American owners to scrutinise Benitez's transfer record

[captainfog]

yeah, and to be honest when they were announced as candidates to buy the club i didn't even know who they were. but i do know their franchises as i've followed all the major sports for most of my life.

they strike me as decent honest people, who will put the best interests of the club first- you can see that with the way gillette runs the canadiens.

but like others have said they are in this to make money and they arent exactly flush- they combined their assets to buy the club and already own other franchises. i never thought they would come in and spend big and was surprised by the initial reports of the funds available to rafa. they don't have big piles of cash lying around and have stumped a load of money to buy the club

i dont think they understand what it takes to be successful in football and there will be a learning curve- unfortunately it's coming at a time when buying the right players is vital

people point to the alex rodriguez signing as an example of them splashing hte cash- bollox it was a pub stunt, that signing handcuffed the franchise and they couldn't get any other top players and suffered a few more mediocre seasons before he ****ed off to the yankees

so bottom line, people expecting them to come in and spend spend spend are going to be disapointed i reckon. i think these guys saw an opportunity to milk a sleeping giant, raise its value, and then sell it off.

but who really knows, thats just my gut feeling

would you have preferred DIC?

[bazza76]

Hey mate, I've actually heard completely different reviews from people on the t'other side of the pond that Gillett has been exceptional with Montreal Canadiens and has helped them to grow into one of the biggest teams/franchises in the sport.
That he is extremely well respected by the fans.
I have to say what I have seen so far I have been impressed with but time will tell and fairly quickly by all accounts.

I think the story of Hicks saying why cant their fans be like the Liverpool fans are simply untrue. In fact I know they are.
I read the article by Hicks praising us and our passion and how we have more passion than his other sports clubs, its not an attack on his other clubs, he is just stating a fact. But it has been taken out of context as thing inevitably always are.

[Ron_Mexico]

would you have preferred DIC?

i can't say whether i would prefer one or the other, i just don't know enough about either party and anything i say would just be pure speculation without being able to back it up with anything

DIC i could see spending more on players and bringing more financial clout to the table, H and G i see caring more about how the club is run and the future, without the huge outlays of cash on transfers

time will tell i suppose, but i don't like all this fear mongering in the press. it's too early to panic

[Guest]

i can't say whether i would prefer one or the other, i just don't know enough about either party and anything i say would just be pure speculation without being able to back it up with anything

DIC i could see spending more on players and bringing more financial clout to the table, H and G i see caring more about how the club is run and the future, without the huge outlays of cash on transfers

time will tell i suppose, but i don't like all this fear mongering in the press. it's too early to panic

DIC would have brought more money on the table initially that's for sure.

I think people should realize that this deal was better for Moores and the shareholders at the time because H & G offered more per share, and the difference was quite substantial compared to what DIC bidded for.

Money rules in this world.

I still think that Rafa will be wheeling and dealing in the transfer market, as he always does, and he'll also look into balancing the books by selling players but I can see one major signing, and by that I mean BIG on the way. Gillette and Hicks will show their promise by signing THAT player.

[Neil Young]

I still think that Rafa will be wheeling and dealing in the transfer market, as he always does, and he'll also look into balancing the books by selling players but I can see one major signing, and by that I mean BIG on the way. Gillette and Hicks will show their promise by signing THAT player.

I can't believe I'm saying this but I think you may well be proved right. Certainly that's how I see it.

Now, who are you and why are you impersonating fredo?

[Ron_Mexico]

DIC would have brought more money on the table initially that's for sure.

I think people should realize that this deal was better for Moores and the shareholders at the time because H & G offered more per share, and the difference was quite substantial compared to what DIC bidded for.

Money rules in this world.

I still think that Rafa will be wheeling and dealing in the transfer market, as he always does, and he'll also look into balancing the books by selling players but I can see one major signing, and by that I mean BIG on the way. Gillette and Hicks will show their promise by signing THAT player.

this summer at least i can see H and G wanting to win the fans over by splashing the cash and you could be right, it could come in the form of one major signing. they will back rafa at least initially, they would stupid not to after the comments theyve made, but what happens if success is not immediate? will they be as likely to spend again? they will continue to keep an eye on the balance sheet when some freak like abramovich doesn't have to

that said i dont think rafa needs huge budgets every summer to produce a good squad- look what he's done with the dross that's passed through the last few seasons. we have to spend big on a forward this summer and H and G will know that from watching us and listening to the fans and media (assuming they do). i think we are guaranteed at least that, but i'm not convinced the financial support will always be as willing or available. here's hoping at least

[dww]

this summer at least i can see H and G wanting to win the fans over by splashing the cash and you could be right, it could come in the form of one major signing. they will back rafa at least initially, they would stupid not to after the comments theyve made, but what happens if success is not immediate? will they be as likely to spend again? they will continue to keep an eye on the balance sheet when some freak like abramovich doesn't have to

that said i dont think rafa needs huge budgets every summer to produce a good squad- look what he's done with the dross that's passed through the last few seasons. we have to spend big on a forward this summer and H and G will know that from watching us and listening to the fans and media (assuming they do). i think we are guaranteed at least that, but i'm not convinced the financial support will always be as willing or available. here's hoping at least

I agree with your point but think it is worth adding that a really big name player will enhance our revenue and exposure, which has to be part of their long term plan.

In a similar vein I'm surprised they haven't launched a bid for someone like Freddy Adu to raise our profile in the US over the long term. I guess that it may have been decided that tthere is not much money to be made in the US from football at this point. i feel that some sort of long term links with both the US and somewhere in Asia on the basis of a regular friendly tournament or a feeder club arrangement.

[BrooklynRed]

In a similar vein I'm surprised they haven't launched a bid for someone like Freddy Adu to raise our profile in the US over the long term. I guess that it may have been decided that there is not much money to be made in the US from football at this point. I feel that some sort of long term links with both the US and somewhere in Asia on the basis of a regular friendly tournament or a feeder club arrangement.

Because Freddy Adu is not so good. He is struggling in MLS. We have a real shortage of class players in the USA. As for making money and selling the game here, that's why David Bekham is coming here... Those of us who actually follow the game know he will be an attraction, and since most football is on high number channels on digital cable and satellite (and rarely on regular TV), its something you have to look hard to find. Beckham will change that; Liverpool having American owners? Not so much.

[dww]

Because Freddy Adu is not so good. He is struggling in MLS. We have a real shortage of class players in the USA. As for making money and selling the game here, that's why David Bekham is coming here... Those of us who actually follow the game know he will be an attraction, and since most football is on high number channels on digital cable and satellite (and rarely on regular TV), its something you have to look hard to find. Beckham will change that; Liverpool having American owners? Not so much.

I wasn't really suggesting that American ownership would draw US fans more that they might bring a more commercially thought out aspect to our transfers attempting to either a/ generate more attention/sponsorship in foreign markets (i would guess the US and Japan would be the ones which would appeal in the long term).

Interesting that you say Adu is doing poorly, I only suggested him as he is the only US based talent I know of. Is there anyone out there who might make the step up to Europe?

[Red Chilli]

I really can't believe the hostility towards our new owners.

We have been waiting 6 or 7 years for a new stadium and if these 2 hadn't stumped up the cash, we'd still be at square 1 having missed the deadline for European funding etc etc.

If our transfer spending continues the way it has done with a great new stadium being built I won't be criticising them.

[Johnny]

I really can't believe the hostility towards our new owners.

We have been waiting 6 or 7 years for a new stadium and if these 2 hadn't stumped up the cash, we'd still be at square 1 having missed the deadline for European funding etc etc.

If our transfer spending continues the way it has done with a great new stadium being built I won't be criticising them.

[Revo]

I really can't believe the hostility towards our new owners.

We have been waiting 6 or 7 years for a new stadium and if these 2 hadn't stumped up the cash, we'd still be at square 1 having missed the deadline for European funding etc etc.

If our transfer spending continues the way it has done with a great new stadium being built I won't be criticising them.

i dont have any hostility towards the owners im saying the jury is still out until they deliver.rafa is spot on, enough of the bull**** now is the time to deliver. also had the yanks not been waiting in the wings the dic deal would of went thru at a cheaper price for david moores, so i fail to see how we would of missed any european funding.

[BrooklynRed]

I wasn't really suggesting that American ownership would draw US fans more that they might bring a more commercially thought out aspect to our transfers attempting to either a/ generate more attention/sponsorship in foreign markets (i would guess the US and Japan would be the ones which would appeal in the long term).

Interesting that you say Adu is doing poorly, I only suggested him as he is the only US based talent I know of. Is there anyone out there who might make the step up to Europe?

I understand. unfortunately, I don't know who, besides the horribly overrated Landon Donovan, would qualify. Clint Dempsey, who scored on us for Fulham (the goal that kept them up), might be our best hope, but there are quite a few Americans playing in England now; Tim Howard (unfortunate club, great guy) is the new national #1, Hanneman for Reading, DeMerit (Watford) Onyewu (newcastle) Specter (West ham) Beasley (was at Citeh, now back to PSV), Convey (injured most of the year at Reading)-- no one follows any of them except those interested in the National team.

To be fair, Adu is playing for a crap team (Real Salt Lake) but he is still not doing very much. He does need to leave the US to grow as a player, but if he isn't shining in MLS, why bother with him? Giuseppi Rossi, who is signed for the Scum but playing in Italy, is one we'd love to see blossom, but he has his heart set on playing internationally for Italy (he has dual citizenship). Anywho, I agree; it would be great to have a player who could set the market in the USA on fire and help Liverpool make $$$. Not sure who, though.

[Red Chilli]

i dont have any hostility towards the owners im saying the jury is still out until they deliver.rafa is spot on, enough of the bull**** now is the time to deliver. also had the yanks not been waiting in the wings the dic deal would of went thru at a cheaper price for david moores, so i fail to see how we would of missed any european funding.

We don't know for certain the DIC bid would have gone through. I thought Moores had grave misgivings about the way they went about the purchase of the club. I thought the Americans had given up hope until DIC started stalling and talking about off-loading the club in 7 years.

If we don't get the players Rafa wants it won't automatically be the owners fault. I read one noable poster say ' if Rafa doesn't get the players he wants then Hicks and Gillett can **** off'. How stupid is that?
There seems to be a definite PR campaign going on by Rafa which is making me fel very disappointed with him. 2006/7 was a big fat failure for LFC. No challenge to speak of in 3 domestic competitions and runners up in Europe. In short, no silverware.
Rafa has taken no responsibility fo it and seems to be blaming the fact that he can't spend as much as Chavski and Man Utd for his failings.
If we needed a manager to spend 10's of millions then there was no need to sign Rafa. We got Rafa in because he seemed to be able to produce a team to win a championship DESPITE a huge financial disadvantage, as evidenced in Spain.
If Rafa can't even challenge for the league without whinging for more money then it is a very disappointing state of affairs.

[Roboklopp]

We don't know for certain the DIC bid would have gone through. I thought Moores had grave misgivings about the way they went about the purchase of the club. I thought the Americans had given up hope until DIC started stalling and talking about off-loading the club in 7 years.

If we don't get the players Rafa wants it won't automatically be the owners fault. I read one noable poster say ' if Rafa doesn't get the players he wants then Hicks and Gillett can **** off'. How stupid is that?
There seems to be a definite PR campaign going on by Rafa which is making me fel very disappointed with him. 2006/7 was a big fat failure for LFC. No challenge to speak of in 3 domestic competitions and runners up in Europe. In short, no silverware.
Rafa has taken no responsibility fo it and seems to be blaming the fact that he can't spend as much as Chavski and Man Utd for his failings.
If we needed a manager to spend 10's of millions then there was no need to sign Rafa. We got Rafa in because he seemed to be able to produce a team to win a championship DESPITE a huge financial disadvantage, as evidenced in Spain.
If Rafa can't even challenge for the league without whinging for more money then it is a very disappointing state of affairs.

He has done very well with what he has been given, but hard work & tatics will only get you so far.

At their respective primes Muhammed Ali could coach Audley Harrison for years, but put hins against Mike Tyson, he would still get nailed