Football Focus

[red devil]

Dreaming before a Fulham game?..you got it bad 'bn :)

[Mick Mac]

BN. Can you tell me who is going to win the golf this weekend.

Please dream and report back in no more than 4 letters. Ta.

[Parkdrive]

Very happy with the performance by the Arsenal today. 3 points, clean sheet, and a goal a piece for 2 of the new starters. Early days yet but I'm pleased with that. Come on you Saints, show the same spirit that was on display against City.

[Jah Lush]

Arf! Harry on MOTD last night said about Spurs "definitely top four." I think by saying that he's put early pressure on AVB to improve on his own record. Because if we finish below fifth guess who's going to have a very smug, self-satisfied smirk on his face. Anyway, only three games in and people are panicking already at Liverpool and Spurs. A new manager, new players and a new broom, these things take time to gel.

[Otta]

Indeed Jah, although by all accounts Liverpool could have gotten something from today IF they'd had a goal threat (and if they'd been given a penalty or two).

Wonder if West Ham made sure in the loan agreement that Carroll can't be recalled...

[Jah Lush]

Rodgers is already on record as saying he would never have let Andy Carroll go if he'd known they couldn't sign a replacement. He thought Dempsey was a done deal but Spurs nipped in with a better off for Fulham that was accepted.

From The Sporting Life website: -

It has left Liverpool chronically short of strikers.

Rodgers did not have an orthodox forward on the bench for Sunday afternoon's 2-0 home defeat by Arsenal and is now left to consider moves for the likes of Michael Owen, who is out of contract, and Didier Drogba, whose contract situation at Shanghai Shenhua could allow him to sign for another club.

"No," said Rodgers when asked whether he would have let Carroll leave, then "very" when quizzed about how confident he was of getting in a replacement.

And for the likes of Owen and Drogba?

"I can't say no. Any player I believe can improve the squad, I will look at," he said.

"We have a very small group. We had 19 training (on Friday). It is something that would have to be discussed."

Sunday's result condemned Liverpool to their worst start to a season since 1962-63.

[Alan Medic]

I think Carroll can be bought by WH at the end of the season if they don't get relegated.

Something seriously wrong at Liverpool if they wouldn't fork out an extra ?2M to get Dempsey like Spurs did. This from the same club who recklessly spent ?35M on Carroll just because they got all that money for Torres.

Don't be surprised to see Owen back there.

[Otta]

Owen looking more and more likely, and I wouldn't mind, but how many games would he actually manage?

[Annette Curtain]

Otta Wrote:

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> Owen looking more and more likely, and I wouldn't

> mind, but how many games would he actually manage?

Cards or football ?

[red devil]

Otta Wrote:

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> Wonder if West Ham made sure in the loan agreement

> that Carroll can't be recalled...

Rodgers said that LFC can recall Carroll in Jan if they need to...

[red devil]

Looking forward to MoTD tonight, RVP already paying back his transfer fee :)

['bout now]

I'll report back next time, or text you. However the day I dream about golf is the day I take a knife to my wrist!

Quids, Vaz Te was excellent, I lost count of the amount of times he made tackles in the right back area, however he does like to roll around a bit which irks me a little.

I, like the crowd don't like BFS but yesterday's show was great, if we carry on like that he might bring himself some kudos...who knows?

I've spent me cash though, on my daughter. How transient is fortune, eh?

['bout now]

Oh and I forgot to mention Andy Carroll, did what it says on his particular tin. I've never played any decent level of Football, I wouldn't even like to be jostling at a bar with him...

[SCSB79]

Higher attendance at Ibrox than both Celtic Park and Eastlands.

WATP.

[Bluerevolution]

what is this Eastlands that you speak of?

[Otta]

I am as disappointed as anyone connected

with Liverpool Football Club that we were

unable to add further to our strike force in

this summer transfer window, but that

was not through any lack of desire or

effort on the part of all of those involved.

They pushed hard in the final days of the

transfer window on a number of forward

targets and it is unfortunate that on this

occasion we were unable to conclude

acceptable deals to bring those targets in.

But a summer window which brought in

three young, but significantly talented

starters in Joe Allen, Nuri Sahin and Fabio

Borini as well as two exciting young

potential stars of the future - Samed Yesil

and Oussama Assaidi - could hardly be

deemed a failure as we build for the

future.

Nor should anyone minimise the

importance of keeping our best players

during this window. We successfully

retained Daniel Agger, Martin Skrtel and

Luis Suarez. We greatly appreciate their

faith and belief in the club. And we

successfully negotiated new, long-term

contracts with Luis and with Martin.

No one should doubt our commitment to

the club. In Brendan Rodgers we have a

talented young manager and we have

valued highly his judgement about the

make-up of the squad. This is a work in

progress. It will take time for Brendan to

instill his philosophy into the squad and

build exactly what he needs for the long

term.

The transfer policy was not about cutting

costs. It was - and will be in the future -

about getting maximum value for what is

spent so that we can build quality and

depth. We are avowed proponents of

UEFA's Financial Fair Play agenda that was

this week reiterated by Mr Platini -

something we heartily applaud. We must

comply with Financial Fair Play guidelines

that ensure spending is tied to income. We

have been successful in improving the

commercial side of the club and the

monies generated going forward will give

us greater spending power in the coming

years.

We are still in the process of reversing the

errors of previous regimes. It will not

happen overnight. It has been

compounded by our own mistakes in a

difficult first two years of ownership. It

has been a harsh education, but make no

mistake, the club is healthier today than

when we took over.

Spending is not merely about buying

talent. Our ambitions do not lie in

cementing a mid-table place with

expensive, short-term quick fixes that will

only contribute for a couple of years. Our

emphasis will be on developing our own

players using the skills of an increasingly

impressive coaching team. Much thought

and investment already have gone into

developing a self-sustaining pool of

youngsters imbued in the club's traditions.

That ethos is to win. We will invest to

succeed. But we will not mortgage the

future with risky spending.

After almost two years at Anfield, we are

close to having the system we need in

place. The transfer window may not have

been perfect but we are not just looking at

the next 16 weeks until we can buy again:

we are looking at the next 16 years and

beyond. These are the first steps in

restoring one of the world's great clubs to

its proper status.

It will not be easy, it will not be perfect,

but there is a clear vision at work.

We will build and grow from within, buy

prudently and cleverly and never again

waste resources on inflated transfer fees

and unrealistic wages. We have no fear of

spending and competing with the very best

but we will not overpay for players.

We will never place this club in the

precarious position that we found it in

when we took over at Anfield. This club

should never again run up debts that

threaten its existence.

Most of all, we want to win. That ambition

drives every decision. It is the Liverpool

way. We can and will generate the

revenues to achieve that aim. There will be

short-term setbacks from time to time, but

we believe we have the right people in

place to bring more glory to Anfield.

Finally, I can say with authority that our

ownership is not about profit. Contrary to

popular opinion, owners rarely get

involved in sports in order to generate

cash. They generally get involved with a

club in order to compete and work for the

benefit of their club. It's often difficult. In

our case we work every day in order to

generate revenues to improve the club. We

have only one driving ambition at Liverpool

and that is the quest to win the Premier

League playing the kind of football our

supporters want to see. That will only

occur if we do absolutely the right things

to build the club in a way that makes

sense for supporters, for us and for those

who will follow us. We will deliver what

every long-term supporter of Liverpool

Football Club aches for.

JOHN W HENRY

Much as I'd love a striker or two, I actually feel quite pleased to read that. These owners seem to have real business sense, unlike the previous shower.

[Bluerevolution]

New merchandise just in at Manchester Utd store-The RVP tray, big enough to carry 10 mugs.

[red devil]

Otta Wrote:

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> Much as I'd love a striker or two, I actually feel

> quite pleased to read that. These owners seem to

> have real business sense, unlike the previous

> shower.

''...reversing the errors of previous regimes.''

They are right to point the finger at H&G, but have they not already been culpable with their own 'errors' e.g. Carrol, Adam, Downing and Henderson?

And no explanation as to why Carroll was allowed to go out on loan without having a replacement already signed up, e.g. Dempsey, Sturridge...

[red devil]

Bluerevolution Wrote:

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> New merchandise just in at Manchester Utd

> store-The RVP tray, big enough to carry 10 mugs.

I can smell your fear BR :)

[Otta]

red devil Wrote:

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> They are right to point the finger at H&G, but

> have they not already been culpable with their own 'errors'

"We are still in the process of reversing the

errors of previous regimes. It will not

happen overnight. It has been

compounded by our own mistakes in a

difficult first two years of ownership. It

has been a harsh education, but"

I read that as them holding their hands up.

[Mick Mac]

Yes - And protecting their new manager from additional flak that they have left him to suffer, from not replacing Carroll amongst other things.

[red devil]

Otta Wrote:

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> red devil Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

>

> > They are right to point the finger at H&G, but

> > have they not already been culpable with their

> own 'errors'

>

>

> "We are still in the process of reversing the

> errors of previous regimes. It will not

> happen overnight. It has been

> compounded by our own mistakes in a

> difficult first two years of ownership. It

> has been a harsh education, but"

>

> I read that as them holding their hands up.

Point taken...looks like a very long road ahead, not sure the modern day fan has that much patience...

[Otta]

Probably not, which is a big shame, as I think it sounds pretty exciting.

[red devil]

Mick Mac Wrote:

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> Yes - And protecting their new manager from

> additional flak that they have left him to suffer,

> from not replacing Carroll amongst other things.

I don't think they have regarding the Carroll situation...

[Mick Mac]

red devil Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Mick Mac Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Yes - And protecting their new manager from

> > additional flak that they have left him to

> suffer,

> > from not replacing Carroll amongst other

> things.

>

> I don't think they have regarding the Carroll

> situation...

"we were unable to conclude acceptable deals to bring those targets in" - I think the word acceptable shows they held back on the money (on Dempsey).

Rodgers will still get flak, he should not have concluded on a transfer out before he concluded on a transfer in, but I think its common knowledge that the owners scuppered the Dempsey deal.