Liverpool’s new start

Wednesday, 13/10/2010

I think it’s fair to say that everyone associated with Liverpool football club breathed a sigh of relief today, following the news that Tom Hicks and George Gillett will not be able to re-assume control of the club.

However, things are still far from resolved with a host of complications to be ironed out: the two rival bids emerging and tonight’s board meeting between Hicks, Gillett and the board members they tried to sack to retain ownership.

Oh to be a fly on the wall for that one…

I’m not a financial expert, so can’t comment on the ‘improved’ bid received from Peter Lim, but if there is more money to be sourced from this deal, rest assured Hicks and Gillett will get it – they’ve shown themselves to be ruthless and difficult in their pursuit of the best deal for themselves.

So I’m not cracking open the champagne just yet. However, it is a massive boost for the team that has been bereft of confidence this season.

People may say that players are paid huge sums and can have no excuses for under-performing, which is right, but this sort of thing does have an impact: on the atmosphere around the club, the pressure on the players and their mindset.

Pepe Reina summed it up perfectly when he said this week that he just wanted the issue to be resolved.

For players like Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, who have had to contend with broken promises of investment, this could now be an opportunity for their hopes to be realised. Rather than Liverpool’s star duo heading out of the exit door in January, they could well be welcoming some much needed reinforcements instead.

I’ve been at clubs where things have been promised. Some times they’re delivered, some times they’re not. It’s the same as in everyday life – if you work for a company with internal strife or management that isn’t true to its word, that affects your performance.

For Roy Hodgson, he’ll just want to get on with his job.

He needs to instil a sense of belief in his squad and fast: Sunday’s Merseyside derby really could be ‘make or break’.

With both sides making poor starts to the season, this game gives them the perfect opportunity to kick-start their campaign with a morale boosting victory. By the same taken, the losing side will be under renewed pressure and scrutiny.

I’ve never known such a tense scenario for one of these derby games, it really does another dimension to the situation.

The formbook makes grim reading: Everton haven’t won a Premier League game at home, while Liverpool haven’t won a league tie away from Anfield. While the Blues were the first side in 18 attempts to defeat Birmingham at St. Andrews last time out, Liverpool suffered that shock loss to Blackpool in front of the Kop.

With the off-field issues hopefully coming to an end, it’s time for Liverpool to focus on matters on-pitch – languishing in the relegation zone is no place for England’s most successful club side.

* John would like to congratulate Archbishop Beck of Merseyside and Whitgift of Croydon for representing England in the Danone Nations Cup, the Under-12 World Cup which took place in South Africa last month.

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