An open letter to New England Sports Ventures

[dellzeqq]

We're impressed. You've got a wonderful track record, you've hauled the Red Sox to two World Championships while completely remodelling what was a dying stadium, and made a profit at the same time.

But..... £300 million is a lot of money, and, although your partners are fabulously wealthy, it's not the kind of dough you want to chuck around. So why, oh why did you lavish those funds on buying Liverpool? Did you not realise that the stadium was uncompetitive, and that the team had only two great players - and that one of those was at his wits end? Did you not think that a team sliding from second to seventh and a manager only too eager to be shown the door were warning signals? Did you not compare your roster of players with the roster of players at Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Spurs and, heaven help us, Manchester City and think that you might have to have a bit of a re-vamp.

It's clear that you've written off this season, and that's sensible. Not buying big in January is sensible. Appointing Dalglish pro tem is sensible, if only because it will keep the fans happy. But, come the end of the season there has to be one almighty sorting out, and it's not going to be cheap, not least because there are so many of your current players who are deluded by their high wages and who may not want to take a cut in pay when they are shipped out to Getafe or Fenerbahce or wherever fallen not-quite-stars go.

If you pull this off we'll all doff our caps. But if you don't - what then? A declining team in a tighter market, with a naff stadium (I worked for the Architects who designed one of the stands - before they went skint - so I can call it naff if I want to). It's a long way back to the top of the table, particularly if you give the others a ten year head start, and nobody's going to be content until you get there.

Good luck.

 

[DiddlyDodds]

See you in the championship next season ,,, that is unless we get up and in which case we will not , we will just wave as you pass down.

We are Leeds ,,seen the top seen the bottom and on our way back.

Just a quick note on dropping a division, all your players will have leaving clauses should it happen and theres very little you can do in a physical tough division with no players , we know , we have done it.

 

[MarkF]

Just a quick note on dropping a division, all your players will have leaving clauses should it happen and theres very little you can do in a physical tough division with no players , we know , we have done it.

Yeah but we (Bradford) did it better than you.

God, I hope Liverpool go down, not that I have anything against them, I just want a "big" club to go down, Villa would be ok, but Liverpool, yeah, that would be good.......

 

[martint235]

Strangely enough I agree with most of what you said Dell. However I have to keep the faith. I don't think we'll go down, I think we're destined for mid table. There will need to be a good sorting out in the summer and all the wasters that cannot be arsed to play for their wages need to be shown the door. There are promising youngsters we can develop and coupled with a couple of decent buys (ie not Paul konchesky) we should improve. YNWA

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[mangaman]

We're impressed. You've got a wonderful track record, you've hauled the Red Sox to two World Championships while completely remodelling what was a dying stadium, and made a profit at the same time.

But..... £300 million is a lot of money, and, although your partners are fabulously wealthy, it's not the kind of dough you want to chuck around. So why, oh why did you lavish those funds on buying Liverpool? Did you not realise that the stadium was uncompetitive, and that the team had only two great players - and that one of those was at his wits end? Did you not think that a team sliding from second to seventh and a manager only too eager to be shown the door were warning signals? Did you not compare your roster of players with the roster of players at Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Spurs and, heaven help us, Manchester City and think that you might have to have a bit of a re-vamp.

It's clear that you've written off this season, and that's sensible. Not buying big in January is sensible. Appointing Dalglish pro tem is sensible, if only because it will keep the fans happy. But, come the end of the season there has to be one almighty sorting out, and it's not going to be cheap, not least because there are so many of your current players who are deluded by their high wages and who may not want to take a cut in pay when they are shipped out to Getafe or Fenerbahce or wherever fallen not-quite-stars go.

If you pull this off we'll all doff our caps. But if you don't - what then? A declining team in a tighter market, with a naff stadium (I worked for the Architects who designed one of the stands - before they went skint - so I can call it naff if I want to). It's a long way back to the top of the table, particularly if you give the others a ten year head start, and nobody's going to be content until you get there.

Good luck.

I agree (I'd like to point out a lack of conflicts of interest as a Norwich fan)

I think if anything, you're being generous to Liverpool - presumably the 2 great players are Gerard and Torres. I'd argue both are at their wit's end.

As for King Kenny - I'm not convinced. He won the title with Liverpool by inheriting a great team, and Blackburn with money hithertoo unheard of in the Premiership.

He last won something worth winning (the Premiership) 15 years ago and last managed Celtic in 2000 when he finished 2nd in the Scottish league. Since then he's played a lot of golf - but football has moved in this country. The Blackburn side of 1995 cost £27 million, which is pretty eye-watering even now. It still only had one non-British player (Henning Berg)

Times have changed, and I fear Kenny's image in the UK (univerally appreciated as a great player - commanding respect etc) may not translate to the modern game. I doubt Ryan Babel or Meirieles et al have even heard of him.

I think Gerard might stay now - he's getting worse and getting on a bit - but I can't believe Torres won't leave (even this transfer window).

If he goes the attack of Babel / Ngog / Kuyt doesn't strike fear into the heart - in fact it rather makes me feel if Torres goes they are at serious risk of relegation.

PS - I assume from previous posts you are an Aresnal fan Dell.

Why couldn't you have put 5 or 6 past Ipswich last night! I settled down as a Norwich fan, looking forward to a managerless, useless club getting a good kicking from the Gooners and it was the other way round??

 

[Smokin Joe]

All footballing dynasties come to an end (at least in this country, not so abroad). Complacency, lack of investment in the stadium, no youth development and thinking they had a God given right to forever remain a big club has sent Liverpool into decline.

It should make every non Liverpool fan happy, not because of a resentment toward the club, but because a turnover of teams at the top is better for the game. Who wants the league to be the same as Spain or Scotland, where the top sides today are the same as they were 60 years ago and probably still will be in 60 years time.

It's no loss, as one club slides down the table or the league another rises to take it's place.

 

[spen666]

See you in the championship next season ,,, that is unless we get up and in which case we will not , we will just wave as you pass down.

We are Leeds ,,seen the top seen the bottom and on our way back.

Just a quick note on dropping a division, all your players will have leaving clauses should it happen and theres very little you can do in a physical tough division with no players , we know , we have done it.

You can take the Leeds option of surrendering meekly and continuing your slide, or alternatively, you can do what Chris Hughton (God bless him) did at Newcastle and get a bit of team spirit amonget the players who were left and win the division at a canter

 

[mangaman]

All footballing dynasties come to an end (at least in this country, not so abroad). Complacency, lack of investment in the stadium, no youth development and thinking they had a God given right to forever remain a big club has sent Liverpool into decline.

It should make every non Liverpool fan happy, not because of a resentment toward the club, but because a turnover of teams at the top is better for the game. Who wants the league to be the same as Spain or Scotland, where the top sides today are the same as they were 60 years ago and probably still will be in 60 years time.

It's no loss, as one club slides down the table or the league another rises to take it's place.

Too right - I agree that English football's unpredictability is one of the reasons it's great. Hell even Norwich finished 3rd in the !st season of the Premier League.

As you say Spain / Scotland - but also just about everyhere (Holland / Belgium / France / Germany / Greece etc etc) have the same few teams winning year after year.

It's good to see Spurs / Man City even Bolton and Sunderland playing good football and challenging for Europe.

PS even Blackpool

 

[darth vadar]

I can't even understand Dalglish when he speaks so what chance have all those foreign players got ?!!!

 

[martint235]

I also think that's funny. I just have an image of dalglish to Torres: "Gerrup ye wee nancy boy"

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[mangaman]

[QUOTE 1286135"]
That explains it if he is, last time Arsenal won a trophy was the FA cup back in 2005, where I seem to recall we won a trophy that year as well.
[/quote]


Let me guess, are you Chelsea Lee?

If so - thanks for trashing Ipswich!

Mind you - you're not looking too clever yourselves this year.

As an outsider I can see you finishing out of the top 4 - what do you reckon.

It also seems Abramovich will concentrate more on the world cup.

We could see the old 2nd division Chelsea of my youth in a few years

If you don't support Chelsea, sorry to have wasted your time

 

[Smokin Joe]

I'd guess Lee is referring to Liverpool's Champion's League triumph.

 

[mangaman]

I fogot that.

Sorry Lee - I fear you are heading downwards.

There's no way you'll be in the Champions League next year, so a massive revamp will not involve signing Champions league players like Iniesta or David Villa.

I can't see why Torres, Reina and even Gerrard would want to stay in a bottom half of the table team

I fear you are on the slippery slope Leeds were - no real hard cash. No incentive for good players to come.

An out of touch manager.

Loads of rubbish players on huge wages (could you really put your hand on your heart and say Lucas, Skrtel, Johnson, Kyrkiakos, Poulsen, Ngog are any good??). I think most wouldn't get into the current Norwich side - certainly not Lucas / Skrtel / Kyriakosor Ngog - we have better players in those poitions.

But they'll be on huge contracts.

Not wanting to slag off Liverpool, who I like - but they've gone badly wrong in the last few years and it's easy to see them doing a Leeds and disappearing into the 3rd division for a bit until they sort out the mess they're in.

 

[meenaghman]

The writings been. On the wall for a while with Liverpool. They have never won the premier league. But also it shows money alone can't buy success eg man city... although they will prob get champions league place this year. Man u for title this year. I'm hoping southampton can halt their progress in fa cup. I can't see any English clubs in champions league final. Are Rooney and Torres having a competition for worst performance degradation. Fwiw. Man u are going to go thru a very similar period when Ferguson retires.

 

[dellzeqq]

United have their own problems, which are, I think, disguised by Chelsea's present travails and Arsenal's concentration on style.

In answer to the question - of course I like Arsenal. Show me the neutral that doesn't. And I have a soft spot for Wimbledon, having watched the previous version as a child (in the Southern League). But, if you ever doubted that supporting a football team is a curse from which there is no escape click this link....

http://www.aylesburyunitedfc.co.uk/league/