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SATURDAY 15 |
Reds rubbish 'stadium scrapped' reports
Liverpool FC today rubbished reports they had pulled the
plug on plans for the new Anfield.
Certain media outlets reported the club were set to scrap
plans for their new £400m stadium because funding for it has
been hit by the crackdown on worldwide credit markets.
It was claimed the volatile financial situation was going to
force American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett into
taking on a smaller loan and see them ditch the revised
plans for a 70,000 seat arena in favour of the original
60,000-capacity project.
The reports also stated the project would cost around £700m.
But Reds chief executive Rick Parry has today moved to
assure fans there is nothing in the reports and the Stanley
Park scheme is still
on-track.
Parry told the club website: “'We remain absolutely
committed to the building of a new stadium which will
improve on the original design inherited by Tom Hicks and
George Gillett when they came into the club."
(Liverpool Echo)
U18s hit another high five
Hugh McAuley's men edged a closely fought first-half
courtesy of a Marvin Pourie strike on 26 minutes before
pulling clear in the second period with further goals from
Eccleston (3) and substitute Michael Collins leading them to
a 5-0 win at the Academy.
The Reds coach was disappointed with his side's display in
the opening 45 minutes but was quick to praise the quality
of Eccleston, who hit a second-half treble.
"Nathan took his goals well," said McAuley.
"His finishing has been very impressive this season and
after the New Year he needs to keep working hard and keep
scoring goals. If he does that then who knows what he can
achieve."
Liverpool U18s team: Hansen, Irwin, O'Connor, Wooton,
Kennedy, Highdale, Amoo (Collins 62), Ajdarevic, Pourie
(Scott 70), Eccleston, Mackay-Steven (Kacaniklic 46).
(LFC Official Website)
Rooney ready to rumble
Wayne Rooney believes the boxing training he had when he was
younger will help him when he faces Liverpool on Sunday.
The Manchester United striker insists the strength and
determination he learnt from the sport has helped his
performance on the pitch.
"I think my boxing training was beneficial in my development
as a footballer, especially breaking through to the Premier
League at such a young age," he told The Sun.
Rooney says the Liverpool fixture is the one he looks
forward to most and insists they are ready to face Rafa
Benitez's side.
"When the fixtures come out, I look for the games against
Liverpool and, possibly, City as well," he told the Daily
Star.
"It's a massive weekend for the top four clubs. The fact
that Arsenal and Liverpool both lost last weekend was great
for us.
"If we win on Sunday then we've got a great chance of going
top. That'll spur us on.
"Liverpool had a great win in Europe so, obviously, they
will be ready for it. But so will we."
(Sky Sports)
Heinze bitter at Anfield denial
Gabriel Heinze will watch his former Manchester United
team-mates take on Liverpool on Sunday despite still being
angry at his denied move
to Merseyside.
The former Red Devils defender was refused a transfer to
Liverpool in the summer and eventually made the move to Real
Madrid.
The 29-year-old is enjoying his now enjoying his football in
Spain but still feels resentful over the transfer saga.
"I still do not understand the real motives of United and
think the whole thing set a bad example for football," he
told the Daily Mail.
"It is incredible that in the modern age - in the 21st
century - there exists a situation where United will not
sell to Liverpool.
"I only have good memories of the supporters and my
team-mates but I would rather not give my opinion about the
directors."
(Sky Sports) |
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FRIDAY 14 |
Benitez calls for African Nations Cup to be
rescheduled
Rafael Benitez believes FIFA should consider re-scheduling
the date of the African Nations Cup.
While Benitez will lose only one senior player - Mali
midfielder Mohamed Sissoko - he is concerned that the
tournament runs during January
and February.
He said: “They must try to find a proper schedule for all
the clubs and organise things in a different way.”
A number of English sides will lose players during the
three-week competition and Benitez said: “I would like to
have an advantage but I do not know. Some teams might sign
five or six players.”
On whether the Nations Cup would prevent him employing many
African players, he said: “We try to sign the best players
and the best are normally internationals.
“You cannot analyse a situation like this. You sign someone
for four or five years, not six weeks.”
(Liverpool Daily Post)
Masch 'okay' for United clash
Javier Mascherano says he 'should be okay' for Liverpool's
Grand Slam Sunday showdown with Manchester United.
The Argentina international picked up a knock in Tuesday's
4-0 UEFA Champions League triumph over Marseille.
However, he insists that the problem is only minor, and is
confident of featuring against Sir Alex Ferguson's side.
"I got a kick but I think it's nothing and I should be okay
to face Manchester United," he said.
(Sky Sports)
Sissoko: I want to leave
Liverpool midfielder Momo Sissoko has declared that he is
sick and tired over his lack of playing time at the club and
wants to leave.
The Malian international’s lack of action has led to rumours
he will leave Liverpool in January, and the player himself
admits this is more than a possibility.
“I am sick and tired and want to leave,” said Sissoko.
“I am really disappointed because the game against Marseille
[on Tuesday night] I was counting on.
“I respect the choices of the coach but now I want to
discuss my future before the January transfer market. I am
not happy about playing one game per month.”
Sissoko has been heavily associated with a transfer to
Juventus, with their boss Claudio Ranieri a huge admirer.
The Bianconeri placed a bid for the ex-Valencia man in the
summer, however they were scared off by his price tag.
With Juve in desperate need of a new centre-midfielder,
there is every chance they may table a fresh offer next
month.
(Goal.com)
Torres the new dimension to Reds' firepower
In the three years he has been at the Anfield helm, Rafa
Benitez believes his sides have dominated matches with
Manchester United.
But one soaring Peter Crouch header apart, a lack of cutting
edge in front of goal has resulted in a miserable run of
results.
That Crouch classic came in an FA Cup tie.
In the six Premier League clashes under his stewardship, the
only goal Benitez has seen his side celebrate came courtesy
of a John O'Shea
own goal.
But that was all B.T. . . . before Torres.
Now he has the electrifying Spaniard in his front-line, the
Reds boss believes his side finally has the cutting edge to
transfer possession
into goals.
(Liverpool Echo)
Arbeloa set for big test
Alvaro Arbeloa is preparing for his biggest challenge of the
season
on Sunday.
But after taming Lionel Messi in the Nou Camp on his
Liverpool debut, the Reds’ unsung hero says an in-form
Cristiano Ronaldo coming to Anfield holds no fears for him.
“Cristiano is one of the best players in the world, but I
have confidence in my own play,” said Arbeloa. “I just want
to play. Right-back or left- back, it’s all the same to me."
(Liverpool Echo)
United wary of Torres
Manchester United are wary of the threat posed by Fernando
Torres.
Torres has become a Kop favourite with 12 goals in 17
appearances so far this season and Man Utd will be wary of
him adding to that total
on Sunday.
"I have been in England for five years and I have never seen
a Liverpool side looking so strong in the league at this
point of the season," said United assistant manager Carlos
Queiroz.
"Torres is doing really well and I am impressed with him. He
is already going some way to making the difference for
Liverpool this season.
"I think he's a good finisher and he's a player who gives
Liverpool something completely different.
"Certainly we will have to be careful of him because he is
dangerous. We are always confident in what we can do and we
will not worry too much. But we do recognise his quality."
(LFC Online)
Benitez pressure puzzles Fergie
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson cannot understand
why Rafael Benitez seems to be under so much pressure at
Liverpool.
At one stage, Benitez seemed close to getting the sack when
a dispute erupted with American owners George Gillett and
Tom Hicks over moves to sign new players during the January
transfer window.
The situation hardly warrants talk of a crisis and given
Benitez has won a European Cup - and taken Liverpool to
another final - as well as an FA Cup, Ferguson cannot
comprehend why the Spaniard has been
under attack.
"I can never understand where criticism comes from," he
said.
"Rafa has a great record but all of a sudden you read about
a supposed dispute between Rafael Benitez and his directors.
"Other people take more of an interest in Liverpool than me
but there is obviously some undercurrent of a dispute
running somewhere along the line, which is strange
considering his record."
(TEAMtalk)
Rafa plans defender swoop
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has revealed he will be on the
lookout for a new defender when the transfer window reopens
next month.
Benitez believes the club's inability to sign Gabriel Heinze
from Manchester United in the summer has left him
short-handed at the back.
"We have had a problem at centre-back because we could not
close the signing of Gabriel Heinze," said the Spaniard.
"Then Agger got injured. This has forced us to play with
Sami Hyypia, who is 34, and Jamie Carragher in every game.
"You are looking at two matches per week and with the
intensity that the game is played here, it is not easy for
them to do it.
"Our idea is to bring in a centre-back, to provide balance
to the team in this position."
(Football UK) |
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THURSDAY 13 |
Reds are United for crunch clash
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez insists he is more
concerned about facing Manchester United than George Gillett
and Tom Hicks.
While United have a date at Anfield on Sunday in a
top-of-the table Premier League clash, there has been no
public confirmation of when the talks will be held between
Benitez and his club's co-owners, only that they are
expected to be this weekend.
The much-heralded meeting follows the fall-out over the new
American tycoons' transfer policy.
Benitez was angered by suggestions that perhaps he should
stick to training and coaching and leave money matters to
others.
He said: "They want to win, I want to win. We have more or
less the same ideas.
"It is just a chance to find a solution to the
misunderstanding. I do not have any personal problems with
them.
"I think we will have meeting this weekend or next week. I
am not sure.
"But I am not worried about this now as we are playing
against Manchester United and it will be really difficult.
We must think about
the game."
(TEAMtalk)
Saha excited by Anfield trip
Louis Saha believes that Sunday's game at Anfield will allow
Manchester United to judge how strong they are.
The French striker has been reminiscing about United's last
visit to Anfield, when an injury-time effort from John
O'Shea secured a 1-0 win and put them on course to take the
Premier League title.
"My main memory of last season is that the win at Liverpool
kick-started us towards the title," he said.
"I have played there a few times now but the win we had
there last season was amazing. That is one of the greatest
feelings I have ever had as
a footballer."
(Sky Sports)
Reds star returns for United showdown
Liverpool’s preparations for their game against Manchester
United have been given some forward momentum with the news
that Xabi Alonso could well feature in the grudge match.
The Spain international has played just six games this
season after suffering two metatarsal injuries, but has
returned to training after recovering from the second blow
sustained against Arsenal
on October 28.
Whether or not Alonso is ready to displace Javier Mascherano
in midfield is still open to debate given his lack of
sharpness, but Benitez has still welcomed the return of the
pass master
"Alonso was training today and hopefully he will be okay for
the weekend,” Benitez told the club’s official website.
“He might have problems because he hasn't trained with the
group for a long time, but physically he will be fit."
(Setanta Sports)
Fergie revved up for Reds
Sir Alex Ferguson feels form will go out of the window when
Manchester United lock horns with Liverpool on Sunday.
Ferguson’s side have been in fine form and head into the
game on the back of successive league wins over Fulham and
Derby County.
The Reds in contrast were beaten by Reading last weekend,
although they did raise morale by reaching the knockout
stages of the Champions League courtesy of a superb win at
Marseille.
Both sides are giving chase to Arsenal in the league and
Ferguson feels the result will hinge on who handles the
occasion the better.
"Manchester United versus Liverpool is always a difficult
game,” said
the Scot.
“It does not matter who is in the best form, it is the
emotions and concentration and sometimes a bit of luck.
”We hope on Sunday we get the result we need, it will be a
massive game and we are looking forward to it.”
(Setanta Sports)
Benitez says Liverpool's spending below big clubs
Liverpool's net outlay on players is not as high as that
spent by England's biggest clubs and as a result does not
guarantee they can win the Premier League title, manager
Rafael Benitez has said.
"There's a misunderstanding when people speak of the money
Liverpool have spent, as between what we have spent and
recovered we're at a similar level to those at the top, but
not the biggest sides," Benitez told Thursday's sports daily
AS.
"Manchester United have spent 70 million pounds (this year)
when we have spent 40 something and recovered 26.
"Many people say we have to win the title because of the
money we have spent but other teams such as United, Chelsea,
Newcastle United or Aston Villa have also spent a lot of
money."
(Reuters)
Torres KOPPING HERO STATUS
When Fernando Torres was invited to meet Kenny Dalglish
recently, the Spanish super striker was initially reluctant
to go.
Not because he had anything better to do and not because he
was desperate to avoid the comparisons between them which
would inevitably follow when word got out that Fernando had
met King Kenny.
No, the thing that was bothering Torres was that he felt he
had not yet proven himself worthy of being in the presence
of the head of Liverpool Football Club’s own Royal Family –
and this was the day after the former Atletico Madrid man
had scored his eighth goal in nine games for his
new club.
So, as well as having an eye for goal, blistering pace and
supreme skill, it’s safe to say that humility can also be
included in any list of Fernando Torres’ qualities.
(Liverpool Echo)
Ryan Babel: Don't call me supersub
Ryan Babel does not want to become labelled a new Liverpool
supersub.
The young Dutch striker came off the bench to score again in
Marseille on Tuesday night, his fifth goal as a substitute
in just over a month.
But he is keen not to become typecast as an impact player
only capable of influencing matches when defenders are
tired.
“When you join a club you have to get used to the way they
play and to the manager’s rotation policy. And in the
beginning I had to deal with that,” he said.
“But as the season has gone on I have started more, but I am
not yet at the best level I can play. I know now which level
I am at, but I can get better, definitely.
“But coming off the bench and scoring goals gives me more
confidence for when I do start.”
(Liverpool Echo)
Reina expects Reds triumph
Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina says his team-mates 'expect
to win' against Manchester United on Sunday, live on Sky
Sports 1.
Reina has warned United that Liverpool are high on
confidence following their 4-0 UEFA Champions League
demolition of Marseille on Tuesday evening.
And the 25-year-old shot-stopper insists that Rafa Benitez's
side are determined to replicate their impressive midweek
display in Grand Slam Sunday's lunchtime encounter.
"We certainly have a lot of confidence about Sunday now," he
said in
The Sun.
"We know we must be ready for United but it could be a great
game in front of our own fans - and we expect to win."
(Sky Sports)
Hughie happy as Reds cruise through
Hughie McAuley today praised his players after the Reds'
youngsters reach the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup after
an emphatic 5-0 win at Wycombe Wanderers on Wednesday night.
Nathan Eccleston took his goal tally to 12 for the season as
he scored twice, while Marvin Pourie, David Amoo and Gary
MacKay Steven were also on target.
FA Youth Cup holders Liverpool now face a home tie in the
fourth round against either Burnley or Arsenal, which will
be played at Anfield in mid-January.
"It was a very pleasing win and we now look forward to the
fourth round which will give our lads the chance to play at
Anfield," commented McAuley.
"We did really well on the night and we could have scored
more than the five we got. We had to battle hard for the
first hour of the game but from then on we played some
really good football.
Liverpool team: Dean Bouzanis, Steven Irwin, Shane O'Connor,
Martin Kelly, Joe Kennedy, Sean Highdale, David Amoo, Astrit
Ajdarevic, Marvin Pourie, Nathan Eccleston, Gary MacKay
Steven.
Subs not used: Michael Collins, Martin Hansen, Alex
Kacaniklic,
Mattone Awang, Ben Parsonage.
(LFC Official Website)
Reds in two more live games
Two more Liverpool games have been selected for live TV
coverage early next year.
The clash with Sunderland at Anfield will take place on
Saturday February 2, 2008, and will kick-off at 5.15pm. It
will be televised on Setanta.
Liverpool will also be on live the following week when they
travel to Chelsea for a 4pm kick-off on Sunday February 10.
It will be screened
on SKY.
(LFC Official Website)
Lippi hails Gerrard as finest English player
World Cup winner Marcello Lippi believes compatriot Fabio
Capello is “the best possible choice” to become England’s
new manager.
And the former Italy coach reckons Liverpool captain Steven
Gerrard is the finest player in the national team ranks.
Lippi was speaking after Liverpool’s 4-0 Champions League
victory in Marseille, where he was working as a
co-commentator for Italian television.
Asked if England have any good players, Lippi added: “You
saw the best on the pitch tonight and that was Gerrard.”
(Liverpool Daily Post)
Thor Zakariassen
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