SEPTEMBER 1
Benitez: Warnock too good to lose

By Chris Bascombe - Liverpool Echo

Rafa Benitez today explained why he refused to sacrifice Steve Warnock in a bid to bring Lucas Neill to Anfield.

The Liverpool boss admits it was a disappointing conclusion to deadline day, as no agreement was reached to sign the 28-year-old Aussie.

Neill has now been left in limbo until January, when the Reds may renew their interest.

However, the Blackburn defender can sign a pre-contract agreement then and leave for a Bosman next summer.

Benitez accepts there was an element of risk in selling Jan Kromkamp to PSV Eindhoven without securing his replacement, but he and his staff worked until midnight trying to agree a fee.

"It was disappointing. We tried but in the end the situation was impossible," explained Benitez.

"Blackburn wanted to sign Warnock, but we made it clear we wanted to keep the player.

"They asked to sign Warnock and receive a fee, so we had to say forget it.

"Warnock is a good 24-year-old player who was in the England squad last year.

"The conversations I had with Blackburn were friendly and they are good people, but in the end we had to say 'okay, we can not do it'."

Liverpool were prepared to pay as muchas £2m for Neill, but Benitez refused to bid higher fora player who could be signed for a free in a year.

The manager admits Liverpool are now short of cover for Steve Finnan until January, but insists there are still options within his squad.

"We had to wait until the last minute with Lucas Neill because we needed the money from the Kromkamp deal, although we made our first approach before Kromkamp was sold.

"We knew there was a small risk doing this, but maybe we can do more business with a right-back in January. I know Lucas Neill really wanted to come here, and maybe there will be a possibility in the future, but we must also analyse the market in January.

"We can manage with Carra and Paletta if we have a problem at right-back, but the situation is going to be more difficult for four months.."

Although the transfer window is closed until January, the Reds would still be able to sign out-of-contract players before Christmas.

That's an avenue the club may still explore in the coming weeks.

SEPTEMBER 1
Rafalution: Summer transfers

Submitted by Tony - Anfield Red - Liverpool (Weblog)

The likes of Bellamy, Kuyt, Paletta , Gonzalez Pennant and Aurelio have been brought in, and Pongolle, Hamann, Mellor, Kromkamp, Traore, Cisse , Le Tallec and Carson have left. Where does this leave Liverpool now?

Carson and Cisse are out on Loan, Le Tallec's move at most would have brought in about £2million, no fee was announced for Kromkamp, Mellor or Sinama, so how much was brought in from these sales?

Le Tallec never lived up to his hype, Cisse was never a favourite with Rafa, Mellor and Sinama were never going to get ahead of Fowler, Bellamy , Crouch and Kuyt, so upfront we are not lacking anything.

The only place we may be short of cover is right back, if Finnan gets injured, Kromkamp would have stepped in, but with him out the equation, Carra may have to fill in if Finnan is out.

It is thought that the reds have spent £25million this summer; on Kuyt, Bellamy, Gonzalez, Paletta, Pennant and Aurelio, but where have they improved the squad?

Dirk Kuyt showed glimpses of what he is capable of at the weekend in the win over West Ham, setting us back £10million. Bringing a reputation of a high scoring record from Feyenoord, Kuyt has been tracked by Rafa for a long time and bolsters an already impressive strikeforce.

Craig Bellamy was brought in from Blackburn, costing £6million. Known his attitude and pace, Bellamy has been a great addition, who will only get better with the likes of Gerrard , Alonso and Fowler round him. Scoring 13 goals in 22 starts for Blackburn last season was a good record, and hopefully he can build on that at the team he supported as a child. Cisse was known for his pace, but Bellamy can find the back of the net and will work more for the team.

Mark Gonzalez was actually signed last year, but failed to get a work permit, so spent a year on loan at Real Sociedad, where he scored 5 times to keep them in La Liga. Added to the left wing, Liverpool now have Kewell, Riise, Aurelio and Gonzalez on the left, so theres plenty of back-up should anyone get injured or suspended.

Gonzalez found the net on his debut, against Maccabi Haifa in the Champions League, and his pace and skill should excite the kop this year.

Aurelio was brought in for free, and with Djimi Traore leaving Liverpool needed another left back. Having played under Rafa at Valencia, the boss knows what he is capable of , and has already shown the crowd a few free kicks and hard tackles to reassure them he means business.

Pennant was signed from Birmingham after months of speculation, for £6.3million, adding to the right side of midfield. Scoring 3 goals in 45 appearances was not a great return, but he was at a team who were relegated, and is bound to score more this year. Creating Crouch's goal in Haifa showed his crossing ability, another boyhood fan will pull out all the stops to improve this year, with pace and trickery to put the fear into any defender.

Gabriel Paletta was brought in as defensive cover, but has yet to stake a claim for a place, after Daniel Agger's impressive performance in Carragher's absence. Likened to Roberto Ayala, Paletta is a hard tackling , rough no nonsense defender who will provide more than adequate cover should Sami, Carra and Agger be out.

The person Liverpool will miss most is Didi Hamann, who has signed for Manchester City. The Kaiser was at Anfield for 7 seasons, winning everything but the Premiership. He was a vital part of the Champions League winning side, coming on at half time and stopping Kaka create any more havoc, and then went on to score in the penalty shootout.

Hamann rarely made mistakes, was a calm player, who slowed the pace of an oncoming attack down, and cleared with no messing. Bolo Zenden has been put in midfield to replace him, but whether or not he can do a better job than Didi remains to be seen...

AUGUST 18
'Kuyt is complete striker'

By Chris Bascombe - Liverpool Echo

Rafa Benitez has predicted Dirk Kuyt will terrorise English defences in the same prolific manner which prompted the Reds to bid £9m for his signature.

Benitez hailed his imminent recruit as 'the complete striker' as the 26-year-old was completing formalities of his move from Feyenoord.

Kuyt, barring a last minute hitch, was due to be unveiled at Melwood today, but is unlikely to face Sheffield United in tomorrow's Premiership opener.

The Liverpool boss explained he was first alerted to Kuyt's abilities when Valencia coach.

He said "We've been trying to find a top goalscorer in Europe. That's difficult, but we knew Kuyt was one such player.

"He's been playing well for a long time, and he's someone I'm sure will bring a quality to the team.

"Sometimes you see a top class player who may find it hard to adapt to the Premiership, but in his case he has the work rate, game intelligence and goalscoring ability to make him succeed in England.

"Maybe people will say he's scored a lot of goals in Holland, but we need to see it in England. Okay, but he is such a good worker and is so clever, I'm sure he will settle down properly.

"We needed someone who would be different to Bellamy and Robbie, but maybe similar in a way to Crouch.

"Kuyt can not only play as a target man, he can play as the second striker, on the right or on the left.

"For sure, he's not someone we'll use as a winger, but he can play alongside Bellamy, Fowler, Crouch and Luis and give us many options.

"We first talked about him when we were at Valencia. That was when we first monitored him and kept having him watched. I know Liverpool supporters like players who work really hard, and he is like this.

"He is a complete type of player. He does everything well. He'll score with both feet and his head."

Kuyt struggled in the Dutch team over the summer, but Benitez dismissed the idea of judging the player on that criteria.

"He didn't play well in the World Cup, but we've seen a lot of games where he played very well," said Benitez. "Now we have a lot of competition between the players, which is very important.

"There is quality in all the positions and I know the players will work even harder for a place in the side.

"If we want to win trophies, we need this competition."

AUGUST 17
Kuyt undergoes Anfield medical

Sporting Life

Holland striker Dirk Kuyt was set to undergo a medical at Liverpool today before finalising a four-year contract and completing his "dream" move to the Anfield club.

Kuyt played in the second half of Holland's 4-0 win over the Republic of Ireland in Dublin last night before travelling on to Merseyside for what is believed to be a straight £10million deal, with no player exchange as Liverpool had at first wanted.

Feyenoord rejected Liverpool's initial bid of £8million, and were not keen on either Jerzy Dudek or more recently, Jan Kromkamp, being added to the deal. Kromkamp's wages were a major stumbling block for the Dutch club.

It is understood the Reds went back to Feyenoord at the beginning of the week with a straight cash deal for Kuyt, based on payments.

The 26-year-old, who has rejected the chance to join Newcastle, said: "For me Liverpool is to be sure the dream club I was looking for.

"There was more interest from abroad, but for me there was nothing of the calibre of Liverpool, a brilliant club with an enormous reputation and fantastic, empathic support and a fabulous history. It is an honour to play for a club like that.

"I leave Feyenoord with mixed feelings. I have experienced three great years in Rotterdam, despite us not winning any major prizes. The crowd continued to adopt a positive attitude in spite of that.

"Feyenoord supporters are the sort of fans any club would like to have in their stadium. I will always respect that, as I respect all the people at the club. That is why I consider it an honour that the chairman wanted to see me back at De Kuip.

"That is an expression of appreciation. I wish the players, coaches and all fans a great deal of success this season. From England I will continue to follow everything that happens at De Kuip."

Feyenoord chairman Jorien van den Herik told his club's official website: "We did everything we could to keep Dirk at Feyenoord.

"We went a long way to do that and Dirk was open to that, but we knew that the chance was he would leave if his dream club came in. Liverpool was, and is his dream club.

"Many clubs have tried to contract Dirk over the recent period, but he's said 'no' to clubs every time because they were not appealing enough, despite there being some very renowned clubs among them.

"That characterises Dirk's attitude: either Feyenoord or my dream club."

He added: "Feyenoord, Dirk and the player's agent Rob Jansen have always said that a transfer would only happen if everyone was agreed. All parties have kept their promises.

"The response was always 'no' up to now, but when Liverpool came knocking with a serious offer we knew that a transfer was an option.

"It is a pity for Feyenoord, but we do not begrudge him this step. We have to be thankful to Dirk for his effort and loyalty to Feyenoord and its supporters. He deserves respect and a big farewell from Feyenoord and we hope that he returns to De Kuip after his foreign career."

If Liverpool can complete the medical and final details of the move, Kuyt could be in the squad to face Sheffield United in the season's opener at Bramall Lane on Saturday.

But it is more likely that he will feature in the Champions League trip to Kiev next week to face Maccabi Haifa.

Van den Herik accepts that losing Kuyt so close to the beginning of the Dutch season is a major problem.

But he said: "You cannot blame Dirk for that, that is the fault of the European transfer system. The leagues are well under way in many European countries, but there is a great degree of uncertainty until August 31.

"The transfer window system up to and including August 31 simply does not work, it really has to be discussed at European level.

"Due to the system, coaches and players are in a state of protracted uncertainty and we clubs are not sure what can happen. Dirk's transfer is an example of that."

AUGUST 13
Parry hints more signings to come

By Max Munton - This is Anfield

Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry says that the club are still looking into the possibility of making further signings before the transfer window deadline of August 31st.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Parry revealed that despite five signings this summer, the club has not finished in the transfer market yet.

“There might be a little bit of business still to be done, we are still looking,” he said.

“We might need to get one or two out, it depends exactly on what is available, but we are open-minded.”

Parry also added how happy he has been with manager Rafael Benitez’s signings this summer, especially with right winger Jermaine Pennant from Birmingham City who impressed on his Reds debut against Maccabi Haifa on Wednesday night.

“Knowing how thorough Rafa is and how conscientious he is, he has been in the Premier League for two years now and has got to know the players better, he would not come to decisions unless he felt confident they were the right players for us.”

“And we are delighted with the acquisitions we have made this time, they have got tremendous pace.

“After a couple of years we have at last got the player on the right flank that has been a challenge for us, so we’re delighted to have Jermaine Pennant in, and we are looking forward to the start of the season.”

AUGUST 13
Rafa: Having local players is important

Walk on LFC

Rafael Benitez stressed the importance of having local players in the side as the Reds prepare to mount another challenge for the Premiership crown.

"When you talk about players like Robbie Fowler, Carragher, Gerrard, Bellamy and Pennant then they have a lot of passion and commitment for this club and that can only help us move forward," said the Liverpool boss.

"Having local players and a lot of English and British players is important because they are prepared to go the extra yard to help the team.

"I don't think you can doubt the commitment of players like Xabi Alonso, Luis Garcia or Momo Sissoko, but having players who know the history of the club and have that passion can be good for us.

"Other clubs have their qualities and we have ours. I think the balance is right now. I can say it is almost impossible to win a trophy only with local players in any country.

"We have the passion in our players, we have skill and we also have to use our brains. But I'm happy because the combination is good.

"I have a lot of confidence in the team. We are signing players with quality, with pace and who can play very well in attack.

"We'll try to keep doing the things we did properly last season, like staying strong in defence, but also we will try and improve in attack."

AUGUST 6
Rafa finds need for speed

By Mark Buckingham - Sky Sports

Rafa Benitez feels Liverpool now have the pace to catch Chelsea in the race for the Premiership title.

The Reds were left in their London rivals' slipstream last season as Jose Mourinho's men sped to a second successive championship.

But Benitez is more confident regarding his team's prospects this term following the capture of Craig Bellamy from Blackburn Rovers and the availability of Mark Gonzalez.

Though the Reds boss concedes pace is not the only factor, he feels his speed merchants could play a pivotal role in the coming months.

"It was difficult at times last season because, in terms of pace, our only option up front was Djibril Cisse," Benitez told The Sunday Mirror.

"Now we have so many different aspects to our game.

"We have the intelligence of Peter Crouch and Robbie Fowler and also the pace of Mark Gonzalez and Craig Bellamy.

"Pace isn't everything. The most important quality is football ability, but in modern football, it is a fact that it is more difficult to succeed if you don't have that real speed in your team.

"What you need is a balance of good pace and good movement and also players who can make the most of those qualities."

Benitez believes the injection of pace into his side will help Liverpool to pick up more points on their Premiership travels.

He added: "It is important for any team with ambitions to have these different options.

"Now we should be able to do much better away from home against those teams who play high up the pitch and leave space behind.

"I think we can win some games that we didn't last season."

AUGUST 2
Winged wonders will bring
style back to Anfield

By Tommy Smith - Liverpool Echo

Some fans must have wondered what Rafa Benitez was doing when he followed up the signing of Craig Bellamy by bringing Jermaine Pennant
to Anfield.

Both players have had their problems off the pitch but the boss is a shrewd man and I'm confident he'll get the best out of them.

In fact I'm genuinely excited by the prospect of seeing Pennant surging down the right wing with fellow new boy Mark Gonzalez on the opposite flank.

From the Sixties to the Eighties we were lucky to have top wingers like Alan A'Court, Peter Thompson, Ian Calla ghan, Jimmy Case, Steve Heighway and John Barnes - so it's good to see a rich Anfield tradition restored.

Benitez has been looking for wingers for an age and Pennant is as good as anything knocking about.

If you look at the English league there's a real shortage but the lad has that ability to take people on and go past a full-back. He gets to the byline, puts in crosses and his pace will really occupy the opposition.

We defended so deep under Houllier but now we're getting back to the way I consider football should be played.

If Bellamy and Pennant keep out of trouble they'll have a great time at Liverpool.

But if they step out of line they'll soon be on their way because Benitez is like Shankly and Paisley in that he takes no prisoners.

This is a massive opportunity for both players and when they walk out at Anfield for their home debuts they're going to get the surprise of their lives.

You can go anywhere else in the world, but you won't find fans who make more noise or make playing more enjoyable.

If they get their heads down and fully commit themselves to Liverpool they'll reap the rewards and everyone will be happy

AUGUST 2
Benitez: I want another striker

By Chris Bascombe - Liverpool Echo

Rafa Benitez emphasised why Liverpool need more fire-power before the start of the season after seeing his side lose its second friendly in
a week.

The Anfield boss continues to trail Feyenoord's Dirk Kuyt, with a fresh approach for the Dutchman imminent.

It's understood Kuyt has made it clear to his club he wants to move to Merseyside, despite interest from Manchester United.

Liverpool have already had one offer for Kuyt turned down, and Benitez knows funds must be generated if he's to make a successful bid.

However, after the 2-0 defeat to Grasshoppers Zurich, the Spanish coach left people in no doubt of his transfer intentions before the deadline on August 31.

Benitez said: "We're continuing to work. Maybe it's too late for the Champions League qualification round, but there is one month left and thatgives us the time to sign the player we need.

"I think we still need an extra striker, just in case. I'm happy with the strikers we havebut I think we need another and I'm confident we'll sign one."

JULY 27
Pennant deal a 'gamble'

By Chris Bascombe - Liverpool Echo

Rafa Benitez today admitted he's taken 'a risk' splashing over £6m on Jermaine Pennant, but immediately predicted the winger will transform his image in Liverpool colours.

Benitez accepts the similarities in the reputation of Pennant and fellow summer signing Craig Bellamy.

But the Liverpool boss says Pennant is at the right club to complete his rehabilitation after a troubled early career at the top level.

Pennant has now arrived in Switzerland, will train with his new team-mates today and could play against Kaiserslautern on Saturday.

"Of course there is some risk in the deal, but there is risk in every transfer," said Benitez.

"It doesn't matter who you sign, you must wait and see if it's successful.

"Jermaine is a player we've liked for some time. He makes a lot of assists,is agood crosser and has a lot of pace. He's the kind of right winger we've been looking for.

"He also has the advantage of being used to the English style, which means he'll have no problem adjusting.

"We know it's similar to Craig Bellamy because this is Jermaine's last opportunity to show he is a good player at a really big club.

"When you sign a player that's been at a big club before but had problems, you know he will think more about the consequences of everything he does, and that's a positive thing.

"These players know more about the importance of doing the right things. It's a big motivation for them to here people say they're moremature, are different and have the quality to play for a top club.

"It'seasier to sign aplayer whoeveryone knows is good and has never had any problems, but I believe when a player changes, shows he is more mature and proves to everyone he has the quality and the ability to end any problems, that makes him an even better player and person.

"Jermaine wants to show everyone he can be a contender at a big club again and the most important thing for me is we are signing players with a lot of quality who we feel have learnt a lot from their experience.

"At Liverpool, we have an atmosphere in the dressing room and throughout the club which will help players like Jermaine and Craig.

"They understand what's expected when you sign for Liverpool, so we're sure there will be no problems."

JULY 27
Pennant keen to learn from troubled past

By Chris Bascombe - Liverpool Echo

There's no escaping, Liverpool are turning into a home for reformed characters.

If Craig Bellamy is generously described as being 'misunderstood' at former clubs, there's less ambiguity on the CV of Jermaine Pennant, who arrives at Anfield requiring a level of positive PR even Saatchi and Saatchi might struggle to spin.

Pennant is one of those unique players who feels ashudder in his spine when asked what number he'd prefer.

It wasn't so long ago he was known as prisoner MX 7232, and for the second time this summer, Rafa Benitez is putting his faith in the powers of rehabilitation his recruit received at his former club.

Birmingham City offered Pennant a lifeline when it seemed a flourishing young career was on the verge of self-destruction.

Pennant joined Arsenal as the most expensive teenager in English football when he left Notts County for £2m in 1999.

Just like Theo Walcott, hype followed Pennant long before he'd actually kicked aball for the senior team, but a hat-trick on his full debut for the Gunners against Southampton in May, 2003, suggested there was substance in the plaudits.

Amid rumours of training ground indiscipline, however, Arsene Wenger rapidly lost patience in the winger.

He was loaned to Leeds United and Wenger's instincts proved accurate when Pennant was later arrested for drink driving while banned and having no insurance.

Originally Pennant had been banned from driving for 16 months in 2004 after being seen travelling in the wrong lane in West London.

Shortly after joining Birmingham in 2005, he was jailed, serving four weeks of a three month sentence.

Later in 2005, the midfielder become the first footballer to play in the Premiership while wearing an electronic tag.

Birmingham stood by their £3m signing, and, as with Bellamy, it's easier to find positive rather than negative assessments of the player nowadays.

Benitez is not a manager who'll spend cash without a thorough assessment of both the character and ability of his signings.

Pennant will be paraded in Liverpool colours with both player and club eager to reinforce the widespread belief his days as atearaway are in the past, even if it's a history which isn't so distant.

The 23-year-old has already spoken candidly about his traumatic experience when he served four weeks of a three-month sentence for drink-driving offences.

Everything points towards a harrowing experience which changed his attitude irreversibly. Signing for Liverpool must represent his biggest shot at redemption. Like Bellamy, he moves to Anfield knowing this is his last chance at a top club.

"It was the biggest wake-up call, the biggest shock and the worst experience Ihave ever known,"said Pennant, recalling his experience in Woodhill Prison, near Milton Keynes.

"I hope to God - and I know I won't - go down that path again.

"I want people to look at me in a different light. To anyone who thinks of a life of crime or doing anything that could land them in prison, I would say: 'Don't do it'.

"Your freedom is the most precious thing you have. Going to prison robs you of everything. One of the first things you get when you go inside is your prisoner's number. Mine was MX 7232.

"I've tried to wipe it from my mind but it won't go away. Maybe that's not a bad thing. Perhaps I should keep it there as a reminder about what prison life was like.

"I'll never forget the moment that cell door closed behind me for the first time. I wondered how I was going to handle it.

"At first I would just walk around the cell and keep saying to myself: 'I am in prison, I am in prison'. And I made myself realise it was for real.

"I would see the sky through the prison bars and it made me wonder how much I had lost.

"It wasn't just my freedom, it was all the things and all the people I loved, my family, my friends and my football.

"I wondered how long it would be before I could get them back. "All this has made me appreciate that I've been given a talent and I would be a fool to waste it.

"I thought a lot about the people I have hurt and upset, especially my family. My grandmother said she couldn't eat or sleep when I was inside. She was crying on the phone.

"But Iam going to make up for all this. I owe it to a lot of people. I have made silly mistakes and I have been punished for them.

"Now it's my aim to set a good example and be a role model to any kids who might be going off the straight and narrow.

Thor Zakariassen ©