LFC Daily Update News & Rumours

[c.ronaldo#1]

Liverpool better get their tissue ready. They are going to get embarresed by Barca.

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Originally Posted by c.ronaldo#1

Liverpool better get their tissue ready. They are going to get embarresed by Barca.

We are not cheaters like some others...Barcelona don't have the squad to embarres us because we will not allow them to in such important match.We are 100% ready for them and Rafa know all about the spanish teams.Someone have to beat out Barca and only we can do that of all teams.No one did last season but they didn't meet Liverpool...lucky for them.Worst draw Barca could get.I guess Benitez is very happy with the draw but I know he would prefer Real Madrid.But Barca is an okey draw.

[Evertonscouser]

Originally Posted by Mighty T.A.L.

We are not cheaters like some others...Barcelona don't have the squad to embarres us because we will not allow them to in such important match.We are 100% ready for them and Rafa know all about the spanish teams.Someone have to beat out Barca and only we can do that of all teams.No one did last season but they didn't meet Liverpool...lucky for them.Worst draw Barca could get.I guess Benitez is very happy with the draw but I know he would prefer Real Madrid.But Barca is an okey draw.

Can't wait to see Finnan vs Ronaldinho

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Originally Posted by Evertonscouser

Can't wait to see Finnan vs Ronaldinho

You will be disappointed I'm afraid.

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Benitez: Barcelona think they are better

Rafael Benitez has spoken about Friday's Champions League draw that pitted the 2005 winners against the current holders and warned Barcelona not to start celebrating just yet.

The Liverpool boss admits he has been surprised by the reaction to the draw in Spain but believes the Reds can learn a lot from the way they were knocked out of the competition last season.

"All I have heard is how they hoped to draw us," claimed Benitez, "They seem to think they are better. I have received a lot of phone calls from people in Spain and they were all saying how much Barcelona wanted to draw us. They will not lack confidence, but this is the Champions League, and everyone knows what a big difference it makes to our players.

"As Valencia coach, I won many times at the Nou Camp. In fact, over the past few years, Valencia have become their bogey team, so we will not have anything to fear. You only have to look at last season to see what can happen. Everyone thought it would be easy for us against Benfica. Now they are saying this is mission impossible against Barcelona. We have a lot of respect for them, but we have shown what we're capable of in this competition."

Source: http://www.liverpoolfc.tv

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Hyypiä linked to Malmö

Malmö FF's are after Sami Hyypiä, 33, who has a contract with Liverpool until 2008.If reports in Sweden are to believed.

Jari Litmanen and Jonatan Johansson are believed to have asked Hyypia to come and play in Sweden.

Even if a transfer can't be registrated before 1 st january when the transfer window opens, a deal could be done.
Sami Hyypiä has international experience and is considered as a top notch centre back parterner to Dixon.

Hyypiä has played in the finnish national team together with current MFF-stars Jari Litmanen and Jonatan Johansson.
These two have recommanded their friend to Malmö.
The contacts with the centre back star is therefore extremly good, and MFF work active to complete the deal with Hyypiä.
Sami Hyypiä has contract with Liverpool until 2008, but has been in the club since 1999 and it was speculation about that he might get sold already before this season.

MFF, the richest club in Sweden, has the millions to buy him from Liverpool.
MFF has in the two last years sold Markus Rosenberg and Afonso Alves for around 45 million each (around £3m each), and also earned millions when Zlatan Ibrahimovic was sold further (from Juventus to Inter).

Source: http://www.liverpool.vitalfootball.co.uk

[Mighty T.A.L.]

I should have done deal for Liverpool - admits Morgan

Steve Morgan, Liverpool's third-largest shareholder, admits that he should have bought the club when he had the chance.

Morgan, who made his millions in the building and hotel industries, is about to lose the prize he has wanted for years to the Dubai International Capital group, who are currently engaged in due diligence ahead of an expected £450million bid for the club.

Two years ago, Morgan reached a provisional agreement with chairman David Moores, before backing out of the deal after his own due diligence had revealed the full extent of the costs for a new stadium.

Morgan wanted to re-negotiate the share price with Moores, offering less per share, and the deal collapsed, much to his regret now.

He said: "My bid waspre-Istanbul, pre-Rafa Benitez settling into the club and pre-the Sky TV deal.

"If I'd had a crystal ball and seen all these things in advance then maybe I should have done the deal at the time.

"Hindsight is a wonderful thing."

Morgan's dream has been ended with the club about to be taken over by DIC, the investment arm of the Dubai government, representing the ruling Maktoum family.

And Morgan believes that the deal now on the table will go through and be operational by the end of January.

He said: "It seems that they are well on now with their due diligence, from what I hear I do not see any reason why it should not go through. Probably sometime in mid to late January. That seems to be well on target."

And that would end Morgan's own shareholding, because DIC are aiming at a 100% takeover, which will force every shareholder to eventually sell to them.

Source: http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Simpson insists Mellor is worth the wait

Paul Simpson is hoping that 2007 can be a big year for Preston North End striker Neil Mellor.

Mellor has yet to kick a ball for the first team following his August arrival from Liverpool because of a knee injury, while it's coming up for a year since Nowland broke his leg in two places in the January victory at Norwich.

Updating their progress, Simpson said: "Neil is doing really well at the moment, he's had his set-backs but hopefully he's over them.

"When we signed him we knew there was going to be a period where we would have to be patient, although we didn't expect to have to wait this long.

"But we felt Neil was going to be a great long-term signing and I still believe that.

"In the short space of time we had him fit in training and playing for the reserves, he looked a great goalscorer.

"At the moment, we only have Brett Ormerod at the club who you could call a natural goalscorer – one who scores scruffy goals off his backside or whatever.

"I think Neil is the same sort of player as Brett and hopefully during January we will see a lot more of him.

"When we play the first reserve game of the New Year, I would like to think he is playing a part in that.

"Along with Adam Nowland, he has been doing all his football rehabilitation in the last two weeks and is looking a lot better to when he played for the reserves earlier in the season.

"Back then, he had very much of a limp, but we
always expected that to go once the nerve endings began to settle down.

"He is closer to running smoothly and looking a lot better."

Source: http://www.prestontoday.net

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Sinama stars in Madrid

Liverpool's loan star Florent Sinama-Pongolle stunned Real Madrid in the Bernabeu Stadium last night - and is now paving the way for a permanent Anfield exit next season.

The French striker has been in fine form since being sent on a season loan to unfancied Recreativo de Huelvo.

He outwitted Ballon D'or winner Fabio Cannavaro to score his sixth in nine starts in an historic 3-0 away win for the Spanish minnows, who currently lie a surprising seventh in La Liga.

Recreativo have an option to buy the striker if they can meet Liverpool's asking price, but Sinama's exploits are sure to be alerting others to his quality.

His long-term Liverpool future is clearly in the balance, but manager Rafa Benitez is well aware of the youngster's impact.

"We have scouts watching all our loan players and we know Sinama is playing very well in Spain," said Benitez today.

"We are analysing every game our loan players are involved in and know exactly what each is doing.

"Djibril Cisse is also back playing again, and we are monitoring all of them closely because we realise they are still our players.

"It's far too early to say what's going to happen in the future.

"We have a loan deal which keeps Sinama at Recreativo for the season. After this, they will either use an option to sign the player or he will come back.

"It's not clear at this moment whether they would have enough money to be able to buy the player."

Sinama joined Liverpool in 2002 as part of a £7m joint deal with Anthony Le Tallec.

The duo never fulfilled their promise on Merseyside, but Sinama was always the more talented of the two.

Meanwhile, Liverpool's interest in Lucas Neill remains on hold.

There has been no approach from Liverpool to Blackburn since a last ditch attempt to secure a deal collapsed in August.

It would appear any prospect of a transfer rests largely with how much the player insists on a move.

Neill has made it clear in the past he would relish a switch to Anfield, but having already refused to pay £2m for a player out of contract in the summer, the Reds are unlikely to pay anywhere near that fee to secure his services now.

Meanwhile, Steven Warnock returned to action last night as Liverpool reserves crashed to a 1-0 defeat to Bolton.

And the club's reigning FA Youth Cup holders have been drawn at home to Chelsea in the fourth round of the competition.

Source: http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Liverpool to finally net Neill after Blackburn look to Nesmachnyi

Liverpool will sign the Australia international defender Lucas Neill in a cut-price deal from Blackburn Rovers next month with the Merseysiders' manager Rafael Benítez aware that the anticipated transfer funds from the takeover of the club by Dubai International Capital will not materialise until the summer.

Neill, who is out of contract at Ewood Park at the end of the season, will complete his move to Anfield having almost joined on deadline day in August only for the clubs to fail to agree a fee at the last minute. Blackburn had explored the possibility of taking the Liverpool full-back Stephen Warnock in part-exchange, but they are close to signing a replacement with the Dynamo Kiev defender Andriy Nesmachnyi in Lancashire and due to take a medical last night. Rovers will hope to raise around £1.5m from the sale of Neill.

Benítez's move for the 28-year-old Neill reflects the reality that DIC's proposed takeover is unlikely to be completed until nearer the end of January, thus denying him a chance to exploit the winter transfer window. The state-owned private equity firm is still scrutinising the books at Liverpool with both club and company confident that a deal can be struck which will see the chairman of 15 years, David Moores, sell his 51.6% stake at Anfield.
Company takeover law then dictates that DIC must make an offer for the rest of Liverpool's shares, an offer which would remain open for 60 days. Should they ultimately secure a stake of 90%, they would be able to make the club a private business, in the same way that West Ham were recently bought by Eggert Magnusson, though Moores and the current chief executive Rick Parry are likely to retain roles at Anfield in the future.

Benítez still hopes to benefit from significant transfer funds in the close season though, having met the chief executive of DIC, Sameer al-Ansari, after the recent victory over Fulham, he is aware that he will not be offered a blank cheque to plunder the market. As Parry and Al-Ansari have been at pains to insist, DIC's interest in Liverpool is considered an investment - such as their recent purchase of Madame Tussauds and the Travelodge chain of hotels - with the group attracted to the club partly because the playing squad would not require a radical overhaul.

The Blackburn manager, Mark Hughes, said he became aware of Nesmachnyi's qualities when he was in charge of Wales. "I know of him as I have come up against him at international level and was impressed with him. He can play wing-back, he knows the game and has good football intelligence. Not only that, he has great experience with 60-odd caps for Ukraine. It was made known to us that he may be available to come in and have a couple of days' training with us.

"We have taken up that option and will have a look at him. We may well do a medical anyway as it makes sense. It is always helpful if you can see someone at first hand rather than on videos. But it is no more than that at this stage."

Source: http://football.guardian.co.uk

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Benitez happy with Crouch

Rafa Benitez insists he has no plans to sell Peter Crouch after the Liverpool striker's reaction to being substituted.

Crouch was unhappy at being replaced during his side's 1-0 defeat to Blackburn Rovers and threw a coat into the air.

He was substituted 10 minutes into the second half after spurning opportunities to put Liverpool ahead at Ewood Park.

It was Crouch's first Premiership start in a month and, while Benitez admits the forward needed a goal, he remains happy with the England international.

"He had three clear headers," said Benitez. "It could be bad luck because the goalkeeper made the right decision.

"But if you are at a club where other strikers are scoring and playing well, that is something you need to manage when you get a chance.

"We knew they would be physical which is why I felt we needed a striker like Crouch.

"He has been playing well, but the only thing missing has been the finish.

"If a striker scores more goals, he will have more confidence.

"But there are no plans to sell him. I am happy with him here."

Source: http://home.skysports.com

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Late Reds interest in Mascherano

Liverpool have made a late move for Juventus-bound midfielder Javier Mascherano, according to reports in Italy.

The unsettled Argentinian has failed to make his mark at West Ham and has been left out of the picture completely since Alan Curbishley's appointment as manager at Upton Park.

Although players are not technically not allowed to move twice in one season, it is understood that FIFA will grant permission to the South American because of his unhappy situation in East London.

Juve have long been leading the chase for Mascherano, with Didier Deschamps a confirmed admirer of the former Corinthians star, and have despatched a delegation to the English capital in a bid to thrash out a deal worth at least &euro7 million.

However, Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is believed to be interested in the midfielder as well, although his preference is for a switch to Turin, despite the Bianconeri's Serie B status.

Source: http://www.eurosport.com

I can't see a move for Mascherano to Anfield will happen.

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Paletta may help Spanish strugglers

Argentinian defender Gabriel Paletta could be sent on loan to Spain for the remainder of the season - with Salif Diao possibly joining the youngster in La Liga.

Struggling Gimnastic are keen for reinforcements as they fight relegation.

They are currently bottom of the table in Spain.

However, it's understood they are preparing an approach to Liverpool for the services of teenager Paletta, in the hope manager Rafa Benitez will be willing to give his stopper some first team experience.

The centre-half has been limited mainly to Carling Cup appearances since his £2m arrival last summer, but is seen as a player of rich potential.

With the defensive positions well catered for, Benitez may be tempted to allow the South American to go on loan for six months.

Liverpool would certainly be keen for Diao to make the switch. The African is currently at Stoke, but his loan spell ends on January 1.

Benitez won't want Diao back at Melwood, so any offer from La Liga would be welcome.

Source: http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk