Liverpool Signings and General Rumours Thread

Davei141

Jan koller/milan baros...what a combo they turned out to be.

jcoote

reserves city

The Clown Man

Remember he has a class first touch too. He's no dribbler but his touch and finish is all he needs the way he plays. I can see him knocking in goals left right and centre. Which, in fairness, Liverpool needs.

StickyMcGinty

he's no jan koller. thats for sure.

i think benitez is coming under a lot of fire for not buying enough english players, so he feels under pressure to buy crouch.

thats the only way i can rationalise him spending 6 million to get nando (who had just come off the back of being the champions leagues top scorer) and spending 7 million on crouch, who had 1 good season. and they're paying 7 million to a championship team too. i'd be interested to know when was the last time 7/8 million was paid for a championship player?

Drag00n79

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has targeted Juventus defender Igor Tudor and looks set to make a quick move for the player. Tudor has long been linked with a move to the Premiership, but the Reds are now ready to make that a reality. Birmingham City defender Matthew Upson has also been tipped for arrival on Merseyside, but 27-year-old Tudor has now been identified as the man to shore up the Reds' rearguard. Benitez has already added five players to his squad since the Reds lifted the European Cup in May, but he is desperate for a robust central defender. The Reds boss has been looking for a season-long loan deal or a player on a free transfer and sees the Croatian international as the man to fill the gap.
Source

TheMonster

Tudor - interesting - good player - haven't Juve been playing him in midfield as a holding player mainly due to lack of pace to play CB.

PHB

nando (who had just come off the back of being the champions leagues top scorer)

Who??

---

I think Crouch is tbh a bit on the expensive side, and Southampton are really doing a good bit of business if they can get 6+, but they are getting 7/8.
I don't think he is of Liverpool quality, and I don't htink thats where they need to improve, but maybe Rafa is getting Crouch set on Liverpool so he can get him on the cheap next year, or maybe he sees potential I don't see.

StickyMcGinty

he is desperate for a robust central defender. The Reds boss has been looking for a season-long loan deal or a player on a free transfer

dont buy crouch, get a super defender for 7 million.

tudor is a handy player, but your right he does lack pace, which i think we already lack in our back 4

sorry nando = fernando morientes!

Drag00n79

I saw this piece from Paul Tomkins on the bootroom.org site. A good read in the current climate.

Liverpool's Summer Transfer Activity Explained

I've noticed a pattern: every summer, the same discussions arise. Two opposing arguments will be proffered on every possible signing: He's too this, or He's not enough that.

"Yeah, but..."

"Shut it, dickhead. He's crap. End of."

Ultimately, it's the individual player in question who matters. We all look to what has gone before (at times I'm as guilty as anyone), but there is never a perfect precedent. Just because Player X didn't adapt to the Premiership, it doesn't mean Player Y won't either.

He might not, of course. But he is his own man, in a different period of time, and in a different set of circumstances. He is not a clone. You cannot replicate the situation as it was in the past, or even come close.

Signing a Scottish international from Celtic does not mean you get the next Kenny Dalglish. Signing an old baldy fella from Coventry does not get you another Gary McAllister.

It doesn't stop the repetition of stock arguments.

"He's Just A One Season Wonder"
Any player who has done well the previous season, but not beforehand, gets labelled the One Season Wonder. Almost always a striker, he will be compared to Marcus Stewart, Kevin Phillips (somewhat bizarrely, as he was rather better than that), Michael Ricketts (how did he looks so good for a while, and end up so bad?) and Andy 'How Many Penalties?' Johnson.

Of course, sometimes you cannot afford to wait for a player to be a 14-season wonder –– making your move at the precise moment he announces his retirement.

Then there's the issue of improvement: as a player's game clicks into place, for one reason or another. Is Peter Crouch improving dramatically, or did he merely have a good six months? (In a crap side, at that.) Bad and lucky players do not score 16 goals in 24 Premiership games in a poor team. Even the best players in the world, in the form of their lives, wouldn't do much better than two goals every three league games.

Would Crouch do better with players like Gerrard, Alonso, Luis Garcia, Kewell, Gonzales, Zenden and Figo (hopefully) supplying the service? You can but assume it would surpass a pass from Rory Delap.

And how can you judge a player who had to play for Graham Taylor at Aston Villa, with one who would play for Rafa Benítez at Liverpool? Same freakishly tall human being with comedy teeth, but one whose ability to succeed depends on working with a manager who can bring the best out of him. It is like giving lumps of clay to Michelangelo and a monkey to see which one can manufacture something aesthetically pleasing.

(Admittedly, Michelangelo has been dead for 441 years, and as such, the metaphor is slightly ill conceived; unless, of course, to even it out, the monkey has also been dead for 441 years –– in which case, the whole thing is just rather macabre: a dead artist, a dead monkey and two untouched pieces of clay...)

The opposite: "He's Crap Now, He's Lost It"; to be used for any player who hasn't scored a goal for three weeks.

"He's Too Old/Past His Best"
A perennial, this 'old' chestnut. The current debate surrounds Luis Figo. Class is permanent, after all –– although even the best players head over the hill at some point, and descend rapidly down the other side.

Figo remains a quality act, and is still fit, professional and dedicated. It's a bit like moaning that your old Ferrari "only does 220mph these days...". Ultimately it remains better than even the top-range Skoda.

Then again, if the Ferrari won't even start, as the engine spontaneously combusted (although isn't that what the internal combustion engine is supposed to do?), then even the most basic, fully-functioning Skoda would be a better choice to get from A to B.

Of course, there's always Mauricio Pellegrino: he didn't do so good, did he? Big reputation, but on the slide. Bit like Laurent Blanc at Manchester United.

Sure, but don't forget Gary McAllister.

Ah, but Pellegrino...

And repeat.

Good examples, and bad examples. I say potato, you say pottahtoe. I say McAllister, you say Pellegrino. Both are right; and neither are right.

Bergkamp and Zola remain prime examples of players still cutting it in their mid-to-late 30s. There are other players who looked past it at 29.

One last payday, or a legend with a point to prove? It's all about the individual.

"He's Too Expensive"
People like to assign players a set value, from which they are not allowed to deviate. Peter Crouch is apparently worth only £2.91758m in the eyes of most Liverpool fans, but worth over twice that to the Liverpool manager. Why?

The way I see it, Rafa has a set budget, which we are not aware of, and a hit-list of players on whom to spend that money. If he gets all the players he wants within the overall budget: bingo. That's all he cares about.

Is Peter Crouch worth £7m? If he is to Rafa, then he is to me. (Unless I'm being asked to foot the full bill; in which case he's a lanky streak of piss, and I can spare a fiver at most.)

Seriously though, if Rafa can spend a total of £7m on Figo, Zenden and Crouch, at an average of less than £3m each, then it doesn't matter which one cost £7m and which two were free? Three internationals, two of whom have achieved many, many things in the game, and another who appears to be coming good at a relatively young age.

Of course, the higher the price tag, the more pressure on the individual to justify it. But again, that's down to the individual, and you don't know if a player can handle that until he has the chance to. If he failed after previous big(ish) money moves, then that could be for a myriad reason.

Also see: "He's Too Cheap". As in "He only cost £3m or less, he can't be any good." (Josemi, Nunez ... Um, Hyypia, Henchoz, Riise, Baros, McAllister, Babbel).

...continued in next post.

Drag00n79

...continued

"Only A Reserve At Another Club"
One man's meat is another man's poison. Or in other words, what works for some may not work for others. Is Michael Owen any worse now than 12 months ago, despite being third choice at Real Madrid? Can you compare the standard of player between a reserve at Barcelona and a first team player at Birmingham?

This particular argument surfaced twice in the summer of 2004: it was used to denigrate Antonio Nunez, and yet Luis Garcia –– Liverpool's star in the knock-out phases of the Champions League, and joint top-scorer overall –– was only a reserve at Barcelona, even before Deco and Guily arrived. Luis Garcia may be a far better player than Nunez; but neither were in their respective teams' first XIs. Again, it depends on the individual, not their situation. Fernando Morientes was another who lost his first-team place at Real Madrid, but remains a class act.

The same can be said of one outgoing transfer: Alou Diarra. Good enough to play for France (although not a first choice, of course), but at Liverpool he was behind Gerrard, Alonso and Hamann. No wonder he opted to play first team football in France with the World Cup looming. Had Gerrard and Hamann left Liverpool this summer, along with Biscan, Diarra might have become a key player. Some teams are strong in one area, and at Liverpool it has been with central midfielders. You can't ask ambitious players to hang around as fourth or fifth choices for long.

A reserve at a big club can be a great player in need of an opportunity.

"Never Played For A Big Club"
Actually, this is one of my own favourites. While not essential, it's always helpful if a player has experienced the unique pressures of life at a big club: the bigger, more demanding crowds who expect success; the existence of a whole host of legends from the past to live up to; the regular appearances in European football; the extra press attention; and, of course, the likelihood of squad rotation, which brings its own challenge to confidence.

But even great players often have to make the step up at some stage. Juventus signed Zidane from Bordeaux, and the bonus was that he was a bargain. Real Madrid then bought Zidane after his first experience of a big club, and it cost them £46m. Juventus got the Frenchman's best years, and outstanding value for money.

"We Must Sign World-Class Players"
Always a good one, and certain to lead to a three-day debate as to what defines 'world-class'. World-class players, if (loosely) defined as the very best 50 players in the world (and not just those who grace the world stage now and then), tend to cost £20m upwards. Not to mention £20m+ in wages over a four-year contract.

Someone –– usually aged 15 –– will get overexcited and go too far as, high from the fumes of unchanged underpants, he suggests the manager should sign Robinho, Robben, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Ronald McDonald. The words 'Championship Manager' will appear in reply soon after.

Any team needs the best players it can get its hands on: providing they fit into the scheme of things. Real Madrid remain the perfect example of how buying the best players without any great masterplan can result in declining standards. World-class players demand world-class wages. If their egos are oversized, and they drag their weight rather than pull it, they can destabilise a club.

"No Premiership Experience/Might Not Settle"
Always a good one to pull from the bag to write off any potential signing who happens to be from another country. Every signing is a gamble: the same is as true of those from England as those from overseas. Clearly overseas players will need the possible period of adaptation, but it's not like anyone's asking them to switch from football to blindfolded tobogganing.

Apparently suited to the English game: Salif Diao. Patently unsuited to the English game: Luis Garcia.

While they are clearly different types of players, sometimes good players are all you need; the rest will take care of itself in due course. Better to get someone like Robert Pires working with the dedication of a Salif Diao, as you'll never get a Salif Diao playing with the skill of a Pires.

"He Wouldn't Get Into the Chelsea or Arsenal Side"
Always a bit misleading, this one. After all, Frank Lampard was Footballer of the Year, and yet many Reds would opt for Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso every time. Chelsea fans might argue that, given their parsimonious defence, which broke Liverpool's 1979 record for fewest goals conceded (in less games, mind), Jamie Carragher wouldn't get into their team.

Chelsea are perfectly happy with Lampard, and Liverpool are delighted with Carragher. Neither club needs to buy their rival's best player from 2004/05: although you'd always try to find a place for them, somewhere, if given the option.

Ultimately this is about what Liverpool need; not what Chelsea or Arsenal do not need.

Conclusion
So basically, the ideal signing would be a player aged around 24/25, with Premiership experience, who was born overseas in a sunny clime (they are always more skilful, aren't they?) but who grew up in the English game, and who has played in the latter stages of the Champions League at a club with a large home crowd and a tradition of success, as well as experiencing international football.

I fed all the information into my high-powered computer (ZX Spectrum 48k) and waited for 16 hours (in between a quick game of "Horace Goes Skiing") for the results to print out, dot-matrix format, on thermal paper that looks more like loo roll.

According to those criteria, the best signing the club has made in the last 20 years is...

... Harry Kewell.

mayordenis

maybe hes signing crouch as a a central defender

StickyMcGinty

shamrock, another class post from that lad, must get in to reading his column its good stuff!

Take it

crouch would be a class signing the guy is a natural finisher he just knows where the goal is without looking and has a amazing first touch i think the would be a GREAT signing the guy got 12 goals in 27 games for SOUTHAMPTON!!!! Baros only got 13 with some world class players around him, i think crouch and cisse would be lethal next season with option of Nando on the bench.

Drag00n79

I was just reading there that Rafa might not include Baros in the line-up tomorrow evening. Apparently, he is still hopeful of selling him and does not want him cup-tied. Will be interesting to see.

p.pete

Shamrok wrote:

... I fed all the information into my high-powered computer (ZX Spectrum 48k) and waited for 16 hours (in between a quick game of "Horace Goes Skiing") for the results to print out, dot-matrix format, on thermal paper that looks more like loo roll.

According to those criteria, the best signing the club has made in the last 20 years is...

... Harry Kewell.

LoL, great post

redspider

Thats a good article from Paul Tomkins. His argument boils down to the fact that there are no guarantees when you purchase a player. You get in a handful, some will do better than others, some will make the grade, some will improve, and some wont deliver as advertised. Its a hit or miss affair and most managers have as many misses as hits.

One thing I can judge about Benitez, and that is his style - he seems to be able to recognise his mistakes and then fix them, sometimes a bit slower than I would like, but he fixes them all the same. For example, Liverpool's CB position. He brings in Pellegrino, its a disaster, he reacts slowly but at the end of the season he puts his hands up and gets rid of the player. He gets a free player with Nunez, he tries him out, probably on far too many occasions for my liking, and at the end of the season he lets him go. He signs Josemi, tries to drop Finnan, but Finnan plays his way back into the team, and he drops Josemi. Even words of selling Josemi now. He selects Kewell for the CL final, his tactics fail miserably as he has left out Hamann. He re-organises the team at half time, admitting that he got it wrong, puts a plan in place and the problem is rectified.

So, there is a pattern. Even when he makes a mistake, he seems to be able to recognise it and fix it, if he can. This is a good sign. And its not like he gets everything wrong in the first instance. He signs Alonso, and the player delivers on the pitch. No need to fix that. But he does get things wrong, and at he moment the miss rate is looking higher than the hit rate from season 1. We can only judge season 2 as it plays out.

So, now we tun to Crouch. He offers 5m for Crouch, he likes the player, but most pundits, myself included do not. I do not value Crouch at 5m, 2.19m perhaps, but again, not a player we really want to adopt tactics for, surely. He increases the bid to 6m. Rumours are now that its at 7m. Is this insanity? Just like I called at the time after seeing Pellegrino for 15 mins on the pitch and demanded that he be taken off (only for it to fall on no ears!), my gut feeling is that a Crouch signing would be a big mistake.

Of course, if you look at Baros/Crouch you could see something like a Baros/Koller combo, but Crouch is no Koller. Koller and Baros have a very good understanding of each other, more natural than by thought which can create a hatful of goals. Crouch to me would be a failure in the making, even at 2m. As for 7m, this could be a disaster, and 8m would be an even bigger one. Also, Benitez is going to favour Morientes and Cisse, Baros will be in the 2nd string and could be off-loaded before the transfer window closes in early Sep(?)

Benitez does make mistakes, and I hope he is not going to go ahead with this and in the throes of making another one. I'd rather see a mistake of paying 2m for Figo. Maybe its all huff and puff, but when u see that Southampton are officlaly stating that they rejected a bid for 6m, then u know that this approach is serious. Benitez, if he does this, will be taking many fans to a place where they dont want to be, at 8m for Crouch, probably the laughing stock of the premiership.

I could be wrong of course ......


Here is the latest:
---
Rafael Benítez hopes to secure the England striker Peter Crouch as a Liverpool player by the end of the week after talks between the European champions and Southampton resumed last night.
The Merseysiders' chief executive Rick Parry was in dialogue with the Saints' chairman, Rupert Lowe, with a view to striking a compromise on the fee needed to prise Crouch from the Championship club. Liverpool had a £5m bid turned down last month and an improved offer of £6m has also been rejected, with Lowe keen to generate nearer £8m from the forward's sale following relegation.

The 24-year-old, who graduated to the full England side on their tour of the United States earlier this summer, has since expressed his desire to move to Liverpool, with Harry Redknapp increasingly resigned to losing him. He may wish to consider taking a player from Anfield in part-exchange having seen his squad depleted by 10 departures this summer, with only the free transfers Dennis Wise and Darren Powell arriving to pep up the numbers.

A deal would appear imminent, though Benítez is prepared to turn his attentions elsewhere should Southampton continue to drag their feet. "I want to sign Peter Crouch," he said yesterday. "I like the player and he would be a good addition to our squad.

---

Redspider

el rabitos

the liverpool echo is reporting that baros will not feature at all in tomorrows game against TNS.

so leaving baros available to other teams in europe would suggests he's on the way out, pitty. would be interesting ot see him alongside a fully fit morientes or even crouch.

is that a new away strip we have now or is it the 3rd strip that was only used once or twice?

tel922001

not about transfers but about xabi alonso its worth a read to realise how much of a steal he was

http://www.ynwa.tv/features/index.php?section=1&newsid=1944

emc2

Rafael Benitez has confirmed that Antonio Nunez will be allowed to leave Liverpool if the club receive the right offer.

Drag00n79

Just appeared on on TalkLFC.com
In spite of reports in the mainstream media to the contrary, Liverpool are believed to have made an offer for Chelsea defender William Gallas. That bid is said to have been accepted by the London club.

Sources close to the club have informed this site that the France international now tops Benitez' transfer list. The Spaniard is believed to have pulled out of deals for Argentine Gabriel Milito and Spain international Pablo Ibanez and opt to add more Premiership experience to his squad.

ButcherOfNog

having seen crouch play a few times towards the end of last season, i actually think he'd be a good signing, he was a very noticably good player in a poor southampton side. 8mil is a hellofa lot of money for him tho.

el rabitos

after we sign crouch the squad will have the ballance of a see-saw, we'll have enough room for 2 strikers to play and the rest to fill the bench.

8 million or whatever they plan on ripping us off with would be far better spent on another defender

byte

Shamrok wrote:

Just appeared on on TalkLFC.com
In spite of reports in the mainstream media to the contrary, Liverpool are believed to have made an offer for Chelsea defender William Gallas. That bid is said to have been accepted by the London club.

Sources close to the club have informed this site that the France international now tops Benitez' transfer list. The Spaniard is believed to have pulled out of deals for Argentine Gabriel Milito and Spain international Pablo Ibanez and opt to add more Premiership experience to his squad.

I wonder how true that is?

Gallas would be a great addition to the squad.

yom 1

From SSN

Liverpool's summer of spending looks set to continue after they made a reported £7.5 million bid for Real Zaragoza defender Gabriel Milito.

The Reds' defensive options for the new campaign are looking thin after the departure of Mauricio Pellegrino, and it is to another Argentine that Rafa Benitez has now turned.

"We need more players and more quality," admitted Benitez. "You can then approach every game with good prospects knowing you have a good squad.

"We need a central defender. I have told (Jamie) Carragher and (Sami) Hyypia this because we need more competition. We also need a right-sided midfielder and a striker.

"The statistics show that we needed to improve in defence, we need more clean sheets so we have to improve with new players. We lost a lot of games 1-0, that means we need to be stronger."

Liverpool had been linked with Birmingham's Matthew Upson, but Benitez likes to trust his vast knowledge of Spanish football.

Milito is widely regarded as one of the best defenders in La Liga, and the 24-year-old has previously admitted that he would love to move to Anfield.

"If Liverpool make a concrete offer then it would be very difficult to say no," said Milito.

"I am happy at Zaragoza but it is not every day the champions of Europe are interested in you."

Liverpool will hope that their latest bid will be enough to secure Milito's signature, after an earlier £6 million was turned down.

redspider

In terms of Milito, I read this:
"He has so far won 11 international caps and although only 5ft 8in, is known as a strong defender with good ability on the ball."

I would be worried about his 5 ft 8in, which is small in the english premier league for a CB. Talk about a contrast between Hyppia (6.3) and him. Also, tactically, Benitez would seem to be going for Crouch (6.7?) up front, who is the epitome of an attack formation related to height, yet he is looking at a defender that would be susceptible to the same tactic. Thats strange. Milito may be a good defender but he just looks a bit on the "wee" side.

Rumour also has it that Perez doesnt want to sell Figo to Liverpool and would rather give him away on a free to someone else, but not Liverpool, as politically giving a player away to a "potential competitor" would not be seen as a good decision in Spain, ala the Morientes loan to Monaco. The 2m was hterefore intentionally thrown up as a deal-breaker and in the meantime Perez watched whilst Figo and Liverpool wasted their time negotiating. Perez has little regard for the career and even the value of Figo it would seem.

Looks like there is more or less a full squad available for this evenings match v TNS. Baros and Dudek wont play, nor do they need to. It would be foolish to cup-tie them for no need. A nice 3-0 or 4-0 win will clinch the tie, and hopefully no injuries. I dont want those to start again.

Redspider

~Rebel~

listen to this for the most rediculous thing ever!
source: http://www.eatsleepsport.com/index.aspx?story_id=232798

Alonso to help fund Crouch deal? Tue, 12 Jul 2005 11:32

Aston Villa have enquired about Xabi Alonso but the midlands club are struggling to find the cash to fund a bid.
Following Steven Gerrard's new deal, any cash would come in handy for Rafael Benitez who still hopes to sign Peter Crouch from Southampton.
Spanish international Alonso would be rated around the £8m mark which looks to price out Villa. The Reds paid Real Sociedad £10.5m for the midfielder in 2004.

After struggling to establish himself in the Premiership during his two years with Aston Villa, Crouch was a revelation for Southampton last term, finding the target 16 times despite Saints' relegation.

Those goals now look likely to earn the 24-year-old a move to the European champions, providing they are prepared to match Southampton's valuation of £7million, just 12 months after Villa sold him for £2million.

"I want to sign Peter Crouch," confirmed BenÃ*tez. "I like this player and he would be a good addition to our squad.

"At this moment Rick Parry (Liverpool's chief executive) is talking to Southampton and hopefully something can be agreed."

LizardKing

tel922001 wrote:

not about transfers but about xabi alonso its worth a read to realise how much of a steal he was

http://www.ynwa.tv/features/index.php?section=1&newsid=1944

Having read this article cannot see how the below story can be true .. Alonso / Gerrard should be the 1st choice midfield pairing for the season and hopefully will form a world class partnership ...

~Rebel~ wrote:

listen to this for the most rediculous thing ever!
source: http://www.eatsleepsport.com/index.aspx?story_id=232798

~Rebel~

I've no doubt its untrue, prob just something made up by a particularly piss poor columnist who doesn't actually know much and has nothin else to write about. Even the valuation of xabi at 8M. So he's dropped 2million since he joined and proved to be a fantastic player in the premiership as well as spain? Also if pool wouldn't sell gerrard for 30mill i doubt they'd sell xabi for the same. Imagine the uproar - selling Xabi Alonso, a genious of the game, to buy Crouch, a particularly poor joke by the man upstairs! (perhaps a bit harsh, but the lads ugly as sin!)

Just saw it and thought the hilarity of the idea should be shared with fellow football enthusiasts. *smokes pipe*

tel922001

~Rebel~ wrote:

I've no doubt its untrue, prob just something made up by a particularly piss poor columnist who doesn't actually know much and has nothin else to write about. Even the valuation of xabi at 8M. So he's dropped 2million since he joined and proved to be a fantastic player in the premiership as well as spain? Also if pool wouldn't sell gerrard for 30mill i doubt they'd sell xabi for the same. Imagine the uproar - selling Xabi Alonso, a genious of the game, to buy Crouch, a particularly poor joke by the man upstairs! (perhaps a bit harsh, but the lads ugly as sin!)

Just saw it and thought the hilarity of the idea should be shared with fellow football enthusiasts. *smokes pipe*

liverpool are i nthe hunt for a right side midfilder for the reason that the want to play 5 accross the middle,sissoko is the replacement for didi gerrard and alonso in the centre and the 2 outside places are up for grabs , after a little time probably the best midfield in england , just heard that milto offer of 7.5 million was turned down so they upped to 8.0m so he would be a very nice buy calss act

TheMonster

tel922001 wrote:

liverpool are i nthe hunt for a right side midfilder for the reason that the want to play 5 accross the middle,sissoko is the replacement for didi gerrard and alonso in the centre and the 2 outside places are up for grabs ,

This is the soccer forum - not humour
Makele,Lampard,Duff Robben Cole
Viera,Reyes,Llyunberg and Fabregas
even United aging midfield would be better.

PHB

He is talking about in a couple of years, and he might be right.
Alonso is a fantastic talent, and I've no doubt that Gerrard and Alonso in 2 years will be up there as possibly the best central midfield combo.
That said, Arsenal will have replaced Vieira by then, so whos knows who'll partner Fabregas, who will increase just as much as Alonso will in 2 years.
Chelsea have an outstanding midfielder, with many more years in it except for Makelele, which will be their most important buy next summer.
United will have an unknown midfield in two years time, with only Fletcher probably still there, so whos know.
Alonso will be an amazing amazing player

Cyrus

i would imagine alonso is worth circa 20 million at least and would only leave liverpool for real madrid or barca, that has to be the worst story ive ever heard!

Davei141

TheMonster wrote:

This is the soccer forum - not humour
Makele,Lampard,Duff Robben Cole
Viera,Reyes,Llyunberg and Fabregas
even United aging midfield would be better.

'After a little time', uniteds aging midfield will be in a nursing home.

uberwolf

had an upsetting thought.

Has Nunez Champs League medals from 2 clubs?

mayordenis

**** that nunez has done nothing wrong,
hes not just pickin up a wage,
given a real chance he could be very solid.
give him a break.

tel922001

TheMonster wrote:

This is the soccer forum - not humour
Makele,Lampard,Duff Robben Cole
Viera,Reyes,Llyunberg and Fabregas
even United aging midfield would be better.

monster i know its a soccer forum and thats why i talked about soccer if u read my piece i said in a little time, and i think it will be the best midfield in england , chelseas are good but i dont think their midfield is as good as people make out lampard stands out of course but then gerrard does aswell, also makelle? what about alonso? who would u choose? and im a big fan of duff but injury prone all the time or robben is another who gets injured very easy, and as for united i think they are past their sell by date ,and arsenal have a bit of work to do on the midfield viera is a class act but they have other areas the need to improve on , so i think im my eyes that gerrard and alonso and the best midfield partnership now and in time when we get our wingers sorted out we will be probably the best in england but the best midfield doesnt always mean u will win the title we have a bit to go before that happens

yom 1

From SSN

"Real Zaragoza defender Gabriel Milito has told skysports.com that he wants to join Liverpool, after The Reds submitted a £7.5 million bid for his services.

Reds boss Rafa Benitez has identified the Argentine international as a prime transfer target as he seeks to add competition to his current first choice central pairing of Jamie Carragher and Sami Hyypia.

The Liga side are currently mulling over the approach from the UEFA Champions League winners, although sporting director Mauricio Pardeza insisted earlier on Wednesday that the player was fundamental to Zaragoza's plans.

Milito has emerged as one of the most impressive stoppers in Spain after overcoming an abortive medical with Real Madrid two years ago, and has now expressed to skysports.com his desire to become the latest member of Benitez's former La Liga contingent at Anfield.

The 24-year-old has two years left on his current deal at La Romareda, although he has told the Zaragoza outfit that he is keen to move to The Premiership.

"I want to leave because a proposition of this type is unique," Milito told skysports.com.

"I have demanded a settlement with Zaragoza and I believe that the transfer is possible.

"Everybody will benefit from it and I don't understand why Zaragoza are initially negative."

If Liverpool tie up a move for Milito he will join fellow summer arrivals Jose Reina, Boudewijn Zenden, Mark Gonzales and Antonio Barragan as Benitez looks to build on the club's European glory and lead a sustained challenge on the domestic front.

The stopper's agent Eduardo Gamarnik confirmed that his client was keen to be involved in such endeavours and could not turn down such an opportunity.

"Gabriel has the best opportunity of his sporting life if he goes to Liverpool," said Gamarnik."

StickyMcGinty

nice one milito, sign kuyt and him and i'll be happy!

so the figo deal is dead inthe water then, pity, i thought he really could have added spark to the side during the season, a bit of flair!

~Rebel~

Not sure of this story, says real have potentially reopened the door for figo to join pool.. take with a pinch of salt tho sa this is the only report of this anywhere..
source; http://www.worldfootballers.com/news.php?id=7356

Shred

It was also reported on BBC yesterday:

Real could revive Reds' Figo deal

Real Madrid appear to have re-opened the door on a deal with Liverpool for the Portugal winger Luis Figo.

The Reds moved for Figo, 32, after Real suggested they were prepared to release the former world footballer of the year, who has a year left on his deal.

But when Real said they wanted a £2m fee, European champions Liverpool told them they would look elsewhere.

Now though Real's Emilio Butragueno has said: "We hope that we reach an agreement that satisfies both sides."

Butragueno, vice-president at the Berrnabeu, added: "Luis is an extraordinary professional and we have a very good relationship with him."

Figo has gone with Real on their pre-season tour of the US and Asia, but doubts remain about his future at the Spanish club.

Inter Milan are reported to be interested, along with Liverpool.

I know Liverpool have brought in Gonzales who can play on the right wing but I'd like to see them bring in a natural right winger like Figo as I don't like seeing Cisse being used there - he's a striker and should be played as one :mad: Having said that, I'm still not sure if Figo is suited to the premiership.

woodyg

If Figo is available on a free it wouldnt be a bad signing for a season season and a half.

Milito is the 1 i want and i think rafa wants the most. Central defence needs strengthining badly.

If Jamie got injured i would shudder to think what would happen. :eek:

emc2

Has Anyone else heard that we are about to rap up a deal with chelsea for William Gallas ? I am trying to find the source again and will post it when I get it. I think this would be agreat signing for us.

seabee

I read this on the meejawatch section of the official website. The first paragraph is very interesting.

ianomccabe

Heard today that upon the completion of a medical Figo will be presented at a press conference next week. Real have supposedly agreed to give him a free transfer.

Milito has threatened to hand in a transfer request if Zaragoza do not accept the bid tabled by Liverpool which is believed to be 7.5 million.

cerbeus

Liverpool's England Under-21 midfielder John Welsh has been told he can leave the club if a suitable offer comes in for him.

From the official site:
Link

Lex Luthor

cerbeus wrote:

Liverpool's England Under-21 midfielder John Welsh has been told he can leave the club if a suitable offer comes in for him.

From the official site:
Link

Rafa gave him a few chances towards end of season and he showed he wasn't up for it

kaimera

balls.

I felt Welsh could become a solid player for us.

~Rebel~

The site does say a loan move is more likely though, which id like, just to give him a good run of 1st team football somewhere and can decide then.

cerbeus

The loan deal is more likely as I can't see any one paying £1M for an unproven reserve player unless he drops down a league.

Who knows maybe a loan deal might prove the best for him to regain the form that first got him noticed.

yom 1

Just got this in an email thought it was worth a chuckle
its a little long though

The year is 2007 and little bluenose Duncan is talking to his bluenose
Dad.

SON "Dad, my mates in school told me that Liverpool won the European
Cup for the 5th time in 2005 - are they right dad?

DAD "Yes son, it's true, but they were dead lucky son, all the way
Through the tournament"

SON "Why dad?"

DAD "Well in the group stages ....."

SON "What dad, did they have a team from Azerbaijan, Israel, and
Ireland in their group?"

DAD "Well no, they had Monaco, Deportivo la Coruna, and Olympiakos"

SON "Well they still sound like 3 easy teams to me dad"

DAD "Actually Monaco reached the final the year before, Olympiakos had
Won their league 7 times out of the previous 8 seasons, and Deportivo
Finished above the galacticos of Real Madrid in their league".

SON "Jeez dad, that sounds like quite a difficult group then".

DAD "yeh I suppose your right son, but they were still lucky - it took
A mi**** shot by Gerrard against Olympiakos to get through".

SON "oh is that the goal were your hero Andy Gray goes berserk Shouting
"you beauty, you beauty, what a hit son, what a hit!!!!"

DAD "yes son it is"

SON "oh ok. Well what happened in the last 16 dad, who did they draw?"

DAD "Bayer Leverkusen"

SON "Bayer who?"

DAD "Exactly son, but they had beaten Real Madrid 3-0 at home, and won
their group that included Dinamo Kiev and Roma too."

SON "bloody hell dad, they sound good".

DAD "yes, I suppose you're right son"

SON "so did they win on away goals or something"

DAD "errrrr, no, they won both legs 3-1 each"

SON "oh - well who next then dad"

DAD "Juventus"

SON "How the f#ck did they get past them Dad?"

DAD "Well they did - they won 2-1 at home, and cruised to a 0-0 away
Draw without Juve having hardly any chances".

SON "were Juve sh#t at that time - had all their decent players gone Or
something?"

DAD "well actually they still had players like Del Piero, Nedved,
Ibrahimovic, Thuram, and Buffon in the side. And they won Serie A a Few
weeks later."

SON "wow, they beat the Italian champions elect - which p*ss easy team
Did they get in the semi then?"

DAD "Chelsea"

SON "Chelsea - for f#cks sake - what a piss easy draw - they've won
nothing, Everton have won more than them".

DAD "well that season they won the Premiership and League Cup but the
Red sh*te didn't let them score in 186 minutes of football"

SON "Jesus Christ - so Liverpool beat the English Champions elect too"

DAD "yes son, they bloody well did".

SON "so after all that I suppose all the good teams had been knocked
out"

DAD "not quite son, AC Milan awaited them in the final"

SON "no way - aren't they the 2nd most successful team in the
competition's history".

DAD "yes son they are"

SON "so were Liverpool lucky because Milan had all their good players
Out with injuries"

DAD "no - they had Shevchenko, Crespo, Maldini, Nesta, Cafu, Kaka,
Stam, Dida, Gattuso, Pirlo, and Seedorf".

SON "your 'avin a laff"

DAD "it gets worse son, Milan were cruising 3-0 up at half-time".

SON "what happened, did they have 3 men sent off in the second half -
How did Liverpool get back into the game?"

DAD "no, Milan had no men sent off, the Red sh*te scored 3 goals in 6
minutes"

SON "against the best defence in Europe"

DAD "yes!!!, against the best defence in Europe"

SON "so what happened next - extra time?"

DAD "yes son, and Dudek made the luckiest save ever to stop a
Shevchenko shot from a yard"

SON "why was it lucky dad - did it hit him on the arse, nose, shoulder
Or something"

DAD "no son, his hand"

SON "well aren't goalies meant to save shots with their hands"

DAD "yeah but that's besides the point"

SON "then what"

DAD "penalties!"

SON "English teams are crap at penalties"

DAD "not this f#ckin time they weren't - they only missed one. And
that's how Liverpool became the luckiest team to win the European Cup".

SON "but I bet when they brought the cup home there was hardly anyone
To watch as all Liverpool fans live anywhere but Liverpool you say. How
Many was there, 5,,000 or so?"

DAD "1 million people lined the streets".

SON "so let's get this straight dad - Liverpool had 3 good teams in
Their group, they then knocked out a team who had beaten Real Madrid
3-0, they then knocked out the future Serie A champions, then knocked
out the future Premiership champions, before coming back from 3-0 down
to beat the 2nd most successful club in Europe. And then the whole
population of Liverpool came out to welcome them home!!!!

DAD "that about sums it up son"

SON "dad?"

DAD "yes son"

SON "can I have a Liverpool shirt for my birthday next week, and can
you stop calling me Duncan - I'm Stevie from now on"