Fenway Sports Group may consider changing their approach in order to make Liverpool “a winning club” in the coming years. That's the opinion of the man who helped broker the sale of the club to the Americans more than seven years ago. Christian Purslow was managing director at Anfield when FSG (then known as New England Sports Ventures) gained control of the Reds in 2010, following a bitter High Court battle with reviled former owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett. And in an exclusive interview for the ECHO's Blood Red podcast, Purslow offered his opinion on the position the club finds itself in now, and whether FSG could do more to ensure the club is competitive at the highest level. He said: “I think the club is in a very stable and improved position. It is financially managed in an extremely skilful, professional and responsible way – and those are words that are near and dear to me as a business person. “It is prudently managed, and never again could I imagine - certainly under this ownership group – the kind of financial irresponsibility that characterised the previous period. “That's important, because it gives you a platform. But you can't have everything in life, and when you're up against rivals who have funding models that are limitless, as City do, and in United a competitor that haven't had some of these distractions and have been able to in the last 15 years gain a huge commercial advantage. Those are very deep-pocketed competitors whose ability to pay wages and fund transfers is higher than Liverpool's is today. “I think Liverpool are in rude financial health, and so that would suggest that their par is somewhere between third, fourth and fifth.” Purslow, who in addition to 18 months at Liverpool also spent more than two years as Chelsea's managing director, says he understands calls from Reds supporters for a more expansive, ambitious spending strategy. And the 54-year-old believes that we could well see FSG loosen the purse strings in the future, given that the key “cornerstones” of their ownership are now in place. “I honestly feel that FSG, like Ronseal, did exactly what it said on the tin when they took over,” he said. “They had an iconic sports team in America, which they had been patient in restoring to its former glory. They had a case study in what not to do at a football club too, let's face it. They had perhaps the most notorious case study in football history, actually. “I think they would say that the first two or three years were tough, they made lots of decisions which they learned from. “I think people know this, and it's true, but the speed of the sale process was so fast that they didn't have a lot of time to plan for the future. They were learning on the job. I don't think they expected to be so in the deep end so quickly. “Now we are seven-and-a-half years in, they have learnt well, have made big decisions around Anfield, have an A-list manager and a prudent financial approach. Those are the cornerstones of their approach. “There will be people – fans, media – who will say they want them to spend more, to buy Pogba for £90m or whatever. I think it's a perfectly reasonable observation, and it might change. They might become more expansive with their capital now they have nailed down their cornerstones. “The new domestic TV deal provides further stability, and the overseas revenue is likely to exceed last time. So I would have plenty of sympathy for the view that they can afford to be more expansive going forward. “I'm an investor by background, and so are they, and I think you can make an argument as an investor that the strategy which makes most value for Liverpool in the long run is to make Liverpool a winning club as opposed to an ultra-competitive top club. To do that, you might have to speculate to accumulate. “They have the potential, without doubt, to fight each year for the Premier League and to go deep and long in the Champions League. “To shorten those odds by investing more absolute money is the choice they have in front of them. I wouldn't be surprised if they do so, but knowing their background I would be surprised if it wasn't just a gradual ramping-up – always with the backdrop of financial responsibility. “And given the circumstances which existed when I was at the club, where we were drowning, nobody wants to go back there. “Ideally, you want financial rectitude and trophies. The other way, financial prudence and no trophies? That doesn't feel so great for the average fan. “Finding that medium is what the business of owning football clubs is all about, and I have to say the American model is about erring on the side of caution, making money, financial sense, common sense, and that isn't the way Manchester City, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain are being run, so it's going to be hard to knock those teams off top spot.” Purslow believes one of those key “cornerstones” is the presence of Jurgen Klopp as manager, and has backed the German to deliver the success Liverpool supporters crave. https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/spo...ristian-purslow-sees-possible-change-14321521
so... he says lfc care good for somewhere above arsenal who've utterly ****ed up and below utd in 2nd... revolutionary thinking there LFC might spend more money.. given they have a net spends i nthe black under klopp and spent 75mil on vvd... again wow revolutionary thinking. how is this clown (and comolli) making moeny writing about our club still. I coudl have written that pile of obviousness. Did the echo ask him about joe cole.... the guy was PART OF AND A MAJOR CONTIBUTOR TO the bad financial practices.
Was any LFC fan calling for us to buy Pogba for £90m? FSG are currently in a Brewster's millions scenario, trying to spend hundreds of millions each window but always ending up with net spend going back to zero
Is anyone even arsed what this guy thinks? Such a smug ****, just **** off back to wherever you came from.
Which is all that twat ever was, though he still saw fit to involve himself in team matters. Whenever I see his name I just think, "The man who sacked Rafa for Hodgson in our darkest hour." FSG have always been prepared to spend where it matters. The Red Sox bought older players where they felt the experience warranted it and broke wage levels to get them. They've been more Wenger than Abramovich early doors, which was prudent given where the club was coming from, but I never thought they were only interested in ticking over.
in fairness the clubs relative health now is stronger than its been probably since 1990s. can't say that for sure but it SEEMS on the front to be in good healt hand debt is not hurting as it did under moores never mind G&H. theres been so many almost managers who did great things and it fell apart on them to make any comment on klopp. he's won nothing yet but its a fun ride overall right now.
