KopTalk.com Forums Football Liverpool FC Forum Show us the money

Back in June I spoke to one of my best sources relating to financial matters at Anfield. Not only is he a good source but he's also a very good friend.

In an editorial back then, following a chat with him, I revealed that Xabi Alonso would definitely be on his way to Real Madrid regardless of all the conflicting news we would have to endure during the summer. I also said that Javier Mascherano wanted to move to Barcelona. I admit that I thought that deal would also go through but with the Catalan outfit not having enough funds, a firm bid has failed to materialise; although only last week they again expressed public interest in the Liverpool midfielder. Maybe we'll see something next year but for now he thankfully remains ours.

It was suggested to me at the start of the summer that George Gillett and Tom Hicks would try and retain as much money as possible from the sales of players this summer and that clearly that has become evident.

In June I wrote: "...my source claims that if we do raise £50million, then up to £35million could be retained by George Gillett and Tom Hicks for interest payments on their massive loans... if Liverpool do sell key players then keep an eye on the sums involved and let's see how much is handed back to Rafa Benitez for replacements."

Naturally I was shot down because the naive fans out there don't want to believe that this could possibly happen. I just wish they were right though because I take no pride in saying 'I told you so!'. With only a couple of weeks of the transfer window left, I hope my source is still proven to be wrong but I'm not going to hold my breath.

I tried to maintain faith throughout the summer that we would break the bank with a move for David Villa. Everyone here in Spain knows that the Valencia ace would jump at a chance to play alongside Fernando Torres at Anfield and the figures aren't as scary as the media try to suggest. Had our American owners made the annual £20million available to Rafa Benitez this summer plus the money from player sales, we could easily have brought in the Spaniard.

I'm in regular 'off-the-record' communication with several key figures at Anfield and also others outside the club but who have a working relationship with someone connected. For example, if something's going off at Melwood I tend to know about it, if the club charter a plane I tend to know who's on it and thanks to the contacts I have established stretching back into the mid-90's, if there's some gossip, people tend to whisper it in my ear. Throw in the fact that many of the players frequent VIP establishments owned by my friends and I've made contact with enough players over the years to get a feel for how the players see things at the club. Since moving to Spain I'm not as close to the players as I used to be - although I can still get an 'unofficial' pass to the player's lounge - but that's no major loss as at all as they usually have little to say and when they do say something, it's usually of little importance.

I'm not privy to all the ins and outs. I have no direct line to Rafa or his staff. I'm just a supporter like everyone else. But I have made some amazing friends over the years since starting this website back in around 1998 and the mailing list I ran before it.

Building up a network like the one we have at KopTalk has been hard work and it's something I'll talk about in my infamous book but today I wanted to reference these contacts for several reasons. Most of them believed that this summer we would smash the club's transfer record. Only one, the original source at the start of this editorial, said that wouldn't happen because the owners would want to recoup money for their debts.

I am worried going into the new season. I don't see any signings in the calibre of Fernando Torres or Steven Gerrard to build on last season's campaign. I like Aquilani but naturally I'm concerned about his injury record and also the amount of time he will take to adapt. But if he keeps fit he will be great. Glen Johnson is a great signing and he definitely strengthens the right-back slot.

I'm forever told that we have an option on David Silva but if that's the case, why hasn't Rafa pushed it through? Surely we have money to fund such a move? I assumed that this wasn't signed off because the boss was chasing someone else that he considered to be better but I don't see that candidate. Do you?

We're said to have met with Atlético Madrid, Tottenham and Juventus over the summer. Again no sign of any activity and what happened to Javi Martinez? He was the one player I thought we'd snap up. I kept it quiet as it was just a hunch but nothing.

I'll put my hands up and say I haven't a clue what will happen between now and the transfer window closing but to sign nobody of any real significance will be a massive blow to our Premier League hopes and another reminder that this club will not go further under the present ownership. I don't say that lightly.

I have spoken to associates of those interviewed for the CEO position at Anfield, which is still vacant following Rick Parry's departure. I believe the new CEO was due to be in place by June 8th. According to several candidates they left scratching their heads saying the club has no direction and won't have until the owners are replaced. Basically it was suggested that there would be little for any incoming CEO to work with until the club changed hands. Were they upset at not getting the job or did they simply pull out? Maybe they're still waiting for a follow up. I have no idea. But it all fits in with what we're hearing.

Christian Purslow is of course Liverpool's new Managing Director. I don't think we can judge his role for some time. The suggestions in Spain during the Alonso negotiations were that he was very inexperienced and out of his depth. Well considering he brokered the deal, I think he did superb. Fans seems to think Rafa is negotiating deals now. That's not the case. He just has a greater input than before. For example last summer he wanted Gareth Barry but Rick Parry decided it made more sense to sign Robbie Keane, a player that Rafa said he would like but not at the expense of Barry. That won't happen again now.

KOPTALK was the only Liverpool FC site in the world to be invited to Montreal and Dallas to meet-up with the Gillett and Hicks camps when they bought the club. Both men were incredibly friendly and helpful during our visit to Canada and then America. It's such a shame that things have gone wrong because when I sat in Hicks' Dallas office with him, I felt he was genuine. He really did seem proud to be the owner of our club. He was like a little schoolboy showing me his signed Liverpool FC football that took pride of place in his office cabinet as his centre piece despite all his other sporting memorabilia.

He showed me the new stadium drawings before they were released and talked of his plans for bringing the club into the modern sporting world. I left feeling on top of the world. Today I feel like I'm at rock bottom while I watch the boss still sniffing around bargain buys because Sheikh Mohammed has still been denied his dream.

I never want Liverpool to operate in the market like Manchester City or Chelsea. I really mean that. I don't want to see that kind of spending. I want to keep it sensible but I want us to challenge for the best players out there and until we have a change of ownership, I can't see that ever happening.

If we win the Premier League it won't be because of the owners it will be because of Rafa Benitez. If it ever does happen, don't you dare come running your mouth at me that it's happened because they're in control. I will never accept that.

They're both fighting to hold onto the club because of future TV rights and because they know if they do get a new stadium built, the return following a sale then would be much higher than now. They're not stupid. They're actually very clever businessmen. Ruthless people tend to succeed and fair play to them. But make your money and [oops] off. Let's get the club back into the hands of someone who doesn't want to make a killing.

We failed to build on the successes of 2001 and 2005 and it would appear to me that we are failing to build on the success of last season's title challenge.

I know I sound melodramatic but it's how I feel. We must continue to strengthen before the window closes.

What's your views? Tell me in our free forums or contact me via the 'Ask The Big Man' feature.

YNWA

Dunk
KopTalk Editor

Follow me on Twitter @koptalk @duncanoldham

Depressing reading but thanks for the post Dunk.

Well after reading all that, I'm considering a very long break to Switzerland on a one way ticket.

It is simple.

We need new owners.

Spot on dunk mate

How depressing.
I feel for Rafa as he should be backed properly and if we had Villa-I would put my house on it to win the premier league.

im trying to be positive, and give the boys support, i think if a liverpool team know that Man U will surpass there record of 18 titles, they will dig deep and fight. I looking for a fight this season, im looking for the team to show desire, determination and a HEART.

i agree with you DUNK, on everything you said, our spanish boss isnt being given cash, and i cant blame the yanks, i mean they are businessman in teh end. But Damn i think that parry was a undercover manc, he did everything to screw up liverpool, except he appointed RAFA.

things have improved this season over last with rafa having more control over the ins and outs ....... so we have made another small step forward ...... question is whether we have done enough to close the gap on the mancs ..... i don't know if we have but i do know that anything won will be in spite of the owners not because ....... but for all that i wish the protests etc would stop - they do nothing but harm to the club

spot on Dunk I reckon.

new owners needed fast if we are to really make our mark. I also agree with you on the way we would go about business if the arabs took over. I'd hate to be spoken of in the same sentence as the chavs, manshity and un-real!!! That would be awful.

Rafa is a bl00dy miracle worker to have achieved as much as he has, he really bl00dy is!!! This is why I can't fathom how some constantly slag him off all the time!!! Absolute madness and completely unfounded!!! and that is a FACT!

to all those rafa beaters, Rafa will more likely leave than be sacked!

OK the Yanks are ruthless business types... all the more reason Moores shouldn't have sold us to them in the first place!!!

Especially one's who already have vested interests in other sports and businesses. They just manipulate any profits from LFC and use it wherever it's needed instead of pouring it back into the Club.

So I CAN blame the Yanks and I do still.

I just hope that things don't have to really go badly wrong for LFC for the yanks to sell up and leave. That would be a disaster, short term at least...