New stadium key for Liverpool to progress

Purslow, a Liverpool season-ticket holder, negotiated the sale to Fenway chief John W Henry and cautioned criticism of that regime’s first year-and-a-half in charge at Anfield.

A 2-1 defeat to Chelsea means Liverpool, who cannot qualify for next season’s Champions League through the Premier League because of a poor campaign, have only the Carling Cup to show for Fenway’s first full season in charge.

Purslow said: “People have short memories, it’s only 15-16 months ago we were a day away from being in administration. We are now stable financially. It’s year one of what they (Fenway) said when they bought the club would be a long journey.”

Purslow was appointed by former joint owners Tom Hicks and George Gillette in June, 2009 with a brief of finding new owners, and left his post shortly after Fenway completed their takeover in October, 2010.

Purslow believes Fenway should be given more time, but stressed the importance of Champions League football and a move to a new stadium.

“The club has had some investment (under Fenway) and it will take time for that to work.

“It’s an investment game, Liverpool is an investment and the value of that investment will hang largely on two key planks in the strategy they would have put in place when they bought the club.

“The first was to get the team back into regular Champions League football.”

That would not only increase profits by £20-30m a year but also help the club retain and hire the best players, explained Purslow, before expressing disappointment that the club had not made any progress towards building a new stadium, the second part of that strategy.