Poll Dear FSG - Invest in Our Team or Sell to Someone Who Will.

[Squiggles]

FSG will do just enough to keep us in the CL and allow the global growth of the PL to maintain and grow the club's worth. Anything else along the way is a bonus from their POV.

As for whether I'm FSG out/in, it's always been an impossible question to answer without knowing the alternative. The whole debate is infantile. You see people screaming on Twitter and Reddit FSG OUT!!!!!! and you can politely ask, well, what next? and there's no answer. Fans do not want Saudi's. They do not want Hedge Fund Managers, so what's left? It feels like large sections of the fan base think there's a scouse billionaire and life-long fan, who made their fortune in clean energy and vaccines for the world, and he's desperate to invest, or that simply anyone is better than FSG. We've all been around long enough to know that is far from the case.

Long term the club will likely decline or stagnate unless it gets sold to the Middle-East. The wealth in the PL is going to a new level and from our perspective it's unsustainable to remain consistently competitive at the very top of the game. There's not always going to be a Jurgen Klopp or a £35M Mo Salah knocking about. Naturally, we will always have to do what we can to punch above our weight and make smarter decisions than our rivals, but if we do become a side that fights for top four than titles then I'm okay with that. I simply do not want to see Liverpool Football Club become another plaything for a Shiek.

But ultimately none of this matters because FSG will set to whoever they want, whenever they want, and fans will have to shut up and take it.

 

[rubans]

FSG will do just enough to keep us in the CL and allow the global growth of the PL to maintain and grow the club's worth. Anything else along the way is a bonus from their POV.

As for whether I'm FSG out/in, it's always been an impossible question to answer without knowing the alternative. The whole debate is infantile. You see people screaming on Twitter and Reddit FSG OUT!!!!!! and you can politely ask, well, what next? and there's no answer. Fans do not want Saudi's. They do not want Hedge Fund Managers, so what's left? It feels like large sections of the fan base think there's a scouse billionaire and life-long fan, who made their fortune in clean energy and vaccines for the world, and he's desperate to invest, or that simply anyone is better than FSG. We've all been around long enough to know that is far from the case.

Long term the club will likely decline or stagnate unless it gets sold to the Middle-East. The wealth in the PL is going to a new level and from our perspective it's unsustainable to remain consistently competitive at the very top of the game. There's not always going to be a Jurgen Klopp or a £35M Mo Salah knocking about. Naturally, we will always have to do what we can to punch above our weight and make smarter decisions than our rivals, but if we do become a side that fights for top four than titles then I'm okay with that. I simply do not want to see Liverpool Football Club become another plaything for a Shiek.

But ultimately none of this matters because FSG will set to whoever they want, whenever they want, and fans will have to shut up and take it.

I agree with the most of it but don’t agree they can sell to whomever they can because techinically yes but as in the past, they have choosen to revert back decisions when fans have strongly opposed them in the past such as during ticket price increases and ESL exit. They have also chosen to include SOS in their consultation panel so I believe they do care about a fan’s voice.

 

[Squiggles]

I agree with the most of it but don’t agree they can sell whoever they can because techinically yes but as in the past, they have choosen to revert back decisions when fans have strongly opposed them in the past such as during ticket price increases and ESL exit. They have also chosen to include SOS in their consultation panel so I believe they do care about a fan’s voice.

They do on some day-to-day running operational issues to keep the peace, but I would speculate that their exit will be more ruthless and financially driven than anything else. They're former hedge fund managers, there's no real compassion for the club, and this whole endeavor has been about the exit from day one.

 

[StevieM]

They do on some day-to-day running operational issues to keep the peace, but I would speculate that their exit will be more ruthless and financially driven than anything else. They're former hedge fund managers, there's no real compassion for the club, and this whole endeavor has been about the exit from day one.

That’s the thing though, we’re caught between having an owner that is building to a payday exit, but what’s the alternative - an owner that wants the club for other reasons and being successful is secondary, owners that are chancers or spivs that promise loads and deliver nothing, owners that want to enrich themselves by sucking money out of the club, a plaything for an oligarch…. I don’t know where we go next.

City fans have convinced themselves that their owners really care about the club and winning trophies and dominating the game globally is what their owners are all about.

Newcastle fans could give two fucks who owns them.

I still can’t quite fathom what Boehly’s up to.

Pick your poison - choose carefully.

If anyone else’s mind went straight to The Princess Bride… I applaud you!!

INCONCEIVABLE!!!!

 

[Silver Sean]

They publicly announced they were looking to sell or get investment and none came. We did flush out the saudi dildos that want to buy United though.

 

[bluebell]

There's very weak rumours that the Kuwaiti Royal Family want to buy a PL club. They want a football club to promote Kuwait appaz.

 

[moron]

@localny - if we have not signed 2 to 3 players by the end of this transfer window (Friday 11pm) - you need to change the thread title - where it says FSG - please change to FSG/Klopp - they are one and the same thereafter.

 

[localny]

I really appreciate this reasoned discussion. So, to help it along and for us to feel what's the best next step, who would be potential alternative owners

1. Middle Eastern Sportswashers (we're not really down with that)
2. Other Geopolitical players (China etc.)
3. Wealthy British/Liverpool individual to buy 51% of the company
==========
4. Private Equity Funds
5. Sporting Consortiums (like FSG)
6. American Sports Owners (Kraft family, Jeff Lurie ect)
7. Non American wealthy foreign owner

4, 5, 6 or 7 seem like the most likely. Am I missing any categories?

Here's a list of English current ownership (had no idea Wolves were Chinese owned)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_owners_of_English_football_clubs

 

[localny]

They publicly announced they were looking to sell or get investment and none came. We did flush out the saudi dildos that want to buy United though.

We didn't sell because United went on the block, I would say.

 

[StevieM]

I really appreciate this reasoned discussion. So, to help it along and for us to feel what's the best next step, who would be potential alternative owners

1. Middle Eastern Sportswashers (we're not really down with that)
2. Other Geopolitical players (China etc.)
3. Wealthy British/Liverpool individual to buy 51% of the company
==========
4. Private Equity Funds
5. Sporting Consortiums (like FSG)
6. American Sports Owners (Kraft family, Jeff Lurie ect)
7. Non American wealthy foreign owner

4, 5, 6 or 7 seem like the most likely. Am I missing any categories?

Here's a list of English current ownership (had no idea Wolves were Chinese owned)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_owners_of_English_football_clubs

I think we’re better off with what we have, if I’m honest.

You might not like it, but they’ve been pretty clear and consistent - they’ll help us grow revenues and they’ll allow revenue generated to be ploughed back into the club without taking significant amounts out.

It’s on the club to then work within that to get the best result - whether that be by signing new top quality players at a premium, searching hard for good value deals, investing in younger players with high sell-on returns or retaining current players on new and improved contracts.

As a fan and looking at what other teams are doing - I want it all - which effectively means the owners subsidise a loss making venture for glory - either openly or covertly.

I don’t blame them for not doing it.

Our owner are too conservative - but I mean that in the sense of exploring other club ownership - why not explore a second club in France, Belgium, Portugal, etc where we could develop young players?

Why not take that £100m we seem to had for Caicedo and sign the best 5-6 youngsters 18-20 year old from around the world that could either back up the first team squad, play them regularly and flip sone of them over the next few years at 2-3 times what they cost to fund transfer activity - it’s exactly what City are now doing.

Where FSG have failed - and I don’t know why - is they have allowed the structure that supports that to fall apart - people in key Bon-playing areas haven’t been replaced quickly and we haven’t gone after top talent to drive and implement those strategies.

I don’t know what goes on behind closed doors - but I can’t see Klopp causing drama if he doesn’t get the toys he wants, but also I can’t see him turning down moves for bright young talent if the money isn’t there to sign the “big names”.

I’ve said this before - there’s something not right in the middle there - whether it’s to do with Billy Hogan or Mike Gordon stepping away and then coming back into it or the search for Julian Ward’s replacement.

Dunno - something’s not right - and new owners may or may not fix it.

 

[bluebell]

I think we’re better off with what we have, if I’m honest.

You might not like it, but they’ve been pretty clear and consistent - they’ll help us grow revenues and they’ll allow revenue generated to be ploughed back into the club without taking significant amounts out.

It’s on the club to then work within that to get the best result - whether that be by signing new top quality players at a premium, searching hard for good value deals, investing in younger players with high sell-on returns or retaining current players on new and improved contracts.

As a fan and looking at what other teams are doing - I want it all - which effectively means the owners subsidise a loss making venture for glory - either openly or covertly.

I don’t blame them for not doing it.

Our owner are too conservative - but I mean that in the sense of exploring other club ownership - why not explore a second club in France, Belgium, Portugal, etc where we could develop young players?

Why not take that £100m we seem to had for Caicedo and sign the best 5-6 youngsters 18-20 year old from around the world that could either back up the first team squad, play them regularly and flip sone of them over the next few years at 2-3 times what they cost to fund transfer activity - it’s exactly what City are now doing.

Where FSG have failed - and I don’t know why - is they have allowed the structure that supports that to fall apart - people in key Bon-playing areas haven’t been replaced quickly and we haven’t gone after top talent to drive and implement those strategies.

I don’t know what goes on behind closed doors - but I can’t see Klopp causing drama if he doesn’t get the toys he wants, but also I can’t see him turning down moves for bright young talent if the money isn’t there to sign the “big names”.

I’ve said this before - there’s something not right in the middle there - whether it’s to do with Billy Hogan or Mike Gordon stepping away and then coming back into it or the search for Julian Ward’s replacement.

Dunno - something’s not right - and new owners may or may not fix it.

"Its on the club,,,," Who is the club?

 

[StevieM]

"Its on the club,,,," Who is the club?

The people who operate the club day to day.

It may come as a surprise to you but John Henry doesn’t pick the team, identify new signings or negotiate player contracts.

 

[localny]

Gravenberch. That makes things look a wee bit better

 

[localny]

Here's a list of all the FSG owned or invested companies
https://fenwaysportsgroup.com/the-fsg-family/

And here's what they've been up to
https://fenwaysportsgroup.com/evolution-of-fsg/