MONDAY 21
	Purslow: Insua wants to stay Liverpool general director Christian Purslow has revealed that Emiliano Insua does not want to leave the club, despite speculation over his future. The 21-year-old left-back has not had the best of times since moving to Anfield in 2007, and has an uncertain future at the club now that Rafa Benitez has left. A new Reds manager has yet to be unveiled, and Purslow insists that any discussions on Insua's future will have to wait. "At this moment the only objective of the club is to find a new coach and then evaluate the whole roster of players with him," he told calciomercato.com. "I cannot confirm the interest of Fiorentina for Insua, even if in Italy he is highly regarded, for example at Lazio who last season often came to view him in person. "I don't think the player wants to leave Liverpool. When and where he'll do this request, regardless of the difficulties of the club, we'll talk. "I exclude at the moment that everything can be resolved within a few days." Insua, an Argentina international, moved to Liverpool from Boca Juniors but has not set the Premier League alight since his transfer. (Sky Sports) Report: Liverpool chiefs confident Torres willing to stay Liverpool chiefs are confident Fernando Torres wants to stay at Anfield. The News of the World says Torres will meet expected new boss Roy Hodgson when he returns from South Africa. (tribalfootball.com) Report: Barcelona launching new offer for Mascherano Barcelona are preparing a £30 million offer for Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano. The Mirror says Barca's efforts to land Mascherano last summer were firmly rebuffed by the Reds, who do not want to lose their midfield anchorman. (tribalfootball.com)  Reports: Spanish media: Barcelona informed of 60m euro valuation According to reports in Spain, Liverpool have told Barcelona it will cost them €60 million to prise Fernando Torres away from Anfield. Spanish daily sport claim the Catalan giants are formalising lucrative offers for the Kop talisman and his international colleague Cesc Fabregas of Arsenal, and although the La Liga champions were hoping to offer €45 million for the former, Sandro Rossell has earmarked the striker as his top target since taking over the presidency from Joan Laporta. (Sport.co.uk)   Reports: Blues back in for Babel Skysports.com understands Birmingham are ready to rekindle their interest in Liverpool's Ryan Babel. Birmingham tried to sign Babel during the January transfer window, but failed to agree a deal with Liverpool. (Sky Sports)  Report: Gerrard: I know Real Madrid want me Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is open to a move to Real Madrid, it has been revealed. Speaking after England's draw with Algeria on Friday, Gerrard reportedly told Spanish media: "It is possible that I'll be in Madrid next season. "I'm aware of the club's offer so maybe we'll see each other in Madrid." (tribalfootball.com)
	SUNDAY 20
	Redknapp urges Capello to play Gerrard now middle Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp believes Steven Gerrard should revert back to his favoured central midfield role if England are to progress at the World Cup. The Three Lions slumped to a 0-0 draw against Algeria on Friday night, and their hopes of reaching the knockout stages of the competition are now hanging in the balance. "Suddenly Joe Cole has become this big thing, everyone’s saying he has to be in the side,” Redknapp told Eurosport-Yahoo!. “But he couldn’t get in Chelsea’s team for most of the year, with injuries and not simply getting picked, and they let him go when they could have kept him. “It’s like Gareth Barry - suddenly he’s vital. He’s a decent player but you’re putting Steven Gerrard on the left and he’s a world-class central midfielder. Stevie [Steven Gerrard] needs to play centrally, and he needs to play in there ahead of Frank Lampard - but with a sitting midfielder. "That means you need to play 4-3-3 with two wide of Wayne Rooney up there on his own, with maybe Joe Cole as one of them. “That way you get the best out of Lampard - who plays in that formation every week at Chelsea and scores so many goals - and Gerrard, who can come up to support Wayne [Rooney].” (tribalfootball) Liverpool legend Grobbelaar: Dalglish must be given job Liverpool legend Bruce Grobbelaar says Kenny Dalglish should be the next manager at Anfield. As far as Grobbelaar is concerned, only one man can do that job for Liverpool at the moment. The former Zimbabwe international said: “We need someone who has been at Liverpool every day. That man is Kenny Dalglish. “I would have liked to have seen him get a chance of steadying the ship. He wouldn’t have come in and asked for a huge amount of money. Any other manager will demand millions – and a long-term contract. “Kenny loves the game. He loves the people of Liverpool and he’s at the club all the time. They should have given him a chance, if only for a year. “Then, if we get back into the Champions League, they could have found a manager who was charismatic enough to take over.” (tribalfootball) Skrtel foresaw Benitez boot Martin Skrtel feels there was an air of inevitability about Rafa Benitez's departure as Liverpool manager. The Reds finished an under-par seventh in the Premier League during the 2009/10 campaign, as well as suffering early exits from both domestic cup competitions to compound failure to qualify for the UEFA Champions League knockout stage. Liverpool defender has become the first player to publicly discuss Benitez's exit and the no-nonsense centre-half believes it was the right time for the Spaniard to leave. "The management needed to make some changes and they sacked Rafa," Skrtel, who revealed Benitez sent a text to each individual player after it was announced he would be leaving, told The Independent. "What can we do?" added the 25-year-old. "Nothing. We are only players and we have to wait for the new management." Skrtel, who is preparing for Slovakia's World Cup 2010 game against Paraguay on Sunday, admitted he was unsure as to who will be Benitez's successor at Anfield. Despite reports linking Fulham boss Roy Hodgson with the managerial hot-seat, the Slovakian defender chose to express his gratitude to his ex-boss. "I don't know. Rafa brought me to the club and I'm glad about that and I thank him for that," he added. "Now we have to wait for the new management. We will try to do better than this season." (Sky Sports) Dutch through Holland have reached the last sixteen at the World Cup. Holland were the first team to qualify for the knockout stages yesterday when they beat Japan 1-0. Dirk Kuyt played the full 90 minutes while Ryan Babel was again an unused subsitute. (LFC Online) Denmark win Denmark kept their qualification hopes alive yesterday. Denmark beat Cameroon 2-1 yesterday to boost their chances of reaching the last sixteen at the World Cup. A win over Japan in their final group game will see them through. Daniel Agger played a vital part in keeping Cameroon at bay as they pushed for the equaliser needed to keep them in the tournament. (LFC Online)
	SATURDAY 19
	Kuyt calls for Gerrard stay Dirk Kuyt has pleaded with Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard to stay at Anfield next season. Gerrard's future has been the subject of intense speculation for the last few months after a disappointing campaign last term. The likes of Real Madrid and Manchester City are thought to be waiting in the wings to sign Gerrard if the England international decides to leave his hometown club. However, Kuyt insists it is vital the club keep hold of Gerrard as he is the heartbeat of the side. "I wouldn't like to see Steven Gerrard go," said Kuyt. "Everyone wants to keep Stevie at the club. "He is the captain, he is very important and his heart is bleeding Liverpool. "So it must be a very good offer or a very good club if he wants to leave. "I don't know anything about this. It is just up to him, up to the club." Kuyt also revealed he was sad to see Rafa Benitez leave Anfield earlier this summer. Benitez left Anfield by mutual consent after six years in charge of the club. The Spaniard has quickly found himself back in work with Inter Milan and Kuyt admits he owes Benitez a lot for improving him as a player. "I was sad to see him go," added Kuyt "Rafa was very important for Liverpool. "He won the Champions League and he made me the player that I have become." (Sky Sports) Carra: Fans have right to boo Jamie Carragher has defended the right of England fans to criticise the team if they produce the kind of performance evident against Algeria. England's World Cup future is hanging in the balance after a goalless draw in Cape Town means they have to overcome Slovenia on Wednesday. The final whistle was greeted with boos from some sections of fans and this led to them being criticised by Rooney. But Carragher feels they are entitled to air their opinions particularly after spending considerable amounts of money to follow the team to South Africa. The Liverpool defender said: "I feel the supporters in the stadium were perfectly entitled to boo the team. I've never had a problem with that. "I've always said fans should support during the game but, at the end, they're right to let us know when they're not happy." (TEAMtalk)  Torres optimistic despite loss Spain forward Fernando Torres is confident that the team will regain form and win all remaining matches.(GSM) - Fernando Torres expressing the belief that Spain team would win its subsequent matches, following their 1-0 loss to Switzerland on Wednesday in Durban. The European Champion Spain had won 23 of 24 games entering the World Cup but surprisingly they defeated 1-0 by the Swiss. "Anyone can beat anyone," Torres said after loss. The 26-year-old forward is confident that the team's bad day has passed. "Let’s hope that our bad game, our bad day, has passed," the Reds forward added. He believes surprises are the part of the game and always occur at the World Cup, "but let's just hope we're not one of them." Spain faces Honduras on Monday with both teams needing a win in Group H. (Soccerway.com) Mascherano hints at Rafa reunion Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano has hinted he would be open to a move to Inter Milan should Rafael Benitez wish to be reunited with him. The Argentina international, currently on World Cup duty, is reportedly a £25million target for the Italian giants, who appointed Benitez as Jose Mourinho's successor last week. Mascherano, in remarks reported by the Daily Star, said: "Me to Inter? Ask Benitez. He is the one who knows more. "Rafa is my teacher. I learned so much from him since I came to play in Europe. "I am learning Italian, but I don't know anything about Inter. Does Benitez want me? You should ask him as he would know more than me." The player's agent, Marco Piccioli indicated a move is close and told reporters: "There has already been a first contact with (Inter sporting director) Marco Branca. "We are evaluating the move hard and in the next few days we will have a new meeting to better establish the details of this transfer deal." (TEAMtalk) Thor Zakariassen ©