Liverpool chairman Tom Werner was at Anfield on Saturday for the first time since May 2022.
The last time Tom Werner sat in the Liverpool director’s chair was in May 2022.
On this occasion, on the final matchday of the 2021/22 Premier League season, a 3-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers was not enough to secure a second Premier League title in three seasons as Manchester City prevailed.
spectacular comeback in the second half.
Aston.
Villa to win the crown.
In May 2022, Liverpool’s on-field image was one of poor health, with the three most senior figures at Fenway Sports Group, Red Devils chairman Werner, FSG chairman and closest ally Jurgen Klopp, Mike Gordon, and principal owner John Henry, all watched.
Loss in the Champions League final in Paris to Real Madrid soon after meant that a season in which Liverpool were almost immortalized in football thanks to an unprecedented quadruple would end with the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.
This is no small feat, but an anti-climax nonetheless
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Werner, Liverpool’s chairman, was absent from Anfield for the entire 2022/23 season, a campaign in which the Red Devils struggled to recapture last season’s form from the start and ended it without qualifying for the Champions League.
League is lucrative, their strong finishing, at least regained the advantage.
fifth place and Europa League football.
Meanwhile, there was much talk of a possible sale of the club in November, which quickly turned into a search for additional investment in the Reds, a search led by Gordon, thus eliminating him from his daily participation in the team.
Liverpool.
Liverpool for a time seemed to lack direction, something the club could never be blamed for during FSG’s reign.
The loss of the likes of Julian Ward and Dr Ian Graham, along with the exclusion of Gordon and all the talk about who would come on board as investors, all created the impression of a Red Devil more chaotic than what people are used to seeing.
The past few months have brought about a clear refocus.
Henry was present for the opening match of the 2023/24 Premier League season, a 1-1 draw against Chelsea in August.
On this occasion, Henry, amid a failed attempt to secure £111m, Moise Caicedo, who will move to Chelsea in the following days for £115m, has more than a game in hand.
Things have calmed down in Liverpool in recent months.
Ongoing discussions around potential acquisitions and investments, as well as secret meetings with sovereign wealth funds, are largely unfounded rumors intended to generate online engagement society, has calmed down somewhat.
Liverpool remain open to investment from the right partner, but that partner must contribute to what the ownership wants to achieve with the club, which is to continue to develop the brand and value, which that is intrinsically tied to the foundation.
success
According to sources, Gordon returned to the team in a much more practical way, while Werner’s Anfield visit was aimed at connecting directly with senior leaders and presenting a united front.
FSG has owned Liverpool for nearly 13 years and 21 years as head of the Boston Red Sox.
The past 12 months have been challenging for them on both sides of the Atlantic, with both sets of supporters frustrated by decreasing competition and a perceived lack of spending to tackle the problems they face as well.
like a lack of direction.
Earlier this month, Henry and Werner made the decision to fire Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom ahead of the end of a dismal season for Major League Baseball.
FSG has been criticized by some Boston fans that they no longer have the desire to win championships, and by keeping Bloom at the helm, they are reinforcing that notion.
A current senior staff shake-up at Fenway Park is showing that, with FSG aiming to give themselves plenty of time to recruit the right candidate, what is expected to be a busy off-season.
The anger of Red Sox and Liverpool fans did not go unnoticed, sources said.
FSG do not have this leadership problem at Liverpool.
Klopp, who signed a new contract until 2026 last year, was the biggest signing of his tenure in the sport, bringing silverware to Anfield and turning Liverpool into a powerhouse on the scene world, which FSG can take advantage of to develop its stock.
commercial success and a significant increase in the team’s valuation, which is ultimately what Henry, Werner and Co.
seek to gain through their sports investments.
A good start to the season has made things much more positive and discussions around what will happen.
Werner’s time on Merseyside last week will allow him, as Liverpool chairman, to assess the changes and connect with Klopp and the management team on a number of key issues, including direction sports club.
director role, which is currently being held on an interim basis, as well as what could be available in January.
After a summer that saw them have to turn down interest in their most talented player, Mohamed Salah, there are certainly plenty of topics that could be discussed.
The ups and downs have been FSG’s hallmark for the Red Sox.
After periods of success and World Series appearances, a form of decline often occurs before a resurgence in the following seasons.
At Liverpool it is different, the club has built something, achieved it and almost maintained it.
Last season saw a sharp decline and FSG knows this is not baseball and the same rules do not apply when allowing fallow time.
Sources say the focus remains on FSG’s long-term future at Liverpool and the Red Sox.
The return of Gordon, Henry and Werner making more frequent trips to connect with senior management and a more dynamic, optimistic Klopp makes the club look like they are moving in the right direction.
How do we figure out how to maintain that and make sure that the lessons from last season and how they played out will be key.