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MONDAY 15 |
Barca play down Mascherano link
Barcelona have moved to play down reports they are set to
renew their interest in Liverpool midfielder Javier
Mascherano.
It is believed the Argentina international was looked at
last season by Barca, before he moved from West Ham to
Anfield.
And the Catalan giants have been strongly linked with a
January bid for Mascherano even though he has stated his
desire to sign a new long-term deal at Anfield.
However sources at the Nou Camp have insisted the Argentine
is no longer on their list of targets.
"There exists no contact with the agents because the player
is not on our list of objectives," said the source.
(Sporting Life)
Anderson chasing Torres
With seven goals in 12 games, the smart money is probably on
Fernando Torres to finish as Liverpool's top scorer this
season – but there's one teenager who could throw a spanner
in the works.
Just two months into his season-long loan at Swansea City,
Paul Anderson already has six goals to his name.
The 19-year-old winger admits he's had to rethink his strike
target for
the season.
He explained: "When I was younger I was a right-back so I
was never
a goalscorer then.
"It was only when I was 15, when there was no-one else to go
there and I got shoved forward, that I started playing on
the wing.
"I got a few goals then, normally between five and 10 a
season, but I've never had six by the middle of October
before.
"If you look at my goals, they've all been typical winger's
goals where I've been getting in and scoring tap-ins at the
far post.
"My aim at the start of the season was to reach double
figures for Swansea, but looking at it now it would be good
if I could push myself on to 15."
(LFC Official Website)
Fernando sets sights on derby return
Fernando Torres has set his sights on recovering from injury
in time to enjoy his first taste of the Merseyside derby
this weekend.
Torres missed Spain's Euro 2008 victory in Denmark on
Saturday with a muscle tear and will also be absent for
Wednesday's friendly against Finland.
But Liverpool's record-signing is keeping his fingers
crossed that intensive treatment at Melwood over the rest of
this week will ensure he's fit for Saturday's Goodison
clash.
"I intend to be fit for Saturday," said Torres in an
interview with Spanish radio station EFE.
(LFC Official Website)
Carew: Riise wants out of Anfield
John Arne Riise could be on his way out of Anfield after
John Carew revealed his fellow Norwegian wants to leave
Liverpool.
Riise, who is playing his eighth season with The Reds, was
the recent subject of an alleged £7 million bid by Aston
Villa for the left back’s services.
However, for the first time in his Liverpool career Riise’s
place in the starting line-up has come under threat this
season, with Alvaro Arbeloa nudging the Norwegian out of the
left back spot.
Riise will undoubtedly still play a major role in
Liverpool’s season, but Carew admits his compatriot wants
away from Anfield.
"It seems like John Arne wants to go, so I can't see why
not," Carew told Dagbladet when asked about a potential
link-up at Villa Park.
"There is a possibility.
"He would fit in very well at Villa, so that would be a
positive."
(Setanta Sports)
Arbeloa still confident
Alvaro Arbeloa says Liverpool can still make a title
challenge.
Despite a poor month the Reds are still in contention at the
top of the table and can make a title challenge says Alvaro
Arebeloa.
"We have three important games in the next week. They are
all difficult - Everton away, Besiktas away and then Arsenal
home," said the Spaniard.
"We need to win all three games and for us that is
important. Maybe we need to improve performances, but we
also need to win those games.
"We still think the Premier League title is possible. We
have a chance, but we need to fight for the title.
"We are still unbeaten in the Premier League and we need to
keep working and train really hard," he added. "We have
confidence and Arsenal are only six points ahead of us. That
is not too much.
"If we beat them it is just three points."
(LFC Online) |
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SUNDAY 14 |
Benitez has faith in Sissoko
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has backed struggling midfielder
Momo Sissoko to bounce back from his poor recent run of
form.
The Mali international's disappointing displays have
coincided with the Reds' own dismal recent performances, but
Benitez is happy with the player's determination to battle
back to his best.
"I see he is giving everything to play well," the former
Valencia coach told Liverpool's official website.
"For our supporters that is the first thing any player must
do.
"Momo was a key player when we won 82 points in the Premier
League. Now we need to give him time to allow him to regain
his confidence.
"I spoke to him after the Marseille game and said 'keep
going.' He knows how I work because I managed him when he
was 18 at Valencia, where he won the league and UEFA Cup
with me.
"He knows I have a lot of confidence in him. I will push him
and I will try
to improve him."
(Football UK)
Date set to decide fate of Liverpool FC's new stadium
A crucial decision on Liverpool FC’s revised plans for its
new stadium
on Stanley Park will be made on October 30.
A special sitting of the city council’s planning committee
will spend the day studying the proposals before making a
final decision on
the £300m project.
Last night, city council regeneration executive member Cllr
Mike Storey said: “The right decision on the day will pave
the way for a start on the new stadium early in 2008. This
is so important not just for the club, but the Anfield
community and the city as a whole.
“Liverpool FC is so crucial to our growing tourism sector.
On match days every hotel room in the city is taken. I am
delighted to see the scheme moving forward and look forward
to seeing work start as soon as possible.”
(Liverpool Daily Post)
Stubbs has a pop at Mersey rivals
Alan Stubbs has stoked the fires ahead of the Merseyside
derby by claiming Liverpool have underachieved by not
winning
the Premier League.
The two old rivals will lock horns next weekend at Goodison
Park and there has been no love lost between the two sides
in recent years.
Reds boss Rafael Benitez provoked uproar on the blue half of
Merseyside last season when he described Everton as a "small
club," but Stubbs has aimed a swipe back, saying Liverpool
should be winning the league with the amount of money they
spend in the transfer market.
"Of course the derby means as much to Liverpool as it does
to Everton," Stubbs told the Mail on Sunday.
"If it doesn't, they have a big old problem. If you're not
really that bothered about winning against your local
rivals, maybe you should be looking
at yourself.
"We don't see ourselves as a small club, not at all. If they
feel they are that much bigger than us, they should have
been getting better results. Like winning the league."
(TEAMtalk)
Babel snoozes and loses
Marco van Basten left Ryan Babel out of Holland's team for
Saturday's Euro 2008 qualifier with Romania because of
oversleeping.
Holland chief van Basten chose Real Madrid's Arjen Robben in
place of Liverpool's Babel as a punishment for twice missing
team meetings ahead of the defeat to Romania.
Van Basten said: "It was the second time that Babel
overslept on a match day. That should never happen.
"That's why I left him out of the team. Robben trained hard
and he is fit, so he played instead."
Babel's behaviour irked van Basten and he has warned the
former Ajax youngster he must obey the rules with the
national team.
"It is very well possible that Babel feels disappointed,"
added van Basten. "It is also not my style to handle these
kinds of things this way. But we also expect that players
obey rules during a match.
"The first time that he arrived too late, he settled the
matter with a joke.
"The second time he joined us too late for the meal and that
was a bit too much. He has to appear on time, just like all
the others."
(Sky Sports)
Gerrard leads England to victory
Steven Gerrard skippered England for the first time in a
competitive game as Steve McClaren's men cruised past
Estonia at Wembley.
The Reds captain was one of just eight Liverpool players on
international duty as the race to qualify for Euro 2008
enters the final furlong.
Striker Peter Crouch was an unused substitute in
England's comfortable
3-0 win while in Dublin it proved to be a frustrating night
for Steve Finnan as he played the full 90 minutes in
Republic of Ireland's 0-0 draw Germany.
Elsewhere, Sami Hyypia marshalled Finland's defence
superbly as they gained a creditable 0-0 draw in Belgium
while Pepe Reina was an unused substitute in Spain's
impressive 3-1 win in Denmark.
But there was disappointment for Yossi Benayoun and
Andriy Voronin as both players saw their hopes of
featuring at Euro 2008 fade with Israel slumping to a narrow
1-0 defeat in Croatia while the Ukraine were beaten 3-1 at
Hampden Park by the resurgent Scots.
Ryan Babel made a brief appearance as a substitute
for Holland as he replaced former Chelsea winger Arnjen
Robben in their 1-0 defeat in Romania.
The Reds forward came on with 12 minutes remaining but could
not help Marco Van Basten's men force an equaliser.
(LFC Official Website)
Brazilian captain backs Gerrard
Brazilian captain Lucio, will vote Liverpool's Steve Gerrard
as FIFA World Player of Year.
The 6ft 2in centre-back has put the Anfield favourite at the
top of his list - but would have chosen AC Milan striker
Kaka if he could vote for a player of the same country.
"Without any doubt in the past season, everyone could see
the evolution that Kaka had so I would certainly have voted
for him," said Lucio.
"Ronaldinho and Juninho have also been very good, but
unfortunately I can't give my vote to any of them three."
The captains and coaches of each national team have to
choose three players to go up for nomination of the World
honour - which was won last year by Italian defender Fabio
Cannavaro.
Lucio added: "Gerrard has everything perfect, so one of the
players that I have decided is him. He has showed enough
that he is a very complete player. I suppose that I am not
going to be the only one that chooses
his name."
Gerrard, Frank Lampard, John Terry and Wayne Rooney are the
English nominees with Brazilian Kaka as the current
favourite to collect the award.
(Sky Sports) |
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SATURDAY 13 |
Torres blow rocks Liverpool
Liverpool suffered a major Merseyside derby blow last night
when Fernando Torres was ruled out for “eight to 10 days”.
Spain’s team doctor Genaro Borras delivered the grim news
after Liverpool’s record signing hobbled away from a
training session in Aarhus yesterday when he tore a muscle
in his right leg.
He was immediately ruled out of his country’s Euro 2008
qualifier in Denmark tonight and will also miss Spain’s
friendly in Finland on Wednesday.
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez will now be desperate for
Torres to defy Borras’s diagnosis in the hope the damage can
be repaired in time for the Goodison Park showdown in a
week’s time.
(Liverpool Daily Post)
Crouch on the bench
Peter Crouch will start on the subsitutes bench for England
tonight.
Wayne Rooney rather than Crouch has had the nod to partner
Michael Owen in the England attack tonight.
A partnership of Rooney and Owen produces a goal every 201
minutes.
A partnership of Crouch and Owen produces a goal every 90
minutes.
(LFC Online)
Gerrard tried to stop Carra quitting
England's Steven Gerrard has revealed he tried to persuade
Liverpool team-mate Jamie Carragher to "stay involved" with
the national side.
However, he has every confidence in Sol Campbell to fill the
breach left by injured captain John Terry.
With Terry sidelined by a knee problem Carragher would have
been a strong contender to face Estonia in Saturday's Euro
2008 qualifier at Wembley had he not called time on his
international career.
"Do I wish Jamie Carragher was still involved with England?
I tried my best to keep Jamie involved, not just as a friend
but because I still thought he had something to offer the
country for a bit longer.
"Jamie has made his decision and we have to respect that but
I did try my best to keep him involved."
(TEAMtalk)
Thor Zakariassen
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