Are FSG Hicks & Gillett in disguise?



I feel a rant coming on!  I know it's probably far too early to start this and I know the signs have been positive up to now, but I'm getting a little frustrated at the lack of movement on transfer targets.  We are now in July, I know the continental window has only just opened and most transfers don't take place until later in the month or even until August, but missing out on Connor Wickham and now Gael Clichy has started to crush my optimism for the new season and raise questions about Fenway Sports Group.

The word is that we have to offload quite a few players to (a) cut the wage bill and (b) trim the squad before we can make any more signings.  We all know we have to do this but I hope that is not causing delays in signing players.  There must be something in the story as we missed out on Wickham after being massive favourites to sign him.  Why is that?  Too expensive?  Why is Wickham not worth £8m when Henderson is worth £16m?  We were supposed to have had a deal for Jose Enrique tied up, but that has gone cold and now Clichy is on his way to Man City, where does that leave us?  Wayne Bridge?  You're havin' a laff!

We are hearing that Charlie Adam is desperate to join us but we won't pay £9m for him.  Surely he's worth that if Meireles is worth £13m.  It is the same situation with Stuart Downing, although I'm not sure about his quality if I'm honest.  As already highlighted in Got (Dead) Wood? we have far too many poor players on big wages that no one else wants.  I thought this would be a major problem and it is proving to be the case.  Aquilani is back with us as there are incredibly no takers for him.  He'll never be good enough for LFC and we need him off the wage bill now.

Suarez and Lucas are going to miss the early part of the season due to their involvement in the Copa America and with Gerrard still recovering from injury and Carroll only just back, we may well find ourselves struggling straight away.  Don't forget we have Arsenal away early on.  What chance a result at the Emirates with no Gerrard, Suarez or Lucas and an unfit Carroll?

May this is an overreaction, only time will tell, but my fear is that FSG are not going to invest as much as in the playing staff as they claim or that we need.  The stadium is another issue.  We all know we need a far bigger capacity than we currently have as the likes of the Mancs are making in excess of £1m per home game more than us.  We can't afford to let this continue.  Surely they can see the need to move on this and I hope they are moving on it, but the fans are getting frustrated with the lack of news.  They obviously haven't got the money for a new stadium and as Liverpool Managing Director Ian Ayre said this week, naming rights will be a major factor in building the stadium.  As time ticks on we fall further and further behind despite massive strides in off-the-field income and sponsorship.

Jamie Carragher is quoted as saying that he expects more names through the door soon, but after missing out on Phil Jones, Ashley Young, Sylvain Marveaux, Wickham and Clichy and struggling to seal a deal for Adam or Downing I'm not so confident.  I hope I'm proved wrong but as the weeks go by I, along with many other Reds, are getting more and more restless.  We went through 44 months of hell with the previous owners, worrying about repayments and interest rates instead of enjoying supporting our club and were elated when we finally got rid of them.  My fear is going back to those worries due to lack of funds and no new stadium.  Come on FSG "Show me the money!"

Posted in: LFC Chat