Normal Service will be Resumed

Ant wrote:

personally i dont see dein at anfield but he is close to DIC (they built the emirates stadium under his direction at arsenal) and he was involved with parry in the starting up of the premiership.

as i said this is info i saw on the web, notably :

http://www.anfieldred.co.uk/who-should-leave-the-owners-or-rafa#comment-12821

BREAKING NEWS

this afternoon so it needs to be taken lightly until some official info is released.

if dein does come then maybe wenger would aswell ?

I get the picture Ant the DIC are going to save us from Hicks, Dein is going to save us from Parry, Wenger is going to save us from Rafa, Ronaldo will transfer directly form MU to save us from Kewell, Why not have Tevez as well to save us from Kuyt.

Hang on, hang on, hang on just a minute. I can see the weak point in this argument now. None of these guys speak French except Arsene

if its true i think the drinks are on the shiek ?

il have a triple please ken !!!

Ant wrote:

if its true i think the drinks are on the shiek ?

il have a triple please ken !!!

Ant I am not a betting man but I think the chances of you getting a free triple off of Ken and this version of events coming true are probably equally proportionate.

This triple here is your best chance

From The TimesJanuary 19, 2008

Rafael Benitez tries to smile through uncertainty of ownership struggle

James Ducker
As judgment day looms for Liverpool’s embattled American owners, Rafael Benítez attempted to put on a brave face yesterday, the manager insisting that the chaos at the club off the field would only pull him and his players closer together as they seek to bring some relief to concerned supporters.

For all his efforts to remain upbeat and toe the party line, however, it still promises to be a critical week for the future of English football’s most successful club.

What initially started out as a clash between manager and proprietor has escalated into a battle between the two owners, George Gillett Jr and Tom Hicks, but there were no concrete indications last night as to how this struggle for power at Anfield will play out.

One well-placed source at the club suggested that, with Monday a Bank Holiday in the United States, it could be “two or three” days yet before the owners’ intentions become clear, with Gillett mulling over whether to support a plan, backed by Dubai International Capital (DIC), to buy out Hicks’s 50 per cent shareholding or throw his weight behind a controversial refinancing package that would strengthen his partner’s hold on the club but weaken his own.


The situation is thought to be causing Gillett considerable stress. On the one hand he is understood to have serious misgivings about his continued involvement with Hicks, who has proved anything but the silent partner he hoped for when he brought the Texan on board to help to secure their takeover of the club in February last year, not least when admitting this week that he had talked to Jürgen Klinsmann about succeeding Benítez before the former Germany coach took charge at Bayern Munich.

If he reluctantly commits to the £350 million refinancing package that Hicks has been pushing hard for, Gillett knows that they will be committed to working together, despite a growing acceptance that their long-term relationship is untenable.

On the other hand, Gillett cannot be sure how Hicks will react if he uses the financial clout of DIC, the private equity arm of Dubai that was gazumped by the Americans in their bid to purchase Liverpool last year, to attempt to buy out his partner’s stake.

Insiders said last night that they were “in the dark” as to whether Hicks would be willing to sell, although if his spokesman’s remarks on Thursday were anything to go by, he will not be doing so. Equally, even if a favourable offer is put to him by Gillett — and there remains only a “10 to 15 per cent” chance of that happening, according to sources — Hicks may take exception to his partner aligning himself with DIC and attempt to drive up the price of his shareholding or lodge a counter-offer.

With the £350 million loan that would allow the Americans to repay money borrowed from their takeover and begin work on a new 70,000-seat stadium in Stanley Park expected to be in place early next week, however, the only thing that is clear is that Gillett has little time to decide what to do. Either he signs the terms of the loan on offer and effectively bows to Hicks, or he goes with DIC and hopes that Hicks reacts positively.

Whatever the outcome, the futures of many at Anfield are likely to be in doubt. Benítez has next to no support from Hicks and Gillett, but the manager is unlikely to be much better off in the event that DIC comes on board, with the Arab-run consortium known to favour the appointment of its own man. Likewise, Rick Parry, the Liverpool chief executive, who has come in for some fierce criticism for agreeing to the Americans’ takeover, may also be under threat.

At least Benítez retains the loyalty of his players and the fans. “When you play well, I think it shows the team spirit is much better and the confidence of the players is higher,” Benítez said. “It’s easier when you are winning, so we need to win some games in a row and everything will be much better.”

you know i dont like the black stuff youknowwho !!!



all this off field business must be having some affect on our playing, the only one who might not be affected is torres, he dont speek inglich yett !

we are in a perfect situation to go on a long run of wins and if we can win at stamford bridge soon then that could put us right back in the title race and send out some good vibes to all our competitors in England and Europe.

withe the game in hand against west ham finnaly decided for the 5 march we can start to see the real table and maybe we will be alot closer to the top by then. it wont be easy but it is possible.

we can look forward to the top 3 loosing points this weekend and us taking advantage of that on monday night so lets do are talking on the pitch and move forward together !!!

Ant wrote:

you know i dont like the black stuff youknowwho !!!



all this off field business must be having some affect on our playing, the only one who might not be affected is torres, he dont speek inglich yett !

we are in a perfect situation to go on a long run of wins and if we can win at stamford bridge soon then that could put us right back in the title race and send out some good vibes to all our competitors in England and Europe.

withe the game in hand against west ham finnaly decided for the 5 march we can start to see the real table and maybe we will be alot closer to the top by then. it wont be easy but it is possible.

we can look forward to the top 3 loosing points this weekend and us taking advantage of that on monday night so lets do are talking on the pitch and move forward together !!!

Looking at the weekend results Ant we are now in the middle of a battle for fourth place. I agree all the offield goings on can't be helping and I don't believe the demonstration planned for Anfield tonight can do any good either. We should know within the next week what is going to happen on the ownership front. Either Hicks is playing hardball trying to force DIC to pay top dollar for his shares or we are going to be up to the eyes in debt. It is one thing to say Man U is in the same situation but that is not the reality. Man U are in much stronger position financially to afford their debt we are not. This could all go very ,very badly wrong for us. I can only hope in my red heart that Hicks will take a profit and leave but I am not optimistic.

American duo not likely to changeJan 21 2008


View From The Stands

by Paul O'Leary, Liverpool Daily Post


PLENTY has been written about the club in the past two weeks, indeed, there were more revelations from Hicks on Friday relating to his commitment to LFC.

Words in a newspaper are one thing, but what he needs to understand and very quickly is that he will earn more respect from us by speaking less and supporting his manager with funds for player investment.

This has always been the ‘Liverpool way’; traditionally members of the board were barely seen let alone heard. The amount of time David Moores spoke to the press about ‘footballing’ matters in all his time as chairman was probably less than our current owners have done in less than a year. I believe Hicks to be the more confrontational of the two, he is the one that the Press go to when they want someone to ‘bite’ or speak out against Rafa.

I can’t see anything but him causing more problems for us, he is not going to change his demeanour, after all this is the man who had the biggest hand in getting George Bush elected, men like Hicks are single minded and strong in their views, they are not easily swayed or tamed.

Steven Gerrard summed it up excellently this week when he said LFC was about winning football matches and this is the only reason we want to be headline news. If the stories about DIC are true then maybe it would be in the best interests of everyone if they bought out the Americans.


Nothing but good words have been written about them in relation to how they run their sporting interests and I believe many fans would have been happier for them to have bought the club a year ago.


It’s sad to say but we are now playing for pride in the Premier League, we must ensure we are not embarrassed by how many points we finish behind the winners.

From The TimesJanuary 21, 2008

Tom Hicks puts block on quick sale
US business tycoon and Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks

Oliver Kay
The ownership crisis at Liverpool threatens to drag on after it emerged last night that Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr have rejected an initial proposal of a £300 million offer for the club from Dubai International Capital (DIC).

Hicks and Gillett are prepared to listen to offers for Liverpool less than a year after buying the club, but contrary to suggestions that another takeover is imminent, the American tycoons have already rejected the informal bid from DIC with Hicks’s approach to negotiations raising serious doubts over whether a deal can be struck. Rather than be forced into a quick sale, they plan to proceed tomorrow with a £350 million refinancing plan that will help to stabilise their regime, at least in the short term, and strengthen their bargaining position.

News of the Americans’ intransigence will unsettle Rafael Benítez, who has little chance of keeping his job as manager under the present regime, and also Liverpool supporters, who have made clear their disapproval of the owners. Many fans welcomed the Americans with open arms at the time of their takeover last February, but there will be angry demonstrations against them when Liverpool take on Aston Villa in the Barclays Premier League in front of the television cameras this evening.

Liverpool will wait to see what effect the Americans’ refinancing plan and their apparent intransigence has on DIC, which is regarded by many at Anfield as potential “saviours” of the club. There is a widespread feeling at all levels of the club that it was a serious mistake to sell to Hicks and Gillett last February and there is concern that DIC, the private-equity investment arm of the Dubai Government, could be priced out of the bidding for a second time because of an unrealistic valuation placed on the club by the owners. That valuation of Liverpool is based on a belief that the club will be worth almost £1 billion once the new 70,000-capacity stadium is built.

Responding to reports that he had agreed a deal to sell the club to DIC, Hicks issued a statement last night. “I have not received any offer to purchase the club from DIC or anyone else, much less accepted any offer,” he said. “Nor do I have any intention of doing so. Whoever is behind this false report, the facts are that I and my family remain fully committed to co-owning the club, that no one in my family has ever indicated any intention or desire to sell our stake in the club and that we expect and intend . . . to actively and enthusiastically support the club’s manager, players and fans for many years to come.”

The picture painted by Hicks’s statement is unrealistic, with sources in his camp indicating that informal negotiations are taking place with DIC. There have been many conversations between the two parties for the past fortnight, most recently on Saturday, but DIC is understood to be concerned by Hicks’s approach, sensing that the Texan has no intention of selling unless he and Gillett make a huge profit. Their initial proposal — not a formal offer — was dismissed out of hand, with the parties poles apart in their valuation of the club.

After Everton’s 2-1 victory away to Wigan Athletic and Manchester City’s 1-1 draw with West Ham United yesterday, Liverpool lie sixth in the table before tonight’s match against Villa. The Midlands club are also under American ownership, but Martin O’Neill, their manager, has only praise for Randy Lerner, the Villa owner.

“Villa is not a plaything and he is really genuine about this club, as you can see from the things that are going on,” O’Neill said.”

Tom Hicks to fight for Liverpool control
By David Bond
Last Updated: 2:32am GMT 21/01/2008



A new bid for Liverpool from Dubai International Capital was hanging in the balance last night after the club's co-owner, Tom Hicks, blocked talks between the investment company and his bankers, the Royal Bank of Scotland.


A crucial meeting was due to be held today between senior executives from Dubai and RBS, who loaned Hicks and his partner, George Gillett Jr, the money last year to complete their £220 million purchase of Liverpool and are currently trying to clinch a £350m refinancing deal.


I'm here to stay: Anfield co-owner Tom Hicks in a Liverpool cap
The talks with RBS are a prelude to a formal offer for the club from DIC, the investment arm of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who missed out in the battle to buy Liverpool last year.

But Hicks has told RBS they cannot open any dialogue with DIC until after the refinancing is completed. DIC in turn have made it clear to Hicks that if he does press ahead with the refinancing then they are prepared to walk away.

With Liverpool already in turmoil over the refinancing and the breakdown of Hicks's relationship with manager Rafa Benitez, the extraordinary game of brinkmanship risks plunging the club into crisis. Despite that threat, the refinancing package, which also involves American bank Wachovia looks like being sealed and announced in the next few days.

Last night Hicks issued another defiant statement, denying reports that he and Gillett wanted to sell the club. Hicks said: "I have not received any offer to purchase the club from the DIC or anyone else, much less accepted any such offer. Nor do I have any intention of doing so.

advertisement"I and my family have always been, and remain, fully committed to co-owning the club; that no one in my family has ever indicated any intention or desire to sell our stake in the club; and that we expect and intend to be co-owners of the club, and to actively and enthusiastically support the club's manager, players and fans for many years to come."

That pledge is only likely to inflame tensions between the owners and the fans, who are planning to protest against the regime at tonight's Premier League game against Aston Villa at Anfield.

With the relationship between Hicks and Gillett near breaking point, DIC's initial strategy was to go into partnership with Gillett and try to force Hicks to sell his 50 per cent stake in the club.

However, late last week DIC made direct contact with Hicks, telling him they were ready to make an offer to buy out both American businessmen.

It is thought DIC have drawn up a provisional offer of £350m, which includes Liverpool's debt. City sources insist DIC will only pay a realistic commercial price for the club, adding that reports of a £500m bid are wide of the mark.

DIC have also told Hicks and Gillett that any offer made after the refinancing will reduce the £80m profit the pair could stand to make from selling up just a year after their takeover.

All behind the team tonight against the villa, 3 - 1 like last year would be perfect but i would take a tap in from torres for the 3 points we so badly need after the top 3 winning at the we and everton are on form so common redmen show us what your worth !!!





ps : RTK have to be carefull about the situation, we could end up alienating the yanks, its dodgy but if their heart is in the right place, why not ?

Hicks denies intent to sell as brinkmanship goes on
· £350m offer from DIC may see club change hands

Andy Hunter
Monday January 21, 2008
The Guardian



Tom Hicks last night insisted he would not sell his 50% stake in Liverpool, as a game of brinkmanship developed between the club's American owners and Dubai International Capital, the corporation which would usurp them.
DIC, the investment arm of the Dubai government, is prepared to lodge a formal takeover bid for Liverpool this week having come to doubt the reported determination of George Gillett, Hicks's co-chairman at Anfield, to oust his business partner from the club after 11 troubled months in charge. But the company is adamant it will not pay an inflated price for a club who may be saddled with major debt in the coming days and who still require significant investment for a new stadium.


For their part, and despite frequent public denials, Hicks and Gillett are understood to be receptive to DIC's interest in the entire company, but only for a price that would give them a huge profit on their initial £218.9m investment. It is believed DIC inquired informally whether a £300m bid might be acceptable approximately 10 days ago and were told the Americans were seeking a far greater return. DIC's formal bid for Liverpool would have to be in the region of £350m.
The Dubai company had proposed giving Gillett the financial backing he needs to purchase Hicks's stake in the club, Gillett having been enraged by his co-chairman's admission that they approached Jürgen Klinsmann about Rafael Benítez's job and by the amount of debt the Texan wants to put on to the club's books. But Gillett has not turned his doubts into a direct challenge to Hicks and is close to agreeing to a £350m loan with the Royal Bank of Scotland and US-bank Wachovia. That would allow the Americans to refinance their original purchase of Liverpool last February, repay loans acquired to buy players in the summer and commence work on a 70,000-seat stadium. That in turn, the Americans believe, would allow them to name a higher price for Liverpool, although DIC doubts whether they can afford the £30m-a-year interest repayments and believes they will have to sell at a later date to avoid financial meltdown.

Until DIC raises its offer or the Americans lower theirs, the stand-off and the instability surrounding Liverpool will continue, though Hicks last night angrily denied reports that a deal to sell the club had already been struck.

"A report issued today claiming that the Liverpool Football Club has been sold to DIC is a complete fabrication," said Hicks in a statement. "I have not received any offer to purchase the club from the DIC or anyone else, much less accepted any such offer. Nor do I have any intention of doing so. The facts are that I and my family have always been, and remain, fully committed to co-owning the club; that no one in my family has ever indicated any intention or desire to sell our stake in the club; and that we expect and intend to be co-owners of the club and to actively and enthusiastically support the club's manager, players and fans for many years to come."

It is a turbulent background against which Liverpool face Aston Villa at Anfield tonight needing a win to break back into the top four, having been overtaken by Everton and Manchester City yesterday.

"Villa are closer to us now, as are Everton and Manchester City, so we know we cannot make any mistakes," said Benítez.

Rick Parry should be too ashamed to show his face at Anfield anymore after the mess he has got us into.

The rumour is he refused the DIC offer in preference for the Amercian one as the DIC would not have kept him on.

I think he is working on borrowd time, Foster Gillet is lined up for the job if the yanks stay and he is old news if DIC come in ?

Rick you have acted like a dick




and to think he is a lifelong FAN

Ant wrote:

Rick you have acted like a dick

Ant, did you use the word "dick" intentionnally?

Great one

it rymes with Rick just like PRICK




ps : mais il y a des enfant sur le forum alors pour moi

UN petit resume en français serai le bien venu

Americans must walk away if it's in Liverpool's best interestsJan 21 2008


Sports View

by John Thompson, Liverpool Echo


THE roar of the Kop has been heard all over Britain and Europe.

Tonight, an attempt will be made to send it right across the Atlantic Ocean.

Liverpool fans are in a state of fury and dismay, convinced their world famous club is enduring the biggest crisis in its modern history.

And who can argue they are wrong?

A marriage that everyone hoped was made in heaven has spiralled into a nightmare captured in barely believable headlines, one played out amid a climate of deep distrust.


There is no doubt today that the majority of match-going supporters – surely still the most important people at any football club – believe the American dream is for them over and beyond repair.


And tonight at the game against Aston Villa they are set to call on Tom Hicks and George Gillett to do the decent thing – and grant them and their club the quickie divorce that many now believe offers the most dignified, possibly the only honourable route out of here for all sides.


Hicks and Gillett may see it differently and believe this fractured marriage can be repaired. Particularly if they really are intent on keeping the house.


They own it – and this is up to them.


They are hugely successful business partners who made a first class first impression when they bought Liverpool almost a year ago. They were appropriately welcomed with open arms by an Anfield faithful yearning for more success.


But stadium delays and confusion, alleged personal rifts, claims of imminent broken promises which will load all their personal debt onto the club, and a series of unsightly public rows with a driven manager whom most supporters still love and believe in, have rocked Anfield to its core.


This is not the Liverpool way.


And for the sake of a club which someone outside Merseyside recently described as ‘a national treasure’, it just cannot go on like this any longer. Particularly when a rejected suitor is waiting on the sidelines with a genuine offer which Liverpool fans are praying Tom and George cannot and will not now refuse.


An SOS sign was hung out on the Kop last week to Dubai International Capital.


It will be there again tonight, but will not be walking alone in its display this time.


Liverpool fans may know as little about the Dubaians as they did the Americans.


But the sure truth is the Dubaians have never fallen out of love with the idea of owning Liverpool, even though the long – possibly overly long – initial engagement was broken off suddenly amid acrimony, as pre-wedding nerves on both sides became tested.


Their interest in securing a deal at Anfield has never dwindled, not least because they are convinced the American re-financingŠnumbers simply do not crunch going forward and put Anfield in even more jeopardy, even more harm’s way.


It is not just the supporters and other experienced experts who care about the club who believe there is a real risk of Liverpool emulating Leeds United – possibly worse.


When there is, it seems, a genuine prospect of the Royal Bank of Scotland claiming default on the current mortgage and re-possessing the property, who can blame them

Tom Hicks stands firm but fans set to deliver their verdictJan 21 2008




by Tony Barrett, Liverpool Echo


GIVEN recent events at Anfield, it surely can’t be long before a banner is hung on the Gwladys Street bearing the legend: “Agents Hicks and Gillett, Mission Accomplished”.

From being the club which was so well run it was compared to a machine, Liverpool today finds itself in the unlikely role of national laughing stock – and with good reason.

In the latest twist to the ongoing farce, Tom Hicks has insisted that the keys to Anfield which he was given by outgoing Reds chairman David Moores last year will not be handed over to Dubai International Capital.

“I’ve not received any offer to purchase the club from DIC or anyone else, much less accepted any such offer,” he said.

“Nor do I have any intention of doing so,”


DIC clearly think differently and are hovering with an offer of around £350m.


Despite his protestations, there are those who know him well who believe Hicks is merely playing hard ball with the investment arm of the Dubai government to try and force them into paying over the odds for Liverpool.


The only problem is, DIC simply do not operate like that.


If Liverpool FC exists to win trophies, then DIC exists to make profits and you don’t get rich by being held to ransom.


Stalemate is therefore a distinct possibility – that is unless George Gillett refuses to sign up to a financial restructuring deal which will overnight turn Liverpool into a club with one of the biggest debts in world football.


If he refuses to sign up this week then DIC’s bargaining position is strengthened as it is now less than six weeks before Hicks and Gillett have to pay back their initial loan.


When they bought the club in February last year, Hicks and Gillett borrowed £220m from the Royal Bank of Scotland to make it happen.


That personal debt currently stands at £270 and the American duo are now looking at shifting the debt onto the club with a financial restructuring deal worth £350m from RBS set to be done this week – unless DIC’s interest is made concrete and an offer from them is accepted.


DIC officials were today meeting senior executives from RBS in London, talks which are likely to be the precursor to a formal bid of around £350m for Liverpool.


Should refinancing go through as planned then it is still unlikely that DIC will walk away – but any future offer for the club would be lowered to take into account the extra debt and banking fees they would have to take on.


Hicks remains adamant – in public, at least – he will not sell at any price and his stance has only served to inflame tensions between himself and the Liverpool supporters. Not since the days when “Deadly” Doug Ellis was seen as the scourge of Aston Villa has a Premiership club owner been as reviled by the fans as Hicks is today.


Almost a year on from having the red carpet rolled out for him at Anfield, the Texan will tonight to see the Kop attempt to pull the rug from beneath him in an unprecedented demonstration against the Liverpool hierarchy.


By picking a fight with Rafa Benitez – the most popular Liverpool manager since Kenny Dalglish – Hicks has totally alienated the Reds support which will use tonight’s league game against Aston Villa as the vehicle for their discontent.


How ironic that just six months ago Hicks was talking of his visions of the Kop at the long planned, but still not delivered, new Anfield as the orchestra to whose tune the team would play.


Tonight, the Kop will be playing a tune. But far from being sweet, the music will be angry and it will be directed at him and his co-owner, who has remained strangely silent given the firestorm which is raging around him.

en gros

LFC est Gillett et Hicks

ils ont besoin de l'argent pour payer pour le prete qu'ils ont fait pour acheter LFC il y a un an.

DIC (les emirates) ont de l'argent et sont pret a acheter LFC de Gillett et Hicks

mais Gillett et Hicks ne veut pas vendre, pour l'instant, sur tout Gillett.

Gillett et Hicks cherche pour un prete avec les banques donner plus de control a Hicks, chose pas très cool vu ses actions recement !

alors Gillett doit disider le futur !

soit il vende tout avec Hicks à DIC et DIC controle 100% avec leurs homme en place.

soit Hicks vend son 50% à DIC et Gillet control avec eux

soit Gillett et Hicks trouve un prete et cree du debt pour le club avec le construction du nouveau stade, chose dificile a gere vu les interet sur le pret à long terme et Hicks prendre plus de pouvoir à LFC !

c'est complexe mais hors controle pour nous, c'est du buisness et pas du football !

les Reds doit continuer de gagner sur le terrain pour que le situation devient plus seraine au mois sur le jeu et avec les bons resultats.

c'est une grand chapiter dans notre histoie qui vas ce decider dans les jous qui suit !

mais tout ca c'est que du speculation car rien est official alors, common Redmen et bat les Villains ce soir !!!

YNWA

American dream has turned sourJan 22 2008


Comment From Anfield

by Christopher Beesley, Liverpool Daily Post


TOM HICKS might be adamant that he’s not about to sell up at Liverpool but any remaining doubts the Texan had about the end of a “special relationship” existing between himself and the club’s supporters were extinguished at Anfield last night.

Just 11 months since Hicks and business partner George Gillett were greeted by the Shankly Gates as a couple of star-spangled heroes – the greatest big man-small man combination since Kevin Keegan and John Toshack – yet the American dream has turned into a nightmare for many supporters of England’s most successful football club.

“If it ain’t broke don’t Hicks it”, “Dubai SOS Yanks Out” and “Taxi for Hicks” were some of the printable messages daubed around the ground – others were more blunt – but a common theme prevailed, it seems that Liverpool’s US owners are no longer welcome when it comes to large numbers of the club’s support.

It’s all a far cry from the start of last year when after weeks of speculation that long-time chairman David Moores was finally going to relinquish his control of the team he has supported all his life to DIC (Dubai International Capital), Gillett and Hicks emerged at the 11th hour and persuaded Anfield chiefs to spurn the attentions of their Arab suitors and chase the Yankee dollar instead. After all, great rivals Manchester United had gone down the same road and after some initial reservations from their fans, a string of big money purchases had galvanised Sir Alex Ferguson’s squad back to the top of the Premier League.

A significant minority of United’s diehards were so disgusted by the thought of the team they love becoming a soccer franchise that they went and formed their own breakaway club but there were no such protests here as most Liverpudlians, perhaps fearful that their team might get left behind among the increasing trend for overseas investment, rolled out the red
carpet for their Uncle Sam Sugar Daddies.


The way the US owners operate at these two footballing superpowers separated by just 35 miles of M62 motorway could not contrast more sharply.


The once much-maligned absentee landlord Malcolm Glazer still hasn’t set foot in “The Theatre of Dreams”, but United seem to be prospering.


On the other hand, Gillett and Hicks, have attended several games at Anfield as well as last season’s Champions League final in Athens.


Gillett, the main architect of the deal tends to keep a relatively low profile but Hicks has revelled in singing along to “You’ll Never Walk Alone” while bedecked in a red and white scarf.


Yet for once the loudest chant on the Kop on this occasion was not for the usual Gerry Marsden sing-along but “They don’t care about Rafa, they don’t care about fans – Liverpool Football Club, it’s in the wrong hands”.


When it came to making the right noises to win favour with the locals, it wasn’t just aping Kopites that originally got the Americans onside.


Significant investment in the squad was promised alongside a brand new state-of-the-art Anfield.


But with futuristic plans scrapped due to spiralling costs along with talk of Hicks and Gillett having to borrow even more funds to secure the club’s future, things have turned rapidly sour.


Perhaps most galling for your average fan though has been the shabby treatment of much-loved manager Rafael Benitez with Hicks admitting to having sounded out Jurgen Klinsmann in November for an Anfield vacancy that didn’t actually exist and it seems difficult to see how he’ll be able to rebuild the trust of those who feel “The Liverpool Way” has been sacrificed at the expense of “The American Way.”

Rafa Benitez position still unclear whoever owns LiverpoolJan 22 2008




by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post


RAFAEL BENITEZ will have to prove he should stay as Liverpool manager if the rumoured takeover of the club takes place.

The Dubai International Capital (DIC) – the investment arm of the Dubai government – is thought to be readying a £350million offer to buy out American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

Benitez’s position has come under intense scrutiny since the duo assumed control of the club last February, particularly after confirmation last week from Hicks that Jurgen Klinsmann had been approached with a view to taking over from the Spaniard.

There were protests at Anfield last night during Liverpool’s Premier League game with Aston Villa in support of Benitez and a possible DIC takeover.

But while DIC chairman Sameer al-Ansari is a keen Liverpool supporter, the business will demand the best possible man for the manager’s role.


And that would mean Benitez having to convince the prospective new owners he remains the ideal choice to end a championship drought that stretches back to 1990.


Hicks and Gillett are currently looking to refinance the club’s debt and are hopeful that a deal could be struck in the next few days, with the announcement of designs for the new stadium revealed next week.


However, it is feared the package could compromise Benitez’s summer spending plans.

I think the best thing for LFC at this moment in time would be not a rafalutuion but a revolution.

If the the DIC offer is accepted, and looking at last nights continuation of poor results. The americans must surely be considering as to if it is worth taking on the new debt as this would finally mean they have to put at least some of their own money in. I believe £25 Million each is the figure the banks want them to come up with.

I think they may take the DIC money and cut and run. Then DIC can commence the revolution. Out with Rafa, out with Parry, and get the right people in place where it matters.

After all this was not an isolated result this was a continuation of very poor results that keep us going backward and not forward. This season could well be our worst finish in Premier Leaugue since it started.

Surely this lack of success on the field combined with the fans revolt against the present owners must start alarm bells ringing for the Yanks. A scenario of a club that is slipping down the table combined with a global recession whilst the club is up to the hilt in debt cannot be a palatable one for our present owners.

To date they have not put in one penny of their own money, if they go ahead with the re-financing they have to invest their own cash.

Hicks may be greedy but I don't believe he is stupid.

From The TimesJanuary 22, 2008

Fears that Dubai rescuers may be scared off as Liverpool tip towards crisis pointOliver Kay

The turmoil surrounding Liverpool continued yesterday amid growing fears that the proposed “rescue plan” from Dubai International Capital (DIC) will be abandoned if Tom Hicks, the unpopular co-owner, proceeds today with a £350 million refinancing package that will plunge the club deep into debt.

Despite the grave misgivings of George Gillett Jr, his co-owner, and of the Liverpool board, Hicks intends to press ahead with a refinancing plan that has been agreed in principle with their bankers, the Royal Bank of Scotland and Wachovia. That plan, to transfer the duo’s existing £300 million debt to the club, will leave Liverpool facing annual interest payments in the region of £30 million, but the greater concern in the immediate term is that it may drive away DIC, the private-equity investment arm of the Dubai Government, which is regarded by many at Anfield as the potential “saviour” of the club.

There was optimism at Liverpool last week that Gillett, who is regarded as the more benign of the two owners, may be persuaded to veto the refinancing plan or that he may join forces with DIC in a bid to buy out his business partner. The expectation now, however, is that Gillett will reluctantly put his name to the refinancing package, which is regarded by the Americans as a means of stabilising their troubled regime at Anfield, at least in the short term, allowing them to proceed with plans to construct a new £300 million stadium on Stanley Park.

There is little doubt that Hicks and Gillett, faced with spiralling costs and hostility from the club’s supporters, are losing their appetite for the challenge they took on at Liverpool only 11 months ago, but they will not be forced into a quick sale.


Although they have held informal negotiations with DIC through a third party, they have no intention of selling unless they make a profit on their initial £234 million investment. They have already informed their bank that a proposed £300 million offer from DIC will be rejected out of hand.

The uncertainty at the club – not least over the future of Rafael BenÍtez, whose long-term position as manager appears untenable under the present regime after his much-publicised fall-out with Hicks – made for an unusually hostile atmosphere as Liverpool prepared to take on Aston Villa in the Barclays Premier League last night. After recent events, many supporters headed to Anfield preparing to direct their anger at the owners.

The “Reclaim the Kop” campaign has been influential in orchestrating the protests against the owners. In a prematch statement, it said: “These two . . . are not fit to be associated with our club. The current situation is unworkable. Rafael BenÍtez, with his ingrained sense of honour, dignity and morality, has been publicly humiliated by Hicks and Gillett. Rafa would have walked away by now but for one small thing the Americans will never ‘get’: he loves it here.”

Regardless of his wish to stay, BenÍtez appears certain to leave at the end of the season if Hicks and Gillett remain in situ. The Spaniard’s position was severely unstable even before Hicks admitted last week that he had held talks with Jürgen Klinsmann, the former Germany coach.

From The TimesJanuary 22, 2008

Heart is ruling the head in Anfield pursuit by Al AnsariSiobhan Kennedy: Analysis
Dubai International Capital (DIC) is an investment arm of the Dubai Government and its ruling king. As such, it has an almost bottomless pit of cash at its disposal.

The group is one of the largest sovereign wealth funds that are topping the headlines at the moment after coming to the rescue of the big American banks that need propping up in the wake of the global credit crunch.

The company is best known in Britain for its acquisition of the Madame Tussauds, the waxworks museum, which merged last year with Merlin Entertainments Group, although Dubai still owns 20 per cent of the combined company. It also owns Travelodge, the budget hotel chain, which it acquired for £675 million in August 2006, and Doncasters, the UK industrials company.

The investment arm of DIC is the same as any other private equity firm, such as Blackstone, KKR, or Permira, which ran into trouble last year over its acquisition of the AA. Private equity firms acquire companies using small amounts of their own cash and lots of debt. They then push through a restructuring or refocusing of the company and pay themselves a dividend once the company’s fortunes have turned around. After an investment period of about three to five years, private equity firms then sell or float the company if it is private.


Typically, their interest in companies is financially driven, but in this case, it is believed that Sameer Al Ansari, the head of DIC, is leading from the heart, not the head.

Having been educated at Liverpool University School of Law, Al Ansari is a big Liverpool fan and goes to Anfield several times a season, in the same way that Malcolm Glazer’s son, Joel, had a passion for Manchester United. How better to satisfy that passion than buying the club? It worked for Glazer and Al Ansari thinks it can work for him, too.

Like Glazer, Al Ansari knows the marketing power of Liverpool is huge and he wants to find a way to turn that appeal into profits. George Gillett Jr, the Liverpool co-owner, said in February 2007 that the Liverpool “brand” needed to be promoted in the Far East. “Liverpool is the No 1 brand in Europe. If you go to the Far East, Man Utd has historically been the No 1 brand, Chelsea has recently become popular,” he said.

In 2005, LiverpoolFC.tv, the digital media arm of the club, signed a partnership with China.com Inc to launch a Chinese language website and wireless service and spread the popularity of the brand in China. The global online membership of LiverpoolFC.tv stands at 28 million.

When Dubai’s first attempt to buy Liverpool failed last year, Al Ansari gave an unusually emotional response in a DIC press release. He said: “Liverpool is the most successful football club in English football history. It exists to win things for its supporters. It deserves to be in the hands of people who support it, who understand its history and legend and who share the enthusiasm and passion of its fans.

“I am sure I will be back at Anfield with my family soon to support my team, as I have done so in the last 30-plus years. In the meantime, I wish the manager, the players and everyone connected with the club the best of fortune for the challenges ahead and will make sure that I am there the day they lift the Premiership trophy.”

Ant wrote:

it rymes with Rick just like PRICK




ps : mais il y a des enfant sur le forum alors pour moi

I hope they don't understand english!