How Liverpool FC Can Be Spared of "Heavy Collateral Damage" Before Sale

With Anti-Hicks and Gillete protests all over, Liverpool FC fans have highly intensified their disliking for its present owners. With the club apparently in dire-straits financially, highly proactive and die-hard Liverpool FC fan groups like those of Spirit of Shankly have shifted interest from just protesting on the streets to steps towards a fan-ownership agenda.

Honestly speaking, none of the fans protests are unjustified. The owners, Hicks and Gillette, have spent enough time at the club just doing nothing to aid the cause of the club. The only thing that they did was build on their reputation of being liars and worthless owners, instead of improving on their record with the Corninthians.

However, as things stand now, the Liverpool FC fans are aiming for an almost unprecedented series of protests, which could be ranging from not attending Liverpool FC home matches to promoting the issue of not buying club merchandise till the present owners are in charge.

This has already led to quite a significant reduction in merchandise selling, thus hurting the owners where it pains most. If the foresaid things continue, with the reputation that the Americans have built on, Liverpool FC may well have to face a series of vindictive steps from the owners, thus causing heavy collateral damage in response to the protests and before the eventual sale, when they so decide.

Here is a fan's perspective to the series of damage infliction that the owners could choose to impose and a few (at this moment highly imaginative) solutions that even the owners could lend an ear to. 

The first thing that comes to mind as "collateral damage" can easily come the easy way for the owners, that is showing no passion towards the clubs cause (as always) and selling the core players of the team.

Lets look at what this would amount to. Apparently a huge loss for on-the-pitch performance and inadequate replacements would mean a mediocre team on paper too, with which no manager in the world can guarantee a top four finish. 

For Hicks and Gillete though, all of these don't matter as it never did, they are least interested in those issues. What they would be looking to book the maximum profit from those sales, just in case they find it impossible to continue as owners and also don't find any willing investor at their ridiculous selling price.

If such a thing occurs, there could also be further losses if the details are considered. Liverpool FC has a huge fan base around the world, but it still needs to grow. With the departure of stars and weakened on-field performances , the team could see a significant loss in commercial earning, the aspect on which Hicks had earlier claimed to have improved a lot after their take-over.

Now, at the current situation what is seriously necessary is a mutually beneficial way out of trouble for the owners and fans. Let's see how that can be shaped.

The Facts:

Its no mystery that every well-wisher and fan of Liverpool FC want a change in ownership. The owners say they have had enough and want to quit in two years time, but would only sell at the proper price (albeit highly inflated one for the world without Hicks and Gillete).

The only ounce of truth that came out of Hicks's last correspondence was the fact that their asking price has been high keeping in mind the earnings that the new owners would generate after building the stadium. Although there are heavy doubts as to what plans Hicks claim are in place already for the probable stadium at Stanley Park, considering the plans need no real expenditure, it could well have been done.

Now there are news about interested owners from all around the world and a price of 500 million could well be bargained upon as per earlier reports as the price for sale.

In accordance to both the report by Hicks and the probable owners list, Hicks and Gillete should try to sell the club at around the agreeable price for the buyers with possible add-ons in case of future success at the club after the stadium gets eventually built and generates revenue, which as per some clause in the selling deal should be some specific time bound.

In this way both the fans and the owners could part ways and the process being mutually beneficial to both. The fact of proper ownership transfer, i.e., the owner being capable enough would certainly be taken care of the FA and the Barclays Bank who are also in-charge to sell the club. Whatever it be the process if carried out this way could be quite fast and the only gainers from this would be Liverpool FC.

There are completely different alternative possibilities though, the fact that a few Liverpool Supporters union are coming together to plot a Fans takeover of ownership could also be facilitated.

However, it may take some time for that to occur and gain momentum although it could be extremely beneficial for the club in the long-run like those of Barcelona and Real Madrid.

What really is a concern though is the growing interest on debt on the club, therefore any action taken by the owners should be pretty effective and efficient. However, the reputation that the owners have built though doesn't paint a rosey picture, still a change of ownership at least by the end of this calender year should be very much on at the latest.

Til then it would need a highly inspired performance from the players and the next manager to keep the club's chances of finishing atleast in the top four alive.