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Liverpool FC close to deal for Robbie Keane

2008-07-18T15:23:03Z

LIVERPOOL will look to tie up a deal for Robbie Keane in the next 48 hours after Tottenham gave up the struggle to keep their star player at White Hart Lane.

The chances of Rafa Benitez getting his man were boosted significantly last night when Spurs boss Juande Ramos admitted for the first time he is likely to have to cash in on some of his big names in an effort to balance the books.

With boyhood Reds fan Keane desperate to move to Anfield and Benitez equally keen on signing him, the move is likely to happen sooner rather than later given the Liverpool manager's desire to be able to work with his new signings at the earliest possible opportunity.

]]> There is now an acceptance at Tottenham that Keane will get his dream move and yesterday's comments from Ramos were a clear attempt by the manager to prepare the club's fans for the departure of their hero.

Speaking at Spurs' pre-season training camp in Spain, Ramos admitted it was possible that he would have to sell both Keane and Dimitar Berbatov to cover his own outlay on players since taking the White Hart Lane hot seat earlier this year.

He said: "We will see what happens there, but we are talking about two very important players.

"For the moment they are with us, but whatever happens the idea is to have a great squad, with the potential to allow us to aim to improve on what we managed last season.

"We have to be realistic and see what we are starting with and who we are competing against.

"There are some big clubs who have spent a lot of money over many years and have a certain advantage. In fact they claim they want to sign some of our players.

"At Tottenham, we have had a clear philosophy regarding buying and selling for years. The idea is signing young players, promising and talented ones, and if important offers for older players are made, studying it to see what is the best for the club."

Keane, having turned 28 a fortnight ago and with a value estimated by his own club to be in the region of £20m, clearly falls into the category of an older player who could be sold at a significant profit, having been brought to Spurs for just £7m by then manager Glenn Hoddle in 2002.

Liverpool are hoping to get their man for lower than the price Spurs want for him but know they will have to come up with a substantial offer approaching that figure if they are to get their wish of Keane becoming their player ahead of Tuesday's friendly against Hertha Berlin.

With 169 goals in 352 career games to his name, Keane has earned a reputation as one of the Premiership's most feared forwards and his status in international football is similarly compelling given the fact that he is already the Republic of Ireland's record goalscorer with 33 goals in 80 appearances.

Having already been involved in transfers costing almost £40m, Keane's expected move to Anfield would make him one of the most costly players in the history of football.

Once Liverpool have sealed that deal they will again turn their attentions back to Gareth Barry who, like Keane, has set his heart on signing for Liverpool.

Barry returned to training with Aston Villa on Wednesday, having been exiled by manager Martin O'Neill, but the combination of his desire to quit the club and a minor ankle injury means the 27-year-old will not be part of Villa's squad for their Intertoto Cup clash with Odense in Denmark this weekend.

The England international has held clear the air talks with O'Neill - which were described as "cordial and positive" by Barry's agent Eric Black - giving Liverpool renewed hope that O'Neill might finally be willing to bring the long-running saga to a close by agreeing to a compromise deal which would suit all parties.

Meanwhile, Stoke have pulled out of the race for Scott Carson after learning that Liverpool's wantaway keeper would prefer a move to West Brom.

Robbie Keane could leave for right price, say Spurs

2008-07-18T07:44:13Z

JUANDE RAMOS has indicated Tottenham Hotspur could be willing to sell Robbie Keane in an attempt to balance the club's books.

The Republic of Ireland international has become the Anfield club's priority this transfer window as Rafael Benitez attempts to bolster his strike-force.

And Benitez will be encouraged by comments yesterday from Spanish compatriot and Tottenham manager Ramos on Keane's future.

]]> Since taking over at White Hart Lane last October, Ramos has spent more than £50million including the club record £16.6m signing of Croatia international Luka Modric.

As a listed company on the stock exchanged, Ramos believes Spurs are compelled to "balance the books" having continued their spending spree last month with the £4.7m capture of Barcelona teenager Giovani.

And with strike duo Keane and Dimitar Berbatov in particular attracting attention from rival clubs, Spurs have now intimated they may be ready to cash in on the experienced duo.

Ramos said: "We will have to see what happens (with Keane and Berbatov) but they are important players. Right now they are with us but, whatever happens, our aim is to have a balanced squad that allows us to do better than last year.

"We have to be realistic and look at where we are coming from and who we are up against. Our aim is to break up the 'top four'. Tottenham have a clear philosophy and have had for years.

"We are on the stock exchange and have to balance the books. The idea is to buy young players with potential and talent and if there are important offers for our older players we study them.

"We bought Modric before Euro 2008 because we knew his price could rise.

"We expect a lot from him. Giovanni fits the policy too."

Meanwhile, West Bromwich Albion have become clear favourites to sign Scott Carson after Stoke City yesterday abandoned their pursuit of the England international.

The newly-promoted club had agreed a £4m fee with Liverpool but, having held talks with Carson, Stoke have withdrawn from the race after agreement could not be reached over personal terms.

A brief statement from the club read: "Stoke City can announce that we are no longer pursuing Liverpool goalkeeper Scott Carson.

"The club will continue to look to improve the squad and remain hopeful of closing in on several new signings ahead of the Barclays Premier League campaign."

West Brom, who have also had a £4m offer accepted, are now in pole position to sign the 22-year-old.

However, Blackburn Rovers are contemplating a move for Carson with Brad Friedel mulling over offers from Aston Villa and Manchester City, while Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate is also monitoring the developments.

Aston Villa had been favourites to sign Carson on a permanent basis earlier this year after spending the previous season on loan at the Midlanders, but manager Martin O'Neill's interest appeared to cool with Tottenham keeper Paul Robinson emerging as a more likely target.

Lucas keen to revel in attacking position

2008-07-18T07:43:12Z

LUCAS LEIVA has vowed to revel in the new-found freedom afforded to him by Rafael Benitez.

The Brazilian midfielder was on target in Switzerland on Wednesday night as Liverpool defeated FC Lucerne 2-1 in their latest pre-season friendly.

Having arrived from Gremio last summer, Lucas scored just one goal in 32 appearances during his debut campaign, a spectacular effort against Havant and Waterlooville in the FA Cup.

]]> The 21-year-old was largely employed in a defensive midfield role, impressing in particular during the two Champions League games against Inter Milan.

Now Lucas has revealed Benitez has handed him a more attack-minded role and is eager to repay his manager's confidence with more goals.

"It's always nice to score a goal, and it was a good goal and a good win for the team, so I'm happy about that," he said.

"We know we have to work hard in pre-season because we have a long season ahead and we are trying to put the things we are doing in training into practice in the matches.

"The manager has given me more freedom to go forward and that suits because that is my style.

"I think my form and fitness are improving every day even though it has been tiring because pre-season has been hard but I am happy with my goal.

"I am confident that I can score more goals. Last season I got only one but in Brazil I scored quite a few so I have the belief that I can score more for Liverpool."

Lucas's goal on Wednesday was created by a fine pass from 17-year-old striker Dani Pacheco, and the Brazilian believes the teenager can become a huge success at Liverpool.

"It was a great pass from Pacheco for my goal," he said. "He is a very intelligent player and he is getting better and better all the time.

"He is only 17 but I think he has a good future because he is already showing his qualities for Liverpool."

With Liverpool's senior players returning to training at varying intervals, Pacheco is one of several youngsters to have been handed a chance by Benitez during the opening friendlies.

Sebastian Leto, Jay Spearing, Emiliano Insua, Stephen Darby and Damien Plessis were among those from the reserve ranks who featured on Wednesday.

And Dirk Kuyt, who played the closing moments despite only arriving in Switzerland earlier in the day, acknowledges the importance of the trip for these players.

"The tour is important for everyone to get to know each other but this is also a big chance for the young lads," said the Dutchman.

"They did very well against Lucerne and with a bit more luck we could have had four or five goals."

Kuyt added: "Wednesday was my first day back but the lads have told me they've been working very hard this week.

"The most important thing at this stage is not the result, it's working hard and making sure we are fit for the season.

"The Swiss league starts next week and Lucerne showed they were ready, so it was a good test."

Liverpool continue their pre-season preparations tomorrow evening when they take on Polish champions Wisla Krakow in Fribourg.

AFC Liverpool - A club is born

2008-07-17T15:48:25Z

AFC Liverpool's much-anticipated inaugural match ended in a 1-1 draw with St Helens Town.

The pre-season friendly was played in the homely surroundings of Ashton Town FC near Bryn and a crowd estimated at around 600 enjoyed a competitive encounter that ultimately was decided by two penalty incidents.

]]>

After a slightly cagy opening, the visitors began to get a grip on the game against opponents who will be playing in the league above them when the campaign starts in earnest next month, and took the lead from the spot on the half hour mark when Dave Eaton was felled in the penalty area and Martin Crowder converted from 12 yards.

The home side equalised shortly after the interval when Craig Cushion brought down Steve Williams and Neil Jones scored from the spot kick.

The home side struggled to really make serious inroads into the well-marshalled AFC Liverpool defence though and it was the newly-formed club who came closest to finding a winning goal.

With Anthony McCoy proving a tricky customer on the left flank for the St Helens defence to deal with, the visitors created the better chances as the game wore on and were unlucky not to make another breakthrough, with substitute Jonathan Bathurst hitting the woodwork with a header and forcing a fine double save from St Helens keeper Andy Lynskey.

So, all in all, a successful introduction to proceedings for Merseyside's newest football club.

The concept of this new venture has certainly aroused plenty of debate amongst supporters and it would have to be a fairly hard-hearted individual who could not find it in them to wish this new club well.

While for some people, sick and tired of being fleeced ruthlessly by the multinational conglomerates that many 'big' and even medium-sized clubs have become, following AFC will be an alternative to 'big-time' football, there is absolutely no reason why it cannot also be there as a complement for those unable to wean themselves off the grease paint and adrenaline of the all-singing, all-dancing Premier League.

It may well be that this kind of football experience may not be everybody's cup of tea, particularly those who happen to enjoy waving to the camera when it's on them at the match, music being played over the tannoy after goals and shiny stadiums with plastic seats and loads of leg-room.

However if you like having a pint and a delicious 50p hot-dog while you're watching the game along with a laugh and a sing-song while cheering on normal fellas (who aren't enslaved by big, evil clubs who pay them lots of horrible money) who'll be trying to win without trying to cheat or maim each other, then you might just find it's right up your street.

Click here for a picture gallery from the inaugural AFC Liverpool match and here for more information on the club itself

Dani Pacheco the stand-out star as Liverpool enjoy a Swiss stroll

2008-07-17T13:10:02Z

AFTER surviving a season of turmoil and turbulence it is little surprise that Rafa Benitez took his players to the serenity of Switzerland to prepare for the next campaign.

Situated at the foot of the picturesque Jura Mountains, Grenchen's sleepy Bruhl Stadium is as far removed from the frenzy of Anfield as it is possible to imagine - and at this early stage in their preparations it suits Liverpool just fine.

Last year it provided the setting for Fernando Torres to announce his arrival in a red shirt, giving it a place in Liverpool folklore and in Kopites' hearts.

]]> There may have been no Torres last night but there was another Spanish forward with a big future in the game who took the opportunity to show the people of Grenchen and Liverpool's sizeable Swiss support exactly what he can do.

Dani Pacheco stole the show at Tranmere in Liverpool's first friendly and in one magical moment against Lucerne the 17-year-old again underlined why he is so highly rated at Anfield and beyond.

Having the ability to play the defence splitting pass which created the opening goal of the night for Lucas is one thing, but having the vision to execute it with such exquisite timing at such a tender age is another.

To put his progress in perspective, you need only consider the fact that Pacheco is considered too young to be a part of the Spain team currently contesting the UEFA under-19 Championships in the Czech Republic but has been fast tracked into Liverpool's first team because his performances in pre-season training made it impossible for Benitez to hold him back any longer.

As will continue to be said for the foreseeable future there is still a long, long way to go before Pacheco can make the step up from warm up games to the real thing but - even if he did miss a couple of chances he would normally expect to take with ease - his vast potential was there for all to see.

It was not so long ago that Philipp Degen was considered the bright young thing of Swiss football thanks to his ability to turn defence into attack in the blink of an eye.

Injuries may have interrupted his progress but he remains a star in his native land, even though he also carries a reputation of being slightly undisciplined when it comes to carrying out the basics of his defensive duties.

The negative aspect of Degen's game was in evidence for Lucerne's equaliser when he allowed himself to be out jumped far too easily at the back post by Djamel Mesbah who nodded the ball across the six yard box to present Mario Garvanovic with a simple goal.

It wasn't a glaring error by Degen by any means but, equally, it was not the kind of uncompromising defending we have come to expect from a Benitez signing and no doubt Liverpool's coaching staff will be working on improving this side of his game as the new season approaches.

As is to be expected in mid-July, there is clearly still a great deal of rustiness for Liverpool to overcome and at times during the first half Lucerne took advantage of their lack of match sharpness and cohesion.

It was Liverpool who always looked the more likely scorers though and it was no surprise when Andriy Voronin restored their advantage with his second goal at the same venue in a year.

The Ukrainian may not exactly have endeared himself to the Liverpool faithful during what could best be described as a difficult introduction but he is clearly not without talent as his expertly taken 37th minute chip underlined.

He now just needs to show that his ability is able to translate itself from the sedate setting of a Swiss lower division ground to the hurly burly of the Premier League if his Liverpool career is not to suffer the fate his many detractors expect it to.

To all intents, Voronin's winning goal marked the last of the entertainment as the second half petered out, players on both sides succumbing to the inevitable tiredness that playing in 75 degree temperatures brings.

A Mexican wave even broke out at one stage - never a good sign at any sporting occasion where the participants, not the spectators, are supposed to be the centre of attention - as locals amused themselves in the absence of any real drama on the pitch.

As the tempo dropped it at least allowed Benitez the opportunity to give Dirk Kuyt, Javier Mascherano and the fit again Ryan Babel their first run outs of pre-season and the Reds boss will be happy to see his squad strength growing after having to rely on so many of his reserves thus far.

Not that those who have graduated from the second string have let their manager down in any way with second half substitutes Stephen Darby and Jay Spearing both impressing in particular.

With two wins from their first two games, Liverpool have started pre-season in a positive fashion but both team and manager know that the real tests are still to come.

But for the time being they can enjoy their Swiss sojourn in the knowledge that the work that is being done there will pay dividends in the white heat of the English Premier League.

LUCERNE: Zibung (Konig, 46), Schwegler, Renggli, Seoane, Lustenberger (Schirinzi, 55), Chiumiento (Karanovic, 55), Mesbah (Gajic, 46), Zverotic (Lambert, 22), Ferreira (Pacquito, 46), Gavranovic, Hasic.

LIVERPOOL: Cavalieri, Degen (Darby, 46), Agger (Hyypia, 46), Carragher (Skrtel, 46), Insua, Benayoun (Babel, 46), Plessis (Spearing, 63), Leiva, Leto (Aurelio, 55), Voronin (Kuyt, 80), Pacheco (Mascherano, 78).

REFEREE: Claudio Circhetta.

ATTENDANCE: 9,500.

Lucas vows to deliver more goals

2008-07-17T13:05:24Z

LUCAS LEIVA has revealed Rafa Benitez has given him licence to attack and pledged to repay his manager's faith with goals.

The Brazilian midfielder opened the scoring for Liverpool in last night's 2-1 friendly victory over Lucerne in Switzerland and after the game he admitted he is hoping for a better goals return in the coming season after notching just a single strike in the last campaign.

He said: "It's always nice to score a goal and it was a good goal and a good win for the team so I'm happy about that.

]]> "We know we have to work hard in pre-season because we have a long season ahead and we are trying to put the things we are doing in training into practice in the matches.

"The manager has given me more freedom to go forward and that suits me because that is my style. I think my form and fitness is improving every day even though it has been tiring because pre-season has been hard.

"I am confident that I can score more goals. Last season I got only one but in Brazil I scored quite a few so I have the belief that I can score more for Liverpool."

Andriy Voronin was Liverpool's match winner and Lucas was quick to praise his fellow goalscorer and 17-year-old Dani Pacheco who again impressed in only his second outing for the first team.

"Andriy's goal gave us the win and it was a very good goal. Also, it was a great pass from Pacheco for my goal. He is a very intelligent player and he is getting better all the time.

"He is only 17 but I think he has a good future because he is already showing his qualities for Liverpool."

Rafa Benitez was delighted to see Sebastian Leto play his first game for the club since December 2007 following work permit problems.

But the Argentinian winger is awaiting a positive outcome from a fresh application before the Reds boss will be able to call on his services regularly.

Steven Gerrard and Jermaine Pennant both missed last night's game but are expected to be fit for Saturday's clash with Wizla Krakow.

But Steve Finnan has returned to Merseyside to undergo physio on a troublesome ankle knock and will not rejoin the Swiss training camp.

Ryan Babel has reiterated his desire to play for Holland at the Olympics - despite his manager's clear displeasure at the situation.

Liverpool FC ready to launch Robbie Keane bid

2008-07-17T07:59:03Z

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR are bracing themselves for a substantial bid from Liverpool for Robbie Keane.

Rafael Benitez has earmarked the Republic of Ireland international as he attempts to bolster his strike-force following the departure of Peter Crouch to Portsmouth.

And Liverpool are expected to make an official offer in the next few days as Benitez's transfer priority shifts away from Gareth Barry.

Tottenham are keen to keep Keane, particularly as speculation increases over Dimitar Berbatov joining Manchester United, and will ask for £20million.

]]> Liverpool consider that valuation exorbitant. But Keane is a lifelong Liverpool fan and is desperate for a move to Anfield to become a reality.

The development comes after Benitez opted to put a proposed move for Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry on ice, following the collapse of Xabi Alonso's transfer to Juventus.

The Liverpool manager, working within specific financial constraints, still wants to bring Barry to the club, but will only move if Villa lower their asking price.

Benitez saw his players continue their pre-season preparations with a 2-1 victory over FC Lucerne in the Swiss town of Grenchen last night.

Lucas Leiva gave Liverpool the lead in the 10th minute following a fine pass from impressive youngster Dani Pacheco and although Mario Gavranovic equalised three minutes later, Andriy Voronin netted the winner with an exquisite chip eight minutes before the break.

"I think it was a good workout tonight," said Benitez. "The idea was to continue improving the fitness level of the players, I thought it was a good game with many opportunities so it was positive.

"This was another game where their goalkeeper was man of the match.

"We scored two good goals and the understanding between Voronin and Pacheco was good. The team worked really hard, and that was main idea."

The game was notable for the appearance of Sebastian Leto who, because of work permit problems, last played a competitive match for the reserves against Middlesbrough in December.

The Argentine caught the eye on the left wing, and Benitez revealed Liverpool hope his situation will be resolved in the next fortnight.

"Leto is a good player and he showed tonight the quality that he has," said the Anfield manager.

"He has had some problems with his work permit but hopefully that will be okay because has a lot of quality.

"We are waiting to hear when that permit will come through and we should find that out in the next 10 days."

Ryan Babel and Dirk Kuyt made their first appearances of pre-season as late substitutes.

Babel - who Benitez last night confirmed will go to the Olympics with Holland - was making his comeback after missing the recent Euro 2008 finals through injury. And Benitez said: "Ryan did well in his time on the pitch, and Dirk Kuyt also played at the end despite only arriving earlier in the day.

"We needed to use them both at the end as the rest of the team was tired."

Steven Gerrard missed the game as a precaution after complaining of feeling tired, while Jermaine Pennant was also absent after receiving a knock against Tranmere Rovers at the weekend.

New signing Andrea Dossena is still waiting on international clearance, with Benitez hopeful the Italian can make his debut against Wisla Krakow on Saturday.

Steve Finnan, meanwhile, returned to Merseyside yesterday for treatment on an ankle injury suffered earlier in the week and will miss the rest of the training camp.

Lucerne 1, Liverpool 2

2008-07-17T07:02:26Z

TWELVE MONTHS ago in Grenchen, a Spanish forward took the first step towards making his name at Liverpool.

But, with Euro 2008 hero Fernando Torres on a richly-deserved vacation, last night it was the turn of a younger striking compatriot to command the headlines.

Daniel Pacheco has been earmarked as one to watch ever since Liverpool persuaded him to leave Barcelona.

]]> And in the sleepy Swiss town of Grenchen at the foot of the Jura mountains, Pacheco gave further compelling evidence of his huge promise as Rafael Benitez's side continued their pre-season preparations with victory over FC Lucerne.

Pacheco created Lucas Leiva's opener with a sublime pass and his overall display richly-merited the warm ovation he received on being substituted 12 minutes from time.

With Torres, who made his Liverpool debut in Grenchen last year, still on extended leave, Dirk Kuyt having only arrived in Switzerland earlier in the day and Krisztian Nemeth on international duty, Pacheco was again given his chance last night.

And, as at Prenton Park on Saturday, the Spanish youngster indicated why there has been much gnashing of teeth at the Nou Camp over his departure.

Pacheco possesses great pace and composure and it's easy to see why the senior players have been impressed by his impact while training with the first team.

The 17-year-old's potential was perfectly showcased in the 10th minute, turning away from his marker on the edge of the area and slipping a reverse pass for the incoming Lucas to finish confidently past Lucerne goalkeeper David Zibung.

Pacheco's exuberance was evident throughout. Although guilty of over-elaboration later in the half when allowing Zibung to smother his effort after Yossi Benayoun had dummied Andriy Voronin's pass, the Spaniard remained confident enough to assume set-piece duties, his right-wing corner headed wastefully over by an unmarked Daniel Agger.

The second half saw more of the same. However, Pacheco's failure to turn many of his chances, often self-made, into goals underlines his potential role more as playmaker than clinical marksman.

It is a minor quibble. Even since his impressive cameo appearance as substitute in the reserves' final against Aston Villa in May, Pacheco appears to have grown a few inches.

Continue this progress over the next 12 months and the youngster could easily be pushing for a regular place in the matchday squad at the very least.

Opponents Lucerne, who finished sixth in the Swiss Super League last time out, are much further down the line in their pre-season preparations, with their new campaign beginning at the weekend.

It was therefore a genuine work-out for Benitez's side, with a surprisingly entertaining encounter helping further shake off the inevitable ring-rustiness.

Besides Pacheco, other fringe players also made the most of their opportunity. The lesser-spotted Sebastian Leto, his Liverpool career stalled by eligibility issues, was lively down the left and should have capped his 55-minute performance with a goal, instead dragging a presentable opening wide before the break.

With so few options available to Benitez on the left flank, an available Leto would be a definite asset on this showing.

Of course, pre-season can be notoriously deceiving. Voronin, for example, suggested goals aplenty following his exploits during last season's summer warm-up programme but faded horribly once the serious stuff started.

The Ukrainian was at it again last night, sending a sumptuous chip over Zibung from 25 yards for Liverpool 's second goal eight minutes before half-time.

But with the likes of Pacheco waiting in the wings, Voronin will most likely need a lot more where that came from over the next 10 months.

There were some warning signs for Benitez, however. When Philipp Degen was officially unveiled to media at Melwood last week, he cited pace and attacking ability as his main attributes.

By inference, even the right-back himself accepts defending is not his strong suit. And Lucerne's 13th-minute equaliser was a case in point, Degen beaten in the air to a deep far-post cross by Djamel Mesbah, who nodded across goal for Mario Gavranovic to head in.

Early days admittedly, but such strengths and weaknesses do not bode well and are so similar to that of a foreign import of Anfield past that the Swiss may soon earn the tag Vegard Degen.

Yossi Benayoun, having netted a fantastic goal against Tranmere at the weekend, was far less effective last night, although young Damien Plessis's stock continues to rise after another mature display.

Ryan Babel made his first outing after missing Euro 2008 through injury, while Daniel Agger continued down his long road to full fitness with another 45 minutes.

Diego Cavalieri enjoyed a full debut in goal, and Dirk Kuyt and Javier Mascherano returned to the fold in the closing moments.

However, as last year, it was the sight of Spanish forward that lingered most in the minds of the sell-out crowd.

FC LUCERNE (4-4-1-1): Zibung (Konig 46); Zverotic (Lambert 23), Schwegler, Seoane, Lustenberger (Karanovic 55); Ferreira (Gajic 45), Renggli, Hasic, Mesbah (Paquito 46); Chiumento (Ravasi 45); Gavranovic (Schirinzi 55).

LIVERPOOL (4-4-2): Cavalieri; Degen (Darby 45), Agger (Hyypia 46), Carragher (Skrtel 45), Insua; Benayoun (Babel 45), Plessis (Spearing 63), Lucas, Leto (Aurelio 55); Pacheco (Mascherano 78), Voronin (Kuyt 81). Subs: Hansen, Dossena, Gerrard.

REFEREE: Claudio Circhetta.

ATT: 9,500.

NEXT GAME: Wisla Krakow v Liverpool, Friborg, Saturday 5pm.

Gareth Barry to Liverpool: Nowt like a jolly transfer saga

2008-07-17T07:00:00Z

THERE'S no doubting this year's 'must have' for the Big Four.

As the Premier League's commercial giants search for new ways in which they can differentiate their product, widen the gap between themselves and the chasing pack, and stoke the media fires that maintain their brand positioning, there appears to be one essential means to maintain spectator interest and keep the back pages buzzing: The Transfer Saga.

The future residence of Barry, Ronaldo, Lampard and Adebayor has generated endless column inches of coverage in the last month or more, as the players, their agents, managers, officials and PR spokesmen seem incapable of maintaining a dignified silence and insist on playing out their negotiations in the full glare of public scrutiny

]]> Some of you may yearn for the days when transfers were simple affairs: the manager of some lowly club would call a player in after training, and say something like "tha'd better get theeself up to Liverpool, lad - Mr Shankly would like to speak to you".

A short train ride later, with his boots in a paper bag, the grateful player would sign a contract for a pittance, and head for a club B&B where Mrs Muggins would take him under her wing and take most of his wages in board and lodging.

Now it's a succession of brief and counter-brief, leak and counter-leak, as clubs or players take up adversarial stances and seek to gain public support for their position.

These sagas do serve one important purpose however; and that's to expose the slender grip on reality that is held by many of the participants in the modern day game.

The Ronaldo affair is a classic of its type. We've had the Real Madrid President declaring that United should be 'honoured' to sell him to Madrid; Ronaldo himself has stated that he should be allowed to leave as a 'reward' for helping them win a double last season; and both Sepp Blatter and the man himself think that 'slavery' is typified by a wage of more than £120,000 a week and working part-time. Kunta Kinte he's not.

Now a lad of good socialist stock such as me will always defend a man's right to work for the employer of his choice; but I also understand the law of contract, and nobody's suggested that poor Cristiano was press-ganged and forced to sign his current lucrative deal with the threat of a blackjack hanging over him. Even Fergie's not that deranged.

Move on now to Stamford Bridge, the Land of Silk and Money. Frank Lampard expresses his undying love for the club and his gratitude for their understanding during his recent bereavement, by apparently insisting they should pay him £130,000 per week when he's 34 going on 35, and barely able to chew his own food, never mind notch 25 lucky deflections a season.

Best nip off to Milan then Frank, where you'll be really appreciated by fans who would get right behind you - though if your form dips, I'd try to keep them in front of you.

And even Professor Wenger's Arsenal Academy is not immune to the insanity that seems to affect all during the phenomenon that is the transfer window.

The miscreant here is one Emmanuel Adebayor, who seemingly has the power to hold two contradictory opinions at the same time: he's definitely staying, but nothing is settled yet. Pull up a seat at the Mad Hatter's Tea Party.

Thankfully our very own saga with regard to Gareth Barry is being handled calmly, sensitively and with rational behaviour on all sides. You don't think so? Oh well, at least our man is desperate to come to us, not desperate to leave.

Liverpool put Gareth Barry deal on ice

2008-07-16T11:24:40Z

LIVERPOOL are ready to put their move for Gareth Barry on ice - unless Aston Villa lower their valuation of the player.

The Reds protracted chase for the England international is now reaching epic proportions and with no sign of a deal being done Liverpool are ready to concentrate their efforts on bringing in Rafa Benitez's remaining summer transfer targets.

With Villa refusing to budge on their £18m valuation of Barry the two clubs have reached stalemate as Liverpool are not prepared to pay that price.

The 27-year-old was today returning to training with Villa as Martin O'Neill softened his previously hardline stance on his wantaway club captain.

]]> But Barry's desire to quit Villa Park has not lessened, nor has Benitez's desire to bring him to Anfield - meaning O'Neill will have to decide whether or not he wants to do deal with Liverpool or face the prospect of keeping a player who has already publicly admitted he sees his future elsewhere.

Villa kick off their competitive season on Saturday - after back-to-back defeats in friendlies - with an Intertoto Cup tie at Odense in Denmark, but Barry will not be involved.

The face-off between the two clubs has now been going on for more that two months and with the new Premiership season set to begin in just a month Benitez knows he cannot afford to see his team building plans held up any longer by Villa's refusal to lower their price.

The Reds boss is keen to add two more new recruits to his squad and will now concentrate his efforts on bringing those players to Anfield before looking at the Barry situation once more, unless O'Neill is prepared to compromise in the meantime.

Meanwhile, Benitez is set to give several younger members of his squad another chance to impress in tonight's pre-season friendly against Lucerne in Grenchen. Having seen his young charges acquit themselves well in Saturday's 1-0 win over Tranmere, Benitez is keen to see if they can maintain their high standards against the Swiss side.

Javier Mascherano, Nabil El Zhar and Dirk Kuyt all come into contention for a run out, having returned to training on Monday at Liverpool's Swiss training camp, although the Reds boss is likely to restrict their roles at this stage.

Tonight's match with Lucerne is live on five (6.35pm).

Liverpool to show off beautiful game to mark Culture year

2008-07-16T11:22:39Z

Story by Caroline Innes

AN exhibition of priceless footballing memorabilia is coming to Liverpool to mark Capital of Culture.

Uefa's Only A Game? display tells the personal stories of some of Europe's best-known players and uses football to highlight the 50th anniversary of the European Union.

It features a set of giant table-football figures and an interactive sphere which uses teams competing in the Champions League as locations for a hi-tech geography lesson.

]]> Memorabilia on show includes shirts, medals and trophies of great European players such as former Reds captain Phil Neal, and items from the official Everton FC Collection and Liverpool FC's museum.

Uefa chiefs today confirmed Only a Game? will be based in Liverpool's World Museum from October to February 2009, its first visit to the UK.

A spokesman for the organisation said the city was chosen for its inherent passion for football, because it is home to Everton and Liverpool, and to mark Capital of Culture. It has yet to be confirmed who will open the exhibition, which is timed to coincide with the National Football Museum's Hall of Fame dinner at the ECHO Arena on October 8.

But it is rumoured Uefa president Michel Platini will do the honours after attending the dinner, which is also being held in Liverpool for the first time.

Olivier Guilbaud, who designed the exhibition, which is currently on show in Brussels, said: "It is great to be able to take Only A Game? to Liverpool, because it is a city whose passion for football remains second to none in Europe."

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John Millard, executive director of collections management at National Museums Liverpool, said: "Liverpool is the perfect place to host this fantastic Uefa exhibition.

"The exhibition features rare objects from legendary matches, top European trophies and memorabilia from star players, which will draw people from the north west and the UK to explore Europe through football."

Current Reds captain Steven Gerrard said: "There is no city in Europe where football means more than it does to the people of Liverpool.

"I think it is great that we are having a European football exhibition as part of 2008."

ECHO essentials

Highlights of Only A Game? include:

Memorabilia from the National Football Museum, including shirts, medals and trophies of European greats such as Phil Neal, George Best, Ferenc Puskas, Franz Beckenbauer, Bobby Moore, Stanley Matthews and Petr Cech.

A display of Uefa trophies, including the Champions League trophy and Uefa Cup

Giant football figures telling the evocative personal stories of players including Liverpool legend Kevin Keegan, Bernd Trautmann and Johann Cruyff.

Items from the Everton Collection and the Liverpool FC museum.

Rafa Benitez wants assurances over Ryan Babel

2008-07-16T07:53:42Z

RAFAEL BENITEZ will seek reassurances from Dutch officials after Ryan Babel's Olympic call-up yesterday.

Liverpool's 21-year-old was named in the Holland squad for the Beijing Olympics, meaning he could miss the first two games of the Premier League season.

But of more concern to Anfield manager Benitez is the forward being rushed back into competitive action after his recovery from the ankle ligament tear that ruled him out of Euro 2008. Benitez has already lost Brazilian Lucas and Argentinians Javier Mascherano, and - probably - Emiliano Insua to the Games next month.

And as Babel has battled back to fitness earlier than expected, it has allowed the Dutch to call him up to coach Foppe de Haan's 18-man squad.

]]> As part of their preparations for the Games, Holland will face Belgium on July 23 before flying to Hong Kong for the ING Cup.

The team will then move on to Tianjin in China, where they play their first Olympic match against Nigeria on August 7 before also facing Japan and the United States in Group B.

This schedule is galling for Benitez given the recovery programme Babel has begun at Melwood last week, but he cannot stop the player going under the competition rules.

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Benitez said recently: "Obviously, we are really pleased that Ryan has come back to training because he is an important player for us and he has worked hard to recover from the injury he suffered with Holland.

"But we are really worried because after getting him fit we will lose him again. This is a big problem - we prepare him and then he goes away with the national team.

"This season is very important for him. In his first season he was settling in but this time he has more experience and we are looking for him to give something from the beginning, so it is really important for him to start working with his team."

It is likely that Babel will clash with Everton's Victor Anichebe when their countries meet in the first group match.

Anichebe is in a 26-man Nigerian party and will leave for a training camp in South Korea today.

His inclusion, however, won't cause any controversy with his club as Everton have long since accepted his desire to represent his country in Beijing.

The Nigerian squad will be whittled down to the 22 that will compete in the Games, with Anichebe - already a full international - a near certainty to be selected.

If Nigeria make the final on August 23, he could miss the first two games of the new Premier League season.

Anichebe played his first game for Nigeria in March and scored on his debut to help them reach the Olympics with a 3-0 win over South Africa.

The 20-year-old hit five goals in 41 appearances last season for Everton.

Rafa Benitez sights still on Gareth Barry

2008-07-16T07:50:38Z

LIVERPOOL will remain confident of sealing the signature of Gareth Barry despite his return to pre-season training with Aston Villa today.

The Midlands club released a statement last night confirming their captain - who they value at £18million - would return to their Bodymoor Heath HQ this morning.

It came less than a fortnight after Martin O'Neill fined Barry a reported two-weeks' wages and declared he wouldn't be allowed back to training after the player publicly criticised his manager for the handling of the transfer saga a fortnight ago.

But with O'Neill also admitting Arsenal have asked to kept informed of Barry's status, he is aware of the need to avoid too much disruption to his pre-season preparations.

]]> Villa have accepted the midfielder's desire for Champions League football but know that he will only yield their asking price if he is kept to the peak of his fitness during the summer.

Indeed, Barry's return to training is merely more evidence that his club are prepared to accept his departure for something more in the region of the £15million Liverpool are prepared to pay.

Manager Rafael Benitez is reluctant to abandon the deal at this stage and is pondering a fifth bid as Arsenal's interest gathers momentum.

But his chances of netting both Barry and Tottenham striker Robbie Keane still hinge on pushing through a big-money departure to subsidise his outlay.

Those hopes were dealt an emphatic blow yesterday when Juventus confirmed that they are not in the market for any more players, thus calling off their pursuit of Xabi Alonso.

Monday's capture of the Danish international Christian Poulsen from Sevilla indicated that they had found a cheaper midfield option.

"Everyone knows that the transfer market ends on August 31," said Juve president Giovanni Cobolli Gigli. "But if I have to be honest, unless something extraordinary happens, we can say that we have concluded our transfer activity."

Alonso may well attract interest from Premier League clubs despite his £14m asking price. Allowing him to leave for much less would defeat the object of trying to sell him to meet Barry's valuation.

Liverpool are certain to gain at least £4m from the sale of Scott Carson as they have already accepted a bid of that amount from Stoke City.

But Middlesbrough, West Bromwich Albion and Blackburn Rovers also see prepared to boost Anfield coffers with offers for the England goalkeeper.

"I think there is one or two other clubs involved in the mix and agents are working between the clubs and we will see which way it drops," Stoke manager Tony Pulis said.

"We have made an offer and if we can do it, we can do it, if we can't we will move on."

Rovers are also keen on Jermaine Pennant, but he doesn't command the kind of transfer fee Benitez needs to complete his desired squad building. Another option would be to risk holding out for the sale of Alonso until towards the end of the summer transfer window on August 31.

This would then at least give Benitez some central midfield reinforcements for the start of the season, when he will be without Beijing-bound Javier Mascherano and Lucas.

Mascherano is, however, in line to make an appearance for Liverpool tonight in their second pre-season friendly of the summer against FC Lucerne in Grechen, Switzerland (6.35pm).

Liverpool FC new membership scheme 'for club's good'

2008-07-15T11:01:05Z

LIVERPOOL have introduced a new membership scheme recently which costs fans £29 to join.

Today, the ECHO puts the questions many fans are asking to club commercial director Ian Ayre to find out what the scheme involves.

Ayre also answers questions on other issues including the availability of tickets for European away games and season ticket waiting lists.

]]> Why is Liverpool FC, a religion to most fans, now charging you to belong?

"Well we're not actually. The membership is not compulsory. There is still a situation that exists where you don't have to join and you can still do all the things you did before - you can still get access to the general sale and you can still get tickets.

"The purpose of the membership is quite simple. Everyone said to me that one of the things we need to do better is to do better commercially, both here and in the rest of the world. So, if you think about the fact that we don't have anywhere near as many sponsors as other clubs and one of the things a potential sponsor wants is the ability to access fans, having a membership scheme means we are able to understand more about our fans and their behaviour.

"This allows us to be loyal to them because we can track what they do. So if you're a member and you go into the club shop and make a purchase you get a discount but we also know what you've bought. It's the same with tickets.

"For a partner, for example we are just about to announce a deal with a travel partner, this is also important.

"As part of this deal, that partner wants to offer a discount to Liverpool fans for holidays. So if you spend £300 on your holiday for this year and get 10% off you've already got back what you've paid for your membership.

"And the thing is, all our partners will want to do that. If people think that AIG don't go to Man Utd members and try and sell them insurance but then they give them back their value so that they get their membership for free then they are kidding themselves.

"We want to try and create a single view of the fan so that we know more about you as an individual rather than part of a big masse.

"People told us that we don't communicate with the fans very effectively and we don't reward them for their loyalty so the membership is designed around that.

"It's not true that you have to pay to belong. You can still be part of it, you can still come to games, go in the shop and access all the things that you could access before.

"What we are trying to do is to create a next level for those people who want to go to it but it's not compulsory."

What about existing fan card holders?

"No change."

How much access do fans get to tickets via the ticket exchange for their £29 fee?

"The exchange is for members and the idea of that is that if a season ticket holder cannot come to a particular game and we know that on average there are 1200 people every game who don't turn up so we are allowing anyone who is in this situation to put their ticket back which we then sell to a fan at face value and the season ticket holder then gets a credit back which comes off the cost of their next season ticket."

Will those subscribing to the new membership scheme receive any priority over existing fan card holders?

"In terms of something like the ticket buy back scheme, members will be the only ones who get access to that but if the tickets don't sell we will put them into general sale."

Do we have improved access to tickets, such as window sales, an improved Internet service for buying tickets online, or an improved telephone system for buying tickets?

"We have built a new web interface which should be ready for the start of the season so that should certainly provide better quality.

"One of the things that people complained about was that they were getting locked up on the web sales side of things.

"But you can still buy via the window for certain games and you can still buy on the phone."

How will the Priority Tickets Scheme be affected?

"It's not affected. In fact, if anything it's enhanced, because the PTS members are automatically given membership, just as season ticket holders are."

Will they still have the same number of tickets available to them?

"Yes."

Can people still join the season ticket waiting list for free, or do you have to pay to join it?

"Well the people who are already on it keep their position and they don't have to pay to join it but what we are going to do is once we've written to the people on the season ticket waiting list which is a massive number which needs cleaning up so we can qualify that list and find out that if everyone who's on it is (a) legitimate and (b) wants a ticket.

"We are going to close that list in the sense of people just being able to send a letter to get on it and thereafter anyone who wants to join the list is going to have to be a member.

"But I have to say that anyone who thinks that's restrictive because you might want to join it now it is so big that in reality I wouldn't even like to guess how many years it would take before the man at the bottom is actually going to get a season ticket.

"The good thing about making people be a member to join it is we then have a relationship with that person. They are renewing every year, so we are able to keep track if they are still around, at the same address or whatever.

"It also means if there's a game where we've got extra tickets or something we can communicate with that person and see if they want to come to that game because there's this myth that you can't get tickets."

The club's very own charter says about fan cards "The fan card is the only card that you will need with Liverpool FC", why the change?

"When we go into the new stadium, as an example, the whole place will have electronic access which would need a card..

"Also, at a football club there are always all kind of systems and processes that have evolved over time, some of which are almost at odds with each other, so what we are trying to do is streamline that process so that we get rid of a lot of the issues and the confusion.

"The aim is to bring the systems into line so that by the time the new stadium is open we have (a) the technonlogy and (b) the ability for fans to get access to general sale, priority tickets and season tickets.

"The charter may have said that but everything evolves over time and we are making a change for the good of the fans not for any other reason."

What about season ticket holders? They currently pay a minimum of £650 per season. Do they get the same benefits of this new membership? Will they receive the discounts and the special offers?

"Yes."

Did the club consult with supporters?

"Yes."

Is it true that Development Association agents who sell pools on behalf of the club are to have their ticket allocations cut in half why the sudden change, where will these tickets go?

"I don't know where that one came from. All we have done with the Development Association is streamline it.

"There were two levels of allocation. There were tickets going to agents, that hasn't changed. What we did identify is there were some tickets through that scheme that were being provided to third party corporate hospitality programmes, so there were pubs and hotels in Liverpool that were running unofficial corporate hospitality packages.

"Our view of that was why should someone in a pub charge anyone who wants to buy it £200 or whatever for a package for which the only benefit to the club is the income from the match ticket.

"We believe that we should do it so we have taken those same tickets which were going to random people and we are going to put our own corporate package together which is available to fans.

"We are looking at two off site venues. We will run it and it will be controlled by the club and all the revenue will come to the club.

"That is a good thing for Liverpool because there's an extra revenue stream coming in, which is what we're trying to do in a lot of areas, we are trying to stop people who are profiteering.

"The fan can buy it off the club but they know they are getting the right product and they can come to us if they are not happy.

"Also, the money is coming to the club and I think as a fan that's a good thing because if we want to put the likes of Fernando Torres out on the pitch we have to identify as many of these revenue streams as we can and that is what we are doing.

There are rumours circulating that Liverpool FC will be giving up to 50% of tickets for European away games to Thomas Cook to sell as part of packages, thereby penalising fans who prefer to travel independently. Is there any truth in this?

"All of the European tickets for next season will be sold on the basis of loyalty just as they have been.

"What Thomas Cook will offer for people who want it is a package but we're not giving them the tickets and telling them they can sell them to anyone who wants to buy them.

"It will all be done on our normal qualifying system, so you have to qualify just as you did before and then you have the option of taking the Thomas Cook package.

"With Thomas Cook we've told them they can be our official partner and we are getting a big sponsorship fee so we are trying to encourage people to use Thomas Cook because more of that revenue will come back to the club.

"Clearly, if Thomas Cook price themselves out of the market no-one is going to use it but we believe we have identified a partner who can offer a service at a competitive price so that the club and our fans benefit."

Xabi Alonso still set to leave Liverpool

2008-07-15T10:59:31Z

XABI ALONSO is still heading for the Anfield exit door, despite Juventus finally abandoning their chase for his signature.

The Serie A giants unveiled a cut price alternative to Alonso yesterday in £7.4m Danish international Christian Poulsen from Seville - after baulking at the Reds' £14m asking price.

And coach Claudio Ranieri declared that his spending on outfield players had now finished for the summer.

]]> "All that we are missing is a goalkeeper," he said. "I asked for two players in every position and I got them. With the new purchase we will have quality in midfield."

The news comes as a blow to Rafa Benitez, whose summer spending plans still hinge heavily on what money he can generate from the transfer market. And Alonso will have to be sacrificed to fund those plans.

Benitez's wheeling and dealing so far this summer has left him with a profit of around £8m, still way short of what Aston Villa are demanding for Gareth Barry.

And with Spurs striker Robbie Keane also a confirmed target, the Reds boss still needs a major injection of funds to his transfer pot.

The departure of Scott Carson should boost that fund by a further £4m today.

The goalkeeper is in talks with newly promoted Stoke City and West Brom, after both clubs had £4m bids accepted by the Reds.

Carson stayed behind from Liverpool's training camp in Switzerland in order to stage talks with both clubs and a decision is expected today.

The Reds' Swiss training squad, meanwhile, has been boosted by the return of Javier Mascherano, Dirk Kuyt and Nabil El Zhar ahead of tomorrow's friendly with FC Lucerne.

The trio joined up with the training camp yesterday.

One youngster not in Switzerland is striker Kristian Nemeth, but he continues to impress at the UEFA Under-19 European Championships.

The striker scored the only goal of the game to help Hungary beat Bulgaria 1-0 in their opening game of the championships in the Czech Republic yesterday.

Including the qualifiers, it was Nemeth's sixth goal of the competition, making him joint top scorer.

He was replaced by Liverpool team-mate Andras Simon in the 88th minute, while fellow Red Peter Gulacsi was outstanding in goal.

Meanwhile, Mikel San Jose played the full 90 minutes as holders Spain went down 2-1 in their opening match to Germany.