LFC Daily Update News & Rumours

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Bellamy will be ready for both Champions League semi-finals

Liverpool striker Craig Bellamy could be back in time for the UEFA Champions League semi-final with Chelsea as his knee injury is not as serious as first feared.

Bellamy was stretchered off early on in Liverpool's 1-0 win over PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday night.

Liverpool expected that Bellamy would need a scan to find out the full extent of the injury, but after further assessment from the club's medical staff they have decided he does not need any tests on the knee.

The Reds now hope that Bellamy's knee will respond to intensive treatment and that the Welshman will be back in ten days.

A club spokesman said: "Craig will have a couple of days' intensive treatment which should improve the situation."

Bellamy will definitely miss this weekend's Premiership clash with Manchester City and the home game with Middlesbrough next Wednesday.

However, if his knee responds to treatment he could be fit for the visit of Wigan on 22nd April and then the trip to Stamford Bridge three days later.

Source: Skysports

I'm glad although Bellamy have show bad form lately.

[Mighty T.A.L.]

New York Red Bulls are chasing Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse.

The Mirror says the French striker's move to Marseille is on the rocks after his loan spell turned into a disaster.

But the MLS team want to recruit Cisse before the US 'window' shuts at midnight today.

Red Bull have the cash to land the 25-year-old in a loan deal though a full-time switch is unlikely.

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Gabri rejects Reds link

Spanish defender Gabri has played down talk of a summer transfer to Liverpool after claiming there has been no approach from Reds boss Rafael Benitez.

The former Barcelona right-back joined Ajax last summer on a free transfer and has been linked with a switch to Anfield at the end of the current season.

But the 28-year-old insists he has never discussed his future with Benitez and is happy in Amsterdam.

"I did speak with coach Benitez in the winter, that's true, but that was just chit-chat," he told Dutch media.

"He asked me how I felt in Amsterdam, that was all. A possible transfer was not part of that conversation. And I can say that I feel fine at Ajax.

"It (Liverpool) is a great club, everyone knows that. But they did not call me or my agent. Ajax is most important now."

Gabri, who was a member of Spain's 2000 Olympic Games squad, is contracted to the Amsterdam club until summer 2009.

Source: football.co.uk

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Sydney FC will strike at Fowler

They rejected Teddy Sheringham because he is too old, so Sydney FC have now set their sights on their most ambitious target to date - out-of-contract Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler.

Sydney chief executive George Perry last night confirmed the 32-year-old striker, once simply known as "God" to Liverpool fans, is the biggest name on the club's shopping list for Version Three of the A-League.

"He's been discussed at board room level and it shows just how determined we are to set the benchmarks in Australian football that we are serious about targeting a player of his calibre," said Perry.

"He's out of the top drawer and though an official approach has not yet been made, it goes without saying that if he did come to Australia it would be a huge signing for us."

Fowler is already making plans for life after Liverpool, the club he has scored 128 goals for in 262 games over two spells.

But his second coming to Anfield has become a slow death for the impish hitman whose fortunes waned the moment he departed Merseyside in 2001 for frustrating spells with Leeds and Manchester City before his homecoming in January, 2006.

He has started just seven games for the Reds this season – making a further 12 appearances off the bench – for a total of seven goals. He came on as substitute, to little effect, in Thursday's 1-0 Champions League win over PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.

"If he's looking for a new challenge and a new frontier then we can offer him that, plus a great lifestyle," added Perry.

"It's obvious we wouldn't be able to pay him the sort of money he's on at Liverpool."

Far from it, with Fowler reportedly earning $70,000 a week and Sydney only able to offer around a third of that figure.

Fowler's main currency is goals, a quality sadly lacking at Sydney since the departure of Dwight Yorke. But the former champions will face competition from the US and the cash-rich Gulf States for Fowler's signature.

A canny businessman, Fowler – who also made 25 appearances for England – was named among the 1000 wealthiest Britons on The Sunday Times Rich List thanks to a property portfolio in excess of $70 million. The thoroughbred finisher also a string of racehorses.

Source: The Daily Telegraph

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Bellamy could be ready for play already to Wednesday match against Middlesbrough.

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The People says despite Harry Kewell's injury problems, Kewell is still collecting his £2million a year ... and taking advantage of the six business class flights to Australia that Liverpool kindly fund.

Not only that - if another club is of a mind to bid more than £6million for the injury-prone Aussie, he gets 50 per cent of everything over that mark.

Kewell is also the only player on Liverpool's books to have his own image rights deal.

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Stars set to sign

Liverpool hope to tie up the spine of Rafa Benitez’s side on new long-term contracts by the end of next week.

Pepe Reina, Xabi Alonso, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher have all made progress in negotiations – overseen by Foster Gillett and Rick Parry – over the last few days to renew their terms at the club.

And the Reds hope to conclude talks sooner rather than later as the new owners take their first significant steps to protecting the key elements of Benitez’s squad.

It’s no secret Reina, Gerrard and Carragher will happily renew deals, but there is increasing confidence Alonso will join them, fending off keen interest from La Liga clubs such as Barcelona.

Alonso said last week he expected to wait until the summer before discussing a deal, but Benitez is determined to keep the midfielder who he sees as a pivotal part of his plans and hopes to sort his situation much sooner

Liverpool now hope a series of positive announcements on the contracts of these players will follow imminently.

Benitez recently told owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks that while it’s important to invest in new players, of even greater urgency was safeguarding those already at the club.

Under new UEFA regulations, many players with only two years left on their deals are able to buy themselves out of the remainder of their contracts, significantly reducing their value unless they’re kept on longer-term agreements.

Meanwhile, Liverpool’s hopes of selling Djibril Cisse to Marseille for £8m look increasingly forlorn.

Cisse has not been a success on loan in France. He’s due to return to Liverpool for pre-season, unless Benitez can shift him on to someone else.

Cisse was signed for £14m by Gerard Houllier, who is rumoured to be under consideration for the Newcastle United job.

If that comes off, Liverpool will hope he still rates Cisse as highly as he did when he smashed the Anfield transfer record.

Houllier has been linked with a pairing with existing St James’ Park manager Glenn Roeder - who he tried to appoint to the Anfield staff during his final year in charge and used on several scouting missions for Liverpool in 2004.

Source: icLiverpool

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Gerrard named on PFA award shortlist

Steven Gerrard was today shortlisted for the PFA Player of the Year award he won last season.

But the Anfield skipper faces tough competition from Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Chelsea’s Didier Drogba if he’s to retain the honour.

Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and, surprisingly, Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas complete the shortlist.

Yet again, Jamie Carragher has been overlooked by his peers despite being Liverpool’s player of the season in the eye of most Anfield regulars.

Gerrard was voted the Premiership’s top performer last season and continues to inspire his boyhood club at home and in Europe, but United youngster Ronaldo is the hot tip to take the honours this Sunday.

Source: icLiverpool


Steven Gerrard

[Oliver_Kahn]

Voronin's goal this week:

TalkSoccer Media Player

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Nice goal.

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Man Utd gain Youth Cup advantage

Manchester United have the upper hand and a 2-1 lead over Liverpool after winning the first leg of the FA Youth Cup final at Anfield.

Cup holders Liverpool led at half-time through Craig Lindfield's 16th-minte header from Ray Putterill's cross.

But after the restart United drew level when Robbie Threlfall headed Daniel Galbraith's cross into his own net.

On 73 minutes they went ahead when Jay Spearing brought down Febian Brandy and Sam Hewson netted the penalty.

Both club's first team managers Rafael Benitez and Sir Alex Ferguson were in a crowd of 19,158, along with Liverpool first-team players including Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Jose Reina and Xabi Alonso.

Liverpool hope to become only the fifth club to retain the trophy, while United are aiming for a record 10th success when the second leg takes place at Old Trafford on 26 April.

Source: BBC Sport


Craig Lindfield celebrate 1-0 to Liverpool

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Reds to miss out on £8m for Cisse

Liverpool are resigned to losing a potential £8m from the permanent transfer of Djibril Cisse to Marseille this summer.

Marseille are increasingly unlikely to make the striker’s move back to France permanent as he’s endured an unhappy spell back home.

Cisse’s run of four goals in 14 games hasn’t endeared himself to the supporters, and after their initial enthusiasm to sign the forward, Marseille now say they won’t make a decision until the end of the season.

Liverpool are viewing this as a negative sign.

Cisse is not part of Rafa Benitez’s plans. He’d originally hoped to sell the player prior to last summer’s World Cup before he suffered a broken leg in a warm-up match, eventually agreeing to less satisfactory loan deal.


Liverpool’s record signing has made another brave recovery from injury to return to competitive football, but clearly he’s struggling to have the same impact in France as he did at Auxerre, who Gerard Houllier paid £14m to bring him to Anfield.

Source: icLiverpool


Djibril Cisse have no future in Rafa's plans

[Mighty T.A.L.]

*Liverpool want to extend Finnan's contract.

*Simao Sabrosa is once again linked to a possible move to Anfield.