‘You can’t have it both ways’ – Replacing FSG wouldn’t make any sense, says John Barnes

Liverpool legend John Barnes has called into question the idea that the club should part ways with its owners, FSG, following unsuccessful talks to launch a breakaway European Super League.

The former midfielder was keen to downplay the ‘victory’ fans had secured, noting that supporters were still being exploited under the current system in place.

“I would say to the fans as much as now we’re talking about, even from Liverpool’s perspective, is it over for the owners, do they have to sell the club? Who are they going to sell the club to?” the 57-year-old spoke on talkRADIO.

“And if they sell the club to someone with more money than them [FSG], do you think that the people coming in whose business is run on autocracy are going to listen to fans when they say ‘this is what we want you to do?'”

“It’s not going to happen, so you can’t have it both ways.”

READ MORE: (Video) ‘If you punish the club you punish the fans’ – Souness disagrees with big six clubs being sanctioned over ESL talks

A heads will roll attitude is more than understandable given the threat posed to fans and the club’s history.

However, with the future being uncertain beyond FSG, should the owners depart, Barnes is right to call for caution.

John Henry and co. have made numerous mistakes at the top, from dodgy furlough calls to overpriced tickets, but they’re arguably still one of the best of a largely bad bunch.

As Graeme Souness has likewise noted, the possibility remains that Liverpool could benefit from better or worse owners in future – it’s a gamble, and not necessarily one we can afford to make.

Change is needed, but chopping off a branch when the roots need to be uprooted will hardly solve the issue at hand.

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