Official Liverpool Thread

[pigeon]

Reina in claim over Anfield move 

Villarreal goalkeeper Pepe Reina claims he is on the verge of joining new European champions Liverpool.

The ex-Barcelona shot-stopper, 22, says the clubs have not reached agreement over a transfer fee but he expects the deal to go through soon.

Reina said: "It's not done yet, but I can't deny that I'm very close to signing for Liverpool.

"It hurts a lot to leave my home but this is a good opportunity for me in sporting and financial terms."

He added: "If the deal is finally closed I hope people will understand my decision. It had to be something very big for me to leave Villarreal."

Reina has just been called up by Spain for the first time ahead of their World Cup qualifiers against Lithuania and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

[Guest Mr McFarlane]

Owen Hargreaves has revealed he would be interested in a move to Liverpool after they were linked with a £2.5m deal for the England midfield man.

The 24-year-old is expected to leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season.

And he said: "Liverpool are a very interesting club. They are a very strong team and it is clear they have a bright future under Rafael Benitez.

"But really I don't want to say more until the German cup final against Schalke 04 is out of the way."

Spurs and Blackburn have also been linked with Hargreaves, but reports suggest Liverpool are now favourites to complete a summer deal.

England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson is understood to have told Hargreaves his chances of making the squad for the 2006 World Cup in Germany would be improved by a move to the Premiership.

Oh for fuck's sake. From what I gather he's a defensive midfielder (because he's barely noticeable for England), and we have Hamann, Biscan, Alonso and Gerrard - all of whom I'd pick way ahead of Hargreaves at any level.

←

[G-O-D]

I'll be honest.  I don't know much about him other than he played for Barca.

←

[therockbox]

Owen Hargreaves has revealed he would be interested in a move to Liverpool after they were linked with a £2.5m deal for the England midfield man.

The 24-year-old is expected to leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season.

And he said: "Liverpool are a very interesting club. They are a very strong team and it is clear they have a bright future under Rafael Benitez.

"But really I don't want to say more until the German cup final against Schalke 04 is out of the way."

Spurs and Blackburn have also been linked with Hargreaves, but reports suggest Liverpool are now favourites to complete a summer deal.

England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson is understood to have told Hargreaves his chances of making the squad for the 2006 World Cup in Germany would be improved by a move to the Premiership.

Oh for fuck's sake. From what I gather he's a defensive midfielder (because he's barely noticeable for England), and we have Hamann, Biscan, Alonso and Gerrard - all of whom I'd pick way ahead of Hargreaves at any level.

←

[RawIsWar]

Getting Hargreaves would definately be a waste of money. Reina should be there main focus

[pigeon]

RAFA: NEVER CALL ME THE SPECIAL ONE

Paul Eaton 27 May 2005 

Rafael Benitez has pleaded with Liverpool fans never to label him as 'the special one! 

Despite leading his players to European Cup glory at the end of his first season as Liverpool manager, Benitez insists it's his staff and players who deserve most credit for the remarkable ending to one of the greatest seasons in the club's illustrious history.

 

Benitez himself doesn't covet the limelight like certain other managers and doesn't boast about his undoubted managerial abilities. Indeed, he's already looking forward to next season and the possibility of bringing more silverware to Anfield.

 

He said: "As a manager you are important sometimes and you make mistakes, but the most important people are your staff and your players. Never call me the special one!

 

"I am one step closer to what the other managers achieved, that's all. I have to do a lot more before I am considered on the same level.

 

"Now it's important to build on this success. When you see the supporters and how the club works it is like a religion to them. We will try to do our best to bring more trophies back for them." 

Edited May 27, 2005 by pigeon

[G-O-D]

Mourinho > all

Although Rafa comes close.

[Hobo]

Mourinho may have the sex appeal, the money and the Premiership.

But he doesn't have the Champions League!

Mourinho is no:

Paisley

Fagan

or Benitez

Rafa has become an instant legend.

[therockbox]

A Liverpool fan gatecrashed the Champions League winners'photo shoot after borrowing an official tracksuit.

Nineteen-year-old Lee Dames spotted the outfit by the dugout and put it on while everyone else was distracted by the medal ceremony in Istanbul.

He then lined up alongside his heroes, who played along with the prank.

Dames, a semi-professional player with Unibond League outfit Burscough, said: "The players were nudging each other about me and thought it was funny."

He told the Liverpool Echo: "I just had to be with the team. I grabbed a tracksuit from the dugout. It was unbelievably brilliant.

"It was tremendous enough to win the cup, but to get involved like that was the icing on the cake."

Dames featured in several newspapers and has instructed his family to keep hold of them so he can see himself when he gets back from Turkey next week.

Dames' father, Paul, was watching the match in a Liverpool bar when he suddenly saw a familiar face.

"I spotted him and thought: 'That's not my son, is it?' I was flabbergasted," he said.

"I couldn't believe me eyes - he is a cheeky little b****r!"

[pigeon]

So what if they didn't win the league? Hail champions with cheers, not jeers

A Champions League open to non-champions is vastly more difficult to win than old knockout cup - and critics should accept that, says Paul Wilson

Sunday May 29, 2005

The Observer

Purists and pedants alike are already busy revising the last few days of history. Liverpool might have thought they had just completed the greatest European Cup final comeback of all time, but even as the trophy goes into permanent residence at Anfield the achievement is being sniffed at because the new European Cup is not the old European Cup, the Champions League is no longer for champions and Rafael Benítez's players have yet to prove they are even the best team on Merseyside.

Some critics seem to want it both ways. The glaring fault of the old format was that although the competition was open only to champions, the champions of Spain, to pick an obvious example, would find it fairly straightforward to eliminate the champions of lesser leagues. To pine for that sort of elitism just because Liverpool could only reach fifth place in the Premiership this season seems ridiculous. In 1985, the last time Liverpool reached the final under the old system, they travelled to Brussels for their ill-fated meeting with Juventus by virtue of having disposed of Lech Poznan, Benfica, Austria Vienna and Panathinaikos. That was it. Four ties, eight legs, all against teams from lesser leagues, and Liverpool were in the final. No one carped at the time, yet now they are carping because Liverpool have managed to put out the champions of England and the top two teams in Serie A.

Nostalgia for the noble origins of the competition is permissible, just as memories of Alfredo di Stefano and Ferenc Puskás do not deserve to be dimmed just because television money and G14 greed have altered the original concept beyond all recognition. What needs to be acknowledged is that the European Cup as presently constructed is vastly more difficult to win than it used to be, precisely because it now contains all the leading teams from all the leading leagues in Europe. If you can stay the course and come out on top of that lot, especially if you happen to have turned round 3-0 down in the final, you ought to be greeted with cheers and not raspberries.

It is undeniable too, and this process has accelerated with the much-needed pruning of the second group stage within the last couple of years, that the competition has become more democratic. This is amazing considering the Champions League was specifically designed to preserve the status quo in Europe and to ensure the biggest clubs made the most money and enjoyed the best chance of success, but the trend established by Porto last season has now been followed by Liverpool in a competition that English clubs have played a major part in this season. Suddenly this is a competition any properly organised and ambitious team can win. With the greatest respect to Liverpool's history, this season they entered the contest as unfancied minnows, and finished it the most unlikely of giant-killers. This is the formula that makes the FA Cup so attractive, writ large across Europe.

In any sport, in any era, all a competitor can do is play by the the rules as they stand and beat the opponents presented. Liverpool did that, fair and square. In terms of determination, application and character their fifth European Cup is at least on a par with any of their previous four, and Benítez has proved an inspirational leader in a remarkably short time. End of story, except that by playing the rules as they presently stand Liverpool will find themselves excluded next season. Only an organisation as dim as Uefa could simultaneously invite non-champions into a Champions League while turning their back on real champions they have just travelled all the way to Istanbul to crown. Credibility has never been a Uefa strong point, but even by their standards it would be ludicrous to stand on ceremony now, just when their competition is more credible than ever.

Edited May 29, 2005 by pigeon

[pigeon]

HENRY: I WANT REDS TO CHALLENGE FOR TITLE

Paul Eaton 01 June 2005 

Thierry Henry is hoping Liverpool can build on their Champions League glory and challenge for the Premiership next season. 

The Arsenal star is full of praise for the Reds following their remarkable European success and he feels it will be good for English football if they can take part in a four way battle for the league title.

 

"I really want Liverpool up there at the top," he said. "It will make it much more exciting. I hope they can catch up with us, Chelsea and Manchester United. A four way championship fight would be special.

 

"And you have to give credit to Liverpool. People say the English league is easy. These supporters point to the fact that English teams rarely do well in the Champions League - even though we have four teams enter every year.

 

"When I go home to France people poke fun at me, saying I only score so many goals because the Premier League is not difficult to play in. I always end up defending myself and English football. I do not think they are being fair.

 

"Well Liverpool, despite finishing fifth, have proved by winning the Champions League that the English league is indeed very strong. This has answered all those people who make remarks.

 

"Liverpool have done something for all of us and we should thank them. It was the most amazing final ever. At 3-0 down Liverpool looked completely dead. But they were able to show the fighting spirit which is so typical of an English team."

 

Henry also had words of praise for the club's brilliant supporters, adding: "Liverpool's fans are just amazing. The best feeling I have at away games is Anfield. It is just incredible. I love it.

 

"You get goosebumps when you see their supporters sing You'll Never Walk Alone." 

[Turbo Yannis]

Mourinho may have the sex appeal, the money and the Premiership.

But he doesn't have the Champions League!

←

[pigeon]

Good news for Jose. If he's got a few spare quid left after the fine from the Premier League, he can come up to Liverpool and view that trophy again. No need to rush though, it's on permanent display.

[Turbo Yannis]

It's Chelsea's next year, I tells ya

[botchedpiledriver]

Hopefully Chelsea will win it next year. We need the glory days of English football back when we use to win everything.

[pigeon]

UEFA move on Reds dilemma Jun 7 2005

By Chris Bascombe, Liverpool Echo

 

UEFA chief Lennart Johansson today confirmed Liverpool will not be kept waiting much longer to find out their Champions League destiny.

President Johansson was due to speak to UEFA's executive committee today about whether the European champions will have the chance to defend their title next season. 17.

Johansson, who confirmed he is in favour of Rafael Benitez's team taking part in next season's Champions League, wants a decision this week, ahead of the proposed D-day of June

Johansson said: "The executive committee are to decide today on which date and what time they are going to have a telephone conference.

"They will look at which alternatives are available. One decision is about what will happen in the future but the main decision is what will happen to Liverpool.

"I trust it will be a decision which will be accepted by all parties.

"We have the ambition on the one hand to give Liverpool the opportunity to defend their title - but on the other hand we need to make sure no-one suffers from such a decision."

Everton, who beat the Reds to the fourth qualification spot, say they'll object to a solution which would mean

they have to take a smaller share of the prize money.

Usually, four English clubs share a minimum of around £52m for reaching the group stage. If Liverpool get in, this will be shared between five.

That means Liverpool and Everton would receive a minimum of £10.4m rather than £13m. These costs would increase if all five English clubs reached the last 16.

Officials in Turkey have also expressed dissatisfaction that Liverpool may be entered into the group stages with a high seeding therefore demoting their champions, Fenerbahce, to the qualifying round.

Reds chief executive Rick Parry believes his side should go straight into the group stage as top seeds in the same manner as all previous winners.

That prospect appears to be diminishing, although it's unlikely Liverpool will complain if they're handed a place in the third qualifying round.

Johansson continued: "In my opinion Liverpool should be in from the very beginning - they will have to go through all the competition.

"But I think the champions should have the chance to defend their title."

[pigeon]

Anfield exit for cup hero Biscan Jun 8 2005

EXCLUSIVE by Chris Bascombe, Liverpool Echo

 

IGOR BISCAN'S Liverpool revival is over.

The Croat hasn't been offered a new deal and he's available on a Bosman transfer, with Italians Lazio leading the chase.

The 27-year-old midfielder played a major role in the club's triumphant Champions League campaign, enjoying his most consistent season since his £5.5m transfer in 2000.

However, his radical improvement wasn't enough to convince manager Rafa Benitez to prolong his Liverpool career.

Biscan will leave with his head held high following a season in which he finally showed some of the potential which motivated Gerard Houllier to lure him from Croatia Zagreb.

After a nightmare spell in defence two seasons ago, he was far more comfortable in his favoured central role.

His performances against Deportivo La Coruna, Bayer Leverkusen and Juventus went some way to restoring a hitherto blemished reputation, and the shy Croat even became a folk hero for some sections of the Anfield crowd.

[therockbox]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/t...ool/4077300.stm

Fantastic news. Hamann changed the Milan game when he came on, and he's exactly the kind of player we need to keep hold of.

[pigeon]

He's a fantastic player, who rarely gets the credit he deserves. He would have been very difficult to replace, and it would break my heart to see him play for another English club.

Looks like Kirkland is going on loan to West Brom for a season too. Could be good for him if he gets a long injury free run in their first team. A chance to prove he has what it takes to make it at Liverpool.

[Turbo Yannis]

I don't get the point of Kirkland going to West Brom. Hoult is okay and that other goalie's good as well.