There is one thing, and one thing only, wrong with Liverpool Football Club at the moment.
The debt.
It can be argued that Man Utd, Arsenal, and several other clubs, have more debt on the books than we do at Anfield. The difference between them and us, is that they have sustainable plans, and considerable income streams for paying them off.
Liverpool’s debt, and the way it has been leveraged against the club, has put this great footballing and national institution on the edge of a precipice. Like it or not, the recent financial management of Liverpool has been on a level of football suicide that is consistent with Peter Risdale and Leeds.
£30 million pounds a year to pay in interest, or £1 million every 9 days – whatever the figure really is, it means that the club basically has to qualify for the latter stages of the Champions League every year, just to stay still. Not to progress, not to bring more, better players in. Not even to pay off some of the debt – just to stay still.
And what’s the result of that ?
Poor players who should not be wearing the red shirt starting Premier League games – because we cannot afford to move them on ( for a profit – you know who I mean ) because the money will not be invested in the squad to replace them
Critical Substitutions – Torres and Benayoun were taken off yesterday because we need them to play in mid-week. Make no mistake about it, Rafa has been told that he has two priorities this year – Stay in the Champions League as long as possible this year, and qualify for it next year. The financial rewards of the Champions League make it a much bigger priority than the Premier League in our current financial state – the league is not a priority for the owners – and Rafa is doing what he has to and what he has been told to, to safeguard the future of the club as he sees it.
A guaranteed income stream for future years has been ignored and the mythical ‘spade in the ground’ is still a pipe dream, whilst Spurs ( for god’s sake ) are busy building theirs.
Decent Squad Players ( Crouch, Riise, Bellamy etc etc ) are sold on because we need to trade up. We are reduced to wheeling and dealing in the transfer market to compete ( Does that mean Harry Redknapp is the best manager for us at the moment ?! ). And then our squad becomes too thin.
Our best players are long term injured because we rush them back to quickly – Gerrard may have gone this way already, Torres I would put mpney on this happening.
Our best players leave in the Summer because they see no way in which we can challenge next year ( Reina, Gerrard, Torres, Mascherano, Agger ) as there is no investment in the team ( Sell Babel to pay for Reina’s contract – dear god )
Now ok, the last 2 are more predictions than truths. But consider – we have gone from selling players to buy better ones, to selling players to pay for contracts – how long is it before we sell players to pay off a rising debt ?
Rafa is doing the best he can. Whatever people may think about him, one thing is indisputable – he has the heart and soul of LFC within him – think of your own hurt recently and then imagine you are putting your entire life in to making the club successful only to have the rug constantly pulled from under your feet. Just for one minute, imagine Jose M at the club at the moment – he managed to talk himself out of a job when he was being given hundreds of millions to spend ever year – he would tear our club apart right now.
There is a reason that the kind of leveraged buy out is illegal in America. It is a gamble with a business, with people’s lives and jobs, and our heritage. The debt is the problem.
What can we do about it ? I honestly don’t know whether Share Liverpool, a Sheikh, or some serious, prolonged protest is the answer. But those of us who have quietly or even financially supported SOS and the like whilst not taking any serious action – the club as we know it will DIE if we don’t do something. Soon.
Great Post Andrew.
I really wish all the other fans screaming Rafa out will understand the situation.
Y.N.W.A.
-Antoine
wow.thanks a million andrew final sum logic.put it into perspective for tthose so called “die hard” lfc supporters who want rafa gone.
Andrew you’ve hit the nail on the head. Those folks who thinks it’s Rafa’s fault simply don’t understand the structural problems at our club. Yes he makes tactical gaffs like the rest but he is one of the top managers out there. No other top manager would want to take on the financial crisis that we are in and no manager would be able to match what Rafa has achieved in the last 5 years. And those who quote Mourinho- he had an unlimited budget; and those who quote Wenger- he started buying cheap talented young players when there wasn’t anyone else doing it. He built up a squad on the basis of that and the windfall he got from Anelka’s sale.
Keep faith with Rafa
Great post Andrew,
You’re absolutely right about financial debt of the club and every supporter has to know this before wanting rafa to go out.
in victory and in defeat, as many of you, i’ve always say that Rafa is the best manager we can have for our club. The best because as you said he “has the heart and soul of LFC within him”. He breath liverpool way, he lives liverpool way, he is liverpool way.
Obviously he made some faults, as everyone.
But if conditions in LFC were like they are in Arsenal for exemple, i’m sure we would be at the top.
In those time of trouble, we have to be one: players coach and supporters united against the owners.
I keep my faith in Rafa, always and forever.
Great post again Andrew, can you print it and send it in Anfield next time to every supporter? lol
YNWA
Fantastic post Andrew. Hopefully the Ahti-Rafa brigade will read this and understand there is an awful lot going on behind the scenes. We could be 2 seasons away from relegation! Are the Leeds of next decade?
This is a grate post and has made me slightly more camer…
After watching the game yesterday i found my self at the lowest point i have ever been i have supported Liverpool sens i was 5 or 6 (now 27) remember watching with my dad never loosing Faith always backing and supporting players and staff as Liverpool has always been a club to support there team and staff instead of want them out as soon as things go bad like so many other clubs.
Yesterday tho for the first time i was left feeling down and in disbelief at what i was seeing the squad that was put out the subs made even tho i knew a impotent game was coming up
Rafa was my main point of frustration
I have not at any point in Rafa’s rain been one of the fans wanting him out or criticising him in any way i know where the big problem is but yesterday was a step to far for me maybe it was my anger and hurt that made me think for a split second (or some hours) to point the finger at Rafa as he was the one making the decisions or maybe my hart my love for the club,
My point i hear you ask???
well yesterday on facbook and twitter it was Rafa i was blaming but you (Andrew) have given me a slap in the face i needed a wake up call the FACTS i was not thinking about in a time of hart braking moments
as fans we may know a lot but it don’t matter how long or short we have supported our beloved Liverpool we can only relay on each other.
and also to admit that i was one of them doubters but also it was only a short time and to say I’m NOT one of then Rafa out fans.
PS thank you Andrew
YNWA
It’s a difficult issue. Ironically I think I just posted a counter argument on my own blog http://bit.ly/x0nL8.
As you will see I think we need a time of peace and stability. We need to let Rafa and Christian Purslow deal with things on their end.
As for the debts I have put forward my thoughts on an earlier post. We have to speculate to accumulate. It is far to simplistic to say the debts are the only problem. We are in no worse position than others.
No one, in my opinion should be calling for Rafa’s head. He is one of the best managers / coaches in the world and we would not find better!
What I do find concerning about yesterday’s showing is that you have ‘Quality of Player’ and ‘Heart of Player’ even if the quality isn’t there the heart should be. I see players (not all of them I add) on a pitch doing their professional job and not putting there absolute all into it.
That said we had over 70% possession in the first half and looked dangerous. But once we went behind we always looked set to struggle. That could be as much a confidence issue as anything else. Two sendings off for one yellow card offence and one no card offence for another. It’s almost like something is conspiring against us!
Mcdonaldtaf, I certainly agree with you on the lack of heart shown by some of the players. I think there is a deeper malaise at the club and even in some of our more senior players – that could be something to do with the constant infighting as you suggest in your blog
As for the debt, you are right that other clubs are in a similar position – my opinion though is that we were and are in a less strong position to bear the load of that debt. Utd are in much more debt than us, but their cashflow and, let’s face it – the fact that they were already very successful when the debt was loaded – means that it is an issue we never hear about.
thanks,
The best post I’ve read about our REDS since the beginning of the season. It looks dire but I agree with every word written.
For those who ask for Rafa’s head: try and look at the bigger picture.
I stopped going to liverpool facebook or any site where there are forums in order to avoid reading comments from airheads asking for rafa’s head and other stupid ideas.
I’ve never seen a coach who would stand by his players and the club that he coaches as Rafa. I am sure he’s hurt more than anyone else when he sees that everything he has tried to build in the past five years is starting to crumble (i hope it won’t) in front of his eyes for no reasons that are not realted to him and sadly he’s being blamed for it.
Hi. Yes there does appear to be something of a malaise throughout the club.
United are most definitely THE club which can service their debt the best. They have made an average profit of over £15m per year for the last 5 years. But the other two haven’t. At the moment though I believe (from what I have read) that everyone is supportive of and believes in Christian Purslow and he must be given chance to get us where we need to be by preferably attracting investment. I really believe we should give HIM (if we believe in him) 12 months of absolute unity.
As I have said in the past we had an opportunity 20 years ago to get where United are now and we failed to capitalise on our success then. It appears we are trying to get there again and succeeding, but we could lead to our own downfall if we don’t pull together.
I hope I come across as realistic rather than idealistic.
I can’t help but think you are right, and I too am a big fan of Purslow. I just shudder honestly to think where we might be in 12 months. Someone has made a point elsewhere about openness at the club – some proper discussion of the debts and how we intend to service them from Mr Purslow would go a long way to convincing me he can steer the ship.
I agree. My god I’d love to spend an afternoon with the guy and see where we are going, for the love of the club and professional curiosity!
Not sure if you looked at my other blog posts (I’m new to all this) but have a look at http://bit.ly/2oz9gP where I try to suggest that no one single factor is to blame. Instead a collective responsibility is present. Would love your thoughts on it.
this is the mind opening post ever. Thanks Andrew.
sometimes people only see the little pictures on the Reds problem, rafa’s player miss management. period. I hope somehow it can show the big pictures to all who wants rafa’s head. Keep the faith, this is the Storm that we should put our head up high.
YNWA
this is the mind opening post ever. Thanks Andrew.
sometimes people only see the little pictures on the Reds problem, rafa’s player miss management. period. I hope somehow this post can show the big pictures to all who wants rafa’s head. this is the Storm that we should put our head up high.
Keep the Faith
YNWA