Roy Hodgson Associates His Problems with Ownership Issues
Roy Hodgson is under a lot of pressure to deliver for Liverpool fans, but he has indicated that the success would be impossible unless the ownership issues are resolved at Anfield.
Liverpool’s American owners, George Gillett and Tom Hicks are trying to sell the club for a long time now. This sale is very important especially because Liverpool is facing a financial crunch, which could lead to bankruptcy. These financial problems would be aggravated as the club failed to make it into UEFA Champions League, which means that there would be even less profits earned from ticket sales. This trouble is also making it harder for the manager to retain some of his players, as a cut in salaries is imminent.
During the summer, the American owners came very close to selling, but due to some reasons the deals did not materialize. Two of the top competitors were billionaires from Sudan and Hong Kong, who went neck to neck in achieving the club. However, towards the start of new season, the club remains with its old owners, while Hodgson is still troubled by the unsettlement.
Hodgson said in the media that he would like to see a resolution to ownership problems at Liverpool. He said that the problems are being created due to the speculation, so a quick solution is required. He stated that the problems existed in Liverpool, which was hard for him to solve as a manager. Liverpool’s problems, according to Hodgson, are real and are linked only with ownership problems.
Liverpool has a lot of history associated with winning the record number of league titles, eighteen of them, and five Champions League titles, which is also a record for any club in England. However, the capacity at Liverpool’s stadium at Anfield does not reflect the stature of a big club. Other teams, including Manchester United, Arsenal, Newcastle United, Sunderland and Manchester City have bigger stadiums than Anfield. It is quite unreal that the Liverpool’s owners never thought of increasing their capacity, despite the fact that big earnings are associated with bigger stadiums. However, this has become a necessity in recent times, as Liverpool is finding it hard to generate profits.
The same problem was highlighted by Roy Hodgson, who desperately wants Liverpool in new hands. Hodgson stated that the new owners are required, especially because the club needs to increase their stadium capacity. With a club of Liverpool’s stature, a mere capacity of almost 46000 seats is not enough to hold a big fan base. So, this thing remains top on Hodgson’s agenda as a manager at Liverpool.
But, the new owners, when they do arrive, would find it hard to invest directly in the club’s expansion. First, it would be important for Hodgson to show some stability in finances. However, he showed a lot of character during the summer transfers, as he bought some new players, including Christian Poulsen and Joe Cole. Also, he was able to retain some other players who were being picked by other big clubs, including Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and Dirk Kuyt. At least, for a time being, Hodgson has made sure that shirt sales of Liverpool would not drop, because these big names are highly associated with Liverpool brand.
The ownership problems at Liverpool are far from being over. It is very hard to understand the problems of selling a club like Liverpool, because the club has a history and a fan base already there. These two things are directly translated into income, which is very hard to generate while taking over smaller clubs like Chelsea and Manchester United. Although, the problems have not been disclosed, but it is quite possible that huge debts of Liverpool is keeping the investors away.
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