Liverpool fans will receive little sympathy from me for the plight they have found themselves in for a season and three months.
As a West Ham fan, I spent a season promised giddy heights Champions League football by 2011 when taken over by Icelandic billionaire, Björgólfur Guomundsson.
Buying players like Freddie Ljungberg and Kieron Dyer on ridiculously large wages was a recipe for disaster, which eventuated when the global financial crisis hit.
We spent two seasons owned by a consortium of Icelandic banks, were forced to sell players, and had agreed to repay loans on future revenues, which we are still recovering from.
It is because of this experience that I have absolutely no sympathy for a club whose fans feel they have a divine right to success, and think the worst thing that can happen to a club is to be swindled by two Americans and be in 18th place after less than a fifth of the season has passed.
The ownership situation has made the fans angry, and rightly so. However, the fans themselves have made the issue much worse than it could have been. By being so vocal in their protests of Tom Hicks and George Gillette, and blaming them for everything, including on field performances, they have provided an excuse for the players performing to a substandard level consistently, and a manager who’s purchases are questionable.
Weak protests such as walking from the pub they were always going to be at to the match they were always going to attend whilst still purchasing overpriced food and drinks at the stadium would not hurt the owners, but ultimately spill onto the pitch.
The new ownership regime will please the fans, but do not expect results to change overnight. A draw in the Merseyside derby would still be a good result for Liverpool, given the recent injuries to Dirk Kuyt and Martin Škrtel, and the poor tactics by Roy Hodgson leaving Fernando Torres isolated (when he is playing) will continue to hamper the Reds progress this season.
The more positive atmosphere around the club will mean the fans can stop blaming the previous Americans for their failures, and can start criticizing those who are actually responsible for the poor performances on the pitch, namely the players, the manager, and most importantly in my eyes, Sammy Lee, who has not impressed anyone in his managerial and coaching career.
I could go on about how £300 million is a ridiculously cheap price for one of the world’s biggest footballing clubs who, based on that valuation, has a playing squad worth half its value.
Hicks and Gillette were royally screwed in this deal, but it will be for the better of Liverpool FC, who I have no doubt will unfortunately return to their former glory, when the inevitable decline of Manchester United occurs.
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