Are Liverpool The First To Feel The Pinch?
It’s been a turbulent weekend in Merseyside as Liverpool’s frustrating lack of activity on transfer deadline day was swiftly followed by a demoralising defeat at home to Arsenal. Fans sat glued to Sky Sports News with high expectations as they watched the senior figures of Charlie Adam, Jay Spearing and Andy Carroll vacate the club. However, they were left dejected upon learning that no new faces would be arriving and showed now mercy by venting their frustrations on online forums and social networking sites.
Clint Dempsey was widely tipped to join the Rodger’s revelation but Liverpool were only able to offer a fraction of Fulham’s relatively insignificant £6m asking price. The financial implications of the transfer spree instigated under Kenny Dalglish have quite clearly placed a hefty barricade on the clubs path to glory, but do Liverpool stand alone with their new conservative transfer policy or are they the first of many clubs about to suffer the consequences of overspending in the market?
In the aftermath of intense criticism and speculation surrounding the actions of key individuals – most notably managing director Ian Ayre – principal owner John W Henry today revealed an open letter to fans outlining his own disappointment. The lengthy statement reinforced their commitment and aspirations for the club but failed to highlight the reasons why a replacement was not bought in for Carroll, especially now Rodgers has to rely solely on the influential but hardly prolific Luis Suarez and Fabio Borini.
Henry also stated that the club are still in the “process of reversing the errors of previous regimes” and could not afford to conduct any future extravagant purchases.
“We will build and grow from within, buy prudently and cleverly and never again waste resources on inflated transfer fees and unrealistic wages.” (liverpoolfc.com)
There is also praise for the “three young, but significantly talented starters in Joe Allen, Nuri Sahin and Fabio Borini” in what he refuses to call an unsuccessful period of transfer activity. However, few could argue that these deals represent value for money, especially when compared to the business that Tottenham and even Arsenal have conducted during the window. It’s worth pointing out that Liverpool have been hampered by their continued absence from the Champions League, so what does the future hold for the members of the current ‘top 4’?
After enduring their long and humiliating stint without a trophy Arsenal look set to benefit from their shrewd transfer policy. They are one of the few sides in the league and indeed across Europe who repeatedly boasts an annual profit, meaning they will comfortably meet the requirements set by the new Financial Fair Play regulations.
“Financial Fair Play will come through because big clubs who have been spending a lot are worrying now,‘ said Wenger. ‘They ignored it until now, but finally we see that they are getting concerned.” (Daily Mail)
However their future security measures are of little consolation when the club adopts a worrying trend of selling their best players to their former rivals. In fact, they mirrored the actions of Liverpool on deadline day when Arsene Wenger failed to bring in a replacement for Alex Song despite publicly stating he would do so.
It’s a completely different story in Manchester with United shackled by their vast debt and City supporting a truly staggering wage budget. Ferguson was still able to flex his financial muscle with the purchase of Robin van Persie and Shinji Kagawa but was forced to return with his tail between his legs when PSG brushed them aside to sign Lucas Moura. Mancini on the other hand spent most of the window throwing his diamond-encrusted toys out of his pram before finally getting his way with the £16m purchase of Javi Garcia.
Chelsea have seemingly ignored the impending restraints on their bank account by dropping £80m over the summer to secure the likes of Eden Hazard and Oscar. However, every single new arrival has their best years ahead of them and may see Roman Abramovich take a back seat in future transfer windows, especially if Roberto Di Matteo can keep them sitting pretty at the top of the table.
John Henry alluded to a very critical point when he declared, “spending is not merely about buying talent”. There are plenty of avenues besides player acquisitions that come under the umbrella of financial investment and are excluded from the Financial Fair Play requirements. These may not bring about short-term success but will help ensure a sustainable future and few can argue that this has to be the priority.
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Just like week Michel Platini was reaffirming his intentions to be ruthless to those who do not respect the rules of the FFP before declaring, “Uefa are there to protect [the clubs], not kill them.” And judging by the recent fortunes of Portsmouth, Rangers and Malaga, the only thing they need protecting from is themselves. Liverpool and Arsenal may be the first clubs to frustrate their fans during the transfer window, but don’t expect them to be the last.
Join me on Twitter @theunusedsub where Liverpool have just announced that their new signing will wear the number 007 shirt.
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