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WEDNESDAY 6 |
Torres forced off with injury
Liverpool striker Fernando Torres lasted just 23 minutes of
Spain's international friendly against France on Wednesday
before being replaced after suffering what appeared to be a
right hamstring injury.
It was not immediately obvious when Torres sustained the
problem, but Spain coach Luis Aragones was quick to replace
the frontman with Daniel Guiza when it became obvious he was
struggling.
Liverpool, who are away to Chelsea in the Barclays Premier
League this weekend, will be keeping their fingers crossed
that the injury to Torres - their top scorer with 18 goals
in all competitions - is not serious.
(Sporting Life)
Riise: I'll bounce back
John Arne Riise has vowed to win his place back in the
Liverpool team and insists he would be happy to stay at
Anfield for the rest of his career.
The Norwegian international has missed the last two games
against West Ham United and Sunderland, but is hopeful he
will return to the starting line-up against Chelsea with
Fabio Aurelio and Alvaro Arbeloa sidelined.
"It is disappointing not to be playing the last few games,"
said Riise.
"But everyone knows what the boss is thinking.
"He likes to rotate his team and the squad. I don't like not
playing, but I understand he likes to rotate.
"He has opted to field Aurelio who has got some matches now.
That is
no problem with me.
"I want to stay with Liverpool for the rest of my career if
possible. I've always said that and I hope it can happen,
but I have to play good and keeping playing good for years
to come.
"At the moment I am happy and looking forward to the rest of
the season because we can do some good stuff."
(LFC Official Website)
Parry: Let's return to the Liverpool Way
Rick Parry has urged Liverpool to focus on matters on the
pitch rather than those off it.
The Reds' chief executive wants the club to return to 'the
Liverpool Way' of conduct following months of turmoil away
from the field.
Parry, speaking on the first anniversary of George Gillett
and Tom Hicks' takeover of the club, believes that those
pointing the finger of blame has only undermined the club.
He said: "It is time to look forward, there can be no
question about that.
"The whole focus for the second half of the season has to be
on football and the games we need to win."
(Shanklygates)
Inter's Anfield injury setback
Inter Milan midfielder Dejan Stankovic is doubtful for his
side's Champions League 2nd round first leg at Anfield with
a thigh injury.
The 29-year-old Serbian star picked up the knock in Inter's
1-0 win over Empoli at the weekend and is expected to miss
at least three weeks
of action.
That puts him out of the Italians' trip to Merseyside on
February 19 and means he may even struggle to make the
return leg at the San Siro
a fortnight later.
Stankovic has been a regular in Roberto Mancini's side this
season, although he missed a month through injury, but had
returned to the side after the winter break and was expected
to play against Liverpool.
(EatSleepSport) |
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TUESDAY 5 |
Malaysia make space for Liverpool legend
Ian Rush has landed the surprise role of being the attacking
coach of the national team of Malaysia.
The Liverpool legend – once claimed to have said that life
in Italy was ‘like living in a foreign country’ - has been
tasked with transforming the fortunes of a group of forwards
that managed just one goal in three group matches in last
year’s Asian Cup.
The failure to impress at the tournament they co-hosted has
prompted Malaysia into a rethink and the man who scored 346
goals in 660 games for The Reds will now play a prominent
role in the new setup.
“Rush will be here in March... we know that our strikers are
not doing very well so they should learn from him," said
Football Association of Malaysia deputy president Khairy
Jamaluddin.
As part of the fresh approach to the national side, head
coach B. Sathianathan will travel to England to spend three
weeks with Premier League champions Manchester United.
Jamaluddin added: "It is important that our coaches get
experience with an international team. Sathianathan will be
shadowing Carlos Queiroz for the three weeks."
(Setanta Sports)
Reds invite Finn for trial
Liverpool have invited Finnish starlet Simon Skrabb for a
trial at Anfield.
Skrabb returns to Liverpool for a second time, after he
linked up with
the Merseyside outfit last August and did enough to earn a
further chance
to impress.
The 13-year-old has been recommended to Reds boss Rafa
Benitez by the club's Finnish scout Tor Sparv.
Skrabb is an attacking midfielder and he is regarded as one
of the most promising prospects in Finnish football.
The player's club Jaro have confirmed the youngster will
visit Liverpool two or three times a year ahead of a
possible move to Anfield.
(Sky Sports)
Gerrard to captain England
Steven Gerrard has been given the nod to lead out England
against Switzerland on Wednesday.
There has been plenty of debate as to who would lead out
England in Fabio Capello’s first game in charge.
John Terry was the skipper under Steve McClaren, but the
Chelsea man is currently out through injury and Capello has
opted for the Liverpool star.
Capello has hinted he has not yet made up his mind who will
be his permanent captain, but Gerrard has been given the
chance to lay down
an early marker.
“First and foremost I told the players before I told the
press because I think it was right they knew first,” said
Capello of the decision to hand Gerrard the captaincy.
“He will not be a permanent captain and I will not name a
permanent captain until before the Andorra match."
(Setanta Sports)
How Liverpool FC ended up in American hands
It is often assumed that members of the Moores family (by
their annual inclusion in the Sunday Times Rich List) have
an endless supply of cash.
There is no doubt that David Moores, former Liverpool FC
chairman and nephew of the late Sir John Moores, is a
wealthy man.
And while he certainly did not drain the club of money,
Moores’s Littlewoods-accrued fortune was not enough to allow
the level of investment needed in his beloved football club
to give it Chelsea of Manchester United-style wealth.
And so it was that in March 2004, Liverpool FC hired
finan-cial advisors Hawkpoint Partners to start a world-wide
search for investors.
The search would take Moores and club chief executive Rick
Parry to all four corners of the globe, sometimes to
embarrassing effect. At an early stage of dealing with
former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who now owns
Manchester City, the pair went to Thailand with Keith
Clayton,
a club director and Moores’s accountant.
(Liverpool Daily Post)
Ownership change may be
the only way now for Liverpool FC
It is a year since the arrival of Tom Hicks and George
Gillett promised
to herald the beginning of a new era at Anfield.
The pair came out, as Americans tend to do, with all guns
blazing but they certainly said the right things and showed
they were aware of the history and traditions of Liverpool
FC.
The supporters were left to trust that there were certain
assurances in
the detail and structure of the takeover deal that would
safeguard the future of the club.
Expectations were high over the new stadium and transfer
money for Rafael Benitez to build a team capable of
challenging for the Premier League title – and the signing
of Fernando Torres and a flying start to
the league campaign boded well.
But the first cracks started to appear in public after the
infamous Benitez Press conference – in which he repeated the
mantra that he was concentrating on coaching – and his
tracksuited appearance for the Newcastle game that weekend.
The only way forward now seems to be another change of
ownership – but at the very heart of any new leadership must
be that the best interests of Liverpool FC are of paramount
importance.
(Mark Lawrenson - Liverpool Daily Post)
Kuyt disappointed to be dropped
Dirk Kuyt admits it was a disappointment to be dropped from
the Dutch squad.
The Liverpool striker was left out of the 21 man squad for
Holland's friendly against Croatia tomorrow after a dismal
season for the Reds that has seen him fail to score in the
past twelve games. The omission was
a blow to Kuyt.
"I need some time to get over this blow. I am extremely
disappointed
to have been dropped from the squad," he said.
"I featured in 39 out of the 42 previous internationals for
my country."
(LFC Online)
Benayoun's bomb scare
Liverpool midfielder Yossi Benayoun escaped a suicide bomb
attack
in Israel on Monday.
Benayoun was visting members of his family in his home-town
of Dimona when the attack too place, killing one person and
wounding six.
The 27-year-old, who heard the explosion, escaped unhurt and
has declared himself available for Wednesday's friendly
international
with Romania.
"Everything is okay with me but I'm not important," Benayoun
told
The Sun.
"Those who really matter are the people of my home town."
(Sky Sports) |
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MONDAY 4 |
Reserves cruise to Bolton win
Daniel Pacheco smashed home his first league goal for
Liverpool Reserves as they stormed back to the top of the
Barclays Premier Reserve League North with a 3-0 victory
over Bolton at
the County Ground.
The Spanish starlet marked his first competitive start for
the second-string in style when he broke the deadlock on 55
minutes with a ferocious shot that crashed in off the far
post.
It proved to be the turning point in the match as the Reds
went on to wrap up the points with two penalties in the last
10 minutes courtesy of both Ray Putterill and substitute
Nathan Eccleston to leave the bottom placed Trotters still
searching for their first win of the campaign.
Liverpool Reserves: Martin, Kelly, Insua, San Jose, Huth,
Plessis, Flynn, Spearing, Brouwer (Eccleston 85), Pacheco
(Crowther 77),
Putterill (Bruna 85). Unused subs: Hansen, Ayala.
(LFC Official Website)
Gerrard: I would be honoured
Steven Gerrard has admitted he would be honoured to be
appointed Fabio Capello's England captain.
Capello is preparing his side for the friendly international
against Switzerland at Wembley on Wednesday, his first game
at the helm since replacing Steve McClaren.
The Italian tactician has announced that he will not name a
full-time skipper until the World Cup qualification campaign
begins in September
And with regular captain John Terry not included in the
squad through injury, the likes of Gerrard, Rio Ferdinand,
Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen have a chance to stake their
claim.
Gerrard told Sky Sports News: "It would be a great honour. I
think we've got to respect the fact that John Terry is still
our captain, so until that changes John is still our leader.
"But he's not involved for the next game, so we'll have to
wait and see who the manager goes with.
"It would be very nice, but until the manager makes that
decision I don't want to say too much about it."
(Sky Sports)
Former Red set to join Gary Mac
Former Liverpool defender Steve Staunton looks set to join
another former Red, Gary McAllister at Leeds United until
the end of the season.
McAllister took over the reigns at Elland Road last week
after manager Dennis Wise left to club for a scouting role
at Newcastle United.
Former Republic of Ireland coach Staunton now looks set to
join McAllister as assistant manager at Leeds.
Staunton enjoyed two spells at Anfield as a player between
1986-1991 and 1998-2000, making a total of 109 appearances
for the Reds.
(This is Anfield)
Mascherano expects permanent deal by next week
Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano expects to complete
his permanent move to Anfield by next week, the Argentine
told the club's Web site (www.liverpoolfc.tv) on Monday.
"We are very close but we need to talk again next week," the
23-year-old said: "I've waited a long time, so I can wait
one week more week."
Mascherano signed an 18-month loan deal with Rafael
Benitez's side when he left fellow Premier League club West
Ham United
in February 2007.
(Reuters)
Rafa awarded honorary doctorate
Rafael Benitez has been awarded with an Honorary Doctorate
from the Miguel Hernandez University (Elche) in Spain.
The Liverpool boss was delighted to welcome a delegation
from the Spanish University to Melwood on Sunday morning
where an official document of his award was presented to
him.
The delegation was made up of representatives from the
University and included Jose Maria Gmez Gras, Joaquin Julian
Pastor, Jose Antonio Trigueros Piña, Eduardo Cervello Gimero
and Gandia Balaguer.
They all attended Saturday's 3-0 victory over Sunderland at
Anfield and took time out to visit the Beatles museum in the
city centre during their stay.
The official ceremony will take place in Spain on June 4.
"I'm really pleased and proud," said Benitez today. "The
award is in recognition of a long career in football. It's
not easy to spend so long in one career after you leave
university and so I am delighted."
(LFC Official Website)
Fortress Anfield on shaky ground
A record seventh Champions League final, another legendary
semi-final victory over Chelsea, the arrival of a £20m
striker and the unveiling of plans for a 70,000 seat new
stadium.
Had you offered all these things to any Liverpool FC fan on
February 6, 2007, as Americans Tom Hicks and George Gillett
completed their takeover of the club, they would probably
have bitten your hand off.
Remarkably though, all those things have happened in the
last year at Anfield – but the first anniversary approaches
with demonstrations demanding the removal of the owners.
The empty seats next to Rick Parry and David Moores in the
Anfield directors’ box, presumably left deliberately clear,
speak volumes not just about the absence of the co-owners
but the current absence of leadership at the club.
How have we gone from the welcoming banners for uncles Tom
and George to the chants of “Get out of our club” and
“Liverpool Football Club is in the wrong hands” which have
been so prevalent in recent weeks?
(Liverpool Daily Post)
Benitez: Alonso must step up
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has told Xabi Alonso he
must fight for his place in the Reds' midfield.
The Spanish international struggled with a foot injury in
the first half of
the season and he has since failed to recapture the form of
previous campaigns.
Alonso has fallen behind loan signing Javier Mascherano -
who is expected to agree a permanent deal at Anfield by the
end of the week - in Benitez's pecking order, while
Brazilian youngster Lucas Leiva has also impressed alongside
captain Steven Gerrard in the heart of Liverpool's midfield.
And Benitez has now demanded Alonso, who joined Liverpool in
2004 in
a £10.5million move from Real Sociedad, 'step it up' in his
battle to regain
a place in the first XI.
"Xabi needs to step it up," told Liverpool's official
website. "When you are not 100 per cent fit, you want to
play every game because you need to play more games to build
up your fitness.
"But if Gerrard, Mascherano or Lucas are playing well, it
means there is competition for places which is good for the
team.
"Xabi knows he needs to work harder if we wants to have a
place in
the team."
(Sky Sports)
Skrtel named top Slovak
Martin Skrtel is celebrating today after being named
Slovakia's Player of the Year for 2007.
Skrtel signed in at Anfield last month from Zenit St
Petersburg and made his full league debut on Saturday as
Liverpool ran out 3-0 winners over Sunderland.
And three years after being named his country's most
promising player he has now won his nation's premier
footballing award.
"I am grateful for this award," he said. "I had a fantastic
year but winning the Russian title with Zenit was more
important for me.
"This is my most valuable individual success."
(LFC Official Website)
Thor Zakariassen
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