GWistooshort

Reds sweat over Gerrard and Torres fitness after injury scares Oct 12 2009 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo LIVERPOOL were today keeping their fingers crossed for good news after star pair Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres were at the centre of weekend injury scares. Gerrard was substituted at half-time during England’s 1-0 defeat against Ukraine in Dnipropetrovsk, while Torres last just 54 minutes of Spain’s 2-1 win over Armenia. It was initially feared Gerrard would face between seven and 10 days on the sidelines after tweaking his groin but that is unlikely to be the case. The Reds’ skipper is understood to have an outside chance of being in contention for England’s clash with Belarus at Wembley on Wednesday evening but Liverpool are still waiting for an official update. Similar sentiments apply to Torres, who missed training before Spain’s trip to Yerevan with a groin injury and Reds officials are hoping his substitution was a precautionary measure. With Liverpool facing a huge week of fixtures when domestic action resumes on Saturday, boss Rafa Benitez will need his goalscoring talisman and midfield inspiration fit and ready for the trip to Sunderland. Whether Dirk Kuyt will be available, though, for the clash at the Stadium of Light remains to be seen as he, like Gerrard and Torres, hobbled out of Holland’s friendly with Australia in Sydney after an ankle problem flared up. Kuyt and his compatriot Ryan Babel are not due back at Melwood until tomorrow but while Benitez was not overly concerned about them going Down Under for a meaningless friendly, he will be anxious about their flight back home. If Kuyt’s ankle is damaged, the last thing that he needs to be subjected to is a long-haul flight but the Reds will not say anything about his predicament until he has been properly assessed by their medical team. Midfielder Kuyt had missed a number of Holland’s training sessions in the run up to the game but coach Bert van Marjwick decided to play him from the start in the Sydney Football Stadium. The game finished 0-0. http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-f...00252-24906148/

Why Liverpool FC legend Didi Hamann won’t lose any sleep – despite being unemployed Oct 10 2009 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo WHEN you are at a loose end, it pays to surround yourself with friends and few know that better than Dietmar Hamann. Normally at this point in a season, when the second international break comes along, the German midfielder would be catching his breath after negotiating the first, chaotic weeks but preparing himself for bigger challenges to come. For the first time in his career, however, Hamann finds himself without a club; though there have been offers and proposals since his contract with Manchester City expired in July, nothing permanent has transpired. Some footballers in a similar position would inevitably find themselves panicking now, fearing that there hopes of enjoying one last hurrah had been extinguished but Hamann, clearly, is on good terms with himself. No wonder. Rather than sit around feeling sorry for himself, Hamann has taken steps towards preparing for the future and that has enabled him to come back to the place that was his home for seven years. With ambitions of one day becoming a coach, Hamann phoned Liverpool’s Academy Director Frank McParland a couple of weeks ago and asked whether it would be possible to gain some experience – a positive response was never in doubt. So now Hamann, who sat a coaching course at Keele University in May, is working with the Reds’ under-16s and will be on the touchline when they face Bolton today; playing might be the pinnacle but this, certainly, is the next best thing. “It’s nice to have this involvement,” he said. “They are a good set of lads and there are some very good players. I’m enjoying it. I always said that I wanted to go into coaching at some stage, so with nothing having come up in terms of playing, this has been ideal. “I’d spoken to Frankie and he had told me that the boys would be happy for me to come down and talk to them about one or two things. I’m enjoying working with (under-16s coach) Stevie Cooper. In many ways, it’s been like coming home again. “I get on with everyone here, it’s such a great club and you never pass up the chance to return; I’ve not spoken with Rafa yet but I’ve seen Kenny (Dalglish) and a lot of people are still here from my time.” After his deal expired at Eastlands, there were suggestions of moves to Hull, Preston and Notts County, while clubs in Germany – notably Stuttgart, coached by another old Red Markus Babbel – also made tentative enquiries but, as yet, nothing has come to fruition. “The longer it goes on, it’s not ideal but I’m still doing my best to keep myself in shape and I hope the right offer comes along,” Hamann explained. “But I’m keeping myself busy and I’m not having any sleepless nights. “You’ve just got to try and carry on as normal, keep yourself busy. If someone had an offer for me, I’d be delighted to listen but I’m enjoying what I’m doing at the minute and we’ll just have to see what happens.” One of life’s more laid back characters, it should not surprise that Hamann is unruffled by not having a club to play for because, as those supporters who watched him serve Liverpool with such distinction from 1999, little could knock him out of his elegant stride. So it is just as significant to hear his views about Liverpool’s quest to win the title; rather than getting carried away by losing to Chelsea last weekend, Hamann is confident that Benitez’s men will once again find themselves in the thick of the action. “It’s early days,” said Hamann, who cost £8m when Gerard Houllier signed him from Newcastle. “Okay, we’ve lost more games so far than we did in the whole of last year but sometimes that’s not a problem if you are not putting draws on the board as well. “It was a difficult game at Chelsea, they look pretty solid at the minute. But you have to remember that the league is very compact and the top teams will be taking points off each other all the time; I can also see Manchester City getting involved, as they look strong. “But once Liverpool find the right balance, they will be fine. There are a couple of big games coming up but Glen Johnson is a good addition to the squad and once (Javier) Mascherano finds his form, they will be right back up there.” He might have left Anfield three years ago but there is no disguising the affinity Hamann has for the club and he jumped at the chance to pull on a Red shirt again for a cameo role in the spoof film ‘15 Minutes That Shook The World’. That night in Istanbul, of course, was arguably the night Hamann produced his defining Liverpool performance, helping lay the foundations for that unforgettable comeback against AC Milan and scoring a penalty in the shootout; it was the zenith of his spell. “It was a good laugh and I was only too happy to help because it was for a good cause,” said Hamann, whose 283 appearances yielded 11 goals. “It certainly brought back memories. It’s nearly five years on and you still get reminded about it all the time. “I had a fabulous time with Liverpool. I came at a point when we were in transition but not long after everything seemed to click into place; we had great home-grown talent in Stevie, Carra, Danny Murphy and Michael (Owen). “At the back, the partnership of Henchoz and Hyypia was as good as there had been in years; it wasn’t an easy time at first for the club but after it clicked, we enjoyed some great success. “Liverpool will always be in my heart, I enjoyed my seven years here, met some outstanding people and had such a great time; it would be great to come back in the future and be able to work here in some capacity. That’s the dream.” http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-f...00252-24894095/

The Echo said earlier this week that "the club do not anticipate conducting any major business when the transfer window opens in the new year" & also that Liverpool "distanced themselves" from reports in the German media that they are planning a January bid for Werder Bremen's Aaron Hunt, who the Echo says "is not on Benitez’s January shopping list" http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-f...00252-24869987/

Yeah, try & be positive At least, Degen will have someone to keep him company

Juventus reportedly also keen on Mascherano now with talk of a £23m bid in Jan http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Juven...icle183993.html Reports in Italy too according to the Daily Post, which is where the Mirror may have got the story from http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverp...534-24888528/2/

Some extra comments about the Prince from Al-Medlej in another Telegraph article........... http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/...ian-owners.html

The Daily Telegraph 09 Oct 2009 George Gillett in fresh prince talks but he is unlikely to be Liverpool saviour By Rory Smith George Gillett's expected visit to Saudi Arabia for further talks with potential investor Prince Faisal al-Fahad bin Abdullah bin Saud is unlikely to result in an immediate solution to Liverpool’s debt troubles, sources close to both parties insist. The American met Prince Faisal on Merseyside in September and agreed to continue discussions in Saudi Arabia on Oct 13 after signing an agreement concerning the establishment of youth academies in the Middle East and north Africa. Those talks are likely to encompass the possibility of the prince investing in the club but he is believed to be just one of a number of potential investors identified by Merrill Lynch and Rothschild, the investment banks jointly appointed by Gillett and his partner, Tom Hicks, to investigate an equity raise to find new capital for the club. Hicks and Gillett issued a joint statement in September insisting no deal had been agreed with any party and sources close to F6, Prince Faisal's investment group, believe it would take "months" to come to any decision. It is believed Gillett and the prince, though, have struck up a "chemistry" during their discussions and Barry Didato, a director at F6, confirmed on Thursday that the prince would consider taking a stake in the club, although he should not be seen as a panacea for the club's financial ills. "His Highness's shareholding could go from anywhere between zero and 100 per cent," he said. "But he cannot be seen as a solution to the debt problems and problems in the existing relationship between the owners. His Highness would not want to get involved with that. He is not a marriage counsellor. "The debt has to be at a manageable level before Prince Faisal would invest and the current level is high. He cannot be looked at as someone who is going to clean up the balance sheet, and Gillett has to deal with this." Dr Hafez Al-Medlej, the head of the Saudi FA, insisted that, while Prince Faisal "has the money", it is thought in his homeland that "he is only interested in academies". Medlej said: "He is a great value to the club, who would help them bring world-class players." http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/...ol-saviour.html

AQUILANI INJURY LATEST James Carroll 07 October 2009 Rafa Benitez has revealed how Alberto Aquilani is edging ever closer to making his Liverpool debut. The Italian international has not figured for the Reds since completing a transfer from AS Roma in August due to an ankle injury, but the 25-year-old began light training at Melwood last month. Benitez is delighted with the progress Aquilani has made in his recovery - though the manager admits he will err on the side of caution with the fitness of Anfield's new No.4. "I have been speaking to the doctors and things are going well with him," said the Reds boss. "Alberto is progressing all the time. It could be two to three weeks before he is back. "But we need to use caution. If it is two weeks everyone will say 'that is fantastic' but if it is three, everyone will say it is not a problem. I think that we have to be careful. "We will take it one step at a time and we have the international break to look forward to now. That will be good for him, as he will have some more time (to recover without missing any games)." Benitez added: "He is running and swimming - I think he will have the record in the swimming pool by the end of his programme - and he is working in the gym. "He is doing almost everything and he is doing some things with the team. The only thing he is not doing is kicking a ball - not yet anyway." http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N...091007-1136.htm

I don't tend to venture into the GFF, which is why I didn't see it

Apparently he's a huge Liverpool fan, but was in the media earlier this week saying despite that he would move to Man Utd rather than Liverpool if it made more sense for his career http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11669_5609534,00.html

Click on the links below for highlights & post-match interviews............... Highlights (Virgin) UK only Rafa (BBC) [2:55] Rafa (Sky) [1:58] Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti (BBC) [3:00] Ancelotti (Sky) [1:06]

Click on the links below to watch clips of the pre-match interviews............. Rafa (BBC) [7:40] Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti (BBC) [3:53] Ancelotti (Daily Mirror) [3:23]

Liverpool ’s Carling Cup fourth round tie at Arsenal will take place on Wednesday, October 28. The tie will be screened live on Sky with a 7.45pm kick-off.

The Independent this morning says Gillett & Purslow will visit Saudi Arabia for a week (!) of further talks from 12 October.

The Daily Mirror Liverpool owners confirm intent to sell off slice of club to reduce debts Published 23:00 29/09/09 By David Maddock Liverpool's American owners have confirmed their intent to sell off a slice of the club in an attempt to reduce debts. George Gillett and Tom Hicks will finally end their controversial dual ownership of Anfield, after admitting they have - as revealed here a fortnight ago - instructed their bankers to seek potential investors in the club in the Middle East. A statement issued last night that they are looking for a cash injection, with - it is understood - the ultimate aim of helping to build the planned new stadium. At the weekend, Gillett met at Anfield with Prince Faisal bin Adbullah al Saud, a Saudi tycoon who owns marketing and investment companies, for wide ranging talks about investment in both Liverpool and the American’s NASCAR franchise. Prince Faisal has since claimed he is close to buying a stake in Liverpool, but insiders at the club said that the only agreement reached so far has been over the construction of Liverpool-backed academies in the Middle East. The Saudi prince has entered into a due diligence agreement with Gillett, but this relates solely to his talks over the NASCAR racing team the American owns, and not the English football club. And yesterday, both Hicks and his Anfield partner moved to distance themselves from suggestions a deal has already been done to sell a 25 per cent stake in Liverpool, when they issued the statement which read: “The owners have jointly retained Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Rothschild to evaluate the possibility of new investors injecting equity into LFC. “However the process is at an early stage, there is no agreement with any party and reports to the contrary are wholly inaccurate.” The pair though, are ready to either sell 25 per cent of their own shares, or offer a new share issue in Liverpool, to generate a cash fund of up to £200million, which would be used to reduce their debts on the club, which currently stand at £240million. That would leave them in a much better position to raise the near £400million required to build the new stadium planned for Stanley Park, close to their current Anfield home. The Americans realise that without the extra revenue generated by a state of the art 70,000 seat stadium, they will struggle to grow the club, and match the income that Manchester United can command. Gillett and Hicks have based their Anfield business model on the plan the Glazer family use at Old Trafford, but for it to work in the long term, they will need the extra cash. They feel that will make Liverpool a far more valuable asset and that is why they are prepared to give up a stake in the club. http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Liver...icle175163.html

Ignore the headline which was obviously written by a sub-editor who didn't read to the end of the article The Guardian Wednesday 30 September 2009 No Saudi bid, but Gillett and Hicks will end Liverpool ownership • Liverpool owners confirm they are looking for new investment • Statement says reports of agreement are inaccurate Andy Hunter George Gillett and Tom Hicks have confirmed they intend to end their joint-ownership of Liverpool, with the Americans expected to begin that process by sanctioning an equity raise that will dilute their 50% stakes in the Anfield club. The Liverpool co-chairmen issued a rare joint statement last night to reject claims that Prince Faisal bin Fahad bin Abdulla of Saudi Arabia is in talks to purchase a 50% holding in the club. They also confirmed, for the first time, that they have employed separate banks to flush out potential new investors in Liverpool. Hicks and Gillett were prompted to act amid reports Prince Faisal had begun due diligence on the club's books ahead of a possible £350m investment. The Saudi prince was a guest of Gillett at Liverpool's game against Hull City last Saturday but the club owners are mystified at repeated claims he will buy into Liverpool. Prince Faisal has, however, signed a memorandum of understanding with Gillett regarding the American's Nascar interests and to sponsor Liverpool youth academies in Saudi Arabia and north Africa. The joint statement read: "The owners have jointly retained Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Rothschild to evaluate the possibility of new investors injecting equity into LFC. However, the process is at an early stage, there is no agreement with any party and reports to the contrary are wholly inaccurate." Neither Hicks nor Gillett are believed to view Prince Faisal as a serious investor in Liverpool, despite the latter's business relationship with him in other areas, but their search for new partners has now intensified. The Americans are under pressure from the Royal Bank of Scotland and Wachovia to reduce the club's debt which, following the latest refinancing deal in July, now stands at around £245m. The banks want the debt reduced significantly before any work can begin on a proposed new stadium on Stanley Park. Gillett has held talks with several interested parties in the past week alone. The Indian billionaire, Mallikarjun Rao, who owns the Delhi Daredevils cricket team, is among those who have expressed a desire to invest in the Premier League club. Despite relentless criticism of their regime from Liverpool supporters, and the on-going delay in the construction of the new stadium, Hicks and Gillett are not looking to sell-up at Anfield entirely. They are planning to bring new investors on board through an equity raise, which could take the form of a new shares issue, which will reduce the debt and enable the new partners, or banks, to provide funds for the stadium development. The Americans were warned earlier this year by Liverpool's own accountants, KPMG, that their future ownership of the club would be in "significant doubt" if they failed to refinance their debts. That followed news that the club's parent company, Kop Football (Holdings) Limited, had suffered a $42.6m loss for the year ending July 2008 despite the club posting a record turnover of £159.1m. Hicks and Gillett met that demand in July, but remain under pressure to tackle the debt further. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/se...llett-liverpool

Liverpool FC in global hunt for money Sep 30 2009 by Kevin Core, Liverpool Daily Post LIVERPOOL co-owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks are preparing to dilute their power base at Anfield in an attempt to pump fresh investment into the club. The American duo yesterday admitted publicly for the first time they are seeking outside suitors to provide a cash injection. But they have firmly distanced themselves from claims by Saudi Prince Faisal bin Fahd bin Abdullah al-Saud that he is already on the verge of taking a 50% stake in the club. A spokesman for Gillett and Hicks said: “The owners have jointly retained Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Rothschild to evaluate the possibility of new investors injecting equity into LFC. “However, the process is at an early stage, there is no agreement with any party and reports to the contrary are wholly inaccurate.” Speculation was fuelled by Prince Faisal’s appearance as a guest of Gillett at Saturday’s 6-1 home victory over Hull City. Although talk of agreed investment is premature, he has reached an agreement to set up Liverpool academies in the Middle East in connection with the F6 marketing and investment company which he owns. With Hicks and Gillett equal partners at Anfield, neither can sell any of their shares without the other’s approval, a situation which led to tensions between them when Hicks blocked Gillett’s attempt to sell to a Dubai consortium in 2008. Hicks is looking to raise up to £200m from investors in return for a 25% investment, with the American keen to lower the club’s debt and generate funds for the proposed new stadium at Stanley Park. In an interview with Associated Press, however, F6 director Barry Didato distanced the Prince from this kind of investment, saying the prince would not be willing to become involved purely as a solution to the club’s £245m debt. He said: “Right now George has a lot of ongoing issues with his existing partner, and he is working through those with the banks and Premier League. “Prince Faisal has said we're keeping a very open-door policy to it, but that the existing partnership should not look to him being a solution to Liverpool's balance sheet and there are some balance sheet issues yet to be resolved.” James McKenna, of the Spirit of Shankly supporters’ union, said: “It’s looking like an exit strategy and that will be good news for fans. “They have allowed a lot of media speculation, we have heard some things from them before about being open to investment. “If they are planning a sale they should be honest and tell us. The owners we want are fit and proper ones who fulfil their promises, back the manager and the team both on and off the pitch and can deliver the stadium. We want owners who can push Liverpool FC forward.” http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverp...92534-24815043/

Click on the links below for the post-match interviews........... Rafa (Sky) [1:39] Rafa (BBC) [4:01] AUDIO Carra (Sky) [0:28]

Is the prince really a prince at all? Perhaps Hicks & Gillett have hired the NOTW's fake sheikh

He played 68 minutes in a 2-0 win & "put in an impressive performance" according to the report on the official site http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N...090929-2210.htm Oh & Degen had to leave the field at half-time after feeling unwell

Strange that there's still no mention from the club of the academies deal that is reportedly already signed (& we've seen the pictures of the prince definitely signing something)

Is that an anagram?

From today's Daily Telegraph............ (cutting out the quotes that have already been posted) Prince Faisal is not in talks with Tom Hicks, Gillett’s partner at Liverpool, and sources close to the Hicks camp have continued to play down the prospects of an imminent deal. Monday night's reports that Gillett was about to sell his 50 per cent to Prince Faisal were dismissed as “nonsense” by sources inside the club. Gillett is understood to have spent the weekend in discussion with Liverpool management and executives and at no stage indicated that a deal with Prince Faisal was close to completion. Any sale of a complete 50 per cent holding by either Hicks or Gillett is thought to require the approval of the other partner, who has first refusal under the equity agreement struck when they bought the club. Sources close to Hicks insist that no paperwork has yet been signed with regards to a potential sale. Hicks and Gillett certainly are hoping to put together a consortium of investors to take a £100m minority stake in the club, breaking the deadlock between them and helping to reduce the club’s £240 million borrowings. Merryl Lynch and Rothschilds, the investment banks initially retained separately by the owners, are now thought to be working together to bring in third-party finance. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/...ke-in-club.html

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/footbal...pe-1794745.html

Rafael Benitez is hopeful Javier Mascherano will be fit for next weekend's showdown with Chelsea after the midfielder was ruled out of Tuesday's Champions League clash in Florence with a hamstring injury. The Spaniard revealed that the Argentina skipper missed this morning's flight to Tuscany as a result of a problem he picked up during a recent training session, but is confident the Reds have the personnel available to cope against La Viola. "He was shooting in training and felt something in his hamstring," Benitez told his pre-match press conference. "He went to see the doctor straight away and we found he had a small problem in his hamstring. http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N...090928-1833.htm