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FRIDAY 18 |
Reds to land Saints starlet
Liverpool are reported to have agreed a deal to sign St
Etienne youngster Nabil El Zhar.
Reports emanating from France claim Liverpool have struck a
deal to sign the talented midfielder.
(Sky Sports)
Rafa's praise for Liverpool board
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has spoken out to praise the
backing given to him for the 2006-07 campaign.
The stiffs have finally seen sense this summer with the
sanctioning of the Kuyt deal. Had that not taken place it
would have been a typical summer in our eyes but this
signing shows real support.
Speaking today, Rafa said: "I'm really happy with our board
and scouting department who've worked really hard to make
the signings this summer.
"We know we don't have big money, but the chairman and Rick
Parry have worked extremely well to bring the best players
we can into the team.
"Pako Ayesteran and I were talking about how strong our
squad is compared to other teams. We think we have a lot of
new players now who can really play.
"It's one thing to spend big money on players who don't do a
job, but another when you spend it on quality players.
"With Pennant, Bellamy, Kuyt, Aurelio, Paletta and Gonzalez,
we know we have spent money on those we will use, can play
well, and have talent."
We're very happy with the work put in by the chief executive
Rick Parry this summer. Long may this continue because while
it's right to offer constructive criticism when it's needed,
it is equally right to offer praise when deserved.
(Kop Talk)
Kuyt cleared to make debut
Dirk Kuyt could make his debut at Sheffield United tomorrow
after the Reds received international clearance for him to
play.
The formalities of his transfer from Feyenoord were
completed before the midday deadline, meaning he is eligible
to make his first appearance in a Liverpool shirt at Bramall
Lane.
However, manager Rafael Benitez has hinted his latest
arrival may have to wait a while longer before we get to see
our new number 18 in action.
He said: "I think it will be difficult for him to play this
game because he has only just arrived.
"The other players have been training and working all week
preparing for the match so we need to take that into
consideration."
Kuyt is ineligible for Liverpool's Champions League
qualifier against Maccabi Haifa in Kiev next week.
(LFC Official Website)
'Kuyt is complete striker'
Rafa Benitez has predicted Dirk Kuyt will
terrorise English defences in the same prolific manner which
prompted the Reds to bid £9m for his signature.
Benitez hailed his imminent recruit as 'the complete
striker' as the 26-year-old was completing formalities of
his move from Feyenoord.
The Liverpool boss explained he was first alerted to Kuyt's
abilities when Valencia coach.
He said "We've been trying to find a top goalscorer in
Europe. That's difficult, but we knew Kuyt was one such
player.
"He's been playing well for a long time, and he's someone
I'm sure will bring a quality to the team.
"Sometimes you see a top class player who may find it hard
to adapt to the Premiership, but in his case he has the work
rate, game intelligence and goalscoring ability to make him
succeed in England."
(Liverpool Echo)
Reds go Dutch to land Kuyt
Liverpool have completed the signing of striker Dirk Kuyt
from Feyenoord for £10million.
And now the Dutch striker insists he would be able to handle
the pressure of life at "a really big club".
Doubts have been raised about his quality, even in his
homeland, with one observer telling him: "Nobody in Holland
knows why Liverpool want you."
But the 26-year-old showed supreme confidence sitting
alongside Reds manager Rafael Benitez by saying: "I am used
to being put under pressure, that is no problem for me.
"I have scored plenty of goals in Holland and aim to do the
same here, although it is not important who scores as long
as the team wins.
"But I know I can score goals and make goals and I expect to
score a lot of goals
in England."
(Sporting Life)
Pongolle set to leave
The arrival at Anfield of Dirk Kuyt will see Florent
Sinama-Pongolle leave Liverpool.
Kuyt will sign for Liverpool later today and his arrival
will hasten the departure of Sinama-Pongolle. The French
under 21's international will be pushed further down the
pecking order by Kuyt's arrival and is expected to leave in
search of first team football.
Gerard Houllier, who brought Pongolle to Anfield, and is now
manager of French champions Lyon is expected to put a bid in
for the striker. Pongolle is rated at around £2m.
Pongolle's fellow Frenchman Anthony Le Tallec has also been
told he can leave, although the Reds are not expecting to
get a fee for him.
(LFC Online)
Preston eye loan move for Liverpool
striker
Neil Mellor is the latest name in the frame for a move to
Deepdale
Manager Paul Simpson is chasing both Mellor and Arsenal's
Arturo Lupoli on loan deals, and has also made a bid to sign
Ipswich's Sam Parkin on a permanent deal.
He said: "Parkin is one of a number of players who we have
inquired about.
"I’m still pestering the life out of him to persuade him
that this is the right place to come.
"But there are a number of players I’m interested in. Lupoli
is a player I like, Neil Mellor is a player I like."
(Fans FC) |
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THURSDAY 17 |
Rush backing Liverpool signing
Ian Rush is backing the signing of Feyenoord striker Dirk
Kuyt.
The former Liverpool hitman knows a thing or two about
scoring goals and he believes that Kuyt could be the key
signing of the summer.
Rush said: "He's a quality player. I've seen him score
goals.
"I think if he settles in, which I think he will settle in
quite quickly as he's Dutch - if he does, Liverpool could
have the final piece in the jigsaw.
"They've got Bellamy, they've got Kuyt, they've got Crouch,
they've got Fowler and when you've got those players
available you're always going to score goals.
"I think he [Rafa] will [keep everyone happy]. That's the
way it is now [with big squads]. Chelsea have got great
players as well on the bench. I think a sign of a great team
is when you've got two strikers playing and if they're not
doing the goods, you've got two strikers on the bench who
can come on and do it .
"If you're the opposition and you do really well for sixty
minutes and you see one go off and another quality striker
coming on, your head must go down.
"I think it's great that you can have at least four quality
strikers in the side and that's what Liverpool have got
now."
(Kop Talk)
Reds allow collections for Michael
Liverpool Football Club have given permission for a
collection to take place at the Liverpool v West Ham United
game on August 26th in aid of jailed Reds fan Michael
Shields.
Supporters will be able to make donations when attending
this fixture.
You are reminded that if you cannot attend the match that
you can make donations via the following bank account which
was set-up following the launch of the 'Bring Him Home'
appeal by Councillor Joe Anderson.
Account Number 02499003
Sort Code 30-95-11
You can donate over the counter at any Lloyds/TSB bank or
send a cheque to the campaign office:
Michael Shields Jr, 3 Holland Place, Liverpool, L7 8TU.
Appeal staff can also be contacted by telephone on 0151 260
7165 or +44 151 260 7165 if calling from overseas.
(Kop Talk)
Gerrard delighted with new England role
Steven Gerrard spoke of his joy at playing in Steve
McClaren's first England side and insisted: "We've got to
play as a team."
Gerrard was used on the right in the 4-0 mauling of Greece
last night - a role similar to that he plays at Anfield.
Gerrard took great pleasure in following McClaren's
instructions to the finest detail and now that David
Beckham's spell on England's right side is all but over, the
Liverpool captain is ready to start making up for lost time.
"I enjoyed it," said Gerrard. "I knew the job that the boss
wanted me to do. I spoke to him and he told me that he
wanted me to get forward.
"He told me not to be scared to try things and that's what I
did. It worked out. I loved it. That's me. Getting forward,
being free.
"It's not a complete free role. I've got a responsibility to
get back and help Gary Neville.
"But the manager pulled me a few days ago and told me that
he wants me to start doing for England what I do for
Liverpool.
"Maybe we've been guilty about playing too much as
individuals in the past. It hasn't worked out.
"But against Greece, you saw a good team performance from
start to finish. We passed the ball well, set a high tempo
and we've set a standard for the future."
(Liverpool Echo)
Reds land £9m Kuyt
Dirk Kuyt headed to Anfield today to complete his
£9m transfer from Feyenoord.
Liverpool agreed a fee with the Dutch club last night, and
subject to a medical and agreeing personal terms, the
striker will become Rafa Benitez’s latest signing tonight.
If the formalities are complete, Kuyt may even be in
contention to make his Reds debut against Sheffield United
this weekend.
Weeks of negotiations were concluded in Holland yesterday,
after Reds chief executive Rick Parry flew to Rotterdam to
thrash out the terms of an agreement.
(Liverpool Echo) |
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WEDNESDAY 16 |
Gonzalez scores as Reds beat Lincoln
New boy Mark Gonzalez was on target for the Reds as a
Liverpool XI beat Lincoln 2-1 at Sincil Bank in a game
arranged as part of the transfer agreement that saw Jack
Hobbs move to Anfield last summer.
With the likes of Peter Crouch and Steven Gerrard on
international duty, the Reds took the opportunity to help
improve the match fitness of a number of players returning
from injury.
Robbie Fowler enjoyed an impressive first half alongside
Gonzalez and Fabio Aurelio while Neil Mellor made his
long-awaited comeback during the second-half.
After Gonzalez had given Liverpool an early lead, Besian
Idrizaj added a second during an exciting first-half. Ryan
Semple grabbed Lincoln's goal late into the game.
(LFC Official Website)
International Reds
A number of the reds were involved in international games
this evening.
Peter Crouch scored another two goals - the pick of which
(in my opinion) was when he took the ball off Frank
Lampard's feet to score, leaving the Chelsea player looking
on in shock. Well done Crouchy!
Gerrard played on the right wing during the game and played
very well - Beckham's days at England appear numbered now
that Stevie G appeared to be make the position his own.
Stevie G played 78 minutes - being replaced by Jamie
Carragher.
Steve Finnan was on the wrong side of a 4-0 beating by
Holland. He was subbed off after 64 min when the Republic
were 3-0 down. Dirk Kuyt played the second half but didn't
score.
Sami Hyypia turned out for the majority of Finland's game
against Northern Ireland, but his country were beaten 2-1 on
the night.
Most importantly no injuries appear to have been sustained.
(Anfield Online)
Toshack praise for Rafa
Wales coach John Toshack believes Rafa Benitez's sound work
ethic has helped make him successful with Liverpool.
Toshack recently met the Spanish tactician after attending a
Reds match in order to run the rule over pacey striker Craig
Bellamy.
The former Real Madrid coach was impressed by Liverpool's
manager and believes he has something special about him.
"When I first met Rafa there was definitely something about
him," explained Toshack.
"I remember when I was at Madrid the second time around and
we were in Switzerland pre-season.
"He was over watching the training and was making notes. He
was always a very studious type.
"I think his Valencia side that played Liverpool a couple of
times was very impressive.
"I saw the game at Anfield and they never gave Liverpool any
options at all.
"That sort of approach, which is common on the continent,
maybe prompted Liverpool to go for him and he certainly
hasn't let them down since he's been here."
(Sky Sports)
Lyon want Reds striker
Lyon are the latest club to be linked with out of favour
Liverpool striker Florent Sinama-Pongolle.
The French Under-21 international is understood to be
surplus to requirements at Anfield, and has been told by
Reds boss Rafael Benitez that he does not figure in his
future plans.
(Clubcall Sports)
Wolves close in on Potter
Wolves are close to completing the signing of Liverpool
midfielder Darren Potter on a season-long loan.
The 21-year-old has undergone a medical at Molineux with the
terms of the transfer set to be finalised later this week.
Potter has made 17 first-team appearances for the Reds and
also played on a dozen occasions for Southampton while on
loan at St Mary's last term.
Wolves manager Mick McCarthy said: "He's a talented player
and we're hoping to wrap things up pretty soon.
"I watched him last year when he was playing for Southampton
and he impressed me.
"He's a modern-day central midfielder - young and hungry."
(Sporting Life)
Kabba injury blow for Blades
Sheffield United striker Steven Kabba has been ruled out of
the Premiership newcomers' opening game against Liverpool on
Saturday with a hamstring injury.
The 25-year-old pulled his hamstring in training and is set
to have a scan to determine the extent of the injury.
Kabba has had a torrid time with injuries over recent years
with tendinitis, a broken ankle and an Achilles problem
ruling him out of much of the 2004-05 season before he
returned at the start of the last campaign.
Blades boss Neil Warnock told the club's official website:
"It's a big blow for us.
"He is having a scan. We are pleased that he has not torn a
muscle. Hopefully it is just a few fibres that have been
affected although he won't be involved on Saturday."
(SoccerNet)
Kuyt is one step closer to signing
Dirk Kuyt has moved a step nearer to securing a move to
Anfield after Feyenoord gave the striker permission to speak
to Liverpool.
Reports in Holland claim the 26-year-old has already spoken
with Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez, who outlined how his
proposed plans for the striker this season.
(Daily Post)
Dowie pleased to sign Scott
Charlton manager Iain Dowie has spoken of his delight in
signing Liverpool goalkeeper Scott Carson on loan.
Carson will join Charlton Athletic on a season long loan to
gain some vital Premiership experience. The Charlton boss
praised the ability of Carson and said his signing will be a
real boost for his team.
"I just felt this was an opportunity for us to get one of
the excellent young goalkeepers that we have in this
country," said Dowie.
"I've watched him for many years, since my days at Oldham
when I used to see him at Leeds, and I've always liked him.
"Scott brings size and he's got great composure. He's been
at a great club, has big-game experience, has played in the
Champions League and has done very well for England U21s.
"He's got the right kind of mentality to be a big goalkeeper
and it's a fantastic opportunity for ourselves - and also
for him."
(LFC Online)
Chelsea make Riise enquiry
Chelsea have made a cheeky enquiry about John Arne Riise as
their frustration in failing to sign Ashley Cole grows.
However, Jose Mourinho has been given no encouragement from
Liverpool that the popular Norwegian is available.
At this stage, there's no prospect of any further contact
between the clubs as Benitez questions the timing and
motives of the champions' move.
The Londoners made their approach before last weekend's
Community Shield, but didn't make a formal bid.
Liverpool smell a rat, suspecting Chelsea are trying to use
an interest in Riise as a means to forcing Arsenal to accept
their £16m offer for Ashley Cole.
The Reds also presumed Mourinho's interest may have been a
usual tactic of trying to unsettle a key opponent before
Sunday's fixture.
If it was the latter, it backfired as the left back scored a
stunning goal in the 2-1 win
in Cardiff.
(Liverpool Echo)
Carson planning to become Liverpool No. 1
Liverpool 'keeper Scott Carson collected his 20th cap last
night as he played for the England Under 21's against
Moldova.
Carson was beaten twice in this UEFA European U21
Championship Group 8 Qualifier. Theo Walcott and David
Nugent scored a goal each to make the result 2-2.
Having recently agreed a loan move to Charlton for the
season, Carson insists that he plans to become first choice
at Anfield in the future.
Speaking prior to the match, Carson said: "I've signed a new
five year contract, so it's good to be offered the chance to
be involved in what they are doing there.
"They are going to be challenging for titles and trophies
over the next few years and the manager is planning for the
future.
"I'm only 20 now and I want to be a part of that. Hopefully
I can go on loan and play some games to get some experience.
Then maybe next season I can come back a better player and
challenge for the number one jersey."
(Kop Talk)
Bellamy draws a blank for Wales
Craig Bellamy was unable to get on the scoresheet for Wales
in their friendly against Bulgaria last night.
The Liverpool striker had a decent game for Wales but was
unlucky to be denied a goal by some good goalkeeping from
the Bulgarian goalkeepers and a blatant handball outside the
area that was somehow missed by the referee and his
assistant.
Bellamy played 70 minutes before being subsituted last night
and was one of four Welsh players to wear the captain's
armband.
(LFC Online)
Fowler back as Reds name squad for Lincoln
trip
Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler is in the squad that willl
travel to Lincoln this evening.
Robbie has been suffering with a knee problem but he returns
today as a Liverpool XI are given a run out at Sincil Bank
in this friendly match which was organised as part of the
deal that saw Jack Hobbs move to Anfield in August 2005.
Neil Mellor and Stephen Warnock also return from injury to
be included in the squad.
LIVERPOOL: Martin, Kromkamp, Warnock, Aurelio, Roque,
Peltier, Fowler, Gonzalez, Mellor, Smith, Hobbs, Anderson,
Hammill, Antwi, Guthrie, Roverts, Idrizaj, Diao.
(Kop Talk)
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Thor Zakariassen
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