The Impending Summer, George Gillett and Fancard Farce

[Spirit Of Shankly]

Week by week it's becoming clearer that Hicks and Gillett are holding the club back and hurting its support. We've got a manager who (according to yesterday's Liverpool Echo) is unable to go for a terrific young prospect in Aaron Ramsey because he's got to concentrate on the first team on what is, relatively speaking, a shoestring. There can be no signing for the future. Liverpool FC is likely to be outspent this summer by more than Manchester Utd and Chelsea (the benchmark in at home and in Europe and the target to catch) but also by Manchester City, West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur. There's no Daniel Alves, there's Philip Degen. Degen may be a good player or he may not, but he does not have a strong shout to be the world's leading right back. He is available for free, however.

 

Let’s remember why David Moores wanted to sell in the first place – to keep the playing side strong while a new stadium could be built for Liverpool FC.

 

We can only presume he didn’t sell it to watch Liverpool supporters get fleeced in this eternal chase for elusive cash. This week we discovered that fancards are getting replaced. You know fancards, the things described in the club’s own charter as “the only card that you will need with Liverpool Football Club”. A one off payment of £3.50. They are getting replaced by a card which will have to be paid for on an annual basis. Liverpool FC being Liverpool FC, they haven’t released all the information yet but we rang today and got some answers. This isn’t set in stone but we were told it will be an annual charge of £29 for adults and £20 for children. Fan cards will run concurrently with this scheme, that will include a ticket exchange, for one season and then it’s the annual fee or nothing. The scheme will be confirmed before July 1st. Do we expect any greater efficiency or is it simply a matter of wringing every last penny out of supporters? Let’s phrase it this way, for an adult and two children to even be in with a chance to buy a ticket for a league game prior to the new stadium hopefully opening in 2012 (we understand anyone raising their eyebrows), it’s £207. £207. That’s before you’ve seen a ball kicked. Looking at that, and given that Hicks and Gillett need every penny, we suspect it’s the latter.

 

Is George Gillett still looking for every last penny? Well, why is he still here? Gillett is happy enough to give the impression he wants to sell. Well, SOS has been told he can sell whenever he wants. The opportunity is there to get out of our club. Why hasn’t he? Remember, George Gillett also said it was “about the fans and the winning tradition”; he said he “wasn’t someone who goes and hides” and he said “our job is to be custodians of this franchise, not owners of this franchise.” Well the fans want him out and he can’t supply the funds required to carry on that winning tradition. He has actively looked to hide away from the glare of the fans – that stops today. The pressure on George Gillett starts now. George: Either start explaining why you aren’t selling or sell.

 

This, these vagaries over the “custodianship” with one indicating he wants out but malingering, the other constantly looking to place the club into further debt, the shortage of a transfer budget, the desire to bleed fans dry to make up for the financial shortcomings, this is Liverpool FC today. This is your club in the summer of 2008. What are we all going to do about it?

 

We’re repossessing the club. Sunday. You’ve seen the other statement. If you haven’t, it’s easy - Anfield, Sunday. It’s time we said enough is enough. It’s time we repossess before someone else gets the chance. It’s our club after all. We feel every part of it. The manager’s limited budget is our limited budget. The plans for the new ground are the plans for our new ground. And the massive debts are definitely debts we’ll be repaying if Hicks and Gillett have their way.

 

Sunday. Anfield. Email or PM for a time and place. Spread the word and see you there.

 

Spirit Of Shankly.

 

PS Email address to follow.

Edited June 6, 2008 by Spirit Of Shankly

[stressederic]

It's spelt Degen

[Spirit Of Shankly]

  stressederic said:

It's spelt Degen

Let no one say we don't listen...

[Gunga Din]

isnt that statement incredibly disrespectful to Philip Degen? And do we need Ramsey when we currently have Gerrard, Alonso, Masherano and Lucas already for central midfielders, as well as players like Plessis in the seconds?

Edited June 6, 2008 by Gunga Din

[Molby]

  Gunga Din said:

isnt that statement incredibly disrespectful to Philip Degan? And do we need Ramsey when we currently have Gerrard, Alonso, Masherano and Lucas already for central midfielders, as well as players like Plessis in the seconds?

 

 

dunno mate, ask the manager

 

he's the one who wants Ramsey

[Gunga Din]

  Molby said:

dunno mate, ask the manager

 

he's the one who wants Ramsey

he tell you that did he?

[McBain]

  stressederic said:

It's spelt Degen

 

From all that you focus on a spelling mistake?

[Guest JV]

  Gunga Din said:

isnt that statement incredibly disrespectful to Philip Degen? And do we need Ramsey when we currently have Gerrard, Alonso, Masherano and Lucas already for central midfielders, as well as players like Plessis in the seconds?

And Moores cost us Alves not these 2 c****.

[MFletcher]

I'm a bit uncomfortable with the idea that the only reason we've signed Degen is because he's on a free - almost as if his ability means nothing.

 

The point on Ramsey is correct though.

[Clay Davis]

  Mcbain said:

From all that you focus on a spelling mistake?

Makes it look a lot less professional, was helpful if anything.

[MFletcher]

  Gunga Din said:

he tell you that did he?

 

To be fair, Barratt's article yesterday said as much. It basically said that we'd like Ramsey, but the manager wasn't prepared to sacrifice vital funds he'd need for immediate first team players.

[Gunga Din]

  MFletcher said:

I'm a bit uncomfortable with the idea that the only reason we've signed Degen is because he's on a free - almost as if his ability means nothing.

 

The point on Ramsey is correct though.

 

the lad hasnt even kicked a ball yet, and he is already being slated by an organisation that claims to represent the fans. Gary Mac was free too.

 

 

the point about Ramsey is speculation.

[lfc4eva99]

  Gunga Din said:

isnt that statement incredibly disrespectful to Philip Degen? And do we need Ramsey when we currently have Gerrard, Alonso, Masherano and Lucas already for central midfielders, as well as players like Plessis in the seconds?

 

Give the current formation, Ramsey would have been 2nd to Gerrard in the link up position for me, but thats besides the point, to reach the top and stay there, we need to have a good present team and a good future side, and if your supposed to be finishing above the big boys, we should be able to bid for players who we think will add to our team either now or in years to come.

 

Unless that article in the echo was just to save face knowing before hand that the lad will only wish to go to Man Utd, we shall never know now...

[Gunga Din]

  MFletcher said:

To be fair, Barratt's article yesterday said as much. It basically said that we'd like Ramsey, but the manager wasn't prepared to sacrifice vital funds he'd need for immediate first team players.

 

 

so we can buy him but are choosing not to, according to a newspaper that is wrong as often as its right?

[Guest JV]

There is enough dross in the squad that Rafa can ship out if hes that desperate for Ramsey.

[MFletcher]

  Gunga Din said:

so we can buy him but are choosing not to, according to a newspaper that is wrong as often as its right?

 

It remains speculation, but my feeling is that it's accurate. I stand to be corrected in the future of course.

 

But you're right about Degen. It's a bit out of order that he's being slated because he's free. "We wanted Dani Alves and now we're getting you. Americans out. We're signing s***." etc.

 

I know that wasn't the intention, but that's how it comes across.

Edited June 6, 2008 by MFletcher

[stressederic]

  Mcbain said:

From all that you focus on a spelling mistake?

 

I thought it might be helpful to at least spell a player's name correct in a statement that is practically slating him before he's played a game for us.

[Molby]

  Gunga Din said:

the lad hasnt even kicked a ball yet, and he is already being slated by an organisation that claims to represent the fans. Gary Mac was free too.

 

 

the point about Ramsey is speculation.

 

 

There's no Daniel Alves, there's Philip Degen. Degen may be a good player or he may not, but he does not have a strong shout to be the world's leading right back. He is available for free, however.

 

 

how is that 'slating him?'

[Molby]

  Gunga Din said:

so we can buy him but are choosing not to, according to a newspaper that is wrong as often as its right?

 

 

it's the same as every season under Rafa: he juggles his allocated expenditure and as a result, does not go in for

a) one break the bank signing at the expense of greater squad depth

b) the Wenger type signings: £5m kids that are hot prospects but will not ready for the first team that season

[MFletcher]

It's implying that he's really not that good, but because he's free and we can't afford Alves he'll have to do.

 

Maybe the manager rates him and he just happens to be free? Rather than the manager signing him simply because he's free as the statement suggests.

[Gunga Din]

  Molby said:

There's no Daniel Alves, there's Philip Degen. Degen may be a good player or he may not, but he does not have a strong shout to be the world's leading right back. He is available for free, however.

 

 

how is that 'slating him?'

 

How is it not. serious question. how many times have you, or whoever is reponsible for the wording of that statement seen Degen play?

[Gunga Din]

  Molby said:

it's the same as every season under Rafa: he juggles his allocated expenditure and as a result, does not go in for

a) one break the bank signing at the expense of greater squad depth

b) the Wenger type signings: £5m kids that are hot prospects but will not ready for the first team that season

 

we've spent more net than Manchester United over the past 3 years. we've spent more in the last 18 months than any 36 months in the clubs history.

[CaptainXabi]

  Molby said:

it's the same as every season under Rafa: he juggles his allocated expenditure and as a result, does not go in for

a) one break the bank signing at the expense of greater squad depth

b) the Wenger type signings: £5m kids that are hot prospects but will not ready for the first team that season

So you are upset the manager has to make decisions?

[lfc4eva99]

  Gunga Din said:

we've spent more net than Manchester United over the past 3 years. we've spent more in the last 18 months than any 36 months in the clubs history.

 

Compare our first 11 to theirs at the start of these 3 seasons in terms of value. Then compare the amounts spent by the two clubs, these stats are loosely used all over the place by people just to prove a point.

 

Heres a stat for you, United spent over 50m on 3 midfielders 'after' winning the Title last season, Anderson, Nani and Hargreaves.

Edited June 6, 2008 by lfc4eva99

[Crazy Horse]

Disrespect a new Liverpool player.

Complain that we're not signing potential when most fans have been wanting Rafa to concentrate on signing first team players.

Complain about having no money to spend, then complain about the club trying to raise money.

 

Is that about right?