Liverpool Signings and General Rumours Thread

looder

another Captain(chiellini)... we really are buyiny a yeam of Leaders now not like the money grabbing players goin to chelski ala malouda

PHB

looder wrote:

another Captain(chiellini)... we really are buyiny a yeam of Leaders now not like the money grabbing players goin to chelski ala malouda

I think you'd be pretty silly to say Malouda was a money grabbing player for going to Chelsea. Mourinho has said he wants to go to a 4-3-3 again, and needed at least one more winger to make it. He clearly feels he can be a big part of the upcoming Chelsea team, which also includes a lot of captains,
Drogba, Shevchenko, Terry, Pizzaro, Ballack are all national captains

jesus_thats_gre

copacetic wrote:

have to say I took up what you said the same way as jtg, it doesn't make any sense otherwise.

Phew, thought I was going crazy..

Anyway, forget about it.

Mr Alan

PHB wrote:

I think you'd be pretty silly to say Malouda was a money grabbing player for going to Chelsea. Mourinho has said he wants to go to a 4-3-3 again, and needed at least one more winger to make it. He clearly feels he can be a big part of the upcoming Chelsea team,which also includes a lot of captains,
Drogba, Shevchenko, Terry, Pizzaro, Ballack are all national captains

BUT Malouda also said that he wanted to go to Real rather then Liverpool or Chelsea and now that he has signed for Chelsea rather than Real or us. its fair enough to say that his reasons may not be 100% football related.

Prefer to have players like torres, who seem to love the club, or at least have a major desire to be there. Not to convince someone that Liverpool are a great club, if they need that convincing - I'd prefer they weren't there.

be in favour of an independant liverpool thread, but only as liverpool fans only. otherwise no point. the rest of the banter and general chat with PHB and Tauren etc could be had in here.

jesus_thats_gre

Any player that has just been signed by a club for 15+ million is gonna make out that he loves the club.

Mr Alan

i think its fairly obvious Torres had an affinity with liverpool, even before he signed. that fact that he told madrid to listen to liverpools offer only underlines that.

anyway. . . . is the bremen game on the box today?

just listening to an interview with carragher and the reporter asked him wat is gerrards biggest strenght. to which carragher replied, his biggest strenght, is that he has no weakness.

agree or disagree, its a great quote.

god i cant wait for the season to start

kaisersose77

millersangel wrote:

BUT Malouda also said that he wanted to go to Real rather then Liverpool or Chelsea and now that he has signed for Chelsea rather than Real or us. its fair enough to say that his reasons may not be 100% football related.

And did you actually see malouda being interviewed and saying this? I'd say if he had the choice he'd still pick Chelsea seeing as he has friends there and Diarra is supposedly is on his way out from Madrid. Man Utd and Liverpool are always going to have problems signing big players from southern Europe. Torres himself wouldnt be there if there was no Benitiz and no other Spanish players. And lets say Utd do get Tevez, if he was back in brazil and argentina and playing brilliant, and every big club in Europe was after him......theres not a chance he would go to Man Utd.

PHB

BUT Malouda also said that he wanted to go to Real rather then Liverpool or Chelsea and now that he has signed for Chelsea rather than Real or us. its fair enough to say that his reasons may not be 100% football related.

Why? He wanted to go to Real, but Real wanted Robben. So he went to Chelsea ahead of Liverpool. That doesn't mean he is a mercanary. Maybe he thinks Chelsea are a better team and are more likely to win trophies than Liverpool?

Prefer to have players like torres, who seem to love the club, or at least have a major desire to be there. Not to convince someone that Liverpool are a great club, if they need that convincing - I'd prefer they weren't there.

You'd have to be pretty naieve to think that Torres loves the club. He loves the club as much as any new signings loves any club, keep in mind, he left his hometown club, the club he actually loves. He is at Liverpool to win trophies. There is little doubt in my mind that if he could have gone somewhere more likely to win trophies, he would have.

There's no denying that you want players who want to play for Liverpool, or any club that you support, but to suggest that those who go to other clubs are mercanaries is just kinda silly.

Sajan

Just regarding a few posts back regarding Insua. I have watched all the Argentina games at the Under 20 world cup and this guy has been absolutely outstanding. Good on the ball with some nice skill. Calm and an excellent positional sense. If we end up failing to bring in more cover for the left back position I would be confident enough that Insua could play there and make a real impression. I think the players we have been linked with like Heinze and Chiellini are left sided but also play in the centre. And I think that is where we need cover.. On a side note. Does anyone know where Bannor is these days? He used to spot on for a bit of insight in wheelings and dealings.

Mitch Connor

Sajan wrote:

Just regarding a few posts back regarding Insua. I have watched all the Argentina games at the Under 20 world cup and this guy has been absolutely outstanding. Good on the ball with some nice skill. Calm and an excellent positional sense. If we end up failing to bring in more cover for the left back position I would be confident enough that Insua could play there and make a real impression. I think the players we have been linked with like Heinze and Chiellini are left sided but also play in the centre. And I think that is where we need cover.. On a side note. Does anyone know where Bannor is these days? He used to spot on for a bit of insight in wheelings and dealings.

a number of 'pool fans, and tose of other clubs used to get on his case about the rumours he posted - i think he got fed up and gave up.

Zapp Brannigan

Guillem Balague meets with Torres

Fernando Torres was walking his two dogs near his house in Madrid – "two sensitive bulldogs" that he plans to take to Liverpool – when he got a call from a number he did not recognise. He does not normally answer his phone when he does not know who it is, but thinking it may have been a call from England he decided to pick it up in case it was Cesc Fàbregas, José Manuel Reina or José Antonio Reyes.

"I cannot remember if he said, 'Hi, it's Rafa' or, 'Hi, this is Benítez,' " Torres said. The Liverpool manager was on holiday in Portugal a week after the Champions League final, but he was focusing on signing the striker that would help his team to make the definitive jump in quality in the Barclays Premier League. "I was surprised but did not realise the dimension of what I was hearing till I hung up," Torres said. "Then I thought, ‘Wow, this club that can get anybody in the world has rung me, they want me.'"

A month and a half later, a couple of days ago in fact, he arrived at Melwood at 8am for his first Liverpool training session. Nobody was at the training ground yet, so he changed and started having breakfast while waiting for people to arrive. He shook hands with Peter Crouch first, then Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard, and then he gave Reina a hug – he had arrived. At 23 he was finally where everybody predicted he would end up, at one of the big clubs, one that will help him to play for the first time in European competition and one where he is capable of fulfilling his dreams.

Sadly, it could not be with Atlético Madrid, the club that saw him grow. And that became painfully obvious in the last match of the season just finished, a humiliating 6-0 home defeat by Barcelona. "We always raised our game against Barcelona," Torres said. "It was one of our little victories during a season. We thought that proved that we could be at a higher level if things were done in the right way. But it was all an illusion and I realised it on that day. I had to move on."

When the offer from Liverpool arrived, he asked Atlético to listen to it and if possible accept it, even though Benítez was never going to pay the whole of his buy-out clause.

After passing the medical and signing he asked to say goodbye to his fans in Madrid before being unveiled at Anfield. "In one of the trips, at the passport control of the airport, we were there when a plane landed," he said. "People recognised me and I started signing autographs, but at the same time opening a space so I could keep moving. I quickly realised life was going to be different in Liverpool."

Torres is talking about the weight of expectation that he has had to carry at Atlético, where, at 19, he became captain and the only person responsible for everything that was good and bad at the club. He was mobbed, criticised, scrutinised. He couldn't breathe.

People accused him of saying goodbye in a distant way, no tears or anything. When presented with the new Atlético shirt he rejected the opportunity to wear it. When the chairman offered a hug, he gave a hand instead.

"I didn't think it was convenient to wear Atlético's new shirt when I belonged already to another club," he said. But what he means is that it was never again up to him to represent the club he loves. There was no shield for the directors who for eight years had failed to build a team that could qualify for Europe. In the press conference at Anfield, the weight had gone. It was another Fernando Torres and the smile he wore that day has not abandoned him since.

"I don't care about the weather. My girlfriend, who I will live with, is from Galicia, where it rains constantly," Torres said. "I know I am in a special club, in a city that has had better times, but that is getting stronger. I have already noticed that in the couple of days we have been here.

"When my friends gave me the arm-band with the ‘we'll never walk alone' logo, the one they have tattooed in their arms, I was not thinking of Liverpool as my next destination, but there is a reason why we liked that sentence. At Atlético, in my district, we know what it means."

But training is different and he is already suffering the consequences of the hard work imposed by Pako Ayes-taran, the Liverpool assistant manager. "They do train here, don't they?" he said. Torres knows how important the physical side of the game is in England. "I am going to play 20 more matches than at Atlético," he said. "But I am sure the adaptation is going to be easier partly because I know some of the guys here, but partly because I can already see in training that the team moves like a unit.

"It is a team that is already solid. I was running around trying to follow their moves but I'm still miles away to accomplish that efficiently."

However, other factors will help his adaptation. "I can see I could be useful when we use the counter-attack, with the long balls of Gerrard or the passes from Xabi [Alonso]," Torres said. "It is up to me to give even more to the team. I have scored more goals when I have been playing as a target man, but I can play off another striker, do his dirty work if you like.

"I will have to get used to the different intensity of the Premier League. I also need to get rid of some of the habits one learns when younger. There will be a price to pay while I learn, a yellow card or two. At least I know from having watched the Premier League that referees allow more to the forward. In Spain if I made a fault it was a yellow card straight away, but here I can be physical."

Liverpool fans will have to wait until one of the friendlies in Switzerland - against Werder Bremen or Auxerre – to see Torres's debut. His ankle is getting better and he is training normally. The forward played the last two matches of last season's La Liga while injured to help the failed attempt to get Atlético into Europe despite the fact that he knew there could be moving on.

Now he plans to start improving his basic English and keeps looking at the DVDs the club gave him when he arrived. "They are about the Kop, about the old players and managers," he said. "I have seen a few of them and will see the rest when we go to China, it is a long trip." Six years at Liverpool could also be considered a long trip, but Torres can't wait to start. "How do you say ‘ estoy muy ilusionado' in English?" he asked before going around Liverpool looking for houses. It is "I'm so made up" – in Scouse.

Don't think it's been posted here yet.

zAbbo

Zapp Brannigan wrote:

Guillem Balague meets with Torres


Don't think it's been posted here yet.

I think it has or was linked somewhere, it's from last week, good article if you can wade through the usual Balague tosh.

RE*AC*TOR

Zapp Brannigan wrote:

Guillem Balague meets with Torres


Don't think it's been posted here yet.

it was linked to 159 posts ago.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=53581171&postcount=9504

Zapp Brannigan

Oh well, for people to lazy to click the link (like I was ) this is handier!

The Rooster

Now he plans to start improving his basic English and keeps looking at the DVDs the club gave him when he arrived. "They are about the Kop, about the old players and managers,"

I love the way the club do that to new signings.

event

is that not tapping up though?

contacting a player directly?

Drag00n79

It seems 'El Niño' might not make an appearance vs Bremen tonight. More here.

zAbbo

It sounded like tapping up when I read it last week, who knows how much spin Balague put on it though.

Will there be streams for the game tonight >?

event

http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx?hlid=477265&CPID=21&clid=121&lid=2&title=Roma+close+in+on+Giuly&channel=football_home&

will ye pick up mancini as a result?

Zapp Brannigan

Rafa said he's not offering anymore money for Mancini.

zAbbo

Zapp Brannigan wrote:

Rafa said he's not offering anymore money for Mancini.

I think he said he's not offering 'any money'

Zapp Brannigan

Either way Mancini's agent is in a spot of bother of lying about the interest from LFC!

yom 1

Just a quick question. Slightly off topic but still a Pool matter

Thinking about gettin the E-Season ticket on LFC.TV. Does anybody here have it. Is it worth getting? What is the quality of the streams for live games like

Mr Alan

PHB wrote:

There's no denying that you want players who want to play for Liverpool, or any club that you support, but to suggest that those who go to other clubs are mercanaries is just kinda silly.

wat are you even arguing wit me about this point for!? all i said was i'd want a player who WANTS to play for the club?! you agree with me. didn't call him a mercenary(as far as i can remember,was pretty drunk when i posted that message though! )
do you just like arguing with my posts for the sake of it?

eirebhoy

event wrote:

http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx?hlid=477265&CPID=21&clid=121&lid=2&title=Roma+close+in+on+Giuly&channel=football_home&

will ye pick up mancini as a result?

I doubt it'll change things. Roma have no proven back up for Mancini and Taddei so they need to bring someone in.

Mr Alan

Mancini aint coming to Liverpool.

is the game on telly anywhere today anyone!?

Zapp Brannigan

It's live on Setanta Sports 1.

Dub13

We (IrishKop.com) are happy to Announce a very special Evening for all our members and guests in conjunction with You'll never walk alone irish reds.


Jan Molby confirmed and either Rush or Barns will confirm which one as soon as we have the info

Date for Diary is Thur 20th Sept
Venue will be the TRAM in James Street
tickets will be €20.

also making a special apperance life long reds fan Bernard Dunne with the special belt.

PM me for more ticket info.

yom 1

Dub13 wrote:

PM me for more ticket info.

PM sent

Stky10

New commercial director appointed. Interesting that they seem to be concentrating on increasing development in Asia like a lot of other clubs, I'd have expected a more american (north and south) emphasis.

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N156403070717-1015.htm

zing

Stky10 wrote:

New commercial director appointed. Interesting that they seem to be concentrating on increasing development in Asia like a lot of other clubs, I'd have expected a more american (north and south) emphasis.

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N156403070717-1015.htm

Asia is football mad so should be a much easier market to tap into. South America typically tends to be loyal to local teams (to such degree that you can now get a coffin decorated in your team colours) so is a hard market to break into to any significant worth while 'soccer' is way down the pecking order in the US (although brand Beckham may change that a bit)

Stky10

zing wrote:

Asia is football mad so should be a much easier market to tap into. South America typically tends to be loyal to local teams (to such degree that you can now get a coffin decorated in your team colours) so is a hard market to break into to any significant worth while 'soccer' is way down the pecking order in the US (although brand Beckham may change that a bit)

After I'd added it, I got to thinking that with Gillette and Hicks both getting their son's involved, they'd probably be working on this area (American development). A lot of teams fighting to make money from Asia though. Don't Chelsea have some special arrangement with the Chinese FA for instance?

Daemonic

yom 1 wrote:

Just a quick question. Slightly off topic but still a Pool matter

Thinking about gettin the E-Season ticket on LFC.TV. Does anybody here have it. Is it worth getting? What is the quality of the streams for live games like

I have it cause i used to work weekends and listened to a lot of games on streaming audio as they don't show any competitive games live. When they do have a friendly on the quality is much the same as streams from live-footy or rojadirect.

Kanney

Damn, no start for Torres tonight, that sucks. Anyone know will Yossi/Babel/Leiva make an appearance?

Stky10

Just seen this video of Chiellini in action. He looks a good defender, decent on the ball, and a goal threat as well. And he's still only 22.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hky9y0WQxNg

Zapp Brannigan

I don't think Leiva is with the squad. Himself and Leto are having passport troubles.
Don't know if Babel or yossi will start but I'm sure they'll feature.

In other news: Mascherano will remain at Melwood while the team go off to play in the Asia Cup (or whatever it is we're doing in the East).
and in personal news: I'm getting NTL digital so I'll be a subscriber to LFC TV!

darkskol

Kanney wrote:

Damn, no start for Torres tonight

Boo!
A subs appearance then?, if only I had setanta sports 1.

zAbbo

I'd say there will be a live stream link, same as saturday.

RE*AC*TOR

Trying and NOT succeeding in someone from NTL to pick up the phone for me.

Looks like won't be watching the match so. If someone does get a link I would be much obliged if you could pass it my way.

zAbbo

Ranieri Tells Frustrated Chiellini To Grow Up
Ranieri slams Chiellini rant

Cheers tinkerman, looks like he'll be moving on.

Chardee MacDennis

afaik leto and lucas are both training with the squad but cannot play until they have secured their italian passports which seems touch and go at this stage - would be unfortunate to lose them but from what i've read rafa wont be messing round with players and work permits a la gonzo - once bitten twice shy and all that.

chiellini seems like a good player but is very much a riise - not defensive enough for a PL left back - he is very attack minded and can leave the defense exposed.

zAbbo

Stream - http://livefooty.doctor-serv.com/tue17.7/Bremen_Liverpool.html

LizardKing

goal from voronin ... well taken .... 1 all now...

darkskol

damn missing the match :mad:
Trying to get sopcast to work so I can view the stream.

zAbbo

1-0 Voronin

He's looked sharp today as well.

/edit lol 1-1

sweetie

am I the only one getting derry vtyrone on setanta ireland?

darkskol

anyone at fault for werders goal?
Whats the line up

darkskol

sweetie wrote:

am I the only one getting derry vtyrone on setanta ireland?

Yeah its on setanta sports 1 not setanta ireland, I made that mistake also

zAbbo

Riise 2-1

zAbbo

Jaysis Crouch was a bit late with that lunge !

TVAnts stream is working pretty good (eurosport)