LIVERPOOL FOCUS Financial fears grow for struggling Liverpool By Harry Harris October 20, 2009 * Comment * Email * Print City insiders close to attempted takeover bids for Liverpool have told ESPN Soccernet that failure to qualify for the Champions League could result in meltdown at Anfield. George Gillett and Prince Faisal at Anfield GettyImages George Gillett and Prince Faisal at Anfield • Paper Round: Rafa must show passion • Benitez: Reds not dead yet The disturbing analysis emphasises the enormous importance of Liverpool's forthcoming double-header at Anfield, starting on Tuesday night against Champions League Group E leaders Lyon, followed by the visit on Sunday of Premier League champions Manchester United. Liverpool have slipped down to eighth in the Premier League and are keen to win against Lyon to restore their credibility within their group and increase their chances of qualifying for the knockout stages of the Champions League. A City source said: "The Champions League has become so important to all the top clubs, notably those with big debts, and that includes Manchester United and Arsenal as well as Liverpool, but at the moment, the focus is very much on Liverpool as it looks as though Manchester United and Arsenal will continue in the Champions League next season. The same cannot be guaranteed with Liverpool. The stakes really couldn't be higher for them. "The Champions League generates £30 million for clubs like Liverpool, and that can account for virtually the amount of interest that they need to pay back to the banks each year. The bottom line for a club like Liverpool is that they need to be in the Champions League each season. It's as simple as that, and no-one at the club is going to sleep easy with the team slipping down to eighth place in the table." Liverpool's American owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks refinanced their debts with the Royal Bank of Scotland in July for another year, but would never have envisaged their team sliding down the league so early in the season. That is just a bit of the article below is a link to the whole thing http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=687194&sec=uefachampionsleague&cc=5739 Absolute joke.. How do these muppets get paid for this work. Its only October and they are already saying we might not qualify for next season champions league and what implecations that will have. Harry Harris???? Never heard of him has to be yank. Makes my blood boil.
Exactly what i was talking about in a previous post were will it all stop,i have never seen another club being bashed from pillar to post like our beloved club.This has to stop its not good for us as supporters but especially the players it has to have a negative effect on them and put untold pressure on the management.Is there a press officer at anfield that can come out and issue some sort of statement to dispel some of these rumours,we are only in october and already written off,it started after the spurs game and has not stopped now before a vital week and a very important game tonite we get more bullsh1te its a shame and the silence from anfield is deafening
i read the article a few minutes ago and there is no chance in hell that RBS would of allowed the refinancing of the clubs debt in july if they where unable to pay back the interest as a result of failing to qualify for the champions league for a min of 1 but most probably two years...
Its early doors alright but 8th and we havent even reached what are usually our bad months. It is going to be tougher to finish in the top 4 this season as I dont see City falling away and the Gooners are proving everyone wrong, even the Spuds could pose a threat. As it was only a 12 month extension the yanks got so doing well in europe this season is whats important to the current extension where we finish at the end of the season will effect any future negotiations. It may be alarmist reading but the facts in the article are the facts, we have no more a devine right to qualify for the CL as anyone else. One way or the other its going to be a hard season and while people are keen to dispel we are not a 2 man team Saturday showed we are not far off. As for who is Harry Harris, he's been considered one of the top football writers in the UK for donkeys years
Im sick of our club being in the spot by Journo and sports channels..Every day theres something else or else some thing being dugged up and reprinted from weeks ago..More rubbish..
Harry Harris is a fcuking knob. He's infamous for regurgitating other peoples stories and claiming them as exclusives.
Point taken about how this season is going to be tought with Spurs, City and even Villa looking good enough to break into the top four but to write of any team at this stage is madness. If we loose against the Scum on Sunday then even die hard optimistic Liverpool fans would have to say 10 points to win the league if a huge mountain but to say we wont finish in the top four??? If we win on Sunday then we are right back in it.. for the title that is. Utd have had some lucky breaks so far, didnt deserve a win at Arsenal. Needed all those extra minutes against City and then again against Sunderland. Those three games could easily have gone the other way. Chelsea are going to find it tough, espically during the african nataions, and considering they have already lost 2 games. Every one is still in with a good chance. To write of Liverpool in October because of a bit of bad form is just crazy.