Does the former have a place in football? Quite an interesting read, using the Liebherr's takeover as an example of corporate investment, compared to the private equity ownership of Liverpool with John Henry. Again, highlights how lucky we are to have been taken over by Liebherr and Cortese. http://www.maycauseoffence.com/2012/05/17/private-equity-ownership-or-corporate-investment-does-the-former-have-a-place-in-football/
Interesting read - I assume the writer is a Saints fan? I liked the mention of Liverpool buying players based on 'creating chances' and 'pass completion', something all clubs probably look at but maybe not the extra vital stats like 'will they fit in?' or 'was it just a good season for them?'. Saints have had a fantastic couple of seasons, getting short term success using the long-term approach, I'm just thankful we don't need to spend ridiculous amounts to appease owners and nervous shareholders. My belief is the need for the bigger clubs to get in the Champions League or lose money will end up bringing one or several of them down in the near future.
Downing has missed 69 chances without scoring a goal, the highest ratio in europe, but apparently he fits in really well! I remember when Liverpool where good, we can tell our children that.
Great article. The corollary is the investment banking industry pre-and-post 1970s: what was for an eternity the domain of private partnerships saw the rise of publicly-traded companies, and with it a complete shift in priorities. Some partners may have worked their way up from a low level, and all would be intimately familiar with the business; the CEO of a publicly-traded company is often brought in to the position from another outfit. The goal of mid-level employees in a private partnership is to demonstrate the competence and stability necessary to eventually make partner; the goal with a public company is to bet big, make a tonne in bonuses, and retire at 30. Partners were reliant on the profits of the company to make money, and thus were more adverse to taking huge risks for short-term gain, as much or all of their wealth would be tied up in the fortunes of the outfit; a publicly-traded company hands out piles of money based on quarterly or yearly performance, and is beholden to its shareholders, so the more risk, the better, even if it makes collapse in a black swan event a possibility. Gimme the long view over the short-term profit-seekers any day.
Without the benefit of statistics, people are having to be of some age by now to have personally witnessed Liverpool's domination, it's that long ago. Those were the days when the top sides weren't bought, but nurtured.
Yeah I know the guy who writes the articles, you guys should read all of them. Very good pieces I had meant to Link them to you but never got round to it. He is indeed a life long saints fan.
I'll be 30 next year and I don't. Though I also don't yet have any children to tell anyway (though I am getting married later this year so they probably aren't that far off...).
