Saw this on the Guardian comments page after the LFC/West Brom game,
You know about the FSG and I have done the research and you have Liverpool fans who don't know anything about them saying I shouldn't criticise them. They essentially take money from a group of rich Americans and invest them in sports. Their aim is to make their money back for their investors, even more so than the Glazers, because it isn't a family running the club. Glazers were just too greedy and took too much profit away from the first team. FSG aim is to make that profit back for their investors. What worries me is people like LeBron James and Brad Pitt are major investors in FSG's Liverpool investment. While they are rich compared to the average man on the street, they aren't that wealthy people compared to the real high rollers, which shows how small-time FSG are.
The problem is Liverpool have been sold well below their true value twice and this attracts Americans who don't really have the funds to manage a club the size of Liverpool. Forget what journalist assume or stupid Internet surveys say, the cold hard numbers shows Liverpool and Man Utd are the two biggest clubs in world football for support base across the 5 continents. Adidas own sales figures showed when they had Liverpool, Liverpool garments were their biggest selling or any team in any sport across the world. This is why Liverpool are signing sponsorship deals that are bigger than most of the Champions League teams, despite not being there for 5 years.
So Liverpool is known in sponsorship circles as being the second biggest brand in soccer behind Man Utd. Yet we have been sold for just £220 Million and £350 Million. To put this into context, Fulham was sold for £200 Million and we are the second biggest team in world football. These low value attracts American chancers who don't really have the money because they are automatically in profit because Liverpool's true value given their global reach is around billion, so could sell for a easy quick profit.
This is why Liverpool is easy money for FSG, because you don't have invest heavily in the team. Sign massive sponsorship contracts with American companies who want to penetrate the Asian market because Liverpool is huge there and European and Asian companies want to sign contracts because Liverpool's exposure in America is big too. As long as Liverpool don't get relegated they will rake in the cash and when they decide to sell Liverpool will be closer to their real value and they have tripled the money in their investment.
There is a lot of nonsense about FSG put a lot of money in Liverpool. Liverpool's debt is just 80 Million and last year Liverpool's income last year was £170 Million. This year Liverpool's income is set to go up by 70%, so you do the math.
For Liverpool to be a successful brand they need Champions League and the exposure it gives for FSG to offload for a profit.
