Prince won't 'clean up' Reds' debt

Prospective Liverpool investor Prince Faisal bin Fahd bin Abdullah al-Saud has not ruled out a complete takeover of the club but will not consider such a move until debt levels are more manageable.

The Saudi prince has been involved in discussions with George Gillett, one half of the American ownership with Texan Tom Hicks, about buying at least a part-share in the Merseysiders.

But, according to advisor Barry Didato, Prince Faisal’s interest could stretch further than that if the current debt of £250m (€272m) is lowered.

“His Highness does not need to be a majority shareholder and a takeover has not been his focus,” said Didato, director of strategic investments for the Saudi prince’s investment vehicle F6.

“His Highness’s shareholding could go from anything from nought to 100%.

“The debt has to be at a manageable level before Prince Faisal would invest and the current level is high.

“He cannot be looked to as someone who is going to clean up the balance sheet - Gillett has to deal with this.”

Gillett and Hicks reduced the club’s debt in July but they will have to go further, as well as patching up their strained relationship, if Prince Faisal is to consider that investing is a viable option.

The agreement struck between the two Americans when they jointly bought Liverpool was that neither could sell their shares without the other’s approval.

Since then they have grown apart and despite a public show of solidarity in the summer there are still tensions between the two.

It is an issue which could prove another stumbling block to new investment.

“His Highness would not want to get involved in the [problems between the pair], he is not a marriage counsellor,” Didato added.

“He cannot be seen as a solution to the debt or problems in the existing relationship between the owners.”

Didato told BBC Sport: “His Highness is an extraordinary man who is passionate about football.

“He has a tremendous respect for Liverpool and their fan base.

“He only wants what is best for them and is one of those rare breeds of investor who is in it for the long haul.”

Last week Gillett and Hicks issued a joint statement in which they admitted they were looking for further investment, although the Americans stressed the process was at an early stage.

While there remains uncertainty about the club off the field it is indecision and errors on it which have cost Liverpool this season.

The performances of centre-back Jamie Carragher, for so long the defensive linchpin, have come in for criticism and the 30-year-old accepts he has not been at his best.

“We aren’t playing well as a back four and I’m not playing well personally. I need to hit better form,” he said.

“Over the last five or six years we have been renowned as a team who have kept a lot of clean sheets and for keeping it tight.

“I think that’s why we get a bit more criticism because people don’t expect it of Liverpool – and rightly so.

“I know I need to improve myself and we also need to improve as a team.”

No team has won the title having lost three of their opening eight matches since Manchester United in 1967, but Carragher is not prepared to concede defeat yet.

“You can shape statistics to make them look however you want them to,” he said.

“We’ve now got the same points as Manchester United had at this point last season and they went on to win the league with 90-odd points.

“We know ourselves that we haven’t performed as well as we would have liked in certain games. We now have to put that right.

“Points are what matter and how many you end up with at the end of the season.”

Manager Rafael Benitez noticed an improvement in the Carragher-Martin Skrtel partnership at Stamford Bridge despite the 2-0 defeat to Chelsea on Sunday.

“If you analyse the performance it was clear to see they were much better and that was the positive thing to take from the game,” Benitez told liverpoolfc.tv.

“Skrtel is a really good player and ’Carra’ was doing better again. I was very pleased with the performances.”