Official Liverpool Thread

[fineintent]

Not even the most hardened United supporter would have predicted a 3-1 victory at Anfield, given the closeness of recent games and Liverpool's defensive record. Only someone who has next to no knowledge about football would.

Many games aren't predictible. I felt it could be 3-1. So I was wrong clearly, fair enough. Just thought the game was going to be so much different, which it clearly could have been on another day.

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

That or if they had of replaced Fletcher with Smith at the start of the game and had Richardson in left back instead of Silvestre and then played either Park or Saha in the midfield.

On a side note, Morientes was brilliant. Performed great I thought, just the game he needed.

[therockbox]

Saha and Smith aren't midfielders (no matter how many times Smith plays there, he's not), and would've still been overrun by Didi and Sissoko.

[fineintent]

Saha and Smith aren't midfielders (no matter how many times Smith plays there, he's not), and would've still been overrun by Didi and Sissoko.

[pigeon]

MOMO CONDITION IMPROVING

Paul Eaton 23 February 2006

Liverpool Football Club have today reported an improvement in Momo Sissoko's condition as he recovers in hospital from a serious eye injury.

The Reds' midfielder is being cared for by top eye specialists following the injury he sustained in Portugal on Tuesday night.

A statement released by the club on Thursday afternoon reads as follows:

"We are glad to report there has been an improvement in Momo's condition over the past 24 hours, with the progress described as 'encouraging'.

"The player was examined this morning by a leading eye specialist who remains optimistic, despite reports emanating from Lisbon.

"Momo has been instructed to rest completely and will be examined again by the specialist next week."

[Grounded Wingman]

That's encouarging about Momo Sissoko. He's been a cracking signing so far.

[britneyspearsisgod]

Morgan sounds Reds debt warning

Shareholder Morgan has tried to buy the club in the past

Liverpool shareholder Steve Morgan has reiterated his calls for the club to find new investment after alleging the Reds are more than £70m in debt.

Morgan, who has previously tried to buy the club, said the official figure of £17m hid other financial problems.

"When you take creditors and worsening financial conditions into account, the debt, I believe, is nearer to £73m," said Morgan at the club's AGM.

"It's imperative to get extra financial investment. We're on a dangerous line."

The figures in the club's financial report show the club made a gross profit of £7.53m on the year, which included their Champions League win, compared to the previous year's loss of £18.22m.

But in the same period, the net debt rose from £15.38m to £17.14m.

"New investment is needed sooner rather than later," added Morgan, the club's third biggest shareholder.

"Manchester United still make double what we do on match days.

"All I can say to the board is that we've been waiting for over two-and-a-half years and we need the investment sorted out."

Director Keith Clayton agreed that the club needed more funds but said the plans for a new stadium were crucial for the future of the club.

"It's still our view that we need further investment to sustain success on the field and the new stadium," said Clayton.

"We are at a critical point of our history and we need to get this right.

"We accept that the estimate of £160m for the new stadium is not far away from the figure but we do have contingency plans at Anfield."

Other figures in Liverpool's annual report showed their wage bill had been reduced by £2m to £64m, representing 53% of the club's turnover, while turnover had risen by 32% to £121.05m.

Liverpool have been linked to the American-based Kraft family and Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shiniwatra.

[pigeon]

There's a guy from the redandwhitekop message boards who was at the AGM, and who understands all the balance sheets and accounts, who said that Morgan is either deliberately misleading us or basically just stupid.

If you're interested check it out here;

http://www.redandwhitekop.com/forum/index.php?topic=110449.0

[pigeon]

Apparently we have Fabio Aurelio coming on a free in the summer from Valencia.

[Grounded Wingman]

Apparently we have Fabio Aurelio coming on a free in the summer from Valencia.

[pigeon]

Benítez signing a signal of intent

By Oliver Kay

IF RAFAEL BENÍTEZ is preparing to leave Liverpool, he is going about it in a strange way. Despite interest in his services from Inter Milan and Real Madrid, last week the manager cited deals that he had set up for two young South Americans as evidence of his long-term commitment to the club. Now he can point to a third, with Fábio Aurélio, the Brazilian defender, scheduled to arrive on a free transfer from Valencia.

Liverpool have all but finalised a pre-contract agreement with Aurélio, who will move to Anfield after his deal with Valencia expires on June 30. He is said to be delighted by the prospect of being reunited with Benítez, under whom he spent three seasons at the Spanish club.

The 26-year-old left back is expected to challenge John Arne Riise for a first-team place, raising doubts about the futures of Djimi Traoré and Stephen Warnock, even though Traoré signed a new four-year contract last summer.

Aurélio, who has been watched by Manchester United this season, will become Liverpool’s third signing for next season, with more to follow once Benítez learns how much money he will have available to bring in a right winger and a centre forward.

The manager is known to be concerned about the club’s financial position, but by setting up deals to sign Mark González, the Chile winger, and Gabriel Paletta, the young Argentine defender, as well as Aurélio, he has made statements of serious intent.

The Liverpool board may take some comfort from Inter’s insistence yesterday, before their Champions League tie against Ajax, that they have no intention of replacing Roberto Mancini as coach, but at Anfield there is a strong belief that Benítez, for all his non-committal comments, will stay. The line whispered from within the boardroom is that the club share the manager’s ambitions.

In the meantime, Liverpool’s aims extend no farther than victory at home to Fulham tonight. They have won only once in their past five matches, tumbling out of the Champions League and slipping to a distant third in the Barclays Premiership, but the visit of Fulham, without a victory in 15 away matches this season, should provide his forwards with an ideal opportunity to cure their scoring ills.

Robbie Fowler is the least culpable of Liverpool’s forwards, but, still looking for his first goal since returning in January, will be hoping that history will repeat itself. He scored against Fulham on his debut in his first spell at the club — in a League Cup tie at Craven Cottage in 1993 — and, more memorably, five times in the return game at Anfield. “I never like looking too long at the past,” the forward said, “but that was an amazing night.”

Fowler will hope to be restored to the starting line-up as Benítez runs out of patience with Fernando Morientes and Djibril Cissé. Morientes is attracting interest from Fenerbahçe as well as at least one Spanish club, but Liverpool have yet to receive a firm inquiry for his services.

Fulham hope to welcome back Wayne Bridge only two weeks after he strained ankle ligaments playing on the same ground for England against Paraguay.

LIVERPOOL (possible; 4-4-2): J M Reina — S Finnan, J Carragher, D Agger, S Warnock — L García, S Gerrard, D Hamann, H Kewell — R Fowler, P Crouch.

FULHAM (possible, 4-4-2): A Warner — M Volz, Z Knight, A Goma, W Bridge — S Malbranque, M Pembridge, M Brown, L Boa Morte — H Helguson, B McBride.

Referee: A Wiley.

[Liam]

Without knowing where else to put it, Pigeon....does builidng a team include not buying any good goalscorers?

That quote is all well and good, but Liverpool won't win anything for a while until they sort that out.

[therockbox]

Without knowing where else to put it, Pigeon....does builidng a team include not buying any good goalscorers?

That quote is all well and good, but Liverpool won't win anything for a while until they sort that out.

[Liam]

You got lucky

[therockbox]

FOWLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH~!

Collins John is a twat, Gerrard's nutmeg was awesome, and *finally* our strikers have scored in the Premiership this year.

[Liam]

Twat cos he scored against you, or did I miss something?

[therockbox]

Generally behaving like a cunt at the end, acting all tough when he's got a few players in between him and whoever it was he was going after (possibly Garcia), before suddenly 'calming down' when people step aside.

[Summers]

I like CJ.

[TheArsenal]

I'm glad Liverpool waited until now before deciding to start winning again.

[Liam]

I like CJ.

THat's because CJ is a legend.

Roxzy is just annoyed because he scores goals