Liverpool fans swarmed Anfield on Thursday in protest against the removal of manager Rafa Benitez and of the reckless ownership of two Americans, Tom Hicks and George Gillett. The story is nothing new. Liverpool fans have been adamant in calls for new ownership for the past several months.

Attending the Portsmouth match at Anfield with my father in March, we were handed pamphlets reading, “Tom & George: Debt, Lies, Cowboys. Not Welcome Here.” It contained several quotes from the initial takeover, which now seem rather pathetic. There were little “gems’ like, “This is not a takeover like the Glazer deal at Manchester United. There is no debt involved.” In terms of the stadium, Hicks even went as far as to say, “The shovel needs to be in the ground in the next 60 days or so, and we would intend to follow that. I think you’ll see the beginnings of a great big swimming pool being dug out here in Stanley Park relatively soon.”

Apparently they were wrong, as Liverpool FC is now saddled with debts to the tune of 350 million pounds and Stanley Park looks more or less the same more than three years after the quote.

Obviously, action needs to be taken. But trying to tread the line between being passionate and proactive versus plain offensive is a difficult game to play, and Liverpool fans, in their frenzy, went overboard on Thursday.

The Telegraph newspaper ran a story about Liverpool supporters protesting outside Anfield, and included the picture of several Liverpudlians holding the American flag as it burned. Flags of all countries are a symbol of pride and should never be defaced, period. To see it happening here disappoints me more than anything else.

I use “disappoint” rather than “infuriate” here because some part of me understands it. We’ve all been in those situations where we get caught up in the energy of a crowd and do something rash, and it’s a shame that Liverpool fans stooped to this level. Though I can empathize with their anger, their actions  are no less inexcusable.

There are plenty of great, loyal Liverpool fans in the United States, including this writer, that are as frustrated by Hicks and Gillett as these men are. Simply because we are American does not mean we are on their side. It often seems to me these men are regarded more as “Yanks” than as the dirtbags that they are. And though I’ll be the first to admit that those two things sometimes go hand in hand, it’s important not to lose sight of the fact that America isn’t responsible for destroying Liverpool. These two men are.

I get it too, it’s bad. If I didn’t live in Massachusetts, odds are I’d be there with these supporters. But please don’t stoop to “Any Means Necessary” tactics like this. Just because two Americans seem hellbent on destroying Liverpool Football Club, doesn’t mean we all are.

EDITOR’S NOTE: I find it despicable that a group of minority Liverpool supporters would take such action as burning an American flag. Desecrating a flag, whether it’s an American flag or one of any other country, is deplorable but it sends a very powerful message to the American owners. There are protests and there are protests that cross the line. I believe this one outside Anfield crossed the line and I would recommend that the minority group of Liverpool supporters who burned the flag offer an apology not only to Hicks and Gillett, but also to the Liverpool supporters in the United States and the American people themselves.

HT for above image to 101 Great Goals.

UPDATE FROM EDITOR: According to the Liverpool Echo newspaper, a march is planned for American Independence Day on July 4 from St George’s Hall to Anfield, to signify the Liverpool fans’ fight for independence from the club’s owners.

Zaki is a proven goal scorer, netting 10 in 29 league appearances for Wigan in the 2008-09 season, and this could be exactly what Phil Brown needs to get his team out of drop zone and save his managerial position. Additionally, Hull City could be losing some of their strikers this January window, as chairman of the club Adam Pearson has asked Brown to shed nine million pounds from the wage bill. Brown has admitted this likely means allowing strikers Caleb Folan and Daniel Cousin to leave.

However, all this ignores his myriad of disgusting off the field issues. Zaki has proved from his spell at Wigan he has no commitment to the team. On four separate occasions, he failed to return to Wigan by the scheduled deadline after an international break , infuriating then Wigan boss Steve Bruce. Not only does this violate team rules, but, as Zaki had no connection with the club, he violated the FA’s doping policy that requires players to state their whereabouts one hour each day. Moreover, international and club teammate Mido returned to England in time for the deadline.

Zaki then complained that he was getting treatment for a hamstring injury. When asked to provide a note from Egyptian team doctors, he refused. When asked to show up to the club’s doctors for a scan and assessment, he refused again.

All this prompted Bruce is to say, “I really am at the end of my tether with him. Before this latest incident, Zaki had already been fined considerably more than the average person in Britain earns in a year and he will now face another heavy fine.” He continues, “I just feel it’s time that we went public on just what a nightmare he has been to deal with because I can honestly say that in all my time in football I have never worked with someone as unprofessional.”

Unfortunately, this is the least worrisome of his issues.

After Bruce understandably ruled out extending the deal, Zaki turned elsewhere for loans. Portsmouth was the first and most appealing option to reveal interest over the summer. Much like the Hull, Pompey struggles to find the back of the net and, on paper, a deal made sense. After a brief courtship, the player refused a transfer on the sickening grounds that he could not play with Pompey’s Jewish and Algerian players, Tal Ben Haim and Nadir Belhadj.

He is quoted as saying, “I refused their offer before, but now joining Portsmouth is no longer an option for me. After Portsmouth signed an Israeli player and also hired an Israeli football director [Avram Grant], a possible move was ruled out.  On top of that, no way could I play at Portsmouth with an Algerian within their ranks.” Since the quote, Portsmouth have added another Algerian, Hassan Yebda, and promoted Avram Grant to gaffer, so one can only imagine what Zaki has to say about it now.

The most disappointing aspect of this whole thing, beyond the discouraging realization that prejudice, discrimination, and antisemitism are still so prevalent in society today, is that it completely undermines FIFA and the FA’s Football Against Racism in Europe campaign, launched back in Vienna in 1999. Plastered around the premiership grounds are billboards bearing FIFA’s slogan of  “Say no to Racism.” It is such a cornerstone of FIFA policy that the EA Sports crew have even included it in their FIFA video games.

This is the same slogan that Zaki himself held up before every single international match with his Egyptian side. What kind of message does that send? How can anyone watching a Hull City game take that billboard seriously when they see as bigoted a human being as Amr Zaki playing on the pitch in front of the slogan? How can anyone take it seriously when one of the top flight teams in England vigorously pursues this player, knowing full well his prejudiced views? How are we supposed to look at the FA’s attempts to quell racism with supporters when they turn a blind eye towards racism in players?

It’s a depressing situation and one that hopefully the FA addresses head on one way or another, rather than beating around the bush. While it may be unfair to root against Hull, I’ll certainly be rooting against Amr Zaki.

With Liverpool languishing in lowly seventh, things are certainly looking gloomy over at Anfield. Not a day goes by without fresh reports surfacing from the press about the imminent sale of Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard. Who can blame them? Liverpool is ripe for the picking at the moment with the talk of a new manager, nonexistent transfer funds, mounting debt, and a divided board room all casting the club in a highly precarious light.

The supporters of the club, renowned for the unity and loyalty, seemed to be divided into the “anti-Rafa brigade” and the “Rafa lovers.” The players hardly seem motivated, crashing out of competitions left and right, most recently in spectacular fashion to Reading on their hallowed home pitch. Nagging injuries to the club’s star players have revealed a troubling lack of depth and, with talk of Torres being shut down until the World Cup, the 4th spot will require a herculean effort.

All this brings us to “The Gerrard Question.” Few players to walk through the narrow Anfield tunnel have ever been more popular than this talismanic captain. His heroics are famous. If you listen to fans recount the amazing 2005 Champions League Final, you’d think he cannoned in Smicer’s shot for the second goal, converted Xabi’s penalty, and donned Dudek’s gloves for the penalty shootout. A scouser at heart, he and Liverpool have always seemed a perfect match. That is, until recently.

If you watched the Stoke game closely on Saturday, you’d have noticed the camera panned over Gerrard in the stands and he looked anything but pleased. His form has dipped this season and with it so has his leadership, constantly yelling at his teammates for errant passes and simply disappearing for large chunks of games. He has yet, to my knowledge, to publicly come out and throw his support behind Benitez, revealing his deep level of frustration at the quality of play.

Whether or not we Liverpool fans want to admit it, his best days certainly look behind him. He turns thirty this May, and in football these days that seems to be something of a magic number (see Michael Owen). Injuries have riddled his body, forcing him out of large chunks of games these past two seasons and one has to wonder if that will become a recurring theme. With every passing season and every niggling injury, his transfer value dips dramatically.

While I will always feel a certain connection to him, I support Liverpool FC first. Not Fernando Torres, not Rafael Benitez, and no, not even Steven Gerrard. Thus, while it pains me to say it, if it is in the best interests of the team to sell Steven Gerrard, then sell Steven Gerrard.

I’ve always been amazed how Arsene Wenger seems to offload players right as they start to deteriorate. When he sold Patrick Viera to Juventus for £18 million I remember smugly thinking to myself what a foolish move it was. Yet, as with Henry and countless others, he seems to have gotten it just right.

It makes me wonder what would happen if the club sold Gerrard now. Let’s say, for discussion’s sake, that he goes for £40 million (I chose that price because Liverpool apparently turned down a bid of that sum recently from Chelsea). Surely, even in this inflated transfer market, that is enough for one or two very strong players? Furthermore, his significant wages are off the bill and the looming question of “will Gerrard be sold?” can finally get off the club’s back.

I suppose at some point I must stop with the fence-sitting and present my opinion. I think the club should sell Gerrard, but only if they fail to finish in the top four. Here is why:

• The Fans: As I mentioned earlier, the fans are already on their last straw. The lack of results and failure to build on such a promising 2008-09 season has challenged their undying optimism. Selling Gerrard would infuriate them beyond measure and it is impossible to predict what their wrath could lead to. His sale would seem like a concession that the club has given up on a chance at the top four and shifted towards thinking about the future, an approach the Liverpool fans are fed up with.
• The Money: The money made from consecutive top four finishes has been enormous and instrumental in Liverpool’s recent mini-resurgence. To miss out on it this year would be a huge loss and with the likes of Tottenham, Villa, and Manchester City looking like persistent threats, one would have to wonder when Liverpool might crack it again. The money lost from a fifth place finish would almost force the club into selling Gerrard and rebuilding, and frankly, if they do miss out on that top four spot, I’m not sure rebuilding would be such a bad thing, however hard it is to swallow.
• The Glory: It is no secret that players love the glory that comes with Europe’s top club competition. Wallowing in the UEFA Cup would severely test the allegiance the player’s allegiance to the red of Liverpool and could lead to unrest in the dressing room and some messy splits. It may be best for the club to simply cut ties with one or two of its players and focus on retooling. Moreover, to have any confidence of regaining the top four spot in 2011, the club would have to spend big, something that could only happen with the sale of the likes of Steven Gerrard.
• The Precedent: The most recent precedent for the sale of Steven Gerrard is the sale of Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid last summer. Look how that one worked out. The club cannot afford another disastrous season like this one and again, the fans would not accept it.
• The Debt: Despite Christian Purslow, Liverpool’s Managing Director, constantly claiming the money crisis is under control, there is no doubt that the American owners are up to their necks in debt. With construction on a new stadium halted, the club is in dire financial straits. There is no guarantee that the money gained from a fire sale of top players would even go into the manager’s hands, especially with reports that regardless whom Benitez sells this January, his transfer kitty will remain empty.

Photo credit: Joe Miles.