Millions of subscribers of the Liverpool Football service were left in misery after the latest product on display by Fenway Sports Group failed.
This new product, which malfunctions when it comes into contact with 'shots', could well face a worldwide recall.
In scenes set to shock the corporate world the owner of the Liverpool Football Club plans to increase the price of their product in a few months. Costs, such as the new 5 year contract handed to Simon Mignolet, are likely to be blamed for the price rises.
In all reality this was more of the same from a Liverpool side that has been systemically weakened over the past 3 or 4 years.
Poor players have been brought in, and even rewarded, at the expense of better players departing. It really is as simple as that.
Firmino and Lallana are more than capable of the odd good day (today being one of their better days) but apart from that the overwhelming majority of the playing staff have some questionable characteristics. Worse than lacking in quality is their lack of guile.
Today was sadly so reminiscent of so many outings this season, and last season.
Jurgen Klopp was thankfully absent from today's horror show - his appendicectomy may have hurt slightly less than watching his players fall apart. Also missing the last minute horror show were the 10,000 fans who took a stand against the current running of the club.
The reds had huffed and puffed for the first half - enjoying the lions share of possession but firing blanks anywhere near the goal.
Firmino broke the deadlock on the hour - heading in to give the reds a lead, before Lallana got on the end of a move involving Firmino to put the game beyond relegation candidates Sunderland.
A pre-planned protest by the fans saw the noise level increases as the fans sang YNWA in the 76th minute before the mass exodus began in the 77th minute - signalling the intention by the club to increase the top price of a 'standard' ticket by almost £20 to £77.
5 minutes later Sunderland had their first shot on target.
Predictably to anybody who has watched Liverpool recently it went in. Mignolet way too easily beaten - again. The free kick should have been stopped.
It is difficult to have the remotest sympathy for the clubs owners when they decide that they need to increase prices for fans by over £2M whilst awarding Mignolet a £20M 5 year deal.
Worse was to follow.
With a minute remaining Sunderland drew level - the reds had dropped two points from a commanding position in the 82nd minute. Sakho the self styled 'Liverpool soldier' allowing Defoe to turn and get Sunderland's second shot, and goal, of the game.
Liverpool are beset by problems on and of the pitch - and sadly almost all of them have been entirely manufactured in the boardroom.
It may be time for the owners to face up to some cold hard facts. The customer is always right.
Next up West Ham on Tuesday.
Should be fun.
Well, guess the “Americans” should stop construction on the stadium and just sell the team. There were so many realistic bids last time….not. Maybe a consortium of fans could buy the team? No? Any English billionaires want to buy? What, no? Guess oil sheiks and Russian thugs would be preferable as owners…just so they aren’t evil Americans with their expectation of making some sort of profit on their investment. Fact is, Liverpool should have razed Anfield and constructed a new stadium 10 years ago. Fans didn’t want that…evil corporate boxes….naming rights…the horror! Meanwhile, the other big clubs expanded their stadiums or built new ones and generated much more revenue. Arsenal pulls in a third more in revenue from their stadium than Liverpool.
Liverpool fans are hopelessly lost in the past. The game is a business now. That means, profits, investments etc. The perennial big four (Liverpool no longer in that group) have all done what is necessary (years ago) and now Liverpool playing catch up. Hope FSG does sell the club after pulling it from debt and expanding the stadium and its commercial enterprises. Stupid fans don’t deserve a stable ownership. Cry about profits and ignore all the investments in infrastructure. Worst FSG did was hire Rodgers…next was buying such an undeserving lot.
You’ve forgotten the big boys of Leicester & Spurs, not to mention West Ham. And remind me what you think Arsenal, Man Utd and Chelsea, the perennial big 4 are likely to win this season? Give me odds on one of them winning either the Prem or the CL. And then remind me of how well we’ve spent the money we got from the Suarez deal.
By the way, no one is saying we shouldn’t expand the stadium and sell some exec boxes. Or bring in another sponsor or two. Combined with the extra 40 million TV money don’t you think that presents a great chance for the club to reconnect with all those local fans they’ve lost who provided the atmosphere the club uses as a selling point. What’s more important, more points or more money?