Walton Breck Road

Liverpool FC: Thank you Rafa Benitez for making me dream

By Michael Owen

On the 25th of May 2005 I was sat in the Ataturk Stadium, Istanbul. The players were walking out of the tunnel and my Dad turned and said to me “You’re not going to enjoy this”. He was right.

Support for Rafa worldwide (photo from JingMc)

Through 90 minutes of football, 30 minutes of extra-time and an agonising penalty shootout I went through more emotions than I’d been through in my entire life from excitement to despair, disappointment to utter euphoria and the lowest of the low to top of the world all over the course of one football match.

I remember after one particularly gloomy night of football at Anfield I asked my Dad if I’d ever see Liverpool in a Champions League final like Manchester United in 1999 – he told me he wouldn’t put money on it. 

Remembering that moment whilst sat in the ground in Istanbul made me not care about the result, win, lose or draw I’d seen Liverpool get to a European Cup final in what was a roller-coaster ride of a tournament which saw the Reds see off the likes of Juventus, Leverkusen and Chelsea. 

When I saw Steven Gerrard lifting the trophy that night it made me dream of past glories I wasn’t lucky enough to be around for, it made me believe Liverpool FC could go on to conquer the world.

That belief was created by Rafael Benitez. 

Despite what the pundits may say, he didn’t disappoint in his six years in charge at Anfield. Aside from the fantastic Newcastle games under Evans and the FA and UEFA Cup wins under Houlier Rafael Benitez and his side provided me with my best memories of being a Liverpool supporter. 

In the past six years I’ve seen Liverpool see off some of the best in Europe. Spanish giants Barcelona and Madrid have fell at the hands of the Rafalution, as have AC, Inter and Juventus. On the domestic front I’ve seen us thrash United, defy Romans Russian millions at Chelsea and, oh, yeah, beat Everton more times than I can remember. 

 I’ve been astonished by brilliant performances from players like Fernando Torres, Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso, whilst I’ve been utterly wowed by Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher who have both become world-class players thanks to Benitez.

For three years I thought Liverpool FC could do about anything. In 2005 we secured the European Cup and Super Cup. In 2006 we brought home the FA Cup and Charity Shield and in 2007 we reached the Champions League final again. 

But just months before our close defeat at the hands of AC Milan a lethal dose of poison was inject into the veins of the club I love, that poison was Tom Hicks and George Gillett. 

Now, three years later, I have grown to hate our happy-go-lucky American owners and what they’ve done to Liverpool Football Club and the manager I felt could take us to new heights. 

Where Benitez wanted Villa the board offered Voronin, when Silva was sought after all that could be afforded was Riera and there was certainly no sign of Snoggy Doggy. 

Despite the sometimes questionable tactics, often strange policies and a notably stubborn attitude I truly believe I’d be talking about Liverpool FC –English Champions if Benitez had signed who he wanted to over the past six years. Alves, Simao, Silva and Villa are just a few names the boss missed out on and that cost the club dearly.

The boardroom battles that he fought to try and get as much as he could to take the club forward eventually broke him and a disappointing season was the result, but for five years before that Rafael Benitez turned Liverpool FC from falling stars to European powerhouses and for that I commend him. 

But I’ll remember the good times, the mad nights and day’s home, away and abroad. But most importantly I’ll remember that Rafael Benitez made me dream again. 

Thanks Rafa – You’ll Never Walk Alone. 

Rafael Benitez exit marks the beginning of Liverpool's summer of discontent

By Michael Owen

This was always going to be a hard summer for Liverpool Football Club, but it’s just been made a lot harder by the ousting of Rafael Benitez from the position of Liverpool manager. 

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez set for Inter job  

Whilst Benitez’s last season in charge of LFC will be one most Liverpool fans will want to forget his defiant attitude towards the clubs renegade owners throughout his time at Anfield is something the former Valencia boss has to be commended for. 

Whilst the club was crumbling under the pressure of a mountain of debt the Liverpool manager was the solid foundations that acted as the final barricade between the disease running through Anfield and the very soul of the club. 

Despite what some pundits may say, Benitez’s departure will not make things any better at Liverpool, in fact it’s likely to make things a whole lot worse. 

Some would justify the removal of Rafa from his position as boss, but no one could justify the timing of the decision, with less than a month to go before the opening of what is set to be a pivotal transfer window in the history of England’s most successful football team. 

Whilst the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City and to a lesser extent Manchester United will be chasing after some of the biggest names in Europe the Reds will once again be wheeling and dealing in the markets in an attempt to bring in bargain bin-price players to further add to Liverpool’s wage bill and their troubles. 

That is of course presuming that even those available for free want to come to Anfield. Who could blame any player for cautiously avoiding a moneyless, chaotic and potentially manager less club such as Liverpool? 

But adding players to the squad is a relatively minor problem in comparison to keeping hold of what the club have. Yossi Benayoun is already expected to head for Chelsea whilst the rumours linking Steven Gerrard with Real Madrid seem to have legs. LFC already look likely to lose a number of big name stars and the removal of Benitez may make the problem even worse. 

Talk of a temporary manager in the form of Kenny Dalglish won’t help the situation either. Although the Liverpool legend had an incredible time as manager of the club in the 80’s he has been out of the game for fifteen years, a time which has seen unprecedented change in England’s top flight. 

Even the favourites for a permanent role at the club aren’t exactly impressive. Martin O’Neil has failed to break the top four despite a huge transfer budget throughout his time at Aston Villa whilst Roy Hodgson has no experience at a major club in the Premier League. 

But the most important thing Liverpool fans have lost with the departure of Benitez is the one voice inside the club who stood up for what the fans think, a man who tried his hardest to keep the Liverpool Way intact whilst the board tried their best to destroy it. 

Without Rafael Benitez the owners have the ability to do what they want when they want without being concerned about the thorn in their side kicking up a fuss. If there was ever a time when LFC may be faced with a fire sale of major stars, this is it. 

The future of Liverpool Football Club is gloomy, despite what the media may say. 

Liverpool FC owner Tom Hicks defends his Anfield record

By Michael Owen

Liverpool owner Tom Hicks today defended his record at Liverpool Football Club following former chairman David Moores stating he made the wrong decision to sell to Hicks and his partner George Gillett. 

 

The current Liverpool co-owner claimed to have doubled the transfer spending since taking over the club in 2007 as well as improving the commercial side of the club including increased sponsorship revenues. 

“I think we’ve done everything we can to improve the club” Hicks told Sky Sports News.

“We have a great management team led by Christian Purslow, the commercial director Ian Ayres has done a great job and we have a strong finance director in Philip Nash.

“We’ve grown our sponsorships from £40m annually under Moores’ ownership to close to £100m this year. 

“All those extra sponsorship revenues are resources for the club to use to support the wage bill.”

Many critics of the current owners have suggested their two biggest flaws are a lack of investment in the team and their failure to start work on the new stadium on Stanley Park, something Hicks suggests is an incorrect accusation. 

“We will have more than doubled the net transfer spending on players,” claimed Hicks

“The new stadium is fully designed now and the global financing markets are back. 

“With the change of ownership coming we’ll be able to have the new stadium built.”

Hicks and Gillett must go or Liverpool FC will crumble

By Michael Owen

It’s a phrase that’s been thrown around far too often this season. “We should be better than this, we’re Liverpool” Yes, we are Liverpool, but not the same Liverpool that Kenny Dalglish departed from two decades ago. 

Anfield doesn't have many years left  (photo by Andy Nugent)

Our lack of success in recent years has been primarily blamed on our current American ‘custodians’ but the problems facing modern-day LFC are far more deep-rooted than that. 

The nineties saw English football change forever, a change which Liverpool FC failed to adapt to. Whilst the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal prospered under the new Premier League format we failed to change with the times. For once our pride in our illustrious history cost us, and cost us big. 

The noughties has saw big change at Liverpool Football Club, our first manager from the continent in Gerard Houlier and more recently the sale of the club to Tom Hicks and George Gillett. 

Whilst the former was somewhat of a success, with Houlier taking his new-look Liverpool side to UEFA Cup, FA Cup and League Cup glory, the latter was a complete disaster that only escalated the problems which the club faced. 

The way in which Tom and George have acted since taking over LFC has been claimed by many not to be ‘the Liverpool Way’. I wholeheartedly agree, but is ‘the Liverpool Way’ outdated? For me, the answer is yes. 

I’m not saying that it’s bad to have traditions at the club, far from it. The traditions set by Bill Shankly and all those that followed him are an example of exactly what sets this club apart from the rest. But the Americans had the chance to re-write the rule book, add their own legacy to this unwritten code and take LFC to all new heights. 

Before the Yanks came to Anfield the club had a terrible commercial record and that needed to change to stay competitive. We also needed a new stadium and fast, yes Anfield holds memories dear to many of our hearts but, unfortunately, without drastic expansion, it’s not feasible to stay at our beloved home. 

If the owners had provided a new stadium and good investment in the squad then we may now be hearing pundits applauding Liverpool in the same way they do Barcelona - A club which has changed with the times but still holds on to its many great traditions that made it what it is. 

Instead we’re looking at a much bleaker picture. According to experts Anfield has a lifespan of five years in its current state and there’s no sign of a new stadium. Add to that a weak squad lacking investment and you have a recipe for disaster. 

The club also has debts that are slowly but surely crippling it financially. Reports have suggested it’s not all as bad as it seems, but believe me they are very, very wrong and aimed to misinform Liverpool’s fan base. 

George Gillett and Tom Hicks are the drunken drivers of an old car in need of a service on the rocky road that is English football. Every now and again there’s a toll booth on the road in the form of interest payments. As the Yanks drive through more and more of these booths the less and less coins there are in the glove compartment and eventually we’ll have nothing left to give. 

A simple liquidity ratio will tell you that LFC (not including its parent companies) can’t afford to cover it’s current liabilities (interest payments) with its current assets (cash in hand/in bank) and that means the club will have to look to sell long-term assets, such as players, if they continue with this level of debt. 

For every Pound of current liabilities this club has it has 24p of current assets – a clear sign of the problems facing the club. Not to mention the fact that the club accounts state, despite incorrect reports, that KFL’s (the parent company) debt is ‘secured on club assets’. 

Unless the club is sold quickly then the future of Liverpool Football Club is uncertain and we may see 50 years of hard work undone in less than a decade. 

Javier Mascherano considering Liverpool future

By Michael Owen

Javier Mascherano may be the first big name player to leave Anfield this summer, with a move to Spanish champions Barcelona on the cards. 

Uncertain Future: Mascherano  

The Argentine midfielder told the Liverpool Daily Post today that he wasn’t settled at Anfield and was looking at a move to the Nou Camp as far back as last summer. 

“The situation with Barcelona really affected me.

“It was a shame it didn’t happen as it was the city I wanted to live in.

“There were many discussions and problems during that month and a half. They were difficult times for me. One day I was off to Barcelona, the next I wasn’t.

“And Liverpool said I was non-transferable.

“Psychologically, it affected me as I couldn’t think in Liverpool and I was focused on other stuff and not on my work, my training and playing.

“Also we were having problems with Argentina as our qualification to the World Cup was in danger. There was a lot of complicated stuff at that time.

“I don’t do much stuff in my free time, that’s the truth.

“I could go to London with my wife to do some shopping but I have already been to London 1,000 times and if I want to go to another city I would have to take a plane.

“What kills me about living in Liverpool is that there are only two Argentinians here with me, Emiliano Insua and Maxi Rodriguez.

“Insua and I live in a private neighbourhood. He lives in one tower and I live in the other. There are 15 metres between us and we used to look at each other through the window.

“Sometimes Zabaleta comes from Manchester but there is no way Carlos Tevez comes here. If I want to see him, I have to go to his place and knock on his door.

“He doesn’t like to leave his home. So during the winter, during those four or five months, I have to stay at home all day with my family.

“I have no problem living in Liverpool, but I think my wife and daughters deserve to enjoy every day to the full and live their lives – but they have to be at home all day.

“My wife doesn’t speak a word of English, so she depends 100% on me. I live here with them. That’s my world, that’s my life.”

Mascherano’s admittance he may want to leave Anfield will certainly alert Spanish giants Barcelona, who will be looking for a replacement for Yaya Toure in the summer after his agent said he’s “95% certain to leave”. 

New LFC owners may need to invest £1 billion in next five years

By Michael Owen

When Tom Hicks and George Gillett first announced they wanted to sell the club Liverpool fans may have felt that their prayers had been answered, but that joy soon turned to doubt as the two Americans asked for a huge price for the crumbling club. 

 

It was initially reported a potential investor would have to pay around £500m to ensure that the American duo departed from Anfield for good, a figure which isn’t likely to be reached when considering the current financial climate and the state that the club finds itself in. 

But it’s not the initial cost of buying the club that represents the biggest problem for potential investors. Rather it’s the extra capital that would have to be invested into the club to ensure its long-term financial stability. 

The first place new owners would have to spend money is on the new stadium, or at least the redevelopment of the current ground. The deposit required for the long-term mortgage on the new stadium in Stanley Park is believed to be £100m, which would have to be paid up front before the ground is even broken. 

Whilst the redevelopment of Anfield would be significantly cheaper when considering the actual building costs the major problem is the loss of revenue through ticket sales plus the fact a new stadium is much more attractive to potential sponsors and those interested in hospitality packages. 

The second big financial challenge that faces any new owners is investment in the squad. The average net spend of the ‘big four’ over the last five years has been £69.2m, a figure kept relatively low thanks to Arsenal’s positive balance and Manchester United’s £80m sale of Cristiano Ronaldo. 

But with City, Spurs and even Villa spending huge money over the last three years the amount that will have to be invested into the Liverpool squad over the next five years will be far greater than the average figure of the last five years. 

Current manger Rafael Benitez believes the side needs at least four or five quality players this summer, which could mean the club need to spend over £100m, something which won’t happen under the current ownership but may have to happen if the club is taken over relatively quickly. 

Taking this into account the next five years could well be expensive for Liverpool in the transfer market, especially with the price of players increasing rapidly and the likes of City and Chelsea being willing and ready to splash hundreds of millions each transfer window. 

There's also the years following which need to be looked out when planning spending on transfers. The likes of Chelsea, United and now City add at least one 'world-class' player every season, if not more. each summer could easily see spending top £60m if the club want to compete with those at the top. 

Taking this into account, along with the deposit for the stadium, the initial cost of the purchase and interest payments on any debt which may be placed upon the club new owners may easily be looking at having to invest around £1billion into the club over the course of the next five years. 

Better get searching down the side of the sofa. 

Liverpool FC: At the end of a storm and on the brink of a bigger one

By Michael Owen 

It’s been a testing season for Liverpool, both on and off the pitch. Whilst the squads failings have been the centre of attention the fans resilient support of Rafael Benitez has often been commented on by outsiders looking in – but has the Kop’s faith in the Spaniard disappeared? 

New Sponsors for Liverpool next season and possibly a new manager, too.  

If those inside Anfield were polled following Liverpool’s defeat at the hands of Chelsea on Sunday then I’m almost sure that those who want Benitez to stay and those who want him to go would be close to equal, though some supporters reasons for wanting to keep the Liverpool manager may be questionable. 

A question that has often been asked by those stood in the stands week after week is who would replace him? A club in such financial turmoil wouldn’t attract a world-class manager, even with a history as illustrious as Liverpool’s. This is the main reason many Reds have backed the current Liverpool manager, a true sign of the sorry state of affairs at Anfield. 

The former Valencia man has often been quoted as saying his main reason for staying at Anfield was the fans, a refreshing change from many modern-day managers, some might say a prime example of the Liverpool Way. But with so many of the clubs supporters turning on Benitez this season is there any justifiable reason for the Spaniard to stay at Anfield? 

A four-year contract is something which Benitez could certainly hold onto. The deal ensured Benitez had full-control over transfers, a scrap of freedom for a Liverpool manager who has spent the last three-years acting not only as Liverpool’s manager but their accountant, selling players in order to buy and help service interest payments. 

Supposedly, though, this week has seen that freedom taken away from the Kop boss, with Chief Executive Christian Purslow reported to have contacted Real Madrid, requesting to speak to Rafael Van Der Vaart about a move to Merseyside before consulting Benitez about bringing the player to Anfield, clearly breaching the term which ensured Rafa signed a new deal with the club. 

Benitez certainly doesn’t need to stay at Anfield, in fact every season he stays under the current ownership he is further harming his career. The downfall of this club, despite what the mainstream media may say, is by large the fault of Tom Hicks and George Gillett. If Benitez had half the budget of the top clubs there’s a chance he would succeed, but the Reds league position this season fits in with their spending over the last three-years, and it’s only going to get worse unless new buyers are found 

Maybe then he knows, as many of us do, that without him this club may collapse. Those who don’t like Benitez often argue that this isn’t ‘Rafa FC’ and ‘there will always be a Liverpool Football Club’ and I have to agree. The only problem is that without proper management through this financial turmoil the Liverpool Football Club of the future may be unrecognisable in comparison to the club we’re used to, and the Spanish Boss’ departure may speed up this process. 

One things for certain, if the defeat to Chelsea was Rafa’s last game in charge at Anfield then it’s only the start of the clubs problems. At boardroom level the club are far from thinking about the long-term. With the owners looking to sell and senior officials sole responsibility being to make that happen as quickly as possible. 

This won’t be a time when the top-dog’s at L.F.C want to bring in a high-paid manager on a long-term deal, as it may put off potential investors. What’s more likely is the introduction of a temporary manger who can be brought in on the cheap, simply to ‘make do’ until the time is right.

Then again, ‘making do’ has been what Liverpool Football Club have had to do throughout the current owners tenure at the club and in the future the next few weeks at Liverpool Football Club may just be seen as another nail in the coffin of what we know to be L.F.C. 

Liverpool 0-2 Chelsea: Reds Champions League hopes ended as Blues inch closer to title

By Michael Owen

Chelsea received a major boost in their race for the Premier League title today as they saw off Liverpool at Anfield, beating the Reds by two goals.

Gerrard's mistake cost Liverpool in the first-half 

Dider Drogba and Frank Lampard were the scorers for the Blues, with Liverpool only managing to test Chelsea keeper Petr Cech once, when Dirk Kuyt took a shot from left of the target which the Czech shot-stopper collected awkwardly.

The home side had started the game well, playing at a good tempo and piling the pressure onto the Blues defence.

But Chelsea’s back-four were resilient throughout the first half-hour before their patience paid off as Steven Gerrard misjudged a back-pass towards the Liverpool goal, allowing Drogba to intercept and fire easily past Pepe Reina.

From then on the Stamford Bridge side grew in confidence, making some excellent moves going forward with Salomon Kalou orchestrating Chelsea’s play in the final-third of the pitch and troubling makeshift right-back Javier Mascherano, who stepped in to cover for the injured Glen Johnson.

Chelsea’s second came not long after the second 45 minutes had began, with the Blues front-line stringing together a number of clever passes before Frank Lampard slipped in to put it into the back of the net, with the Liverpool players appeals for handball  being waved away by referee Alan Wiley.

The Blues continued to dominate the game, with Liverpool looking low on confidence and tired following their extra-time exit from the Europa League at the hands of Atletico Madrid on Thursday night.

The win for Chelsea ensured their title challenge was still on track, taking them four points clear of rivals Manchester United. For Liverpool the defeat put an end to any hopes of finishing in fourth place and proved to be a disappointing ending to an equally disappointing season for Rafael Benitez’s side.

During the lap of honour Benitez, Torres and Gerrard looked far from being ready to quit Anfield, though recent board-room fallouts and interest from Italian giants Juventus may ensure that Rafael Benitez’s future is elsewhere. 

Rafael Benitez departure could leave long-lasting damage

By Michael Owen

Rumours about Rafael Benitez’s future at Anfield have been the major talking point going into Liverpool’s tie against Chelsea on Sunday. Regardless of whether or not you believe the paper talk it no doubt leaves the Reds managerial future hanging in the balance. 

 Worrying times ahead for Liverpool fans

For most of this season one of the main reasons many of Rafa’s supporters believed he should stay is because there is simply no one better than the former Valencia boss who would give the job a second-glance. 

This point is of course very true. Liverpool’s financial turmoil will no doubt have put off the worlds top coaches from considering taking their place on the Anfield bench, especially when they could hold out for positions at Real Madrid, Juventus and even Manchester City. 

But another problem has been thrown in to the mix, Tom Hicks and George Gillett’s search for new buyers. 

If Benitez was to head for Turin in the summer it leaves the current ownership in a troublesome situation. Bringing in another manager on a long-term contract may put of potential investors who don’t agree with the appointment, meaning the sale of the club will further be postponed. 

This leaves Hicks and Gillett with an option which may not please too many Liverpool fans – promoting a member of the current staff into the position of caretaker manager until new investors are found and long-term planning can begin. 

If this was to happen I don’t think many would doubt that the natural person to take the helm would be Rafa’s current right-hand man Sammy Lee, who’s spent a number of years under the watch full eye of Benitez and has had a spell as a Premier League manager with Bolton, even if it was unsuccessful. 

But is this really the way Liverpool want to go? This summer is an incredibly important one for the club and without a permanent manager in place all sorts of problems could arise, mainly an inability to attract new players to the club and keep the bigger names that are already here. 

This is an important summer for Liverpool, and the way in which the club progresses over the next couple of decades may depend upon it. There’s one thing for certain, as much as many fans may not like him, if Rafa was to leave it may have a lasting negative impact on the club. 

Liverpool 2-1 Atletico Madrid: Diego Forlan strike ends Reds Europa League hopes

By Michael Owen

A 2-2 aggregate result in the Europa League semi-final ensured Atletico Madrid advanced to the final of the competition after beating Liverpool on away goals at Anfield. 

Atletico scorer Diego Forlan 

The reds got the game off to a good start, putting the Madrid defence under-pressure and winning a good number of corners. 

But the Reds failed to capitalise upon the pressure until late in the first-half, when the ball fell to Alberto Aquilani inside the area, allowing the Italian to fire a shot into the bottom corner of the goal to give Liverpool a 1-0 lead on the night and bring them level on aggregate. 

The second-half saw Madrid subdue Liverpool’s attacking moves, defending well and playing on the counter, with both Simao and Diego Forlan coming close on a number of occasions. 

With 90 minutes played the game was taken to extra-time, where Liverpool made a bright start, with Yossi Benayoun breaking into the box and finishing well to give Liverpool the lead on aggregate. 

But it wasn’t to last as ex-Manchester United striker Forlan found himself unmarked and with the ball deep inside the Liverpool box, giving him time to place it easily past Pepe Reina and in the back of the net, a goal which would ultimately be the decider. 

The second-half of extra-time proved to be unsuccessful for Liverpool , with substitutes Degen and Pacheco failing to make enough of an impact to help Liverpool get the goal which would put the through to the final in Hamburg.

With little to play for in the league the result represents a disappoint end to Liverpool’s season, with the team looking at qualification from the Europa League rather than Europe’s top club competition the Champions League.