Interesting article on what kept Kraft from owning Liverpool soccer team

[Scouse Patriot]

Read this the other day, the finacial muscle you have to have in soccer is huge nowadays and our current owners are out of their depth, George Gillett having to sell the Montreal Canadiens to ease the pressure.

Liverpool, even though we're one of the best teams in the league are very much a sleeping monster and thats why Gillett and Hicks are holding onto the team by their finger nails. We sell more merchandise than Real Madrid (Adidas related products as we're both with Adidas, and it's according to Adidas) and our fan base is biblical. If a new stadium could be built and we got up to date commercially around the world, Liverpool Football club would be a giant off the field and back to her status as the elite team in world soccer with Benitez on it.

Business men and groups around the world know this, only to be put off by the $1 Billion valuation Gillett and Hicks placed on the club. I can see why he would be put off, but there are very attractive points to owning Liverpool I'm sure he thought over for some time.

 

[NE_Paddy]

Well, a subject close to my heart. There's been plenty of buzz about Kraft's potential ownership of the club over here, many fans taking exception to his use of the word Franchise, although the intelligent ones are also aware of just exactly what he's accomplished with the Pats.




You should do anyway, we have football's Tom Brady (Steven Gerrard), and in Fernando Torres, something akin to Randy Moss (although possibly closer to Larry Fitzgerald/Calvin Johnson). The manager (who I'll talk about shortly) is da man, and the history of the club is amazing. I've seen more than one American sports journalist compare us to the Red Sox as well.



Not entirely true. England is the only country in the world that supports 4 professional football leagues, and the Championship (basically division 2) is something like the second or third highest attended league in Europe. You have teams in League 2 (division 4), getting crowds of 10,000+



QPR are now owned by a couple of billionaires - Formula 1 moguls Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore, who are trying to do what you suggest, so you're late with your suggestion



Is he balls. Ferguson is a scumbag, a cheat and a bully. And since when was Belichick a media whiz? Benitez is the most like Belichick in terms if his distrust of the media (he reveals nothing to them, and they constantly go out of his way to have a pop at him, mostly over nothing - sound like anyone?), and who constantly praises the opposition before games, giving them no reason to play the disrespect card. And he's a tactical genius. Ferguson simply used the "give it to Ronaldo" for the last few seasons.



You don't invest in football 'expecting a return on your investment', it's been proven time and time and time again that it's a black hole in terms of that. There are probably only 5 clubs in the world that can do that for you.



But Chelsea have won trophies thanks to a big wedge of cash, or am I imagining the two league titles and the FA Cups/League Cups? Agree with the rest though.



A tad hasty We're not bad though.

Facht.

One of the most bizarre things I have seen in sport was Slur Alex "media whiz" Ferguson and Fat Sam trying to tag-team Rafa.

 

[PatsBoy12]

Well, if he has a chance to snag Manchester U, then he probably should.lol

 

[BritPat]

Facht.

One of the most bizarre things I have seen in sport was Slur Alex "media whiz" Ferguson and Fat Sam trying to tag-team Rafa.

And failing desperately

Rafa's get well under the Scottish tramp's skin, even more so than Mourinho and especially Wenger have ever done. And we're a threat now - it's all shaping up nicely to be a proper battle next year, on the field and in the press conferences.

Well, if he has a chance to snag Manchester U, then he probably should.lol

I hate everything about them, but they are an utter monster of an organisation. The model everyone is trying to copy.

 

[WelshPat]

"Rafa's get well under the Scottish tramp's skin, even more so than Mourinho"

The same Mourinho whos teams fergisons uniteds couldn't beat?

Who cares if he got under fergies skin when your team won NOTHING

That statement is plain dumb intill Rafas liverpool can beat united to a league title, something Wengers Arsenal and Mourinhos Chelsea both did (more than once)

and if you can't do it next season now United lost there best player, you never will

 

[Scouse Patriot]

and if you can't do it next season now United lost there best player, you never will

Seems making dumb statements isn't exclusive. Ronaldo or United never stood in our way once and Ronaldo himself didn't make a single bit of difference to Liverpool. We ripped them apart twice and took Ronaldo out of the game on his own turf, only sniff he got was from 12 yards. He was worth alot of points to United but he makes no difference to what other teams do unless directly involved. Even then he make f*ck all difference against us.

We lost the league by dropping stupid points and until we cut that out we'll continue to throw hard work out the window and allow others to catch up. Liverpool created their own problems, not United or Ronaldo.

 

[BritPat]

"Rafa's get well under the Scottish tramp's skin, even more so than Mourinho"

The same Mourinho whos teams fergisons uniteds couldn't beat?

Who cares if he got under fergies skin when your team won NOTHING

It seems Bacon Face cares, otherwise he wouldn't be getting his mates to have a pop at Rafa, and over utterly nothing either.

That statement is plain dumb intill Rafas liverpool can beat united to a league title, something Wengers Arsenal and Mourinhos Chelsea both did (more than once)

and if you can't do it next season now United lost there best player, you never will

I make dumb statements? We'd have done it last season had we not lost the plot for 6 weeks. We ripped you to shreds twice, whether the Diver was playing or not. And anyone with half a brain can see Rooney's is United's best player. I wanted Placcy to stay, it meant you couldn't strengthen the areas you were lacking in.

Evans and Houllier were always Fergie's best mate, always had a nice word to say about each other - you know why? Because we weren't a threat (see how he talks about Wenger now - it's because Arsenal have virtually no chance of winning the league any time soon) Now we are, and Ginsoak's ****ting it, hence his tempter tantrums (oh hang on, the press call them mind games ) to the media.

 

[Scouse Patriot]

Rafa had Fergie last season. Man U had the laugh publicly with the league but personaly between the two Rafa had the edge. Benitez has also just privately embarrassed Real Madrid officials in negotiations over Alonso and Arbeloa.

 

[PatsBoy12]

Anyone watching US vs. Brazil right now? It's been a pretty good match.

 

[WelshPat]

"Ronaldo or United never stood in our way once and Ronaldo himself didn't make a single bit of difference to Liverpool."

Your putting to much into 2 games against man united. Ronaldo or united may not have given you trouble in those 2 games, but over a 38 game season, they were more consistant than you.

"We lost the league by dropping stupid points"

Yep. But thats why united have dominated the PL the last ten years, they dont drop stupid points. Your team does.

"I make dumb statements? We'd have done it last season had we not lost the plot for 6 weeks".

But that is EXACTLY the point. You messed up for 6 weeks, united didn't. That is why they were better than you last year. It doesnt matter that Pool beat united twice, at the end of the day the only stat that matters is the total number of points.

"Rafa had Fergie last season."

And his team still managed to end up behind his. Man that must suck!

And fergie disagress that Rooney is better than Ron, he pushed rooney out of position too suit Ronaldo.

 

[WelshPat]

Rafa had Fergie last season. Man U had the laugh publicly with the league but personaly between the two Rafa had the edge. Benitez has also just privately embarrassed Real Madrid officials in negotiations over Alonso and Arbeloa.

All that matters in there little name calling is Fergies team won the league. Moral victories only mean so much.

How do you know that Rafa embarresed Madrid officals?

 

[Scouse Patriot]

Your putting to much into 2 games against man united. Ronaldo or united may not have given you trouble in those 2 games, but over a 38 game season, they were more consistant than you.

Not too much, just replying to your implication we can't deal with United and if we can't do it next year without Ronaldo we never will. It had nothing to do with either. Your statement can be taken different ways so it got one. If you had posted we wont win the league unless we become more consistant then your post would have been met with agreement, instead of leaving a statement fans from multiple angles would jump on.

All that matters in there little name calling is Fergies team won the league. Moral victories only mean so much.

How do you know that Rafa embarresed Madrid officals?

It's not about pathetically trying to make big of small victories that ultimately don't matter. The big picture is crystal to all Liverpool fans. Seeing Fergie rattled in the moment was amusing to reds who've seen him smug for years. Why wouldn't it be and why, when talking about the title run in, can't you talk about the personal battle between the managers? Like I said, it's not using that as some sort of victory. It was a subplot that was interesting to both, certainly the United fans I know.

We have every right to be positive in areas both about last season and for next season so we will be. In details that currently matter to Liverpool we made some giants leaps, mainly performances against the other top three teams and getting a title challenge on the go. We know where we are, what we need to do and how to go about it.

 

[WelshPat]

yeah, i guess my statement could be interpreted in different ways. I just think Pool really blew a big chance this year, they had a great record against the top 4, chelsea had a down year and they blew it with too many draws against crappy sides.

 

[Deus Irae]

Maybe Kraft realized that it was soccer...

 

[Wildo7]

Maybe Kraft realized that it was soccer...

And every good businessman makes his decisions based on what sports Deus Irae likes or doesn't like.....

We get it, you hate soccer, congratulations.

 

[Deus Irae]

And every good businessman makes his decisions based on what sports Deus Irae likes or doesn't like.....

We get it, you hate soccer, congratulations.

It was a joke, Wildo. Relax. If I was repeating from earlier in the thread, my deepest apologies, because I sure didn't see that earlier post.

And, for the record, I don't hate soccer as a recreational sport. I just don't buy it as a viable professional alternative in the U.S.A. due to what I perceive is an incompatibility with the American psyche.