Match Review: Liverpool 1-1 Man U

With the final score 1-1 LFC fans must feel a tad disappointed that we didn't get the win, especially after Steven Gerrard opened the scoring from a fee-kick with around 25 minutes to go.

United equalized on 82 minutes, but apart from that, Reina had little to do.  The Reds' chances in injury-time alone should have won them the game, with Skrtel missing from 6 yards and then Henderson heading over when unmarked.

My main complaint from this game is the lack of a second yellow, followed by a red card for Ferdinand for his foul on Charlie Adam just outside the United penalty area.  It was a clear yellow card offence but, as usual, the referee bottled it.  If Ferdinand hadn't already been carded, he would definitely have been for that challenge.

Gerrard scored from the subsequent free-kick and it would have been a totally different game with 11 vs 10.  Again a referee has cost us, in my opinion, through a lack of consistency and a lack of strength.

Ferguson came out after the game glossing over the fact Ferdinand should have been sent off and claiming there was not enough contact to bring Adam down and then had the cheek to claim the "Luis Suarez was diving all over the place".  He conveniently forgets the Berbatov's dive that resulted in a penalty that put us out of the FA Cup last season!!  OK for his team, but no-one else aye?  Typical load of rubbish from him.

On the plus side, we performed well against an in-form team and showed quality. especially in the second half.  We must continue this on and ensure we beat the lesser teams coming up if we are to beat Spurs and Arsenal to 4th.  YNWA.

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Match Review: Everton 0-2 LFC

It was a usual Merseyside Derby.  Fast and furious, with Everton overstepping the mark on occasions.  In the end, second-half goals from Andy Carroll & the fantastic Luis Suarez stole the points for the Reds, but that was just part of the story. 

The game was even until Jack Rodwell was sent off for a sliding challenge on Suarez, mid-way through the first half.  There's no doubt that Rodwell shouldn't even had a yellow card for the tackle on Suarez, but referee Martin Atkinson deemed it dangerous enough for a red. 

Everton have cause for complaint, just as the Reds did against Spurs two weeks ago.  I suppose things do even themselves out over a season.  That said, Tony Hibbert should have seen Red later in the half for a terrible challenge on Adam.  Hibbert had already been booked when he dived into a tackle, missing the ball and taking out the man.  Referee Atkinson didn't even wave play-on, so bottled it completely having probably realised his mistake in sending off Rodwell.  So again, these things even themselves out.  Either way, the Toffees should have been down to 10 men. 

They will argue that the game would have been different 11 vs 11.  Maybe so.  But if Rodwell hadn't gone then I'm sure Hibbert would have. 

It was only a matter of time when it was 10 vs 11, but Liverpool made a little hard work of things as Everton hung on. 

Kuyt has a first half penalty saved by Tim Howard and Adam hit the underside of the cross-bar late in the first half as the Reds cranked up the pressure.

It wasn't until the introduction of Gerrard for the fading Adam and Bellamy for Downing that Liverpool took the lead. 

Bellamy fed Luis Enrique down the left and his cross was turned-in by the much maligned Carroll for his first league goal of the season.

Suarez then capitalised on a mistake by Distin to seal a deserved win in the last 10 minutes as he, once again, picked up the man of the match award.

So Gerrard is back and looking good and Carroll and Suarez seem to be working better together.  Charlie Adam again faded in the second half which is a concern going forward, however, but all in all this was a good day at the office. 

There is now another international break, which always seems to happen when we get a bit of momentum going. 

Next up........... the mancs.  Come on you Reds!  YNWA.

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Match View: Brighton 1-2 LFC & LFC 2-1 Wolves

So two wins on the bounce have left Reds fans feeling far better than we did last Sunday. 

This was what we needed, an immediate response to the disaster at White Hart Lane.  Suarez and Bellamy looked really good together and Andy Carroll showed flashes of class against Wolves.  The two wins have been hard-fought and while deserved, have raised question marks over a couple of signings. 

While there's no doubt Charlie Adam has added quality we were missing last season, is he strong enough and dominant enough to boss the midfield?  He seems to start games well then go missing.  He picks up needless bookings and is not quick enough over the ground to be our main man in the middle. 

We need Gerrard to play, that's obvious, but where does Adam fit in when he does?  He can't replace Lucas, unless Gerrard sits deeper, which is not what we need at this stage, he needs to be further forward and make those famous driving runs into the box that not many can match.

He can't play wide as he isn't quick enough.  It'll be very interesting to see what happens.

The main one concerning me is Henderson.  He hasn't done anything since arriving.  What has he offered?  The threat against Wolves was always down the left, it seemed like no one wanted to pass to him as they didn't trust him.  Plus he wasn't making himself available often enough.  Surely Kuyt is better there at the moment.

Henderson doesn't deserve a place in the side, Kuyt and Bellamy should be ahead of him all day.  Maybe he will improve with time, but at £18 million he should be offering far more than he is.  Bad signing?  He needs to improve, let just say that.

On a more positive note, congrats to the players for bouncing back and good luck for the Derby next week.  YNWA.

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Match review: Spurs 4-0 Liverpool - What are we going to blame this week?

Last week's review of the loss to Stoke questioned why we, as fans, were accepting a defeat by saying, "Well at least we played well".  Rubbish. 

I asked the question what would happen when we played poorly and suggested that we'd get nothing, and that's what has happened this week.

Poor from the start, outplayed by the opposition, no real efforts on target, ripped apart by our challengers from 4th spot.

What's the excuse this week?  Referee again?  Bad pitch?  Early kick-off?  European game in mid-week?... don't think so.

The bottom line is, while we should always support the team, quite a few people are getting carried away by beating Bolton, who can't beat anyone and Arsenal, who have only beaten Swansea, and that was lucky.

We have to accept we are still well off a quality side and need to (a) gell as a team and (b) Add to the squad.

Is Carroll good enough?  Why did we buy Henderson?

Poor, poor, poor!  Unacceptable.

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Liverpool FC Wallpapers: Steven Gerrard (Collection 1)



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Liverpool Wallpapers: Legends (Collection 1)



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Liverpool Wallpapers: Luis Suarez (Collection 1)



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Stoke 1-0 Liverpool: We can't hide behind the unlucky tag!

There's no doubt The Reds were extremely unlucky to not get anything out of the game at Stoke, over 20 shots, 2 penalty appeals turned down, 75% possession, Henderson missing a one-on-one and Suarez missing a sitter and Stoke win with their only shot on target from a penalty that should never have been given.  The referee got it wrong, no doubt.

However, while fans must stay positive, we must not accept that we were simply unlucky.  Champions always find a way to win, and we didn't even draw.  How many times do we come back from a goal down?  Not very often at all.

While the new signings are settling in, we can't be too harsh, but we still seem to lack at killer instinct.  Hopefully that will come as the team settles and Gerrard returns.  Yes, Stoke are hard to beat at home, but when you play as well as we did you must pick-up points as when we don't play well we won't be picking up points.

The defeat hurts even more when we see that all our rivals won and we notice that after 4 games, we are already 5 points off top spot and well behind in goal difference.  OK, we have had far harder games than both Manc clubs and are still above Spurs and Arsenal, but we must not either get carried away by the new signings or make excuses when we don't pick-up points.

It's still better than a year ago and we are heading in the right direction, but lets not accept defeats just because we played well!  Defeat is failure, full stop.

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Best Transfer Window EVER!!

 

So the transfer window has closed and I think the majority of LFC fans will be extremely pleased with the outcome, as much for the outgoings as incomings.  It's hard not to be amazed by all the ins and outs.

It has to be the club's most effective transfer window in memory where all the Deadwood, as listed in the previous post, Got (Dead) Wood? (apart from Maxi who has proven his worth and Brad Jones) was cleared efficiently and we strengthened in all the areas we needed with quality additions, most of which should be first team regulars.

If you cast your minds back to January's transfer window and the deep depression fans felt when we were stabbed in the back by the so-called striker who went to London and no one would have believed the transformation of the club, team and management in such a short space of time.

We now have a new, younger, fresher-looking team and squad who are hopefully going places.  This is an exciting new chapter which all the fans can look forward to.

Much credit must to to FSG who have invested heavily and stuck by their word (so far), we hope this continues.

The addition of creativity in the form of Adam, Downing and Henderson have added an extra dimension to the midfield and attack and taken the pressure off Gerrard.  If he can come back firing, we really will be a force.

At the back Doni is a good back-up keeper and Coates is what we've we been crying out for since Hyypia left.  Enrique will provide a good defensive and attacking option down the left and has filled a problem position.

Even though Meireles left, he was never going to command a first-team spot and the addition of Craig Bellamy will more than compensate for this loss.  His free transfer may well prove to be a master-stroke as he can play up-front or on the wing, he is fast and will get you goals.  Basically everything Meireles isn't.

If you add the January signings of Suarez and Carroll (and the money we got for Babel), the last 2 windows have to be the best windows LFC fans can remember.  The belief and optimism is finally back and we can look forward to the rest of the season.

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Thank You Chelski!

All Reds fans, in fact the whole club, owe Roman Abramovich and the plastic flag waving Chelski fans a massive debt of gratitude for consistently buying LFC bench-warmers and has-beens for massively over-inflated fees, which we then use to buy the best young talent. 

Take their first major signing, they thought they had a great deal and taunted us for months when they paid £50 million, yes £50 million for an injury prone, pouting, prima donna who has scored exactly 1 goal in 21 appearances for them, that's 0.0476 goals per game.  Money well spent.

He not only has an awful record with them, but caused disruption to their side.  Any fool could have seen that he could not play with Drogba or Anelka.  They were then forced to drop Drogba, who is a far better leader of the line and overall better player.  I can't see him ever fitting in there and he will obviously be sold for a huge loss.

Another player was Yossi Benayoun, who they paid £5 million for to warm their bench instead of ours.  He got injured and has been loaned to Arsenal.  Again, fantastic bit of business Chelski!  Add to that the fact that we got Joe Cole from them for free and you can see who got the better deal.  Even though Cole hasn't worked out, he could still come back next season and should still be sold for a fee.

Now they've paid £12 million (1/2 million more than we did last year) for the bird flipping Raul Meireles.  The midfielder, while having a good run of games under Dalglish last season, was never going to command a first team spot following the summer's improvements and was clearly upset at this.  Instead of getting his head down and proving his worth he pouted and when he put his middle finger up to the bench following our 2nd goal against Arsenal, the writing was on the wall.  Disgraceful.  If he didn't want to fight for his place, goodbye.  We can't afford to have players who will cause disruption in the dressing room.  Again more money wasted by Chelski.  Where will Meireles fit in?  Not strong enough for central midfield, not quick enough for the wing and not creative enough to play "in the hole".  Another expensive mistake me thinks.

So that's £67 million for LFC's Deadwood.  Thank you very much.

P.S. Someone tell them they can have Aquilani for £30 million!  Sound good Roman?

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Video: Liverpool 2-0 Valencia



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Video: Valerenga 3-3 Liverpool



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Video: Galatasaray 3-0 Liverpool (28/07/2011)

Liverpool's latest Pre-Season Friendly ended in another bad defeat as Galatasaray won comfortably. 

The Reds played mostly fringe and youth players, with Andy Carroll and Dirk Kuyt, who came on in the second half, the only recognised first-choice players, but this was still a poor performance. 

More worrying is Liverpool have conceded 3 goals in each of their 4 friendlies so far.  This has got to stop before the opening game against Sunderland or we'll be playing catch-up from the start again. 

Former Red Milan Baros (2) and Johan Elmander scored the goals that won the game.  Watch highlights below.



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Video: Suarez Scores in Copa America Final & is MVP!!

Luis Suarez kept up his fantastic form in the Copa America as he scored the opener in the final as Uruguay beat Paraguay 3-0 to lift the cup.  Watch the goals below.



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Video: Hull City 3-0 Liverpool

Doni, Henderson & Downing make their debuts, but the Reds lose in a very disappointing game. 

What can you say?  A poor performance all-round, especially in the first half.  Let hope this is a blip and that we start to pick things up against Galatasaray on Thursday evening. 

Remembering back to last couple of years and the poor pre-seasons we had and the way we carried our form into the season, we need to put this result behind us immediately and start playing a stronger sides in the remaining fixtures, so players get used to each other and the team starts to gel before the start of the season. 

Not much else to add. 

Watch the goals below, if you dare!
 

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"The next Chicharito" to be offered LFC trial

Liverpool are in the process of handing a 10-day-trial to 17-year-old Mexican wonder kid Marco Bueno.

The player was spotted at the Under 17 World Cup where Mexico triumphed earlier in the month and talks are already ongoing regarding a 5-year deal.

Pachuca vice-president Andres Fassi released this statement: "We are conducting negotiations with Liverpool and possibly, on August 1st, Marco Bueno will pay a visit to Liverpool.

"We have already practically closed negotiations with them. They want to buy 100% of the rights."

The possible acquisition of a player dubbed the next Javier Hernandez further demonstrates Liverpool's aggression in purchasing youth for the future

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Aquilani Out?

Fiorentina have approached Liverpool about signing midfielder Alberto Aquilani.

The 27-year-old has struggled to make an impact since arriving in 2009 and with the arrival of Charlie Adam and Jordan Henderson the Italian will find himself even further down the pecking order.

The main stumbling block is his £70,000 wages.  The Italian Club cannot afford that to pay what Liverpool are paying, so it's up to the player to take a pay-cut and move on to further his career.

He had a successful spell with Juventus last season and forced himself back into international reckoning and would only see his progress halted by staying at Anfield.

In other news goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi has moved to Hull City on a season-long loan and Chris Mavinga has completed his £1million transfer to French club Rennes.

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Video: Suarez Scores - LFC's striker fires Uruguay ino the Copa America Final

Luis Suarez showed his class once again with these two goals in the Copa America Semi-Final against Peru.

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Video: Malaysia XI 3-6 Liverpool (16/07/2011)

Here are all the goals from LFC's second thrilling pre-season game.

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Match Report: Malaysia XI 3-6 Liverpool

Liverpool's second pre-season game ended up being another goal-feast.  Watch all the goals here.

Chances were few and far between in a disappointing first half, although Joe Cole and Charlie Adam showed some promising touches.

It was Adam who put the Reds ahead from the penalty spot on 27 minutes, after Andy Carroll was tripped in the box.  Adam actually had to convert two penalties when the first effort had to be retaken as the referee adjudged that players had encroached.  The new signing dispatched both kicks with extreme confidence.

Raul Meireles had a header saved in Liverpool's only other real opportunity in a first half where they dominated possession.

The Malaysia XI drew level when Safio Rahim fired in a 20 yard free-kick 5 minutes from half-time.  Questions had to asked of the wall however.  The Malaysian's then missed a good chance soon after as Liverpool faded.

The Reds, as in the first game, made whole-sale changes for the second half, but the pace of the game didn't quicken.

A dull game was lit-up when David Ngog scored his 2nd and 3rd goals of pre-seaon within the space of 2 minutes.  His first was a tap-in on 68 minutes.  Insua swung a low cross in from the left which was missed by two defenders and Ngog stretched his right leg out to turn the ball in.

The striker smashed in his second after being slid in by Alberto Aquilani on 70 minutes and the score-line started to look at lot better for LFC fans.

Maxi made it 4-1 when he converted another cross from Insua after 76 minutes as Liverpool continued to dominate.

It was deja vu when the Malaysia XI scored 2 quick goals just as Guangdong did in the first game.  Poor defending let Mohd Safee make it 4-2.  A right-wing cross was palmed out by goalkeeper Martin Hansen straight into the path of Safee for an easy tap-in.

Safee then ran through from an offside position to score again and the Malaysian's were on-top.  The striker was clearly offside, but somehow the assistant referee didn't flag.

Maxi scored his 2nd of the game, heading in from close-range following Dirk Kuyt's right-wing cross on 90 minutes and Aquilani put Kuyt in make it 6-3 in injury-time.

This was a very entertaining game overall, with the much-maligned Aquilani and Insua showing they may have a future at the club after all, with solid performances.

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I'm Down(ing) With That!



Stewart Downing has finalised his transfer from Aston Villa to Liverpool. 

The winger has signed a long-term deal after passing a medical. 

Downing is the fourth major signing of the summer following Jordan Henderson, Charlie Adam and Alexander Doni. 

The Reds are still in the market for a left-back, a centre-back and a striker.  If Kenny Dalglish can sign quality in these areas, LFC will be able mount a realistic challenge not only for the top 4, but for the Premier League Championship as well.

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Video: An Idiot Abroad

Here is the moment a clueless manc turned up at Liverpool's training session in Malaysia wearing a Rooney shirt. 

The moron was soon spotted and made to remove the offending item.  He swiftly left the stadium as he was turned on by thousands of Reds fans. 

This, once again, highlights the lack of intelligence and lack of respect manc fans have all around the world. 

Watch and enjoy! 

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It's a Doni Deal

Liverpool have completed the signing of goalkeeper Alexander Doni from AS Roma.

He has signed on the dotted line after agreeing personal terms and passing a medical.

Doni will act as back-up to first-choice 'keeper Pepe Reina and provide much-needed experience in reserve.

This signing looks like spelling the end of the line for Brad Jones, who the Reds will now look to offload following just one season at Anfield.

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Video: Downing - What are Liverpool getting?

With Stewart Downing's arrival in a summer of change at Anfield we'd though we'd show you what LFC are getting for their money.



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Dead Wood = Big Problems

Christian Poulsen's proposed move to FC Copenhagen has hit a snag with the player's agent, Jorn Bonnesen, claiming that he will stay at Anfield.

This is the problem Liverpool face, where players on big wages will sit it out and collect their wage packet every month.

Even though the 31-year-old clearly has no future at the club, he, as with Milan Jovanovic, will only move if his contract is paid up in full.

With the rumoured move by Sunderland for Alberto Aquilani dead in the water as well, it's clear Liverpool are not going to get rid of the dead wood on the cheap.

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Clearing the Dead Wood - Poulsen & Jovanovic on their way out

The news that Copenhagen may be willing to offer £2.5m for 31 year old Christian Poulsen is further good news for Liverpool who are now starting to clear out the dead wood as featured in an earlier KopTalkin' story.

With Paul Konchesky sold to Leicester City and the fact that Milan Jovanovic looks to be heading out the door as well huge is a relief to Reds fans.

It is nice to finally see some of the "fringe" players on their way as this will lower the wage bill and free-up space for the quality youngsters we have at the club.

Hopefully the likes of Conor Coady and Raheem Sterling will get a look-in next season.  Coady scored in the win over in the Reds first pre-season game and showed enough to prove he is one for the future.

Watch the goals from Guangdon 3-4 LFC here.

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Reds agree Downing fee

Liverpool FC have announced they had agreed a fee with Aston Villa for the transfer of Stewart Downing.

Liverpool have been granted permission to discuss personal terms with the player and arrange a medical.

The deal this thought to be worth around £20m and takes Kenny Dalglish's net spend to over £50m since taking over in January.

Downing will provide much needed width to the side and is another good attacking option.

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Video: All the Goals - Guangdong 3-4 Liverpool (13/07/2011)

Pre-Season 2011/12 
Guangdong 3-4 Liverpool (13/07/2011)

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Match Report: Guangdong 3-4 Liverpool



Liverpool made a lively enough start to the first pre-season game, creating a few chances, most notably for David Ngog early on.

The home side showed little threat and it was no surprise when Christian Poulsen put the Reds ahead on 19 minutes, tucking away Joe Cole's deep cross at the back-post.

Ngog, who had already had a goal disallowed for offside, doubled LFC's lead on 22 minutes from Shelvey's through-ball.

More chances came and went, including another offside goal from Ngog before Guangdong pulled a goal back close to half-time with a bullet header from Ricard Steer.

Kenny Dalglish made 11 substitutions at half-time with the likes of Andy Carroll, Dirk Kuyt and Daniel Agger all coming on along with the Charlie Adam for his debut in a Red shirt.

Liverpool continued to dominate and went further ahead when promising youngster Conor Coady raced into the box and dispatched a powerful drive to put the Reds 3-1 ahead on 72 minutes.

Carroll and Maxi then combined for a 4th after 85 minutes, with the big Geordie finishing off from close-range.

Guangdong, disappointingly for Reds fans, pulled 2 goals back in injury-time from Lu Lin and Yin Hongboand and the game ended 3-4.

All in all this was a very satisfying run-out for the Reds, plenty of goals, a few too many against but it's only the first game.

Hopefully we don't concede 3 in every game and I'm sure there's more to come, including the return of Steven Gerrard and Pepe Reina.

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Reds agree Konchesky sale

Good news for Liverpool is that the Reds have confirmed that a deal has been agreed for the sale of defender Paul Konchesky to Leicester City.

Nothing against him personally, but the Roy Hodgson signing was never good enough to play for LFC.

Fans will know that we need to get quite a few player off our books to lower to wage bill and this is the first sign that this is happening.  Hopefully Jovanovic will follow shortly.

The only worry is that we are still being linked with Wayne Bridge.  I suppose he's better than nothing, but surely we need better than that.

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Reds to increase Downing offer

Liverpool are preparing an improved £18.5m bid for Aston Villas Stewart Downing.

This is far closer to the £20m valuation Villa have made for the player and should do the trick.

If the transfer goes through it will be Kenny Dalglish's 3rd major signing of the summer and provide valuable width to the Reds attack.

While there may be better wingers out there, Downing represents proven Premier League quality and is seen as a lower risk that the likes of Juan Mata.

Dalglish has stated that he expects more ins and outs so Downing may not be the last name through the door.

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LFC Stadium Latest



Liverpool City Council leader Joe Anderson has refused to take the blame for Liverpool's problems with their redevelopment of Anfield.

Anderson, in an interview with the Liverpool Echo, stated that it would take another three years to resolve planning issues surrounding redevelopment of the Anfield.

“You can’t build something right next to someone’s house that blocks day light – whether Liverpool FC like it or not. That is something that exists.

“It existed 10 years ago when they were talking about it then, and it exists today.”

This follows John W Henry's statement that the Reds may have to lave Anfield and Ian Ayre's comments last week about the frustration the Club is feeling trying to overcome these hurdles.

On Anderson's statement, MP for Walton Steve Rotheram added:  “We are trying to organise a meeting with owners for an update, the uncertainty for the residents is really starting to cause tensions.

"I hope that the football club are able to come up with the right decision for the club that helps the area.

“It has to be the right decision for everybody, this is a massive opportunity to regenerate the whole of the north of Liverpool not just Anfield.

“Residents have put up with a lot of issues over the past few years.

“The broken promises of the previous owners have come back to haunt the current owners.”

Liverpool fans just want this matter resolved one way or the other.  A pole on LFCTV showed that most Reds would prefer to move to a new stadium.  While it would hurt to leave Anfield, most fans are realistic enough to realise the Club needs to move forward on this and quickly.

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LFC Fans' Stories: Living with a Mad Red!

It's another normal day, then I'm warned there's a match on.  This is no ordinary match this is the one we all dread in our house for varying reasons.  I dread the match because the hubby will behave like a bipolar smack head, he will be unapproachable and evil for the whole match.

I will have no idea what mood he's going to be in when I get home!  You'll notice I said 'when I get home', I take the kids out as the hubby has a tendancy to make the kids cry and scare the life out of them while the match is on.  Also no child should be subjected to the amount of foul language that is hirled at the T.V.
 
You may wonder what kind of match would drive his wife and kids out of the house .........well it's the Liverpool v Manchester United match, it doesn't matter if they are playing home or away it's always the same.

I arrive home to find him exhausted and limp on the settee, he smiles ( thank the lord), he tries to speak but he's hoarse from shouting so much.  There are times like this that I'm glad my neighbours can't hear us.  I ask him if he wants a cuppa, he nods while listening to the post match analysis.

The next several hours are long and tiresome, we all have to relive the match.  Both verbally and via the medium of sky plus, yay!  We firstly go through all goals and then the bad decisions that have been made against us.

The kids escape to the bedroom to watch a DVD, much to the disappointment of their dad.  I am not so lucky, I get to listen to all the issues he has with game, I nod and smile were required.  Over the years I've learnt not to offer my opinion and just smile or scawl and nod where needed like a stepford wife.

Then we go over and over the match from start to finish over the next couple of days.   Before work we watch the highlights when we get home from work and just before bed.  It gets better as the days go on.

The bipolar and the OCD dies down and we start to get back to normal.......until the Wednesday or what ever day the mid week match is on and we go through the process all over again lol!!

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Ladies steal the show at Copa America

As we all know LFC players Lucas and Luis Suarez are currently at the Copa America and while there is plenty to catch to eye on the field, some female supporters have certainly done the same in the stands. 

Yes, this may not be a football story but we think that football is all about the fans, so we must give them a mention.  :)  Enjoy!



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LFC release stadium statement

Liverpool Football Club have today released a statement concerning the lack of progress on stadium plans and revealed its own frustration at the obstacles facing the Club moving forward.

LFC's Managing Director Ian Ayre explained how they are exploring every possible option regarding either the redevelopment of Anfield or the construction of a new 60,000 seater stadium on Stanley Park.

The Reds desperately need to increase capacity one way or the other to in-turn increase match-day revenue in order to keep pace with the top four and in-light of UEFA's impending financial fair-play rule.

Ayre said: "In the nine months since the new ownership, an enormous amount of work has been undertaken in conjunction with leading architects, consultants, other industry experts and with Liverpool City Council to explore the building of a new stadium as well as exploring a refurbishment solution that could deliver the necessary growth in capacity, whilst maintaining the heritage and atmosphere that make Anfield uniquely Liverpool FC.

"However, with land/property acquisition, environmental and statutory issues creating barriers to our ambition, it looks increasingly unlikely there is any way we can move forward on a refurbishment of Anfield unless there are significant changes in those areas."

Commenting further on the options open to the Club, Ayre explained: "In terms of a Stanley Park stadium versus redevelopment, there is absolutely no question that a refurbishment of Anfield would come at a significantly lower cost than a new build.

"A new stadium of course also has its merits, being modern, more functional, and easier to construct. However, a new 60,000 capacity ground also comes at a significantly higher price, while at the same time only delivering roughly the same amount of revenue as a refurbishment of Anfield - with both options offering an uplift of approximately 16,000 seats each."

Added Ayre: "It's disappointing that based on where we are at the moment, we seem to be unable to press on with the more viable economic option of a refurbishment, but we remain committed to finding the best possible long-term solution.

"We already have a very healthy dialogue in place with several leading brands regarding naming rights for a new stadium, but like every major deal we have ever done, that just takes time to explore in full. We also have ongoing discussions with various parties around the financing of either facility. Our challenge now is to try to find a way to bring all of those elements together in a solution that is in the best interests of Liverpool Football Club and its fans.

"We are mindful that supporters have been promised a solution in the past and have been disappointed, and also that local residents would like to know what direction we are headed in. However, just like any other business, we can only proceed as and when we are clear on all elements and we will not be forced to make a decision that is not in the best long-term interests of our club and we will not make any promises to our fans that we cannot keep.

"We will continue to work diligently on this project and keep our fans informed of any progress."

This statement, while very courteous of the Club, will do little to ease the fan's frustrations.  It looks like Reds fans will have to wait for some time to come to discover where LFC are going on this issue.

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Cole to Hamburg?



Reports suggest that German club Hamburg could offer Joe Cole a way out of Liverpool.

The 29-year-old made just 9 starts for the Reds in the 2010/11 season and while he would prefer to stay and fight for his place, LFC would prefer him to leave following the arrivals of Charlie Adam and Jordan Henderson.

Cole is another player that LFC are struggling to get off their books due to his £90,000 a week salary.  The midfielder had been linked with the likes of Tottenham and QPR, both of whom do not want to pay his current salary. 

The question is, would Cole want to move the Germany to get first-team football? 

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Aquilani to Sunderland for £14m?



News coming out of Italy suggests that Alberto Aquilani may be heading for Sunderland in a £14m deal.  This has come out of the blue and, while Reds fans will hope this is true, we'll have to wait and see. 

I'm sure Liverpool would bite Sunderland's hands off if they offered £14m or even half that at the moment, with no other takers.  These are just rumours at the moment and I would be very dubious about believing them until more emerges. 

What is clear is we need to offload the Italian asap as he has no future at the club.

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Henry hints at Anfield exit



John W Henry has admitted for the first time that Liverpool may be forced to leave Anfield in order to compete with the big boys. 

In response to a Twitter question from a Reds supporter, Henry replied: 'Anfield would certainly be our first choice.  'But realities may dictate otherwise. So many obstacles...' 

This must come as no real shock to most LFC fans, but it still hurts to think we may have to leave.  From a fan's point of view there's no way I think we should leave.  Anfield is unique, it will never be replaced.  It is the most historic ground in world football and will forever be linked with our club. 

I'm sure all Reds fans who have been to a match have fond memories of Anfield and the special atmosphere the ground generates. 

If you take a step back and look at the situation coldly, the problem is there is very little room for expansion at Anfield.  We should have been in a new stadium years ago, instead we find ourselves losing over £1m per game when compared to the mancs for example.  This gap is far too great and will only hold us back in the future. 

Football has changed over the past 20 years and is now a massive industry.  Football clubs are run as big businesses where cash is king. 

We know from the painful experience with the last owners how lack of funds can destroy you. 

The simple fact is we need to compete and win things, that will make the fans happy.  In order to do this long-term we need a 60,000 seater stadium as a minimum, with the option to expand further. 

We should know the intentions of the owners soon with the option on the lease for Stanley Park running out in September.  As stated in previous posts, Fenway SG need to decide quickly one way or the other as the delays will only mean that we fall further behind in terms of revenue. 

It's hard to admit, but Anfield may be witnessing it's last couple of years of football.

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LFC third kit breaks records - Buy it cheaper than anywhere on the Web.



LFC have announced record pre-orders of the much discussed and much maligned new white and (sky) blue third kit for the coming season.

The kit, which is released on 14th July 2011, has broken the record held by the 2010/11 black and yellow kit.

As stated in this previous post I can't see what the fuss is about.  LFC must have known it would cause controversy and generate interest and they have been proven to be correct.  I have mine on order.  As long as we are winning, the colour of the kit does not matter.  (Unless it's a red top with white shorts and black socks.... hock spit).

BUY THE NEW 3RD KIT CHEAPER THAN ANYWHERE ON THE NET HERE!

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Charlie Alonso

The signing of Charlie Adam for a modest £8.5m may well prove the be the best signing of the summer.  The figure pales in comparison to the other big money transfers taking place this summer, but in terms of value for money it'll be hard to beat.

Adam will provide the Reds with something they've sorely lacked since Xabi Alonso departed for Madrid two seasons ago.  He has a sweet left-foot and a magnificent range of passing, he takes penalties and delivers high quality free-kicks both directly and indirectly.

He will add some much needed firepower to the Reds midfield.  He scores goals and has a good number of assists, 12 goals and 8 assists in the 2010/11 season.  That's more than the £45m rated Luca Modric (3 goals, 2 assists) and Gareth Bale (7 Goals, 1 assist) combined and also more than another Reds targets Stewart Downing (7 goals, 7 assists) and Aaron Lennon (3 goals, 2 assists) who Aston Villa and Spurs both value at £20m.

He will take the creative burden off Steven Gerrard and allow the skipper to venture forward more.  Adam to Gerrard......GOAL!  He'll provide service that Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez will thrive on.  Carroll especially will benefit from his deliveries, so expect to see combinations between these two lead to regular goals.

Some say that he doesn't track back and fades in games, so does Ashley Young, Nani and Downing, all of whom would cost a lot more money.  As long as the Reds can get a quality, defensive left-back then we can work around and work on any perceived weaknesses Adam may possess.

I for one think this is the best signing at this time for LFC and that Adam, at only 25 and with his best years ahead of him, will prove an extremely valuable asset as we rebuild.

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Adam passes his medical... but what about Downing?



Charlie Adam moved another step closer to becoming an LFC player after passing a medical. 

Personal terms will be agreed shortly and Adam will put pen the paper and become the latest LFC recruit, much to the delight of many Reds fans. 

It is fully expected that Stuart Downing will follow Adam through the doors at Anfield shortly when Liverpool and Aston Villa agree a compromise over the deal.  Aston Villa are still playing hard-ball over the transfer, with Alex McLeish insisting the player is not for sale after Villa rejected a £15m bid from Liverpool.

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Reds agreed Adam fee



Liverpool have finally agreed a fee with Blackpool for Charlie Adam.  The midfielder is undergoing a medical at Anfield before agreeing personal terms, which shouldn't be an issue.

If the deal goes through it will ease the Reds fan's growing frustration at the lack of incoming transfers.  Lets hope things begin to speed up from now on.  A left-winger, centre-back, left-back and a striker are still needed along with a back-up goalkeeper.  Plenty still to come on the transfer front, both in and out..... hopefully.

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What's the Mata with Downing & Lennon? (Part 2)

Why we are persuing Downing and possibly Lennon for £15-£20m when Juan Mata is younger, better and available at the same price?  That question was first asked by KopTalkin' in What's the Mata with Downing & Lennon? and the question remains.

Villa have now turned down £15m for Downing quoting £20m cash as their asking price.  The world has gone mad!  What has Downing done to justify that price-tag?  He can't be worth more than the £17m the mancs paid for Ashley Young.

Mata has again shown his class and the Under 21s tournament, is far younger than Downing and is capable of far more improvement over the coming years.  Reports suggest that the Reds will turn to Mata following this latest rebuff by Villa.  I hope that's the case as while Downing is better than what we currently have, i.e. no left-winger, he isn't the quality player we need to be signing.

Come on Kenny, get Mata!

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Video: Suarez Scores!

Luis Suarez scored in Uruguay's 1-1 draw with Peru at the Copa America.  Lets just hope he gets back to us OK and is ready to go. 

Watch the goal below.

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66 players linked... none signed.

LFC.tv recently ran a article about the fact that 66 players have been linked with us in the month of June alone.  None of whom we signed by the way.  That goes to show how much we should listen to the media.  The fact is it is silly season at the moment and if you believed everything you read we'd have enough players for about 9 teams.

Our realistic targets should be well known to Reds fans by now, but frustration still grows at the lack of signings.  Arsenal are now reported (if you believe the media) to be interested in Downing and Enrique meaning we may miss out on another 2 targets.

We've again been linked with Aaron Lennon with Aquilani going the other way.  That's one way to get rid of him, but I can't see Redknapp taking the bait.  The problem still remains that we have too much dead wood.

The squad is back in training as of today, pre-season begins very soon and we have not made any significant signings, (is Henderson a significant signing?) and I am starting to worry more and more every day.

Are we playing the waiting game with the likes of Adam or do we need to sell before we buy?  Time will tell.

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Kevin Keen joins LFC

Ex West Ham first-team coach Kevin Keen has joined Liverpool FC in the same capacity.  Keen joins on a three-year deal.

The Reds have moved swiftly to replace Sammy Lee who departed last week.  It's a shame we can't move swiftly in the transfer market for players.

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Doni Brasco

It looks like the Reds have reached a compromise with Roma goalkeeper Doni over his wage demands.   
Roma have now agreed to pay him £1m to leave and this has cleared the way for him to join us over the weekend. 

The 31 year old had turned down a move to anfield previously, stating that he woud have to take a 60% pay cut. 

Meanwhile Liverpool reserve keeper Peter Gulacsi has moved to Hull on loan.

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Video: Raheem Sterling must play for the first team

Raheem Sterling is having a wonderful time with England at the moment and showing LFC fans what he could be doing for us next season.  He must be given a chance in the first team next season, he is an outstanding talent and just the type of player we need at the moment. 

Watch his latest goal agains Argentina below.

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LFC Fans' Stories: Scouse help for a travelling Red

My job as a marine biologist takes me to some of the most exotic and remote places in the world.  The problem with that is getting to watch LFC's games.  I've lost count of the strange places and extreme lengths I've had to go to to hear of see the game.  But no matter where I am in the world, I always seem to find a fellow Red to help me out.

I remember back in 2000 trying to find a bar in Mildura, Australia (which is a dusty Outback town just north of Adelaide, I don't even remember why I was there in the first place) at silly-o'clock in the morning that was still open and showing the LFC vs Mancs game at Old Trafford.  I walked what seemed like forever and hitched lifts with various undesirables to numerous dimly lit streets just to find a place to watch the game.  I had almost given up hope when I heard a distinct scouse accent from across the street shout "Nice top mate!", (I was obviously wearing my LFC top).  The guy's name was John and he very kindly drove me to a bar that he thought would show the game.  It was literally the last bar in town but it had a 28 inch TV on a wall which was showing the game.  It had already kicked off as we walked in so I quickly bought a drink for us both and stood as close to the TV as possible.  We were surrounded by gruff, hairy Aussie men and even gruffer, hairier Aussie women.  There also happened to be a couple of load-mouthed Mancs, who were completed 'off it' and kept slagging us off when they weren't busy falling around the bar.  I thought I'd be doing well to survive the night, but stuck with it.

It was a tight game, then Paddy Berger scored from a free-kick and I went absolutely nuts...... then realised the whole of Mildura was staring at me including the 2 Mancs who looked like they wanted blood.  Such was my elation that I didn't stop and didn't care to stop.  The one thing I learnt from that morning was the crazier you act, the more you are left alone.  The goal shut the Mancs up.......... for 30 seconds.  Unfortunately they equalised and the game ended 1-1.  I said goodbye to John  and told him how much I'd appreciated his help.

More recently, 2011, I was in Tunisia trying to find a place to watch the Arsenal away game.  No one I asked knew anywhere that would be showing the game, so I set out on another trek.  I was stopped numerous times by people offering quad bike/horse/camel rides, bananas, fake designer gear and various other mechanise.  I eventually asked a couple of guys for help, they said they were LFC fans and pointed me in the direction of a dodgy looking bar, (they are always dodgy for some reason), at the end of what I can only describe as a dirt track.  As I approached the bar and looked inside, I noticed they had a TV with a very poor Internet connect that was showing the game.  I watched with Gooners and Scousers as the picture and sound flickered and died then came back again.

The game was deep into injury time when Arsenal were awarded a penalty, which van Persie scored. We pilled on the pressure and were amazingly awarded a penalty for a foul on Lucas with no time remaining. We couldn't believe our luck. Just as Kuyt ran up to take it however the picture went blank and stayed blank. All the Scousers were screaming, running around the bar and out on to the street to find someone who knew what was going on. I tried to phone the UK but couldn't get through to anyone. 10 minutes passed, then 20 with no one knowing what just happened. The bar owner had his baseball bat out at the sight of 20-odd Reds running around his bar screaming incomprehensibly.  It was hilarious.

After about 25 minutes of nothing, the TV came back on just as they were showing a reply of the goal during the post-match analysis.  We went berserk and started a conga down the street.  Fantastic.

I've met countless Reds all over the world and had some wonderful experiences travelling and supporting our club.  All I can say is "Scousers Rule!"

We support the greatest club in the world and are, without doubt, the greatest supporters in the world.  YNWA.

Dan (LFC fan, Australia).

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Are FSG Hicks & Gillett in disguise?



I feel a rant coming on!  I know it's probably far too early to start this and I know the signs have been positive up to now, but I'm getting a little frustrated at the lack of movement on transfer targets.  We are now in July, I know the continental window has only just opened and most transfers don't take place until later in the month or even until August, but missing out on Connor Wickham and now Gael Clichy has started to crush my optimism for the new season and raise questions about Fenway Sports Group.

The word is that we have to offload quite a few players to (a) cut the wage bill and (b) trim the squad before we can make any more signings.  We all know we have to do this but I hope that is not causing delays in signing players.  There must be something in the story as we missed out on Wickham after being massive favourites to sign him.  Why is that?  Too expensive?  Why is Wickham not worth £8m when Henderson is worth £16m?  We were supposed to have had a deal for Jose Enrique tied up, but that has gone cold and now Clichy is on his way to Man City, where does that leave us?  Wayne Bridge?  You're havin' a laff!

We are hearing that Charlie Adam is desperate to join us but we won't pay £9m for him.  Surely he's worth that if Meireles is worth £13m.  It is the same situation with Stuart Downing, although I'm not sure about his quality if I'm honest.  As already highlighted in Got (Dead) Wood? we have far too many poor players on big wages that no one else wants.  I thought this would be a major problem and it is proving to be the case.  Aquilani is back with us as there are incredibly no takers for him.  He'll never be good enough for LFC and we need him off the wage bill now.

Suarez and Lucas are going to miss the early part of the season due to their involvement in the Copa America and with Gerrard still recovering from injury and Carroll only just back, we may well find ourselves struggling straight away.  Don't forget we have Arsenal away early on.  What chance a result at the Emirates with no Gerrard, Suarez or Lucas and an unfit Carroll?

May this is an overreaction, only time will tell, but my fear is that FSG are not going to invest as much as in the playing staff as they claim or that we need.  The stadium is another issue.  We all know we need a far bigger capacity than we currently have as the likes of the Mancs are making in excess of £1m per home game more than us.  We can't afford to let this continue.  Surely they can see the need to move on this and I hope they are moving on it, but the fans are getting frustrated with the lack of news.  They obviously haven't got the money for a new stadium and as Liverpool Managing Director Ian Ayre said this week, naming rights will be a major factor in building the stadium.  As time ticks on we fall further and further behind despite massive strides in off-the-field income and sponsorship.

Jamie Carragher is quoted as saying that he expects more names through the door soon, but after missing out on Phil Jones, Ashley Young, Sylvain Marveaux, Wickham and Clichy and struggling to seal a deal for Adam or Downing I'm not so confident.  I hope I'm proved wrong but as the weeks go by I, along with many other Reds, are getting more and more restless.  We went through 44 months of hell with the previous owners, worrying about repayments and interest rates instead of enjoying supporting our club and were elated when we finally got rid of them.  My fear is going back to those worries due to lack of funds and no new stadium.  Come on FSG "Show me the money!"

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