Source: Team_Talk
Reds uncertainties remain on the pitch
TEAMtalk warns Liverpool supporters that they still face a "long and winding road" back to the top despite Wednesday's High Court verdict.[LNB] The unpopular pairing of Tom Hicks and George Gillett may not be the only losers from the changes now being proposed at Liverpool.[LNB]The cheers from fans outside the High Court in London when they learned that Mr Justice Floyd had cleared the way for the sale of the club, spoke volumes for their support.[LNB]But while they may have finally rid themselves of the duo, they have no guarantees that the incoming owners will provide them with the real salvation they crave and deserve.[LNB]The High Court imposed injunctions on the club's owners that allows the £300million takeover by New England Sports Ventures (NESV), owners of the Boston Red Sox baseball team, to be completed.[LNB]However, while the financial future is potentially brighter for the club, there is still much work to be done where it matters - on the pitch.[LNB]It is a matter of some conjecture whether the proposed change of ownership will have been met with much cheer by the club's current manager Roy Hodgson.[LNB]Hodgson is just three months into his reign at Anfield and is already under fire following a dismal start to the season.[LNB]The club sit in Barclays Premier League relegation zone and were bundled out of the Carling Cup by Northampton.[LNB]The new owners, if reports are to be believed, could exercise a compensation clause worth around £3million, and replace Hodgson with their own man.[LNB]Hodgson is clearly a talented manager, given his success at Fulham, but he already looks out of his depth on Merseyside.[LNB]Although chairman Martin Broughton insists that the new owners are committed to Hodgson, how long will that remain so if the team continues to show no sign of upward progress?[LNB]NESV must act cautiously but back their words with actions because much of Liverpool's full recovery will depend on the building of a new 60,000-seater stadium.[LNB]Hicks and Gillett lost the trust of the fans when they failed to "put a spade in the ground" within 60 days of their takeover.[LNB]Anfield's stadium development or the building of an entirely new one has been a major issue during discussions with NESV and the success of Liverpool's future will depend on what happens in that area.[LNB]A debt-reduced Liverpool will only become a major power again with a new stadium and under UEFA's financial fair-play ruling due to commence in two years, when clubs must break even over a rolling three-year period to qualify for European competition, the need for stability has suddenly become even more acute.[LNB]RBS may have emerged triumphant from today's High Court hearing and Liverpool fans may have won their biggest victory of the season so far, but there are many more battles to come.[LNB]Some of these may not be as easy to sweep aside and the new owners will need to show they are not just here to boost their own bank balances.[LNB]That means undertaking stadium development, giving the manager the spending power he requires and making ends meet.[LNB]Hicks and Gillett may have lost the club and their money, but there will be more at stake in the future. It is indeed going to be a long and winding road for the fans.
