Tony Barrett: WEB CHAT.....
Comment From Mike
Tom Cannon(SSN) suggests The Times may well have got it wrong with their big story. Got anything to say back?
Thursday August 5, 2010 14:35
Tony Barrett:
Mr Cannon is perfectly entitled to his opinion and he can point to his own record of calling the big issues rightly or wrongly.
Comment From Barrie
Is this a lot of fuss about nothing? DIC were financed from the government coffers and everybody was lauding them at the time.
Thursday August 5, 2010 14:37
Tony Barrett:
Good question Barrie. There is a lot of fuss but I'm not sure it's about nothing. There is a battle on to own one of the world's most renowed sporting institutions and that is always going to create massive interest. Add into the equation that Liverpool could be bought by the investment arm of the Chinese government and you've got a massive talking point on so many levels. I take your point about DIC though, there is nothing yet apart from indications to indicate that Liverpool will be put on sound financial footing if they are eventually bought by Kenny Huang.
Comment From Phil
Tony, is there any danger in your eyes that Broughton could opt for a deal that favours the Americans over the club's long term health given that he was brought in by them to sort out the deal?
Thursday August 5, 2010 14:40
Tony Barrett:
You would certainly hope not Phil. When you look at it Martin Broughton appears to have two options. 1. Do the right deal for the Americans, watch Liverpool's problems multiply and see his own reputation go up in flames or 2. Find the right owners, secure the club's future and take his place in history as the man who helped save Liverpool FC. Surely that would be an easy enough decision to make for a man of Mr Broughton's renowned business acumen.
Thursday August 5, 2010 14:42
Comment From Guest
Tony, If the Chinese do take over is there any indication that they will speak to the SOS union to get our view on how the club could be better run for the fans ?
Thursday August 5, 2010 14:43
Tony Barrett:
Afternoon Burnsie, I would expect any new owners, whoever they may be, to speak to supporters groups. Obviously, the new owners would have the right to speak to no-one if they so desire but in the best interest of the club you would hope that they would embrace fans in a way that Hicks and Gillett totally failed to do. The more open they can be with supporters the more they will be trusted and that would obviously be better for everyone than the situation we have had for the past two or three years.
Comment From Ashley Escobar
Tony, how comes the club can't do anything to stop people like this Kirdi joke publicly stating he is negotiating a buyout when we know he is infact not? Surely there is an element of criminality in stating false facts to inflate the price of a company?
Thursday August 5, 2010 14:46
Tony Barrett:
To be fair to Mr Kirdi, there is no evidence that he is artificially trying to lift the price, although there are obviously people who feel this is the case. The problem with the sale of a club like Liverpool is it is such a high profile institution that it is always going to attract massive media interest and one of the by-products of this is you will always get people trying to take advantage of it and make a name for themselves. It is up to Barcap and Martin Broughton to sort out the genuine investors from the impostors and until an unless Kirdi is categorically ruled out of the process the media has to treat him with a degree of seriousness even if we feel his actions will not ultimately match his words.
Thursday August 5, 2010 14:50
Comment From Mike
Your mate Tony Evans made a fool out of himself this summer, with im saying Gerrard and Torres where deffo leaving and it was all doom and gloom,
Thursday August 5, 2010 14:51
Tony Barrett:
Alright Mike, the nature of journalism is you will sometimes call stories right and sometimes you will get them badly wrong. I've made plenty of mistakes in my time and I know for an absolute fact that I'll make many more in the time to come. Without wishing to defend my boss (I'm quite happy for him to get it in the neck from time to time), the situation with Liverpool has been so fluid and changeable this summer that it has been hard to call anything right one way or another. At the end of May I was convinced that Liverpool would lose Gerrard or Torres or both. By the end of June I didn't think that would be the case but there were still plenty of people, including some at the club, who feared Liverpoool would lose at least one of their star players. That hasn't happened but anyone who thinks it was never a possibility is misguided.
Thursday August 5, 2010 14:55
Comment From Dave
How confident are you that CIC are behind the bid, another boradsheet is reporting that Kenny Huang PR agency has released a statemnt that CIC are not behind the bid.
Thursday August 5, 2010 14:55
Tony Barrett:
Hello Dave, to be fair the line about CIC wasn't mine so I can't be 100% sure of anything. The story was written by Helen Power, our business reporter who has unbelievable contacts in the financial world, and Tony Evans, who broke the original story about the interest from Mr Huang. I wouldn't hesitate in backing their judgement on this because they are about as close to the issue as it is possible to be. But there may be some smoke and mirrors to come simply because this is such a complex situation and maybe we won't have conclusive confirmation about who is and isn't involved in the bid until it is or isn't accepted.
Thursday August 5, 2010 14:58
Comment From Peter
Hi Tony, when do you think we will see a completed take over announced?
Thursday August 5, 2010 15:04
Tony Barrett:
Hello Peter, I keep hearing different things. Someone said to me earlier on today that Huang's bid is now "unstoppable" and could be complete within a week. Someone else said I should stand by my phone - whatever that means - because it could happen any day. The only thing that is clear is that Huang's bid has momentum.
Thursday August 5, 2010 15:05
Comment From HAtem
Hi Tony, Forgive me for being negative but we seem to get a whole waft of takeover rumours just before the deadline for refinancing with RBS - What makes you think this is genuine?
Thursday August 5, 2010 15:06
Tony Barrett:
I appreciate your cynicism, it's fully justified given everything that's happened over the last few years. This situation is different, though. Huang's interest is bona fide, as confirmed by the banks involved and Huang himself, and talks are currently taking place at a very high level. We have never been at this stage before.
Comment From James
Is this transfer budget of £150m anything like reality? If so where is that information coming from and who are realistic targets?
Thursday August 5, 2010 15:09
Tony Barrett:
Hello James, again that wasn't my line. That piece of information came from Tony Evans who is as close to this situation as anyone. All the indications are that Huang will invest heavily in the playing squad if and when a takeover is complete. But as ever the proof will be in the pudding. Just as long as he doesn't promise to sign Snoogy Doogy I think he'll be on the right lines.
Thursday August 5, 2010 15:11
Comment From Steve
From the information you have from you're sources, what does you'e gut feeling say when it comes to the next name over the door at Anfield?
Thursday August 5, 2010 15:11
Tony Barrett:
I'd say Huang is clear favourite.
Thursday August 5, 2010 15:11
Comment From Pete F
Tony, Its been denied this afternoon that Kenny Huang is being backed by the Chinese state, via a statement.
Thursday August 5, 2010 15:12
Tony Barrett:
Hello Pete, that's not the situation as I understand it having communicated with Huang's representatives in the last hour. I stand to be corrected if there is other information available though.
Thursday August 5, 2010 15:13
Comment From Dave
Hi Tony, why do you think that Kenny Huang has issued a statement denying backing by CIC.
Thursday August 5, 2010 15:18
Tony Barrett:
I've just been assured that Mr Huang and his representatives have issued no such statement, although one could follow later today. I have no idea what information it might contain though.
