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WEDNESDAY 3 |
Fans group call for bank action
Liverpool fans' group the Spirit of Shankly want the Royal
Bank of Scotland to stop financing the club's owners Tom
Hicks and
George Gillett.
The bank, along with US investment bank Wachovia, gave
finance to the American owners in January to re-finance
their original loan of £350million, which ended with the
club being saddled with £30m a year of interest payments.
That loan is due for re-negotiation again in January, and
now the fans' action group want the RBS to refuse any
further cash. It is being suggested that fans will be asked
to close their accounts and disrupt the bank's activities if
further loans are allowed.
The SOS group say in a statement: "We would encourage the
RBS to withdraw financial support for Tom Hicks and George
Gillett.
"Should the owners come back asking for more finance in
January, we would ask the bank to refuse as it is against
the wishes of the vast majority of Liverpool fans."
(TEAMtalk)
Voronin happy at move
Andriy Voronin has expressed his delight at the move from
Liverpool. Hertha Berlin have taken the Ukrainian on a
season-long loan deal.
“Hertha is a fine club with a young and very good team. It
is a very, very exciting task ahead of me,” he told Hertha’s
official website.
“The team has a lot of potential and good players like Arne
Friedrich, Mark Pantelic or Joe Simunic to name but a few.
“Of course it is a brilliant league and the atmosphere is
very special, but the difference between the Premier League
and the Bundesliga is
not huge.”
“Hertha are a young team with a lot of potential. Hertha is
an ambitious club and I want to play a part in their goals.
“I think qualification for the UEFA Cup is a realistic
target, and of course we want to progress as far as possible
in this year’s competition.”
(Kop-TV)
Reds ace wary of City threat
Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has admitted Manchester
City now pose a major threat to the Premier League's top
four.
Carragher concedes Liverpool will be looking over their
shoulders at City following the club's takeover by the Abu
Dhabi United Group.
City have already illustrated their new-found wealth by
beating Chelsea to the signing of Robinho with the Abu Dhabi
United Group promising more big-names will be arriving at
Eastlands in the future.
Carragher is aware City's financial clout now means they are
a serious threat to Liverpool's ambitions of remaining in
the top four alongside Manchester United, Chelsea and
Arsenal.
"I was watching the transfer news up until 12am to see what
was going on. It was an amazing day."
"It's like an Abramovic-type thing there, you know. To come
in and break the British transfer record in one day is
pretty amazing. If they've got that type of wealth and have
players like Robinho then it's something you have to think
about."
(Sky Sports)
Keegan in talks with Newcastle
Newcastle today confirmed that talks between manager Kevin
Keegan and the club are ongoing.
After a day of intense speculation over the 57-year-old’s
position on Tyneside, the Magpies have reiterated that the
former England boss has not been sacked, nor has he
resigned.
A club statement said: “Newcastle United Football Club can
confirm that discussions are ongoing between the board and
Kevin Keegan.
“Both the club and Kevin would like to reiterate that Kevin
remains
as manager.
“He has not resigned nor has he been sacked, as has been
confirmed in respective statements made by Kevin and
Newcastle United
Football Club.”
The latest statement, which followed one released last night
amid reports that Keegan was no longer the manager at St
James’ Park, will simply serve to increase the intrigue over
a situation which is remarkable even by the standards of a
club with an astonishing capacity for attracting headlines.
Keegan is understood to have taken legal advice and
contacted
the League Managers’ Association over his plight.
Some reports have suggested Keegan’s continued presence at
St James’ Park is simply the result of his need to sort out
a compensation package ahead of his inevitable departure.
(Liverpool Echo)
Gerrard on course for United
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has given the clearest
indication yet that Steven Gerrard will be fit to face
Manchester United, revealing he has already begun
rehabilitation.
Gerrard underwent a groin operation that ruled him out for
up to 15 days, making him a serious doubt for the September
13 visit of the champions.
However, Benitez spoke positively of his skipper’s progress
on Wednesday, hinting Gerrard’s return is on the cards.
"Steven is okay. He's started with bicycle work and will
start jogging, so I think he will be ready soon," Benitez
told the club's official website.
The operation rules Gerrard out of England’s qualifiers with
Croatia and firstly Andorra.
(Setanta Sports)
Liverpool the subject of fresh Dubai bid
Sheikh Mohammed, the ruler of Dubai, has reportedly
sanctioned an increased offer of £500 million to buy
Liverpool.
With the global banking crisis leaving Liverpool’s American
owners unable to finance plans for a new stadium in Stanley
Park, the club are in danger of treading water.
Cash flow is not a concern for Dubai International Capital,
one of Sheikh Mohammed’s investment arms, who are now
optimistic that this renewed bid will be accepted.
A report in this morning’s Sun claims the new offer would
clear the club’s debt and see Hicks and Gillett both walk
away with a profit of £75 million.
(Telegraph.co.uk)
Carra: England second to Reds
Liverpool stalwart Jamie Carragher has revealed that an
England defeat "never hurt me in the same way as losing with
my club."
The Reds defender retired from international football in
July last year after complaining he was constantly being
overlooked as a centre-back for the national team.
The 30-year-old won 34 caps, the last of which saw him miss
a penalty as England went out of the 2006 World Cup against
Portugal in a shootout.
However, Carragher has now revealed: "I would rather miss
for England than LFC."
Carragher wrote in 'Carra, My Autobiography', serialised in
the Daily Mirror: "Representing your country is the ultimate
honour, especially in the World Cup. Not to me.
"Did I care we'd gone out of the tournament? Of course I
did. Passionately.
"I've never given less than 100% in any game.
"Despite this, whenever I returned home from disappointing
England experiences, one unshakeable, overriding thought
pushed itself to the forefront of my mind, no matter how
much the rest of the nation mourned.
"'At least it wasn't Liverpool,' I'd repeat to myself, over
and over.
"The text messages of consolation I received on the coach
included one from Kenny Dalglish.
"'I would rather miss for England than LFC,' I wrote back.
"I confess: defeats wearing an England shirt never hurt me
in the same way as losing with my club.
"I wasn't caring or indifferent, I simply didn't put
England's fortunes at the top of my priority list.
"Losing felt like a disappointment rather than a calamity.
"I was never in love with playing for England in the first
place.
"By the time I stopped I felt a huge weight lifting."
(TEAMtalk)
Could Barry be at
Liverpool FC in January?
For all Liverpool’s wheelings and dealings during the
transfer window, this summer will forever be remembered for
the one player who didn’t go anywhere.
The Champions League semi-final defeat to Chelsea had barely
began to sink in when Rafael Benitez started planning for
the new season in earnest with a £10m bid for Gareth Barry.
It would spark a protracted, rancorous, tedious and
ultimately futile attempt to bring the Aston Villa
midfielder to Anfield.
For whatever reason – and the rights and wrongs of the
transfer chase remain fiercely debated and defended at both
clubs – the Barry saga cast a long, embarrassing shadow over
Liverpool’s summer.
And it also threatened to shatter the uneasy peace that had
held among the Anfield corridors of power after a tumultuous
previous campaign.
Such was Benitez’s frustration at the club’s owners’ failure
to back his pursuit of £18m Barry, he had to be talked out
of quitting. Instead, the Spaniard headed for yet more
clear-the-air talks with chief executive
Rick Parry.
With Xabi Alonso’s future intrinsically linked to that of
Barry, it was all very messy and very unnecessary. But don’t
be surprised if the chase resumes nearer the January
transfer window, when Barry will be available at a greatly
reduced price.
(Daily Post)
Brouwer seals opening
win for Liverpool reserves
Jordy Brouwer scored the only goal of the game as champions
Liverpool Reserves opened the defence of their FA
Premiership Reserve League Northern Section title with
victory over Middlesbrough Reserves at the Riverside Stadium
last night.
Liverpool also saw new boy Phillip Degen come through 45
minutes of the match as the Swiss international right-back
works his way back to full fitness following injury.
Gary Ablett’s side won three trophies last term and they
started where they left off with victory.
After a slow start Liverpool hit their stride and took the
lead on 17 minutes.
Spanish striker Dani Pacheco’s cross was met by Brouwer and
despite seeing his first effort hit the bar, the Dutch
youngster followed to head home the rebound.
Pacheco hit a post and Stephen Darby had an effort ruled out
for offside. But in the end Brouwer’s strike was enough to
seal all three points.
LIVERPOOL RESERVES: Gulacsi, Ayala (Degen 45), Darby, San
Jose, Huth, Kelly, Bruna, Spearing, Brouwer (Simon 61),
Pacheco, Weijl (Irwin 85). Subs: Bouzanis, Crowther.
(Liverpool Daily Post) |
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TUESDAY 2 |
City clash switched to Sunday
Liverpool's away trip to Manchester City has been moved back
a day to Sunday, October 5 - kick-off 3pm BST.
The change is due to City's UEFA Cup commitments the
preceding Thursday.
(LFC Official Website)
Riera: It is a dream
to sign for Liverpool FC
Albert Riera today spoke for the first time about his
"dream" move
to Anfield.
The 26-year-old left winger completed his £8m transfer to
Liverpool from Espanyol yesterday and signed a four year
contract with the Reds.
He told the ECHO: "It is a dream for me to sign for
Liverpool because everyone knows what a special club they
are. As soon as I knew they were interested in me I knew
there was only one club that I wanted to sign for and
thankfully it has now happened.
"I know I will have to work very hard to get into the team
because there are a lot of good players here but that is a
challenge I am looking forward to. It feels really good to
be a Liverpool player and I am really happy to be at this
club.
"I am looking forward to working with the manager and the
players."
(Liverpool Echo)
Kuyt bemoans injury to Torres
Dirk Kuyt concedes the loss of striker Fernando Torres is a
major blow for Liverpool, with their next match at home to
Manchester United.
Torres damaged a hamstring in the 0-0 draw at Aston Villa on
Sunday, and the club have since confirmed the injury will
rule him out for between two and three weeks - making it
highly unlikely he will be fit to face the champions in the
Premier League clash at Anfield on September 13.
Kuyt could well take a more central striking role in Torres'
absence, and said: "Fernando is one of the best players in
the world and obviously he will be a huge loss to us.
"But at Villa we handled the loss well. We re-grouped and
showed tremendous team spirit.
"It is something we will have to do against United if
Fernando does not make it."
(TEAMtalk)
Crewe date announced
Liverpool Football Club can today confirm that the Carling
Cup third round clash with Crewe Alexandra will be played at
Anfield on Tuesday, September 23.
The game will kick off at 8pm.
(LFC Official Website)
Carra dreams of top job
Jamie Carragher has revealed that it is his 'dream' to
become Liverpool manager and to eclipse Manchester United
boss Sir Alex Ferguson.
Carragher is a firm favourite at Anfield and is expected to
start and end his playing career with the Reds after already
spending 12 years with the club.
And now the 30-year-old centre-back has admitted that he
hopes to occupy the Liverpool hot-seat in the future and to
regain the North West bragging rights.
Liverpool have not won a league title in 18 years as United
and Ferguson have dominated and while Carragher expects to
end that drought as a player, he confesses it would be a
greater accomplishment to do it as
a manager.
"It (winning the league) would be more of an achievement as
manager because it would come about through my decisions,"
Carragher told
the Daily Mirror.
"It's like the ultimate football man's dream to be better
than Ferguson because he is the master.
"I just hope he hangs around long enough to wait for me.
"I've got more respect for Ferguson than anyone else in the
game."
(Sky Sports)
Rush: Reds lost the chance
to put pressure on United
Any team that comes away from Villa Park with a point this
season is not going to be disappointed – but I can’t help
but think that Liverpool missed a big opportunity on Sunday.
If they had won the game, they would now be five points
ahead of Manchester United and with the international break
that gap could not have been closed until the two sides meet
at Anfield on September 13.
It might still be early in the season and United do have a
game in hand, but they would not have wanted to come to
Anfield knowing that a defeat would leave them trailing by
eight points.
(Ian Rush - Liverpool Echo) |
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MONDAY 1 |
Rafa thrilled with Riera swoop
Liverpool have confirmed the deadline day signing of Spanish
winger Albert Riera from Espanyol.
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez is thrilled to have landed the
former Espanyol man and is confident his new recruit will
have no problems in adapting to life in Premiership
football.
"Riera has the qualities we were looking for," said Benitez.
"He's a left footer who normally plays on the left wing,
he's good in the air, strong, powerful and a good crosser of
the ball."
(LFC Official Website)
Scans confirm Torres fears
Fernando Torres is almost certain to miss Liverpool’s crunch
clash with Manchester United after scans confirmed he has
torn his hamstring.
The Spain superstar has been ruled out for ‘two to three
weeks’, after he pulled up after 25 minutes of Sunday’s 0-0
draw with Aston Villa.
With United scheduled to visit Anfield on September 13, even
a two-week absence would surely rule Torres out Liverpool’s
first title showdown
of the season.
A statement on The Reds’ official website announced: "A scan
this afternoon has confirmed a hamstring tear in Fernando's
right leg.
“He is expected to be out for between two and three weeks.”
Torres will now undergo intensive rehabilitation during the
international period, but Liverpool will know they face the
possibility of facing United without both he and Steven
Gerrard.
(Setanta Sports)
Voronin signs loan deal at Hertha Berlin
Andriy Voronin has today agreed a one year loan deal with
German side Hertha Berlin.
The Ukrainian international joined the Reds twelve months
ago and has netted six goals in his 27 appearances for the
club.
Voronin has so far failed to establish himself as a first
choice regular on Merseyside and has taken up the
opportunity of spending the next season in the Bundesliga.
(LFC Official Website)
Espanyol completes Finnan move
Irish International Steve Finnan has completed his move to
La Liga outfit Espanyol in a deal that is believed to be
linked with the deal that will bring Albert Riera to
Anfield.
The right-back has agreed a two-year deal according to
reports on SkySports News and will be a direct replacement
for the departed Pablo Zabaleta.
(Kop-TV)
Goalkeeper signs permanent deal
Liverpool have completed the permanent transfer of Hungarian
goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi.
The reserve team stopper spent last season at Melwood on a
12 month loan spell and was part of Gary Ablett's treble
winning team.
The Reds have now opted to make the move permanent and
Gulacsi has signed a contract until 2010.
"I am very proud to have signed for Liverpool," said Gulacsi
today. "It's
a dream for me to be working at such a great club, with
expert trainers and alongside one of the best goalkeepers in
the world in Pepe Reina.
"After spending one year on loan I had no hesitation in
agreeing to sign
a permanent contract. To have signed for Liverpool is
an unbelievable feeling."
(LFC Official Website)
Liverpool swoop for striker Flora
Liverpool have signed Brazilian striker Vitor Flora on a
free transfer.
The 18-year-old spent last season playing in his homeland
with Botafogo and, as he holds an Italian passport, he does
not require a work permit.
However, he will need to gain international clearance before
playing for
the Reds.
Flora joins fellow countrymen Lucas Leiva and Fabio Aurelio
at Anfield and could make his debut for Liverpool reserves
on Tuesday night.
The pacey left-footed forward is manager Rafael Benitez's
sixth summer signing and the Spaniard is also hopeful of
completing a deal for Espanyol winger Albert Riera, 26,
before the end of the transfer window on Monday.
(BBC Sport Online)
Stuttgart eye Reds youngster
Bundesliga outfit Stuttgart are planning on making a move
for Liverpool starlet Astrit Ajdarevic.
The former Sweden U17 playmaker moved to Anfield in December
2006, making his debut for the Reds youth team a month
later.
He is held in high regard on Merseyside but may be allowed
to leave
the club on loan in order to pick up valuable first team
experience.
The 18-year-old admits he would welcome the opportunity to
test himself in Germany and hopes an agreement can be
reached.
"I was down there for two days and trained with them
(Stuttgart)," Ajdarevic told Swedish Eurosport.
"Then I met the president, the coaches and many others at
the club.
They are definitely interested."
(Sky Sports)
Delight at seeing Barry
line up against Liverpool FC
Martin O’Neill revealed his delight at watching Gareth Barry
take part in
an Aston Villa versus Liverpool fixture – in a claret and
blue shirt.
It’s a scenario the Villa manager admitted he couldn’t
envisage for most of the summer, during which Liverpool have
relentlessly chased
the midfielder.
Before yesterday’s stalemate, O’Neill walked over to shake
the hand of opposite number Rafael Benitez – who was
desperate to push the deal through before being denied the
funds to meet Villa’s asking price.
And O’Neill said: “I’m sure everything with Rafa will be
absolutely fine – until the next time! But no, I don’t think
anybody should be surprised
I went across and did that.
“It’s gone as far as I’m concerned and I’m just so pleased
that Gareth is here. I wouldn’t be making any promises about
anything but he is here for the foreseeable future and I
hope he can now settle down a bit."
(Liverpool Daily Post)
Thor Zakariassen
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