18 Feb 2015 13:18:23
Running a club like a business. Without money football wouldn't exist or at least not to the full potential its reached today with 10s and thousands of fans attending each top level match and worldwide television broadcasting. Without the business element to the game, many of us wouldn't be able to see a live game or even games on the television circuit so its crucial the business element of the club is being run correctly but most importantly sensibly.
I want to use Chelsea as a good example of a club with a clever business strategy which has set the bench mark for other clubs in the league. Whilst there academy may only generate small profits, it's in fact their scouting and also their eye for a good business strategy which sees them make more than they spent most windows. By still retaining top class talent in their squad they have bought in players in the shape of De Bruyne, Lukakau, Piazon, Atsu, Kakuta, Romeu etc at what look very good prices, loaning them out to prove one's selves and being sold for considerable more than what they initially paid whilst the players themselves aren't rotting on a bench but getting game time and progressing their careers. If only Liverpool could have been smarter in the previous windows, I guess the reason behind Chelsea's great business strategy is the fact they have a team of people running each department with delegated responsibilities across the board. Mourinho, can then focus on the coaching side whilst scouts continue their good work in looking to recruit the next talents. Instead, we are practically being run by one man, who quite frankly thinks he knows it all and its totally skinting the owners pockets which then leads to catastrophic effects going forward to the next windows.
Im using Chelsea as the great British example but you only have to look abroad to Real Madrid, Bayern Munich who all adopt a similar ethos. If we could start again with all this then I personally would press the reset button and employ a committed structured team to run our club correctly but seeing as we are in this sell to buy situation we must act quickly and re-couperate some of our losses in the sales of those with no futures at the club. In my opinion, we have been greedy in our asking prices and silly in our purchases we need men with brains to run Liverpool's recruitment as a business. i'm not saying we need to go through another years worth of change or as Brendan would say transition but the target for this summer should be approach experienced footballing people who can come in and get on with it immediately. My only fear is Rodgers won't be happy with somebody coming in which would mean a change of manager which I personally don't think would help the club. We are in a position where Rodgers is our head coach but needs help and I hope he see's that it is in the best interest of the club he accepts it.
Our commercial guys haven't done a bad job what so ever in winning some good sponsorship deals and putting the club back on the platform on a commercial level. I see our best route into matching the footballing finances with the commercial financial success would be through our academies for now and I think developing what we have within the club amongst the players we have bought in will be the best route into getting the FFP off our backs. We spent big in the last window, a overhaul some would say, I don't see why we would need to spend big again this window? if we can operate the club in the next 2/3 seasons without spending big money our books will then be balanced much better. I think its probably the only way to get out of the situation we are in.
I'm no football expert myself and expect some opinions off the back of this and welcome them in all honesty. I know us Liverpool fans hate being compared to Chelsea also because 'We Are Liverpool' and all that nonsense but be can be the team of yesterday guys we need to be the team of today.
My little rant over.
18 Feb 2015 13:51:21
Nobody had ever heard of Chelsea before Roman Abramovic. You've used an example of where one of the richest men in the WORLD, have taken over a football club and saying we should copy suit.
We've spent massive amounts of money on awful players too often and that's why we aren't one of Europe's elite anymore. Simple.
And it has nothing to do with Chelsea or pre-Roman or Jimmy Floyd Hasslebaink with his shorts pulled up to his chin
{Ed001's Note - wow you really are ignorant if you believe any of that crap! Embarrassing post. Just because the investment came from Abramovic, does not mean it was invested poorly. Perhaps you should try reading and digesting information, then you will understand that your whole post was completely idiotic. You are basically backing up the point but don't even understand what it was, because you are too busy trying to bitch at Chelsea. Sad.}
18 Feb 2015 14:37:29
Speaking of Chelsea, I hope they find every one of the racists in that video, and ban them for life, as well as make them do time in jail. There's no room for that garbage in the world.
18 Feb 2015 15:19:33
Completely agree with my fruity friend, I posted something very similar further down in response to another thread.
I also think we shouldn't ignore the fact that under Moore's stewardship, we were utterly woeful at maximising the commercial opportunities presented by the launch and early years of the EPL. This allowed other clubs to motor past us in terms of commercialisation and revenue generation.
Overlay that with the larger investment in clubs like Chelsea and City, and the greater earning capacity (through larger stadia amongst other things) of Utd & Arsenal, and you can see why we are now playing catchup. Hopefully not too little too late.
{Ed001's Note - Moores turned down the chance to enlarge Anfield as he would have had to invest his own money. The money he would have had to invest was a lot less than he had earnt from the club for doing nothing. The man was a disgrace.}
Great Post A A.
Completely wrong there dbol, just because they have the money, they still have to use it wisely.
Shame about the Chelsea fans. The incident on the Paris metro was an absolute disgrace, that was as bad as anything I have seen in football
Moore and rick parry sold us to hicks and Gillette, I have nothing to do with more anymore, I won't name his company but we buy nothing off them ever
18 Feb 2015 19:03:37
Right because they weren't millions in debt like Liverpool, not challenging for anything like Liverpool pre Roman Abramovic?
They invest brilliantly sacking manager after manager and buying Torres, Schevchenko oh and paying nearly 6 million for Yossi Benayoun.
They're a complete joke 'just like our club' but the difference is ROMAN can pay the top wages and get the top managers so they'll eventually win everything. In a few seasons You lot will be telling me how well run Manchester City is.
There's only United and Arsenal that are run well and that's because of Fergie and Wenger
{Ed001's Note - you are so ignorant it is really getting embarrassing now! That is the most idiotic rant full of crap I have ever seen. You do realise it is money that has given Man Utd their trophies? You really are clueless.}
Liverpool have always spent big money in comparison to many other clubs over the decades.
Regardless what some people say, we've had it easy at times.
DBol, your responses to the OP may be your opinion BUT it wreaks of bitterness, jealousy and a lack of vision. All you are doing is draggin up old news and cliches that don`t even apply to Chelsea anymore. N BTW, Chelsea picked up the odd trophy under Ken Bates including a European Winners` Cup in 1998 (Zola scored the winner vs Stutgart), FA Cups and League Cups as well. What Chelsea is doing now is a model that IMO, the owners are trying to do w/ LFC and by God, is it working. Footie is too complicated and it is useless to think one man can do everything which is why BR should be forced to get help or be sacked because we cannot allow his ego to get in the way of our progress. It is also useless to diminish Chelsea`s obvious success down to RA and his money. That is just disingenuous and dishonesty because we know it is NOT true. It is your type of attitude that has gotten us nowhere for over 2 decades as we have spent money on doing the WRONG things and Chelsea has done well for themselves and we need to do the same. If we don`t, we will NOT win the PL in my lifetime, simple as.
Man United generated their own money through gate money, television, sponsorship, etc, so they were entitled to use it to improve their team and subsequently win trophies.
That's how football should work. If teams are well managed and show good improvement, they will generate improved revenue and will be able to progress gradually. Maybe they will get promoted, then make mid-table or challenge for top 4, maybe even win a trophy.
When teams like Chelsea and Manchester City, who are ambling along doing virtually nothing, can suddenly start winning everything because a sugar daddy comes along, that is what is wrong with football and what Financial Fair Play should be there to stop.
I watched Liverpool through the good times and 24 years without a title win is too long and painful to suffer. However, I'd rather improve gradually and finally get there, as we almost did last season, than win it just because a billionaire comes along and buys it for us.
Look at it another way, we have improved in recent years to now challenge for Top 4. Imagine if all the hard work went out the window because a bored billionaire came in and bought, say, Norwich who then bought the best players and closed the opportunity for Liverpool to benefit from the improvement they have made.
As much as I hate to see United winning things, there is a massive difference in them paying £30 million of self-generated money for a player to Chelsea or City using Owners cash to buy up all the cream.
{Ed001's Note - sorry but no club can become big through just being well managed. That is simply a fallacy. They need the money to invest in the first place. Both Chelsea and Man City's owners have spent the money as a long term investment to get the clubs to a place where they can run through self generated cash. How is that a problem? It just seems to be jealousy that is the problem. Why shouldn't a small club have a chance to compete because of a sugar daddy anyway? Why shouldn't they have that? Why should the top of the league be a boring closed shop for just the big clubs? It is that arrogance that is destroying football and making it so much less exciting than it was before the Prem came along. Football has become a business, not a sport because of these arrogant ideas of blocking out anyone else but the top dogs competing.}
Brian clough at Forrest maybe an exception?
Peter Robinson. .
That is who we need.
Man utd spent a small fortune on players in the 80's and early 90's to win the league. They were wise in continued investment on the pitch thereafter and building the commercial aspects that has reaped rewards over the years.( they got a bit lucky with those 5 youth players too!) it's no different to what Chelsea have done in the past and what city did recently( shame we were so irresponsible with the money we invested) Hard to see any new comers breaking into the top 6 on a regular basis now the rules have changed as they all have FFP to worry about. Mind you with LVG spending money like it's going out of fashion and having zero effect on the pitch hopefully he'll send them bust :)