Liverpool wail “Geroff our Gerrard!”
May 9, 2008
The Sun are today revealing the slightly craptastic transfer nugget that Inter Milan made a huge £25million bid for Stevie Gerrard - only to have it thrown back in their faces, rather unsurprisingly.
An unnamed Inter pencil pusher revealed that:
“We need to make a big signing for next season and Gerrard was at the centre of our thoughts.
“Liverpool gave us the most emphatic response he was not for sale.”
Alas, the most intriguing part of this story - what exactly the “emphatic response” was (indignant spluttering, violent Spanish swearing, a bullet painted in Inter’s colours inscribed with “do one”) - wasn’t revealed by The Sun.
Even Crouch himself doesn’t think he’s worth £15million!
May 9, 2008
Liverpool striker Peter Crouch is precisely 99.75% pissed off today after Rafa Benitez placed a large £15million price tag around his neck. Crouchigol thinks that £15million is a ridiculous amount to ask for him, whilst Rafa is determined not to sell his prize lankster on the cheap - and according to The Sun, Rafa would prefer to see Crouch leave on a freebie next season when his contract runs out than sanction any kind of price cut this summer. Rafa declared:
“If we receive a very good offer — and by that I mean £15m — we will consider it. I’m happy to keep him.”
Lot number 738, a rarely-used Liverpool and England striker. We’ll start the bidding at £15million…
May 8, 2008
Should your team be bidding for Peter Crouch this summer? It’s clear that if the former QPR hitman gets a regular run of games for most Premier League clubs, he’ll score a fair few, both on the floor and in the air. It’s just a shame that Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez seems intent on persisting with a formation that includes just one forward, and that Crouch has to compete with the goal machine that is Fernando Torres.
While there’s been a whole heap of speculation surrounding Crouch all season, most of which has been rebuffed by the striker, it now appears as though the talented forward is moving to pastures new. Sky Sports report that Rafael Benitez has slapped a £15million price tag on his head (after getting a ladder out to reach that far), which is the equivalent of one-and-a-half Gareth Barry’s if Liverpool’s economics are anything to go by.
“Crouch wants to play every week but knows he must fight it out with Fernando Torres,” Benitez said.
“We keep seeing Portsmouth linked with the player but we have had no offer as yet.
“A £15m price tag would not be unreasonable.”
Which is basically the Spaniard’s way of saying ’show me the money’ to potential buyers. Harry Redknapp is clearly a fan of Crouchaldinho, having been his manager when the pair were at Southampton. Will there be a little and large act at Pompey next season, with Crouch and Defoe wreaking havoc amongst opposition defences?
Aston Villa gaffer effectively tells Liverpool to sod off over Barry bid
May 8, 2008
Don’t get Martin O’Neill mad. The Northern Irishman has got one hell of a temper on him and, like a dog with a bone, the Aston Villa manager is mad keen to retain the services of Gareth Barry at the Midlands club. This will serve the dual purpose of keeping arguably Villa’s best player, while also sending out a message that they are not a selling club and aren’t too far away from challenging the ‘Big Four’.
The Guardian reports that O’Neill found Liverpool’s £10million offer for his midfielder nothing short of ludicrous and claims that all this transfer speculation has effected the Villa captain. Perhaps he’s secretly pleased that they’ve lodged such a derisory bid for Barry and that they’ll now go and pursue other players after being told where to shove their ten mill.
“I must clarify this point, as we speak, we are a million miles away [from Barry joining Liverpool],” said O’Neill, who was upset that details of the bid were leaked on Merseyside. “At the moment, it would be like me offering £20m for [Lionel] Messi. Barcelona would say, ‘So what?’ That’s not saying that Messi would want to come.” Asked whether Liverpool’s bid undervalued Barry, O’Neill replied: “Absolutely, without question. This lad is playing for England.”
It also appears that Liverpool offered a couple of players along with their money for Barry, which was instantly rebuffed by O’Neill as presumptuous that he’d want the cast-offs at his club. One thing’s for sure, there’s a lot of love for the midfielder at Villa Park and it will take a lorry-load of cash to dislodge him from the club he’s served so loyally.
4 OUT, 3 IN, Liverpool make £30m transfer bids: Rafa starts summer planning
May 6, 2008
So, here we are just one match from seasons end and Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has many irons in the fire. With moves involving a mass of Premier League teams including Aston Villa, Portsmouth and Newcastle among others.
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is on the verge of a summer clearout with £30m rated quartet Peter Crouch, Jermaine Pennant, John Arne Riise and Xabi Alonso all set to leave in order to bring in the cash for bid for the likes of Aston Villa’s Gareth Barry, Borussia Dortmund full-back Philipp Degen and Wigan Athletic’s Antonio Valencia. (various)
So that’s one hell of a transfer mouthful. Some of these deals seem more likely than others but it does seem like the Spaniard wants to make a raft of changes. Are the players linked with moves to and from Anfield the kind that Liverpool fans would agree with?
Liverpool line up £12m superstar bid – This guy would be great signing!
May 6, 2008
Rafa, always keen to add big name signings, has added another to his wish-list and this is one superstar who could prove very useful indeed at Anfield.
Liverpool have set their sights on Barcelona’s £12m rated French left-back Frank Abidal (Daily Express)
Eric Abidal is a quality player who has been a regular at the Nou Camp since signing in the summer, however he (like many other players at the beleaguered club) seems to be on his way out of the La Liga club. The 28 year old is a international fixture for the French team and is at his peak and would surely be quite a coup if Rafa could snare him. What do Liverpool fans think of this potential signing?
Liverpool man seems sure to leave for £8m: But is it a big mistake?
May 6, 2008
Rafa Benitez could be about to make a mistake as he looks set to let a player head for the Anfield exit.
Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp will bid £8m for Liverpool striker Peter Crouch. (Various)
Peter Crouch has done enough to earn a decent contract in my view and should really be considered as a possible regular partner for Torres instead of just playing the occasional game here and there. What do Liverpool fans think? Is he worth keeping? After 40 goals in a Reds shirt surely he deserves a decent shot back in the first team rather than letting him leave the club.
Liverpool star in £14m exit: Rafa won’t let it happen!
May 6, 2008
Liverpool’s season has been a rocky one, what started out well faded badly in the middle but all in all the achievements of the term have been fairly successful and now it appears that Rafa wants to do a lot of spring cleaning so they can once again try to make a move on the front runners in the Premier League, but surely Benitez doesn’t include Xabi Alonso in his clear-out plans?
Juventus are reportedly interested in signing £14m rated Liverpool’s Spanish international Xabi Alonso. (Daily Telegraph)
The 26 year old Basque midfielder has had a horrid season, wrecked by injury and poor form he has only managed 20 odd starts, however he is still a gem of a player. A battler with vision and a touch of genius, whilst there are at least half a dozen players who should be offloaded I would severely doubt Rafa would want to lose the former Real Socidedad player. Do Liverpool fans want to see Xabi stay?
West Ham’s ex-Liverpool striker in Mr Nice Guy shocker
May 6, 2008
Say what you like about Craig Bellamy (feel free to sum it up in six words!), but the Welsh hot-head of a striker is not all bad. Yes, he might have beaten John-Arne Riise up with a golf club while at Liverpool and OK, he might have had a heated exchange of words with a young lady in a Cardiff nightclub. However, the BBC report that he’s also prepared to put his money firmly where his mouth is by building a football academy in Sierra Leone.
“Because of the war, children haven’t had any opportunity,” he said.
“They haven’t been thrown a football, they’ve been thrown a gun.
“Now we can give them a chance that their fathers or grandfathers never had. That’s the buzz for me.
“I’m not looking to find and sell players. I’m not an agent. I want to make it clear that if any player does make it, any fee goes straight back into the academy.”
The article reports that the ex-Liverpool striker has set up the Craig Bellamy Foundation, ploughing £650k into creating a better life for the children growing up in this war-torn region. It’s good to see a minted footballer doing something positive with his wealth, albeit an unlikely one. Whatever next, Ashley Cole helping with the relief operation in Burma! That would change our opinion of the Chelsea defender!
Aston Villa team-mate thinks Barry should go to Liverpool
May 5, 2008
In fact, Patrik Berger has said that the midfielder would ‘be mad’ to pass up the opportunity to sign on at Anfield, according to The Sun. Despite Rafael Benitez’s best efforts to try and keep schtum about Liverpool’s £10million bid for the England international last week, it’s clear that the Reds are keen to sign Gareth Barry as they continue to build a title-challenging squad on Merseyside.
The Czech midfielder, 34, said: “If I was in Gareth’s position I would go there tomorrow.
“It is the opportunity of a lifetime — Liverpool don’t come after you every year.
“He is the heart of our team and it would be a massive challenge for him.
“I’m not surprised they want to sign him. He has had a fantastic season and was our main player from the beginning to the end.”
Surely this is a done deal? After all, the player himself has talked about furthering his ambitions and being selfish when it comes to next career steps. Martin O’Neill has talked about his uncertainty of keeping his captain and Liverpool are super-keen. Will Arsene Wenger also start sniffing around now that it’s clear that Mathieu Flamini is jumping ship?
Great news for Chelsea and Manchester United fans going to Moscow
May 5, 2008
After the debacle for many Liverpool fans in Athens last season, it appeared as though more of the same could have been on the cards for supporters of Manchester United and Chelsea who are making the trip to Russia to see their team play in the Champions League final. There had been talk of fans needing a visa in order to gain access to the country, which could have been an administrative nightmare.
However, the BBC report that the Russian authorities have backed down over their requirements and stated that, as long as fans have a match ticket, along with passport and immigration forms, they wll not have to bother with a visa after all. This could also serve the dual purpose of making sure that fans without tickets don’t bother travelling to Moscow.
“This is great news for football fans travelling to watch this year’s UEFA Champions League final in Moscow,” said Platini.
“Our job is to make sure that they are able to get to and from Moscow as easily as possible.
“I am therefore extremely pleased that at my request, all fans travelling with a valid match ticket can use this to enter Russian territory.
“For this I must thank wholeheartedly the president of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, the Russian government, the city of Moscow and the Football Union of Russia for this exceptional and unprecedented gesture.”
In predictable fashion, each club have only received 21,000 tickets each for the encounter, with the remaining 27,500 being dished out to corporate sponsors and the like.
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Can Liverpool striker score more than 40 goals next season?
May 5, 2008
The Reds might have come up short in the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Carling Cup this season, yet one player who has been anything other than a letdown is Fernando Torres, the Liverpool number nine who has had the Kop bouncing ever since he scored against Chelsea back in August.
The Times reports that Rafael Benitez is expecting life to get tougher for his compatriot next season, with defences more likely to keep a tight reign on the talented young striker. However, like Cristiano Ronaldo, it’s possible that Torres has plenty of room for improvement over the next few seasons.
“Fernando has been amazing, and he has reached that total without any penalties,” Benitez said. “Clearly it will be more difficult for Torres next season, defenders will have watched him and will work on stopping him. But he can improve even from this. He has a strong mentality and he can cope with what defenders do. It will not be easy to score this many goals again, obviously it will be more difficult for him.
“But if he scores a good number of goals and his team-mates, five of whom have scored 10 or more this season, also improve and increase their number of goals, it will be OK for us.”
Torres has currently scored 32 goals this season and will be hoping to add to this tally at White Hart Lane on Sunday. While defenders might be working harder on stopping him next term, it’s not as if they’ve been standing to one side and let him blaze a trail to goal this season!
Should Liverpool midfielder forget the Olympics?
May 5, 2008
Rafael Benitez has already expressed his frustration over Javier Mascherano having to travel ridiculous distances in order to play an international friendly for Argentina. We can therefore only imagine what the Spaniard thinks about his midfielder’s desire to compete in the 2008 Olympic Games. The Daily Mail reports that Monster Masch is keen to jet off to Beijing to help his nation win the gold medal again, despite this clashing with the start of the 2008/9 domestic season.
“It is a difficult situation,” Mascherano said. “It’s very important for any footballer to win the Olympics.”
FIFA rules state anyone selected must travel, even if they are one of the three over-23 players allowed.
Mascherano, who turns 24 in June, added: “I know that Liverpool has a big game around when I have to go, but we will decide with the manager.
“We didn’t talk about this because we had big games but now we have time. I want to play for my country.”
Benitez is unlikely to be particularly understanding with regard to his player’s request. After all, many footballers completely shelve their international career these days in order to pursue a successful career with their club. While it’s clear that playing for Argentina is very important to Mascherano, we are not talking about a World Cup qualifier here, or even the Copa America. The Olympics has never traditionally been a big footballing occasion and the midfielder’s absence is hardly the best way to start a campaign when you’re aiming to challenge for the league.
Lanky Anfield benchwarmer heading for the exit.
May 3, 2008
The transfer soothsayers that are the Daily Mail reckon that Harry Redknapp is set to toss £8m in Rafa Benitez’s direction hoping that it is enough to convince the Spaniard to let Peter Crouch leave. Daily Mail journo Neil Ashton writes:
“The Liverpool striker expects to leave Anfield this summer after a frustrating season under the rotation policy of manager Rafa Benitez, but he is waiting for offers from other clubs before making a decision.
“Portsmouth’s bid — sanctioned by owner Alexandre Gaydamak, who wants to provide Redknapp with a large summer budget — is the first firm offer on the table and Crouch could yet be persuaded to return to the south coast.”
Crouchigol back to Portsmouth - a good move for the lankster?
Martin O’Neill throws Rafa over his knee and spanks him (metaphorically)
May 3, 2008
The Sun are telling anyone that can read that Aston Villa boss Martin O’Neill is in a mouth frothing frenzy over Liverpool’s Gareth Barry bid. Apparently the Anfield club sent over a fax to their Aston Villa counterparts offering some dosh and several anonymous players in exchange for Gareth Barry - a veritable Pot Luck offer.
O’Neill wasn’t happy at all though saying:
“I am disappointed and that’s an understatement.
“I have spoken to the chairman and Randy Lerner is equally disappointed — and that’s an understatement.
“It’s a deliberate unsettling tactic and particularly disruptive the day before a game.
“It’s not how I would like to conduct business. I will be returning the call and maybe speak to Rafa and I will make the point to Liverpool.”
So all in all pretty shoddy stuff from Liverpool!
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