Most people will see this and decide it’s a really stupid question. But this is something that I have posted on Twitter several times, to some of the most hardnend FSG Out crew, and many of them don’t have an answer.
These people are so quick throw stones at everything FSG do and twist every bit of LFC news to suit their agenda. I have seen the stadium revovations criticised, I have seen ticket prices bashed along with player wages and transfer budgets getting totally roasted. I have seen social media fans say FSG are too loyal to players while criticising them for selling others. I have even seen fans saying FSG lied about selling the club to avoid spending money in the Januarytransfer window, despite the fact they never once said the club was 100% for sale and they actually did spend money on Cody Gakpo.
Now it’s obvious to everyone that success as an owner is a multi faceted ideal. However, if everything is FSG’s fault and everything they do is bad it should be easy to describe what a successful new ownership would look like. But when forced into a corner to desribe this success the FSG Out posse generally shut up.
This is becuase simply spending more money on players doesn’t cut it, which is the biggest gripe of many “fans”. But if success was measured by how much money is spent on players then Everton would be in with a shout of some kind of medal almost every season. And if money guaranteed success then Man City and PSG would win the Champions League every year, depending on who spent the most money in the previous 12 months of course.
I am not saying buying top players doesn’t help, but all it does is get you to the edge of the discussion. Don’t believe me, just ask the Manchester Utd fans. So if simply spending on players is not the sign of a good owner then we must answer many questions to determine what is.
How many trophies a year do they have to win?
How many seats should be availble for season ticket holders?
How much revenue should they push for?
How many revenue streams is allowable?
How many years should they hold onto players?
How much money should we spend on players?
Does net spend actually matter?
Should the stadium have leaks in the roof and blocked drains in the toilets leaving the floor flooded with urine?
etc etc etc.
Of course that last one was a dig at the Glazers, but let’s say new owners did come to Liverpool spend big and do all the other variables just right only to miss out on the league title by just one point and Champions League final by a single goal. What if they sack Klopp and backed the next manager only for the trophy drought to continue, have they then failed as owners?
If they win one trophy every year but don’t spend as big as City or Chelsea or even Aston Villa then is that still a failure?
What if they win trophies, spend big on players, but neglect the stadium, academy and infrastructure. Will this still be seen as a failure?
The point is that people harp on about success and not having low expectations of the club and team, but they can’t even identify what their true expectations are. Of cousre we all want Liverpool to win every game. But we also know that football is too nuanced and fickle for that to be possible no matter who you have in the starting 11 and that’s why we love the game, anything can happen.
So when you jump on the FSG Out parade or the push to see Klopp sacked try and ask yourself this simple question, what do I really want from Liverpool Football Club?