividends would be.

"But it now seems as if Gerry Cardinale will now make some investment through Redbird in FSG. That probably wouldn't include Billy Beane."

For Cardinale and Beane's vision for RedBall, they are very much still active in the search for a business in which to invest.

At the IPO RedBall had 24 months to secure a deal, when that time elapses the money is handed back to investors. Another European football club is a possibility while there is also talk of a possible interest in eSports, a growth market in recent years.

 

[Red Astaire]

All very interesting. What are your thoughts on this @gkmacca ? I’ve always been a fan of FSG. I do trust the, but of course they are a business. I’m not that savvy when it comes to such things so I’m interested in your opinion.

 

[SummerOnions]

Means we aren't signing Mbappe til Jan 22 then

 

[gkmacca]

All very interesting. What are your thoughts on this @gkmacca ? I’ve always been a fan of FSG. I do trust the, but of course they are a business. I’m not that savvy when it comes to such things so I’m interested in your opinion.

I'm no savvier, if that's a word! It sounds to me like a relatively 'friendly' and stable potential collaboration, considering the other options (the very few bits I've heard about Cardinale sounded decent), and we certainly need the financial boost, but as I said, you may as well ask the cat!

 

[Dreambeliever]

Very interesting. They haven’t really put a foot wrong in business terms yet so this looks very promising.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[The Nomad]

Usually when things fall down at that point.. it's that something has either cropped up in due diligence meaning they believe FSG have valued their assets too high (which is what one of those articles eluded to on ROI), or another proposal has come about which RedBall are looking into.

 

[King Binny]

[article]American sports has an acceptance that periods of transition are part of the expected, where there are seldom any periods of prolonged dominance, a reason why the Chicago Bulls' mid-1990s efforts in the NBA are lauded so.

In football dynasties are formed and continued success, or at least a push for it, is demanded.

A look at Boston post their 2018 World Series win emphasises that point.

"The Red Sox won the World Series in 2018 but were in last place in 2019, and that happened before when they won it in the last decade," said Coffey.

"There is this sort of acceptance after they win that they feel they can step back and ride the ship as opposed to creating a dynasty.

"FSG have the idea that winning is good for business but it's not the only thing. I know that some fans in England are wary of American ownership and in some situations it is justified, I know there is one where the owner really doesn't care but I never got that impression with Liverpool."[/article]

 

[King Binny]

[article]A couple of years into Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool tenure, he was given a choice by owners Fenway Sports Group, who told him there was £50million available if he wanted to move from Melwood to a new training facility.

Klopp, who was still trying to lead the club back into the Champions League, suggested merging the first team and academy and FSG backed him and plans were formulated, even though the cost meant sacrificing funds which could have been ploughed into the squad.

Few managers at elite Premier League clubs would have embraced a capital project over squad strengthening. If £50m is available, most coaches would want more players, but Klopp was already empowered to think and act differently to his peers.

On the day Liverpool confirmed the training ground scheme, on February 21, 2017, they were not playing in European competition and to the outside world - especially impatient supporters - it was thought they had more pressing priorities.

What the process underlined early in Klopp's tenure, however, was the mutual trust between the manager and the board.

Today, despite a troubling run of just two wins in eight Premier League matches, there is no sign or likelihood of that trust dissipating.

"I was lucky with the clubs I had," Klopp reiterated yesterday. "The owners and presidents and sporting directors knew it takes time."

He has also earned more power than he could have imagined, granted due deference on decisions ranging from construction of the training HQ to who is responsible for the canteen's salad bar.

For over five years, FSG has openly given the impression it is in awe of Klopp. If he called principal owner John W Henry tonight and requested another four-year deal, he would be asked, "Are you sure you do not want to make it five?"

Having delivered the Champions League and Premier League, it is hard to conceive a situation in which Klopp's position will ever be questioned, and that's before we consider his relationship with Liverpool's supporters, which is now at a level comparable to Bill Shankly.

Even if Liverpool continue to struggle - given the demanding run of games, starting at Tottenham tonight - there is no likelihood that the Anfield board would take drastic action.

There is zero prospect of FSG echoing Chelsea when they tired of Antonio Conte or Jose Mourinho's blame games after poor title defences, or Leicester City, who jettisoned Claudio Ranieri, while Manchester City were willing to offload Roberto Mancini and Manuel Pellegrini when they could not build on their title successes.

Liverpool have sought to be the antithesis of the dysfunction they see in others. Klopp and FSG president Michael Gordon talk daily about how to solve any problems.

Despite growing calls for reinforcements, Klopp and the Liverpool hierarchy stick steadfastly to their self-sustaining model.

Klopp knows well that clubs do not want to sell quality players in January and it is a valid question as to whether Liverpool should be looking for players who are good enough to stay in the side once Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez are fit, or simply a more experienced, short-term alternative to teenager Rhys Williams, Nat Phillips or midfielder Jordan Henderson in the centre of defence.

The management philosophy at Liverpool means that while Klopp has been secure from day one, he has had no cause to envy Frank Lampard's spending last summer, and might look with incredulity at Thomas Tuchel getting only an 18-month deal at Chelsea.

"Mr Abramovich gives you some chances with money for players, but is not the most patient person," Klopp said. The contrast with FSG could not be starker.

Klopp's recent remarks are a reflection of the broader situation and the multitude of reasons behind the dip in form - the most critical of which are external, such as the pandemic, lack of supporters and the knock-on effect of the injury to a world-class defender.

Liverpool's players moved into their new accommodation in November and, as much as he would like to give a guided tour to a new centre-back, there will not be a moment during which Klopp walks around the site and considers the £50m should have been invested in his team. [/article]

 

[the count]

Mutual trust means Reds bosses FSG are fully behind Klopp despite slump
[article]A couple of years into Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool tenure, he was given a choice by owners Fenway Sports Group, who told him there was £50million available if he wanted to move from Melwood to a new training facility.

Klopp, who was still trying to lead the club back into the Champions League, suggested merging the first team and academy and FSG backed him and plans were formulated, even though the cost meant sacrificing funds which could have been ploughed into the squad.

Few managers at elite Premier League clubs would have embraced a capital project over squad strengthening. If £50m is available, most coaches would want more players, but Klopp was already empowered to think and act differently to his peers.

On the day Liverpool confirmed the training ground scheme, on February 21, 2017, they were not playing in European competition and to the outside world - especially impatient supporters - it was thought they had more pressing priorities.

What the process underlined early in Klopp's tenure, however, was the mutual trust between the manager and the board.

Today, despite a troubling run of just two wins in eight Premier League matches, there is no sign or likelihood of that trust dissipating.

"I was lucky with the clubs I had," Klopp reiterated yesterday. "The owners and presidents and sporting directors knew it takes time."

He has also earned more power than he could have imagined, granted due deference on decisions ranging from construction of the training HQ to who is responsible for the canteen's salad bar.

For over five years, FSG has openly given the impression it is in awe of Klopp. If he called principal owner John W Henry tonight and requested another four-year deal, he would be asked, "Are you sure you do not want to make it five?"

Having delivered the Champions League and Premier League, it is hard to conceive a situation in which Klopp's position will ever be questioned, and that's before we consider his relationship with Liverpool's supporters, which is now at a level comparable to Bill Shankly.

Even if Liverpool continue to struggle - given the demanding run of games, starting at Tottenham tonight - there is no likelihood that the Anfield board would take drastic action.

There is zero prospect of FSG echoing Chelsea when they tired of Antonio Conte or Jose Mourinho's blame games after poor title defences, or Leicester City, who jettisoned Claudio Ranieri, while Manchester City were willing to offload Roberto Mancini and Manuel Pellegrini when they could not build on their title successes.

Liverpool have sought to be the antithesis of the dysfunction they see in others. Klopp and FSG president Michael Gordon talk daily about how to solve any problems.

Despite growing calls for reinforcements, Klopp and the Liverpool hierarchy stick steadfastly to their self-sustaining model.

Klopp knows well that clubs do not want to sell quality players in January and it is a valid question as to whether Liverpool should be looking for players who are good enough to stay in the side once Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez are fit, or simply a more experienced, short-term alternative to teenager Rhys Williams, Nat Phillips or midfielder Jordan Henderson in the centre of defence.

The management philosophy at Liverpool means that while Klopp has been secure from day one, he has had no cause to envy Frank Lampard's spending last summer, and might look with incredulity at Thomas Tuchel getting only an 18-month deal at Chelsea.

"Mr Abramovich gives you some chances with money for players, but is not the most patient person," Klopp said. The contrast with FSG could not be starker.

Klopp's recent remarks are a reflection of the broader situation and the multitude of reasons behind the dip in form - the most critical of which are external, such as the pandemic, lack of supporters and the knock-on effect of the injury to a world-class defender.

Liverpool's players moved into their new accommodation in November and, as much as he would like to give a guided tour to a new centre-back, there will not be a moment during which Klopp walks around the site and considers the £50m should have been invested in his team. [/article]

There's the spin to counter recent articles saying that Klopp wanted to buy a centre half but the money men said no.

 

[Squiggles]

There's the spin to counter recent articles saying that Klopp wanted to buy a centre half but the money men said no.

Yeah, I thought that, too. But I do have some trust. I was one of the many on here screaming for a CB when we didn't get VVD, and a keeper when Mignolet and Karius were playing like a MakeAWish experience day out. In both instances, playing the long-game worked out. The big difference here Klopp is actively campaigning for action, whereas previously he was patient, waiting to strike.

If we land a top target this summer then I believe we can forgive our inaction this window, providing we land top four. If we don't then tough questions will have to be asked. Going from winning the league to thirty points to the Europa League would be embarrassing for all concerned.

 

[gkmacca]

"The Red Sox won the World Series in 2018 but were in last place in 2019, and that happened before when they won it in the last decade," said Coffey.

"There is this sort of acceptance after they win that they feel they can step back and ride the ship as opposed to creating a dynasty.

"FSG have the idea that winning is good for business but it's not the only thing.

The bit about FSG coasting after their baseball team won - they must realise they can't do that with a football team in the PL. As we all know, if a football team slips out of the top four, then existing players might want to leave and new targets might no longer want to come. The importance of maintaining that drive for success, therefore, is massive. I'm sure they know that - at least by this stage in their tenure - but they still need to act on it.

 

[davud graham]

Our public relations department working overtime it seems. The same old excuses of hard to sign players in January, promoting youth, playing the long game, Klopp refusing money in the past and accepting that you can't win every year just like the gold old USA. What a load of shite.
Klopp might whinge about lack of rest for his players or fixture congestion and even bad decisions that go for others teams and against us but he never complains about money or the lack of support from the owners so when he does mention something like this then they need to listen as he doesn't just say it unless he means it.

The article that suggests we should be grateful that FSG aren't the type of owners to sack a manager like Chelsea have after having a poor spell is particularly galling. Maybe they won't sack him because he's increased their assets worth many times over for a fraction of the cost of other clubs in the same amount of time. Michael Edwards also takes a lot of credit for this but Klopp is the one responsible for the teams performance and he's worked miracles with his net spend.

If Klopp want's a short term signing/loan at centre back to get us through this tricky period then FSG should just fucking do it unless they want to risk pissing off the golden goose. How can they not back a man like Klopp when he asks for help? If we'd have done it at the start of January then maybe the title race wouldn't look so bad for us and we might still be in the cup.

 

[gkmacca]

Yes. They also need to realise that, as good as the youth policy is, it would also be illogical to allow it to backfire. The likes of Rhys Williams can benefit from first team exposure but they can also be wrecked by it if over-used and over-exposed in games, and that will damage the prospects of either developing him as a squad player or selling him for a good price. When TAA got skinned by Rashford in his first season, all the same stuff came out ('He's been found out...He lacks pace...He's a liability...etc etc'); luckily the lack of another fit RB, along with a settled back three alongside him, helped him and he recovered. Williams might not. That's not a prudent kind of gamble from FSG - the youth set up has to keep producing viable squad players and lucrative transfer prospects. They could lose more that way than just spending a relatively small amount on a short term CB deal.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

Yes. They also need to realise that, as good as the youth policy is, it would also be illogical to allow it to backfire. The likes of Rhys Williams can benefit from first team exposure but they can also be wrecked by it if over-used and over-exposed in games, and that will damage the prospects of either developing him as a squad player or selling him for a good price. When TAA got skinned by Rashford in his first season, all the same stuff came out ('He's been found out...He lacks pace...He's a liability...etc etc'); luckily the lack of another fit RB, along with a settled back three alongside him, helped him and he recovered. Williams might not. That's not a prudent kind of gamble from FSG - the youth set up has to keep producing viable squad players and lucrative transfer prospects. They could lose more that way than just spending a relatively small amount on a short term CB deal.

They also shouldn't be comparing the 'youth experience' to the MLB, where even 25-28 year old players - who come off the DL or are struggling - will go to the minor leagues to 'take a break,' work on their basics and get their confidence back. We don't have that luxury, or the minor league set up the MLB world has. FSG will regret not investing in a CB if the team doesn't manage to at least get 4th ... Forget the $ aspect, the current window may be closed and we'll have to hope Klopp has the patience and signings to rebuild the team.

 

[darkstarexodus]

Yes, American sports are very different, where a year or two out of contention can generate talented youth players through high draft picks and allow you cover to shed overpaid players through trades to be salary cap/luxury tax compliant.

The opposite is true in football - you are only attractive to the top players when you are ready to compete and to dole out the best contracts. Multiple years away from the top are highly damaging, not part of The Process (TM).

 

[Brizzle]

I was about three paragraphs in before I noticed it was Red Ball and not Red Bull.

 

[King Binny]

 

[tomasjj]

That's some weak, cringe PR defence of the owners in that article. When the situation changes, you act.

 

[gkmacca]

There is no shame in losing to a team of Manchester City’s exceptional class or being outwitted by a coach of Pep Guardiola’s endless inventiveness. The only shame is in not responding. That is the challenge for Liverpool now.

The central question is whether the club’s owner, Fenway Sports Group (FSG), will respond. It is wrestling with the cost of the pandemic, and can point to investment in the magnificent training ground at Kirkby and to almost £72 million spent on Diogo Jota, Thiago Alcântara and Kostas Tsimikas in the summer.

The company is largely perceived as a good owner, partly because it is not Tom Hicks and George Gillett — fellow Americans and unpopular predecessors — nor the Glazers at Manchester United, and because John W Henry, the club’s principal owner, engages in community initiatives, speaks well and showed decisiveness when appointing Jürgen Klopp and recruiting Alisson and Virgil van Dijk.

Yet FSG is also the organisation that proposed a £77 ticket before apologising to fans who staged a mass walkout in protest in 2016, that furloughed staff last year before relenting after a supporters’ backlash, that co-drove the shameless attempted power-grab of Project Big Picture and is now involved in money-spinning plans for a European Super League.

For all the occasional romantic narrative spun around Henry, he is a businessman, looking for a fistful of dollars and more. Liverpool is not a hobby, a passion for Henry; he is prospecting in a Kop Klondike. Do the maths. Money means more. At a time when Liverpool’s squad required proper investment, Henry paused. All the indications are that the summer will be another period of retrenchment, of the seeds of success left unsown, and the fields of Anfield Road lying fallow.

For the first time, Henry has let Klopp down, forcing him to raid the middle ranks of the Sky Bet Championship and the bottom of the Bundesliga for central-defensive reinforcements, corner-shop purchasing by a household name. FSG has gone all cheap on Klopp. For an owner who prides himself on his knowledge of the club’s history, Henry should know that Liverpool traditionally strengthened when ahead.

Those of us lucky to be heading into Anfield on Sunday for Liverpool’s showdown with City, which became a meltdown, saw Sir Kenny Dalglish also arriving, striding in, always there, always supporting the team from the smart seats, just as he delivered on the pitch for them. Dalglish first arrived at Anfield in 1977, following Kevin Keegan, who was moving on to Hamburg. Henry and his acolytes will not need reminding that Liverpool won the European Cup in 1977 with Keegan in attack, then retained the trophy with Dalglish scoring the decisive goal. Momentum maintained. Always strengthen.

Thiago and his Liverpool team-mates were thoroughly bested by City in their 4-1 defeat on Sunday
SIMON STACPOOLE/OFFSIDE/GETTY IMAGES

Of the Liverpool team who lost the 2018 Champions League final in Kiev, seven started against City: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andrew Robertson, Jordan Henderson, Georginio Wijnaldum, Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mané, while nine from the triumphant 2019 team in Madrid started at Anfield (adding Alisson and Fabinho). Even dynasties need refreshing. Even a pool of talent needs topping up.

Liverpool look tired, in need of rejuvenating. Not since the start of the 1963-64 season have they succumbed in three successive games at Anfield, to Nottingham Forest, Blackpool and West Ham United. They still finished champions, under Bill Shankly, that season but that is not going to happen this year. City are too good. Liverpool too drained.

They need substantial investment in the squad by FSG in the summer, a clearout too, perhaps freeing up some funds. Naby Keita, sadly, is too injury-prone while Divock Origi and Xherdan Shaqiri are good but not elite, although Liverpool fans will offer them thanks for the memories. Wijnaldum’s contract impasse seems symptomatic of Liverpool’s predicament: a principal owner looking at the bottom line when he should be focusing on giving Klopp the resources to be top of the table again.

If money matters most to Henry, he will surely understand the price of not qualifying for the Champions League, of the embarrassment for him among his Super League plotters. Worryingly for the majority who care about the sporting integrity of the game, Liverpool failing to dash down the Premier League platform and reboard the Champions League gravy train may simply encourage FSG to become further in cahoots with the European greed club.

Henry needs to respond the right way: speculate to accumulate. Back Klopp. In the acrimonious aftermath of Liverpool’s second-half collapse against an outstanding City, BBC Radio 5 Live’s 606 phone-in with Chris Sutton and Robbie Savage heard from some callers who had clearly divested themselves of all common sense. Klopp out, a couple ventured. Radio going gaga. Fortunately, Sutton and Savage put them in their place. Klopp represents Liverpool’s rescue plan.

He will respond to the adversity. It is in his nature. He will be furious about Liverpool’s supine defence of their league crown, even if amid the bonfire of the sanities on Sunday evening it was forgotten that there have been far worse title defences, going back to Blackburn Rovers, finishing 7th in 1995-96, Chelsea 10th in 2015-16 and Leicester City ending up 12th a season later.

Klopp, such an intelligent man, will scrutinise and analyse himself and others. He needs to be less twitchy in interviews and more bold with his substitutions. He needs to hold his nerve, keep showing the courage that defined his 2019 and 2020 teams. Removing Curtis Jones, who was playing well against City, was bizarre, running against Klopp’s identity.
As well as reinvigorating his squad, Klopp should also consider continuing to refresh his coaching staff, bringing in a new voice for players to respond to. Sir Alex Ferguson was the master of recruiting players to challenge the squad and coaches to challenge the status quo.

Some new faces will help but anybody with any familiarity with some of the characters in Klopp’s dressing room will know they will still respond. Experienced campaigners and driven individuals such as Henderson, Robertson and Mané will respond. At 35, James Milner’s legs are going, but not his hunger. Alisson is too conscientious a professional not to refocus and immerse himself in training to eradicate the errors of distribution that scarred the second half on Sunday.

A supreme talent like Alexander-Arnold, only 22, will respond, working on his defensive attributes to complement his phenomenal attacking strengths. A fearless youngster such as Jones, only 20, will respond. Absent friends like Van Dijk and Joe Gomez will return at some point this year, and respond, providing the pacey cover that allows Robertson and Alexander-Arnold to push up more confidently. Jota will return and respond.

Liverpool will be back and they will respond, but they need backing from FSG.

 

[gkmacca]

The title win was so emotional I think most people at the club went a bit mad for a while. Even Klopp kept insisting that sometime this season they'd celebrate with the fans - well, that was never going to happen, because, Covid or no Covid, football moves on remorselessly. Imagine if we could suddenly meet up as a mass later this year - who'd be up for an open top bus journey celebration? Most would be preoccupied with how poor we've been this season. The title was last year. It's history.

At least Klopp recovered his senses quickly enough and set the right tone about attacking the title this season, but his words weren't backed up by FSG's actions. Too often this season he's resembled the CEO of Debenhams, standing outside the flagship branch boasting about healthy sales whilst the receivers go in and out removing the shop fittings.

And the Echo hacks ought to feel a bit ashamed by now. They spent all summer sneering at fans for wanting new signings, and now, belatedly, they've complained about the same thing. Too many people were in denial.

This is a critical time. Klopp and Pep need to do what they can to steady the ship and start getting good results. But the club needs to show some visible and audible support.

If Peter Moore was still CEO, we'd be hearing from him, he'd at least be saying the right things. Where's Billy Hogan? Engaging with your fans is an ongoing process, not a single stray date in your diary. With absentee owners, when things go badly, the club looks like a ghost ship. There are loads of things happening behind the scenes? Great - but you need to give fans a glimpse of that. It's not fecking Stalin's Russia!

It's a good time for Henry to sit down and give an interview. Werner, too. Let people know that there's still a plan. Let them know that you're listening and thinking. It's time for proper leadership.

 

[Woland]

Fucking lizards

 

[tombrown]

Fucking lizards

Its like so called "friendly capitalism" - they try & fool you into thinking they have your interests at heart, but as soon as they can they start dismantling the welfare state in front of your eyes.

One solution - revolution

 

[Donavan Ried]

I'm no savvier, if that's a word! It sounds to me like a relatively 'friendly' and stable potential collaboration, considering the other options (the very few bits I've heard about Cardinale sounded decent), and we certainly need the financial boost, but as I said, you may as well ask the cat!

I did mate, and she (the cat that is) just asked me to turn the heating up one notch, and give her a few more treats

 

[King Binny]

And the Echo hacks ought to feel a bit ashamed by now. They spent all summer sneering at fans for wanting new signings, and now, belatedly, they've complained about the same thing. Too many people were in denial.

And now they have come out with this piece.



[article]Since winning the Champions League in 2019, though, major incomings joining Jurgen Klopp's squad have slowed down - leading those in some quarters to argue that this has caused a major drop-off in Liverpool's form this season.

And when looking at it, while also comparing how much rival clubs in the top flight have spent and who they've brought in, those arguing the case for bigger and better transfers at Anfield might have a point.

since the summer transfer window of 2019 the total transfer spend of the big six is as follows:

Liverpool: -£83.75m

Manchester City: -£299.15m

Manchester United: -£279.25m

Chelsea: -£263m

Tottenham Hotspur: -£233.1m

Arsenal: -£219.98m

On first viewing, those numbers are pretty stark for the Reds and there's certainly an argument to be made that it was only a matter of time before their top flight rivals caught up, when regarding the expenditure in the transfer market.

Of course, there is always context to everything and it must be said that FSG have spent significant amounts of cash elsewhere at Liverpool other than on transfers.

The American owners loaned the club £110m for the building of Anfield's new Main Stand and the Reds are steadily paying it back, with accounts up to May 31, 2018 showing around £10m had been repaid .

They have also spent £50m on a new state-of-the-art training complex and a number of key players have been tied down to longer term and more lucrative contracts, in order to make sure Liverpool's top talent stays at the club.[/article]

[article]since Liverpool lifted the Champions League trophy in 2019, each club's transfer net spend is as follows:

Liverpool: +£1.39m (*Elliott fee to be decided)

Man City: -£181.56m

United: -£189.63m

Chelsea: -£69.89m

Tottenham: -£163.08m

Arsenal: -£154.9m

Clearly, Liverpool's model - which seems to rely on sales before major purchases - is a much more cautious one when compared with that of their rivals.

Such an approach allows them to keep financially stable at all times and even when the unthinkable happens, such as a worldwide pandemic, the Reds will emerge on the other side in a much more healthy position than those around them - which is most certainly a positive.

The only problem is, when your biggest competition doesn't slow down in the market with the high-money Premier League stakes, it can often mean you get left behind.

Of course, Liverpool went on to win the domestic league title after their victory in Madrid - proving the need to spend that summer totally irrelevant.

This time around, though, they sit fourth in the top flight after 23 games - a full 10 points and game in hand behind leaders Man City which already feels like an insurmountable gap with United five points in front of the Reds too.

Injuries have played a big part in the ability for Klopp's side to maintain a serious challenge this term - particularly when you think about the new arrivals in Jota and Thiago both having suffered this season too.

However, given the way Jota hit the ground running and given how much he is sorely missed despite a relatively short time at Anfield, perhaps more marquee signings in the summer could have aided the Reds further this term, just as they have done elsewhere in the Premier League.[/article]

 

[tomasjj]

They can dress it up anyway they like, Klopp needed a center back, and they sat on their hands.
I don't have a problem with the players being cheap, but that they didn't give the green light.

 

[mark1975]

They can dress it up anyway they like, Klopp needed a center back, and they sat on their hands.
I don't have a problem with the players being cheap, but that they didn't give the green light.

The issue then becomes whether the players we brought in ended up being cheap ones because the board didn't give the green light on a prime target. And if that's the case, we could be in for more of the same of what we saw with Minamino and what we've seen with the Greek lad. Minor investments that might come to something but more often than not, don't.

And it then becomes wasteful if come the Summer we have VVD and Gomez back, Matip goes and we have these two lads (and Natt Phillips), but then decide we still need to spend big on a centre half. There's nothing more frustrating than taking punts on players and them not getting a chance because of the politics behind it all, either that the manager didn't buy the players, the manager is proving a point and/or the players just aren't that good.

 

[darkstarexodus]

"Momentum maintained. Always strengthen."

This was the key. To keep moving forward, you need to maintain momentum. You dont start coasting, you push on.

As an organization we took a short breather and unfortunately our players havent had a chance to.

 

[tomasjj]

The issue then becomes whether the players we brought in ended up being cheap ones because the board didn't give the green light on a prime target. And if that's the case, we could be in for more of the same of what we saw with Minamino and what we've seen with the Greek lad. Minor investments that might come to something but more often than not, don't.

And it then becomes wasteful if come the Summer we have VVD and Gomez back, Matip goes and we have these two lads (and Natt Phillips), but then decide we still need to spend big on a centre half. There's nothing more frustrating than taking punts on players and them not getting a chance because of the politics behind it all, either that the manager didn't buy the players, the manager is proving a point and/or the players just aren't that good.

And as this bargain bin strategy drags on, the core players become older and suddenly the whole team needs thorough investment and rebuilding.

 

[Stevesquash]

I am really annoyed we have coasted as darkstar put it.

A clear mistake.

But there's no need to panic. We've strengthened all over the park (belatedly) with kabak, thiago and jota adding to the spine of the team.

The "rebuilding" is an evolution not a revolution. We didn't become a bad set of players overnight. We'll come good. It's just annoying that we needn't have temporarily become bad, and given our rivals a sniff...