LIVERPOOL FACING SECOND TAKEOVER

L r d wrote:Well it's strange cause i thought they were the saviors to lift Liverpool up and compete with man utd and chelsea in the transfer market. I thought they were doing a grand job and all that, and they didn't even need to borrow no money........ what happenend here?

It will be better for Liverpool if these guys leave, cause they have no money to spend, they don't like Benitez and they talk so much $h!t.

King Otto wrote:Presumably they didn't start the plan for a new stadium costing another £350m if they had no idea how they were going to finance existing loans let alone twice as much. Or did they?

Football Genius wrote:

L r d wrote:Well it's strange cause i thought they were the saviors to lift Liverpool up and compete with man utd and chelsea in the transfer market. I thought they were doing a grand job and all that, and they didn't even need to borrow no money........ what happenend here?

It will be better for Liverpool if these guys leave, cause they have no money to spend, they don't like Benitez and they talk so much $h!t.

LRD, you make it sound like its our (the fans) fault that the americans haven't delivered exactly what they suggested they would.

We can only trust what they say, and since they haven't delivered there is no trust, hence its time for them to leave.

Don't come here under false pretence, if you don't intend to invest large quantities of money don't fucking say you are.

Football Genius wrote:

King Otto wrote:Presumably they didn't start the plan for a new stadium costing another £350m if they had no idea how they were going to finance existing loans let alone twice as much. Or did they?

The investment market has changed considerably since the Americans took over, its quite plausable that the avenues of lending they may have been looking to use dried up, and as a result have to either put their own cash up or find alternative sources.

My major fustration is due to the noises they made and catergorical suggestions they made, which was on the basis they were aware of the cost implications, then when it comes down to it, its clear they don't want to invest anymore of their money into the club, and quite adversely want to use the club as the collateral to raise funds.

I hope they end up going...

Historicus wrote:I really hope this is true. Hicks and Gillett have done nothing productive aside from allowing Rafa to buy Fernando Torres. They didn't allow Rafa to make the moves he needed to make ahead of the January Window to improve the squad, and in my opinion their threats that Rafa's job is on the line has caused him to be overly conservative with his game plans, because he's afraid to take a chance and maybe lose his job.

Crouching Tiger wrote:

Historicus wrote:I really hope this is true. Hicks and Gillett have done nothing productive aside from allowing Rafa to buy Fernando Torres. They didn't allow Rafa to make the moves he needed to make ahead of the January Window to improve the squad, and in my opinion their threats that Rafa's job is on the line has caused him to be overly conservative with his game plans, because he's afraid to take a chance and maybe lose his job.

Welcome to the board

Dark Savante wrote:
'Should they fail in their efforts to repay the £350m
acquisition debt on Liverpool when it comes due in just over six weeks,
there would be the possibility of the next owner of the club becoming
RBS.'

Crouching Tiger wrote:I sosososososososo hope this is true. The Arabs wanted to buy Liverpool because they are actually FANS of the club, and this hands off and quite frankly unprofessional approach from the Americans is undermining the club.

Glenn Hysén wrote:PROBABLY NOT GOOD NEWS FOR RAFA

AP NewsBreak: Co-owner Tom Hicks looks for outside backing to take control of Liverpool

By ROB HARRIS, Associated Press Writer 5 hours, 21 minutes ago

LIVERPOOL, England (AP)—Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks is exploring how to take control of the club by acquiring all or part of George Gillett Jr.’s 50 percent stake.

The preferred option is to raise private equity, possibly for his entire sports group, a person familiar with Hicks’ plans told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.

The duo bought the Premier League club for $431 million as 50-50 partners last March, but Gillett is seeking to sell his share and Hicks is trying to raise money to become the majority owner.

Hicks alluded this week that Gillett was exploring a sale of his stake to Dubai Capital International. And in an interview with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Hicks publicly affirmed his power to block Gillett from selling his shares.

Gillett’s ongoing discussions to sell to DIC again were confirmed Friday to The Associated Press by a financial industry executive familiar with negotiations. The executive spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of talks.

If Hicks could secure sufficient funding to become the controlling owner at Anfield, it would send a defiant message to fans that he will be a long-term fixture at English soccer’s most-decorated club.

DIC was in talks to acquire the club a year ago but withdrew. DIC—the private-equity investment arm of the Dubai government—is only interested in acquiring a controlling stake, the executive told the AP.

Roy Winnick, a New York-based spokesman for Hicks, wouldn’t comment on his client’s options.

Hicks could attempt to buy out Gillett’s shares and personal guarantees, which were central to last month’s refinancing of the loan used to purchase Liverpool. The price of a buyout by Hicks of Gillett would be about $300 million, the financial industry executive said.

A person familiar with Hicks’ plans ruled out a public offering of shares in Hicks Sports Group, which includes baseball’s Texas Rangers and the NHL’s Dallas Stars as well as the 50 percent stake in Liverpool through Kop Holdings. The person cited volatility in the global financial markets.

The window of opportunity for that option may reopen before the end of the year, but isn’t currently viable, the person added.

But the executive, who has been in contact with JP Morgan Chase & Co., said Hicks has been looking into the feasibility of a private placement to raise money.

Last month, Hicks revealed he had spoken to DIC about a “10 to 15 percent participation” but that his valuation was viewed by DIC too high.

Since then, Hicks has told the AP that he wants to take a “more active role” at Anfield, while affirming his commitment to the club “regardless” of Gillett’s actions earlier this week.

But DIC and Gillett are in constant negotiations, according to financial executive said. The Dubai consortium is only interested in gaining control of the Reds, the executive said. That would require Hicks to sell shares, something that isn’t being considered.

“He’s not in the market to sell, but he’s in the market to buy more shares,” another person close to Hicks said, also speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the deal.

Hicks said this week he is preparing to “fix the situation.”

“Not only am I not going to sell, my partner cannot sell without my approval,” Hicks said in Thursday’s Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “So, I kind of have the ability to determine the outcome of what is going to happen, and I am right in the middle of that.”

Since attending a December match against Manchester United, Gillett and son Foster Gillett have been less visible at Liverpool and Hicks has become the ownership spokesman.

Many fans have turned against the American owners, who publicly feuded last autumn with popular manager Rafa Benitez over player transfers. Hicks has acknowledged he sought out former Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann in November as a possible replacement for Benitez, which enflamed tensions.

But last week Benitez spoke warmly about encouraging and motivational e-mails sent by Hicks, while stating that Gillett hadn’t entered into similar electronic correspondence.

A group of Liverpool fans is also hoping to buy the club from the Americans. Share Liverpool FC is trying to raise $990 million by asking fans to pledge $9,900 each.