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SATURDAY 18 |
Lee braced for
Vienna contest
Rafa set to name two line-ups tonight Liverpool assistant
manager Sammy Lee believes there’s no such thing as a
friendly when the Reds are involved, ahead of tomorrow’s
pre-season encounter with
Rapid Vienna.
After being held to a goalless draw in Switzerland by St.
Gallen in midweek, Liverpool continue their preparations for
the 2009/10 campaign with a visit to the Austrian capital
before they fly out for a mini-tour of South East Asia.
Lee told the club’s official web site, “There is no such
thing as a friendly game as far as Liverpool are concerned.
Everyone wants to beat Liverpool Football Club. We were
fully briefed on St Gallen - we had DVDs on them - and it’ll
be the same at the weekend. You always have to do your
homework.”
Lee added that he was happy the Reds got their first run-out
against St Gallen on Wednesday night and they took a lot
from the game.
He continued, “It’s always difficult in the first game, and
we wanted to give everyone 45 minutes. We got a lot out of
the game. They started their preparations before us and
played their first league game on Saturday when they got a
good win over Basel, so we knew they would be ahead of us in
terms of fitness. So, we equipped ourselves very well.
There’s always positives and negatives to be taken from
every training session - and that’s what we consider this
game to be.”
(This is Anfield)
Danny Ayala grabs
his Liverpool FC opportunity
One man’s disappointment can be another’s opportunity and
this was the case on Liverpool’s pre-season trip to
Switzerland where Danny Ayala got to rub shoulders with the
big boys after Daniel Agger was forced to withdraw through
injury.
Understandably, Ayala had been gutted to find out he would
not be in the travelling party when Rafa Benitez named his
squad for the Swiss
training camp.
The Spanish teenager had been desperate to be included and
hoped to be able to travel with his close mate Dani Pacheco
but Benitez had other ideas, believing it would be more
beneficial for Ayala to get more playing time with the
reserves instead of being surplus to requirements
in Switzerland.
That was until Agger reported problems with his back and
Ayala was booked on the official club flight to Zurich and
took full part in Liverpool’s training camp in Badra Gaz
before making his first team bow as a second half substitute
against St Gallen.
Ayala has been able to benefit from the expert coaching of
not only the likes of Sammy Lee and Mauricio Pellegrino but
also Jamie Carragher, who has taken time out to give tips on
the art of central defending.
That’s what you call a footballing education.
(Liverpool Echo)
Stephen Darby still chasing
Liverpool FC first team role
Stephen Darby would have been forgiven for being perhaps the
only Liverpudlian who became downhearted when Rafa Benitez
shelled out a club record £16m on a right-back this summer.
As if getting into the Liverpool team was not difficult
enough he now has to compete with England’s first choice in
that position for a place in the Reds starting line up.
But if Darby is in need of any inspiration as he attempts to
prove that he can do a job for the team he supports then he
could do a whole lot worse than look at the progress fellow
full back Emiliano Insua has made over the last 12 months.
Last summer it was Insua’s turn to see his manager spend a
club record on a player who operates in his position when
Andrea Dossena was signed in a £7m deal, but as it turned
out it was the Argentinian youngster and not the Italian
international who found favour with his manager more and
more as the season wore on.
It is an example which the naturally optimistic but always
realistic Darby is hoping to follow in the coming campaign.
(Liverpool Echo)
Why Mascherano
owes Liverpool FC
Switzerland is a country that is so immaculately clean that
it is hard to imagine it having any flies. But if there are,
then the place for them to be yesterday would have been on
the wall of Rafa Benitez’s temporary office in Badra Gaz.
Whatever was said between the Liverpool manager and the
recently returned Javier Mascherano will rightly remain
private but one can only imagine the tone of the
conversation that took place.
Because every time Mascherano has been linked with a move to
Barcelona over the past couple of months without the Reds
midfielder doing his utmost to distance himself from such
talk the more Benitez must surely have bristled with
indignation.
So much so that the Liverpool manager recently only just
stopped short of publicly rebuking the Argentinian, deciding
instead to remind him that he owes his club a debt of
loyalty – and rightly so.
(Tony Barrett - Liverpool Echo) |
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FRIDAY 17 |
Kuyt shrugs off
Man City threat
Gerrard and Kuyt secure second place Manchester City’s
recent spending spree in the transfer market has not given
Liverpool midfielder Dirk Kuyt any cause for concern.
City will be looking to catch up with the Premier League’s
“top four” in this coming season after a summer that has
seen them splash the cash on such signings as Blackburn’s
Roque Santa Cruz, Aston Villa’s Gareth Barry and former
Manchester Utd forward Carlos Tevez.
But Kuyt is undeterred by City’s spending power and believes
it won’t effect the Reds one bit.
He said, “They have bought some good players but we are
comfortable with our squad and our players and we are
comfortable that we can play better than Manchester City
this season.
“Maybe they can come in the top four but we have to make
sure we finish above them because we want to go one step
higher after last season.”
(This is Anfield)
Roma: Aquilani could be sold
Serie A giants Roma have admitted that they would be willing
to discuss the sale of Alberto Aquilani.
The Italy international is reported to be a target for
Liverpool, while Arsenal have expressed an interest in the
creative midfielder in the past.
A move to Anfield has been touted in the wake of Real
Madrid's continued interest in Xabi Alonso, with Aquiliani
seen as an ideal replacement should the Spaniard head home.
Roma have previously maintained that they would be unwilling
to part with the talented 25-year-old, but boss Luciano
Spalletti has revealed that stance could be about to change.
"We need to be open and listen to any type of offers that
are proposed to us," he said.
"We are not worried, we know what we need to do.
"There will probably be two or three transfer market deals
done and I am convinced we will be able to work well."
Aquilani is under contract with Roma until 2013 and despite
Spalletti's admission, club director Bruno Conti insists no
approach has been received as yet.
"The situation as it is right now is that Aquilani will
remain until there is a squad that makes an offer," Conti
said to Mediaset.
"Once this happens then we will see."
(Sky Sports)
Alonso set for exit
as Madrid increase offer
Madrid’s attempt at calling Liverpool’s bluff has failed and
the Spanish club look set to increase their offer in an
attempt to close the Xabi Alonso transfer deal by the
weekend.
Xabi is due to return to training with his Liverpool players
ahead of a Far East tour this weekend, and tomorrow the
original deal involving Xabi’s former club Real Sociedad
expires. Any sale of Alonso before then would involve
Sociedad pocketing 20% of any transfer value.
(Anfield Online)
Young Dane to join Reds
Liverpool are on the verge of signing Danish starlet Nikolaj
Kohlert, according to the player's agent.
Kohlert enjoyed a trial at Liverpool earlier this year and
the Reds have moved quickly to line up a deal for the
Esbjergs midfielder.
The 16-year-old is yet to make his debut for Esbjerg and
should he sign for Liverpool he will continue his
footballing education with the club's academy.
Kohlert's agent, Allan Nielsen, says only personal terms
need to be agreed for the deal to be finalised with Rafa
Benitez's men.
"I can say as much as there will be a meeting in Liverpool
today. The only thing remaining is the personal contract,"
said Nielsen.
"I see no immediate problems in the clubs agreeing. There
should be no problems at all but last but not least, it will
be up to Esbjerg. But I am sure this will be no problem.
"This is a fantastic opportunity for a 16-year-old. He is
ready both as a person and as a footballer. He will probably
start in the academy on a scholarship before he turns 17.
"After that it will be the reserve team and then he will get
a professional contract for three years with an additional
option for Liverpool.
"It is a really really good contract. All that's remaining
now is to get the details in place today."
(Sky Sports)
Mascherano joins up
with the squad
Javier Mascherano has joined up with the rest of the
Liverpool squad in Switzerland.
The Argentinian midfielder missed the start of the
pre-season preparations after becoming a father for the
second time.
Rafael Benitez is determined to hold onto Mascherano, who
has been publicly courted by Barcelona during recent weeks.
(LFC Online) |
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THURSDAY 16 |
Benitez gives Voronin
hope of future
Voronin not joining Hertha Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez says
he is not ruling out Ukranian striker Andriy Voronin
breaking back into
the first team.
Voronin spent the whole of last season on loan to Hertha
Berlin after the signing of Robbie Keane from Tottenham.
And after a successful season with the German side, Voronin
is back at Anfield aiming to push his way back into
Benitez’s good books.
“He did really well in Germany last season, scoring plenty
of goals, and he has told me that he wants to stay at the
club and fight for his position.
“I have told him that will be difficult with Fernando Torres
and Steven Gerrard as our first-choice strikers. But he
realises this and the players we have in the squad.
“But he also knows that this club always plays more than 60
games a season and that means there are opportunities. He
will fight for his place.”
Voronin played the first half of the Reds’ goalless draw
against St. Gallen in Switzerland last night.
(This is Anfield)
Agent dismisses
Aquilani link to Liverpool
Alberto Aquilani's agent has dismissed media reports linking
the Roma player with a move to Liverpool.
Reports in Italy claimed a delegation from Anfield had
arrived in Rome to offer €16m for the 25-year-old playmaker.
However, his agent has described the speculation as "silly"
and says there is no truth in the reports.
(Irish Independent)
Setanta recaptures Premier League rights
Setanta Ireland, which survived the collapse of the
broadcaster’s British business, has had some good news at
last, recapturing the rights to 33 English Premier League
matches next season.
The Premier League’s deals with Setanta Ireland were
cancelled after the British arm of the company defaulted on
payments and went into administration. The broadcaster then
suffered another blow when ESPN added Irish broadcast rights
back to the English rights it had secured.
“It would have been very difficult to continue in anything
like our current shape,“ said Setanta Ireland’s chief
executive, Niall Cogley, of the broadcaster’s future had it
not secured the package.
The English Premier League is the most watched sporting
competition in Ireland. Many Premier League clubs,
particularly Manchester United and Liverpool, have large
fanbases in the country, who rely on Setanta - and now ESPN
- for the chance to see their team.
The broadcaster claims to reach more than 500,000 homes in
Ireland, a country of less than five million people.
(SportsPro Media)
Rafa's views on the contenders
Rafa is expecting another difficult season for Liverpool
this season with even more names entering the equation at
possible Premier League contenders.
You'll see the usual suspects, but the Spaniard is expecting
others to challenge more closely, but Rafa still feels that
if we're strong and consistent we can beat anyone, as he
explained to the Echo:
"Chelsea, United and Arsenal are very strong, and this year
you'll have Tottenham, Aston Villa and City. It's clearly
the most difficult league.
"We are strong enough to beat anyone and we need to be
consistent.
"We got 86 points - a record for the club in the Premier
League - but we still need to improve. But we have a lot of
confidence.'
A club record 86 points from last season would've been
enough to have won the title on many occasions but it was
still an inconsistency at times and failure to win matches
that we should've won that costs us in the end.
We're good enough, and strong enough, to go all the way this
time but Rafa knows we'll need to be near perfection to do
this,
as he also explained:
"You have to do everything almost perfectly because in the
Premier League you cannot lose many games.
"You need a good atmosphere, and we have a good squad now.
"The understanding is really good now between the players.
The main thing for me is to be contenders."
(Vital Football-Liverpool)
Thor Zakariassen
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