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SATURDAY 18 |
Kenny Dalglish set
for Anfield return
Reports suggest Kenny Dalglish may be in line to make a
return to Liverpool Football Club just over 18 years after
leaving the club.
Anfield boss Rafael Benitez is understood to have sounded
out his 58 year old predecessor about joining his staff with
a roving brief between the academy, Melwood as well as the
first team.
Benitez's recent contract negotiations saw him claim more
responsibility over various facets of the club
Preliminary talks are understood to have gone well. Dalglish
has been
a long term advocate of the manager and not only his methods
but track record.
Benitez is also known to be an admirer of Dalglish as a
player not to mention his achievements while in the Anfield
hotseat.
If an agreement can be reached it will be the Liverpool
legend's first active involvement in football since leaving
Celtic where he was a Director of Football as well as
interim manager until the summer of 2000.
(Shanklygates)
Paper: Gillett seeking
$400m investment
American George Gillett is seeking a partner willing to
invest $400 million into a sporting empire that includes
Liverpool soccer club and the Montreal Canadiens NHL team, a
newspaper said on Saturday.
The French-language La Presse, citing sources involved with
the proposed sale of the Canadiens, said such an investment
would enable the financially-pressed businessman to hold on
to the teams.
La Presse said Gillett had proposed to several business
executives that they invest $400 million and become a junior
partner, but had generated little interest so far.
Gillett said last month that he had hired a team of advisors
to look at his assets and denied media reports he wanted to
sell some of them.
"My family and I regard this possibility as the last resort.
We are a lot more interested in some kind of (business)
association than in the sale of the Montreal Canadiens or
one of our other enterprises," Gillett told the newspaper on
Friday.
Gillett owns 80.1 percent of the Canadiens and 50 percent of
five-times European champions Liverpool.
(Reuters)
Itandje so sorry for bad behaviour
Liverpool goalkeeper Charles Itandje has apologised for
his behaviour during Wednesday's Hillsborough service after
the club suspended him.
The 26-year-old Frenchman has been told to stay away by his
Premier League employers for 14 days while his conduct
during the service at Anfield is investigated.
Itandje was instructed by manager Rafael Benitez not to
attend training on Friday after television footage appeared
to show the player laughing during the service to remember
the 96 people who died at the FA Cup semi-final clash
between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest on April 15, 1989.
Within hours of being suspended, Itandje issued a public
apology in an interview with the Liverpool Echo newspaper,
during which he revealed he hopes to speak with the some of
the families affected by the disaster.
"First of all, if my behaviour has caused offence to anyone
then I can only apologise," Itandje said.
"I am sorry. I am sorry. I am sorry. A thousand times, I am
sorry.
"To the club, to the fans and especially to the families, I
am deeply sorry.
"It was, of course, never my intention to offend or
disrespect anyone.
"The events at Hillsborough were a tragedy and in no way did
I mean to disrespect the memory of what happened 20 years
ago. I would never
do that.
"I would like to speak to the families in person to offer my
apologies to them because, like I said, I never meant to
hurt anyone."
(TEAMtalk)
Gerrard out of key Arsenal clash
Liverpool will be without club captain Steven Gerrard for
the key visit of Arsenal to Anfield on Tuesday night.
The influential midfielder is struggling with a groin injury
which he tweaked in training at Stamford Bridge on Monday,
meaning he missed the match with Chelsea.
Liverpool announced on Saturday morning Gerrard is expected
to be out for seven to 10 days, meaning he is also likely to
miss the trip to Hull City next Saturday too.
(This is Anfield)
Hillsborough families back suspension
Families of Hillsborough victims have welcomed Liverpool
FC's decision to suspend a player accused of inappropriate
behaviour during a memorial service.
Reserve team goalkeeper Charles Itandje, 26, appeared on TV
footage to be laughing and fooling around during the
emotional service at Anfield
on Wednesday.
Relatives of those who died said they are pleased the club
is investigating the matter and confident it will be
resolvedAround 30,000 people attended the memorial event to
mark the 20th anniversary of the disaster, which claimed the
lives of 96 Liverpool supporters.
Liverpool FC has announced that Itandje will be suspended
for two weeks while the matter is investigated.
Relatives of those who died said they are pleased the club
is investigating the matter and confident it will be
resolved.
(ITN)
Itandje just a disgrace
Charles Itandje is a poor goalkeeper who before this
week was destined to be remembered in these parts solely for
his comical FA Cup displays against Barnsley and Havant &
Waterlooville.
That was before he decided that a memorial service to
commemorate the deaths of 96 Liverpool supporters was a
fitting setting to act the goat.
The anger which has already come Itandje’s way following his
outrageous behaviour is totally justified and will only
subside once he has left
the club.
The terms of Itandje’s contract may prevent him from being
sacked but if he has any remaining decency about him he
should sit down with his agent and come up with a way of
walking if he cannot be pushed.
As a football club, Liverpool’s dignity over Hillsborough
has always shone like a beacon and its commendable conduct
should not be allowed to be besmirched by a player who has
never looked good enough to represent it on the pitch and
who has now shown himself incapable of representing it off
it.
(Tony Barrett, Liverpool Echo)
Help get tribute song into top 10
The brilliant new Fields of Anfield Road song - recorded to
raise awareness of the Hillsborough disaster and starring
many former Liverpool players is available to buy now.
The track, which features former Cast frontman and La's
bassist John Power and the Farm's Peter Hooton on vocals,
has proved a huge hit with LFC fans and music buyers from
all over the country and last week debuted in the charts at
Number 16.
With your help we can get this fantastic tribute song in the
top 10
on Sunday.
(LFC Official Website)
Click
here for Fields of Anfield Road official website |
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FRIDAY 17 |
Voronin: Liverpool will take me back
Andriy Voronin has revealed he expects to be back at
Liverpool
next season.
The Ukraine international signed with The Reds in summer
2007, but failed to establish himself in The Premier League
during his first season in the country.
The Bundesliga star was sent on loan to Hertha Berlin, where
he has proved his worth by scoring 11 league goals in 23
appearances so far
this term.
The 29-year-old Voronin is under contract with the Anfield
outfit until 2011, and he does not believe that Hertha will
try to secure his permanent signing.
As a consequence, he is prepared to return to the Meyerside.
“I am starting to pack my stuff,” he told SID.
“Nothing has advanced in Berlin in terms of a contract.
“Liverpool will probably take me back.”
(Setanta Sports)
Ince dedicates Cup win to 96
Thomas Ince today dedicated
Liverpool Under-18s' FA Youth Cup victory over Birmingham to
the 96 who lost their lives at Hillsborough.
Ince and his teammates attended Wednesday's memorial service
at Anfield, which marked the 20th anniversary of the
tragedy, and the youngster believes it inspired the team to
their 3-0 semi-final first leg win a day later.
"When we went to Anfield and saw the fans paying their
tributes it was unbelievable. It was an inspiration for us,"
Ince said.
"We knew it wasn't only that we had a potential final to
look forward to, but the fact that we could pay our own
tribute to the 96 that died.
"It was pleasing to pay tribute to them with a 3-0 win and
hopefully we have done them proud."
(LFC Official Website)
Sam: Rafa humiliated us
Sam Allardyce has launched a scathing attack on Rafa Benitez
in the wake of Blackburn's 4-0 defeat by Liverpool at
Anfield last Saturday.
Allardyce has accused the Spaniard of being 'disrespectful'
and 'humiliating' over gestures he made on the touchline
after Fernando Torres had headed the home side into a
two-goal lead before the interval.
Television replays showed Benitez shrugged his shoulders and
then crossed his hands, which Allardyce has taken to mean
that the Reds boss felt the game was already over, even
though there was almost an hour still to play.
He told Sky Sports News: "It's not out of our system for two
reasons. One is the disappointment at the way the team
performed. I know we had a lot of injuries on the day, but I
still felt that we should have gone there and done better
than we did.
"And two, is the unfortunate gestures from Rafa Benitez
after the second goal. I wanted to clarify his gestures. I
think you'll see them as pretty dismissive to me and to
Blackburn Rovers' team as a whole.
"I think they are disrespectful and quite humiliating.
"I waited to have a word with Rafa Benitez in his room after
the game but as usual, and unfortunately, he didn't turn up.
"I was hugely disappointed by those gestures and having
re-looked at them this week I think I'm right and I think
everyone will see why I'm complaining."
When asked if he felt Benitez was writing his side off,
Allardyce replied: "That was the feeling by the gestures. It
was an open arms and a cross-over of arms as if that was it.
"The game is hard enough as it is without a fellow manager
trying to do, what seemed to be, an undermining gesture."
(Football 365)
Fergie takes Rafa
row to new level
Sir Alex Ferguson has accused Rafael Benitez of "arrogance"
and showing "contempt" in his dealings with fellow Premier
League managers.
The Liverpool chief has been in combative mood recently, on
several occasions launching verbal volleys at Manchester
United counterpart Ferguson.
And ahead of Sunday's FA Cup semi-final with Everton,
Ferguson has hit back with a withering assessment of
Benitez's conduct.
First he lambasted the Spaniard for his description of
Everton as a "small club" before rounding on him for the
attitude he showed in dismissing Blackburn last weekend once
Liverpool had scored their second goal
at Anfield.
"Everton are a big club, not a small one which Benitez
arrogantly said," said Ferguson.
"But arrogance is one thing. You cannot forgive contempt,
which is what he showed (Blackburn manager) Sam Allardyce
last weekend.
"When Liverpool scored their second goal, he signalled as if
the game was finished. I do not think Sam deserved that.
"Sam has worked so hard for the LMA (League Managers'
Association) and he's had a weakened team. I just thought it
showed contempt.
"In my experience, no Liverpool manager has ever done that.
It was beyond the pale."
(TEAMtalk)
Liverpool to offload Charles Itandje
after his Hillsborough service antics
Liverpool will intensify their efforts to off-load Charles
Itandje this summer after the reserve goalkeeper behaved
offensively during the Hillsborough memorial service at
Anfield on Wednesday.
The French goalkeeper was spotted laughing and acting the
fool by TV cameras at the service to mark the 20th
anniversary of the deaths of 96 Liverpool supporters at
Hillsborough.
Members of the congregation afterwards complained about
Itandje's behaviour, which was in stark contrast to the
solemn occasion and that of the rest of the Liverpool squad.
Rafael Benítez, the team manager, is understood to be livid
with the 26-year-old having studied the complaints and the
footage.
Anfield officials have described Itandje's behaviour as
"wholly unacceptable" and are exploring the maximum
punishment they can impose on the player with their legal
advisers. He is unlikely to play for the club again.
(Guardian)
Torres wants to remain a Red
Fernando Torres wants to stay a Red for many years to come.
The striker says he is happy at Liverpool and wants to win
the Premiership for the fans after the way they adopted him
as one
of their own.
"I would love to remain at Liverpool for many seasons to
come. I feel at home here. I still have this season plus
another four years left to run on my contract," Torres said
on his website.
"The club has been brilliant with me and I owe the fans a
lot. They took to me as if I was one of their own. They
treat me in the same way they do Gerrard or Carragher... it
is unbelievable.
"I hope to repay their warmth by giving them a Premier
League title because it has been a long time since the club
last won the league.
"I do not have a buy-out clause in my contract, you do not
get them in England. Both teams have to reach an agreement
before a player can leave his club to sign for another."
(LFC Online)
Rafa keen to keep Alonso
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has expressed his
determination to hang on to midfielder Xabi Alonso.
The Spaniard was linked with a move away from Anfield last
summer, when a number of clubs were understood to be
interested in securing his services.
Benitez insisted it would take a 'massive' offer for him to
part with Alonso and he was not tempted by a proposal from
Juventus.
The 27-year-old has gone on to enjoy an excellent season,
helping the Reds challenge for the Premier League title.
Speculation has surfaced that Real Madrid and Barcelona
could target Alonso when the transfer window reopens.
However, Benitez has warned any potential suitors that he
will fight to keep hold of Alonso.
"We had an offer from Juventus and asked a big price as he
is a big player. They couldn't meet it," Benitez said.
"In the end, Xabi has been having a very good season. He has
been playing well in a lot of games and is a key player for
us.
"We have a lot of confidence in him and he is a player we
want to keep because he has the quality, and the game, that
we need."
(Sky Sports) |
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THURSDAY 16 |
No fresh Hillsborough inquiry
Crown Prosecution Service chief operations officer Mike
Kennedy says the Hillsborough inquiry cannot reopen without
fresh evidence.
Wednesday marked the 20th anniversary of the FA Cup
semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at which
96 fans lost their lives.
During the memorial service this week, fans in attendance
made it clear that there was still hope that the incidents
could be reinvestigated with chants of ‘justice for the 96’.
However, Kennedy feels that there would be no case if the
inquiry were to be reopened as there is still insufficient
evidence.
"There has been a lot of publicity about this, but the CPS
decided at the time that there was insufficient evidence to
prosecute anybody for the circumstances surrounding the
incident,” he said.
"We had extremely detailed investigations conducted by the
West Midlands Police and were satisfied that there was
insufficient evidence for there to be a realistic prospect
of a conviction.
"You can never say never, and if new evidence came to light
it may be appropriate to reconsider but, 20 years on, I have
not heard of any.
“Masses and masses of material was gathered and sifted
through."
(Setanta Sports)
Classy U18s close in on Youth Cup Final
Liverpool's class of 2009 have one foot in the FA Youth Cup
final after
a 3-0 thumping of Birmingham City at St Andrew's on Thursday
night.
Finnish ace Lauri Dalla Valle enhanced his glowing
reputation with two poacher's goals, while David Amoo's
picture-book strike was the highlight of an exciting display
following an immaculately observed minute's silence for the
96.
On this showing, it will almost certainly be Liverpool who
contest this year's final with Man City or Arsenal, though
no one at the Academy will take anything for granted ahead
of next Friday's Anfield leg.
Liverpool Under 18s: Bouzanis, Irwin, Buchtmann, Ayala,
Kennedy (cap), Wisdom, Amoo, Pepper, Dalla Valle, Ince,
Eccleston (Kacaniklic 61).
Subs not used: Chamberlain, Cooper, Robinson, Clair.
(LFC Official Website)
Fowler tips Reds & Torres
Former Liverpool hero Robbie Fowler believes Fernando Torres
can establish himself as one of the all-time greats at
Anfield.
Fowler, who scored 183 goals in 396 appearances for
Liverpool during two spells at the club, is a big fan of
Torres and believes there is more to come from the Spaniard.
"In terms of Fernando Torres he could be up there with the
greats of Liverpool ie: Ian Rush," Fowler told Sky Sports
News.
"His record has been fantastic since he came to the club.
"He is just a very, very good player and he scores all types
of goals which is really crucial to a forward as well, he
just doesn't get tap-ins.
"So I can see him being up there with the best of them. I
think he has
got everything."
Fowler, who currently plies his trade in Australia with
North Queensland Fury, also believes Liverpool could end
their 19-year wait for a Premier League title this season by
pipping Manchester United to the crown.
The Reds are currently one point behind United, but Fowler
is confident they can win all their remaining games to bring
the title back to Anfield.
"I am really, really hoping that Liverpool win it," added
Fowler. "If you had asked me four or five weeks ago I would
have said Liverpool would have no chance as Man United were
playing well and were six points clear with a game in hand.
"But Liverpool, ever since beating Real Madrid in the
Champions League, have been on an unbelievable run and I
can't really see them getting beat for the rest of the
season."
(Sky Sports)
Benitez: Silva not
a target for Liverpool
Rafa Benitez has confirmed that Liverpool's chief scout held
talks with Valencia, but the Spaniard has affirmed that
David Silva is not a target
for The Reds.
European champion Silva has been linked to the Anfield
outfit in recent months, with Benitez believed to be a huge
admirer of the flying winger.
But the Spanish manager has refuted suggestions he is
looking to add his fellow countryman to his roster, even if
he has confirmed that Eduardo Marcial made the trip to the
Mestalla to hold talks with Los Che.
David Villa, as well as Juan Mata, are amongst the Valencia
stars that have recently been linked to Liverpool.
“Our chief scout Eduardo [Marcial] was in Valencia and was
talking to different people from the club, but someone was
talking too much,” Benitez said.
“So, at this moment, Silva is not a target.
“He is a good player, but not our target.”
(Setanta Sports)
Liverpool confirm Ajdarevic exit
Astrit Ajdarevic will leave Liverpool for good at the end of
the season, the Premier League giants have confirmed.
The 18-year-old Swede is currently on loan at the Walkers
Stadium and could be offered a permnanent deal in the
summer.
Liverpool academy chief John Owens told the Leicester
Mercury: "He won't come back to us and he will see out the
season with Leicester and then they will have the first
chance to offer him something.
"Other clubs will no doubt have a look at him as well so
we'll have to wait and see what happens.
(Fans FC)
Under 18's will attack
Liverpool under 18's will play attacking football tonight.
The young Reds play the first leg of their FA Youth Cup
semi-final tonight and coach Hugh McAuley has promised to
send his side out to attack even though this is the away
leg.
"We know we have got a second game to come but it certainly
won't influence the way we are going to play," he told the
club's official website.
"We will get at them and try and cause Birmingham some
problems and score goals. We are an attacking team and
that's what we intend to do.
"We are looking forward to it and everybody's fit and
available. Alex Kacaniklic is also back which gives us
another boost. Daniel Ayala who missed the Bolton game
through injury is fit again and that's another boost for us.
"When you get to a youth cup semi-final it's an exciting
situation. We have worked hard to get to this situation and
I think we deserve
to be here.
(LFC Online)
Aurelio eyes title success
Fabio Aurelio is looking for title glory.
The Brazilian defender wants to put Tuesday's Champions
League exit behind him by winning the league.
"We showed that we are a great side against Chelsea. It's
not easy to come to Stamford Bridge and score four goals
like we did and we had chances right up until the end," said
Aurelio.
"I think all of us believed we could do it. We showed what
we needed to, especially in the first-half when we
controlled the game.
"They scored two early goals in the second-half and had more
control, but even when we were behind we had the mentality
to keep believing.
"Unfortunately it was not to be this time, but I think we
did what we could and Chelsea deserve credit too because
they showed they are
a strong team.
"Of course it is hurtful to lose in the way we did, but we
still have the Premier League to fight for. We have to focus
on that now and believe."
(LFC Online)
Summer departures
for Agger and Babel?
Daniel Agger and Ryan Babel are two players who continue to
be linked with moves away from Anfield. Both are players who
have struggled to build on excellent starts to their
Liverpool careers and both have undoubted quality.
Of the two, Agger will be the one most fans would not want
to lose.
A future partnership alongside Martin Skrtel looks promising
to say the least.
(This is Anfield)
Pepe Reina blames himself
for Champions League defeat
Pepe Reina has shouldered the blame for Liverpool's exit
from the Champions League.
But the usually faultless Spanish keeper insists that he
will bounce straight back, thanks in part to his desire to
honour the victims of the Hillsborough tragedy.
Reina held his hands up yesterday to accept the total
responsibility for Chelsea's first goal, which offered the
London club a route back into the quarter-final tie when all
had seemed lost for them.
He said: "It was my mistake. I was too in the middle of the
goal. I should have been closer to near post. I have to
recognise it - that's the life of a goalkeeper.
"But we are still positive for the Premier League. We will
never give up. We are Liverpool. That's our character and
the way we all are. We will fight until the end. There are
six games left and we have to win them all.
"It's in United's hands. We must try to win them and wait."
(Daily Mirror)
Thor Zakariassen
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