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SUNDAY 6 |
Rafa finds need for speed
Rafa Benitez feels Liverpool now have the pace to catch
Chelsea in the race for the Premiership title.
The Reds were left in their London rivals' slipstream last
season as Jose Mourinho's men sped to a second successive
championship.
But Benitez is more confident regarding his team's prospects
this term following the capture of Craig Bellamy from
Blackburn Rovers and the availability of Mark Gonzalez.
Though the Reds boss concedes pace is not the only factor,
he feels his speed merchants could play a pivotal role in
the coming months.
"It was difficult at times last season because, in terms of
pace, our only option up front was Djibril Cisse," Benitez
told The Sunday Mirror.
"Now we have so many different aspects to our game."
(Sky Sports)
Reds must 'go to war'
Gustavo Boccoli believes that Liverpool should have to play
their Champions League second leg tie in Tel Aviv.
UEFA are expected to make a ruling on the venue on Monday,
with a switch to Ukraine looking likely because of the
conflict in the Middle East.
But Maccabi Haifa's Brazilian midfielder believes it would
be wrong to play elsewhere.
"Life is going on as normal in Tel Aviv," said Boccoli.
"This is where we are training at the moment.
"Obviously we see on television what is happening in Haifa
but there's nothing like that in Tel Aviv.
"It would be sad for our fans if the game was switched to
another country. We know the situation at present is not
easy but we have to try to put it to one side because life
continues.
"The games won't stop and we must carry on playing."
(LFC Online) |
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SATURDAY 5 |
Liverpool duo called up
Liverpool duo Djimi Traore and Momo Sissoko have been
selected for international duty by Mali for a friendly
against Tunisia in France on August 16th.
World Cup finalists Togo were due to face Mali on the 16th
but they pulled out.
The game is a warm-up match ahead of the 2008 African Cup of
Nations qualifiers in September.
Traore could be a Charlton player by the time the fixture
comes around. He's been tipped to sign for them within the
next few days.
(Kop Talk)
£10m target given permission to fly to
Merseyside
Feyenoord have given striker Dirk Kuyt permission
to travel to Merseyside to check out Anfield and the Melwood
facilities.
Liverpool hope to agree a transfer fee for the player within
the next few days.
Usually a fee is agreed before a player is given permission
to speak directly to an interested club so judging by
Feyenoord's decision it sounds like a deal may not me a
million miles away in their eyes.
(Kop Talk)
Gonzalez may be recalled by Chile
Chile coach Nelson Acosta says he could call up Liverpool
winger Mark Gonzalez for the South American World Cup
qualifiers later this year.
Gonzalez has again been omitted from Acosta's latest squad
for the international friendly against Colombia on August
16, but Acosta appears ready to open the door for an
international return.
Gonzalez has not played for his country since being sent
home in disgrace after a match against Ireland in May.
Acosta said: "Maybe I could call him up for the South
American World Cup Qualifiers.
"He also could be called up by another coach, I do not know
about the future."
The dispute between Gonzalez and his coach began when the
winger and a team-mate, Reinaldo Navia, were found with
female visitors in their hotel room in Dublin and Acosta
refused to believe the players' pleas that the women were
merely autograph hunters.
Gonzalez has stated that he will not play for Chile as long
as Acosta is coach.
(TEAMtalk) |
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FRIDAY 4 |
Rafa: We'll be much better on Wednesday
Rafael Benitez has promised his Liverpool side will bounce
back from their 5-0 friendly defeat in Mainz on Friday night
and insisted: "We'll be much better on Wednesday."
Liverpool rounded off their pre-season tour in the worst
possible way as Budesliga outfit FSV Mainz netted five
second half goals without reply to send the Reds crashing to
their third straight defeat.
He said: "The only positive to take from the game in Mainz
is that it was a pre-season match. It is clear that we made
a lot of mistakes and gifted them a lot of goals, but it
wasn't an official game."
(LFC Official Website)
Defender close to Liverpool exit
Liverpool defender Djimi Traore should complete his move to
Charlton within the next few days if reports this evening
are accurate.
Charlton and Liverpool are said to have agreed a fee for the
player and there shouldn't be any problem with his personal
terms.
(Kop Talk)
Liverpool v FSV Mainz 05 - CONFIRMED TEAM
Liverpool take on FSV Mainz 05 this evening in a pre-season
friendly and this is the confirmed starting line-up:
LIVERPOOL: Carson, Kromkamp, Carragher, Hyypia, Traore,
Zenden, Gerrard, Alonso, Pennant, Crouch, Bellamy.
SUBS: Dudek, Peltier, Hobbs, Paletta, Riise, Anderson, Diao,
Sissoko, Garcia.
(Kop Talk)
Liverpool linked with Fiorentina ace
Reports originating from Italy today claim that Liverpool
have made an enquiry regarding the availability of
Fiorentina striker Luca Toni.
(Kop Talk)
Bagan may tie up with Liverpool
New Delhi: Mohun Bagan, acknowledged as India's national
football club, plans to add a new chapter in its illustrious
history by inking a tie-up with the famous English club
Liverpool.
The deal, which is on the verge of finalisation, will have
the academy and youth sides of both clubs exchange visits
for player development.
Representatives from the former European champions visited
India last September to deliberate on the issue. Further
discussions on it would be held when Mohun Bagan's Under-15
side takes part in the Manchester United Premier Cup in
England starting August 8.
"The deal may be finalised during the upcoming trip," club
secretary Anjan Mitra said
here today.
(Mid Day)
Gray writes off Liverpool
Football pundit Andy Gray says Liverpool won't be
challenging for the Premier League this title.
The Sky Sports 'expert' says he agrees with Chelsea boss
Jose Mourinho in that only the Mancs and the Arse can be
taken seriously.
The former Bluenose was writing for Sky Sports when he said:
"A lot of the bookies might have Liverpool as the favourites
to get closest to Chelsea this season, but I just don't see
that at all.
"I agree with Jose, it's Manchester United and Arsenal who
pose the biggest threat, and although Liverpool might move
closer, I think they're still playing catch-up.
"They've proved they're a difficult team to beat but they
draw too many games to be a threat over a Premiership season
- they've yet to find the perfect combination between
tightness at the back and the attacking verve to break down
defences. Maybe they'll find that this season, but I fear it
may take a little longer.
(Kop Talk)
Barragan completes move from Liverpool to
Deportivo
Defender Antonio Barragan has completed his move from
Liverpool to Deportivo Coruna on a five-year contract, the
Primera Liga club said on their Web site on Friday.
Depor said the deal was worth one million euros, and that
Liverpool reserved the right to buy the player back after
the second or third year for 700,000 euros (474,000 pounds).
The 19-year-old right back joined Liverpool from Sevilla in
July 2005 after rejecting the chance to sign a professional
contract with the Andalucians.
His only appearance for Liverpool came as a substitute in
their Champions League third round qualifier against CSKA
Sofia in Bulgaria last August.
He was a part of the Spanish squad who have just won the
European Under-19 championship in Poland.
(Reuters)
UEFA chiefs put back squad lists
UEFA have delayed squad announcements for the Champions
League qualifiers until Monday to allow all submitted lists
to be properly processed.
The deadline for clubs to lodge their 25-man party with
European football's governing body ahead of the third
qualifying round was at midnight on Friday.
However, with a total of 32 teams involved - including
Arsenal, Liverpool and Hearts - it will take time to collate
all the relevant documentation.
A UEFA spokesman confirmed: "We have been told by the
department which deals with the registration of players that
officially everything will be ready and confirmed as of
Monday.
"This is because the deadline was at midnight today and they
are still collecting lists of players and they need one day
for it all to be put in the system, with everything
confirmed.
"This is the deadline for the third qualifying round of the
Champions League, and by September 1 if any team wants to
register any new players for the group phases, then they
can."
(TEAMtalk)
Gonzales hails Rafa
Mark Gonzales says Liverpool have every chance of winning
the league because of their manager.
Liverpool can't compete with Chelsea when it comes to
splashing the cash, but Gonzales believes that Rafael
Benitez's tactical nous more than makes up for a lack of
riches.
"Valencia won La Liga even though they were not the richest
club. It depends on the players and manager - and we have a
very clever boss," pointed out the left-winger.
(LFC Online)
Liverpool relieved after Dynamo agree to
play host
Maccabi Haifa, the Israeli club, have approached Dynamo Kiev
about the prospect of staging their Champions League third
round qualifying tie against Liverpool in Ukraine.
The final decision will rest with Uefa, European football’s
governing body, but after Dynamo agreed in principal to
Haifa’s request, it appears certain that Liverpool will be
spared a trip to war-affected Israel. Uefa is expected to
confirm the decision on Monday.
(The Times)
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Thor Zakariassen
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