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SUNDAY 18 |
Carragher rules out England return
Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has played down England
coach
Fabio Capello's chances of coaxing him out of international
retirement.
Capello hinted earlier this month that he was keen to have
Carragher and Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes back
in the international fold.
Carragher, who quit international football in 2007, feels
his decision has been vindicated because he topped a list of
players who played the most in all competitions this season.
The 30-year-old believes the extra rest he gets during
international weeks has helped him play so much football for
Liverpool this season with his team-mate Steven Gerrard
playing just a little more than him, including England
games.
"I said when I stepped away from playing for England that it
would help my fitness to keep myself right for Liverpool,
and this proves I made the right decision," Carragher told
the Sunday Mirror.
"I feel I've benefited from regular rests during
international weeks and it has helped with little knocks and
niggles clearing up.
"My only disappointment was that Stevie and I didn't have
another 90 minutes to add to the total by playing in the
Champions League Final
as well!"
(TEAMtalk)
Gerrard calls for Rafa backing
Steven Gerrard today called for Rafael Benitez to receive
full backing in the transfer market this summer to give the
Reds a chance of challenging for next season's Premier
League crown.
The skipper is frustrated that Liverpool once again failed
to get involved in the race for top spot this season - but
he believes the club are only "two
or three top-class additions" away from emerging as a
genuine championship force.
"It hurts more and more when we get to November or December
every season and have to accept we're out of the title race
again," he said.
"Every year seems to be following the same routine. The
manager asks for more support in the transfer market in
January, while we're all saying
to ourselves this should have happened the previous summer.
"The time to act is now, not in January when we're already
too far behind. Look at Chelsea. A day after they've lost
the league, what do they do? They spend £16 million on a
full-back.
"That's the kind of ruthless approach to transfers the
Liverpool fans and players want to see, making the signings
the manager wants."
(LFC Official Website) |
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SATURDAY 17 |
Reds quartet named in Spain squad
Spain coach Luis Aragones has named four Liverpool players
in his squad for Euro 2008 - but has overlooked Real Madrid
legend Raul.
Aragones has selected goalkeeper Jose Reina, defender Alvaro
Arbeloa, midfielder Xabi Alonso and striker Fernando Torres
for
this summer's event.
The Spain coach has also named Villarreal midfielder Santi
Cazorla and Real Zaragoza striker Sergio Garcia in his
squad.
And the inclusion of the uncapped duo are the main surprises
in Aragones' 23-man squad for the tournament in Austria and
Switzerland.
As expected there is no place for Real Madrid captain Raul,
Spain's record goalscorer, while Valencia midfielder David
Albelda, Barcelona youngster Bojan Krkic and Espanyol winger
Albert Riera were also omitted.
(TEAMtalk)
Liverpool look to swoop on Andreas Dossena
Liverpool are ready to swoop for highly rated Italian
international defender Andreas Dossena.
Rafa Benitez has identified the 26-year-old Udinese star as
the man to fill his problem left back position and reports
emanating from Italy suggest preliminary talks have already
taken place between Reds officials and Dossena's advisers.
Dossena only recently signed a new four and a half year deal
with Udinese but the Serie A club is believed to be ready to
do business should anyone be prepared to meet their asking
price for a player who is regarded as one of the most
improved in Italian football in recent seasons.
That fee could be as high as £8m, particularly with several
other European clubs being on Dossena's trail.
(Liverpool Echo)
Reds duo get Argentina call
Emiliano Insua and Sebastian Leto have been named in the
Argentina under 23's squad.
The Liverpool duo are in the under 23's squad for next
week's friendly against Catalonia at the Nou Camp. The match
is part of Argentina's preparation for the Beijing Olympics.
(LFC Online)
Pennant shown door as Rafa's cash run begins
Jermaine Pennant was officially told by Rafael Benitez
yesterday that he can leave Liverpool this summer as the
club try to organise their resources to muster a serious bid
for Blackburn winger David Bentley.
Pennant is a long-term target of Newcastle and Benitez is
looking, at
the very least, to recoup the £6.7m he spent on the player
in 2006.
Pennant had been left to wait to learn his fate at Liverpool
although his gradual marginalisation this season was a clear
indicator that his time was up at Anfield. The 25-year-old
was also one of three players offered as
a potential makeweight in the £10m-rated deal to bring
Gareth Barry
to Liverpool.
Yesterday Benitez told Pennant, who has attracted the
interest of West Ham, that he could leave if the club got a
price they deemed acceptable.
(Irish Independent) |
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FRIDAY 16 |
Martin agrees new Reds deal
Liverpool reserve team goalkeeper David Martin has agreed a
new deal
at Anfield.
The 22-year-old is now tied to the Reds until 2010 as
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez bids to maintain an English
core on Merseyside.
Martin, whose father Alvin played for West Ham, joined
Liverpool from Milton Keynes Dons in January 2006.
He has yet to make his debut for Liverpool's senior team,
but he was named among the substitutes for the League Cup
clash with Reading at Anfield in October 2006.
Martin has made one England Under 20 appearance and he was
loaned to Accrington Stanley in February 2007, where he made
10 appearances.
(Sky Sports)
Lee's delight at Liverpool FC return
Rafael Benitez welcomes back Sammy Lee to Liverpool's
Melwood training ground _320
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez put the scouse heart back into
his coaching staff today by appointing Sammy Lee as his new
assistant manager.
If there has been a criticism of Benitez’s backroom staff at
Anfield, it is that the local connection has disappeared.
But Lee’s return to the club will be met with wholesale
approval of the fans and certainly the Liverpool-based stars
at Anfield.
Benitez has not only lost his Spanish assistant Paco
Ayesteran this season, but earlier in the month coach Alex
Miller left to take up a management post in Japan.
And Benitez alluded to the need for a Liverpool heart
restored to the backroom by saying: "We are very pleased to
have brought Sammy back to Liverpool because he is someone
who knows the club really well.
"He also knows about the passion of the club and about the
standards
that we set here so that will make it much easier for him to
settle into his new role.
"But we have not brought Sammy back simply because he used
to play for the club and used to work here as a coach.
"He is a very experienced and very well respected coach in
his own right and his reputation in football made him the
outstanding candidate when we knew we were looking for a new
member of our coaching staff.
"He will add something different to what we already have and
it will be good to work with him."
(Liverpool Daily Post)
No Crouch talks for Pompey
Portsmouth have denied reports their officials are in
negotiations with Liverpool to sign England striker Peter
Crouch.
Pompey manager Harry Redknapp is believed to be keen to
recruit Crouch, who has played for him before at Portsmouth
and Southampton.
But chief executive Peter Storrie said: "It's a lot of
nonsense to say we were negotiating to buy him last night.
"We are all concentrating on the FA Cup final."
(Sporting Life)
Fowler hopes for Wembley appearance
Robbie Fowler hopes to feature for Cardiff City in
the FA Cup final tomorrow.
The former Liverpool striker is fit again after missing the
last five months with a hip injury and is hoping to play
some part tomorrow when Cardiff play Portsmouth at Wembley
in the FA Cup final.
"Bearing in mind the season I've had, scoring the winner in
an FA Cup final would be fairytale stuff," said Fowler.
"But I'd settle for any of the Cardiff boys scoring the
winner.
"It's been difficult watching the team get to the final when
I haven't
been involved.
"But I've trained hard and I am naturally desperate to be
there.
"If I scored the winner it would be straight out of a Roy of
the Rovers comic. But in an ideal world I'd come on when we
were 3-0 up!"
(LFC Online)
Gary Mac going to Wembley
Gary MacAllister has led Leeds United to Wembley.
The former Red, now manager of Leeds, has led his side to
the League One play-off final at Wembley. Leeds beat
Carlisle 2-0 last night to record a 4-3 aggregate win and
book a final place against either
Doncaster or Southend.
Former reserve team defender David Raven was playing for
Carlisle
ast night.
(LFC Online)
Thor Zakariassen
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