Exciting Times

     For so long we have reached this stage of the season and despite trying to remain optimistic I have known in my heart of hearts that we were out of the race for the title, facing up to another year without a realistic title challenge, with the odd exception we are normally off the pace and at best looking for a place in the top four and hoping for a successful cup run.  The frustration most fans have felt has been massive leading to a change in how we have supported inside the ground, sometimes nervous, sometimes negative but never fully backing the team.

     Since Klopp arrived he has set about changing the atmosphere around the club we have seen him challenge the fans support, ask us to believe, ask us to create the atmosphere whilst he has set about developing the team.  We have seen a change on the pitch, without a doubt it is better.  Klopp's decisions over the summer, although heavily criticised, have been proven correct and we, the fans are starting to learn.  We have improved the atmosphere, we are showing the belief and the negativity inside the ground is disappearing replaced with hope and support.

     On the pitch the players are doing their bit, I am not forcing myself to be optimistic, for once my head and my heart are in agreement we are in this, we are in it up to our necks.  I don't know if it will stay that way, I don't know if we can maintain it but for this first time in a long, long time I think it will.  We look like we can win against the big teams, we look like we can break down teams who "park the bus" we look like we have fight, we look like we have character, we look like we have a bit of depth to the squad, our manager looks like he can and does make a difference everything looks good, we are making a challenge.

     We are joint top coming into a run of, on paper, easier games, that will be the next big challenge not to slip up and allow the frustration in we can't and won't win every game but we can and should win most of them and keep the challenge alive and keep the optimism.  We have already played some of the seasons most difficult challenges and come out with wins away at Arsenal, Chelsea and home to the current champions Leicester a draw at White Heart Lane and a draw at home against United all positive results whilst we did slip against Burnley we have also got results against Hull and WBA keeping the positivity going. It also should be noted that we have played a deficit in home games due to the new stand, more home games should mean a better chance of more points putting Liverpool in the best current position of their rivals.  Plenty to be positive about, lots of excitement ahead but we need to guard against the negativity, don't wait for the dip in form, for the bad results, we are a different team under Klopp and as the manager says ......WE MUST BELIEVE.

Walk Outs and U-Turns

      When FSG announced the new ticket prices supporters of other clubs may have just shrugged their shoulders, ticket prices go up, that's what happens, clubs talk every last possible pound out of supporters, that's what they do, some supporters won't be able to go any more, they just can't afford it, don't worry others will take their place, what about future generations the kids can't afford to go, we will worry about that later fans, fans always turn up.  At Liverpool things are a little different their had been mumblings their had been discontent over ticket prices, membership schemes, online sales, away prices, match categorisation for a while but we were aware that the owners or club were talking to supporters groups about these issues so although I don't think we were expecting miracles, we were at least expecting consideration and a sensible approach to some of the issues.  When the announcement was made it appeared that all the discussions were for nothing, they hadn't listened, nothing was different, nothing had changed apart from more money as to come out of most people's pockets.  The club had made one or two concessions but on a very small scale.

     Many were upset, the club had missed a massive opportunity, we could have been the first, we could have taken a lead there was an opportunity.  The huge increase in television money makes gate money if not insignificant considerably less important we could have taken a small hit for the benefit of the fans, we are not asking for the club to make a loss, just To make less of a profit, not less than last year, just a little less than they could have made. We are not asking for free or really cheap entry to games, just reasonable with a view to looking at reductions in the future, a sensible overview to ticketing and pricing.

     The response to the announcement about ticketing was protest, a planned walk out in the game against Sunderland with fans to walk out of the match after 77 minutes.  I didn't know what to expect, how many would go, many on social media appeared against the idea, but walk out we did, in our thousands sending a message that would be heard in Boston.  We all owe a huge thanks to the people who walked out, the people who organised it and those in the media who publicised and comments on the event.  It is worth pointing out that many on the Kop who walked out were not effected by the new proposals they were leaving in solidarity with those who were, they were fighting for us all and for future generations of Liverpool and football fans and that makes me very proud to be a red.

     Our owners heard the message and have responded and acted quickly, making a complete U-Turn and offering a full apology in a letter to Liverpool fans.

This is what they wrote :-

Dear Liverpool supporters,

It has been a tumultuous week. On behalf of everyone at Fenway Sports Group and Liverpool Football Club, we would like to apologise for the distress caused by our ticket pricing plan for the 2016-17 season.

The three of us have been particularly troubled by the perception that we don’t care about our supporters, that we are greedy, and that we are attempting to extract personal profits at the club’s expense. Quite the opposite is true.

From our first days as owners we have understood that serving as custodians of this incredible institution is a distinct privilege and as such, we have been driven solely by the desire to return LFC to the pinnacle of football. In the world of modern football, growing the club in a sustainable way is essential to realising this objective.

To that end, we have never taken a single penny out of the football club. Instead we have injected vast sums of our own money to improve the playing squad and modernise LFC’s infrastructure - exemplified by the £120million advance from FSG to build the new Main Stand. This massive undertaking was made in order to provide more supporters access to Anfield and also to produce additional revenue to help us compete financially with clubs that have greater resources. When it opens in August this year, the stand will accomplish those goals, thereby fulfilling a promise we made upon acquiring LFC in 2010.

We were strongly engaged in the process to develop the ticketing plan for 2016-17. We met directly with representatives of LFC’s Supporters’ Committee and along with LFC management, wholeheartedly agreed with major concerns raised, notably: access for local and young supporters; engagement and access to Anfield for local children; access to Premier League matches for those in Liverpool most challenged by affordability.   

We believe the plan successfully addressed these concerns and are disappointed that these elements have been either lost or, worse, characterised as cynical attempts to mask profiteering in the plan as a whole. Rather, we prefer to look at them as the parts of the ticketing plan we got right. 

On the other hand, part of the ticketing plan we got wrong.

In addition to the other elements of the plan we proposed price increases on a number of tickets. These pricing actions generated growth in general admission ticketing revenue on a like-for-like basis exclusive of revenue from newly-added GA seats. 

We believed by delivering a vastly improved seat offering in what will be the newest stand in English football, concentrating the price increases on those tickets typically purchased by fans least sensitive to affordability, and highlighting the need for LFC to begin repaying the £120million advance from FSG for the new Main Stand that these increases were supportable even in the context of growth in revenues from the new Premier League TV deal.

However, the widespread opposition to this element of the plan has made it clear that we were mistaken.

A great many of you have objected strongly to the £77 price level of our most expensive GA seats and expressed a clear expectation that the club should forego any increased revenue from raising prices on GA tickets in the current environment. 

Message received.

After an intense period of consultation with LFC management we have decided to make major revisions to our ticketing structure for 2016-17:

Removal of game categorisation – regardless of the opposition fans will pay the same price for matchday tickets.

The pricing of tickets will be readjusted to result in zero revenue growth from GA ticketing on a like-for-like basis.

Though individual ticket prices may move marginally from this season, we are freezing our 2016-17 GA ticket revenue at the 2015-16 level exclusive of newly-added seats in the new Main Stand.

The price of our highest general admission ticket will be frozen at the 2015-16 level - £59.

The price of our highest season ticket will be frozen at the 2015-16 level - £869. The lowest price reducing a further £25 from the 2015-16 level to £685, as well as all other tiers being frozen or reduced.

£9 GA seats will be offered for each and every Premier League match, an allocation of more than 10,000 tickets across the season.

We would hasten to add that the other initiatives announced last week in the 2016-17 plan will remain:

17-21 young adult concession – 20,000 tickets across the Premier League season available at a 50 per cent reduction for young people.

1,000 tickets to Premier League matches across the season will be given away free of charge to Liverpool schoolchildren based on merit, as recommended by their teachers.

As a sign of our commitment to this improved ticketing structure, we are further announcing that this plan shall be in effect for both the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons. For the next two seasons, LFC will not earn a single additional pound from increasing general admission ticket prices.

We believe we have demonstrated a willingness to listen carefully, reconsider our position, and act decisively. The unique and sacred relationship between Liverpool Football Club and its supporters has always been foremost in our minds. It represents the heartbeat of this extraordinary football club. 

More than any other factor by far, that bond is what drives us to work tirelessly on behalf of the club and its future. We have great conviction in our world-class manager and our young, talented squad and know that in time the on-pitch success we all crave will be realised. 

We look forward to sharing in that success with you.

John W Henry, Tom Werner, Mike Gordon

    This is a superb response and one FSG should be praised for massively praised for, addressing almost every issue the support had and apologising along with attempting to explain the reasoning behind the original proposals.  I hope this is just the start and the club will now listen to supporters especially over this issue and continue to work towards affordable ticketing for all into the future.

    Liverpool supporters have made a stand and we have benefited because our club listened to us let's hope other clubs and owners are also getting the message, football is for everybody, the game would be nothing without the fans and with no atmosphere I am certain there would be no television money, use fans to create the atmosphere to sell to television, use fans to create the atmosphere to sell around the world, use fans to inspire the players to perform even charge them for the privilege but don't price them out don't get to greedy, it's our game and they are our clubs don't take them away.  

@lfclumo

So Much For Klopp To Do

 I am fully behind Klopp, I believe he is the man to take us back to the top. I thought it was time for Rodgers to go and I thought Klopp was the ideal replacement, although I never really thought for a minute that we would get him.  Klopp will obviously need time, we have fallen a long way, but we need to be patient we have one of the very best managers or coach in the world we will improve.  Having said all that I have some concerns that I hope Klopp will address in time.

         

       

      Firstly and most importantly several of our first team regulars are simply not good enough, we have been poor in the transfer market and in my opinion we need to recoup some money by getting rid of players who should not be part of the squad never mind the first eleven.  My mane concerns are Mignolet,  Lovren, Lallana, Bogdan and Skrtel, but we also have Balotelli out on loan.  There are several other players such as Can, Moreno, Origi and Markovic who have received criticism but as yet are young and in with a good chance of making it so I would hope that coaching is the solution for these players, I am also concerned by Milner but again I'm prepared to give him a bit of time.  This is a minimum of five players that need changing just to have players of the required minimum standard never mind anything extra that our new manager requires already looking like wholesale changes for an unhealthy third year.

    My second concern is injuries, not that we are having so many or that some of the injuries probably more than our share are long term this is just bad luck, every team goes through unlucky periods.  I'm more concerned about the apparent lack of knowledge, skill or expertise in the club we continuously seem to be unable to diagnose problems or how serious they are and are left with statements such as Firmino appears to have damaged his back, We think Lovren has picked up an injury, Henderson has done something to his foot.  We should be able to say more than I think and we will know more after a scan these are multi million pound talents, no wonder they all head of to America for treatment as soon as they get a chance it appears that at the club, we haven't got a clue.  Players are out for too long Sturridge has now missed three games with what we were told was a very minor knock when he comes back he will only play a few minutes for a couple of games meaning he will have realistically missed at least five games, Benteke and Henderson we were told only had minor knocks yet have been missing for weeks, these are all players we need on the pitch, not forced back early but fit and playing.

     My third concern is around the coaching at the club and I am hoping that bringing in Klopp will already have solved this but for me with the notable exception of Suarez and possibly Henderson every player we sign appears to go on a downward trajectory they simply get worse year on year until we eventually sell them.  I accept that the Liverpool shirt is a heavy one and some transfers just fail but everybody?  The latest two players who we signed in the summer and who have played just about every game are Milner and Clyne and in my opinion both fit into this pattern so far in that Milner has just failed to show the quality he did at City, running ability yes but quality not yet.  Clyne was setting the league alight whilst at Southampton but like Lallana and Lovren before him has not looked anything like that standard with Liverpool and is now starting with the individual errors that will start to knock his confidence.  I hope that Klopp and his team can reverse this very worrying trend on the training pitch.

    Lastly I'm concerned about us the supporters we have gone to sleep, perhaps battered into submission by Rodgers' teams but Klopp has asked to us to believe because he knows that once we do we can and will give the players the confidence they need and then we will truly be the twelfth man that they need.  We need to change the atmosphere in the ground from one of worry and doubt to one of belief and celebration.

     Klopp and his team can turn things around but it's going to take time we are a long, long way from the team we want and deserve but at least now are taking steps, baby steps yes, but steps in the correct direction.

@lfclumo