FSG - Saviours or Lizards

[the count]

Just over two years ago FSG, were the knight in shining armour, rescuing us from the threat of receivership and the clutches of the loathed Hicks and Gillett. The romanticism of them answering the call of a desperate red, indeed probably all reds, meant that they seemed to be the perfect fit for LFC.

Two years on thought, there are now considerable doubts about their ability and intentions towards our club. They may not have been as loud mouthed as their predecessors but they were vocal in what they had planned for Liverpool.
A system and structure of management based more on the European model with a powerful Director of Football calling many of the shots. Professionals of the very highest calibre in every position. A thorough review followed by decisive action on the stadium issue.

So what have we got?

A glorified chief scout given the position of director of football and sacked fifteen months later having overseen possibly the most disastrous transfer window in our history.
A six month search for a world class CEO which results in the appointment of Ian Arye on the back of a successful stint as commercial director.
A director of communications who threatens a fan, his family and his livelihood. (Come back Ian Cotton, all is forgiven)
Oh and then there are the managerial appointments. they appointed a club legend on a three year contract on the back of a successful caretaker spell only to sack him twelve months later.
Then they appoint a manger with only three full seasons as a manager, one of them in the premiership and get rid of their much heralded system to accommodate him.

Careful consideration and consultation seems to be a euphemism for inaction on the stadium issue.
In truth we seem no closer to having the issue resolved than when we were sixty days from having a spade in the ground.

Frankly I am concerned by FSG.
They have done little or nothing during their two year tenure to convince me that they are anything other than shams, just like the previous owners who they took over from, with the exception that they run a considerably more successful PR campaign.

What do you think?

 

[Athens]

I think they're lovely people

*fearfully checks over his shoulder*

 

[Woland]

 

[gkmacca]

I'm alarmed by them these days. Granted Comolli turned out to be the wrong man in the role, but at least when he was here there was a sense of organisation, planning and purpose. Since he left FSG haven't seemed to know - or at least let us know - what on earth they think they're doing. They made lots of noises during the summer about hierarchies and interconnected roles and advisory communities, but since Rodgers rebuffed their initial plans they just seem to have faded away. Maybe it's just a failure of communication - maybe they're working non-stop and planning all kinds of things, but if they are it's a bit counter-productive to let everyone assume the opposite, and certainly a strange change in tactics after the excellent PR they deployed during the first year or so. I just have an image now of Ayre alone in an office with tumbleweed blowing round the hallways. Where is the club? Where is the management set-up? Ever since the Suarez affair the lack of leadership has been appalling, and ever since the cock-ups in the summer the lack of any evidence that FSG is really ready to learn from its mistakes has been unnerving. There's not even the shallow symbolism of the odd visit any more. Is anyone home?

 

[Woland]

 

[gkmacca]

Apparently Linda is pregnant with lizard.

 

[Woland]

Fuck off. Henry is a gay lizard. She's a beard.

 

[Red Astaire]

I get why people feel let down by them. GK pointed out a lot of how I feel about them as well. I also think this January will be a big one for them. Fuck that up and I think SoS will be dusting down their placards. Woland will be munching on packets of this.

I think they'll come good in January though. It'll cost them as January is not the best window to be shopping in. I also have a feeling that if the opportunity presents itself they won't think twice about selling up.

 

[Woland]

 

[Leo]

I'd be prepared to see how the next 2 transfer windows go before drawing the knives.
Although I still think that Henry is a sly prick.

 

[the count]

Actually I don't have a particular issue with their spending as such though they did seem to have a part in our inability to bring in a striker in the summer.
While they did say something vague and non committal about being able to match anyone in the transfer market I was of the impression that we were always going to be relatively thrifty in our spending.
They have a lot more to answer for than not opening their wallets in my opinion and they won't be sorted by a big spend in January, though I am not against that happening either😉

 

[Rosco]

Judging the owners by transfer window spending is as retarded as picking a goalkeeper based on how much possession we had while he was in goal.

 

[Leo]

Or as retarded as saying that being a manager is like card counting.

 

[Cerberus]

Fooking prawns Lizards.

 

[Red Astaire]

Also in defence of the lizards a little bit - Have they completely wiped off all the debt that G&H lumped onto the club? That in itself means they deserve a bit of credit.

 

[the count]

Also in defence of the lizards a little bit - Have they completely wiped off all the debt that G&H lumped onto the club? That in itself means they deserve a bit of credit.

I am no accountant Red (if only we knew one) but if I recall correctly they gained control of the club by simply buying the debt on it, a figure less than £300m.
In other words they got us on the cheap. I think they seen us a good investment opportunity and that their intentions were not all, if at all, noble

 

[Red Astaire]

I am no accountant Red (if only we knew one) but if I recall correctly they gained control of the club by simply buying the debt on it, a figure less than £300m.
In other words they got us on the cheap. I think they seen us a good investment opportunity and that their intentions were not all, if at all, noble

lol - Well noble or not I think financially speaking the club are in a better position now than before they took over. The interest payments itself were crippling. You only have to look at the news coming out of Bolton today to realise we could easily have gone under.

 

[hmmmmm1]

It would be safe to say, thier knowledge of football is quite limited.

 

[Silver Sean]

I'd be prepared to see how the next 2 transfer windows go before drawing the knives.
Although I still think that Henry is a sly prick.

I imagine growing up on farm in the middle of nowhere and then building a business from nothing to become a hugely successful multi-millionaire means that you have to be a bit sly. Not sure he's a prick just yet though.

 

[gkmacca]

I know it's not VITAL, but it would be good to see one of them actually turning up every now and again, not just to watch a game but to make their presence felt and talk to Rodgers, Ayre, McParland etc. Although Abramovich is a horrible fixed-faced loon and postmodern brigand, at least the limp-grinning twerp is almost always there watching his team as if it matters to him. Obviously if FSG suddenly found the funds to pump a fortune into the club I'd be happy if they sunned themselves on a never-ending vacation, but until then it would be quite nice to at least be given the impression they are still aware the club exists. More generally, I'd like to see more transparency: for example, I don't have a clue what the much-vaunted supporters' committee actually discusses, I've not noticed any detailed reports via the offal site, so if it's really doing a job why not issue regular reports? That's just basic PR that ought to be helping them.

 

[Holle]

Just over two years ago FSG, were the knight in shining armour, rescuing us from the threat of receivership and the clutches of the loathed Hicks and Gillett. The romanticism of them answering the call of a desperate red, indeed probably all reds, meant that they seemed to be the perfect fit for LFC.

Two years on thought, there are now considerable doubts about their ability and intentions towards our club. They may not have been as loud mouthed as their predecessors but they were vocal in what they had planned for Liverpool.
A system and structure of management based more on the European model with a powerful Director of Football calling many of the shots. Professionals of the very highest calibre in every position. A thorough review followed by decisive action on the stadium issue.

So what have we got?

A glorified chief scout given the position of director of football and sacked fifteen months later having overseen possibly the most disastrous transfer window in our history.
A six month search for a world class CEO which results in the appointment of Ian Arye on the back of a successful stint as commercial director.
A director of communications who threatens a fan, his family and his livelihood. (Come back Ian Cotton, all is forgiven)
Oh and then there are the managerial appointments. they appointed a club legend on a three year contract on the back of a successful caretaker spell only to sack him twelve months later.
Then they appoint a manger with only three full seasons as a manager, one of them in the premiership and get rid of their much heralded system to accommodate him.

Careful consideration and consultation seems to be a euphemism for inaction on the stadium issue.
In truth we seem no closer to having the issue resolved than when we were sixty days from having a spade in the ground.

Frankly I am concerned by FSG.
They have done little or nothing during their two year tenure to convince me that they are anything other than shams, just like the previous owners who they took over from, with the exception that they run a considerably more successful PR campaign.

What do you think?

I think I want a sheikh.

 

[RedZeppelin III]

i don't know what to make of them at the moment , mainly because as already mentioned they've been very quiet of late . If we were ticking along nicely , competing on all fronts and everything was running smoothly off the pitch then fair enough , i'd probably prefer that . Right now though in the middle of a massive rebuild i'd like to see more signs of leadership and presence from them , to feel we're not just drifting along aimlessly relying on Captain Arye to get the sails up .

I also have this niggling feeling that they've bitten off much more than they can chew and are starting to realise it . I'm not really sure what their plans or aims are . I mean what do they want to get from us ? Just money ? Well we need success for that ,we need a stadium increase , we need long term investment . Do they really want to stick around for the that length of time and effort ?
And are they really confident such an inexperienced manager can rebuild us ? They may be right of course but it's a big gamble really because if it doesn't work they'll be under fire pretty quickly .They've cleaned everyone out from top to bottom , this has to work for them.

January will be very interesting . Their spending has been what i expected but they're really under pressure to buy now . Rodgers is already making comments how we need more players , he's putting the ball in their court and they surely know it . Fail to deliver and the "Yanks Out" banners might be getting a dusting off .

They're struggling with their baseball team also . Ok they're different sports and i don't fully know the background of their problems there but they've got a quick management turnover there also and seem clueless on the way forward too .

Anyway maybe they do know what they're doing but right now there are more signs they've no idea whatsoever .

 

[Sunny]

I think they'll come good in January though. It'll cost them as January is not the best window to be shopping in. I also have a feeling that if the opportunity presents itself they won't think twice about selling up.

I don't think they'll come good in January at all. I see no reason for them financially to do it. All the activity I see from them is geared around cost reduction to date. Minimum investment to protect their asset albeit what they deem as protecting and we do are separate things. I won't be suprised if we dont sign anyone. Nor will I be surprised if they sell us.

 

[Woland]

I suppose if I was preparing for Nibiru investing in the squad might be quite low down the list of priorities.

 

[Red Astaire]

I don't think they'll come good in January at all. I see no reason for them financially to do it. All the activity I see from them is geared around cost reduction to date. Minimum investment to protect their asset albeit what they deem as protecting and we do are separate things. I won't be suprised if we dont sign anyone. Nor will I be surprised if they sell us.

Well I guess we'll soon find out. Whatever happens in January will give us a pretty clear idea of things either way. I'd be shocked if we signed no one though.

 

[Mors]

Well I'm not entirely sure what they've done wrong, even though none of us have the full picture obviously. As far as I can see, they stopped us going bump (massive thumbs up) and got us out of the hands of Laurel and hardy (massive thumbs up). They've 'moved' the debt (it's gone somewhere), and now we are spending each transfer window, within our means. Taht means that if we generate 30mill for transfers, then that's what we've got to spend, and as we're not in the champions league, that money isn't really going to increase any time soon. Factor in signing on fee's for new players, and signing on fee's for new contract renewals, I presume they've spend bloody bucketloads so far, and have been rewarded with wank league positions from kenny and brendan, and a league cup. So I'd say it's them that should be more pissed off than us? They're not billionaire owners that can just spunk 500mill into the squad in a few seasons and not expect a return.

 

[peterhague]

I think they're slags.

Basically I think they saw an opportunity to buy a premium soccer brand relatively cheaply, hoped the £30m they pumped in would get us back in CL, and now they haven't got a fucking clue how to proceed other than crossing their fingers and hoping whichever flavour of the month manager they employ can work a miracle.

 

[Rosco]

I think they're slags.

Basically I think they saw an opportunity to buy a premium soccer brand relatively cheaply, hoped the £30m they pumped in would get us back in CL, and now they haven't got a fucking clue how to proceed other than crossing their fingers and hoping whichever flavour of the month manager they employ can work a miracle.

That's basically it.

 

[Sunny]

I think they're slags.

Basically I think they saw an opportunity to buy a premium soccer brand relatively cheaply, hoped the £30m they pumped in would get us back in CL, and now they haven't got a fucking clue how to proceed other than crossing their fingers and hoping whichever flavour of the month manager they employ can work a miracle.

Yup.

 

[the count]

I think they're slags.

Basically I think they saw an opportunity to buy a premium soccer brand relatively cheaply, hoped the £30m they pumped in would get us back in CL, and now they haven't got a fucking clue how to proceed other than crossing their fingers and hoping whichever flavour of the month manager they employ can work a miracle.

I agree with my learned friend.
If Rodgers does prove to be the Messiah it it will have been more down to luck than judgment on the part of FSG