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FRIDAY 9 |
Benitez waits on new deal
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has revealed his
disappointment at the slow progress in his contract
negotiations.
The former Valencia boss - who launched an astonishing
attack on Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson on Friday
- opened discussions with the Liverpool hierarchy in
November and both parties expressed a desire to secure an
extended deal.
It was thought that Benitez was close to putting
pen-to-paper in December, but discussions were put on hold
as the Spaniard underwent a kidney stones operation.
However, Benitez - whose current terms expire in 2010 - has
revealed that his representative has yet to receive
paperwork from the club.
"My agent has not yet received any documents, and he is a
little disappointed," said Benitez.
(Sky Sports)
Rafa launches Fergie attack
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has launched an astonishing
attack on Sir Alex Ferguson and has accused the Manchester
United manager of attempting to start 'early' mind games in
the Premier League title race.
Benitez takes his table-topping side to Stoke on Saturday
looking to reinforce their position at the summit, but he
has been angered by comments from Ferguson.
The Reds could move 10 points clear of third-placed United,
who would enjoy the luxury of three games in hand, with
victory at the Britannia Stadium but Ferguson has suggested
that the Liverpool could choke under the pressure.
Ferguson's observation has caused an outburst from Benitez
and the Spaniard has launched criticism of the Old Trafford
boss, claiming he is the only manager to avoid punishment in
the current Respect campaign.
(Sky Sports)
Torres to return for Potters date
Fernando Torres is set to return to Premier League action
for the first time since November when Liverpool travel to
Stoke on Saturday evening.
Full-back Alvaro Arbeloa is unlikely to be involved as he
recovers from a hamstring problem, but Javier Mascherano has
overcome an ankle knock sustained at Preston in the FA Cup
last weekend.
Fabio Aurelio is expected to return at left-back, with
teenager Emiliano Insua on international duty with Argentina
Under-20s.
Midfielder Xabi Alonso has been ruled out with a foot
injury, while veteran defender Sami Hyypia will make the
700th appearance of his club career if he figures at the
Britannia Stadium.
Liverpool (from): Reina, Carragher, Agger, Hyypia, Skrtel,
Aurelio, Benayoun, Lucas, Mascherano, Gerrard, Babel, Keane,
Kuyt, Torres, Riera, Ngog, El Zhar, Cavalieri.
(TEAMtalk)
Pennant resisting Liverpool
offer for AC Milan deal
Jermaine Pennant is set to reject a new Liverpool contract
offer.
The Mirror says the winger is out of contract at the end of
the season and boss Rafa Benitez is open to offers of
£4million in the January
transfer window.
(tribalfootball.com)
City boss tips Liverpool for title tilt
Stoke boss Tony Pulis did not give Liverpool a hope of
winning the Premier League in the summer, but he happily
admits they are contenders now.
Most pundits predicted this season's title race to be a
two-horse race between Manchester United and Chelsea and
Pulis admits he too expected those sides to be a class above
the other two members of the traditional 'big four'.
Liverpool sit at the summit after 20 games, though, and
Pulis believes they must now be considered genuine
contenders to claim the Premier League trophy in May.
He said: "They can definitely win the Premier League if they
carry on as they are. They've a lot closer to Manchester
United and Chelsea than people thought, and that includes
me."
(TEAMtalk)
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THURSDAY 8 |
Hansen: Benitez must strengthen
Alan Hansen is pleading with Rafael Benitez to strengthen
Liverpool's squad before the end of January. Hansen, who
played more than 600 games for the Merseyside club, believes
the Liverpool boss needs to add more depth to the squad if
they are to stand any chance of winning the Premier League.
Liverpool currently top the table by three points after a
successful Christmas period and have Fernando Torres ready
to make a comeback following a lengthy spell out of the
side.
But Hansen is urging Benitez to splash the cash over the
next few weeks and give Liverpool the best chance possible
of winning their first title since 1990.
Hansen, a pundit for the New Football Pools, said:
"Liverpool have made a great start to the season, but, like
anyone, they can always still strengthen.
"That was the great thing about the Liverpool sides who were
winning everything, and Manchester United and Chelsea too.
"If somebody comes along that you think is better than what
you've got, then you go and buy them."
(Sport.co.uk)
Cally: Why scouse duo are key
Anfield legend Ian Callaghan today stressed how important
Liverpool's local contingent will be in the second half of
the season.
Callaghan enjoyed a glittering 18-year career and won a raft
of trophies under Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley throughout
the sixties and seventies.
As the club's appearance record holder with 856 senior
outings to his name, the Toxteth-born former Red knows how
crucial the presence of local stars Steven Gerrard and Jamie
Carragher will be as Rafa Benitez's charges approach the
most important part of their league campaign.
"In this day and age it's a big bonus to have players who
have been playing for the club for a decade or more," he
said.
"You need that kind of experience and that's going to be
very important in the coming months when the pressure starts
to build."
(LFC Official Website)
El Zhar a target for Spanish side
Spanish top flight side Malaga are willing to secure a loan
deal for Liverpool midfielder Nabil El Zhar according to
reports.
Twenty-two-year-old Moroccan El Zhar has only appeared eight
times for The Reds this term, and Malaga are rumoured to
have approached him regarding a short-term deal.
(Setanta Sports)
Liverpool want cut-price
£1.5m deal for Emile Heskey
Emile Heskey wants to go back to Liverpool - and Rafa
Benitez is trying to sign him in a bargain-basement move
this month.
Wigan's England stiker has told close friends he is keen to
go back to the Kop and be part of their trophy-chasing
squad.
Benitez wants Heskey for as low as £1.5m, with Wigan valuing
him in the region of £4m.
(Daily Mirror)
Reds can beat anyone, roars Lucas
Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva believes Rafael Benitez's
troops are now capable of beating anybody as they target the
Premier League title.
The Brazilian also admits the Reds' away form will be
crucial in the second half of the season.
Lucas, in line to replace the injured Xabi Alonso for the
trip to Stoke on Saturday, has been part of a squad which
has won seven out of their 10 league games away from
Anfield.
Another win at the Britannia Stadium would see the Reds go
six points clear at the summit ahead of Chelsea's clash with
Manchester United on Sunday.
"Each point will be really important for us in the race for
the title," the Brazilian told Liverpool's official website.
"We have confidence and we have quality.
"We are producing some good performances and we are playing
well as a team. We feel we can beat anyone.
"Liverpool have waited a long time to win the Premier League
title and now we have a chance to win it."
(TEAMtalk)
Pourie moves, Flynn extends loan
The transfer of teenage striker Marvin Pourie to Schalke has
today been completed.
A deal to take the 17-year-old back to his native Germany
was agreed on Tuesday and the paperwork has now been
finalised.
Pourie moved to the Academy from Borussia Dortmund in the
summer of 2007 but, despite being a regular on the
scoresheet for Hughie McAuley's men, he has not made the
breakthrough.
Meanwhile, 20-year-old midfielder Ryan Flynn has extended
his loan at Wrexham for another month.
(LFC Official Website) |
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WEDNESDAY 7 |
Rafa to return for
Liverpool's Stoke clash
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez will be back in the
Barclays Premier League front-line at the weekend armed with
an array of riches.
Benitez, whose side are unbeaten in 11 matches, will take
charge at Stoke on Saturday evening and relieve assistant
Sammy Lee of his touchline responsibility for the team.
The Reds boss, who has recovered from recent kidney stone
surgery, will have star striker Fernando Torres ready to
return to the starting line-up for the first time since
being struck down with another hamstring injury
in November.
Hard-working forward Dirk Kuyt will also be back after being
rested at Preston for last weekend’s FA Cup win, while
Argentina captain Javier Mascherano has been declared fit
following an ankle injury.
(Liverpool Daily Post)
Xabi to return - if he
can get his boots on
Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso is in contention to face
Stoke on Saturday – if he is able to put his boots on and
kick a ball.
The Spain international had to have stitches in his foot
after sustaining an injury against Preston at the weekend,
but Rafa Benitez says he may be part of the squad that
travels to the Britannia Stadium.
“Xabi trained yesterday, but the problem is he had seven
stitches, so clearly it depends if he can put boots on and
kick the ball,” he told the club’s official website.
“For running and training, I think he will be okay, but we
have to decide at the end of the week about his boots.
“If he can kick a ball, he could be available for Stoke, but
we will have to wait and see.”
Alvaro Arbeloa is expected to miss the game as he is still
struggling with a hamstring injury.
“Arbeloa is improving, but I think he will need another
week,” he said.
“Hopefully, next week he can train normally again.”
(Setanta Sports)
Extra time for Gillett and Hicks
Liverpool co-owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks have been
given an additional six months to repay £350.5m to their
lenders.
According to an article on today's Guardian:
Those funds, provided last January as "working capital" to
run Liverpool and including £60m towards constructing a new
stadium, were due to be repaid or refinanced by 25 January.
But the banks - the government-owned Royal Bank of Scotland
and the US investment bank Wachovia - have deferred the
deadline.
That came following a written request from Liverpool's
American co-owners and their holding company, Kop Football,
with the new deadline now set at 24 July. "The loan does not
mature on 24 January," said an insider involved in the deal.
(LFC Online)
Former red relishing Rams challenge
Former Red Nigel Clough admits he is relishing the challenge
of trying to get Derby County back into the top-flight.
The Rams are currently in 18th place in the Championship and
Clough has replaced another former Red in Paul Jewell at the
helm.
"This is a fantastic opportunity for me and one that I
relish," said Clough.
"I know the club inside-out. It has always had a special
place in mine and my family's heart and I know that this is
one of the most exciting jobs in football.
"Derby County has everything - tremendous support, a
first-class stadium, magnificent training facilities and an
ambitious ownership group looking to grow the club even
further.
"Also, we have a terrific squad of players already here and
I can't wait to start working with them."
"This is going to be a tremendous challenge."
(LFC Official Website)
Torres’ red hot mission
Fernando Torres has described 2008 as “a year to remember”
but bemoaned the fact he has yet to win any honours for
Liverpool.
The Spanish striker is hopeful the injury problems that
plagued him in the back end of last year are now behind him
and is looking forward to Liverpool’s mouthwatering meeting
with Real Madrid in the last 16 of the Champions League.
In an interview on Sky TV’s Revista La Liga, Torres also
told of his regret at missing out on a reunion with former
club Atletico Madrid when he was kept out of Liverpool’s
Champions League meetings with the Spanish side by a
hamstring strain.
“It has been a year to remember,” said the 24-year-old. “I
think that there have been more positives than negatives.
“For the Spanish players here at Liverpool the win at Euro
2008 did not compensate for the fact we did not win any
trophies with Liverpool."
(Liverpool Echo)
Thommo hails bargain Hyypia
Liverpool legend Phil Thompson has praised the services of
Reds defender Sami Hyypia as the Finn heads towards his
700th appearance for the club this weekend.
Hyypia will pass the milestone if he plays in Saturday’s
Premier League clash away to Stoke City, as expected.
And former captain Thompson says Hyypia has been terrific
since Gerard Houllier signed him back in 1999.
He said, “He has been, and still is, brilliant for
Liverpool. When you consider how much he cost then
pound-for-pound he is up there with the £440,000 the club
paid for Kenny Dalglish.
“It always makes me laugh when people started saying a few
years ago his pace had gone. Sami Hyypia never had any pace
to lose! What he has got is an incredible ability to read
the game and that has been his biggest asset. More often
than not he is in position.
“I’d be lying if I said that when we signed him I thought
he’d still be going strong 10 years later. That’s incredibly
difficult to do, especially for a foreign player in the
Premier League.
“He’s a legend and, for me, Sami is in Alan Hansen’s ilk.”
(This is Anfield)
Thor Zakariassen
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