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FRIDAY 3 |
Benitez thrilled by Torres strike
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez was delighted that record
signing Fernando Torres got himself on the goal trail
against Shanghai Shenhau.
The £20million striker scored after just 13 minutes with a
clever chip to send Liverpool on the way to a 2-0 victory
over the Chinese side in the opening match of the Rotterdam
tournament at Feyenoord's De Kuip stadium.
Benitez said: "Getting off the mark will give Torres a lot
of confidence heading into the new season.
"I was very pleased with Fernando, it was very important for
him to score his first goal for Liverpool. He has had
chances in every game he has played in pre-season, and for
him to get this first goal is great for his confidence."
(TEAMtalk)
First for Torres in Reds win
Fernando Torres scored his first goal for Liverpool in the
2-0 win over Shanghai Shenhua.
The club's record signing put The Reds ahead in the Port of
Rotterdam tournament opener before Steven Gerrard curled in
a fine second goal.
(Sky Sports)
League to step in over Heinze row
The Premier League are expected to confirm they will look
into the row over Gabriel Heinze's proposed move from
Manchester United to Liverpool.
Heinze is apparently keen to become the first player to make
the switch from Old Trafford to Anfield since Phil Chisnall
in 1964 but Sir Alex Ferguson is equally determined to stop
him.
At the centre of the wrangle is a letter, signed by Red
Devils chief executive David Gill stating the figure United
would be willing to sell Heinze for, a sum Liverpool have
agreed to match.
Heinze contends United should now allow him to leave but
Gill is adamant he informed the 29-year-old's agent verbally
- before Liverpool made their bid - he was unwilling to deal
with any of the club's major domestic rivals.
Papers from all sides are currently being examined by the
Premier League, with Heinze keen for a ruling to be made
before the August 31 transfer deadline.
And, while the Premier League are refusing to comment on the
matter, it is understood they will examine more
documentation in an effort to find
a solution.
(TEAMtalk)
Toulouse boss relishing Liverpool tie
Toulouse coach Elie Baup is relishing his side's clash with
Liverpool in the third round of the Champions League's
qualifying stages.
Baup had claimed on the eve of the draw that the Reds would
be his preferred opposition - and he got his wish 24 hours
later.
"It is fantastic to be playing the finalist of last year's
Champions League, even if it is a shame that the first match
is in Toulouse," he said.
"We are going to experience a legendary stadium. We are
going to come up against some massive players and for our
young players, it will certainly be a big moment."
Toulouse will play French champions Lyon at home the weekend
before they meet Liverpool in the first leg.
Their Ligue 1 campaign begins on Saturday with a trip to
Valenciennes.
(Football 365)
Leto, Leiva and Torres get first starts
Sebastian Leto, Lucas Leiva and Fernando Torres will all
make their first Liverpool starts against Shanghai Shenhua
this evening.
The trio feature as the Reds kick off the Rotterdam
Tournament
at 5.30pm.
Rookie keeper David Martin plays his second game in 24 hours
after appearing for the reserves against Shakhtar Donetsk
yesterday.
The Liverpool team in full is: Martin, Finnan, Insua,
Paletta, Hyypia (cap), Leiva, Sissoko, Leto, Benayoun,
Torres, Crouch.
(LFC Official Website)
Rafa pleased with draw
Rafa Benitez admits he is delighted his squad won't face
a daunting trek across Europe in the Champions League third
qualifying round.
The Spaniard is happy with a trip across the Channel after
being drawn against Toulouse in Friday's draw.
Benitez told Liverpoolfc.tv: "I'm happy with the draw for
two reasons. Firstly, the travelling won't be a problem, and
secondly, the second leg will be at Anfield in front of our
supporters.
"After travelling to Hong Kong, Switzerland and Rotterdam,
the last thing we wanted was a long trip."
Despite being pleased with the draw, Benitez knows he can
take nothing for granted against a team who finished third
in one of Europe's top leagues.
"Toulouse are a good side with some good players. The French
league is of a high standard and so this won't be an easy
game.
"When we return from Rotterdam we will start our reports on
Toulouse. We have some information at the moment but we'll
have to do some more work when we get home."
Dates for the tie have yet to be confirmed by the club, so
fans are advised not to make travel arrangements.
(LFC Official Website)
Aldo: It's a tricky tie
Kop legend John Aldridge has backed Liverpool to reach the
Champions League proper despite being handed a tricky tie
against Toulouse.
The former Republic of Ireland international believes the
fact it's a short journey across the Channel could prove
key.
"It could be a lot easier but the one thing we've got going
for us is the fact it's a short trip," he told
Liverpoolfc.tv. "That really helps. You don't really want to
be going all the way across Europe or to Russia.
"With it being a French side, you know the pitch is probably
going to be good, and there'll be a lot of fans able to make
the trip, which is obviously a huge bonus for Liverpool.
"Having said all that, it will be a tricky little tie. I
know about the French league to the extent it's on Sky
television. They are no mugs and the league has some very
good players.
"A lot of their players go to Italy or England, but you only
have to look at the football Lyon have been playing in
recent years to realise the league has strength."
(LFC Official Website)
Liverpool relishing Toulouse tie
Bryce Morrison has admitted the UEFA Champions League draw
could have been a lot worse for Liverpool.
The Reds were paired with Toulouse in the final qualifying
round, and club secretary Morrison admits the French club
are an unknown entity.
But he is confident Liverpool will be good enough to make it
through to the group stage of the Champions League.
"I think the draw could have been a lot worse for us,
although it's not easy in this qualifying round," Morrison
told Sky Sports News.
"The competition seems to be getting harder each year, but
we're happy with the draw.
"The French league is strong and their supporters will be
really excited about the progress their team has made."
Since losing to Milan in last season's final Rafa Benitez
has strengthened his squad considerably and Morrison
believes Liverpool are capable of another long run in the
competition.
"The manager has brought in good new players and everyone at
the club feels the squad is stronger," he explained.
"There is no reason why we can't maybe go all the way
again."
(Sky Sports)
Trip to Toulouse for Reds
Liverpool have been drawn with French side Toulouse in the
third round of Champions League qualifying, with the winners
reaching the group stage of the competition.
The first leg will be played on August 14th or 15th
(replacing our initial first home match with West Ham) and
the second leg on August 28th or 29th. Home and away legs
are yet to be finalised.
Toulouse is situated in South Western France, their stadium
is the 35,472 capacity Stadium Municipal which was used in
the 1998 World Cup.
Last season they finished third in Ligue 1.
Arsenal face a tough match against Sparta Prague, while
Celtic drew Spartak Moscow and Rangers most likely to face
Red Star Belgrade.
(This is Anfield) |
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THURSDAY 2 |
Kuyt ready for title tilt
Dirk Kuyt returned 'home' to Rotterdam on Thursday insisting
that Liverpool can make a genuine challenge for the Barclays
Premier League crown, spurred on by last season's Champions
League near-miss.
The Holland striker was sent by Liverpool as their
ambassador, 24 hours ahead of the main party, for the launch
of the Port of Rotterdam trophy this weekend, where Kuyt
will make an emotional appearance against his former club
Feyenoord on Sunday.
Kuyt told www.liverpoolfc.tv: "I am really confident we can
get off to a really good start this season. We have worked
very hard in pre-season and we cannot wait for the start,
with the final test for us here in Rotterdam.
And he believes the club's major summer signings will be
crucial, saying: "We have signed a lot of quality, some very
good new signings and they have already shown their worth.
"We have the quality players, but now is the time to show it
on the pitch."
(Football 365)
Reds await Champions League draw
Liverpool will find out who they'll face in the Champions
League third qualifying round at 11am on Friday.
The draw, in which the Reds are top seeds, involves 46 teams
and takes place in Nyon, Switzerland.
Spartak Moscow, AEK Athens, Sparta Prague and Fenerbache are
among the sides Rafa Benitez's men could face.
Matches will be played on 14/15 and 28/29 August.
(LFC Official Website)
Finnan deal is vital
Steve Finnan's new contract has been hailed as one of Rafa
Benitez's best pieces of summer business by legendary
right-back Phil Neal.
Finnan put pen to paper on a two-year deal today after
agreeing terms
last month.
Four-time European Cup winner Neal believes the 31-year-old
is a vital piece of the jigsaw as Liverpool try to close the
gap on Manchester United and Chelsea.
"He is so steady, and if you want to get into that top two
you need three or four steady-eddies in your team. I mean
this in a very good way," said Neal.
"Perhaps people don't always recognise the job he does, but
every time you get three quarters of the way into a season
you realise he's been there throughout and hasn't really put
a foot wrong. You don't need to worry about him.
"He's cool under pressure no matter how big the game is. You
get him in
a tight situation and he doesn't panic."
(LFC Official Website)
Leto granted go-ahead for Reds debut
Sebastian Leto has finally been given the all-clear to make
his Liverpool debut.
The Argentinian has been granted a European passport and
will be included in the squad which plays in the Rotterdam
tournament tomorrow evening.
That means manager Rafa Benitez will finally have a full
squad to choose from for the first time this summer.
Leto has endured a frustrating time since arriving at
Melwood for pre-season, as he awaited documentation needed
to play in the friendly games.
He remained on Merseyside while the rest of the team
travelled to Hong Kong, but his wait to wear a red shirt
will soon be over.
“He will be able to play in Holland,” confirmed Benitez
today. “Leto will travel with the squad and we have
permission to play him in these games. It’s good news for
him because it’s not easy when you’re only training. You
want to play in the games.”
(Liverpool Echo)
Heinze hopes for Reds move
Gabriel Heinze is hopeful he is close to completing his
transfer to Liverpool.
The Manchester United defender has made no secret of his
desire to move to Anfield in what has been one of the
summer's longest transfer sagas.
However, Heinze admits he has been left in the dark over
some of the ongoing negotiations.
The Argentine insists a clause exists in his Old Trafford
contract which allows him to leave United if another club
makes a bid of £6.8million.
Liverpool are believed to have met the asking price, but
United are unwilling to allow the deal and Heinze is
reportedly thought to be considering legal action.
Heinze, though, is optimistic he will soon secure a move
away from the Premier League champions.
"Sometimes the player is the last one to find out where he
will play," Heinze told The Sun.
"I know there are several teams interested in me and that
makes me feel really proud.
"I'll know precisely in what team I'm going to play at the
end of the week. In a few days we'll see what will happen.
(Sky Sports)
Sami Hyypia: My last chance for title
Sami Hyypia concedes this season could represent his last
chance to win the Premiership with Liverpool.
But the Finland international is confident Rafael Benitez’s
new-look side will provide a greater challenge to the
top-flight dominance of Manchester United and Chelsea.
“I don’t want to make any prediction about what we’ll do
this season, but what I will say is that all the teams are
going forward in building their squads every year, and we
have to be in that race,” said the centre-back. “It’s
difficult to compare teams from different seasons because
all the squads are trying to strengthen.
And on his future, he added: “I have one more year to go,
and hopefully I’ll play as many games as I did last season.
After that, I’ll see what I’m going to do.
“Is this my last chance to win the league with Liverpool?
We’ll see.”
(Liverpool Daily Post) |
|
WEDNESDAY 1 |
Sochaux planning Le Tallec swoop
Sochaux are hoping to beat a trio of Premier League clubs to
the signing of Liverpool's Anthony Le Tallec on a permanent
basis.
Le Tallec is back at Anfield after a season on loan at
Sochaux but he is not expected to stay on Merseyside.
West Ham, Fulham and Birmingham have all been linked with
the young French striker but Sochaux have now re-entered the
chase.
Plessis said earlier this summer he was not planning to keep
Le Tallec at Stade Bonal, but he has now had a change of
heart and would like him to return this season.
Rafael Benitez is understood to want £4million (£2.7million)
and Sochaux are considering whether to make a move.
"Indeed we are thinking about it," confirmed Plessis.
"Anthony is a very talented player, who has been very fair
with us last season.
"If the conditions are acceptable, why not sign him."
(TEAMtalk)
Rafa's back-up plan
Rafa Benitez is believed to be considering a move for Celta
Vigo's Diego Placente if Liverpool fail in attempts to sign
Gabriel Heinze.
The Reds are waiting on further developments in the Heinze
saga, which is likely to step up a pace next week when the
Argentinian returns to Old Trafford for pre-season training.
(Clubcall Sports)
Racecourse car park plan for new football stadiums
A huge park-and-ride scheme based at Aintree Racecourse
could provide a solution to transport problems for Liverpool
and Everton FC’s new stadiums.
Transport chief Neil Scales last night confirmed that talks
were under way with the owners of the racecourse about
basing a major park-and-ride service at Aintree.
It could mean thousands of motorists leaving their cars at
the course and heading in shuttle buses to the stadia,
easing traffic problems around the two grounds.
(Liverpool Daily Post)
Historic Reds goals honoured
Four goals which have shaped Liverpool's glorious history
have made it into a new list of the "most important goals of
all time".
Tommy Smith's bullet header against Borussia
Moenchengladbach to help win our first European Cup in 1977
comes in at number six in the list compiled by The Times.
Alan Kennedy's winner versus Real Madrid in the 1981 final
and Xabi Alonso's equaliser against AC Milan in 2005 also
make the top 10.
Meanwhile, Michael Thomas' last-minute winner at Anfield
which clinched the 1989 league championship for Arsenal was
deemed the 13th most important goal of all time.
The list is topped by Geoff Hurst's controversial second in
the 1966
World Cup final.
(LFC Official Website)
Thor Zakariassen
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