Liverpool Football Club: Being re labelled as “the selling club”

I wrote an article for Weekender (Daily Tribune) during last week of December 2014 “Big stars are Liverpool? May take another season of TOP 4 Finish”.

My argument was this: When a player of the quality and record of Cesc Fabregas (36 Million), Diego Costa (40 million), Alexis Sanchez (44 million) look for a football club shift, they look for a pedigree, consistency in management, ownership, football at top flight and trophies.

Liverpool has a huge history and without a shadow of doubt, they are one of the most followed clubs in the world, but they have not won a Premier league title since its inception.

They had a fantastic last season (2013-2014) and reached Champions League again. But, from 2014-2015 onwards, the club needed to show that it was not a one season wonder thing, and they can maintain their TOP 4 status, if not winning the League title or some trophies like FA cup.

But how did this season go?

Liverpool lasted only in the group stages of Champions league this year, winning only one game against Ludogorets. They had a very bad start to the Premier League Season, loosing 7 of the first 16. Then came a turn around and they went ahead with 13 games without losing. But it went downhill again, losing to United and Arsenal, making their position extremely difficult for a top 4 finish. After the league cup semi-final exit at the hands of their recent nemesis Chelsea, the club was left with one big hope – to win the FA cup. This too lasted only till the Semi Finals.

Now what from here?

Press is full of claims that Liverpool has become a “Selling Club”. With one trophy in 9 years, Liverpool will be forced to sell more players this summer. Can you deny that so many big players who left the club in recent past, has already won major honors with their new clubs? I actually respect the way the new Liverpool owners has handled the club, in terms of handling the debt and their player wage policy. But, to compete with the likes of Chelsea and City, to win the Trophies, they need to reconsider the strategy and mission.

Or this, once a great club, will soon become a Southampton. Dream and objective each year will be Top 4 finish, players will be developed at the club, which is a fascinating thing. But they will eventually leave the club “for Trophies”.