GWistooshort

From the Liverpool Daily Post this morning............. "Benitez also wants to solve the work permit problem for Argentine winger Sebastian Leto, who has spent the last season on loan to Greek club Olympiacos. “We will try to work something out, I do not want him to go,” said the Liverpool manager. The reasons for refusing the permit were his lack of international and club experience. Benitez was critical of that decision, but is likely to sell Leto if the permit is refused once again." http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverp...534-23720819/2/

Ryan Babel told he can leave Anfield May 27 2009 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post RYAN BABEL could become the first high-profile casualty of Rafael Benitez’s summer shake-up after being told he can leave Liverpool. Babel’s agent Winnie Haatrecht met with the Anfield manager to discuss the player having a more prominent first-team role next season. Benitez, though, was unable to offer such guarantees and has informed the Holland international he may now speak to other clubs during the transfer window. That is likely to spark a chase for Babel, who became the third-most expensive player in Liverpool’s history when arriving for £11.5million from Ajax in July 2007. Liverpool will want to recoup of much as that fee as possible, with Babel likely to command a price tag of around £8m. Ajax, who yesterday appointed Martin Jol as new coach to succeed Marco van Basten, are thought eager to re-sign Babel but could be put off by the asking price and the player’s wages. Babel is also certain to attract interest from Italy and Spain, with Benitez open to the possibility of using the 22-year-old as a makeweight to facilitate a possible big-money transfer. Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa and Arsenal have all been linked with a summer move for Babel and could make any interest formal. Babel has scored 14 goals in 91 appearances for Liverpool. However, only 42 have been in a starting role – a mere six coming this calendar year – with the Dutchman having completed the full 90 minutes on just 15 occasions. With Benitez needing to generate funds to supplement his existing transfer budget, the Spaniard is keen to swiftly move on those players who no longer form part of his plans. “We have some targets but right now it is too soon because some clubs do not know what the future holds for them but we will wait and see,” said the Liverpool manager. “But our idea is to have players signed before pre-season begins because this would be perfect. “It means you can start working with them and training with them with the ideas that you want to get across to them so that they can start putting them into practice on the pitch.” http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverp...92534-23720819/

Ryan Babel told he can leave Anfield May 27 2009 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post RYAN BABEL could become the first high-profile casualty of Rafael Benitez’s summer shake-up after being told he can leave Liverpool. Babel’s agent Winnie Haatrecht met with the Anfield manager to discuss the player having a more prominent first-team role next season. Benitez, though, was unable to offer such guarantees and has informed the Holland international he may now speak to other clubs during the transfer window. That is likely to spark a chase for Babel, who became the third-most expensive player in Liverpool’s history when arriving for £11.5million from Ajax in July 2007. Liverpool will want to recoup of much as that fee as possible, with Babel likely to command a price tag of around £8m. Ajax, who yesterday appointed Martin Jol as new coach to succeed Marco van Basten, are thought eager to re-sign Babel but could be put off by the asking price and the player’s wages. Babel is also certain to attract interest from Italy and Spain, with Benitez open to the possibility of using the 22-year-old as a makeweight to facilitate a possible big-money transfer. Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa and Arsenal have all been linked with a summer move for Babel and could make any interest formal. Babel has scored 14 goals in 91 appearances for Liverpool. However, only 42 have been in a starting role – a mere six coming this calendar year – with the Dutchman having completed the full 90 minutes on just 15 occasions. With Benitez needing to generate funds to supplement his existing transfer budget, the Spaniard is keen to swiftly move on those players who no longer form part of his plans. “We have some targets but right now it is too soon because some clubs do not know what the future holds for them but we will wait and see,” said the Liverpool manager. “But our idea is to have players signed before pre-season begins because this would be perfect. “It means you can start working with them and training with them with the ideas that you want to get across to them so that they can start putting them into practice on the pitch.” Benitez also wants to solve the work permit problem for Argentine winger Sebastian Leto, who has spent the last season on loan to Greek club Olympiacos. “We will try to work something out, I do not want him to go,” said the Liverpool manager. The reasons for refusing the permit were his lack of international and club experience. Benitez was critical of that decision, but is likely to sell Leto if the permit is refused once again http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverp...92534-23720819/

The Independent Wednesday, 27 May 2009 Ancelotti: 'I was like 007, sat behind a driver with the face of a killer' The Italian has placed his potential move to Chelsea in fresh doubt by publishing an astonishingly candid account of his secret meetings with Roman Abramovich. Sam Wallace reports Chelsea's manager-in-waiting Carlo Ancelotti yesterday laid open the details of his secret talks with Roman Abramovich in remarkable detail in a move that could yet scupper the deal to bring the Italian to Stamford Bridge. Ancelotti even revealed that the Russian billionaire had complained to him: "My Chelsea team has no personality." In an extraordinary act of disclosure, the Milan manager chose yesterday to release his autobiography Preferisco La Coppa in which he devotes two chapters to revealing the details of Abramovich's approaches to him, including the occasions the Russian met him in secret in Geneva last summer and then at an exclusive Paris hotel. Asked at the launch of the book in Rome whether he would be joining Chelsea next week, Ancelotti said: "If the Milan directors want me to stay, then I will stay." Having admitted in his book that he had lied to journalists in the past when it suited him, Ancelotti was asked whether he was lying on this occasion, too. "That depends," was his reply. The depth of the detail disclosed by Ancelotti casts doubt on whether he will ever actually take the Chelsea job. He is due to make an announcement next Monday, by which time he hopes that Milan will have qualified for the Champions League for next season. Asked whether he felt he had compromised Abramovich, Ancelotti said: "I don't think I was too open. I can only talk in the book about people I have met. Abramovich was very generous, he likes football very much. He was very passionate, he wants to improve his knowledge of the game. It was a beautiful experience." The book also details how much Ancelotti dislikes Jose Mourinho, his opposite number at Internazionale, whom he refers to as "His Mourinhity". In the photo section of the book he publishes all his managerial contracts at Parma, Juventus and Milan, disclosing his multimillion salaries. Ancelotti describes being picked up by a driver in Paris in May 2008 to meet Abramovich. "I was like 007 sat behind a driver with the face of a killer. More than a taxi this is like a time machine, taking me from Milanello [the club's training ground] to Stamford Bridge. I'm in Paris and I'm going to Roman Abramovich, the rich owner of Chelsea who is looking for a new manager. Nobody knows this but we've already seen each other once, a couple of weeks ago in a big hotel in Geneva, just outside the city centre. Abramovich came after me. That was a good sign but I couldn't believe how many bodyguards he had. They accompanied me to meet the 'Big Chief' and Peter Kenyon [Chelsea chief executive]. "Abramovich wasn't the monster the papers painted him to be. The first thing I noticed was his timidity. The second was his great knowledge of football. The third was his hunger. He said: 'Dear Ancelotti, I want to win everything. Everything.' That reminded me of another president [silvio Berlusconi at Milan]. He made a great impression. An hour flew by during which we never talked about money." At the subsequent meeting in Paris, Ancelotti described how he panicked when he noticed the football agent Federico Pastorello in the lobby. Then he bumped into another manager, whom he did not name but is understood to be Roma's Luciano Spalletti. Ancelotti wrote: "I said to him 'What are you doing here?' This place is starting to make sense, I feel like I am in a supermarket. Everyone here to talk to Abramovich. Maybe we're his shopping list." On the Paris meeting, Ancelotti wrote: "I find I can chat easily with Abramovich. He doesn't make me feel uncomfortable, not even when he says with a low voice: 'We've just lost the Champions League final [May 2008], and the Premier League, I'm certainly not satisfied. My Chelsea team don't have a personality. My ambition is to win every competition but at the moment I don't even recognise my team.'" Ancelotti said that he told Abramovich that he needed "more quality in the middle of the pitch". He continued: "I gave him two names – Franck Ribéry and Xabi Alonso – as players that would have made him very happy. He thought of a third name, that of Andrei Shevchenko, who you could see was close to his heart. Abramovich said: 'I can't understand why he's not playing, because since we brought him to England he's not the real Sheva, he's in difficulties'." Shortly after his meeting in Paris, which Ancelotti believed was secret, he said that he was called by Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani who began the conversation "How's Paris? How did your elopement go?" At that time, Ancelotti, who had failed to qualify for the previous Champions League, said that he did not want to join Chelsea and instead Abramovich gave the job to Luiz Felipe Scolari. However, after the sacking of Scolari in February, Ancelotti confirmed that he had been approached to take over at the end of the season and said that at one point he was so sure he was going he had started to think of himself as Chelsea manager. He said he had watched DVDs of Chelsea in recent months to prepare himself. "I was thinking of Chelsea and I confess that at certain points in 2008/09, I watched my DVDs of John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba," he said. "I was already the coach on paper. I thought: 'There are worse things in life than working with Abramovich'. Anyway, the worst for Abramovich had already been and gone. He had already worked with 'His Mourinhity', Jose Mourinho." Nevertheless, Ancelotti admitted that in recent weeks he has been less sure that he will leave. Galliani, who is understood to be at odds with owner Berlusconi, wants him to stay. When Ancelotti told Galliani about the "indecent offer" from Chelsea, the club's vice-president was adamant he should stay and it is now by no means certain that he will join Chelsea. Ancelotti admitted that he had been taking English lessons but refused to say a single word in English during his entire press conference. Milan play Fiorentina on Sunday and they have to win to be sure of a Champions League place next season. Chelsea await his decision but any attempts to keep this appointment as secretive as Scolari's have been blown out of the water by Ancelotti himself. Arch, funny, outspoken... this memoir reveals rare wit and wisdom With his amusing revelations about Roman Abramovich's inner circle, especially the Russian billionaire's depressive take on his malfunctioning Chelsea team, Carlo Ancelotti has demonstrated that he is no Milan coaching clone. His insights into Chelsea in his autobiography, detailed in The Independent today, show that he is a lively character who would be an interesting addition to the Premier League. Ancelotti's book Preferisco La Coppa is a no-holds-barred take on what it is like to be pursued by Abramovich with all the riches at his disposal. It was not written for personal profit but to raise funds for his friend Stefano Borgonovo, a former Italy international who is now suffering from the debilitating illness amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Borgonovo, 45, is in a serious condition but he has been supported throughout by Ancelotti, who recently visited him in hospital with David Beckham. Even the title of the book is a play on words. It translates as "I prefer trophies" but the "Coppa" could also refer to a certain type of ham from Ancelotti's native Parma that he is known to prefer. "Coppa" is the ham synonymous with working-class dining tables and the secondary title of the book also reflects Ancelotti's humble background: "Life, football matches and miracles of a normal world-class footballer". Ancelotti plays up to one of his physical peculiarities in the cover shot – his left eyebrow is almost permanently arched when he talks, as it was at yesterday's press conference in Rome. He joked that he had been learning English for three years but was still terrible at speaking it. "When I ask Beckham why, he is very polite," Ancelotti said. "He says it is obviously the teacher's fault." The Milan coach was not quite as kind about Jose Mourinho. Describing in his book a moment when he turns on his television and sees the former Chelsea coach, he wrote: "We looked up and there was 'His Mourinhity' comparing himself to Jesus. I thought, 'Forgive him his sins, he knows not what he is talking about'." Ancelotti even gave a reading from his book, a passage detailing a complex practical joke played by the Milan squad on French midfielder Mathieu Flamini which ended with the former Arsenal man shouting – unknowingly – in Italian "I want to give everyone here a blowjob". Ancelotti's daughter, Katya, has already worked at Chelsea this season at the club's television station Chelsea TV. When Ancelotti arrived yesterday he made great play of greeting the Gazzetta dello Sport's highly respected, long-serving London correspondent Giancarlo Galavotti. That is normally a pretty good sign that an Italian football man is on his way to England. http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/footbal...er-1691166.html

Indeed, the buying club then has to be willing to take the risk & the selling club may have to lower the fee to reflect the risk Don't know that anyone would be willing to take the risk given the £10-15m Boro are said to want for Downing & not sure Boro would be prepared to lower their fee unless they are desperate to sell him because his wages are too high

I've read reports that he wouldn't pass a medical during this transfer window due to his injury, so they may not have any choice

I posted Rafa's comments after the Spurs game earlier in this thread.......... "Xabi has three years on his contract and we're really pleased with him. We do not want to sell. He is not for sale. He says he's happy here in Liverpool. He says it to you in every single interview and press conference. "We have some ideas for the summer without losing any key players. "We want to keep key players, the spine of the team. If we want to do business we can do it with other players. It's not a question of selling players we don't want to sell." http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N...090524-1909.htm

Former Real Madrid president Florentino Perez will take charge of the club again on 1 June because the only other candidate still in the race will be unable to lodge the required bank guarantee of £50.3m. (Spanish newspaper AS) http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/g...ers/8067631.stm

As I said in the "Who is the weakest player in our starting XI?" I definitely don't think Silva could fill in at centre forward for Fernando or that Villa would be effective on the left

They almost certainly have a set-in-stone price agreed at the time he joined them on loan, according to all the reports in the media & the comments from Man Utd & Kia Joorabchin I haven't seen any info on whether it's in Euros or £s, but the general consensus in the media has been that the overall cost of the deal (2 seasons on loan + permanent transfer) is £32m, with the 2 seasons on loan costing £10-12m, so the price of £25.5m for the permanent transfer disclosed by Man Utd today is higher than indicated in the media reports, so maybe it's in Euros................. Man Utd are only in a position to re-negotiate the price down if (a) there aren't any other clubs in for him, which doesn't seem to be the case - even Utd have conceeded this today or (b) if Tevez says he won't move anywhere else & as we know, he's done completely the opposite

I love that too The defender turns, sees Torres going on through, knows he is unstoppable & the only other similar experience in his frame of reference is when you turn & see a striker speeding through on goal having broken your offside trap, so he raised his arm & appealed It was totally involuntary He clearly wasn't thinking straight having been completely bamboozled & bewildered by Fernando

Diego's transfer to Juve has been completed for £21m http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11854_5349281,00.html

Man Utd Chief Exec David Gill has been commenting on Tevez today * Says that the fee agreed in when Tevez joined in 2007 that they need to pay to make the deal permanent is £25.5m * They feel that it's too high in the current economic climate * But realises "other clubs may pay that or more than that" for Tevez * Appears to have given up hope of re-negotiating a lower fee, saying "that's not to say we won't pay that [£25.5m] in the end if we want to secure his transfer" http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/t...utd/8068381.stm * Confirms Tevez is out of contract with Man Utd on the 30th of June * Says he thinks it will be resolved "pretty quickly" http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_5349145,00.html

Completely Especially considering Given wasn't even on the pitch at the time

fixed that for you

I know it's slightly belated, but I think it's worth recognising Fernando's achievement in scoring his 50th goal for Liverpool on Sunday in only his 84th game for us Faster than Aldridge, Dalglish, Fowler, Owen or Rush & especially impressive given his hasn't been fully match fit in quite a few (I'd guess about 10?) of his 84 games Can't choose between Marseille or Blackburn this season for my favourite How the 50 were scored Right-foot: 34 Left-foot: 5 Header: 11 Inside box: 45 Outside box: 5 Barclays Premier League: 39 Champions League: 7 FA Cup: 1 League Cup: 3 Full list with a description of each goal at http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N...090526-1149.htm

Apologies double thread Mods - please delete Thanks

Despite being the highest scorers in the Premier League this season (77 goals to Chelsea & Man Utd's 68) only 2 teams had a worse shot accuracy than ours (39%) - Stoke (35%) & Wigan (36%) - Man Utd's was 46% However, we had the best ratio of goals from shots on target (34.4%) apart from Stoke! (38%) - Man Utd's was only 29.6% If we'd had the same shot accuracy as Man Utd we would have scored an extra 26 goals So forget all this talk of signing this player & that player, the players just need some extra shooting practice & we'll win the league next season Oh, & Javier has to be told not to shoot, he can't be good for the stats

From Sky Sports.............. Gourcuff seeks Bordeaux stay French starlet hoping to spend one more year in his homeland By Patrick Haond Last updated: 25th May 2009 Yoann Gourcuff is hoping an agreement can be reached which will allow him to remain at Bordeaux. The 22-year-old has spent the 2008/09 campaign on a season-long loan deal with the Ligue 1 outfit. Having struggled to find regular football at Italian giants AC Milan, the talented playmaker has enjoyed being an integral part of a successful side. His parent club still have high hopes that he will prove a hit in Italy, but may allow him to spend another year in his homeland in order to further his progression. Gourcuff, who is also believed to be attracting interest from Germany and England, certainly hopes he will be back at Stade Chaban Delmas next term. "I would like to stay," he told L'Equipe. "I enjoy the style of the coach, I thank him because he trusted me and he made me join the club. "I feel I can blossom and have fun at Bordeaux. I am lucky to be part of a good group and I hope an agreement can be found. "My representatives will meet with Bordeaux officials." On Sunday, Gourcuff was named Ligue 1 Player of the Year, while Lille's Eden Hazard was awarded the Young Player of the Year prize. http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11854_5348065,00.html

Signing Babel was rumoured to be one of the reasons Rafa & Pako fell out, wasn't it, with Pako not rating him

Even with the reduced 2-3 months I think it would be difficult for him to move this window Southgate has said today that it "looks like" Downing will be at Boro "until Jan at least because of the op"

Downing is apparently unlikely to leave this summer because of the operation he has had to have for the foot injury he sustained against Villa in the penultimate match of the season There has also been talk that Wheater needs an op which could prevent him being sold this summer. He's also publicly said he wants to stay & Birmingham said they were interested in him, but have dropped out because they think Boro would want £8-9m, & I would expect them to have made an initial enquiry

From the Liverpool Echo................ Rafa Benitez: Time to act fast on Liverpool FC squad May 26 2009 by Tony Barrett, Liverpool Echo RAFA BENITEZ wants Liverpool’s summer transfer activity to be done and dusted by the time pre-season gets under way. The Reds boss is keen to conclude his business at the earliest possible opportunity in what is expected to be another busy summer at Anfield. Benitez will need to supplement his existing transfer budget with the proceeds from player sales and he is looking to start work on overhauling his squad immediately. But he concedes it won’t be easy to make improvements to what he regards as a high quality squad. “Clearly we want to sign players but we know that it will be difficult to find players who are better than what we already have,” said Benitez. “It is not easy to find this kind of player in the current market and if we do then maybe they will be too expensive or not available. “But we have to sign the right players and make the right decisions during the summer. “We have some targets but right now it is too soon because some clubs do not know what the future holds for them but we will wait and see. “But our idea is to have players signed before pre-season begins because this would be perfect. “It means you can start working with them and training with them with the ideas that you want to get across to them so that they can start putting them into practice on the pitch.” Gareth Barry remains Benitez’s major target and with Aston Villa boss Martin O’Neill admitting he will not stand in the England man’s way should a top four club make an acceptable offer for him Liverpool’s move for the 28-year-old is likely to come sooner rather than later. O’Neill is reported to be ready to offer Barry a lucrative new deal in a bid to keep his captain at Villa Park but with the midfielder keen to play Champions League football such overtures are likely to fall on deaf ears. Meanwhile, the likelihood of Real Madrid making an offer for Xabi Alonso has increased after one of Florentino Perez’s main rivals to become president of the Spanish giants pulled out of the race. Perez has made little secret of his desire to sign Alonso should he become president and Liverpool are now braced for a bid from Real. http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-f...00252-23712210/

From the Liverpool Daily Post this morning.............. "a 4-0 final-day defeat at relegated Karlsruhe at the weekend cost Hertha their chance of qualification to the lucrative Champions League and compelled the German side not to take up their option of signing Voronin on a permanent deal for a fee of around £4million" http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverp...534-23709323/2/

Source?