Poch explains transfers and his ego comments...

[ScottDaYid]

Nor have Liverpool - yet. Are they in decline? or have they simply been now climbing towards what looks like this years achievement.

Everything changes - managing change is what differentiates the winners from the losers - and so far I see nothing to fear.

Liverpool have improved every season since Klopp has been there.
1st full season - 4th place and semi final League Cup
2nd season - 4th place and runner up Champions League
3rd season - Premier League winners

The difference - he's been backed. Like I said we had our chance but Levy/Lewis didn't want to risk spending £100m+ to take us to the next level, I am absolutely certain with another 2-3 quality signings we would have won the league at least once in the last 4-5 years, certainly won a trophy of some sort.

Our team is slowly falling apart unfortunately.

 

[Spursex]

Liverpool have improved every season since Klopp has been there.
1st full season - 4th place and semi final League Cup
2nd season - 4th place and runner up Champions League
3rd season - Premier League winners

The difference - he's been backed. Like I said we had our chance but Levy/Lewis didn't want to risk spending £100m+ to take us to the next level, I am absolutely certain with another 2-3 quality signings we would have won the league at least once in the last 4-5 years, certainly won a trophy of some sort.

Our team is slowly falling apart unfortunately.

You assume that they were prepared to put in at least #100+ mill plus - which should have been clear to all and sundry that

a) Levy couldn't and

b) Joe had no interest in taking expensive (in the context of then) out and out gambles.

c) it was not in their DNA or their modus operandi.

d) Liverpools revenues were 150 mill ahead of ours. - per season!!

As for 'falling apart' as of now, I cannot agree - it will be all about using a big windfall well i.e. not the 1:7 chuck enough shite at the wall we did with the Bale money...

 

[Spursex]

Tottenham transfer news: Mauricio Pochettino tipped to sign players worth £80m by Waddle
TOTTENHAM boss Mauricio Pochettino will soon be snapping up players worth £80million.
By Alex Wood
PUBLISHED: 15:49, Wed, Jan 30, 2019 | UPDATED: 16:43, Wed, Jan 30, 2019





That’s according to club hero Chris Waddle who reckons the Argentine chief will eventually be given a transfer war chest.
Spurs failed to make a single signing in the summer.
And, with this month’s transfer deadline just hours away, it could be another quiet evening in north London.

Tottenham have been reluctant to splash the cash with their expensive new stadium being built.

Tottenham transfer news: Mauricio Pochettino will be given cash says Chris Waddle​

But Waddle is adamant that Pochettino will have been promised future funds.

“I think Daniel Levy will give Pochettino the spending power of Man City and Liverpool once they move in to the new stadium,” he told Sportingbet.

“Daniel Levy will have promised Pochettino that.

“I expect Tottenham to soon be making £80m signings that can push them to the next level.

“Tottenham fans are used to seeing their side finish in the top 4 and will now be wanting to win silverware.

“Once Tottenham move in to the new stadium and start signing top players, they won't have any excuses not to and I think they will.”

Tottenham have a host of top English talent on their books.

The core of the Three Lions’ World Cup squad was made up of players from Pochettino’s ranks.

The ex-Southampton boss was heavily linked with Aston Villa playmaker Jack Grealish in the summer.

 

[Spursex]

Liverpool's Klopp supports Pochettino's top four comments
play
29 Jan, 2019

LIVERPOOL -- Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has said he supports Mauricio Pochettino's belief that regular top-four finishes in the Premier League are more important than success in domestic cup competitions.
Pochettino defended his trophy-less record at Tottenham Hotspur in the week they exited the League Cup and FA Cup, believing the club was "so successful" in competing with rivals.

Klopp feels the financial rewards from two consecutive seasons of Champions League qualification have massively helped Liverpool's title charge in 2018-19.

"You need money for improving a football team, we cannot change that. It's not the only way but it's a big thing," Klopp told a news conference on Tuesday.

"If a team is developing well and you want to keep players and develop the squad [it] will not be cheaper the year after. That's the truth.

"I know that people probably didn't like what Poch said, but it's so easy from the outside looking in. From a club point of view, the best competition to win is the Premier League because then you are in the top four and you won a big thing.

"You want to win the other competitions, but that doesn't guarantee you the money for the next year. That's why top four is so important.
"You should ask the owners much more about what they think about that. They would probably say: 'Yes, it's really important.'"

Klopp's three-year reign on Merseyside is yet to produce any silverware, although Liverpool have reached the finals of the Champions League, Europa League and League Cup under his management.

"I know for supporters it's different, and that they want silverware. But if one year you win silverware and next year you are eighth in the table, nobody likes that and nobody talks about the silverware from last year," the Reds boss continued. "I understand 100 percent what Poch said.

"In a club like Liverpool you always have to go for everything, and I think the best thing we did that everyone can see is that we are around the decisive things again.

"For a couple of years it was not like this, now it's positive. But in the end, it is really important that you are in the Champions League next year as well."

 

[Harry-Kari]

Liverpool's Klopp supports Pochettino's top four comments
play
29 Jan, 2019

LIVERPOOL -- Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has said he supports Mauricio Pochettino's belief that regular top-four finishes in the Premier League are more important than success in domestic cup competitions.
Pochettino defended his trophy-less record at Tottenham Hotspur in the week they exited the League Cup and FA Cup, believing the club was "so successful" in competing with rivals.

Klopp feels the financial rewards from two consecutive seasons of Champions League qualification have massively helped Liverpool's title charge in 2018-19.

"You need money for improving a football team, we cannot change that. It's not the only way but it's a big thing," Klopp told a news conference on Tuesday.

"If a team is developing well and you want to keep players and develop the squad [it] will not be cheaper the year after. That's the truth.

"I know that people probably didn't like what Poch said, but it's so easy from the outside looking in. From a club point of view, the best competition to win is the Premier League because then you are in the top four and you won a big thing.

"You want to win the other competitions, but that doesn't guarantee you the money for the next year. That's why top four is so important.
"You should ask the owners much more about what they think about that. They would probably say: 'Yes, it's really important.'"

Klopp's three-year reign on Merseyside is yet to produce any silverware, although Liverpool have reached the finals of the Champions League, Europa League and League Cup under his management.

"I know for supporters it's different, and that they want silverware. But if one year you win silverware and next year you are eighth in the table, nobody likes that and nobody talks about the silverware from last year," the Reds boss continued. "I understand 100 percent what Poch said.

"In a club like Liverpool you always have to go for everything, and I think the best thing we did that everyone can see is that we are around the decisive things again.

"For a couple of years it was not like this, now it's positive. But in the end, it is really important that you are in the Champions League next year as well."

“If a team is developing well and you want to keep players and develop the squad [it] will not be cheaper the year after. That's the truth.”

Thank you Klopp....exactly what I have been saying.

 

[Spursex]

I guess I just don’t feel as confident as you that the new stadium is going to generate so much income in the future that we will be on a level financial playing field with the current big clubs given that gate receipts, even with a projected 40% increase, will still be the smallest part of our income when compared to broadcasting and commercial activities.

IF it adds between 100-200 mill to our revenues (and the number of eventual non-football events will dictate that) it's a huge step towards closing the financial gap between ourselves and our peers.

The rest will be tough to gain and will depend on CL football and of course growth in our commercial deals i.e. sponsorship deals of bigger and longer value.

Broadcasting revenues are predicted by many to have reached their nadir (which I agree with), and the club has seen that, hence the huge increase in 'other activities' beer/cheese/restaurants/corporate events/music/other sports events it's planning for.

Of course, we could have justed stayed still, done nothing and never have had a hope of closing the gap - as not even a sugar daddy multi-billionaire can chuck unlimited sums at a club now.

So given the above, what would you suggest we could have done - without this infrastructure we would never ever be able to pay top wages and sustain it (just look at the pain le arse are now going through)...

Seriously, what would you have the club do? What would your strategy have been?

 

[Spursex]

“If a team is developing well and you want to keep players and develop the squad [it] will not be cheaper the year after. That's the truth.”

Thank you Klopp....exactly what I have been saying.

I don't see how - but maybe I missed it.

 

[Harry-Kari]

IF it adds between 100-200 mill to our revenues (and the number of eventual non-football events will dictate that) it's a huge step towards closing the financial gap between ourselves and our peers.

The rest will be tough to gain and will depend on CL football and of course growth in our commercial deals i.e. sponsorship deals of bigger and longer value.

Broadcasting revenues are predicted by many to have reached their nadir (which I agree with), and the club has seen that, hence the huge increase in 'other activities' beer/cheese/restaurants/corporate events/music/other sports events it's planning for.

Of course, we could have justed stayed still, done nothing and never have had a hope of closing the gap - as not even a sugar daddy multi-billionaire can chuck unlimited sums at a club now.

So given the above, what would you suggest we could have done - without this infrastructure we would never ever be able to pay top wages and sustain it (just look at the pain le arse are now going through)...

Seriously, what would you have the club do? What would your strategy have been?

My strategy would have been to build the new stadium at least 10 years ago. That is assuming that the financing didn’t depend on building and selling a load of housing units, which I don’t think it is but I could be wrong, and from what you have told us about the financing options for the current stadium we are getting it for a substantially reduced debt amount by converting the debt to shares which investors will be happy to buy for very low dividend payments in return, thus reducing repayments, a scheme that could have been applied in previous years I assume?

Of course, that probably would not have incorporated an NFL pitch and games, so I guess the revenue generation would have been less and the commercial profile in the US weakened.

So, probably, more by luck than judgement, the long term delay in starting on the project will eventually work out better. It would be nice to know what Levy’s plans would have been for the Olympic Stadium if he had bought it...I know he proposed to demolish it and build a new stadium but I wonder if those plans included the NFL pitch?

 

[Spursex]

My strategy would have been to build the new stadium at least 10 years ago. That is assuming that the financing didn’t depend on building and selling a load of housing units, which I don’t think it is but I could be wrong, and from what you have told us about the financing options for the current stadium we are getting it for a substantially reduced debt amount by converting the debt to shares which investors will be happy to buy for very low dividend payments in return, thus reducing repayments, a scheme that could have been applied in previous years I assume?

Of course, that probably would not have incorporated an NFL pitch and games, so I guess the revenue generation would have been less and the commercial profile in the US weakened.

So, probably, more by luck than judgement, the long term delay in starting on the project will eventually work out better. It would be nice to know what Levy’s plans would have been for the Olympic Stadium if he had bought it...I know he proposed to demolish it and build a new stadium but I wonder if those plans included the NFL pitch?

There have been so many twists and turns in our search for land since ENIC took over and then of course being blocked locally first of all, then looking at the Olympic stadium and then going full circle back to our present site after a 'change of heart' from the Council, pre/post riots it's almost impossible to seperate fact from fiction.

I recall the property efforts being made by Sugar's predecessors and by Sugar himself - trying to buy the space you needed from freeholders without compulsary purchase orders was nigh on impossible and whilst I know that the orginal timeline was said to be estimared at X time - it took far far longer, until it was crystal clear that with local gov intervention - we had absoutely no hope of achieving it - even then it could be said that it only came about when the club made very serious efforts to get the London Olympic site - it scared the locals into realising that they could easily lose their cash cow for good.

So IF we'd found the land to build a new stadium 15/10 years ago, many things would have been different, but we were thwarted by local government and other freeholders continuously. In much the same way we were over the redevelopment of the orginal training ground, which eventually forced us to look far and wide for a new site - and even then have a fight to win permission.

So I think everybodies strategy was aligned to build/redevelop a stadium - but one of my criticism's of the management is they believed for a long time they could make it happen despite the lack of enthusiasm/support of the public sector - eventually, the public sector got the message after the insurections culminating in the riots that finally got the idiots to realise that without a massive regeneration scheme the whole area was going to continue to be left to rot as the local party in power had done so for so many years (decades).

As for the financing, when we were public and I held a large nuber of the shares, it was always my view that the club would eventually (if it ever found a site/got permission to redevelop) undertake a large rights issue - but as we know, the decision to delist was taken after the failure was set by other listed clubs to operate profitably which by and large changed the whole fund raising enviroment for Football clubs.

They were right to go private and look to the merchant bankers for greater freedom of action and syndicated project finance - perhaps with the view to create ownership opportiunities for private placement and perhaps even a new listing in the US a la Manu (hence why the NFL association could prove to be so visionary and financially rewarding).

As far as I knew any stadium build was also envisaged by ENIC as being a new event venue so that it could generate funds all year around - and not just be a football stadium with limited revenue growth opportunities. The NFL possibilities were first discussed when there was an NFL london franchise (was it the Monarchs then? I can't recall )...so it was being looked at around 2005/6/7/8 as far as I can recall?

So whilst we need to see a full time franchise being established in London with NFL support and backing (which they already have said they believe would be a huge success) - we await that franchise happening - as a curve ball, don't be surprised if perhaps our next set of owners or even ENIC could be that franchise owner....the NFL have set the ambition that a new franchise should be operating in london by 2025 (there is nothing to say this won't have happened earlier - as I don't think any existing franchise would transfer here).

It would undoubtably be a real money spinner., although the lowest ranked NFL teams only turn over around $400 mill dollars, with the infrastructure we have, it would still be a significant profit earner for us, perhaps in the region of $50-100 per annum with all new rev's taken into account.

Add the there potential streams together ; football, Amercian Football and 'other events' and it could easily be a holding company turning over in excess of $1 - 1.5 billion per annum.

Now that's a sports business worth holding shares in, because with our infrastructure that could easily be $300 - $400 mill profit per annum.

Dividends would then be able to approach a decent yield and investing in on field talent would then be an absolute priority, where we could match the biggest in the World.

A pipe dream perhaps - but that's what ENIC startegy to date could deliver.