04/29/2010
04/28/2010
Liverpool v Atletico Madrid: Reds face tough test against Madrid at Anfield
By Michael Owen
I don’t know what it is about European nights at Anfield, but even after an uninspiring 1-0 defeat at the hands of Madrid last Thursday it’s still a given amongst most of our fanbase that we’re Hamburg-bound.
Liverpool seem to have a knack of winning against the odds in crucial European nights at Anfield, whether that be St Etienne in 1977 or Chelsea in 2005, the famous ground seems to have something in the air before European games which turns every red-shirted player on the pitch into a superstar.
Of course, that’s not to say that it’s a foregone conclusion. Thursday night represents one of the biggest challenges Liverpool have faced this season, and if the result doesn’t go in their favour it will be another season without a trophy for Rafael Benitez’s side.
Speaking of the manager, there’s no doubt he’ll have prepared his side for this tough test. He may be better acquainted with the other side from the Spanish capital but Benitez’s knowledge of the Spanish game will ensure he knows exactly what to expect from Atletico, and the side h puts on the pitch should be ready to deal with the challenge.
I’ve said it before pretty much every one of our Europa League games this season and I’m more than happy to say it again, especially after this weekends events. Maxi Rodriguez will no doubt be a big miss. The former Atletico star clearly provides an extra element to the Liverpool attack and his creativity and ingenuity will be missed.
But Alberto Aquilani’s return to the side against Burnley can only be seen as a positive one going into the game, with the Italian midfielder setting up three of Liverpool’s four goals and taking his assist tally to 6 in 2010, the most out of any Premier League player. If (and that’s a big if) he starts against Atletico there’s no doubt he’ll offer a lot to the Reds going forward.
Critics said after last weeks game in Madrid that we should be beating Atletico easily, even at their own ground. The reasoning behind the argument being that the Spanish side are struggling in their own league and had a disappointing run in the CL before ending up in Europe’s second-tier competition.
Sound familiar?
The game going to be far from an easy one, but hopefully I’ll be looking back on it with a smile on my face whilst basking in the German sun on May 12th.
04/24/2010
Liverpool fan pressure harming youth development
By Michael Owen
It’s been a rough season for Liverpool Football Club, and it’s difficult to really pick out a solution for the current on the pitch problems. Some blame the owners, some blame the manager, and fingers have even been pointed at the players.
One thing which people do tend to be critical of is Rafael Benitez’s reluctance to include some of the youngsters in his first team squad, especially considering some of the more well-known faces are having such a torrid time of it in the starting eleven.
What many may not realise, however, is it’s the pressure from supporters that makes the Liverpool boss reluctant to include some of the less experienced players in his starting eleven – there’s simply too much weight to put on such inexperienced shoulders.
Recently we’ve had cries from the stands to give promising youngster Dani Pacheco a chance, with many saying the Spaniard will fare much better than French forward David N’gog, who many claim doesn’t have what it takes to play up front for the Reds.
Yet these people don’t seem to realise that Pacheco, as good as he is, isn’t a striker. Pacheco is much more used to playing in an attacking midfield role similar to what Steven Gerrard now plays. Yet the same people who say the manager is wrong for playing people out of position are the same ones calling for young Dani to play up front.
Let’s also not forget that David N’gog is only young himself. N’gog, who just celebrated his birthday on April 1st, is only 21-years old, nothing when you consider the life-span of a Premier League forward. Yet even though he has a strike rate better than Michael Owen this season the inexperienced forward is constantly harassed and ridiculed by much of our support.
Thanks to this season the pressure on young players coming into the squad is incredible. It would be fair to say there’s not been much creativity in the first-team throughout this term and any new player who doesn’t set the world on fire after making their debut is consider a flop by many of our supporters, most of whom seem to have a want it yesterday attitude.
N’gog has a lot of potential, but he is lacking in some departments. Firstly he’s lacking in the strength department, but that’s something that can be built up over time. Secondly he’s short on confidence, but there’s not many who aren’t in that Liverpool team, a good run of wins will soon sort that out. But our support isn’t willing to afford youngsters with time, and it will slowly but surely cripple are youth system.
What people need to understand is that young players need time to gel and get used to playing in the starting eleven, especially those who have come from abroad who aren’t used to the rough and tumble lifestyle of the premier League. Arsene Wenger took years to build his now outstanding youth setup, as they say; Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Hopefully next season will bring fresh investment and a renewed challenge for honours, that way there will be less pressure on those coming into the squad to perform, and the youngsters might actually have a chance. But if we see a repeat of this season fans must realise this isn’t a quick and easy process, patience is certainly a virtue when dealing with prospects for the future.
04/22/2010
Atletico Madrid v Liverpool: Players must step up due to Torres injury
By Michael Owen
Liverpool will be looking for to beat Atletico Madrid at the Calderon tonight without star striker Fernando Torres. But the home side have selection troubles of their own, with Sergio Aguero ruled out through suspension.
The Reds undertook a mammoth 23 and a half hour journey to the Spanish capital due to flight restrictions in the United Kingdom, but the Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez says that this won't give Atletico any advantage over the five times European Champions, suggesting the trip via train, coach and plane acted as a good bonding session for his side.
Former Atletico midfielder Maxi Rodriguez will miss the tie against his former club as he is ineligible to play for the Reds in this seasons competition. Martin Skrtel, Martin Kelly, Emiliano Insua and Fabio Aurelio will all miss the tie through injury.
As with the trip to Benfica this will no doubt be a hard one for Gerrard and co, but clinching an away goal, even if the Reds do lose 2-1, could prove enough if Liverpool can put in a similar performance to the one witnessed in the last round at Anfield against the Portuguese outfit.
The loss of Torres will no doubt be a major blow for Liverpool but Rafael Benitez's side proved against West Ham that they have the firepower to bag a good number of goals even without the Spain international, it's all a question of whether the players in the squad can stand up and be counted on such an important game in Liverpool's season.
Of course, as mentioned, this is just the first-leg and Liverpool have the notable advantage of having the second-leg at home, something which has been a major factor in the Reds recent European triumphs over some of the best teams in both the European Cup and Europa League. Some people say it's a load of rubbish about the impact of the Anfield atmosphere, but I bet the Atletico players will beg to differ next Thursday night as they walk out onto the pitch.
04/16/2010
L.F.C Ownership Questions Answered
By Michael Owen
After today’s official statement from Tom Hicks and George Gillett that they were selling Liverpool Football Club the regions local newspaper The Liverpool Echo took a survey asking its readers about what they think of the decision from the owners and what they expect in the future. Here are my answers to their questions.
Are you happy that Liverpool FC is up for sale?
Yes, it’s as simple as that really. Whilst I am slightly concerned about the type of investor the club can attract at the moment anyone would seem better than Tom Hicks and George Gillett. It’s hard to say just what their intentions are, and it’s likely it’s not going to be as simple as we think, but the statement was certainly a step in the right direction.
Is Martin Broughton a good signing for Liverpool FC?
Looking at it from an investor’s point of view, yes it is. Broughton comes with a serious business pedigree and his appointment will no doubt make investors who’d scoffed at the price-tag think again before totally abandoning the idea of making a bid for the club.
Of course it’s hard to say exactly what he will be doing at the club, if anything. At the moment his appointment seems to be purely a cosmetic one, a ploy to attract new investors if you will. Broughton only has to spend 6 weeks in a year working with the club, so I don’t expect him to have a major impact on the day-to-day running of the club.
What should Martin Broughton’s priority be?
First and foremost it should be to work alongside Barclays Investment Capital to help attract new owners for the club. As I’ve mentioned, Broughton’s role at the club is likely to be minimal but I’d still fully expect him to help in any sort of takeover proceedings that may happen in the near future. If he stays for the long-term then he’ll have to look at in improving the clubs financial performance, at least trying to ensure the debt (currently £300m) is manageable in relation to the clubs revenues.
Does it seriously concern you that Martin Broughton is a Chelsea supporter?
No, not in the slightest, the man is paid a considerable wage to do the job and I have no doubt he’ll do it to the best of his abilities using all his knowledge gained from his vast experience at major companies such as British Airways. His support of Chelsea is irrelevant for the most part. Yes, he may lack a passion for the club, but there’s no doubt he’ll have some sort of big bonus waiting for him should the club be sold quickly and for the asking price, that’s motivation enough.
Do you believe Gillett and Hicks will agree a deal this summer?
No. The Royal Bank of Scotland have refinanced the current loan deals to ensure that Hicks and Gillett aren’t going to pressured into selling for at least another six months. For the time being they’ll hold tight and wait for a bid which meets their £600m asking price. Of course, it’s highly unlikely that anyone will offer that amount but, for the time being at least, Hicks and Gillett have time to play with.
What would your ideal scenario be for Liverpool FC?
As much as others have shuddered at the idea I’d quite happily take a money-man like City have. Yes, it may seem like the club is just a billionaires play-thing but I’ll take that negative for the major positive that we won’t have to worry about financial troubles, something which has dominated the LFC headlines for far too long now.
Of course this is unlikely, realistically I’d happily settle for a responsible businessman who wants to invest in a new stadium and, of course, the squad. I don’t mind taking on some debt, most football clubs do have some debt at least. It’s a case of having the debt managed in a sustainable manner, ensuring that interest payments don’t have an impact upon things like transfers – as they do now.
Will the news have a positive effect on the club?
It’s hard to tell, really. Recent events on the pitch on the domestic front will no doubt still leaves fans and players alike feeling slightly disheartened going into the summer break, however I’m sure if we manage to win the Europa League that will help to some extent.
Rafa seemed fairly happy in today’s press conference. Then again, it was his birthday.
Do you feel more optimistic about the clubs future?
Yes, slightly. It’s hard to say exactly what is going to happen, especially if we do get new owners in. That uncertainty means I’m holding on to see what happens in the long-term before I breathe a sigh of relief that Hicks and Gillett have gone. That’s presuming the do go sometime soon, of course.
Is a new stadium the next vital step for Liverpool FC?
After getting rid of Hicks and Gillett, yes. There’s no doubt in any supporters mind that a new stadium, or at least a redevelopment of the current ground, is what’s needed in order to ensure we can compete with the likes of Chelsea, City, United and Arsenal in the future. The revenues from a bigger ground could well give the club that extra financial stimulus it needs to win the league title, maybe.
Does the news make it more likely, or less likely, that Rafael Benitez will be in charge next season?
Ultimately I think it makes it a lot more likely Benitez will be here next season. Hicks and Gillett will know that any new investors will want to decide for themselves what happens with regards to the management of the club so it’s likely that Rafa will stay at least until new owners come in, which isn’t likely to be before the start of next season.
Does the club have the players it needs?
No. I’m not going to go into immense detail about why as I could be here all day writing about positions that need to be filled and so on and so forth. One thing is for certain, the squad needs some serious investment this summer, with whoever is the manager not being forced to sell players in order to bring others in.
Everton Trophy Room Dust Grounds British Flights
Airports around Britain were forced to close yesterday after a work experience employee made the critical error of opening the door to the Everton trophy room, releasing a huge cloud of dust that grounded flights for safety reasons.
Experts said that the dust had been collected because of "no major activity for 15 years" in the Goodison Park trophy room.
The work experience pupil, who has remained unnamed for his own safety, told us he was gutted to have caused such a major accident.
"I've been an Everton fan all my life." He said.
"I was walking down the corridor and saw the sign saying 'trophy room' and I had to have a look in,
"I really wanted to see just some of the illustrious honors we've won over the course of my lifetime, like being the first Premier League clubs to get undersoil heating."
Experts hope that the flights will be able to take off as soon as 7p.m, though no official time has been stated.
There was hope that Liverpool John Lennon Airport would have opened earlier, with officials suggesting that the cloud from Goodison Park may have moved toward Kirkby, but instead it has stayed where it is.
04/15/2010
04/12/2010
Banks To The Rescue Of Debt Riddled Liverpool
By Michael Owen
It’s been a huge week for Liverpool on the pitch, with the Reds hopes of securing a Champions League spot fading away and an emphatic win over Benfica ensuring progression to the semi-final of the Europa League against Atheltico Madrid.
New Chairman Martin Broughton
However, what’s gone on off the pitch is going to be the major talking point amongst Liverpool fans for the next few weeks at least, with a major overhaul on boardroom level as well as a refinancing deal and admittance from the two current owners they’re looking for a buyer for the club.
Firstly, there’s the six-month refinancing of the debt which has been agreed by the Royal Bank of Scotland, increasing the clubs current debt levels to £300m, around a £60m increase from the current figure which is believed to stand at just under £240m.
Whilst an increase in debt is never a good thing it does provide some hope for the clubs supporters that the Liverpool manager (whoever that may be)will have some money to play with in the summer transfer window – a luxury Rafael Benitez has been denied for nearly three-years during his time in the L.F.C hot seat.
Also coming in are Barclays Investment Capital, who have been charged with the responsibility of finding new owners for the club, with Tom Hicks and George Gillett wanting out as supporters hatred of the American duo increases as more and more promises are broken.
Figures being thrown around estimate that the club is worth around £500m, though this is based largely on Dubai Investment Capitals rather generous offer made in 2007. Barclays do believe that the figure is achievable, in fact, they say given enough time they suggest they could secure at least £600m for the club.
A £600m price-tag is probably a little bit too optimistic, especially now that the Reds are looking unlikely to secure Champions League football for next season, but I wouldn’t expect Hicks and Gillett, given their track record, to walk out with anything under £500m and they’ll most likely hold out for more.
The ins and outs of the deal are not yet in the public domain, but reports would suggest that if Barclays did manage to secure the rather unrealistic figure of £600m the two owners would be set to walk away with around £40.5 million profit each, not bad considering they invested next to nothing into the club themselves.
Of course with the unrealistic price-tag comes the problem of finding a buyer. Even at £500m the clubs would seem expensive to a potential investor, especially when you consider whoever takes over will have to invest in a new stadium as well as swelling the currently empty transfer coffers.
Barclays, being hired by Hicks and Gillett, will of course have been briefed to except an offer from the highest bidder, regardless of if that’s in the best interests of the club or not. For example if a bid came in from Dubai of £500m cash and another came from a different investor for a leveraged buyout of £600m Barclays would accept the latter, even if it does sink the club further into the red.
A leveraged buyout, however, wouldn’t be the end of the world. If a new owner borrowed to buy but still invested in the new stadium and gave the manager a decent budget it would allow us to compete better financially with the clubs around us. Our current problem is there has been no investment in either the stadium or squad by Hicks and Gillett. Many businesses run with debt, it’s just a case of managing it properly to ensure the company can still be financially successful.
Of course there’s also the introduction of a new chairman, Martin Broughton, who is currently at the helm at BA. Broughton’s introduction seems to be primarily a cosmetic one, bringing in someone with a respected name in the business world will no doubt increase the interest from potential investors.
So, what does it all mean for Liverpool Football Club? Hopefully it means some new and at least slightly more responsible owners will come in and take over the club. However, the system that has worked oh so well for Hicks and Gillett may just attract another set of cowboys, set to riddle the club with debt. At the moment we’ll just have to wait and hope for the best.
04/11/2010
Liverpool 0-0 Fulham: Fourth Place Slips Away As Reds Are Held By Cottagers
By Phil Browne
Liverpool’s hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League were dealt another blow as they failed to break down a resolute Fulham defence.
Frustrated: Alberto Aquilani
The afternoon started badly for the home side as star striker Fernando Torres was ruled out of the game with a knee injury.
David Ngog replaced the Spaniard in an attacking line-up that included Ryan Babel and Maxi Rodriguez. Alberto Aqualani also started in place of Lucas.
The Reds dominated possession for long periods of the game but found the London side’s defence too difficult to penetrate.
While this may have been a potential dress rehearsal for the Europa League final for Fulham (providing both sides can come through their semi-final matches) it held much more significance for Liverpool who are still chasing their rivals for fourth spot.
Aqualani had an influential game in the middle of the park and he came as close as anybody to breaking the deadlock, adding a good long distance strike to an earlier overhead kick.
Despite having the lion’s share of the ball, Liverpool seemed to lack the guile and creativity to get in behind the Fulham back line. When the magnificent Torres is missing from the team, you feel Liverpool could play for a week and not score a goal.
Arguably the best chance fell to Sotirios Kyrgiakos but the giant Greek headed over when it would have been easier to hit the target.
As the seconds ticked by, the Reds grew more and more desperate. Dirk Kuyt added an extra dimension to the attack after he came off the bench and Glen Johnson continued to look dangerous bombing on from right-back.
But it was not enough as Fulham held on to the point they had clearly come to take.
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez admitted it was a bad day for his side.
"I am a little bit disappointed, normally when you control the game and have chances you can score. We know the fourth position is a little bit far away." said Benitez
"We needed to be patient and it was not easy to find the final pass in the final third.
"I am disappointed because I feel that we had plenty of possession’."
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