Liverpool FC overturned a 3-0 half time deficit to play a 3-3 draw against AC Milan after 120 minutes of action in Istanbul. The UEFA Champions League final was played in 2005 under the tutelage of Rafael Benitez. The Spaniard also led the team to the second spot of the Carling cup in the same year.
In 2007, Tom Hicks and George Gillet acquired the ownership of the club. The team finished as runners-up in the Champions League. Liverpool were knocked out of the same competition at the quarter final stage in 200c and 2009.
However, Liverpool's precarious financial situation led to the team's disappointing 7th place finish in the 2010 edition of premiership.
John Henry led the Fenway Sports Group to acquire the club for a fee of £300m in October,2010. By the time FSG bought the club, Hicks & Gillet had sacked Rafael Benitez and appointed Roy Hodgson as the new man in charge of the Reds.
King Kenny
Kenneth Dalglish replaced Hodgson in January 2011 following a string of poor results that plunged the former European giants into the second half of the league table. Dalglish brought Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll to the team in the same month. While Suarez cost £22.8m, Carroll became the most expensive British player when Newcastle sold him to the Merseyside team for £35m.
Stability
Dalglish brought a bit of stability to the club as Liverpool recorded some great results which included a 1-0 win over Chelsea at the Satmford Bridge in February 2011 and a 3-0 crushing of Man City in March of the same year.
Sixth position
The Reds finished 6th on the league standings at the end of the 2010/2011 season. They missed out of European club football because Stoke City were runners-up in the FA Cup, while Manchester City played in the Champions League after finishing in the top four.
Unwise Summer spending
John W. Henry splashed the cash on over-rated British players in the summer of 2011. Jordan Henderson was bought for £16m from Sunderland and Charlie Adam signed for the Reds for a marquee fee of £10m.
Stewart Downing was also bought for £20m. None of these three players gave a 50% performance throughout the 2011/2012 season. Stewart Downing played a lot of shots off target and NEVER scored a premier league goal for the entire season. Henderson and Adam collapsed under smaller oppositions like West Brom,Wigan and Swansea. Andy Carroll was like a spectator in front of goal.
Poor decisions
Dalglish sold Raul Meireles because of the British flops he bought. He also sent Alberto Aquilani on a season-long loan when it was clear he lacked a creative and attack-minded midfielder in his squad. Fabio Aurelio was relegated to the bench despite the big errors that Luis Enrique committed in big games against Manchester United,Chelsea and Arsenal.
Jamie Carragher became a target for players like Didier Drogba and Van Persie, they scored beautiful goals off the old and sluggish defender.
Worst league performance in 58 years
Liverpool finished in the 8th position at the end of May,2012. That was their worst league position in more than half of a century. Their Carling cup success was a direct opposite of their EPL performance.
Massive clear out, poor replacement.
Damien Comolli, Kenny Dalglish and some other back room staff of LFC were sacked by FSG after a disappointing season. Instead of the Americans to get a renowned manager like Rijkaard or Jurgen Klopp, the Yankees settled for a low profile manager like Brendan Rodgers. It seems they've not learnt their lessons after the departure of Hodgson and Dalglish who had NOT managed a high-profile club like Liverpool in over a decade.
The ex-Swansea manager seems to be a one-way traffic man. This was evident in Liverpool's worst ever start to the EPL season. The Reds lost 3-0 to West Brom before being brushed aside by Arsenal. Rodgers failed to make any tactical change and appeared to be CLUELESS as his employers.
Worst transfer activity.
Liverpool is the ONLY EPL team without a natural striker. Fabio Borini and Luis Suarez are not top strikers. Andy Carroll was allowed to go on loan at West Ham without an adequate replacement. Clint Dempsey's worth is £6m, but FSG offered Fulham £3m despite making £6m from the sale of Charlie Adam and Carroll's loan deal. Dempsey scored the same number of goals that Suarez got last season. The American player has been scoring more than Liverpool players since 2010.
Free transfer and open letter
John W. Henry released an open letter during the week where he stated that the club won't go bankrupt because of players' wages. He need to be told that if he doesn't buy quality strikers and good defensive and attacking midfielders in January, Liverpool will finish in the last 6 of the table.
A word is enough for the wise!
