|
|
|
TUESDAY 27 |
Degen accepts competition at Anfield
Philipp Degen has expressed his delight at signing for
Liverpool but admits he still faces a nervous wait to see if
he makes the cut for Switzerland's Euro 2008 squad.
The full back suffered with injury problems in his last days
at Borussia Dortmund and is not guaranteed a place in Kobi
Kuhn's 23-man squad for the co-hosts.
After the high of signing for Rafa Benitez's Reds, Degen
could be about
to experience a massive low.
"All of my team-mates have congratulated me [about
Liverpool]," he told Suedostschweiz.
"My team-mates know the business. They know what this
transfer means.
"Only in the last week were the details clarified. I am glad
now everything is clear.
"I made the change but it's not easy. I was in Dortmund for
three
wonderful years.
"My playing style suits The Premier League. It is played
moving forward. The move is a challenge for me. Liverpool
are not just any club.
"They play every year for the championship and the Champions
League. It is clear to me that it's not easy to get through
[to the team]. All the positions are two or three occupied
at Liverpool."
(Setanta Sports)
MARK LAWRENSON:
Liverpool mut ditch defensive
zonal system and get physical
Rafael benitez can search the globe for solutions to his
defensive problems this summer all he wants. But if he wants
to cut down on the number of goals his team conceded from
set-pieces last season then it’s not individuals he should
be concerned with – it’s tactics.
Liverpool employ a zonal system, which has generally worked
just fine during Benitez’s reign.
But once teams know you are going to set up like that, they
work out ways of getting an extra man off to capitalise if
the ball goes loose
in the area.
From Benitez’s own analysis, Liverpool conceded 10 goals
more from set plays than they did in the previous campaign
and that is
a worrying statistic.
One which suggests that something somewhere clearly isn’t
working.
(Liverpool Daily Post)
Hands off Torres, warns gaffer Rafa
Rafa Benitez is the latest Anfield top brass to tell Chelsea
that Fernando Torres is not for sale regardless of how much
money is on offer.
Speculation has suggested that Chelsea could be planning to
make a £50million bid for the Liverpool striker this summer.
Reds co-owner Tom Hicks has already stressed that Liverpool
will not consider cashing in on Torres, and Benitez has also
been quick to warn off Chelsea.
Torres enjoyed a superb debut season at Anfield and Benitez
is not surprised that rumours have started to surface, but
he insists there is no chance of the Spanish striker being
let go.
"The situation is very simple - we do not want to sell
Fernando Torres," Benitez told the Liverpool Echo.
"If a player does a good job for his team, like Fernando has
for us, then it is sometimes easy for people to speculate
that he might be wanted by other clubs.
"I am not aware of any offer being made by Chelsea but even
if there was (a £50m offer) my answer would be the same - he
is not for sale.
"We are trying to add to the spine of our team and that
means keeping players like Fernando, Javier Mascherano,
Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher."
(TEAMtalk)
Torres: I’ll be staying at Liverpool FC
Fernando Torres has reassured Liverpool he will be back at
the club following the Euro 2008 Championships.
The Spanish striker was yesterday reported to be at the
centre of an imminent £50m bid from Chelsea as they look to
refurbish their squad following failure at the final hurdle
in both the Premier League and Champions League.
Torres is understood to have been the number one target of
previous manager Avram Grant, who was sacked on Saturday –
but Chelsea’s hierarchy are still considering an audacious
bid.
Torres himself appears to have no intention of cutting his
short his love affair with the Kop – in front of which he
scored 18 times last season – after less than 12 months.
Although dismissive of yesterday’s speculation,he did say:
“I am enjoying my time at Liverpool, although I would prefer
to forget the transfer talk for now and concentrate on Euro
2008, which is my primary concern at
the moment.
“I will go away on holiday once the tournament has finished
and will then return to Liverpool.”
(Liverpool Daily Post) |
|
MONDAY 26 |
Barry urged to join Liverpool
Gareth Barry has been urged to quit Aston Villa and join
Liverpool.
Les Rogers, the coach who first discovered the midfielder
more than 15 years, believes the chance to join the Reds is
too big an opportunity for Barry to turn down.
"Gareth has done a tremendous job with Villa but the chance
to go to Liverpool is too big an opportunity not to take" -
Les RogersHe said: "Martin O'Neill has been a brilliant
manager for Gareth and Villa have really looked after him.
He would miss playing at Aston Villa.
"But the opportunity to move to a top four club is too
great. I think Gareth should go. How often will this
opportunity come around?
"Gareth has done a tremendous job with Villa but the chance
to go to Liverpool is too big an opportunity not to take."
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez remains keen to sign the
27-year-old despite having an initial £10million bid
rejected.
Barry is unlikely to make any decision on his future until
after England's friendly internationals with the United
States on Wednesday and Trinidad & Tobago on Sunday.
(ITN)
Benitez wary of title talk
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has played down his side's
chances of winning the Premier League next season,
describing the title as
"an option".
The Reds finished fourth in the season just ended, 11 points
behind champions Manchester United.
Their last league title came back in 1990 but Benitez did
not sound overly confident of ending that depressing streak
in 2008/2009.
"It is an option, for sure," he told the club's website,
www.liverpoolfc.tv.
"We know our weaknesses and our strengths. We know where we
need
to improve, so we'll try to build a new team looking at
these things.
"It's more difficult than in Spain because the top sides
spend big, big money. We will try to do our best and the key
for me is to not talk about the title."
(Sporting Life)
Chelsea to bid £50m for Torres
Chelsea are ready to offer Liverpool a staggering £50m for
striker Fernando Torres.
The Mail on Sunday says Stamford Bridge owner Roman
Abramovich is ready to smash the world transfer record to
land the 24-year-old Spaniard.
Abramovich was prepared to pay that much for Thierry Henry
when he first took over at Chelsea and he has given chief
executive Peter Kenyon permission to offer the same amount
for a brilliant marksman who scored 33 goals in his debut
season at Anfield.
(TribalFootball)
Barmby back in Prem
Nick Barmby will be playing in the Premiership again next
season.
The former Red will be visiting Anfield next season as he
helped him home town side Hull City reach the top flight for
the first time in their history on Saturday.
Hull beat Bristol City 1-0 in the Championship play-off
final at Wembley on Saturday to book their place in the
Premiership for 2008/9. Barmby played 70 minutes of the
game.
(LFC Online)
Disappointment for Gary Mac
Gary MacAllister suffered Wembley disappointment yesterday.
The former Liverpool midfielder saw his Leeds side lose 1-0
to Doncaster Rovers at Wembley in the League One play-off
final yesterday.
(LFC Online) |
|
SUNDAY 25 |
Reds face a fight for Udinese star
Fiorentina could rival Liverpool for the signing of Andrea
Dossena after Udinese confirmed a deal has not yet been
agreed for the left-back.
Liverpool are in talks to sign the 26-year-old, with reports
suggesting Udinese want £8million for Dossena.
The Serie A side have acknowledged discussions have taken
place and are set to meet with the Reds again next week.
"We have not got an agreement yet with the English side,"
Udinese's sporting director Pietro Leonardi told the Italian
media.
"We are negotiating, but we will talk again next week. For
the moment, nothing is done."
(TEAMtalk)
Nemeth fires Hungary U19s to Euros
Krisztian Nemeth fired Hungary to the U19 European
Championships after scoring the only goal in Saturday's
final qualifier against Portugal.
The 19-year-old striker netted three in three during the
qualifying campaign and will now play a starring role when
the competition gets underway in
the Czech Republic on July 14.
Nemeth, the top scorer for Gary Ablett's title-winning
reserves last term, will now meet up with Hungary's senior
squad ahead of their friendly with Croatia next Saturday.
(LFC Official Website)
Thor Zakariassen
© |
|
|
|
