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THURSDAY 24 |
Hobbs joins Scunthorpe
Liverpool youngster Jack Hobbs has joined Scunthorpe United
on loan until the end of the season.
The centre-back joins the Championship side having made five
appearances for the Liverpool first team this campaign.
Hobbs, the captain of the Reds' reserve team, will return at
Anfield
on May 5.
(Shanklygates)
Luis Fabiano linked with move to Liverpool
FC
Sevilla striker Luis Fabiano could be on his way to the
Premier League with the Brazil international claiming
negotiations with an English club are at an “advanced”
stage.
Although he did not name which club he is in talks with,
Spanish media have been reporting that Manchester City,
Liverpool and Everton are among those interested in signing
the in-form hitman.
(Liverpool Daily Post)
Oatway relishing rumble with Reds
Charlie Oatway is planning to make the most of his belated
shot at FA Cup glory as minnows Havant and Waterlooville
prepare to face Liverpool.
Oatway was forced to retire from the professional game in
August after a 20-month battle against injury, having
suffered a broken ankle playing for Brighton at QPR on
Boxing Day 2005.
"When you have to pack in through injury you obviously don't
think you are going to get the big games again, so I'm very
fortunate to find myself in this position," said Oatway.
"I thought these days had gone to be honest. I said when I
dropped down to non-league that I would continue to give my
best, but I obviously didn't think we'd get to this stage of
the FA Cup - which I've never got to before.
"This achievement couldn't have happened to a nicer club.
There have been grown men crying, that's what it means to
people."
(TEAMtalk)
Mascherano coy on future
Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano is flattered by
reported interest from Italy, but claims he is content at
Anfield.
The Argentina star is a key figure for Rafa Benitez, but his
future is still in doubt as Liverpool have yet to secure him
on permanent transfer.
Juventus and Milan have expressed their interest in the
Argentina international and the 23-year-old appears to be
flattered by the interest.
“I would love to stay there (Liverpool),” Mascherano told
Radio la Red.
“They have treated me well and I have settled in the city.”
When asked about Bianconeri and Rossoneri’s interest, he
said: “The clubs we are speaking about are important ones
and I am interested in playing there.”
(Setanta Sports)
Fergie berates Reds chiefs
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has hit out at
Liverpool's American co-owners for undermining the position
of his Anfield counterpart, Rafa Benitez.
Benitez has clashed with American duo Tom Hicks and George
Gillett over potential transfer targets, with Hicks making
it known recently that
he had spoken to Jurgen Klinsmann about succeeding the
Spaniard.
Ferguson believes that such uncertainty has been a factor in
Liverpool's recent dip in form, which has seen them
disappear from the Premier League title race.
"At big clubs, it's absolutely paramount that the board show
their class," Ferguson told reporters.
"Arsene Wenger has had great support at Arsenal and I've had
great support, too, ever since I came here. So there's a
certain type of unity there.
"What happened with Klinsmann was a bad piece of business on
Liverpool's part, there's no doubt about that.
"That sort of thing can be very upsetting for a manager. You
should always allow a manager to get on with his job."
(Football UK)
Alonso enjoys Cup magic
Xabi Alonso is fascinated by the fact that a club like
Liverpool can face
a non-league side in the FA Cup.
Back home in Spain, he says, Havant and Waterlooville would
never have their moment in the sun.
"You can only play teams up to two divisions below you,"
said the midfielder as the Blue Square South side prepared
to visit Anfield in the fourth round on Saturday.
"But this is all part of the glamour and the prestige that
the FA Cup has. This is why it is so interesting.
"It is the oldest football competition in history and it
means so much to the supporters in this country.
"Every supporter, whether they follow a big or a small club,
knows their team will be in it and that is important."
(PA Sport) |
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WEDNESDAY 23 |
Rafa: Momo could leave
Rafa Benitez has admitted that Momo Sissoko could be close
to leaving Anfield with Italian giants Juventus amongst a
host of clubs chasing the Mali international's signature.
The midfielder is currently on African Cup of Nations duty
with Mali and Benitez said the player could leave before the
end of the January transfer window.
"We know that they (Juventus) are interested in Momo but we
need to wait until the end of the transfer window and we
need to be calm," he added. "There are two Spanish clubs and
two Italian clubs also interested in Momo and we will try to
do the best for the club."
When asked if he thought Sissoko would leave this month,
Benitez said: "Yes, I think so. It could be a possibility
but it depends on the other teams if they push hard or not."
(LFC Official Website)
Injury blow for Arbeloa
Alvaro Arbeloa is set to be sidelined for two to three
weeks after suffering an abdominal problem.
The Spaniard picked up the injury in Liverpool's 2-2 draw
with Aston Villa on Monday and had to be replaced by new
signing Martin Skrtel in
the 70th minute.
It has now been confirmed that he will be out for at least
the next fortnight.
Rafa Benitez will therefore be without Arbeloa for this
weekend's FA Cup encounter against Havant and Waterlooville,
as well as the upcoming Premier League games with West Ham
and Sunderland.
He could then come back into contention for the clash with
Chelsea
on 10th February.
Andrei Voronin has also been ruled out of the match against
Havant and Waterlooville.
The Ukrainian striker, who has not featured in Liverpool's
last two games, sustained an ankle injury in training.
(Sky Sports)
Anfield blow for Gregory
Havant and Waterlooville full-back Justin Gregory is set to
miss the FA Cup fourth-round tie at Liverpool after the
Football Association claimed
the club manipulated the fixture list to have him available.
Gregory was scheduled to serve a one-match ban after picking
up five cautions, but looked to be available for the Hawks'
dream trip to Anfield after a Blue Square Conference clash
with Thurrock was re-arranged for Wednesday evening.
However, the FA's regulatory commission have decided this
was a deliberate attempt to play the system following
admissions from Havant and Waterlooville as to the reasons
behind the fixture move.
The original ban will therefore still stand for the
Liverpool game.
Gregory said: "It's a nightmare, but there's not much I can
do about it.
The FA are pretty archaic if you ask me."
(Sporting Life)
Terry: Carra best in world
John Terry claims Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher is the
best
in the world.
The England captain believes Carragher, who retired from
internationals last year, compares favourably with any
defender in the game today.
"I personally think that over the last four or five years he
has been the best defender in the world," Terry told the
official Liverpool website.
"He's been consistent in the Premier League, he's never
injured, he always gives 100 per cent, he's a good reader of
the game, he's quick
and is good in the air.
"He has everything you need to be a world class defender and
you also have to look at what he's achieved in the Champions
League with Liverpool."
Terry is also full of admiration at Carragher's landmark of
playing 500 matches for his home-town club.
"To reach 500 games is a huge achievement," said Terry.
"I've been at Chelsea a long time and am still nowhere near
that total. He is a credit to himself.
"For a centre-half, he's also great on the ground as well.
He knows when to get the ball away, when to clear his lines.
"He also never stops talking to his team-mates and that's a
great thing to have. Even when you watch games on the
television it's always his voice you can hear."
(Sky Sports)
Juve move still alive for Sissoko
Liverpool midfielder Mohamed Sissoko believes he could
complete
a move to Juventus by the end of this week.
The Serie A outfit hope to move for the 23-year-old who
joined Liverpool from Valencia in the summer of 2005.
“It’s a matter of a few days,” Sissoko told Italian
newspaper Gazzetta
dello Sport.
“Three days, a maximum of four, and then everything will be
decided.
I know there has been some movement but we have to wait.”
The Mali international is currently with his national team
at the African Nations Cup.
“I confess that wearing the Juventus shirt would be the
maximum for me,” he said.
“I have been a Juve fan since I was a child because when I
was young
I was fixated with (Zinedine) Zidane. Then, having followed
this team,
I have become a fan of (Juve captain Alessandro) Del Piero,
a great player.”
(Evening Echo)
Agent: Masch could take Italian job
Javier Mascherano's agent has given the clearest hint yet
that his client's long term future lies away from Anfield,
warning Liverpool that a move to Italy is an increasingly
likely scenario.
Reds boss Rafa Benitez is known to be keen to tie up a
permanent deal for the Argentina international who moved to
Merseyside on an 18-month loan deal last January.
That deal expires at the end of the season and the failure
of Liverpool's owners to secure Mascherano on a long-term
agreement was reportedly
a key factor in Benitez's falling out with Tom Hicks and
George Gillett
in November.
Now Mascherano's agent Walter Tamer has revealed that an
offer is still proving elusive from the Premier League club
and that the tenacious midfielder could well join Juventus
or Milan at the end of the current campaign.
"Liverpool have not made any offer at all to buy Javier and
it is likely that he will go to Italy next season," said
Tamer in The Sun.
Mascherano has made 35 appearances for Liverpool and his
form at Anfield has seen Mohamed Sissoko move close to the
exit door, with
a move to Juventus still a possibility before the close of
the transfer window.
(Setanta Sports)
Crouch admits title chase is over
Liverpool striker Peter Crouch has admitted his side have
not been good enough to mount a serious Premier League title
challenge this season.
Crouch has found it difficult to break into manager Rafael
Benitez's first team since the arrival of Fernando Torres in
the summer but struck in the 88th minute to hand his side a
2-2 draw with Aston Villa on Monday night.
"With the squad we have at Liverpool, the gap to the top
three is certainly too far. We felt before the season we
would mount a serious challenge, but that doesn't appear to
be the case now," he said.
"We've fallen a long way behind and, like Stevie said, it's
not good enough. There's enough talent in the dressing room.
"We've got a good set of players here. Whether it's good
enough to win
the title, I don't know, but we certainly should be doing
better than the position we are in right now."
(ITV Football)
Too many Reds lack motivation
Hopes of a sustained title challenge by Liverpool have gone
by the board.
An early season unbeaten run suggested a full scale assault
on the league, but the Reds have since become a pale shadow
of themselves.
It is the cup campaigns once again that offer the
consolation – and what
a consolation if another Champions League final appearance
can be achieved!
The team seems to have developed more into a “cup side”.
In the past few years the Reds have won the Champions
League, the FA Cup and been runners-up in the European
competition, as well as
the Carling Cup.
League title aspirations over the same period have ended in
major disappointment.
I think it is down to the players having the motivation only
for one-off matches – but not for a nine month Premier
League campaign.
(Tommy Smith - Liverpool Echo)
Hicks and Gillett re-loan will put
£150m debt onto Liverpool FC
Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks remains confident the long
awaited refinancing deal will be signed, sealed and
delivered tomorrow.
Sources close to Hicks say that it is now just a matter of
ironing out
a few minor details with the Royal Bank of Scotland and
American investment bank Wachovia, and that the American’s
stance that he is not interested in selling the club to DIC
has not altered in any way.
As well as privately committing himself to announcing the
financial restructuring deal tomorrow, Hicks has informed
confidantes he will also reveal finalised plans for the new
Anfield at the same time.
(Liverpool Daily Post)
Liverpool star explains Ireland decision
Liverpool Football Club star Steve Finnan has explained the
reasons for quitting international football.
The former Fulham defender has made 50 appearances for the
Republic
of Ireland after making his debut back in 2000, yet he has
announced his retirement from the international game.
"I've thoroughly enjoyed my time in the Republic team, with
the World Cup in 2002 being the highlight of my
international career," Finnan told Liverpool's official
website.
"But I'll be 34 when the next tournament comes around so
it's the right time for me to step down. There will be a new
manager who will have his own ideas with younger players
having the chance to stake their claim
to be in his plans."
(Fans FC) |
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TUESDAY 22 |
Anderson and Lucas in Samba squad
Liverpool's Lucas Leiva and Manchester United's Anderson
have been named in a youthful Brazil squad to face the
Republic of Ireland in Dublin next month.
Brazil coach Dunga named eleven players under the age of 23
in his 22-man squad, with one eye on the Olympic Games in
Beijing later this year.
Besides Lucas and Anderson, Milan new-boy Alexandre Pato,
18, has been handed a first call-up to the senior squad
along with Sao Paulo midfielder Richarlyson.
"I named players of Olympic age before," said Dunga. "It's
important for them to gain experience in the national team
environment.
"The upcoming games will be useful to keep watching the men
who can play in Beijing."
The game against Ireland on February 6 will be Brazil's
first match this year. They also face Sweden on March 26 at
Arsenal's
Emirates Stadium.
(Sky Sports)
Racing end Reds duo interest
Racing Santander have ended their interest in loaning
Liverpool midfielders Nabil El Zhar and Sebastian Leto.
El Zhar and Leto - both 21-years-old - have struggled to
secure regular first-team football since arriving from St
Etienne in 2006 and Lanus last summer respectively.
Racing president Francisco Pernia had confirmed that the two
clubs had held discussions about a January switch.
But after a meeting between Pernia and coach Marcelino
Garcia Toral, the Spanish side have decided not to continue
their interest.
(Sky Sports)
Anfield crisis starts to deepen
Liverpool's future is reaching crisis point as their
American owners run out of time in their desperate fight to
retain control at Anfield.
And the bitter reaction of the Kop during the 2-2 draw with
Aston Villa could have a telling influence on the futures of
Tom Hicks and George Gillett.
With city sources claiming that the American co-owners have
hit a hitch in their bid for a restructuring of their loan
agreement with the banks, the battle for Anfield would seem
to have reached a key moment.
(TEAMtalk)
Keegan wants Crouch
Newcastle's new boss and the Toon Army's messiah Kevin
Keegan is looking to bring in Peter Crouch during the
January transfer window apparently.
With only one goal in their last five Premiership games the
Barcodes are in need of fresh blood up front and are
believed to be prepared to spalsh out £7m on the Liverpool
striker.
(LFC Online)
Finnan retires from international football
Steve Finnan has announced his decision to retire from
international football with the Republic of Ireland.
The full-back has 50 caps for his country but feels it's
time to allow younger players a chance.
He said: "I've thoroughly enjoyed my time in the Republic
team, with the World Cup in 2002 being the highlight of my
international career.
"But I'll be 34 when the next tournament comes around so
it's the right time for me to step down.
"There will be a new manager coming in soon who will have
his own ideas for the future with younger players having the
chance to stake their claim to be in his plans."
(Shanklygates)
Litmanen in line for shock Fulham move
Jari Litmanen is in line to make a shock move to Fulham
Football Club.
It is being reported in his homeland of Finland that the
36-year-old former Liverpool man is travelling to London to
hold talks with Roy Hodgson, who is keen to hand him a
contract for the rest of the season.
"Jari has been working hard lately and he is fighting fit,"
Hodgson told the Finnish Football Federation website.
Litmanen has had a glittering career before he was released
by Swedish side Malmo, having previously starred at Anfield
and for Dutch side Ajax and Spanish giants Barcelona.
(Fans FC)
Fears that Dubai rescuers may be scared off
as Liverpool tip towards crisis point
The turmoil surrounding Liverpool continued yesterday amid
growing fears that the proposed “rescue plan” from Dubai
International Capital (DIC) will be abandoned if Tom Hicks,
the unpopular co-owner, proceeds today with a £350 million
refinancing package that will plunge the club deep into
debt.
Despite the grave misgivings of George Gillett Jr, his
co-owner, and of the Liverpool board, Hicks intends to press
ahead with a refinancing plan that has been agreed in
principle with their bankers, the Royal Bank of Scotland and
Wachovia.
That plan, to transfer the duo’s existing £300 million debt
to the club, will leave Liverpool facing annual interest
payments in the region of £30 million, but the greater
concern in the immediate term is that it may drive away DIC,
the private-equity investment arm of the Dubai Government,
which is regarded by many at Anfield as the potential
“saviour” of the club.
(Times Online)
Thor Zakariassen
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