THURSDAY 21
	Hodgson: I am not resigning and I never will Liverpool relieved the pressure on their under-fire boss Roy Hodgson with a battling display in Naples last night. And after watching with pride a committed performance from his young side to take an important Europa League point against Napoli, the Reds manager show fight of his own by insisting he would never consider quitting. Hodgson has been swamped with rumours that he will walk out of Anfield because of the intense pressure produced by a poor start to the season, which has seen Liverpool slump into the bottom three. There have even been suggestions that top Dutch coach Frank Rijkaard has been lined up as a replacement should the experienced coach decide he has had enough. But Hodgson showed the same fight as his team when he emphatically dismissed suggestions he would quit, when he said: "I have heard the ridiculous rumours about me resigning, and I can tell you there is not an iota of truth in any of them. "The simple truth is that I have never considered resigning, and I never will." (Daily Mirror)     Roy's Reds pick up a point in Naples Liverpool remain unbeaten in Europa League Group K after digging deep to earn a deserved 0-0 draw with hosts Napoli on Thursday night. Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson's gamble in leaving at home a handful of his senior players - including Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard - paid off in some respect in the Stadio San Paolo. Many tipped the hopelessly out-of-form Reds for defeat after bringing a weakened side to Naples, but they withstood long spells of pressure to leave with a point. The closest they came to conceding was in first-half added time when Paul Konchesky cleared Marek Hamsik's shot off the line in the nick of time, while Ryan Babel could have snatched victory with 20 minutes to go but shot too close to goalkeeper Morgan de Sanctis. (TEAMtalk)   Teen star starts Teenager Jonjo Shelvey will make his first competitive start for Liverpool in the Europa League encounter with Napoli tonight. Roy Hodgson has made seven changes from the team that lost at Goodison on Sunday. The Reds side in full is: Reina, Kelly, Carragher, Skrtel, Konchesky, Poulsen, Spearing, Jovanovic, Shelvey, Babel, Ngog. Subs: Jones, Kyrgiakos, Aurelio, Wilson, Maxi, Cole, Eccleston. (LFC Official Website) No Reds move for Rijkaard Frank Rijkaard's agent insists they have not been approached by Liverpool about possibly replacing Roy Hodgson at Anfield. Hodgson's future at Liverpool has come under intense scrutiny following a disastrous start to the season. Rijkaard has been mentioned as a possible replacement with the Dutchman being made the strong favourite by Sky Bet following his departure from Galatasaray earlier this week. However, Rijkaard's representative, Perry Overeem, insists he has had no contact with Liverpool and that the former Barcelona boss will not be rushing any decision over his future. "We have not been approached by Liverpool," Overeem told Sky Sports News HD. "Frank's not thinking about any job at the moment - he wants to put what's happened in Turkey behind him. "Frank's still in Turkey. "Whenever we are approached, if we are approached, we will deal with that then but it's not helpful to get into rumours at this stage." (Sky Sports) Rijkaard rumoured to replace Hodgson at Liverpool Rumours have been spreading across the internet this Thursday that Roy Hodgson is set to resign as Liverpool boss following their Europa League encounter with Napoli at Stadio San Paolo. The unofficial rumours have prompted bookmakers William Hill to slash their odds on Frank Rijkaard becoming the next manager of Liverpool from 2/1 to 2/7. (RTE)     Rijkaard Reds 'gamble' in full swing Frank Rijkaard has been the subject of a huge gamble and is now the 4/7 favourite with SkyBet to be the next permanent Liverpool boss. The former Barcelona coach left Galatasaray by mutual consent this week after just over a year in charge and has been heavily backed to replace current manager Roy Hodgson at Anfield. Pressure is mounting on Hodgson after the Reds' dismal start to the campaign, which was compounded by a 2-0 defeat at Everton in the Merseyside derby last weekend. Ex-Inter Milan and Fulham boss Hodgson is 11/10 to be the next Premier League manager to be sacked and SkyBet's Dale Tempest reckons that Hodgson's dismal start at Anfield has paved the way for Rijkaard to replace him. Tempest said: "Liverpool are a club in crisis so it's been no surprise to see the odds gradually shorten for Roy Hodgson to leave. "However what we didn't expect was the gamble on Frank Rijkaard to take over. "The Dutchman started at 12/1 on Wednesday but is now the 4/7 favourite." (TEAMtalk) Two Liverpool fans stabbed ahead of Napoli game Two Liverpool fans have been stabbed in Naples, Italy ahead of tonight’s match against Napoli. A police spokesman confirmed that two men, aged 27 and 52, were taken to hospital with injuries on Wednesday night. Their conditions are not thought to be life-threatening. Three Napoli citizens have been arrested. Policing is thought to have been tightened up ahead of tonight’s game to keep supporters from each club separate. A spokeswoman for the British Foreign Office said, “We can confirm the hospitalisation of two British nationals in Naples, Italy on 20 October. We are providing consular assistance.” Merseyside Police say they have had reports of six attacks on Liverpool supporters in the city over the last 24 hours. The Guardian reports, “A separate incident where a gang of youths armed with knifes approached English supporters in the city has also been reported. The ANSA and Apcom news agencies say that the overnight clashes in downtown Naples involved thrown rocks and led to three arrests, and also injuries to four or five Italian fans, including a restaurant owner.” (This is Anfield) Carragher: Time for players to stand up Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher insists the players are fully behind Roy Hodgson and it is up to them to start impressing the manager. With their season starting so badly, with just one win in eight Premier League matches leaving them 19th in the table, speculation has started about whether everything is right behind the scenes following the recent takeover. "The spirit in the dressing room is fine but you don't have to be a rocket scientist to work out if you win games it is a lot better. "The manager is the boss and we should be trying to impress him, not the other way around." (TEAMtalk)
	WEDNESDAY 20
	Hodgson fears Torres swoop Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson has admitted Wayne Rooney's desire to leave Manchester United could mean his star striker Fernando Torres is targeted by their arch-rivals. But while he said he accepted there was always a chance the Reds could lose players like the Spain international, he was determined to keep Torres. "I am not naive enough to think there is no danger we will ever lose a player like Fernando Torres. "I can only hope we won't and I will make certain I do everything in my power to keep him happy at the club, help him improve his current form and to get him playing for Liverpool as he has in the past." (Football 365) Roy explains duo absence Roy Hodgson has explained the reasoning behind his decision to leave Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres back on Merseyside for Thursday's Europa League clash with Napoli in Italy. The Reds boss believes his side will be better served by having the star duo fresh for Sunday's Barclays Premier League clash with Blackburn Rovers at Anfield - and he is confident his squad has the necessary quality to secure a positive result in the absence of the pair. Hodgson told reporters: "They are perfectly okay. If I had asked them to play they would have been prepared to do so. "When it comes to Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, we have an important league game on Sunday. It is my decision and I thought that it would be better to spare them this game and to give the responsibility to other players in the squad tomorrow to show they deserve their place in the Liverpool squad and that they can do the job. (LFC Official Website) Cannavaro ready for Liverpool tussle Napoli captain Paolo Cannavaro is eagerly anticipating the Europa League clash with Liverpool on Thursday night. The Premier League giants travel to Italy currently top of Group K with a win and a draw from their opening two games, while Napoli are second having managed two draws. Cannavaro, 29, has warned his side not to underestimate their English opponents despite Liverpool lying second-bottom in the league, and the defender is looking forward to a massive night for the club. "It will be a historic match for Napoli. For years, San Paolo hasn't seen major events in Europe and on Thursday we all know how important it will be to be in top physical and mental condition," he told the club's official website. (TEAMtalk) Ian Ayre’s resignation rejected by NESV as club return to High Court Following the resignation of Liverpool managing director Christian Purslow, the Daily Telegraph can disclose that club commercial director Ian Ayre has been dissuaded from leaving the club by their new American owners New England Sports Ventures (NESV). Ayre is understood to have been uncertain of his position at the club following the takeover and tendered a letter of resignation to the club’s owners on Tuesday. His offer was rejected by owner John W Henry and his advisers however, and Ayre was reassured that he has a future at the club. (Telegraph.co.uk)     Dossena: "I'll show Liverpool..." Former Liverpool flop Andrea Dossena concedes it is “a special game” when the Reds come to Naples for the Europa League on Thursday. The left-back struggled at Anfield with a series of injuries before returning to Serie A on loan for Napoli. “These are the matches you seek out in the fixture list and I cannot wait for the opening whistle,” he said in a Press conference. “Now I can show Liverpool, who had chosen me, who the real Andrea Dossena is. Tomorrow I’ll hug my former teammates and friends I still have among the Reds, but then it’s a crucial game that sends fire down my veins.” (Football Italia) Mazzarri confident of good result Napoli head coach Walter Mazzarri is hopeful his troops can secure a positive result against Liverpool in the Europa League. The Serie A club host The Reds in a Group K encounter, a group that is yet to see anyone take the bull by the horns. A win for Napoli could see them usurp Liverpool at the top of the table and Mazzarri wants his fans to be treated. "We will do everything possible to overcome Liverpool," explained Mazzarri. "I want a great match. I would like the team to play good football and produce a positive performance. "I don't want only to secure a good result. I want to achieve it in the best possible fashion." (TEAMtalk) Christian Purslow stands down as Liverpool FC managing director Liverpool FC Managing Director Chistian Purslow has stepped down from the Anfield board. The former city private equity banker will however stay on in a non-executive role as special advisor to the club. The announcement comes less than a week after he helped Chairman Martin Broughton and Commerical Director Ian Ayre remove former American co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett from the club. (Liverpool Echo)   Liverpool's pilot is the lead singer of Iron Maiden How rock and roll is Liverpool these days? They get their massages from the former guitarist of Simply Red. They fly out of an airport named after John Lennon. Now they're being conveyed to their Europa League matches in an aircraft captained by Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson. Dickinson, who is arguably the most famous pilot ever to wear a feathered mask onstage during 1984's World Slavery Tour, flew Liverpool to Naples today for their Europa League match against Napoli. For several hours this morning, while children in America slept, Ryan Babel was hurtling thousands of feet in the air in a metal cylinder manuevered at hundreds of miles an hour by a man whose 2005 solo album Tyranny of Souls features a cover painting by Renaissance artist Hans Memling. It is truly an interesting world. Dickinson has been a pilot for more than 20 years and, according to Wikipedia, "regularly flies Boeing 757 charter jets for the UK charter airline Astraeus, where he is employed as marketing director and captain." He directs the marketing and flies the planes! What else does he do? Oh, right: He's also a pretty good fencer. For his part, Dickinson was happy to fly Liverpool around: "Liverpool are an amazing club. They are more than a club, they are an institution and represent such a body of people here in the city. I hope they do well - it would be good see them with their tails up." Somewhere in the ether, the winged goddess of rock is looking down on her people and smiling. (Yahoo! Sports - Dirty Tackle Weblog) Rumour Mill: Reds linked with THREE French stars After Roy Hodgson’s trip to watch France and Romania last week, Liverpool have been linked with no less than three French internationals. According to reports from Paris, Hodgson is not only tracking the progress of St Etienne winger Dimitri Payet, as we reported yesterday, but he also looking at Bordeaux’s captain Alou Diarra and Lyon playmaker Yoann Gourcuff. (live4liverpool.com) Real Madrid striker Benzema under consideration at Liverpool Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema is being linked with Liverpool. The presence of Reds boss Roy Hodgson in the stands for France's victory over Romania last week, sparked transfer speculation in Paris that he was making a check on Benzema. (tribalfootball.com)   Rijkaard makes Gala exit Frank Rijkaard has parted company with Galatasaray after little more than a year in charge. Skysports.com revealed on Tuesday that Rijkaard was on the brink of leaving the Turkish giants and his exit has now been confirmed. The Dutchman took the helm at Gala in June 2009 after leaving Barcelona in 2008 but he was only able to lead the club to a third-placed finish in the league last season. They have made a slow start to the new campaign and are currently ninth in the standings, eight points adrift of leaders Bursaspor. The decision has therefore been taken by mutual agreement to terminate Rijkaard's contract and proceed with a new man. Rijkaard has already been linked with former club Ajax as well as Liverpool, where Roy Hodgson has come under pressure following a poor start to his reign. (Sky Sports) Cole welcomes new dawn Liverpool playmaker Joe Cole is confident that the club's new owners will help to return the glory days at Anfield. New England Sports Ventures (NESV) principal owner John Henry and chairman Thomas Werner completed a takeover last week and met with the playing staff on Saturday. Cole, who joined Liverpool as a free agent after leaving Chelsea in the summer, was impressed by what he heard and he is now hoping for a productive new era. The 28-year-old thinks that the only way is up after criticism of lacklustre performances which have left the club in the Premier League relegation zone. Cole told Liverpool's official website: "We're happy that it's all sorted out and the club's got some direction again. I know the fans are happy. "They (NESV) seem genuine and they seem like they are doing it through passion. Everything seems great. "I definitely think they can help us get back up there." With NESV having brought financial stability after the mountains of debt built by former owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks, Cole also thinks Liverpool are well placed off the field. Uefa is set to introduce new rules that mean clubs will only be able to spend what they generate in revenue and this could benefit a side with an existing worldwide fanbase. "The landscape of football is changing," said Cole. "Clubs are going to be made to work from their revenues rather than just throwing money at it. "That can only be good for the game in general, and hopefully with the solid base a club like Liverpool has got, we can put ourselves back on top." (Sky Sports)
	TUESDAY 19
	Eccleston brace earns point The Reds started brightly and got off to a flyer when Danny Wilson and Eccleston (penalty) put them in the driving seat inside 25 minutes. However, Josh Morris reduced the arrears with a stunning free-kick before two goals in three second-half minutes from Junior Hoilett and Matty Pearson turned the game on its head. With time running out, John McMahon's men poured forward and deservedly snatched a share of the spoils when Eccleston steered home Wilson's clipped cross at the far post. It capped a pulsating 90 minutes of football and brought an end to the second-string's run of two straight defeats. Liverpool Reserves: Martin Hansen, Stephen Darby, Jack Robinson (John Flanagan 60), Steven Irwin, Danny Wilson, Chris Mavinga, David Amoo (Victor Palsson 71), Gerardo Bruna (Dani Pacheco 25), Nathan Eccleston, Suso, Tom Ince. Unused subs: Dean Bouzanis, Michael Roberts. (LFC Official Website) Hodgson to rest stars Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson has confirmed he will shuffle his pack for Thursday's Europa League clash with Napoli. Hodgson, who finds himself under pressure at Anfield after a dismal start to the season, will continue with his policy of rotating his top players for the early stages of the Europa League Liverpool's options are limited as Glen Johnson and Daniel Agger both remain on the sidelines. The defensive duo were absent for Sunday's Merseyside derby defeat to Everton and they will again miss the trip to Naples. Agger is struggling with illness, but Johnson could be available for the visit of Blackburn on Sunday. (Sky Sports) Rijkaard on the brink at Gala Skysports.com understands Frank Rijkaard is on the brink of quitting Galatasaray. The Turkish club are believed to have held an emergency board meeting on Monday to discuss Rijkaard's future after a disappointing start to the season. Galatasaray are currently languishing in ninth spot in the Turkish Super Lig and the pressure has intensified on Rijkaard following the weekend defeat to Ankaragucu. Rijkaard is believed to be ready to leave and is ready for a new challenge after a disappointing spell in Turkey. The news is sure to fuel speculation that Rijkaard could be a contender for the Liverpool job, should Roy Hodgson lose his role at Anfield. Former Barcelona coach Rijkaard was a contender prior to Hodgson's appointment. And he is thought to be keen on the switch if the Reds' new owners end up losing patience with Hodgson with the club just one place off the bottom of the Premier League. (Sky Sports) Rafa blast at Purslow Former reds boss Rafa Benitez has exposed the widely known division between him and Christian Purslow during today’s press conference ahead of Inter’s game against Spurs. The media pressed Benitez about Liverpool’s situation and his responsibility for the club’s current 19th place in the Premier League. Benitez said: “I prefer not to talk about this because I feel sorry for the fans. I was really sad for them and after the defeat the other day (against Everton). “We have a saying in Spanish that says ‘white liquid in a bottle has to be milk’. This means that, after 86 points and finishing second in the league, what changed? The Americans. They decide and choose a new managing director and everything changed. “The managing director is involved in all the decisions. New lawyer, new chief of press, new manager, new nine players, new medical staff, new fitness coaches. They change everything, so they change managing director then we change everything that we were doing in the past. “If you ask me what’s going on it’s simple – they changed some things and by the end they changed everything. White liquid in a bottle – milk. You know who to blame!” Christian Purslow anchored the departure of Rafa Benitez in the summer to the European Champions before setting up on his quest to bring Roy Hodgson to Anfield in the summer of 2010. (Anfield Online) Rovers extend Gulacsi loan Tranmere have extended Liverpool goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi's emergency loan stay at the club by one month. On-loan Manchester City stopper Gunnar Nielsen remains unavailable due to a shoulder injury, so Gulacsi, 20, will stay at Prenton Park. Rovers boss Les Parry said: "Peter is a quality goalkeeper so I'm pleased to be able to keep him at the club for another month while Gunnar is injured. "He has done well for us since he has come back, has a great attitude and is a good professional. "I'd like to thank Liverpool Football Club for allowing Peter to spend another month with us." (TEAMtalk) Martin Broughton remains in chairman’s role at Liverpool FC Liverpool FC chairman Martin Broughton has not stepped down from his role, the Daily Post can confirm. The former British Airways boss today remains in his post with the club where he will remain for a short transitional period to allow new Boston owners John W Henry and Tom Werner to bed in at Anfield. It was suggested in some reports that the high-profile executive, who won widespread admiration for his refusal to back down to Tom Hicks and Gillett during the recent stormy sale process to NESV, had suddenly left the club. That is not the case. The Daily Post has been told Broughton will return to a job at Sports Investment Partners in due course, possibly before Christmas, which was a position he held prior to being brought in to sell the club. His intention always was, we understand, to return to that role. (Liverpool Daily Post) Villarreal striker Rossi linked with Liverpool Villarreal striker Giuseppe Rossi is being linked with Liverpool. Spanish sources say armed with NESV's transfer fighting fund, Reds boss Roy Hodgson wants to bring Rossi back to the Northwest in January. (tribalfootball.com)   Liverpool in contact with Zenit for Kerzhakov Russia international striker Alexander Kerzhakov is a target for Liverpool. The Daily Mail says scouts watched the 27-year-old striker score for Russia against Ireland last week which followed on from hat-tricks for his club Zenit St Petersburg against Anderlecht in the Europa League and against Saturn Moscow in the Russian league. (tribalfootball.com)   Chelsea aim for Torres Chelsea are planning to test the resolve of Liverpool's new owners by making a fresh bid for Fernando Torres in the January transfer window. Liverpool rejected an offer of £25million for the Spain striker last summer, but Chelsea are hoping to exploit the regime change at Anfield and the team's poor start to the season by signing one of their prized assets. Liverpool value Torres at more than £50m, but Chelsea hope to use the player's disenchantment and the club's uncertain financial position to prise him away for less. (Irish Independent)   Thor Zakariassen ©