Red Rumours

Best moments from interview with the board

2010-12-13T16:02:00.000-05:00

by Paul Doward - HoZO - UKI

Photo: Liverpool FC via Getty Images

Liverpool FC's new owners have never been ones to shirk a question as they boldly state they will work in unison with the clubs fans and value their input. They have always stated they are merely stewards of the club and that the fans are the principal owners of the club, it's with this in mind then that they faced the TV cameras this evening on LFC TV's channel and answered some fans' questions live in the studio. The following questions and answers are the pick of the bunch from the phonecalls, texts and tweets as Principal Owner John Henry, Chairman Tom Werner and Commercial Director Ian Ayre fielded those questions.

Firstly, each caller and textee extended a warm welcome to the club for the owners and thanked them explicitly for taking over the club and eradicating the old regime. The first caller asked the panel about their plans for longterm investment and how does the club mirror their early days Boston Redsox. The caller also asked what their opinion of Roy is and commented that they didn't think he was good enough for the job. John Henry said that he sees alot of similarities between LFC and the Redsox, when they took over in Boston the team wasn't on an equal footing with the NY Yankees but they implemented some changes, mainly by generating more revenue and that by doing this and getting the right people into management positions would generate into fluency on the pitch. He went onto praise Ian Ayre and the job that he is doing commercially for the club, he said that their plan was to spend wisely and be successful and that they were determined to succeed. Henry also stated that when they took control of the club they realised that it was a fantastic opportunity for the longterm and it's with this in mind that they want to return the club to where it was 20 years ago. Tom Werner spoke on the subject of Roy Hodgson, he said that Roy's new to the job just as they are and whilst everybody concerned is aware of the need for improvement they believe in what Roy is doing.

The next caller asked about the plans for the Stadium and compared Anfield to the footballing cathedrals around the World such as The Bernabau, Camp Nou and San Siro. The caller felt it would be a disaster to move away from Anfield and all of the history that surrounds the illustrious stadium. Tom Werner agreed with the callers opinion on the option of tearing down the ground. He said that in many ways Anfield is similar to what Fenway Park was when they took over in that it's a very special place but something needs to be done and certainly needs to be done as a way of increasing revenue at an optimum level from the ground. He said that alot of meetings are taking place but it's too early to go in one direction regarding a new stadium or a regeneration of our current one. John Henry mentioned that visiting Anfield as fans is such a magical experience and one of the greatest sporting experiences of his life, he says that he has fallen in love with Anfield and;history and ambience that goes with the ground, he believes that it's an asset for the longterm to stay at Anfield.

Another caller asked if we were to expect the massive investment that was necessary to improve our first team squad and that the current crop of players aren't good enough. He also mentioned that in his opinion Roy, despite being a nice guy, wasn't good enough to manage the club and why was Kenny Dalglish overlooked? John Henry said that they are and have been actively looking towards the January window but they have no answers as to what they are going to do. He didn't doubt that so far performances have been underwhelming considering what they would like to do for the future. Tom Werner said that they were willing to take risks but risks that will pay off in the long-term. they will seek to get good value for money and that it's going to take time to rebuild as some decisions over the past few years that were made more for the short term have hampered the clubs progress. Tom Werner went onto say that he has viewed some games from Liverpools past and one thing that stood out for him was that despite being 3-0 up the team would be relentless in the quest for a 4th goal and that's what they want to bring back. They believe in Bill Shankly's mantra that first and foremost it's about winning trophies.

A question was then asked that came in via the message-board, the poster wanted to know what the plans were to utilise Kenny Dalglish in a more important role at the club. John Henry said that he needs to have a much more clear role at the club and one of more substance. He said that along with Damian Comolli Kenny Dalglish has an important part to play in the clubs future. Tom Werner said that he had the honour of going out for a meal with Kenny and his wife and despite struggling to understand his broad Scottish accent he totally understands what he means to the club and it's fans and that Kenny's spirit and love for the club is something they endeavour to embody in everybody that's connected with the Liverpool FC.

A text message came into the studio asking how close they were to appointing a Chief Executive. John Henry said that although they were still working on it and appointment isn't close. He did say that they have received a number of excellent applicants and they will be reviewing them in good time. A tweet was also read out that asked the owners about the option of a ground-share with Everton. John Henry stated that he is well aware it's something that the fans do not want and for that reason it would be difficult to implement; in his opinion whilst the fans take this view the subject is a non starter.

Another caller phoned in to ask where they owners saw the club in the next 5 years and what is their strategy for this period. John Henry said that it's very much a rebuilding project at the moment but the current position with regards to performance is unacceptable. He went on to say that they want to build to take the side back to the top of the table and the team must be in a position in the next 3 years to make this a realistic prospect. Another caller asked a question that ties in with this and asked how they feel they will be able to attract the big names that are necessary in turning the fortunes of the team around. John Henry stated that from what he has experienced from speaking to agents and players it's apparent that players want to come to Liverpool and that due to the attractiveness of playing for such an institute like LFC he sees no problems in attracting that calibre of player to the club. Another caller tied in with this also as they asked if the owners realise the task they have in contending with the sides that are spending millions and millions of pounds on wages and fees to bring these players to England. Can Liverpool compete with Chelsea and Man City? John Henry said that they do understand what it takes and that they will develop a strategy regarding player recruitment. They said that they undertook their due diligence before the takeover and from this they established what work needed doing. They are also aware of Fifa's impending fair play rules that will be implemented regarding player recruitment and they know what they need to do with regards to this. He did acknowledge that some players at the club are overpaid and under performing and that it's imperative to address these issues if they are to raise revenues at the club. Tom Werner said that throwing money at the problem won't necessarily work and that they have to be smart with money. The Redsox now have successful revenue schemes and it's through these that they were able to spend big in the past week, he also mentioned that Liverpool have revenues to be successful but these must be allocated properly.

Finally, as was apparent for most of the show the fans were expressing their concern with regards to Roy Hodgson and the managerial position. One of which asked the owners if they were aware that over 80% of fans wanted Hodgson out and that they thought he was far out of his depth. The fan also said that in 32 years of supporting the club he has never asked for the manager to be replaced but in his opinion Roy doesn't know what he's doing. Another caller said that whilst it wasn't NESV's decision to appoint Hodgson it's apparent that it was a huge mistake and an appointment that was made due to an agenda that was driven by the media. He wanted to know what they will do to ensure we don;t lose players of the calibre of Torres and Reina and the fact that quality needs to be added to both the playing staff and the management staff what with Roy's poor Premiership record of away wins (13 in his entire career in the Premiership!) Tom Werner said that they met with Roy today and whilst they understand where he is coming from they have made it clear to all concerned that major improvement is required. John Henry admitted that current play and performances are unacceptable and it's up to everybody associated with the club to take on teh responsibility of improving the fortunes.

It was a very enlightening phone in and all credit is due to the guys for giving their time and honesty in answering some difficult questions. Tom Werner closed out by saying he is privileged to work for one of the greatest clubs in the world and they are working on behalf of the fans to bring back the trophies that the fans and club deserve. John Henry asked for patience and said that so far it's been 2 months of non stop work but there will be no quick fix but they will meet fans' expectations and restore the club to greatness.

Newcastle 3 - 1 Liverpool - Match Report

2010-12-12T17:27:00.006-05:00

by Paul Doward - HoZO - UKI

Photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images Europe

Going into this game there were a number of intriguing questions that needed answering :- How would the Geordie fans react to Alan Pardew's first game in charge at St James'? How would his players react after being so downcast after losing a manager they were all so obviously close to? and more importantly would Liverpool be able to build on their recent run of good performances to take three points from the North East? Well the answer to the first question was evident leading up to kick off; numerous demonstrations by the fans outside the ground in support of the ousted Hughton and against the despised owner Mike Ashley must've struck a chord with the travelling Reds fans as it wasn't so long ago that they found themselves battling an unwanted owner(s). Liverpools quest for goals surely took a shot in the arm with the recalled Fernando Torres back after his midweek foray into fatherhood for the second time.

So the teams lined up as follows :-

Newcastle: Krul, Simpson, Steven Taylor, Campbell, Jose Enrique, Barton, Nolan, Tiote, Gutierrez, Carroll, Ameobi. Subs: Harper, Guthrie, Routledge, Lovenkrands, Perch, Smith, Ranger.

Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Kyrgiakos, Skrtel, Konchesky, Kuyt, Meireles, Lucas, Maxi, Torres, Ngog. Subs: Jones, Aurelio, Cole, Jovanovic, Babel, Poulsen, Kelly.

Referee : Lee Mason.

The opening minutes of the match were a stalemate. Both sides trying to get hold of the ball and move forward but to little success. The vociferous Geordie fans continued to level their abuse at their owner Mike Ashley and at times the unfortunate scapegoat in all of this Alan Pardew. The game presented few chances for either side in the early exchanges and Liverpool had the first real chance after 9 minutes. A Raul Meireles freekick swung in from the right was cleared as far as Lucas just outside the area, he managed to get the ball back back into the area were the waiting Soto Kyrgiakos fired a shot straight at Krul that no doubt stung the keepers hands. On the 11th minute Newcastle found themselves with a great scoring opportunity that began with Torres giving the ball away. The ball was played through to Andy Carroll but luckily he was unable to control it and Reina gathered. The breakthrough was to come not too long afterwards and unfortunately for Liverpool it went to the Magpies. A freekick from Joey Barton was played high into the box were the ever dangerous Andy Carroll (who looked marginally offside) nodded it down to the ex Liverpool FC schoolboy Kevin Nolan and Newcastles top scorer side footed the ball comfortably past Pepe Reina....suddenly it seemed that the Geordie fans had forgotten all about their spat with Mike Ashley.

Liverpool responded to going a goal down by trying to forge forward but were continually left frustrated by either their inability to keep possession or a dogged Newcastle backline in particular Jose Enrique. The intricacies of Liverpools p[passing game was seemingly their undoing at times as they time and again came up short in their attacks, Torres in particular gave the ball away with worrying abandon. One positive of Torres' performance up to this moment was his willingness to take a 26th minute freekick. He's keen to get a goal and whilst not renowned as a dead ball specialist he showed a willingness that all Liverpool fans would want to see. Unfortunately Raul Meireles would probably have been a better choice as the resultant freekick from Torres only found Andy Carroll's midriff in the wall.

Newcastle continued to press forward and looked dangerous. Alan Pardew must surely be pleased with what he's seen so far and the black and whites continued to threaten when Carrolls strike was gathered easily by Reina but along with Ameobi it was his movement and willingness to show for teh ball that was causing the Liverpool defence numerous headaches. Up the other end Raul Meireles came close to getting Liverpool back on level terms but his strike ricocheted off Krul and the waiting Enrique was able to clear off the line. It wasn't long before Newcastle were threatening once more, this time it was a Shola Ameobi strike that wrong footed Reina after taking a wicked deflection off Martin Skrtel, luckily the ball bounced wide. The first half ended with Liverpool in the ascendency; a Raul Meireles corner was headed wide by the powerful Kyrgiakos who once again proves to be Liverpools most potent threat from set pieces. Newcastle went into the break probably just about deserving the lead, whilst The Reds have had more possession they have failed to create many chances and Newcastle continue to look threatening whenever they progress into the final third of the pitch.

'The Better Than Andy Gray's Half Time Analysis Half Time Analysis Report' - It's going to take a big halftime team talk from Roy Hodgson to get Liverpool performing better in the second half. The front two of Torres and Ngog have failed to trouble the immobile Sol Campbell and the wantaway Steven Taylor in the way we would've hoped. Liverpools defence are struggling to keep a check on the two Newcastle strikers with the battle between Kyrgiakos and Carroll at times very much the 'unstoppable force meeting the immovable object!'....and aren't those Geordies a fickle bunch?...one goal and the lead at half time and suddenly everything's forgiven!!...Mike Ashley was even getting himself a beer down at the bar and emerged for the second half to take his seat completely unscathed!

So the second half is back underway and we need to see a completely different Liverpool side in this half. Luckily, that's what we got right from the start. Was it an inspirational speech from Roy at halftime? Whatever it was it worked as Dirk Kuyt got Liverpool level in the 50th minute, the ideal start to the second half! The goal though a little fortunate was certainly welcome; a ball into the area came back off the hapless Sol Campbell and fell to Dirk Kuyt whose smashed shot deflected off Steven Taylor and past the helpless Tim Krul. It was nearly two a couple of minutes later but for a good save by Krul with his legs, another ball up over the top had caught out the Newcastle backline and Fernando Torres found himself in space but after a nice controlled touch he chose the wrong option and the keeper made the save.

Liverpool continued to push forward and were certainly much more threatening than they seemed in the first half. Newcastle were becoming increasingly on the back-foot and that was evident in their play as every opportunity they got they pumped the ball forward looking for their strikers. It was this non-agricultural approach that brought them back into the game, that and the addition of Niall Ranger for Shola Ameobi. Ranger was instantly a thorn in Liverpool's side and so very nearly put Newcastle back in front but his shot flashed across Reina's goal.

Liverpool's midfield showed flashes of improvement as they began to take control of the centre of the park but their job was made all the more difficult as Newcastle continued to hoof the ball upfield at every opportunity and it was one of these occasions that cost Liverpool dear. A Tim Krul freekick upfield was helped on by Andy Carroll and some sloppy defending by Martin Skrtel allowed Joey Barton to nip in and his shot went in off the post. Wouldn't you just know it? the only two scousers on the pitch and they've only both gone and scored for Newcastle! A couple of Liverpool subs didn't make much impact in the closing stages, Babel replaced the injured Ngog and Milan Jovanovic came on from Maxi Rodriguez but it was a losing battle that Liverpool were fighting a battle made all the worse when Andy Carroll blasted the home side 3-1 up a minute into stoppage time with a rasping drive that Reina stood no chance of stopping.

That was that. At the end of the day the best team won and that hurts. Newcastle were here for the taking today and all credit to them their steely performance masked what had been a very difficult week in the North East, all credit to them. Liverpool just didn't do enough to trouble Sol Campbell who was Newcastle's obvious weak link and Fernando Torres continued to struggle to display any of the qualities that made him into one of Europe's top strikers. The Reds' away form continues to be a worry and the sooner Steven Gerrard returns to fitness the better as it was evident on this occasion Liverpool miss his drive and determination when faced with adversity.

Man Of The Match :- 1. Dirk Kuyt 2. Raul Meireles . I've really struggled to name three so you're only getting two I'm afraid. Kuyt because he scored our only goal and Meireles because again he proved he's getting to grips with the Premiership but this is a result and performance overall I'd rather forget.

Newcastle v. Liverpool Preview

2010-12-10T20:10:00.000-05:00

by Charles Ong - Contributing Writer

Photo: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images Europe

Newcastle v Liverpool
When: 11th December 2010, Saturday, 17:30 GMT
Where: St James' Park

Resurgent Liverpool travel next to St James' Park with renewed vigour and confidence on the back of 2 consecutive 3-0 home wins against West Ham and Aston Villa. Erratic away form have hampered the Reds' progress thus far this season, and the Reds will be looking to bounce back from a luckless 1-2 defeat against Spurs during their last away outing.

Such was the dominance in the previous game that Liverpool could afford to breathe easy just after 15 minutes. Villa were sub-par at best, the Reds never needed to step up a gear and the game was all but over before the hour mark.

Liverpool could continue furthering their ascent up their table, and the crux of the matter is that 3 points is so essential to push for that ever-elusive Champions League spot. As Liverpool enters the festive period, there should be no let-up in terms of performance. Failure to win again - would mean that the hard work against Villa would all be undone.

Over at the other end, Newcastle's fans were rocked by the imminent sacking of manager Chris Hughton. Mike Ashley's decision is all the more bizarre as Newcastle sit pretty in mid-table, given that they were just newly promoted from the Championship this season. Hughton has done a magnificent job with his limited resources, and perhaps this is the perfect time to face a club shrouded with political instability.

Alan Pardew is expected to be named the new manager in the next 48 hours. He faces a mammoth task of improving Newcastle's fortunes of late, given they picked up just 2 points in the last 5 EPL games.

Fernando Torres would be refreshed and raring to go, having been given time off to witness the birth of his newborn baby. Steven Gerrard could be fit for this clash, but my gut feeling is Gerrard will start from the bench as a probable precaution.

Expected LFC Lineup - Reina (c), Johnson, Kyrgiakos, Skrtel, Konchesky, Kuyt, Lucas, Meireles, Maxi, Ngog, Torres.

Liverpool's form (Last 5 EPL games): DLWLW
Newcastle's form (Last 5 EPL games): LDLDL

Head to Head:
Played: 32
Liverpool: 19
Draw: 6
Newcastle: 7
No of Liverpool's goals: 66
No of Newcastle's goals: 35

In the last corresponding fixture, Liverpool thrashed Newcastle 5-1 in a resounding manner.

Prediction
Liverpool 2 - 0 Newcastle

Rumour: Glen Johnson Out

2010-12-10T09:30:00.000-05:00

by Reagan Gerrard - HoZO - APAC

Photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images Europe

It has been reported in recent weeks that Liverpool fullback Glen Johnson is unhappy at the club. Rod Fanni has been seen as an idea replacement for the England international, and rumours are getting heated as Tottenham, Bayern Munich and Juventus are all allegedly lurking. Sources quote £12 millon as the price for the player to leave Anfield.

Sources:

Goal
ESPN-Star
Guardian
and
Express

Rumour: David N'Gog Loan

2010-12-10T09:15:00.001-05:00

by Reagan Gerrard - HoZO - APAC

Photo: Alex Livesey/Getty Images Europe

Rumours are surfacing that on David N’Gog’s growing list of admirers is Blackburn Rovers manager, Sam Allardyce. Allardyce is looking to strengthen Blackburn’s attacking options in the January market and David N’Gog is one of many players on his radar.

Sources:

Fans FC
and
Lancashire Telegraph

CONFIRMED TRANSFER: Charles Itandje Released

2010-12-10T09:00:00.002-05:00

by Reagan Gerrard - HoZO - APAC

Photo: Barry Coombs/Empic Sports/PA Photos

Liverpool Football Club have confirmed that goalkeeper Charles Itandje will be leaving the club on the 1^st of January, heading to Greek Super League club Atromitos. Charles made only seven appearances for the club, and is most well known for his behaviour during the twentieth anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster.

Liverpool FC Official Announcement

Rumour: Ashley Young, Aston Villa

2010-12-09T10:18:00.000-05:00

by Dave Rossborough - HoZO - Americas

Photo: Lee Smith/Action Images

The Villians have been sent back to Birmingham with their tails between their legs and a manager who blatantly didn’t want to leave Anfield, but there’s one player who might be gracing the Shankly Gates sooner than we thought. Ashley Young is a bright young talent in a position where we sorely need it. His career has plateaued at Villa and it sounds like Houllier may be about to do us one more favour.

Sources:

The Mirror
TalkSport
and
Goal

Rumour: Luis Suarez, Ajax

2010-12-09T09:58:00.000-05:00

by Dave Rossborough - HoZO - Americas

Photo: Bryn Lennon/Getty Images Europe

The Uruguayan striker hasn’t been far from controversy over the past 12 months, having knocked out Ghana with a hand ball on the line in the World Cup, and then allegedly biting an opponent in the Dutch league. If we can see past these indiscretions we’re looking at a player with 139 career goals, and an amazing return of 35 last season. Could he be the perfect strike partner for Torres?

Sources include:

Caught Offside
Fans FC
and
Metro

This one's for the CoWs: Cult Kopite - Craig Johnston pt. 1

2010-12-08T12:36:00.000-05:00

Red Rumours LFC is committed to providing a channel for fans to showcase their talents and voice their thoughts in a feature we call "This one's for the CoWs (Contributing writers). We encourage everyone to submit your works to redrumourslfc@gmail.com. If we like it, we'll post it!

Cult Kopite - Craig Johnston (part 1)

by Paul Doward - Zone Contributor - UK/I

Throughout the history of our illustrious club many a legend has had his name sang on The Kop as the 45,000 strong faithful have afforded their love and affection to some of the greatest players ever to step foot onto a football pitch. Names like Keegan, Hughes, Rush, Dalglish, Barnes, Beardsley, Aldridge and in more recent times Fowler and Gerrard have done more than enough to warrant their places in the steep history that surrounds our great club. What of the lesser remembered players though? The players that wore the Liverbird on their chests yet aren’t quite given the same reverence as some of the names listed above. It’s these players that I’ll be taking a look at on a weekly basis in a bid to educate a generation that may not know or remember them and for those of us that do I’m sure it will offer a nostalgic trip down memory lane as we salute the unsung heroes that waged many a battle in our honour across the fields of Anfield Road.

Photo: Getty Images

Born in Johannesburg, South Africa on the 25^th of June 1960, Craig Johnston’s family relocated back to their Australian homeland not too long after Craig’s birth. It was here that he was raised and he developed his love for our great sport, a love that would develop and shape the future English Division One and European Cup winner. Those medals and honours probably seemed a million miles away from young Craig though as in 1966 at the age of just 6 he contracted Osteomyelitis, an infection of the bone marrow that almost cost the youngster his leg. Thankfully that particular outcome was avoided and Craig Johnston was given the opportunity to continue on the path to realise his dreams. With the aid of his father’s encouragement Johnston managed to get his foot in the door and signed up with Lake Macquarie City FC in New South Wales it was here that the prototype for the future Anfield superstar was made.
Along with his football skills Craig also developed a confidence in himself and along with his fathers’ encouragement, who himself had had trials with Preston North End and Dundee United, wrote to a number of English League clubs seeking the same opportunities that his father had gained. He only got one reply, but it was enough for his family to sell their house in order to fund Craig’s travel costs to England. Jack Charlton was the manager of Middlesbrough at the time and he obviously saw some potential in the young Australian. Craig stayed at the North East club for approximately six months before moving briefly back to his homeland to play for Sydney FC before moving back to Middlesbrough where he was about to receive his first big break.

His first team debut came as a 17 year old in an FA Cup tie against Everton, a side who unbeknownst to him at this time would become his future sworn enemy. He would go onto make his full League debut in February of 1978 helping the Boro to a victory over Birmingham City. It wasn’t long before he would establish himself at the Teesiders and in all played 64 times for them scoring 16 goals in the process. His consistency and tireless energy would eventually attract the bigger clubs and in April of 1981 the biggest club in the country; Liverpool FC came knocking at his door with Bob Paisley at the helm, the club paid £650,000 to secure his services. Despite only being a relatively young 20 years of age he signed on the dotted line and only a few short weeks after his arrival he witnessed his new team-mates defeat Real Madrid in Paris by a single Alan Kennedy goal to nil.

Early on in his Anfield career he witnessed a mixed bag of fortunes. He made bit part appearances for the first half of the 1981/1982 season but when given the opportunity he showed glimpses of his raw potential. Much like Dirk Kuyt these days, Johnston was a willing runner, never stopped working and displayed great battling determination along with courage and strength that meant he quickly became a crowd favourite, so much so that he became affectionately known as ‘Skippy’ on the terraces. His first goal came in a League Cup fourth round replay against Arsenal at Anfield opening the scoring in the first half of extra time and The Reds went onto win by 3 goals to nil. Liverpool went onto retain that trophy and Johnston found himself featuring in everyone of the remaining League games that season in some capacity as his side went onto regain their League Title with Craig netting six goals in the process. It was during this season that Craig received a call from the Australian national side but he refused their invitation choosing instead to represent England at Under 21 and B Team level. He would also resist their advances in 1985 in the hope of receiving a full call up from the England national side.
The following season would be his most productive as a goal scorer, scoring 10 goals in 42 starts as The Reds retained their League Title and won the League Cup and in the following year, under Joe Fagan, Liverpool famously completed the Treble. Craig Johnston just three years after signing for Liverpool FC was a European Cup winner.

Rumour: Ronaldinho, AC Milan

2010-12-08T10:34:00.000-05:00

by Marty MacSharp - HoWO

Photo: Getty Images

Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho has been linked to a move to Anfield. The 30-year-old has been subject to speculation from various tabloids and websites in Italy and England. The former World Player of the Year has also been linked to a move to the United States.

Sources:

and

Rumour: Milan Jovanovic Out

2010-12-07T10:17:00.000-05:00

By Reagan Gerrard - HoZO - APAC

Photo: PA Wire/Press Association

Milan Jovanovic appears to be leaving the club after a short, unsuccessful stint with Liverpool. Hailed for his hardworking attitude, the striker appears to have fallen out of favour with Roy Hodgson and a January move looks to be on the cards. Milan’s agent claims there is interest not just in Belgium, but Spain, Germany and Holland too. Trabzonspor are also monitoring the situation.

Sources:

Sky Sports
Daily Mail
Mirror
and
Goal

Rumour: Rod Fanni, Rennes

2010-12-07T09:52:00.000-05:00

by Reagan Gerrard - HoZO - APAC

Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Defensive astuteness is on the agenda as Roy Hodgson has purportedly sent Damien Comolli on a mission to Rennes, with Rod Fanni in his sights. The French right-back is seen as a replacement for the out of form Glen Johnson. The 29 year old is highly sought after, but no prices have been touted as of yet.

Sources:

Metro
The Guardian
Goal
and
Give Me Football

Rumour: Clint Dempsey, Fulham

2010-12-07T09:48:00.000-05:00

by Reagan Gerrard - HoZO - APAC

Photo: Hunter Martin/Getty Images

USA international Clint “Deuce” Dempsey is allegedly on his way to Anfield. The 27 year old striker was a key man for Roy Hodgson in Fulham’s Europa League run last season. Fulham are unlikely to sell and have put a £10 million price tag on the player.

Sources:

Goal
GiveMeFootball
Caught Offside
and
Fanhouse

Congratulations to Fernando and Olalla Torres!

2010-12-07T01:04:00.000-05:00

by Red Rumours LFC Staff

Photo: Photo Agency/Zimbio

The Red Rumours LFC staff would like to extend its congratulations to Fernando Torres and Olalla for the successful birth of their son, Leo.

Fernando missed Liverpool's 3 - 0 victory over Aston Villa on Monday to attend to his wife who went into labor.

Baby Leo is the second child of the couple after their daughter Nora.

We wish the Torres family nothing but the best.

You'll Never Walk Alone!

Liverpool 3- 0 Aston Villa: Match Report

2010-12-06T17:58:00.000-05:00

by Paul Doward - Zone Contributor - UK/I

Photo: John Powell/Getty Images

With the news that Fernando Torres was standing at the goal end of his Missus' impending birth rather than in front of the goal at the Kop end left me a little cold. It wasn't the minus temperatures that were currently wreaking havoc in Liverpool that made me feel so glum, neither was it the fact that our beloved Nando had chosen to be at his wife's bedside rather than on the hallowed turf at Anfield, it was to do with the fact that I felt a frontline of Ngog and Babel would leave me holding my head in my hands come the final whistle; lamenting on what could have been rather than celebrating the much needed 3 points. Whilst we already knew that Stevie G and Carra would be missing through injury it still meant that the starting eleven seemingly lacked the star power that is required to galvanise the side on a freezingly cold Decembers evening.

So the teams lined up as follows :-

Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Kyrgiakos, Skrtel, Konchesky, Kuyt, Meireles, Lucas, Maxi, Babel, Ngog.
Subs: Jones, Aurelio, Cole, Jovanovic, Poulsen, Shelvey, Kelly.

Aston Villa: Friedel, Luke Young, Dunne, Collins, Warnock, Albrighton, Clark, Hogg, Downing, Ireland, Agbonlahor.
Subs: Guzan, Pires, Carew, Delfouneso, Cuellar, Lichaj, Herd

It was evident from Liverpools starting line up that they would employ an attacking 4-4-2 but would it be Kuyt or Babel that would lead the line along with David Ngog? From the evidence of the opening few minutes it appeared it would be the younger of the Dutch internationals. This was the chance that Babel has been chomping at the bit for and he along with Ngog and Kuyt both looked lively in the opening exchanges. As early as 3 minutes Liverpool found themselves with a good opening from a set piece as Kyrgiakos was his usual thorn in the side self causing the Villa defence to not get rid of the ball properly and as the ball spilled to Kuyt his half volley sailed wide of Friedels goal, but it was a good early threat from Liverpool. The Reds continued to dominate the early stages as Villa found themselves defending progressively deeper as Liverpool push forward, this meant that Gabriel Agbonlahor was already cutting an isolated figure in Villas attacking third of the pitch.

With the ever increasing pressure on Villa it was surely a matter of when not if Liverpool would find the opening goal and it duly came on 13 minutes. Dirk Kuyt did very well to harry Stephen Warnock and the ex LFC fullback had no option to put it out for a corner. From the resulting set piece Martin Skrtel rose unmarked just inside the area to nod a ball back across the six yard box and David Ngog pounced with a diving header which left Friedel with no chance. The Redmen were on top! But would they now sit back and defend their lead? Would they hell! Straight from the kick off an increasingly unconfident Villa gave the ball back to Liverpool and Lucas Leiva lofted a beautiful ball over the top of the Villa backline where a suspiciously offside Ryan Babel was waiting but the Dutchman wasn't going to hang about to check the linesman's flag; he ran through on goal and finished a lovely half volley on the turn into the bottom corner of Friedel's goal. Two Nil and it's all very impressive by the Reds, they're playing with refreshing confidence and even Ryan Babel looks like a changed man with him enthusiastically chasing every ball down .

Villa's first real threat came on the 18 minute mark when Stuart Downing's break down the Villa left and he seemingly left Johnson for dead only for the England right back to make a great recovery and his covering tackle forcing a corner that Villa failed to take advantage of. That seemed to signal a spell of decent pressure for Villa though and the next ten minutes or so was the Midlanders' best spell of the first half. A few passes began to go astray from the LFC defence and Liverpool would need to stamp their authority in midfield if they would be to retain their 2 goal lead. Luckily in Meireles and Lucas Liverpool had two men whose improvement over recent games are there for everybody to see. Both sprayed passes around the pitch that would have Xabi Alonso (who was watching from the stands incidentally) watering at the mouth and Lucas again appeared to revel in the leading Midfield role he'd been given in Gerrards absence; he got stuck into every challenge and the talented Stephen Ireland was unable to make any impact on the game from the centre of Villas midfield. The first half was brought to a close by Phil Dowd and Liverpool were clear and deserved leaders at the break.

'The Better Than Andy Gray's Half Time Analysis Half Time Analysis Report' - Lucas and Meireiles are head and shoulders above their Villa counterparts. With Lucas' gritty determination and Meireles' classy distribution Liverpool have hardly missed their talismanic captain in the centre of the park. Ryan Babel is having his best game in a red shirt in recent memory; the Dutchman looks hungry and in love with football again. Johnson and Konchesky are pushing forward and linking up great with Kuyt and Maxi on the wings and as for Maxi, what the bejeezus is that snood all about?!?! Pepe Reina has had very little to do, he must be freezing his bits off out there!! An interesting factoid gets thrown up at this point too, the last time LFC surrendered a two goal lead was back in September of 2002 against another side from the Midlands - Birmingham. The Liverpool Manager on that occasion? one Gerard Houllier.....Hmmmmmm.

The second half began and for the first 9 minutes Villa were definitely in the ascendency. They had made a substitution at half time with Nathan Delfounso replacing Keiron Clark and the change in formation seemed to reinvigorate The Villains. Liverpool had to take control of the game again and not allow any complacency to creep into their game because with Agbonlahor on the pitch his pace would always be a problem for Liverpool's less mobile centre backs to deal with, a third goal is what Liverpool needed most and when it came in the 54th minute it was as simple as it was beautiful. Quick distribution from Reina saw a ball picked up by Maxi in the centre of the park, he found David Ngog and the Frenchman rolled it back to Maxi just inside the area and the Argentine finished sublimely with a side footed effort into the top corner of Friedels net. A devastating breakaway as Villa were pushing further up the pitch. Game Over!

The rest of the game belonged to the home side. Ryan Babel continued to terrorise Villas backline with Richard Dunne especially looking lost. Babel ran at them like an enthusiastic whippet; his touch and control were perfect and he displayed all the characteristics LFC fans have known he possesses but he so rarely shows. Villa attempted to get back into the game with a couple more substitutions but the towering John Carew did little in Villas final third. Glenn Johnson found himself in a couple of great goalscoring positions in quick succession as he continued to skin Stephen Warnock on Villas left, the first of Johnsons strikes stung the hands of Brad Friedel and the second just went over the bar but this was certainly a return to form for the English right back.

Liverpool made gave a rest to Dirk Kuyt, Maxi Rodriguez and Soto Kyrgiakos who had gone down with cramp just before his change, he'd also seen his a header from a corner cleared agonisingly off the line in the minutes leading up to his withdrawal. Fabio Aurelio, Joe Cole and Martin Kelly were sent on to gain some game time but the game was dead and buried a longtime ago. David Ngog so very nearly added a fourth late on when he linked up fantastically with Glen Johnson but the Frenchman was unable to control Johnsons inventive return ball in the area.

So that was that, a comfortable victory but taking nothing away from the side they played very very well. We won the battles all over the pitch, Meireiles looks settled, Lucas continues to get better and he really is a great midfielder these days. Johnson and Konchesky pushed forward and tackled back in equally good measure and Skrtel and Kyrgiakos were very rarely troubled. Pepe Reina collected his 100th clean sheet; the quickest in our history and babel and Ngog lead the line impeccably. I'm one happy man this evening!

Man Of The Match :- 1. Glen Johnson 2. David Ngog 3. Raul Meireles. Lucas and Babel could've also easily figured in this list though!

Rumour: Sylvain Marveaux

2010-12-06T10:21:00.000-05:00

by Reagan Gerrard - HoZO - APAC

Photo: Pol Emile/SIPA

Liverpool are in dire need of goals this season and the media have alleged that Damien Comolli has this man in mind to bring them. Sylvain Marveaux’s contract at Rennes is up at the end of the season, but various media outlets claim he’ll be joining in January for a reduced fee.

Sources:

Daily Mail
Goal
and
Total Football Madness

Rumour: Connor Wickham, Ipswich Town

2010-12-06T09:58:00.000-05:00

by Reagan Gerrard - Head of Zone Operations - APAC

Photo: Getty Images

Connor Wickham is allegedly on Liverpool’s radar with Roy Hodgson ready to sign the 6ft 3in striker in January. Ipswich Town are said to be demanding £10 million for the 17 year old to move. Wickham has made 7 appearances this season, with no goals to his name.

Sources include:

Daily Mail (EXCLUSIVE)
Goal
ESPN-Star
and
IM Scouting

Rumour: Keisuke Honda, CSKA Moscow

2010-12-05T11:38:00.000-05:00

by Marty MacSharp - HoWO

Photo: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images

Keisuke Honda has long been linked to a move in Anfield, and this transfer window is no different. The Japanese midfielder is said to be subject to a bid of around £8-10 million. Conflicting reports have come about. While news broke that Liverpool have entered negotiations with him, Honda's agent has denied that there has been any concrete offers.

Reports coming from:

TalkSport
Goal
and
GiveMeFootball

Rumour: Ryan Shawcross, Stoke City

2010-12-05T11:13:00.000-05:00

by Marty MacSharp - HoWO

Photo: Carl Recine/Action Images

Stoke City's Ryan Shawcross is added to the long list of defenders Roy Hodgson is allegedly looking to fill the injured Jamie Carragher's boots. A figure of £10.5 million is being tossed around to acquire his services.

Various sources include:

GiveMeFootball
Daily Mail
and
Sky Sports

Liverpool v. Aston Villa Preview

2010-12-04T17:15:00.000-05:00

by Charles Ong - Contributing Writer

Photo: Action Images

Liverpool v Aston Villa

When: 6th December 2010, Monday, 8pm GMT
Where: Anfield

As former manager Gerard Houllier prepares to return to Anfield, he can expect a warm reception from the home faithful whom he served with distinction over 7 years. However, Liverpool fans will be hoping that the Reds can continue their ascent towards the summit of the EPL table. After an unfortunate away defeat at Spurs, the majority of Liverpool stars were rested in preparation for Monday's clash against the Villans.

The Reds will be counting on home comforts to see them through. After a disastrous start to the season which saw Liverpool languishing in the relegation zone for more than a month, Liverpool have clawed their way up to mid-table and will hope to build on that.

On Thursday, Hodgson's side got through to the knockout rounds of the Europa League after a 1-1 draw with Steaua. Pepe Reina, who stood in as Captain in the absence of Gerrard and Carragher, can be expected to take the armband for this crucial home clash.

Failure to win would mean Liverpool would possibly be a devastating 10 points behind Man City, who currently occupy the final berth in the Champions League.

Meanwhile, a morale-damaging defeat against arch rivals Birmingham in mid-week have left the Villans reeling. They are hoping to bounce back against Liverpool after 3 successive defeats, that against Blackburn, Arsenal and Birmingham.

This is a hotly-anticipated clash which is billed as a must win for both sides. Liverpool's 12th man needs to come into full voice to spearhead the players into a solid performance. Ultimately though, the onus lies on the players' shoulders to put in a shift capable of getting Liverpool the 3 points.

Expected Liverpool line-up: Reina (c), Johnson, Kyrgiakos, Skrtel, Konchesky, Maxi, Lucas, Meireles, Kuyt, Ngog, Torres.

Liverpool's form (Last 5 EPL games): WDLWL
Villa's form (Last 5 EPL games): DWDLL

Head to Head EPL record:
Played: 36
Liverpool: 19
Draw: 8
Villa: 9
No of Liverpool's goals: 59
No of Villa's goals: 35

Prediction
Liverpool 2 Aston Villa 1

Dear John, Thanks for noticing!

2010-12-04T12:58:00.000-05:00

by Marty MacSharp - Head of Website Operations

Photo: Twitter

I would like to extend my sincerest gratitude to everyone who has helped support, spread the word, and volunteer their time to make this project possible. It has been less than a day, and we already have well over a thousand followers on Twitter. Our Facebook page is up and running, so search for "Red Rumours LFC - Liverpool's Online Watchdog" and "Like" us! Tell all your LFC supporting friends as well.

I have a fantastic group of volunteers who I will begin working with in order to make this site efficient and reliable for everyone. We are still looking for some volunteers to be Zone Contributors (ZoCo), so if you are interested, send us an email at redrumourslfc@gmail.com. If you are interested in being a Contributing Writer (CoW), email your works to the same address, and we will feature the best ones.

Rumour: Johan Elmander, Bolton

2010-12-04T12:15:00.000-05:00

by Marty MacSharp - Head of Website Operations

Photo: Paul Currie/Action Images

Another Bolton man has been mentioned in the rumour mill recently. In-form striker Johan Elmander is being linked to a switch to Anfield at a price ranging from £3 - £5 million.

Reports are coming from:

The Guardian
FansFC
The Mirror
and
Goal

Rumour: Gary Cahill, Bolton

2010-12-04T10:36:00.000-05:00

by Marty MacSharp - Head of Website Operations

Photo: Carl De Souza/AFP/Getty Images

One of the names to hit the newswires recently is Bolton defender Gary Cahill. The defender is thought to be the long-term replacement for injured Jamie Carragher. Bolton are said to be looking for a way of easing their £100 million debt, and a hefty fee of around £10 - £15 million is being reported to be enough to allow Cahill to leave.

Numerous sources have mentioned this including:

and

Red Rumours LFC - Let's make this grow!

2010-12-04T01:28:00.000-05:00

Red Rumours LFC is Liverpool's transfer watchdog

Thank you to the immediate show of support from everyone. It has merely been hours, yet the traffic has been quite good, and word is getting around.

A big thank you to Richard Buxton who helped kick-start spreading the word about the website.

Although this website is the offspring of our owner, John Henry's Tweet, this is dedicated for the supporters, and made by the supporters. With that, this cannot simply be a one-man operation. There are hundreds of websites out there that are spreading rumours about our club, and I'll need as much help as I can.

That said, I will need to build a global team to help me compile news and keep track of things.

I will have several geographic zones, and I will need dedicated volunteers to work directly with me to compile reports and rumours.

If you want to join the team, send me an email at redrumourslfc@gmail.com and tell me which zone you live in as well as a brief description of how you can contribute to our cause of spreading real information about our club. I will also need a real time commitment of at least contacting me once a week. Details will be sent when I receive your applications.

Here are the open positions and zones:

Headquarters - Marty MacSharp - Head of Website Operations

USA and Americas Zone (Americas) - Head of Zone operations (1 vacancy)
Zone contributors (vacancies available)

Europe, Middle East, Africa (EMEA) - HoZO (1 vacancy)
ZoCo - (vacancies available)

United Kingdom and Irealand (UKI) - HoZO (1 vacancy)
ZoCo - (vacancies available)

Asia, Australia, and the Pacific (APAC) - HoZO (Reagan Gerrard)
ZoCo - (Vacancies available)

Marketing Specialists - 2 vacancies (responsible for spreading word about the blog and generating traffic)

We are also looking for Contributing Writers (Cows) who will add opinion and editorial pieces that we will feature on the site. Please send all works to redrumourslfc@gmail.com

If anyone is interested in applying for a position, please write one of the following as the subject line:

Zone operators and contributors: APPLICATION: Zone you belong in, HoZo/ZoCo

For Marketing Specialists: APPLICATION: MARKETING SPECIALIST

To send an article for consideration: COWS: Title of work

We'll also need a kind artist to design a banner for us using the logo posted above. Please send designs to redrumourslfc@gmail.com subject line RED RUMOURS BANNER. The best one will be used as our official banner.

Like I said, this website is made for supporters, by supporters. With your help, we can grow into the biggest watchdog group for LFC and be a trusted name for our supporters to turn to.

Let's spread the word and let's get John Henry to notice this!

Looking forward to hearing from all of you!

YNWA,

- Marty MacSharp

PS - Our Twitter account is up and running, and we need followers!

@redrumourslfc

If you want to follow me, directly: @nymrtz

So how exactly is this going to work?

2010-12-03T22:21:00.000-05:00

Even Woy is wondering

Liverpool owner John W. Henry seems overwhelmed with the transfer rumours floating around the internet. As we all know, a lot of these are unreliable - this is a way of monitoring the news and see who is the most reliable.

Everyday, I will be taking as many rumours as I can from various sources over the internet. Because I live in New York, I do not have the chance to have hard copies of the British papers and tabloids. I am limited (is there a limit, though?) to the internet.

From there, I will cook up an excel sheet, with each source having their own page. I will list the rumoured player, and price, and finally, at the end of each transfer window, I will post a tally of who the best sources are for that particular transfer window.

February - August will be one season while September - January will be another.

The first round-ups will begin as soon as possible, but most realistically starting tomorrow, 4 December New York City time. Weekly round-ups will happen on Saturdays.

This will serve as the watchdog blog for as many websites as I can get. I'll provide a daily roundup of a few players that are heavily linked, and at the end of the week, I will post all the names that came up as well as the sources.

Since Liverpool prides itself in its fans, I encourage you to email me articles and thoughts you may have about transfer rumours, sources, or goings on. You may even email me about big rumours that I may have missed. I will feature the best ones that are submitted. Anything abusive will not be featured.

I will begin taking any submissions beginning now. Email any and all comments, suggestions, and articles to martymacsharp@gmail.com. I will do my best to address as much as I can.

The success of this blog depends highly on your support and contributions. Any help will be greatly appreciated and welcomed, so feel free to send me an email.

Let's see how this goes, shall we? If it grows enough, I may try and find more writers to help out. For now, this is the trial version.

Happy reading folks!

YNWA,
Marty MacSharp