Ex-Spurs Strikeforce In Red's Reunion

This season's first 'North-West derby' commences this Saturday following the international break, which saw many of our players jetting off all over the globe to play for their respective countries. But this simultaneously allowed time for new signings, fresh from the closure of the transfer window, to train at Melwood and current players to recover from their injuries.
Team news ahead of this clash at Anfield will inevitably focus on the added assets of both teams, totalling a staggering £50million. Keane and Berbatov may come head-to-head for the first time competitively and become embroiled in one of the most infamously ferocious encounters during this season.
Unfortunately, such matches have looked favourably towards the Mancunians in recent times, with the history of the last 4 Benitez years in the Premier League reading: 0 wins, 1 draw and 7 losses. Now for this opinionated fan, the most recent games (bar the embarrassing 3-0 mauling, not helped by the idiotic Bennett), we have dominated throughout and ended up losing, either because we haven't been clinical enough or simply unlucky. And as a precursor to this game, the public slanging commences and is not so surprisingly initiated by the Scotsman. This time we hope to see the jibe from SAR on our Robbie backfire, akin to the Rafa/Drogba mess in the Champions League.
The news leading up to this Top Four meeting is not positive, as the two most influential players we have are more than likely going to be out - Gerrard with a persistent groin problem that was operated on, and Torres who pulled his hamstring against Villa. This could however be put into some sort of perspective, by the absence of Ronaldo and Hargreaves from the opposition, negatively effecting their start to the season.
This game may see the introduction of our new left winger, who has had just under 2 weeks available to train and prepare with the team. Some primary advantages for him to settle quickly at LFC is his command of English, his nationality as his fellow countrymen rife at the club and his time in Manchester in 2006. He has past experience of this league during his time with City, and has been involved in high profile games with his former club Espanyol, such as the UEFA Cup Final in 2007 where he scored against the defending champions Sevilla. He is seen as the outlet on the wing to display his technique and provide bombarding deliveries for our strikers. Such an option has not been forthcoming with the nature of forwards Kuyt, Babel and Benayoun. Keane has still to make his mark in a Red shirt and with the two so often heralded members of the team missing, we need to see new leaders step forward and perform.
During the season, it is often speculated by pundits that to win the title you have to take points off you're competitors. As of late, Liverpool FC have generally underachieved in this area, be it deserved or not. We are entering this match with a heavily depleted team, who have played poorly in the opening matches. And we are going to face the club and manager successfully chasing down our record with two consecutive championships. So all I can surmise is that we can only hope for the best this time.

Boardroom v Benitez: Bust-ups, Battles And Barry

Anticipating the fixture to round off the month of August, I thought this is the most opportune time to provide the final views on the long running issue of the summer. Liverpool travel to the Midlands to face Aston Villa, and as we now know, Gareth Barry will be staying a Villain. That is until the next chance to switch arises.
For me there is little competition between the midfielders at the centre of the saga: Barry and Alonso. I feel the Englishman outweighs his Basque counterpart in almost every aspect of the game. Barry is better equipped offensively (delivery, penetration, goals, assists, set-pieces), defensively (tackling, marking, endurance, ball-retention, concentration) and generally (versatility, composure, acceleration, decisiveness, leadership).
The fact is Gareth Barry would be a stellar addition to Liverpool FC, and all the evidence, being both statistical and anecdotal, displays Barry as top player. Our abject left side is a major concern, which may be soothed with a new arrival (Riera is taking a medical today), and Barry could have been a short-term solution. His sheer consistency in the Premier League is commendable, and alongside his box-to-box attributes he is often see as the lynch-pin of the Aston Villa team. His adaptability creates a wealth of options over the field, and for such an investment, the lack of injuries he has picked up guarantees his availability for a full season. And as he is English he contributes to UEFA domestic league quota legislation, which may be preventing the sale of Pennant or Finnan.
The man, originally from the South coast, has been subject to constant media speculation, taunts from his home crowd and the loss of his testimonial match. Lucrative incentives prevented him from handing in a transfer request, but an unauthorised newspaper interview took place criticising his manager. Administrative procrastination and politics then took place, with Benitez publicly urging an early conclusion towards the capture of his top target. Multiple bids were lodged and rejected over the months, with mixed messages from the owners over finances and willing for the deal to happen. The stumbling block seemed to be with deal-breaker Rick Parry, who has been under fire from all corners, and most recently from the manager, again. A statement released on the official website, with the notable exception of the owners names, read that the fee was "too high". Much has been reported in the media of the movement towards football being controlled by money more than ever. Players are often seen as assets and property, or as Blatter and Ronaldo stupidly see it: "slaves". Liverpool may have considered residual or sell-on value for Barry and deemed that they would not recoup enough on a sale of a player that haven't purchased yet.
I believe in today's relative economic climate, the market dictates the cost of players with prices rising year on year in spite of fears for global recession. Martin O'Neill and Randy Lerner have clear reasoning over the matter, with players in similar roles such as Hargreaves, Essien and Mascherano costing upwards of £18million. This price has obviously been baulked at, as a major factor in this transfer is the age of the player in question, and also the premium prices for English players. Benitez himself can be seen as delusional and hypocritical for demanding £16million for Xabi Alonso. Even though some could say he is protecting the interests of the club, he regularly excuses his chances of winning the league by referring to the spending power of the top 2 sides and the difficulties in beating teams with the likes of Carrick, Anderson and Mikel warming the bench. Such an inflated value has warded of interest from Juventus and league rivals Arsenal, but one stark development is the absence of interest from Spanish teams. The clubs make regular homeward bound calls for their ex-patriots through the press, but haven't even been rumoured to put in a bid.
As the seasons have rolled on, Alonso has been depreciating in form and value. He established himself in his first two seasons as an expensive import who could control the flow of the game, setting a tempo and rhythm to our play with clear vision and passing; the consummate professional. But subsequently has been laid off to the treatment room and been replaced by Mascherano, Lucas and most recently Plessis, playing bit-part roles with varying success.
I think there may be a future for the Barry deal, and the first opportunity will the the January transfer window. One point that supports this idea is that his UEFA Cup appearance in Iceland cup-tied Barry until the knock-out stages of the UCL this season, which get underway in February. This is when the competition really starts to take shape and a big-money name at such a time would be a great boost, even though such agreements are usually sealed in the summer. The structure of the deal would change, concerning the payment schedule, involving a lower price and perhaps instead significant add-on clauses or compensation.
But the most important reasoning to secure Barry is the necessity to bring in the right player for the team.

Poor Performances And Late Luck

I would firstly like to state my happiness for our two Premier League wins of the season. I say this as it is widely acknowledged that Liverpool FC have had dismal performances, displaying numerous weaknesses and ugly football, and this bumpy start isn't in line with the positive signs shown in our pre-season form.
Throughout the beginning stages of our campaign I have noticed worrying signs in tactics and player's attitude. One vital area of a successful team is the many partnerships that need to be strong, fluent and flexible when playing, so in a 4-4-2 formation (which Rafa has adopted thus far) there are 5 duos over the pitch. Arguably the most important of these are the strikers and we have seen the great and the good during the Sunderland and Middlesbrough games. Naturally time is necessary for a comfortable harmony to germinate between Torres and Keane, but we all hope that its sooner rather than later, and there are certainly positive indications of the pairing being fruitful and if not bounteous. One good sign is the first away goal for Torres at the Stadium of Light, which was a concern last term as he only managed to score 3 times away from Anfield in the league.
Unfortunately there have been a series of anonymous players during matches and this is an unacceptable trait. Forwards thrive on service, and with players like Gerrard (now playing in a midfield role), Kuyt and Benayoun not providing enough quality deliveries, it is hard for strikers to execute their role. And then they tend to drop deeper and deeper to seek the ball or long hoofs from the defenders are seen. This totally the opposite situation to bygone seasons when we made plenty of chances and had no-one good enough to finish them. Gerrard himself has been quoted as being only 70% fit due to groin problems and international duty, but so far he has been lackadaisical, seen as simulating/diving and over appealing to referees (and I have as much blind loyalty as the next fan) when he should simply get on with the game. Alonso has been similarly poor, with him being caught on the ball, missing easy lateral passes and appearing discomposed and edgy. Another disappointing feature of our game is the useless corners/set pieces that we engineer, as poor delivery is a regular occurrence with the ball hitting the first man and the ball being cleared instantaneously.
Dossena is another player that could be scrutinised, as he has exhibited positive and negative techniques during his short tenure at Liverpool FC. Dossena represents the first ever Italian player to join Liverpool and he was credited to being the second best left back in Serie A, behind Juan Manuel Vargas, who made the move from Catania to UCL contenders Fiorentina this summer. He currently holds two international appearances for Italy and vies for that spot with Gianluca Zambrotta (AC Milan) and Fabio Grosso (Lyon). Labelled as a wing-back he is often overlapping on the touchline to provide options and genuine width. He has a medley of decent tricks to make space for himself and send in a good cross, plus he can hit accurate 50 yard cross-field passes. However it is his defensive qualities that are to be questioned, which is understandable as he is switching from a back 5 to a 4. He maintains positional deficiencies on the ground and in the air, electing to over commit and slide tackle, which if unsuccessful, then leaves that flank vulnerable and creates unnecessary pressure on the team. A balance of decision-making is needed of when to chase and block shots/crosses, and the more flamboyant and crowd pleasing lunging forays. Also defensive responsibilities cannot be attributed to him if he has run the length of pitch and is subject to a rapid counter-attack. This job must then be assigned to a destructive midfielder to plug the gaps and break up opposition moves. The key word is time for both him and Degen (plus other possible foreign recruits) to adjust to a new culture and language; adapt to a different system and the speed/physicality of the Premier League.
A slight surprise this season has been the minutes gained by Nabil El Zhar in the first team. Personally I think he and Leto are not good enough to be Liverpool players now or in the future, which is a view shared by Voronin who has bemoaned his lack of opportunities. But another angle on this situation is the absence of Jermaine Pennant and hopefully progress is underway to shift him out to a more suitable mid-table club. Pennant embodies the only true winger in the first team squad, and it seemed Benitez would rely on flying wing-backs to cause havoc. But this clearly hasn't materialised, and with fans and pundits alike highlighting the chronic lack of width to our game, a response may be the arrival of a left winger. Tactics have had us resorting to ugly long ball assaults, but Albert Riera of Espanyol made be the man to supply regular service from wide areas and utilising the pitch to stretch teams on the counter-attack. Views on him vary with some citing his below par stint at Manchester City and others stating he is alongside Luis Garcia as the Barcelona based club's best players last season. He seems to be a confidence player and in need of the 'arm around the shoulder' approach to achieve consistency, as last season his form dropped considerably in the latter period. This is a name that was mooted in the early stages of the transfer window with a 'come and get me' plea from the player as he became disillusioned by the home supporters giving the team abuse as poor league form saw their season peter out, but he has since made his peace with them. Media reports have suggested a fee has been agreed at around £8-10million depending on appearances, and the player denied a move to Everton who stumped up the same amount. This transfer seems to be in reaction to the denial of the Gareth Barry move, that was blocked by the owners and seemingly CEO Rick Parry. The problem was not financial and spectators saw this as the board undermining the manger's decisions and showing that off-field tensions have resumed. Barry was rated statistically as the best all-round player last season, and with Alonso in indifferent form, a change is needed for this opinionated fan.
I think the appropriate juncture to judge the new signings is after they have individually played 6 league games, and then the fans can assess their adaptation rate and performance levels. Alongside the fresh faces at Anfield we must take into account the fitness of established players. As previously said, Gerrard is not at his best and the ability to reach optimum level of other players has been hampered by late returns from Euro 08 (Torres, Kuyt etc) and the toll on players in the hot and polluted conditions of the Beijing Olympics (Mascherano/Lucas/Babel) which lasted the whole 2 week duration of the Games. All these issues were known prior to the season and seem to have not been totally offset, but the fact remains that we have secured 6 points. The manager and captain have commented on the immediate change in atmosphere made by the return of these players and this should stabilise the team and positively affect our on-field displays.

Kopite Keane Successfully Signed

Robbie Keane has signed for Liverpool FC today for a fee of £19million, on a four-year deal and will earn £80,000 a week. He will wear the iconic number 7 shirt associated with Reds legends Kenny Dalglish, Kevin Keegan, Ian Callaghan and Peter Beardsley. He has been included in the squad which travels to Spain for the friendly against Villarreal on Wednesday.
Liverpool had been working behind the scenes to bring Keane to Anfield, as was announced by Daniel Levy in his scathing attack on our club for not pursuing the official channels of communication and negotiation. This was greatly helped by the player himself being a boyhood fan/atic and displayed by him submitting a transfer request. Liverpool FC have agreed to make a donation to our Club’s main charity, the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, as compensation and Tottenham Hotspur have therefore agreed not to continue in their official complaint to the Premier League.
Keane is now one of the most expensive footballer’s in the world, having been involved in transfers totalling £58m having previously played for Wolverhampton, Coventry, Inter Milan and Leeds before joining Tottenham in 2002. He established himself as a consistent performer at Premier League level at Tottenham, scoring 13-17 goals in his first four campaigns and 22/23 in the most recent seasons. Keane scored 80 goals in 197 appearances for Tottenham and has scored 33 international goals in 81 appearances.

Stylish Strips: Revolting Or Revered?

Liverpool FC have released the away and third kit for the following two seasons. It seems like the main idea for the 'silver' away kit is its history of being worn during our last top flight success, and adding a visual angle to our continual desperation to claim #19. My first thoughts of this grey strip was generally negative when I saw a leaked picture of the shirt from somewhere in Asia (I presume, as designs get leaked from the out-sourced countries where they are made). This opinion is down to the drab colour and little else to stimulate or excite the mind, unlike the home kit with the several new aesthetic features. The small squared chequered effect which is all over the shirt doesn't add much either, and I doubt it has any form of functionality on the player's or opposition's performance. Conversely, the European kit looks nice with a metallic tinge of turquoise with a black collar and shorts, like the highly vaunted 3rd kit of last season. From first impressions I'm inclined towards the Euro kit, but I'm sure the grey edition will grow on me when I see our team run out and goals are flying in. I currently own the new home kit with Gerrard/8 on the back in Premier League font. As strange as it may seem, it feels different than the last one. It feels more tailored and impressive and its good to be wearing red again, instead of white.

Systematic Squad Shredding Sought

The current Liverpool FC first team roster, in my opinion, accumulates to 26 players. I think this amount of available players needs to be reduced to 23 which involves five outgoing players and two incoming. The duo of imports to the club are apparent from my previous posts, hence I will continue into the current squad members that need to be sold if we realistically want to rise to the head of the league. The cut will not only decrease the number of possible players eligible for the manager to select (contributing to a limitation of his relentless rotation) but simultaneously incentivise the reserve players. The 23 man squad would include 4 current reserve players (which would therefore lower the main group again, to 19) and they may be given a larger role in the lesser competitions and minor Premier League games. Two players for every position is still maintained and this is a clear shift towards quality over quantity. This venture would also benefit the club fiscally, generating financial funds which would contribute towards transfers, wages and the like.
Itandje, Finnan, Alonso, Pennant and Voronin are the 5 players that should be shown the door and would garner collectively considerable prices, at approximately £26million, which would be added to the net profit gained from previous departure deals. The reasons for the exit of these players hinges on many factors, such as their age, potential, valuation and also the nature of future purchases.

• Itandje: Last season Itandje had shaky and indifferent performances for Liverpool FC. He played in no Premier League or Champions League matches and had in total 7 appearances with 1 clean sheet, conceding 10 goals. In many ways it is unfair to judge him on sporadic games, which involves plenty of pressure on a goalkeeper, who is nervous and desperate to impress, and I think fans have been overcritical of him in some instances. Some goals he conceded were either simply skilful or plain unfortunate, like the last minute Barnsley goal in the FA Cup 5th Round and the deflected Lampard goal in the Carling Cup defeat, during which he won the fan's man of the match vote. His time seems to be up with him not travelling out to Switzerland training camp and the arrival of Cavalieri. Plus it has been rumoured he is in advanced dialogue with the Turkish champions Galatasaray and Ligue 1 club PSG, who could pay a decent fee for his services. Also his attitude and demeanour could be questioned, however this could be symptomatic of his reserve goalkeeper role which requires copious amounts of patience and optimism. These types of players are regularly unsettled and don't stay for too long, evident in past stoppers such as Kirkland, Dudek and most recently Carson.

• Finnan: Last season Finnan was ordinary, looked slow and was predictable in his movement and decision making on the right side, often being espoused by centre half Jamie Carragher. His lack of speed may now be revealing his age of 32, and he has never been a genuine threat to the opposition or held much technical ability, unlike his counter-parts in the league. He has previously been the steady and reliable man to put in a shift, and ironically taking headlines as the unsung and under-rated player at Liverpool. Now these attributes are no longer required and the club, who need to be more expansive and creative in wide areas, utilising the full capacity the turf can provide. Finnan can produces standard crosses and uninspiring displays, which leads me to believe he could be easily replaced, especially since Degen has joined the club. Defensively he is definitely capable, but is now surplus to the team, and could be used as a make-weight to Aston Villa for the acquisition of Gareth Barry, or return to Fulham or even Ireland to extend his career.

• Alonso: Last season for Alonso was disappointing to say the least, and in my view his injury heavily contributed to this, interrupting his fourth season at the club. It is said form is temporary andclass is permanent, however the Spaniard has progressively lost his dominating skill of unleashing pin-point passes and defence splitting assists. I think he has lost his mobility, confidence and has a questionable temperament, developing into reckless behaviour to the detriment of the team. His indisciplined actions result in conceding set-plays in dangerous areas and him picking up infractions. He may also be injury prone with two ankle problems: a break and ligament sprain, plus breaking his metatarsal this season, which are all considerable injuries involving long lay-off times. But the crux of the argument is his competitors, with Mascherano an £18m shoo-in for a starting berth and the possible inclusion of Barry who is ranked above Alonso for this opinionated fan. The club has a wealth of centre midfielders, and the numbers being exchanged in the media point towards an economically beneficial transfer. But despite this, Juventus decided against this move, favouring the Dane Christian Poulsen. Other rumours indicate Internazionale are now interested with their prospective deal for Lampard hitting the buffers. I wouldn't be surprised to see him prosper in the Italian league, which is heavily tactically based and has a slower tempo and style. This is substantiated in his Euro 2008 performances for Spain were he impressed, however his role was more advanced than at Liverpool and he was given more freedom offensively, whereas Gerrard occupies that position at the moment. He will be missed the most if he leaves, especially with memories of his half-way line goals and the 3rd goalin Istanbul, and this is reflected in the high value he demands.

• Pennant: Last season was not particularly successful time for Pennant and he didn't build on the limited positives of the season before, with the highlight being his starting appearance in the Athens final. When Pennant was purchased I felt that he was the third choice that Benitez wanted in 2006. This is reflected recently with Kuyt replacing him, showing the fans the continuous hard graft and goal scoring and assisting that is needed for such a role. In contrast Pennant has a small box of tricks and turns, with spurts of pace and dribbling on the right wing. To me it seems he lacks enthusiasm and endeavour during games, and appears to be content with his time on the bench at a top 4 club who is playing in the Champions League. I have thought that he could progress at Liverpool, especially as he is our only true winger, and could give us the touch-line hugging play we seem to crave (calls to buy Bentley and David Silva) but he has not improved enough and needs to leave. He won't attract a high price, but at the moment any revenue is welcome to match the high cost of our two targets, and there have been tenuous links with Blackburn for a sale. However one stumbling block may be a change to a UEFA ruling in 2006, regarding locally trained players. It stipulates that clubs are required to register 4 club trained and 4 domestic association trained players in each squad. Pennant would qualify for the latter of these groups since he trained at a different club (Arsenal) for at least three years between the age of 15 and 21. But with the loss of Kewell and Crouch, and possibly Finnan, who were registered last season when the rules were only 3 players of each, that would leave us in a degree of strife. David Martin, Barry and Keane are eligible to fill this quota, and therefore either Finnan or Pennant would need to stay.

• Voronin: Last season was a time of woe for the Liverpool faithful who saw glimpses of talent during the pre-season period (again this time around), but watching the Ukrainian forward over the following 10 months was cringe inducing dysphoria, not to mention seeing the number on his back. His lack of basic footballing ability was shocking and this was compounded by his horrific hair. Of course we wish no harm on players and we give all our men a fair chance, but I wasn't down heartened when he contracted an ankle injury in January. In all fairness he contributed goal wise, with 6 to his name and had snippets of flair, but in my opinion was thoroughly disappointing and unimpressive. His poor control, incoordination and waste of possession was infuriating to see, when more competent players could get their chance to impress. There has been some gossip surrounding this player, linking him back to the Bundesliga where he has maintained a high regard. A clutch of German clubs are reported to have shown interest and any price would be suitable in my eyes. Even though Crouch has left and Kuyt has been moved to the right, the future development of Krisztian Nemeth is promising and also the addition of Robbie Keane would rectify a loss of striking options.
  

Tailored Tactics And Top Transfer Targets

Next season Liverpool may be introduced to a variety of new styles and formations, with players adopting different roles, accommodating new recruits and eliminating current weaknesses (such as set-pieces), with an emphasis on versatility and mobility.
Fans have welcomed three new faces to Anfield in Degen, Dossena and Cavalieri, which have collectively cost £10million and are designed to contribute positively to our attacking options on the wing and of course also as a stopper in goal. They will be thoroughly initiated into the club via pre-season training and hopefully be selected to represent us in the first team on the 16th August away to the Black Cats.
A recent interview with Benitez has provided a clear insight to his plans for our team and his methods to extract the optimum amount from our players and his financial budget. Below is the excerpt of his interview and following this are my ideas for the realistic player additions and the formation that I think will be successful for the club and fans for the upcoming season.

We want to use two or three systems during the season. The key isn't the system itself, but how the players adapt on the pitch. It doesn't matter if it's 4-3-3 or 4-4-2, it's the role of the players that counts.

At the beginning of last season we were doing well with 4-4-2, so if the players can read the game and understand things, then it's easier to change the system.

Now we have more options at full-back, with Degen, Finnan and Arbeloa on one side and Dossena, Aurelio and Insua on the other. We have players with different qualities.

You can't use too many systems - two or three maximum - and the key is to teach the players how to adapt to each system.

We will continue looking for good players but not necessarily a 'proper' winger. We'll look for good players and maybe adjust the system. Don't forget, we have some very good players here already, players we have signed over the last 12 months.

We knew we were creating a lot of chances last season but everybody was talking about the wide areas. If you go to the market and want to sign a top-class right-winger, they will be in the top sides and the price will be crazy. To sign two full-backs with an offensive mentality can give us more quality out wide.

Additional developments are envisaged to propel the team offensively, with incoming transfers and resident players shifting in position and tactical duty. It has been postulated that Liverpool will employ a strategy of fluidity of our main attacking threats and therefore create a front three, and veer away from a direct Torres/Gerrard partnership, which itself could be also be used as an alternative which the team could revert to and be one of the 3 possible formations.
However, there are a series of factors that will disrupt our current pre-season operations, hindering the fitness and mentality of our players and any formation experimentation be severely rudimentary with key components missing. Firstly the Spanish players account for 4 members of the squad still away on their 3-week summer holiday after Euro 2008 (ending in around 10 days time). Secondly, our build up is being further undermined with Mascherano, Babel and Lucas leaving for the Beijing Olympics from 6th - 24th August, missing important Premier League matches and UCL qualifiers, not to mention fears of injury during the tournament. And thirdly, with long standing rumours of expensive imports coming to Liverpool FC, transfer dealings have not been finalised and their prepatory time is constantly being diminished, which will be to the detriment projected of our team and the players themselves.
The most prominent of transfer gossip circulating Anfield concern Gareth Barry (Aston Villa) and Robbie Keane (Tottenham Hotspur).
Developments on the Barry situation remain at loggerheads as both clubs continue to haggle over the eventual price of the player. Another bid has been rejected with the Midlands club remaining firm in their valuation of £18million, and have issued stern terms, wanting ½ the money up front and the remainder over the following 12 months. Liverpool are considering including right-back Steve Finnan in the next offer, but valuation of the player could be problematic. Meanwhile, Barry himself sent scathing remarks towards his manager (who in turn responded in defiance and banning him from the training ground) commenting on his time in punditry away in Austria and criticising O'Neill's proactive words in relation to his stagnant actions. Villa have acquired a new central midfielder in Steve Sidwell from Chelsea for £5million, while the latest story is Arsenal's entry into this Barry saga, who see him as a replacement of Mathieu Flamini.
Less acrimony surrounds the possible move for Keane, but some hostility still resonates with the London club as with Benitez has publicly stated his wish for him to join in media broadcast. The player himself has been reported to have been a Liverpool FC fan as a boy and been encouraged to move from his international manager Giovanni Trapattoni, who sees it as a positive move for the player and will benefit the Republic of Ireland team. Last season he scored several sensational goals with a collection of 15 in the league and 23 in total. However there are multiple barriers that could prevent the transfer, mainly concerning money. The Tottenham hierarchy seem to have diverging views, but what is clear is the management team are unwilling to sell their vice-captain. This could be compounded by the speculation that Manchester United are considering a bid for Dimitar Berbatov, which if successful would dramatically reduce the chances of both of their first XI strikers leaving White Hart Lane. Simultaneously there is speculation that Spurs are closing in on the acquisition of striker Luis Garcia from Spanish club Espanyol, who could pair up with £16.5million worth Darren Bent. The other major factor is Liverpool not being able to generate enough funds to buy Keane who will no doubt warrant a hefty fee. An indicator of a club having a small transfer kitty are player exchanges, which Liverpool have employed in many of their deals this summer, and Tottenham have reportedly rejected a bid from Liverpool to send Crouch in the opposite direction, who has subsequently moved to Portsmouth. The prospective exit of Xabi Alonso to Juventus would have produced a large sum of revenue of approximately £16million, which could have been diverted towards strengthening the squad elsewhere. But with the bargaining style again coming under scrutiny the deal seems to be off as the Italians seemed to have opted for Christian Poulsen from Sevilla. Therefore the capture of Robbie Keane is going to be very difficult, whereas the Barry transfer is more of a 'when and not if' situation.
These two additions seem to be the quality signings that could push us towards a title tilt. Although expensive, Benitez has earmarked the players he thinks can enter his system and supplement the already established team. I believe the much used cliché of a jigsaw could be coming together and be completed if these transfers are concluded. I am fully optimistic of our chances for the top spot, and would personally be satisfied with a concerted and sustained challenge.
Strategically, I feel Liverpool have 5 instrumental and guaranteed places for the starting XI who represent the literal spine of the team: Reina, Carragher, Mascherano, Gerrard and Torres. To expand from these five, I will introduce the new wing-backs to the team, who provide an attacking dimension on the periphery and influence the dynamics further up the pitch. The next two players to be included are expected to have a significant bearing during the upcoming season, with their potential and constant improvements being witnessed last season. Assuming they are injury free, Agger and Babel have been highlighted to produce impressive performances for Liverpool and their roles to be changed accordingly. The final duo for this team to complete the 11 are the players not currently at the club, but mentioned above. Barry would act as the fulcrum in the team and line up alongside Mascherano in the less advanced position in midfield, but not have such a subdued role and alternate between attack and defence, with a license to link with Gerrard as with England. He will provide balance with 'El Jefecito' with his left foot and could be used to take free kicks and also contribute as a penalty taker as he was with Aston Villa. Keane would take up the place vacated by Kuyt, and both share a penchant for an industrious work ethic and constant attacking sense. He would be, as Kuyt has been, converted to a right sided forward and contribute to a new fluid forward line, interchanging throughout the 90 minutes. Thus a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 (Torres at the point) formation would be used. There will be slight change in position for Gerrard, who will stay as an attacking midfielder but be less advanced, and also Babel who would remain on the left. Even though he has looked suspect with an unproductive left foot last season and continually cutting inside, his crossing ability would be required less and focus would be on his pace, availability and technique. His previous faults would be negated as there wouldn't be a role for classic wingers, and progressive touchline play will be provided by the new full backs.
But all football clubs have a squad of players and I think this season will be a period of transition, for certain players beginning to retire and conversely others being promoted from within the first team squad and reserves. The older custodians of Hyypia (35), Finnan (32) and Carragher (30) have been gradually phased out with fans giving honest appraisals and criticisms of them as they have passed their peak and are waning. The most prominent of the 3 is the long serving, Kop legend Hyypia, who has been given another 1-year extension to his contract and will probably end his career at Anfield. He has already been usurped by Agger (23), with Skrtel (23) rising in the defensive pecking order, plus Lucas (21) and Insua (19) are also performing well and impressing the fans and Benitez.
One factor that may been have missed by fans due to our reserved movements in the transfer market is the solidity of our team with no dissenting voices within the ranks. Quite the opposite with many players hailing the skill and advice given by fellow players, the manager and his staff, which exudes a sense of unity and a close-knit camp. We may be the only top tier side who will have kept their core starting XI in place for next season, as Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal are constantly linked to losing Ronaldo, Lampard/Drogba and Adebayor/Hleb respectively. Transfer news surrounding Liverpool has either seen us as the aggressor (Barry, Keane) or the term-setting sellers (Crouch, Alonso), with varying degrees of success. This can reflect well on our management and administrative groups, but the fact remains that we have limited funds and need to purchase two vital and expensive players to consolidate a championship worthy team.

Benitez Chop If We See An Arsenal-esque Flop?

The season of 2007/08 came to a close with the regular teams inhabiting the upper echelon of the league. However these microcosmic finishing positions were not predictable and fluctuated vastly throughout the competition. The 'Big Four' is now an established phrase which is used for observation, praise or resentment. Nevertheless this is the reality of football in this Premier League era and is now the bare minimum for the privileged few. This raises the current perennial issue for Liverpool FC fans of winning the league title, which has not been achieved since 1989/90, and therefore the need for upward movement from #4 to #1.
Last season saw the Gunners dominate the table for months, leading the way and setting the standard. The team was performing excellently on the pitch with new signings dovetailing comfortably and the young players coming to the forefront of the squad and impressing the nation. They employed an attractive style as always, but had the proficient finishing capabilities of Adebayor and high quality appearances from captain-in-the-making Cesc Fabregas. They had a massive points lead and looked favourites to march on and claim the prize.
But multiple circumstances contributed to their form wobbling, involving injuries (eg. Eduardo, Rosicky), petulant and uncharacteristic behaviour from players and general physical burn out as Arsenal maintained a small squad. Their confidence plummeted and naturally their league position was adversely affected with irreparable consequences. The chasing duo were able to capitalise and exploit this weakness, cruising above and beyond them, and participating in a winner-takes-all contest on the last match day. The fact remains that many in the media and on the street assumed Arsenal could not relinquish such a powerful lead at such a pivotable time in the season, and seemed imperious to exterior pressure. They seemed to pull together as a community of young professionals enjoying their football and pleasing the fans in the plush 60,000 seater Emirates Stadium during the season. But this camaraderie soon evaporated coming into the latter of the New Year, revealing a lack of depth or experienced leadership, rendering the overall unit frail and vulnerable.
Now forecast this situation 7 months into the future with Liverpool FC reigning supreme. The fans would be boasting weekly about the prowess and brilliance of our mighty club. Benitez and the players would be lauded throughout the city and national press, with the team surviving the gruelling month of January and shattering previous records and preconceptions. Notions that the wait is over and "the one the fans want" will be resting in the Anfield trophy cabinet by May would be rife, and the image of Gerrard raising the cup aloft would be anticipated with insuppressible glee.
Except from such a high vantage point, the drop can be as painful and disastrous as the rise was joyful and euphoric. Liverpool FC take a turn for the worst, and the table position tumbles downwards, with our rivals, who were waiting patiently in the wings, strike and take the lead. This would be heart breaking and the fans would be distraught, with the press inevitably publishing recent LFC-centric adages of failure and underachievement. However the anti-Benitez brigade, who thus far would have been silent and passive, will come out of the woodwork and pile on the blame. They would indulge in recruiting discontent supporters to boost their numbers and creating a snowball effect inflating their influence with fickle floating/swing 'voters' (who if not agitated would reflect, conciliate and reaffirm allegiance to the manager a few weeks later). Fan morale would be at an all time low and the Spaniard would be desperate for aid, which has previously been forthcoming, with banners and active parades being formed in the streets.
It is currently prevalent that there are divides among fans over the managerial occupancy of our club and such a projected event would be indicative of the owners (whom ever they be) to act swiftly and be reactive to vociferous fan lobbying. I would denounce such a hasty and emotional procedure which would not warrant the dedication and hard work done by Rafa for 5 years concerning the club structure as a whole. Such an occurence would have serious basis and fault must be attributed to many concerned. Benitez should not be immune to criticism or adversary, however simultaneous not condemned unjustly and made a scapegoat by people joining the latest bandwagon, which we are all prone to do.
To conclude, I am simply pontificating on a realistic issue that may arise and simulating what I think would result in such an event, as occurred last season, but with less extreme ramifications. I hope such a performance in the league campaign would be seen as a significant improvement and signal progress towards gaining the elusive top honours, and not be vilified and used as a weapon to radically oust Benitez from the club. Maintaining top spot for a prolonged time should be rewarded and encouraged and hopefully the title is brought back to L3 as soon as possible.

Turnover Above Tradition?

A popular train of thought for many Liverpool FC fans concerns the apparently impending ownership change, and a new and improved attitude from the new investors, especially regarding money. If the American duo decide to sell to D.I.C. then I am in no doubt a large majority of fans and pundits would welcome such a move with open arms (as they did the last time), but I do not share the same naive theory (SOS DIC).
The overriding positive of this move would be the exponential increase in funding for the improvement of Liverpool Football Club on and off the pitch. Dubai is renowned for its lavish settings, luxurious infrastructure and expensive lifestyle as an oil rich nation. Therefore the investment branch of the sovereign country will pour countless millions of pounds into the club without hesitation. Clearly this assertion is totally unfounded and unrealistic. Fans are anticipating a revolution and an influx of world class stars flocking to the club and D.I.C. to continually bankroll such expenditure and be happy to do so as their CEO (Sameer al-Ansari) is a Liverpool fan... They intend to enter the lucrative Premier League market, borrow, invest and make a substantial profit. And this is substantiated with the published confidential documents revealing their 7 year plan in 2006. I am also apprehensive that this organisation would usher in widespread upheaval on all levels, irrespective of football matters, and treat us as a business acquisition and not as an institution for passion and dedication, compromising the integrity of the club.
It is commonplace, particularly among Liverpool fans who are steeped in a working class history, to ridicule and condemn the goings on at Chelsea FC. Roman Abramovich has used his personal wealth to buy and finance the club, and in doing so often spending massive amounts of money with a disregard for the clubs solvency. Fans undermine these methods in relation to winning the Premier League in 2005 & 2006 plus FA and League cups, and additionally question their fans allegiance and longevity. But would it not be blatantly hypocritical to encourage similar proceedings to occur here at Liverpool FC?
Another facet of the prospective takeover would result in the clearance of debt on the club, that the Americans have plunged us into (£350m + £28m interest each year). I assume the purchase of the club would include this figure and also allow for both Americans to earn a tidy profit. A company would not want to waste unnecessary millions on certain aspects of the club, and would therefore cull what they deemed disposable. They would introduce a totally new board of directors that would have questionable knowledge on the running of a football club and would want instant success for such a hefty price. Buying new players is a dangerous and unforeseeable investment, so funds for such assets would be limited and redirected towards a new stadium on Stanley Park. It would be integral to build it quickly and rush through plans in order to maximise profits, additionally imposing high priced seats, commodities and entertainment. The management would be under the highest scrutiny and if results were not going well, then large scale removals would have to take place (it was alleged they had lined up Mourinho for the vacated manager's office - which had to be publicly denied). Fans would become customers (and such an adoring following would provide a constant source of income) and the Liverpool brand would be plastered worldwide at often extortionate prices for merchandise. Fan power would be worthless as ruthless business people only make their mind up once, and street protests will fall on deaf ears (unlike the November Benitez parade over the Klinsmann debacle and the "As always I am focused on training and coaching my team" press conference).
It is widely known to Liverpool fans about the nature of business conducted by DIC and their representatives. David Moores had his reasons for not selling to them originally when they offered a higher price and forced a hostile ultimatum (as they have done with the current owners) which did not prove successful for them. Amanda Staveley of PCP Capital Partners represents D.I.C. and is the chief negotiator (mooted to replace Rick Parry if D.I.C. prove triumphant). Several attempts of varying complexities were offered to the pair, with the main deal involving D.I.C. becoming a minority share holder of 49%, buying out George Gillett. But this was rejected by Hicks after discussion and considerable exchange of communication. The co-owners have publicly stated the irreparable damage to their relationship, with Gillett choosing Canadian radio station "590 Fans" to express his derisive opinion on Hicks and upon receiving death threats from furious fans.
Staveley has been attributed to manipulation of the media (leaked comments, legal documents, personal correspondents) to engender both support from the fans and incite opposition and dissent towards Tom Hicks (which isn't too hard considering the mistakes he makes himself). This was seen to be a devious strategy being highlighted by Hicks, referring to D.I.C. as "masters of the British tabloid spin" and Staveley and her consultants directly who "put out misinformation" to "stir the pot of Liverpool", for example the fan on the board furore. Their latest plan is to purchase 50% equity of the club (the often rumoured veto clause will expire) and apply financial pressure to Hicks (who is reportedly being pressed by banks to sell who are pulling in their loans), making assurances of revenue for players and the stadium which could not be matched by Hicks. However he has expressed publicly that he is not willing to enter in such a partnership and via his Sky Sports News interview (dubbed the Fire-side Chat) has said intentions from D.I.C. to spend excessively to be untrue when in negotiations with them.
The recent anger over at Eastlands regarding their owner, Thaksin Shinawatra, culminates in his unruly decisions over the management, players and conduct at the club. It has be strongly rumoured he wants to sack popular manager Sven Goran Eriksson, hold a fire-sale of his whole squad and force employees in Manchester into Thai customary traditions. This is the man who not only passed the 'Fit & Proper Persons' test from the FA (there have been strong links of him controlling the nation by a dictatorship as PM and includes corruption, many human rights injustices and his exile and freezing of his assets) but also had a vested interest in owning our beloved club. Dubai is reported to be rife with human rights violations: delayed or withdrawal of payment, excessive working hours and poor working/living conditions, premature termination of services and repatriation blockades for thousands of immigrants, who labour on construction sites of real estate. I think Liverpool fans should become more educated on the background of prospective owners and learn from mistakes of ourselves and others. I would advocate us to be vigilant and careful with future dealings over the selling of our football club, and not blindly enthusiastic seeing only the pounds and dollars.

Starlets Seek Chance In The Senior Side

The Liverpool FC reserve team have had an excellent season under the tutelage of manager Gary Ablett and his coaching team, collecting the majority of trophies available to them, hosted both home and abroad. The side is brimming with young players, ranging from 16-19 years old, and has a wide mixture of nationalities in the dressing room. Rafael Benitez and his youth scouting department have searched the globe for the best talent on offer and consistently found quality youngsters in all positions. The players are constantly growing and developing their technique and physique to a Premier League standard, and for the arduous rigours of football in England, with ambitions to break into the first team and play at Anfield in front of 45,000 fans. They currently play at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, home of Super League club Warrington Wolves, where they regularly pull in crowds of thousands, as well as being broadcast nationally on LFC TV.
While the reserves are trained and moulded by the coaching staff, the people they respect most are those they are trying to emulate: the first team. They can access the opportunity to learn from them in a game situation when a 1st XI player is undergoing rehabilitation from an injury. This season Agger, Alonso, Kewell, Lucas, Pennant and Skrtel have taken part in 9 reserve matches between each other.
The team is a large group of aspiring Reds, including both players who have succeeded and played for the first team, and upcoming starlets who want to realise their potential and become promoted. Numerous reserve players have and will be sent away on loan to the lower divisions, being predominantly domestic sourced players like Anderson, Lindfield and Threlfall. There they learn invaluable experiences in different sporting environments and can gain more regular football at an often higher competitive level with significant consequences.
The most notable players for the future (to this opinionated fan) are: Insua, Plessis, Nemeth, Hobbs, Pacheco and Bruna, who cover the variety of positions from defence to attack. From this collection of names, our squad has a particularly continental feel, with sometimes Benitez himself travelling to seal the deal, especially when prising away the jewels of Barcelona and Real Madrid youth teams. Such players represent a new breed of exciting and creative players who could follow in the footsteps of a player like Fabregas, as he made a similar move from Spain, and hopefully become as successful. Three reserves have played for the first team and realised their dream, and even more have been called up to the match day sixteen. Ablett and his team continue training the young pretenders in the ways of the first team, and hope Benitez invites more to join him and the team for a top flight match.

Liverpool FC Reserves 2007/08:

• Daniel Sanchez Ayala (Spain)
• Dean Bouzanis (Australia)
  
• Jordy Brouwer (Netherlands)
• Gerardo Alfredo Bruna Blanco (Spain)
• Ryan Crowther (England)
• Stephen Darby (England)
• Francisco Duran (Spain)
• Nabil El Zhar (Morocco)
• Ryan Flynn (England)
• Jack Hobbs (England)
• Ronald Huth (Paraguay)
• Emiliano Insua (Argentina)
• David Martin (England)
• Krisztian Nemeth (Hungary)
• Daniel Pacheco (Spain)
• Damien Plessis (France)
• Ray Putterill (England)
• Mikel San Jose Dominguez (Spain)
• Andras Simon (Hungary)
• Jay Spearing (England)

Liverpool FC Reserves Honours 2007/08:
Barclays Premier Reserve League North champions
Played 18, Points Total 43 (W 13, D 4, L 1, F 31, A 8, GD 23)
National Barclays Premier Reserve League champions
Play-off versus Barclays Premier Reserve League South champions Aston Villa (3-0, 5th May 2008)

Dallas Cup (League & Knock-out)
Won: Final versus Tigres (3-0, 23 March 2008)
Liverpool Senior Cup (Knock-out)
Runner-Up: Final versus Marine (0-1, 24 April 2008)
Lancashire County Cup (Knock-out)
N/A: Final versus Manchester United (TBD)

Free Full-back Confirmed

Liverpool FC have today announced the new signing of Philipp Degen. He has come on a free transfer signing a four-year contract and will join us on the 1st July after his current deal expires. He is 25 years old, plays in the position of right-back and hails from Borussia Dortmund who play in the Bundesliga of Germany. His comments regarding his move to Merseyside: "When I received the offer from Liverpool, there was no doubt I would accept it. They are one of the biggest clubs in the world and I am looking forward to the challenge of playing in the best league there is."
Degen is a Switzerland international, most recently losing to Ukraine on penalties in the last 16 of the 2006 World Cup (they didn't concede any goals all tournament) and will partake in Euro 2008 (held in Austria and Switzerland) if he recovers from his current injury. He joined FC Basel at youth level in 1996 and was promoted to the first team squad in 2001. At FC Basel he experienced Champions League football in the 2002/03 season, alongside his twin brother David Degen who currently plays at the club, on loan from Borussia Monchengladbach.
He has been billed by Benitez as an "offensive player with great energy and a winning mentality." Physically he has an athletic build, is tall at 6ft1in and is a very fast runner (like Skrtel) with a mean cross. He will provide competition for Steve Finnan and Alvaro Arbeloa on the right side, potentially improving both of them due to him, and is the older player Benitez alluded to a month ago: "We have some signings for the next season done. They are senior players for the first team and young players for the first team and reserve team. Two of them are really close, young players, and one senior player is done. He talks good English, but is not English."
There are 3 comparisons I would like to make with Degen. Firstly, I hope, no, I beg that he will not be as bad a signing as the last free agent we snared from the German league: Andriy Voronin. He has been a monumental flop, and the only flickering chance of an exit is a tenuous link back to the Bundesliga for him.
Secondly I would like to highlight the overwhelming disparity between Liverpool FC signing a 25 year old right back, and Chelsea signing a 25 year old right back. Liverpool FC manage to identify a suitable player, for a position of weakness currently in the team, for a Bosman transfer and ward off interest from other clubs. Chelsea try to find the best right back in the world (after spending £5.5m on Juliano Belletti from Barcelona last season) but end up latching onto targets of other clubs (Liverpool FC, Manchester United) and then pay an extremely inflated price for the player: £16million to Porto in exchange for Jose Bosingwa. I'd like to see how these players perform over next season and see if Bosingwa is x16 the player Degen is.
And the final comparison was immediately thought of, as when seeing an image of him, what struck me first was his resemblance to Xabi Alonso.

Benitez Targets English Mid-table Maestros

This summer will provide clear indications of the direction the club is heading in, and if we will have a realistic chance of challenging for the Premier League title. One of the main issues during this close season will be the transfers in and out of the club to ensure we have a quality starting XI, that could theoretically be rotated less by the manager. Benitez seems keen to recruit Englishmen to the side, specifically home-grown midfielders that are at the heart of some of the teams who populate the second tier in the league, below the 'top 4'. Gareth Barry (Aston Villa), David Bentley (Blackburn), Michael Johnson (Manchester City) and Stewart Downing (Middlesbrough) are the four most prominent English players that currently ply their trade in the second tier of the Premier League.
Their was some speculation that Rafa was concerned with the '6+5' rule that may be implemented to the game, championed by FIFA President Sepp Blatter and supported by UEFA President Michel Platini. This prospective legislation would force six domestic players to be in the starting team of the club, in addition to five foreign players. This quota system is opposed by the EU as it contravenes Article 39 of the EC Nice Treaty: "Such freedom of movement shall entail the abolition of any discrimination based on nationality between workers of the Member States as regards employment, remuneration and other conditions of work and employment." It was previously thought that it did not breach the European Labour Law on the freedom of movement, as clubs would still be free to buy as many foreign players as they wished, with the important difference being that clubs would have to field six players who were eligible for the national team of the country.
However, the European Commission supports UEFA's home-grown player rule that sets quotas of locally trained players at clubs and does not discriminate on players' nationality. The organisation bodies would collectively investigate the objectives of the '6+5' rule within limits of the law, as such an initiative has been deemed illegal, and the UEFA idea has similar objectives and has been formally accepted.
Currently Liverpool FC have 4 English players that are in or on the fringes of the first team squad: Gerrard, Carragher, Crouch and Pennant, plus 3 English players that are out on loan: Hobbs, Guthrie and Carson. However of these seven players, four are expected to leave, which further highlights Benitez's problems if this bill were to be passed.
The predominant English player that seems to top our transfer list is Gareth Barry. There has been volleys of verbal warfare through the media between Benitez and O'Neill, as the news of an official bid was made known to the public before the conclusion of the season. This was seen as an underhand tactic employed Benitez, as it would unsettle Barry and the team, who were in the race for 5th in the league and therefore the UEFA Cup spot. Another reason for the dispute was the nature of the bid, as O'Neill was unimpressed with the "mish-mash" of players (Carson? Riise? Crouch?) in a part exchange/cash deal that seemed to the Villa boss as undervaluing his captain, who he is determined to keep. O'Neill is adamant that Aston Villa are not a 'selling club' and has asked owner Randy Lerner to join him when he meets with Barry, and commences negotiations over his future. The prospect of Champion's League football and a title challenge at Liverpool FC may out weigh assurances of improving the small Villa squad and building towards breaking the top 4, especially as he is 27 years old and may seek top flight football during his prime years as a footballer. O'Neill's intentions were also evident after he axed Patrik Berger (ex-Red) from his squad and the club after he advised Barry to make the move to us, as such an opportunity wouldn't come around often.
Benitez has said many times that they need to secure targets quickly (recently and after the UCL final), and wants to sign players preferably before the end of May. This may be a veiled criticism of the American owners and his request for guaranteed funding, or CEO Rick Parry, who is notorious for stalling on transfer discussions. However this approach justifies the early movement for Barry, which begun with a phone call 20 days prior to the public fracas, and was designed to gage the stance of O'Neill and inform him of the forthcoming bid. Rafa also moved to quash rumours that Barry was a replacement for Alonso in centre midfield alongside Mascherano, and further indicates he may be played on the left. It would be beneficial for the synergy and balance of the team to have a left-footed player on the left of midfield, as even though the decision to play Babel there had its reasons, I believe his incessant runs cutting inside and lack of crosses from the left wing may limit our attacking options. Another observation may be that fact both Lucas and Mascherano will be at the Beijing Olympics for the first few weeks of the 08/09 Premier League season and Champions League qualifiers, therefore Barry may partner Alonso in the centre during their absence. Barry is definitely a versatile and creative player who would be a promising signing, but perhaps not the most popular amongst fans.
David Bentley is the second English player most attributed to our club. It is said that he has rejected a new contract that was offered to him as a reward for his endeavours this season, that would substantially improve his current deal, boosting his wages considerably to approximately £50,000 a week. Manager Mark Hughes has denounced any ideas for the sale of his prized asset and is bullish on such suggestions, as he wants to add more quality to his team. He claims that it is his, and not the players decision if they are to be sold, and reaffirms the fact that Bentley has 3 years left on his current contract. Bentley could similarly wish to perform in the world's biggest club tournament, but also seek to secure a regular place on the right wing for the national team, and once and for all oust David Beckham from the role. I think Bentley is a competent player who has consistently good performances for Blackburn and the national team, and is a predominantly attack orientated player, which will appeal us fans who like to see exciting football. He has accurate delivery achieving 10 assists (matched by Barry and 1 less than Gerrard), supplying Santa Cruz and basically gifting him goals - the media either ignore Cruz and his 19 goals or eulogise over his apparent proficiency, when in reality he has had numerous tap-ins provided by Bentley. Both Barry and Bentley are estimated to cost £15million.
News reports also claim Benitez has reignited his interest in Manchester City play-maker Michael Johnson. The ownership upheaval at Eastlands (we dodged the bullet over Thaksin) may signal trouble for the club, culminating in a player exodus following the mistreatment of Sven Goran Eriksson and plans emanating from the club to revamp the squad. Benitez tried to sign Johnson last season and was rebuffed, but the player is rumoured to be stalling on a new contract, and is valued at around £8million; at 20 years old he would be a wise investment. Stewart Downing is the final English midfielder to be linked with our club, and is viewed as the most unlikely of the four to move to Anfield. He represents the second choice behind Barry for the left midfield, and would cost about £12million. However he has recently signed a new lucrative deal at Middlesbrough, extending his stay till 2013. Recent outings show him to be a skilful player, exemplified in the 8-1 thrashing of a relenting City team where he scored 2 goals, and he also proved his resolve when he scored against us at home after Torres had scored yet another hat-trick.
My verdict comprises of both optimism and pessimism, as I would gladly welcome such stellar additions to our first team, but I am unsure if we will be successful in securing their signatures as their managers and chairmen clearly do not want to part company. The lure of a top 4 club, UCL football and playing at Anfield may be attractive, but I am apprehensive in placing all my faith in the acumen and ability of our owners and chief negotiators when dealing with steadfast and stubborn opponents (both the selling and rival clubs) who are in the position to hold out for exorbitant prices, which we may not be able to match or better.

Torrific Reds Could Face Awesome Atletico

Last weekend, Atletico Madrid secured their place in the most prestigious club tournament: the Champion's League. They overcame Deportivo La Coruna in the Spanish Primera Division, winning 1-0 through a Diego Forlan goal (former failure at Manchester United) and clinched fourth place. This victory guarantees their promotion to the UCL, irrespective of their final league match against Valencia (Benitez's old stomping ground), even though they could go level on points with Sevilla on Sunday. This is due to the Spanish 'head to head' rule, as they beat Sevilla 4-3 at home in October and 1-2 away in March.
However this success is unwarranted after last seasons inconsistency leaving them in 7th position and qualifying for the Intertoto Cup. The humiliating 6-0 defeat to Barcelona was especially stereotypical of their perennial underachievement and capitulation at the business end of the season. This was undoubtedly one of the factors why Fernando Torres decided to leave his boyhood club who he had passionately served for 12 years, and move upwards to an established European giant who could offer him the best players and competitions to play with/in.
But now the Rojiblancos have earned their place in the Champion's League through talents such as Sergio Agüero, Maxi Rodríguez, Diego Forlán, José Antonio Reyes, Simão Sabrosa and Antonio López. So Torres could face his former club sooner than he may have liked, or perhaps he relishes a chance to prove his development at Liverpool FC, especially his prolific goal scoring ability. But what I can say with certainty is that if he scores, he won't be celebrating - but he might just hear: "His armband proved he was a Red; Torres, Torres..."

'Little Sam' Returns To His Roots

The return of Sammy Lee to Liverpool Football Club was announced today, with him signing a 2-year deal. He will commence work in the vacant role of assistant manager, replacing the out-going Alex Miller (now manager of JEF United Chiba in Japan), and Pako Ayestaran before him (currently on 'gardening leave').
Lee is a born and bred Liverpudlian and is renowned for his sharp passing and hard-working attitude on the field, and his warm and friendly persona off it. He rose up the ranks at Liverpool FC through the Academy, and managed to score on his debut against Leicester City in 1978, which the Reds won 3-2. He has an esteemed career and was present in the glory days of the 80s, collecting numerous honours at the club: First Division Championship 1981/82, 1982/83 & 1983/84, League Cup 1981, 1982, 1983 & 1984 and European Cup 1981 & 1984.
After his playing days were over, Lee continued in the football industry by entering the coaching and management set up at Liverpool FC under Graeme Souness in 1993. Similarly with his early fledging playing career, he gained experience and kudos from his colleagues and moved from reserve team coach to first team coach under Gerard Houllier in 1999. His prowess was next recognised by the national team, and in 2001 he became a coach under Sven Goran Eriksson, becoming full time in 2004.
This appointment can only be positive for the club and players. Lee has a burgeoning collection of accolades, and therefore has talent and experience in both playing and coaching. When he was managing at Bolton Wanderers he was compared to Sam Allardyce (disliked by this opinionated fan) as the antithesis of boring, hoof-ball tactics previously seen and revered by the Trotters fans. His method did not suit a team drilled into long ball and a battling ethos instilled at the club, and hence degenerated into a struggling relegation team playing the wrong brand of football for their limited players.
However at Liverpool, hopefully Lee can welcome a more expansive, creative and entertaining approach to the game, through influencing manager Benitez and working with our team of international stars. Another advantage of this addition to the Melwood staff is that he speaks fluent Spanish from his days at Osasuna in Spain, and as we all know, Rafa has enlisted many of his fellow countrymen to our club.

2008 Meets 1978

Liverpool FC fans got to see the Reds display the new 08/10 kit during the 1-0 victory against Manchester City at Anfield. There is the usual shirt technology incorporated into the kit, such as ClimaCool and ForMotion, and this is supplemented by the ever present Carlsberg logo (longest shirt sponsorship in the league, and counting) and the three white stripes of adidas.
There is a distinct move away from a sports top towards a professional jersey, with a hark back to tradition and the heady era of Dalglish and Souness; the V-neck dominating the new look. Plus there is a touch of modern class with the inside collar embroidered with "This Is Anfield" and a Liver Bird upon a stylish red/white chequered area.












Personally, I was initially apprehensive of the new design, and with a combination of price (the staple RRP £39.99), the fact I have all 3 of last seasons kits, and the growing views towards hitting the owners where it hurts and boycotting: I decided I wouldn't buy the strip. But of course this didn't last long and the aforementioned reasons never really had enough gravitas to persuade me against purchasing one, and thankfully I have rapidly come to my senses.
I'll wait until July to see which exciting players Benitez will be bringing in, and then choose who I'll being getting on my back. Thinking on I may be predictable and opt for a Gerrard or Mascherano number. The name "Barry" isn't the most attractive or popular in today's world, regardless of the playing ability of the man who wears it.
The kit will no doubt be a resounding success, and it has the thumbs up from this opinionated fan.