Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler assesses Fenway Sports Group’s tenure as club owners
Ever since Liverpool owners, Fenway Sports Group made it public that they want to sell the club, there has been a lot of news surrounding the situation and potential successors to John W Henry and his consortium.
From a state of nearing bankruptcy during the initial weeks of the 2010-11 season under Hicks and Gillet’s ownership to becoming the European superpower once again, FSG took over from the previous ownership extremely well.
One could argue over the lack of investment by FSG for the club to buy players but the fact of the matter is the goods in their case overweighs the negatives. Their sell-to-buy approach and stinginess in the transfer window is one of the reasons why the Reds are one of the best clubs in the world when it comes to business.
Former Liverpool player and legend Robbie Fowler spoke via Liverpool Echo and pointed out the contributions FSG have made to the club during their time and here is what the former #9 said:
“Some fans feel the American owners could have done more to provide Jurgen Klopp with the funds to invest further in his squad. But controlling net-spend has always been a key part of the FSG philosophy.”
“It hasn’t been afraid to spend big when it came to signing star names like Virgil van Dijk, Darwin Nunez and Alisson. It has balanced the books and changed the landscape at Anfield.”
“As well as securing the services of one of the best managers in the world and putting together a team that has won every trophy possible. It has rebuilt the stadium and overseen a state-of-the-art training ground. FSG has been very good for Liverpool.”
Positives of FSG at Liverpool
“The God” rightly pointed out the net-spend aspect of FSG which was vital in Liverpool’s success in recent years. Under their ownership, Jurgen Klopp has won multiple trophies at the club including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, and FIFA Club World Cup among others.
Moreover, the owners invested in a highly developed modern training facility for the first-team and the age-group squads to train together at Kirkby, moving on from Liverpool’s older training ground in Melwood in November 2020.
In 2012, Anfield was re-developed and the capacity on the Main Stand stood increased with the renovations. In June 2021, the club started to renovate the Anfield Road stand as well, which would take the total capacity of Liverpool’s home ground from 54000 to 61000.
Under FSG, even with their limited spending, there is not much for the fans to complain about as it is under them that the Reds have re-grown into the European superpower they once were, back in the ’70s and ’80s.
With the news that Indian industrialist Mukesh Ambani is showing interest in buying the club amid various other reports of other interested parties, the takeover might not be far and Liverpool could have new owners sooner than later.
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Speaking of on-field performances though, the Reds are on a four-match winning streak across all competitions and seem to have shifted gears in the Premier League after a faulty start. Liverpool’s season is now halted due to the international break, but hopefully, they can carry on the momentum on their return after the World Cup.
