Hicks: No player sales
Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks has reassured the club's supporters that no star names will be sold, even if Rafa Benitez's side suffer an early elimination from the UEFA Champions League.
A miserable start to the season sees Liverpool lie in seventh place in the Premier League and looking highly unlikely to make the latter stages of Europe's premier club competition.
Such a scenario would only exacerbate the club's already perilous financial situation and has led to speculation of player sales to make up the shortfall.
But Hicks is adamant the likes of Fernando Torres or Steven Gerrard will not be forced to leave Anfield because of cash pressures.
He told the Sunday Mirror: "None of our star players will be sold, regardless of results.
"The club is doing very well due to rapidly growing commercial revenues.
"We have significant investor interest and want to make sure that we pick high-quality partners.
"We are happy with the way things are going financially but we hoped things would be better on the pitch."

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| Time | Fixture |
|---|---|
| Saturday 5th December | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 12:45 | Portsmouth vs Burnley |
| 15:00 | Arsenal vs Stoke |
| 15:00 | Aston Villa vs Hull |
| 15:00 | Blackburn vs Liverpool |
| 15:00 | West Ham vs Man Utd |
| 15:00 | Wigan vs Birmingham |
| 15:00 | Wolverhampton vs Bolton |
| 17:30 | Man City vs Chelsea |
| Sunday 6th December | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Fulham vs Sunderland |
| 16:00 | Everton vs Tottenham |
| Saturday 12th December | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 12:45 | Stoke vs Wigan |
| 15:00 | Birmingham vs West Ham |
| 15:00 | Bolton vs Man City |
| 15:00 | Burnley vs Fulham |
| 15:00 | Chelsea vs Everton |
| 15:00 | Hull vs Blackburn |
| 15:00 | Sunderland vs Portsmouth |
| 15:00 | Tottenham vs Wolverhampton |
| 17:30 | Man Utd vs Aston Villa |
| Sunday 13th December | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 16:00 | Liverpool vs Arsenal |
| Time | Result |
|---|---|
| Sunday 29th November | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Wolverhampton 0 - 1 Birmingham | |
| Everton 0 - 2 Liverpool | |
| Arsenal 0 - 3 Chelsea | |
| Saturday 28th November | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Portsmouth 1 - 4 Man Utd | |
| Blackburn 0 - 0 Stoke | |
| West Ham 5 - 3 Burnley | |
| Man City 1 - 1 Hull | |
| Fulham 1 - 1 Bolton | |
| Wigan 1 - 0 Sunderland | |
| Aston Villa 1 - 1 Tottenham | |
| Wednesday 25th November | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Hull 3 - 2 Everton | |
| Fulham 3 - 0 Blackburn | |
| Sunday 22nd November | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Bolton 0 - 2 Blackburn | |
| Tottenham 9 - 1 Wigan | |
| Stoke 1 - 0 Portsmouth | |
| Saturday 21st November | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Liverpool 2 - 2 Man City | |
| Hull 3 - 3 West Ham | |
| Sunderland 1 - 0 Arsenal | |
| Chelsea 4 - 0 Wolverhampton | |
| Man Utd 3 - 0 Everton | |
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chelsea | 14 | 36 |
| 2 | Manchester United | 14 | 31 |
| 3 | Tottenham Hotspur | 14 | 26 |
| 4 | Arsenal | 13 | 25 |
| 5 | Liverpool | 14 | 23 |
| 6 | Aston Villa | 14 | 23 |
| 7 | Manchester City | 13 | 22 |
| 8 | Sunderland | 14 | 20 |
| 9 | Stoke City | 14 | 20 |
| 10 | Fulham | 14 | 19 |
| 11 | Birmingham City | 14 | 18 |
| 12 | Burnley | 14 | 17 |
| 13 | Blackburn Rovers | 14 | 17 |
| 14 | Wigan Athletic | 14 | 17 |
| 15 | Hull City | 15 | 16 |
| 16 | Everton | 14 | 15 |
| 17 | West Ham United | 14 | 14 |
| 18 | Bolton Wanderers | 13 | 12 |
| 19 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 14 | 10 |
| 20 | Portsmouth | 14 | 7 |
Skysports.com looks at the best and worst moments from the latest round of top-flight fixtures.
The form of David Ngog gives Liverpool a small cause to be happy, according to Peter Fraser.
Jason Cundy and Nigel Winterburn just couldn't agree over who will come out on top at the Emirates.
Carlo Ancelotti has urged Chelsea not to get complacent after brushing aside Arsenal on Sunday.
Arsene Wenger is retaining belief Arsenal can win the league title despite back-to-back defeats.
Rafa Benitez was full of praise for Pepe Reina following his man-of-the-match display against Everton.
Portsmouth's new manager Avram Grant has confirmed the Premier League strugglers will strengthen in January.
Chelsea put a huge dent in Arsenal's title challenge with a 3-0 win at Emirates Stadium with Didier Drogba grabbing a brace.
Comments (18)
Bruce Sithole (Liverpool fan) says...
People seem to have a short memory..everyone keeps raving about the number of players rafa has signed blah blah but everyone forgets the number he had to sell to buy those players. In the first few season he was on a shoe string budget,having to get quantity rather than quality!now people say he hasnt bought quality,if mascherano n alonso arent quality defensive midfielders,then i dont know who is!!fair enuf he sold alonso but he bought him(and made him to an extent),so we have to wait and see what aquilani brings but im sure he will be decent.quality is there,depth of strikers and widht is lackin maybe...well babel and crew are misfiring terribly!!the owners should get out for sure and let the saudi money do the talking,they cant claim to have made funds for rafa yet he has to sell each time to finance a big move!come on you reds!!
Posted 20:21 8th November 2009
S Spasmos (Liverpool fan) says...
Hilarious comments from Arsenal fans (usually more respectful), a team so full of 'stars' they have flattered to deceive since 2005. What have you won again? Great football but as we both know its all about winning, something we both hav'nt done for a while. The team that only has two stars came 2nd league last season. Arsenal came? Lets see where we are at the end of the season hey becuase you usually bottle it and thats one thing as a scouser I can assure you we don't lack! As for hicks and gillet the less said the better - clowns. Moores and particularly Parry sold us for 30 pieces of silver but its only a matter of time before a big investor comes in and gets a bargain - the brand, the supporter base are all unique. Rafa will do what he can in the meantime. Siege mentality - lets show the phony pretenders (the mancs) and the southern softies what we are really made off!
Posted 13:48 8th November 2009
David Cornelli (Arsenal fan) says...
How can you blame the chairmen? Benitez has spent a fortune on players and Torres is the only decent one he has bought. He inherited Gerrard. Tactically he is spot on most of the time but he has no eye for quality players and seems to overpay for mediocre players.
Posted 13:46 8th November 2009
Dan Alcorn (Manchester United fan) says...
Fortunately Liverpool only have two big names they can sell...
Posted 13:44 8th November 2009
Stephen Eastwood (Leeds United fan) says...
Plenty of money wasted on drivel by Rafa, doubt I'd be happy if I funded the Keane Fiasco. If he sold hte waste wouldn't need new money
Posted 13:41 8th November 2009
Kyle Stacey says...
I will always stand by liverpool and i think theres 4 star players at anfield. Gerrard, Torres, Mascherano and Carragher. Don't forget that its not always the attacking players that are the best the defensive players are equally needed as well to not concede goals. Hicks and gillet should have sold the club when they had a chance and they have gave us nothing but trouble and debt. We shouldn't have sold Alonso and should have brought some more players but we couldn't because the owners say " we havent got the money to buy players." You must have the money because you need money to build Stanley Park and also to help the club to success by winning some silverware and we cant because the players are thinking about the future of the club and are not concentrating on the game. So i think the poor performances are 75% owners and 25% rafa's.
Posted 13:33 8th November 2009
David Robinson (Blackburn Rovers fan) says...
Am I missing something here? Let's do a Benitez and talk facts: Benitez has signed 67 players in 5 years at the club, can anyone name 10 that have made an impact and repaid their transfer fee on the pitch? No trophy since 2005 and no chance seemingly this year either...name another business where a manager could spend that amount of cash without results and keep their job? pathetic, Benitez should go...Liverpool have invested more on players than Man Utd over the last 2 seasons and where has it got them? Maybe Liverpool fans will one day realise they are pointing the finger in the wrong direction, every club has debts and it is only a media bandwagon that is making it an issue...the only thing Gillett and Hicks have got wrong is not sacking Benitez, how can no one see that?!!
Posted 13:03 8th November 2009
Darren Bailey (Liverpool fan) says...
Can't stop laughing at these Arsenal fans coming out of the woodwork now their football has an end product for the first time in 4 years on a regular basis, oh and by the way i would also only have two of your players out of that squad too - Fabregas and Arshavin as without them - your nothing as well, also no money as well to spend as the club is also in debt over the years -pot and kettle black springs to mind.
Posted 12:59 8th November 2009
Mike Caddick (Liverpool fan) says...
The way our finances are goin were gonna be just another leeds united
Posted 12:53 8th November 2009
Alan Lamb (Liverpool fan) says...
Well if these comments are to be believed then we are not in as bad shape as everyone makes out. I suppose its if you believe them. I for one am sitting on the fence as january will be the time to se if it true or not depending on transfer activity.
Posted 12:10 8th November 2009
Emmanuel Davis (Liverpool fan) says...
Please get rid of these fools, they are killing our club, slowly but surely we are gonna get even worse because they are just hanging more and more debt on us, no money for decent players and just a lack of integrity. We should have known when they started washing their dirty laundry in public that it was gonna end in tears.
Posted 11:43 8th November 2009
Robert Malcolm (Arsenal fan) says...
'No star players to be sold' Isn't it these so called 'star' players that should be winning the Premiership and securing Liverpools Champions League place? Last I heard you needed eleven players on a pitch if you want three points, from Liverpool I only see two star players and a possible starting four with a remaining seven collecting big money pay cheques for abcent / old rope performances. All teams have to endure injuries and that is where the depth of the squad is required. BUT, poor Torres must labour on despite the injury he's carrying and with no Cpt G Liverpool really look like bottom half premier league - no disrespect to the teams there but this is the great 191st/5E Liverpool. Who does Benitez have to replace Torres' performance and goals up front? Ans, No one. Yes, that's stating the obvious. But that's why I think even if Liverpool did sell Torres/Gerrard to create cash, they'd be a third rate team and the money would be swallowed in the exsisting debt. The net result being the Mighty Reds fighting off relegation as the other club further north said there was no such thing. carlsberg@anfield.com
Posted 11:30 8th November 2009
Shane Gagg (Liverpool fan) says...
hicks??? liverpool should have sold the club to the dubai group when they had the chance as these americans have done nothink but cause trouble and debt, of course you wont sell gerrard and torres! if anythink you should sell up and let some1 buy the club who want it at heart with the finance and maybe then rafa might have the cash to buy more star players as gerrard and torres cant do it all, liverpool need more strenght in the squad, look at chelsea and united! i hate saying it but theve got alot of strenght and depth to pull threw times that liverpool r goin threw, so mr hicks sort somethink out...or get out!
Posted 11:26 8th November 2009
Tihom Rahkohk (Manchester United fan) says...
He says this after selling Alonso last summer. This is just a lame attempt for trying to keep the kop in his favor. I am sure the scousers wont get carried away here and will realize that if a torres or a masch get offers in the 30 mill+ range, they might be on their way, considering that liverpool will further struggle on revenues this season.
Posted 11:21 8th November 2009
Paul Kellaway (Liverpool fan) says...
HIcks and Gillette should be the only big names leaving Anfield and the sooner the better..
Posted 11:10 8th November 2009
Steve Holliday (Arsenal fan) says...
There's only two players worth having!
Posted 10:59 8th November 2009
Neil Etch (Liverpool fan) says...
hmmm....more rubbish from one of the owners, end of the day Pool can keep there best players as any finacial difficulties will just be piled on to the ever increasing debt which the club has. these guys need to get out soon of english football as they are taking liverpool football club down
Posted 10:45 8th November 2009
Poojith Jain (Liverpool fan) says...
Well, its really frustrating that a club of Liverpool's stature is going through all this. Not in my wildest dreams had I felt that there would be a situation where there would be speculation or stories about Gerrard or Torres being transferred to another club for a financial problem at Liverpool.
Posted 10:43 8th November 2009