Liverpool FC are currently trying to replace their American ice hockey franchise owners with American baseball franchise owners instead.

“Everyone knows it’ll be a good thing for the club,” said Carragher today. “Hopefully it will be sorted sooner rather than later and we can start looking forward on the pitch and start improving results, which is what we need to do.”

Once bitten, twice shy? Course not. With all the excitement surrounding potentially ousting Hicks and Gillett from the club, it appears as though Mr Liverpool is speaking on behalf of Merseyside when blindly walking in to this situation.

Let’s rewind three years shall we, when it was announced that Hicks and Gillett had bought the club…

Liverpool chairman David Moores, who become an honorary life president, said: “This is a great step forward for Liverpool’s shareholders and its fans. This club is my passion and forms a huge part of my life. After much careful consideration, I have agreed to sell my shares to assist in securing the investment needed for the new stadium and for the playing squad. I urge all my fellow shareholders to do the same and to support the offer. By doing so, I believe you will be backing the successful future of Liverpool. I am also delighted to accept the offer from the Hicks and Gillett families to continue my involvement in the club by becoming honorary life president.”

Rick Parry, chief executive at the time: : “This is great for Liverpool, our supporters and the shareholders – it is the beginning of a new era for the club. They are bringing to the table tremendous and relevant experience, a passion for sport, real resources and a strong commitment to the traditions of Liverpool. We know that George and Tom want a long-term relationship with Liverpool and that they also understand the importance of investing in our success both on and off the field. They have made clear their intention to move as quickly as practicable on the financing and construction of our proposed new stadium at Stanley Park and also to support investment in the playing squad.”

Mark Lawrenson: “I think the future is bright for Liverpool. They’re about to go to a brand new ground with 60,000 fans, I think there’s investment and arguably better use of the brand name – and they are a worldwide brand. This will help the manager Rafael Benitez buy even better players and help keep them up with Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea and the teams in the Champions League – if not overtake them.”

Liverpool fans’ reaction: “This is a much better deal than the DIC deal. Liverpool have made a wise choice. It is a shame that clubs have to sell out to investors, but the big clubs have to move with the times.”

“This is surely the news every Liverpool supporter wants to hear and it looks like finally, Liverpool FC may be starting the journey back to the top of English football.”

“I’ve just listened to George Gillett and Tom Hicks at the press conference, and I clearly believe that these are the men to take Liverpool forward!”

“I have warmed to the Americans and am confident Parry and Moores know what they’re doing, so I trust their decision.”

So, it’s good to know after the hopes were so high last, only for fans to carry out weekly protests now their club are now in the relegation zone, that they are learning from their mistakes, eh Mr Liverpool?

What to the new prospective owners, NESV, have to say?

“NESV wants to create a long-term financially solid foundation for Liverpool FC and is dedicated to ensuring that the club has the resources to build for the future. Our objective is to stabilise the club and ultimately return Liverpool FC to its rightful place in English and European football, successfully competing for and winning trophies. NESV wants to help bring back the culture of winning to Liverpool FC.”

And what did Hicks and Gillett say when they bought the club in 2007?

“Liverpool is a fantastic club with a remarkable history and a passionate fanbase. We fully acknowledge and appreciate the unique heritage and rich history of Liverpool and intend to respect this heritage in the future. The Hicks family and the Gillett family are extremely excited about continuing the club’s legacy and tradition. We are particularly pleased that David Moores and Rick Parry will have a continuing involvement in the club. For us continuity and stability are keys to the future.”

It’s the same old waffle. This is a great club… bla bla bla… we will give you money… bla bla bla… we will bring success back to you… bla bla bla.

Regardless, Carragher, who plays for a club whose fans are buying “Yanks out” scarves and showing up with “Yanks out” banners, is now throwing his weight behind a new Yank bid, by new Yanks making all the promises the old Yanks did. Well played.

So, what has this got to do with us? Like Liverpool, we’re fighting against our owners, but unlike Liverpool, we don’t welcome our Yanks with open arms. Theirs is a situation they welcomed whilst ours was a situation we protested against for years before it finally happened. Whilst Liverpool have won nothing under their new owners, now dwelling in the relegation zone, United, under the leadership of Sir Alex Ferguson, have won three league titles, the European Cup and three League Cups. We have managed this in spite of our ownership, rather than having success because of our ownership, like Chelsea, to use an obvious example.

The Red Knights have been the only serious potential buyers in the five years and that was met with a mixed reaction. Whilst MUST gave their full backing to the cause, there were plenty of reds who were far more cautious, wanting to know a lot more about the Red Knights before offering their support. Other reds on principle wanted nothing to do these money men from London. But at present, we’re waiting for the valuation of the club to fall before the Glazers will sell. Given that Forbes have just named us as the most valuable franchise in the world, ahead of the Dallas Cowboys, Real Madrid and New York Yankees, our protests must continue long and hard. In contrast, Liverpool don’t have the fanbase, assets or general value that United has, with a measly £300m enough to save them from Yank ownership. Well, one set of Yank ownership anyway.

Any new owner of either of our clubs will desperately seek the fans’ backing, something the Glazers never had from United. In contrast, it looks as though NESV already has the support of Liverpool, if we are to take Jamie Carragher as a good representative, just like Hicks and Gillett had their support three years ago. Out of the frying pan…

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Reclaim our club
Dig out your old shirts