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SATURDAY 3 |
O'Neill plans Barry talks
Martin O'Neill has admitted he has not yet had a chance to
talk with Gareth Barry about Liverpool's bid.
The Reds made an offer for the Aston Villa midfielder on
Thursday which prompted an angry response from O'Neill.
O'Neill insisted he was trying to build a strong squad and
that Villa were not a 'feeder' club.
However, Barry has been linked with a move to a team playing
in
the UEFA Champions League after another impressive season.
O'Neill could not meet with his captain to discuss
Liverpool's interest as he was focusing on Villa's match
with Wigan, which they lost 2-0.
But he is now planning to discuss the matter with Barry in
the near future.
He explained: "I haven't had a chance yet. The thing (offer)
arrived late on Thursday, hit the papers on Friday and the
game came up on top
of everything.
"I've not even had a chance to give Liverpool a formal
reply. I will sit down and speak to him, though."
(Sky Sports)
Crouch ignores transfer rumours
Peter Crouch is refusing to let the constant speculation
surrounding his future affect his game.
The Liverpool striker looks set to be a given a rare start
in the Reds final home game of the season against Manchester
City on Sunday, live on Sky Sports 1, but has found himself
on the sidelines for much of
the 2007/08 campaign.
"I know the summer is going to bring speculation about my
future,"
he said.
"It is something we always have to live with in this game,
unfortunately.
"And when a player is not playing as often as he would like,
then people will always say these things.
"I am just going to ignore it and concentrate on my football
like I always have with this stuff in the past."
"I know when I signed there was no guarantee about starting
games. No one has that divine right to be picked so it is
down to how you do when you get your chance and whether you
can hold a place down.
"I'd like to think I have shown what I can do, I was given
my chance recently at Arsenal (and scored) and kept my place
for the European game that followed."
(Sky Sports)
Anfield’s six shooters put
Liverpool's critics in firing line
Having derided them as a one-man team for much of the past
decade, Liverpool's detractors have now got them down as
little more than
a Steven Gerrard-Fernando Torres double act.
Such has been the deadly duo's wondrous form this season it
is easy
to paint a picture of a team which owes its every victory to
them.
But should Liverpool's critics be interested in allowing the
facts to get in the way of a good story a glance at the
goalscoring charts would be enough to disabuse them of this
misleading notion.
For the first time since the double winning season of
1985/86, no fewer than six Liverpool players have hit double
figures in all competitions –
a figure which no other club in the country can boast.
Ryan Babel's late strike against Chelsea in midweek meant he
joined Dirk Kuyt, Peter Crouch, Yossi Benayoun, Gerrard and
Torres as one of Liverpool's six shooters.
(Liverpool Echo)
Cheque-out time
for Kewell at Anfield
Coleen Mcloughlin took a lot of stick recently when it
emerged that she describes herself as a journalist on her
passport, no doubt inspired by
the thought “If Kelvin McKenzie can do it, why can’t I?”
But surely her audacity pales into insignificance when
compared to that of Harry Kewell, whom passport officials
around the world are being led to believe is a professional
footballer.
His estimated £13m personal fortune, which saw him feature
in The Sunday Times Rich List, certainly suggests he is
making a living from
the game.
But if you were to ask any Liverpool fan if Kewell has done
anything over the last five years to earn such a fortune,
the answer would probably
be no.
On Tuesday morning, Kewell turned up at Melwood in a top of
the range Bentley just as the rest of the Liverpool squad
departed for the following night’s Champions League clash
with Chelsea.
So, in a sense, the Australian had at least turned up for
work.
Well, his place of work anyway.
It is hard to recall the last time he was considered a
genuine Liverpool player – and that is why the vast wealth
he has accumulated sticks in
the craw of every Liverpool supporter.
(Tony Barrett - Liverpool Echo)
Backs to the future for
Liverpool FC in hunt for star quality
If only, is a term which is only ever uttered in defeat, and
in the aftermath of Wednesday night’s Champions League exit
at the hands of Chelsea, Liverpool were left with nothing
more than a whole host of if onlys.
If only John Arne Riise had a right foot.
If only Rafa Benitez’s attempt at pre-match mind games had
not backfired so dramatically by transforming Didier Drogba
from a serial diver to a serial killer.
If only Fabio Aurelio’s injury curse had not struck again at
the most inopportune of moments.
If only Martin Skrtel had not succumbed to a knock to his
knee and left the battlefield behind.
If only, if only, if only.
The fact is, Liverpool fell short in Europe because, as is
the case in the Premiership, they do not have the squad to
cope when the going gets really tough.
Weaknesses in both full-back positions have been apparent
all season long with Riise, in particular, being no more
than an accident waiting to happen for far too long.
Contrast Liverpool’s full-backs with those at their fellow
English Champions League semi-finalists and the gulf in
quality verges on
the gargantuan.
(Tony Barrett - Liverpool Echo)
Rafinha staying put
Schalke insist that Liverpool target Rafinha is staying put.
The Brazilian full-back has long been linked with a summer
move
to Anfield.
But the club have always insisted no offer has been made and
they are adamant they do not want him to leave.
General manager Andreas Muller claims the club's prized
assets such as Rafinha and Jermaine Jones would be staying
put.
"So far, I have not received any enquiries for the players,"
Muller told Bild.
"We want to try and win the Champions League next season
with both Jermaine Jones and Rafinha."
(Sky Sports)
Rafa: Let's put on a show
Rafa Benitez has told his players to put on a spectacle for
the club's loyal fans when Manchester City visit Anfield on
Sunday for the final home game of 2007-08.
Though neither side has anything to play for in terms of
league positions, the Liverpool boss wants his team to treat
the fans to an entertaining display of football.
He said: "We have two games now. The first is important
because it is
at Anfield, where we want to win, play well and score goals.
"There are still small things that we can achieve this year.
We can still be the team that's scored the most goals in
England, we can still keep more clean sheets and we have six
players on double figures. These are important things, so
we'll try to do the right things in these games."
(LFC Official Website)
Plessis hopes for Kop bow
Damien Plessis hopes to make his home debut tomorrow.
The reserve team midfielder has made two appearances for the
first team this season, at the Emirates and St Andrews.
Tomorrow he hopes to play at Anfield for the first time.
"It would be a dream come true to get a chance to play in
front of the Kop in a kind of mythical, famous stadium known
all over the world," Plessis told the club's official
website yesterday.
"Since I first saw the Stadium when I signed for the club,
I've always harboured a desire to play in front of that
crowd. It's something I'm preparing for.
"I'm hoping I get the chance. It would be great to play in
the game against Manchester City or the final match of the
season away to Tottenham, but I've got to be patient and
wait and see.
"I've got the reserve final against Aston Villa coming up
next week, so I'm also looking forward to that."
(LFC Online)
Riise unhappy with Liverpool silence
John Arne Riise has vented his frustration at not yet being
offered a new contract at Liverpool.
Riise, who was part of the 2005 UEFA Champions League and
2006
FA Cup winning sides, has one year left to run on his
present deal at Anfield but is keen to know where his
long-term future lies.
The Norwegian has admitted that if he is still in the dark
in the close season he may even look at a potential move
away from Merseyside.
"I don't feel that I have been treated badly, but I think
that the club should have said something since I've been
here seven years,"
Riise told Dagbladet.
"I've won everything that we have won and I've played
everything that's worth playing. It's up to the boss to
decide.
"It's disappointing that everything is so tight, with one
year left on my contract and I haven't heard anything.
"I don't know what the manager thinks, no-one does. I don't
think about moving on but something has to happen this
summer. It's hard to say anything for sure but I will
consider a switch to another club this summer.
"There's two games left of the season, and I can get my
350th game for Liverpool. That's 50 games a season almost, I
have nothing to prove."
(tribalfooball.com) |
|
FRIDAY 2 |
Rafa coy on Barry move
and he wants Crouch to stay put
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez refused to be drawn on his
interest in Gareth Barry, but revealed he wants to keep
Peter Crouch at Anfield.
Villa manager Martin O'Neill has revealed the club have
received an offer from Liverpool for England international
Barry.
Benitez was not giving anything away about his pursuit of
Barry, but admitted some players could leave Anfield as he
plans for next season, although he does not want Crouch to
be among the departures.
"I read about a lot of names and different players in the
press. I also read about my own players, but we do not have
any comment. We continue working and that is it," Benitez
told Sky Sports News.
"We offered to him [Crouch] a new contract, so he has the
idea and now it is just speculation. We want to keep him."
(Sky Sports)
Reds starlet eyeing Anfield chance
Liverpool’s brightest young talent Emiliano Insua is hoping
to get a rare taste of Anfield action this weekend when
Manchester City arrive
on Merseyside.
Insua was voted Liverpool’s reserve team player of the
season last year and the Argentine left back already looks
talented enough to break into
the first team.
A second half appearance at Birmingham was Insua’s first
league appearance of the season, and now he hopes to build
on that against City.
"The reserves have done very well this season and we have
won our league so all the players in the team have a lot of
confidence because of that,” Insua told The Liverpool Echo.
"Quite a few new players were brought in last summer and we
have improved a lot since then.
"My aim is always the same – to play in the first team."
(Setanta Sports)
Reds' Barry bid confirmed
Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill has confirmed Liverpool have
made a bid for Gareth Barry.
Reports earlier on Friday had suggested Liverpool had made a
firm move to try and lure Barry to Anfield by making an
approach to Villa.
Barry is widely believed to be high on the list of Rafa
Benitez's summer transfer targets as he looks to build a
squad capable of mounting a serious title challenge.
Barry, who has two years to run on his current contract,
recently admitted he might have to consider his future at
Villa as he wants to be challenging for honours at this
stage of his career.
O'Neill confirmed Liverpool boss Benitez had offered a
player-exchange for Barry with reports suggesting Scott
Carson or Peter Crouch could be included in any deal.
Carson is currently on a season-long loan at Villa Park from
Liverpool, while Crouch's future at Anfield is up in the air
as he has struggled to hold down a place in the side this
season.
It now remains to be seen if the two clubs can strike a deal
with O'Neill thought to be interested in bringing Crouch
back to Villa Park.
(Sky Sports)
Double injury boost for Reds
Rafael Benitez has received a double injury boost ahead of
Sunday's match at home to Manchester City after both Martin
Skrtel and Fernando Torres took part in training today.
The Reds boss was forced to replace Skrtel early in the
first-half of Wednesday's Champions League clash at Chelsea
after the Slovakian fell awkwardly in a clash with Didier
Drogba, while Torres was also replaced after feeling a
twinge in his hamstring during extra-time.
Benitez also revealed that Harry Kewell was back in training
after recovering from the groin strain he sustained on
international duty
last month.
"Kewell was training today, which is positive," said
Benitez.
"Fernando was also training, Skrtel started the training
session and as you already knew, Agger and Fabio Aurelio are
injured, so there is no
bad news."
(LFC Official Website)
Dunne fit to face Reds at Anfield
Richard Dunne is likely to return to the Manchester City
side for the Premier League trip to Liverpool after
overcoming a hamstring injury.
But his fellow defender Micah Richards is unlikely to be
risked on Sunday by boss Sven Goran Eriksson as he continues
to make slower than expected progress after his knee
operation.
Bulgarian striker Valeri Bojinov may return to the bench for
the first time since August after his knee injury, while
left-back Javi Garrido has also returned to training and may
be considered.
City (from): Hart, Elano, Corluka, Ball, Dunne, Jihai,
Garrido, Vassell, Caicedo, Gelson, Johnson, Petrov, Ireland,
Geovani, Mwaruwari, Bojinov, Castillo, Logan, Isaksson.
(TEAMtalk)
Liverpool make £10m bid for Barry
Liverpool have tabled a £10m bid to bring Aston Villa
star Gareth Barry
to Anfield.
The offer was made yesterday as Rafa Benitez reacted to
Liverpool's Champions League exit at the hands of Chelsea by
making an immediate move for his number one summer transfer
target.
The Reds boss has earmarked Barry as a potential key signing
and the centre piece of his rebuilding plans as he looks to
put together a squad with enough strength in depth to be
able to mount a genuine challenge for the Premier League
title.
Villa boss Martin O'Neill has insisted he would be reluctant
to let the England international leave Villa Park. But the
27-year-old central midfielder is keen to experience
Champions League football and is believed to favour a
transfer to Anfield, despite interest from both Arsenal and
Chelsea.
The two London clubs have been monitoring Barry's situation
for several months and both are believed to be ready to test
the water by make offers of their own.
But Liverpool have stolen a march on their Big Four rivals
by getting in first with a £10m bid.
(Liverpool Echo)
Carragher: I don't like United
Liverpool star Jamie Carragher has no doubts which team he
wants to triumph in Moscow, despite Chelsea ending his
Champions League hopes this season.
The Reds defender admitted he does not like arch-rivals
Manchester United and would prefer Avram Grant's West
Londoners to come out on top and lift their first European
Cup on May 21.
"I hope Chelsea win," he told The Telegraph. "I don't like
Manchester United."
Carragher's real focus is on ensuring Liverpool mount a
stronger Premier League title bid next term and rightly so.
"At Liverpool, you're expected to challenge for trophies,"
he added. "We realise that.
"We haven't done as well in the domestic competitions as we
would have liked and, in The Premier League, it looks as if
we are going to finish 10-12 points behind the winners.
"Everybody - the manager, the players - knows we have to
bridge
the gap."
(Setanta Sports) |
|
THURSDAY 1 |
Rafa turns thoughts to Reds future
Rafael Benitez marched away from Stamford Bridge after
Liverpool's Champions League failure with a blue-print for
the future in his mind.
The Liverpool manager knows his squad is not good enough to
challenge for the title and the Champions League.
Benitez said: "Clearly now we have to start thinking about
the future. We must improve and we will add quality to the
squad."
(TEAMtalk)
Alonso: I am staying
Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso says he has no intention of
leaving the club following the Champions League exit against
Chelsea.
The Spaniard had his sights set on a place in the Moscow
final but Chelsea finally undid the Liverpool hoodoo to dump
out the five-time champions of Europe.
The unrest in the Anfield boardroom has put the future of
manager Rafa Benitez in doubt and rumours have linked Alonso
with a move.
“My future is with Liverpool because I signed a contract.
There are many rumours but I do not pay attention to them,”
Alonso said.
“We are proud of what we have done in the Champions League
and we are behind Benitez in the dressing room. I hope to
play in more Champions League finals in my career.
“This defeat has hurt us a great deal but we have to show
our professionalism and get on with the rest of the season.”
(Setanta Sports)
Carra backs Reds to bounce back
Jamie Carragher insists Liverpool have the belief and
character to bounce back from their shattering Champions
League semi-final defeat and challenge for domestic and
European honours next season.
Carragher said: "We have done well in the Champions League,
but everyone at the club knows that we have to bridge that
gap between ourselves and the leaders.
"It is something that we are going to have to think about
now and aim
to improve next season.
"The final is too close to call, I will not enjoy watching
it but of course
I will watch."
(PA Sport)
So near - but so far in the final analysis
Rotten soup? Flights costing more than a monthly mortgage
repayment, with hotels even dearer?
A police force with all the sensitivity of Josef Stalin,
plus two weeks off work to queue for a visa?
Chelsea and Manchester United fans, you’re welcome to it.
Sure, it hurts.
Semi-finals are always the most painful football matches to
lose. And Liverpool haven’t experienced that sensation in
the European Cup
for 43 years.
But with the most expensive venue on the European rota lying
in wait, together with United, crushed Kopites can perhaps
take some solace from Chelsea finally managing to engineer a
way past the Reds into
a European final.
A third Champions League final in four seasons would have
been a truly astonishing feat even by Liverpool’s remarkable
standards.
But the Reds fell short last night. Only fractionally. Only
by a single goal after 210 minutes of nerve- shredding
action.
(David Prentice - Liverpool Echo)
Heartache and broken dreams
Jamie Carragher – always seems to produce something special
against Chelsea. His goal denying challenge on Drogba
deserved to be a match winning intervention.
At least there’s no need to worry about those Russian visas
anymore.
Moscow will only be playing host to one Red Army and, after
yet another night of agony at Stamford Bridge, it won’t be
Liverpool’s.
A combination of fate and self-inflicted wounds left the
Reds with nothing but tears for souvenirs – from both this
game and the entire season.
There will not now be an eighth European Cup final and there
will not now be a showdown with arch rivals Manchester
United on the biggest stage of all. In their place is a
stinging feeling of what might have been and an all
consuming sense of regret.
Chelsea deserve their final place. As everyone at Anfield
knows only too well, you simply do not get to the highest
echelon of European football without earning that right.
But Liverpool will also know that they were agents in their
own downfall, particularly when the only thing that
separated the two sides over 210 minutes was John Arne
Riise’s calamitous own goal.
(Tony Barrett - Liverpool Echo)
Gerrard wants stronger Reds
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has called for the club to
back Rafa Benitez in the transfer market for next season.
Liverpool's transfer plans could be affected by the
boardroom unrest at Anfield involving American owners Tom
Hicks and George Gillett, but Gerrard is hoping the Reds
squad will be strengthened in the close-season to help them
challenge the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and
Arsenal.
"We've all got to look forward because it's never easy to
lose a game like this. We were all desperate to win the
European Cup again, especially for our fans, who were
magnificent again."
"But there is no point in looking back or thinking of what
might have been. We have to look forward because we have to
go into next season looking to improve again.
"Hopefully, we will go into next season with a stronger
squad because that could make a big difference, particularly
when we're playing in games like last night's."
(Sky Sports)
Thor Zakariassen
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