GWistooshort

HENRY WINTER ON SAMI HYYPIA Henry Winter 21 May 2009 In an exclusive column for Liverpoolfc.tv the Daily Telegraph's Henry Winter pays tribute to Sami Hyypia's 10 year stay at Anfield. Even as a Finnish schoolboy growing up in a land where ice hockey and cross-country skiing dominated, Sami Hyypia's potential to be an outstanding footballer was spotted early. In 1984, Hyypia was playing so well for the Under-10s of his local side, PaPe, that the club invited him to be a mascot on their Under-14s tour of Denmark. The nine-year-old so impressed them in training that he got a couple of games. So when Liverpool fans think of Hyypia's strengths, such as the marvellous loyalty now being celebrated in 10 years at Anfield, they will also know that this is an idol shaped by his childhood. His father, Jouko, was a good coach at amateur level, and nurtured Sami's technique, placing an emphasis on touch and reading of the game, knowing that the stamina was being taken care of Sami's interest in cross-country skiing. Those traits, the lung-power and intelligence, once saw Hyypia star in a season where PaPe's goal difference was plus 141 (142 goals scored, one conceded). They are qualities noticed at MyPa and Willem II that have since served Liverpool well. Hyypia did not enjoy the idea of gym-work as a kid back in Voikkaa, leaving others to go and bench-press all night, and for a centre-half he is not a 'big unit', to borrow a Steven Gerrard phrase. But he is so adept at spotting unfolding danger, nipping in ahead of a centre-forward to nick the ball. Anticipation is the name of Hyypia's game. In keeping with a Liverpool tradition best embodied by Alan Hansen, Hyypia has a good touch for a centre-half, and his control of a speeding ball is impressive. Comparing any centre-half with Hansen is difficult because the Scot was so elegant in possession, but echoes of Hansen can be detected in Hyypia's game. The Finn is certainly confident in distribution, passing the ball accurately to his deep-lying midfielders like Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso, or clipping it wide for full-backs like Fabio Aurelio or Alvaro Arbeloa to use. Hyypia does more than head, tackle and pass. He is a fine team player, a person who understands the importance of constant encouragement for his colleagues, particularly the younger ones. His voice demands – and commands - respect. There has always been a determined streak to Hyypia, making him a natural leader for Liverpool until Steven Gerrard's emergence, and also for Finland where his example has inspired many schoolboys to follow his path into football rather than take up snow-bound activities. Such was Hyypia's determination to play football as a kid that he even played on 10 inches of snow, where the need to wear spikes rather than studs required a certain bravery in the tackle. Reflecting Hyypia's selflessness was the moment when he passed the armband on to Gerrard. Everyone at Liverpool was impressed by the dignified way Hyypia accepted a decision that must have been painful for such a proud warrior. Yet he backed Gerrard, and has never given anything less than 100 per cent to Liverpool. Even when others moved ahead of him in the pecking order to be Jamie Carragher's sidekick, Hyypia has always been there for the manager if injury or suspension befell either Martin Skrtel or Daniel Agger. When called upon, Hyypia has never let Liverpool down. A year ago, he looked to have been slowing up, and particularly vulnerable to opposition pace, but he seems to have adjusted his game, perhaps dropping deeper to reduce the space they have to run into behind him. This season, Hyypia has played well. In a sport where loyalty is increasingly rare, where players can act as mercenaries and move quickly, chasing the money, Hyypia has been a great ambassador for football. He has settled well, contributed immeasurably to Liverpool's pursuit of trophies, and embraced the club philosophy. The tall Finn will always have a place in Liverpool hearts. http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N...090521-0810.htm

From the official website............. HYYPIA OPEN TO LIVERPOOL RETURN Jimmy Rice 21 May 2009 Sami Hyypia claims he would like to return to Liverpool one day as a coach. The 35-year-old bids farewell to Anfield on Sunday after agreeing a two-year deal with Bayer Leverkusen. However, he is refusing to rule out a return one day - possibly to work within Rafa Benitez's backroom team. "I'd like to come back to Liverpool one day as a coach, and it was great to hear the manager would like me to return," said Hyypia. "Coaching has always been in my mind, but I have to take my badges first. I haven't done that yet because I want to keep playing, and I thought at this stage it would be a burden. "But at the end of my playing career I'll look to take the badges and then see. I've so many memories of Liverpool, and really would love to return one day. "I think it will only be after I've finally left that I'll be able to sit back and realise what we've done in my 10 years. It's hard to take in now. It is nice to be remembered here." http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N...090521-0942.htm

From the Rumour Mill in yesterday's Liverpool Daily Post................... Anderson in the dark Former Swansea loan ace Paul Anderson says he knows nothing about any reported agreed fee between the Swans and Liverpool. It was reported that the two sides had agreed a fee and Anderson looked to be on his way back to the club, but his father Phil says the player is in the dark over what has gone on between Swansea and the Anfield giants. "We have had no contact with the clubs," he said. "They may well have agreed something, but at this stage we are none the wiser." http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverp...92534-23677179/ Pranjic to move to Liverpool Danijel Pranjic is ready to move to Liverpool Football Club. Rafael Benitez is said to have made the Croatian international a top target for the summer, as he looks to fine-tune his squad for another bid for the Premier League title. After winning the Dutch Cup with Heerenveen on Sunday, Pranjic revealed he will leave the club in the summer, and he admits a move to Anfield is on the cards. "Liverpool are one of the clubs interested in me and everyone knows I am ready to play in another league,” said the 27-year-old. “I think I will leave for seven or eight million Euros." http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverp...534-23677179/2/ Arango linked with Liverpool switch Rafa Benitez is monitoring Venezuela international Juan Arango with an eye to a summer move, according to reports. The left-winger currently plays for Real Mallorca and has been linked with Premier League teams in the past. Arsenal, Aston Villa and Tottenham were all thought to be interested, but a switch to Liverpool is now looking a possibility. Rafa Benitez is understood to want width this summer and Arango would certainly provide that. http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverp...534-23677179/3/

Ancelotti wants him (for £20m+) if he takes over at Chelsea according to the Daily Mirror & the Daily Star http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/200...15875-21378941/ http://www.dailystar.co.uk/football/view/8...lues-Doug-deep/

From today's Daily Telegraph................... John G Berylson proud to lead the revival of Millwall By Henry Winter If Millwall's journey to this weekend's League One play-off final resembles a tale of the unexpected, it is nothing compared to the story of their charismatic owner, John G Berylson. The Harvard MBA and former US Marine who knows the Queen had 20 death threats while refinancing banks in Rhode Island, almost bought Liverpool and Leeds United and hails from Viking stock (via Cornwall). Berylson was introduced to English football by fellow-Massachusetts businessman Robert Kraft. "I looked at buying Liverpool with Kraft,'' recalled Berylson this week. "Having watched [eventual co-owners] George Gillett and Tom Hicks, I don't know whether 50-50 would have worked. "Sooner or later this problem between them will erupt. And the price which Gillett and Hicks paid [£220 million] was twice what we thought Liverpool were worth. "I kept an eye on English football. Some partners of mine wanted me to buy Leeds. I said: 'I have to fly into London and then drive three hours!' Then Millwall came to us a through a financial source in the City. Peter de Savary, who was chairman, showed me a complete mishmash of [plans for] Millwall, with some real estate regeneration.'' So close to London's financial quarters, the potential was obvious. "It was one of those Ronald Reagan moments: 'If there's manure around, there must be a pony some place'. I looked at it with the view that ultimately, if we got the zoning change [to allow development], then the worst came to the worst, I could get my money out through real estate.'' In buying Millwall, Berylson was aware of the unappetising history of some of the club's fans. "I knew what Millwall represented. Like every American I've seen Green Street [the 2005 fictional film about West Ham hooligans]. "I wasn't scared. Members of my family from the Wars of Redcoats [independence] onwards have found themselves in harm's way. An astounding number of people in my family have been killed doing the right thing. With Vietnam, I was drafted. I joined the Marine Corps.'' His subsequent financial career took Berylson into dangerous territory. "In the early Nineties, I was the good guy, saving banks in Rhode Island, going around making speeches but people had issues with the refinancing. "I made a fair amount of money but I needed bodyguards. I had 20-odd death threats. I had someone pull a gun on me in a town meeting. My children were going to school with bodyguards. "Then someone suggested I run for public office. The only problem they could see was that I might get assassinated. My wife said, 'I don't think you understand. This man could sail around the world for the rest of his life and make more money every day than you do – and not get killed.' " So that was the end of my political career. Millwall fans didn't scare me. I wanted to find why the club had the reputation and I concluded Millwall were no different from 20 other clubs. "Manchester United, Leeds and Liverpool have their problems. I went to a game in Buenos Aires and watched nine people get killed. "The first Millwall game my wife saw was a near riot against Oldham. Police all over the place. I was inches from an explosion. Everybody was very concerned about my wife. Her comment was, 'If you think this is scary you have never gone to a game in Boston.' Sports in the US can get very hairy. "At the beginning, the Millwall fans didn't like an American coming in that much. I had a little ruckus. I lost my temper pretty quickly, which can happen, with three flaky kids. "We'd lost a game, I was angry and I didn't like what they were saying – a lot of anti-American slurs – and every fourth word was the c-word, which is just not used in America. I said: 'Let's go outside [to settle it]'. I'm 56. I'm in pretty good shape. They didn't want to. "I don't look for physical altercation but I'm proud to be American. I am surprised by the amount of anti-Americanism I find here. When Britain goes to sleep at night, wakes up and finds Germans on its shores, which country is going to be there for you? We are. "OK, we might have been a little late for World Wars I and II. I was kidding your Queen that I came from Boston where 'The Shot Heard Round The World' was fired [from the American Revolution]. "She said: 'Well, that's OK, because you were able to give us a little bit of help during World Wars I and II.' 'Happy to be of help,' I said. 'If there's another problem, please give us a call.' "I have some British blood. One of my relatives was on his way from Denmark to America 200 years ago and ended up in tin mines in Cornwall for a while. I can name every king of yours from William the Conqueror. "We'd like to buy a stately mansion on your North East coast. My ancestors were Vikings, so I'm related to everybody up there. But if you're going to come to the UK every other week, it's a lot nicer to be in London than – not to pick on them – Sc***horpe.'' Sc***horpe United, of course, are Millwall's opponents at Wembley on Sunday. "I'm very excited, very nervous. I hope our players play the game of their lives. They are on the edge of history. Kenny Jackett has done a great job. I am proud to be chairman. "I think Millwall fans like me now. I like them. I learnt the offside rule, the players' names. I was very touched at Leeds when the fans were calling for me to come out at the end of the [play-off semi-final second leg] game. The players pushed me out. The fans started chanting 'USA' for 15 minutes.'' Berylson would love to hear it reverberating around Wembley on Sunday. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/...f-Millwall.html

The Guardian Friday 22 May 2009 Humble Hyypia bows out for a Liverpool he helped to transform After a decade at Anfield the Finn's 464th and final game comes against Tottenham on Sunday Andy Hunter Liverpool will mourn not just the passing of another league title on Sunday but a symbol of their recovery, and one must return to the Liverpool that Sami Hyypia joined in May 1999 to understand the depth of gratitude that will follow the Finn out of Anfield when he joins Bayer Leverkusen this summer. Europe for Liverpool a decade ago was not permanent residence in the latter stages of the Champions League, it was occasional qualification and, in 1998-99, exiting the third round of the Uefa Cup to Celta Vigo. The Premier League was not a story of progress and a near-miss: they finished seventh, behind Leeds, West Ham and Aston Villa and two points ahead of Derby County. Their fans delighted in ­Rigobert Song's early form and Gérard Houllier had yet to rid the dressing room of the indiscipline he believed was a ­ cancer on the club. A few days after that season closed with a 3–0 victory over Wimbledon, it was announced that an unknown defender from Willem II would be signing for £2.6m. A new chapter began with Sami Tuomas Hyypia at its heart. At Anfield on Sunday, following one European Cup, one Uefa Cup, two FA Cups, two League Cups, two European Super Cups and his 464th appearance for Liverpool, it ends. The ­private man who refuses to dwell on the past is not looking forward to it. "I won't like being the centre of attention, not at all. But in this case I have no choice," admits the 35-year-old, who may retake the captain's armband for the visit of Tottenham. "It is not like I am retiring. I have a new challenge ahead of me but it will be very emotional and it is better not to think about that too much before the game." Hyypia's reluctance to look back explains his reasoning for moving on. After 10 years' outstanding service the model professional was offered a role in Rafael Benítez's coaching team, possibly a testimonial with it, and continued involvement from the sidelines. He rejected it, and several other deals from Premier League clubs, to extend his playing career for two more years in Germany. "I would have had to move house wherever I went so I thought, why not a different country and a different league?" he explains. "Plus Leverkusen really wanted me. For 10 years I have played in the same league, in the same stadiums and against the same clubs mainly, so now I have a chance to go to Germany which is a good league. "I still feel I have something to give to the game. I come to training every day and work my b******s off to play, not to sit at home and watch the games on the telly. It is very hard when I don't play and this season has been very hard mentally. I seriously thought about hanging my boots up at the end of this season but everyone I know who has retired, such as Gary ­McAllister, has told me I should play as long as I can. I have shown when I have played this season that I can still play to a high level." Liverpool have ultimately paid £5,603 per game for their longest-serving foreign import since Bruce Grobbelaar, Sunday included, although there is no figure that gauges the influence Hyypia has had on their dressing room since 1999. "I didn't have any expectations or goals when I joined, I just thought I would work hard and see what happens," admits the man who, in the absence of the injured Jamie Redknapp, captained Liverpool to the cup treble of 2001. "With Houllier there was more improvement in our league positions. With Benítez the highlight was obviously the Champions League but we have been in the same position in the league more or less and then a big improvement this season. He is more of a perfectionist than Houllier in terms of the little details that might be crucial to a result, and he will improve. "When I compare the side we had in 1999 and the one we have now, there is a massive difference but the game has gone forward as well. The players are much quicker and stronger now. I'm not saying we had a bad team in '99, but the game has changed and it is more demanding now." Istanbul and Michael Owen's pickpocketing of Arsenal in the 2001 FA Cup final are Hyypia's Liverpool highlights, Steven Gerrard and Thierry Henry the best players he has performed with and against. His medal collection is complete at Anfield with the notable exception of the Premier League, but even that gaping hole does not consume Hyypia with regret. "I am sad to miss that medal but I don't think I have anything to regret," he insists. "Next season it might happen but I only play 10 games and I wouldn't get a medal anyway. That played a part in my decision to leave. When I first came here I couldn't have believed I would be here for 10 years and win the things I have won. I am sadder for the fans that Liverpool haven't won the Premier League than for myself. I will keep my fingers crossed that the fans get what they deserve." http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/ma...ayer-leverkusen

The Telegraph's got a Rafa's 5 best & 5 worst signings piece today.......... http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/...t-signings.html

The Guardian 21 May 2009 Martin O'Neill ready to fight to keep Gareth Barry Stuart James • Liverpool still keen to sign Aston Villa midfielder • Spurs may try to offer David Bentley in exchange Martin O'Neill has not given up hope of holding on to Gareth Barry despite interest from Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur in the Aston Villa captain. Talks over a new contract are ongoing with the player's representatives and O'Neill has also indicated that Villa would be prepared to in effect write off £18m – their asking price for Barry last summer – and allow the England international to run down his deal and have the option to leave on a free transfer in 12 months. The likelihood remains, however, that Barry will move to Anfield a year after his proposed move collapsed, with Rafael Benítez still keen to recruit the 28-year-old for what is expected to be a significantly reduced sum because of the player's contractual position. Yet O'Neill, while insisting that he would not begrudge Barry the opportunity to play Champions League football after spending more than a decade at Villa, has refused to concede defeat. The Villa manager, who disputed reports suggesting that Barry has been offered £75,000 a week, is keen to give the midfielder "every incentive" to prolong his stay. "We are in the middle of amicable discussions with Gareth Barry and his representatives and, although I'm unaware of any figures being mentioned yet, we are obviously keen to offer Gareth every incentive to remain at Villa Park for a longer period," he said. "At the same time, we would accept it if he wanted to stay here for the final 12 months of his current contract." Although Barry would be in a powerful position and able to negotiate a lucrative package elsewhere if he remained at Villa Park until the end of his present deal, he would lose out financially in the short-term through remaining on the same salary for a further 12 months. He has also made it clear that he is desperate to experience the Champions League and, with that in mind, it seems unlikely he would allow another campaign to drift by at a critical stage in his career. O'Neill reported that Villa have had "no official contact from anyone" for Barry, but Liverpool's continued interest is well-documented and Tottenham are known to be admirers. Spurs may try to offer David Bentley in exchange – Villa registered a bid for the midfielder last summer – but neither O'Neill, who has since signed James Milner to play on the right, nor Barry, whose preference should he leave the Midlands is believed to be Liverpool, is likely to be excited by that prospect. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/ma...rry-aston-villa

The Times May 21, 2009 Aston Villa will let Gareth Barry go for nothing Martin O’Neill will forgo potential £12m transfer fee to get one more season out of the club's long-serving captain Peter Lansley Gareth Barry is to be offered the ultimate bargaining tool after Martin O’Neill told his star player that Aston Villa will forsake the £12 million transfer fee they could hope to extract from Liverpool this summer if he wishes to run down the final 12 months of his contract. On the day that Stiliyan Petrov committed himself to the club by signing a new four-year contract, O’Neill, the Villa manager, confirmed that he is ready to offer Barry a lucrative deal but would settle for another season of the England midfield player’s services even if it meant losing him on a free transfer next summer. However, should Barry opt to leave the club where he has played for the past 12 years, O’Neill will honour his pledge not to stand in his way. Barry had his heart set on moving to Anfield last summer, but, with Rafael Benítez’s desire to make a final £20 million bid thwarted by Liverpool’s owners, he knuckled down to maintain his outstanding form for club and country. He has regained the Villa captaincy since Martin Laursen suffered a career-ending knee injury at Christmas and knows he could increase his £47,000 weekly wage to £75,000, as well as being granted a testimonial, by staying at the club. Harry Redknapp, the Tottenham Hotspur manager, is also believed to be back in the hunt for Barry. When in charge of Portsmouth, Redknapp almost signed Barry for £5 million in 2006 before O’Neill’s arrival prompted the player to stay and sign a four-year contract. With Villa having secured another top-six finish in the Barclays Premier League before Sunday’s final game at home to Newcastle United, Barry has still not made it on to the Champions League stage he craves, but he has mended relations with O’Neill since last summer’s acrimony to the point where the manager is content to leave all options open to the player. “With Gareth, you do accept, having spent 12 years at the club, he would be wanting to have a look at other particular things. Are Villa no longer a selling club? At the moment, we are pretty vibrant. It will be up to us to try to maintain that.” http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/foo...icle6330191.ece

From David Maddock in the Mirror......... "This time he would love to sign Valencia's tricky winger David Silva along with his colleague and Spanish centre half Raul Albiol, who between them would cost the best part of £30m. Benitez is also committed to the purchase of Gareth Barry, who he is hoping to land for £10m, and is keen on bringing Portsmouth's Glen Johnson to Anfield for a similar fee. That would be his kitty completely gone, yet Benitez would love the chance to take a swipe at Ferguson by also bidding to make Carlos Tevez the first player to move between Anfield and Old Trafford in more than 40 years." http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/200...15875-21373385/

From today's Daily Mail............ Johnson the target: Benitez in £15m bid to capture Portsmouth and England defender By Simon Jones and JOHN EDWARDS 21 May 2009 Liverpool have launched a fresh £15million bid to land Portsmouth right back Glen Johnson. Manager Rafa Benitez identified the England defender as a target this season but did not have anywhere near the budget to land the player. However, Portsmouth still owe around £7m from the £12m transfer of striker Peter Crouch last summer, and Benitez hopes to use that to good effect in his bargaining for Johnson. The 24-year-old former Chelsea defender signed an improved four-year contract in January but would jump at the chance of a move to Anfield as Benitez looks to add key signings in preparation for a renewed assault on the Barclays Premier League title. The Spaniard has been encouraged by his side's progress this season and knows his recruitment this summer is pivotal to Liverpool finally toppling fierce rivals Manchester United. Pompey's financial problems - with owner Sacha Gaydamak still looking for a buyer - mean they will want to drive the price as high as possible, and Liverpool are wary of being dragged into an auction with other clubs. Tottenham are known to be interested in Johnson, and there will be other bidders with easier access to funds than Benitez. Liverpool have earmarked a chunk of their squad as being disposable this summer, and the manager accepts he will have to offload players to fund the signings he wants, which could slow the process. With Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry and United's Carlos Tevez also on his wish list, Benitez might be forced to prioritise and that could jeopardise the Johnson deal. One way of raising funds would be to sell Xabi Alonso amid growing interest from Real Madrid. If Benitez decides to sell the Spain midfielder, he would rather do business with Real but he is also weighing up other options. Allowing Alonso to leave would be unpopular within the Liverpool dressing room and also among fans, who voiced their displeasure over plans to sell him to Juventus last summer to finance a deal for Barry. They repeatedly chanted for Alonso and against Barry, and both deals subsequently fell through over differences in valuations. But, while Juventus refused to pay £16m after weeks of haggling, Real are unlikely to balk at Liverpool's asking price as they prepare for a new era under president-elect Florentino Perez. Real are keen to revive their fortunes after trailing Barcelona in La Liga this season and crashing out to Liverpool in the Champions League. After being heavily criticised by fans for ditching their interest in Alonso and settling instead for the cheaper option of Denmark's Christian Poulsen, Juve could yet re-enter the race and launch a second attempt to sign the 27-year-old. Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina last night added more fuel to the controversy over Alonso's possible departure by hailing his form as the main reason for the Merseyside club running United so close in this season's title race. Reina said: 'Xabi is the player who always seems to have the ball at his feet. He has shown repeatedly that he can pass it five yards or 45, and every time it is just as good, just as accurate. 'This has been his best season so far for Liverpool, and that was the reason why we managed to push United so far in the title race.' http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/...d-defender.html

Transfer update from Tony Barrett in the Liverpool Echo today........... "Villa boss Martin O’Neill is keen to retain the services of the England man who has been trailed by Rafa Benitez for more than a year. Last summer the Reds boss was priced out of a move for Barry but with the 28-year-old now having just a year left on his current deal Villa would not be in a position to be able to demand a prohibitive fee. Benitez remains a big admirer of the midfielder and is likely to make a move for him when the transfer window opens but O’Neill looks set to try and thwart Liverpool’s advances again. But with Barry desperate to play Champions League football Benitez will be more confident of getting his man this time around. Xabi Alonso’s agent has again thrown his client’s future into question by refusing to rule out a summer move for the midfielder. Last week Alonso himself insisted that talk of him leaving Anfield was just speculation and Benitez described him as a “key player” he wanted to keep. But with Real Madrid presidential candidate Florentino Perez having announced that he wants to take the Spanish midfielder to the Bernabeu the Alonso saga looks set to rumble on. Asked what the future has in store for his client, Alonso’s agent Inaki Ibanez would only say: “Many things could happen in the summer. “The first is to finish the season and after that to attend to other matters. Xabi has signed for three more years and his future depends on Liverpool.” Contrary to reports, Liverpool have made no offer for unsettled Manchester United striker Carlos Tevez." http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-f...252-23670427/2/

It's interesting to look at the net spend position-by-position as well Goalkeeper +£3m (From Dudek & Kirkland to Reina, Cavalieri & Itandje) Left Back +£0.8m (From Riise, Traore & Warnock to Aurelio, Dossena & Insua) Centre Back +£13.1m (From Hyypia & Henchoz to Hyypia, Agger & Skrtel) Right Back +£1.75m (From Finnan to Arbeloa & Degen) Left Midfield +£19.3m (From Kewell & Smicer to Babel, Leto & Riera) Centre Midfield +£24.95m (From Hamann & Biscan to Alonso, Mascherano & Lucas) Right Midfield +£18.9m (From Diouf to Benayoun, El Zhar & Kuyt) Forward/Striker -£1.2m (From Baros, Cisse, Mellor & Sinama-Pongolle to Ngog, Torres & Voronin) Suprised that Forward/Striker is the lowest net spend (the only one in profit) despite Keane - would have thought it would have been one of the highest Don't think there's any position where we've paid over the odds to get from where we were to where we are & we have actually paid under the odds in a lot of them IMO Although there's a bit of deadwood & a few who might not make the grade & he's made some mistakes along the way, overall I think Rafa's done a brilliant job, especially considering that almost the entire squad needed overhauling when he arrived, he has had a limited budget & he inherited a lot of deadwood that he couldn't get much/anything for. One thing I particularly like about Rafa when it comes to transfers is that he is very quick to recognise when a new signing isn't going to cut it & ship them out.

The Liverpool Daily Post this morning says "Alonso’s agent has been sounded out by Florentino Perez, the man bidding to become president at the Bernabeu" although "the player himself insists he wants his long-term future to remain at Anfield". http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverp...92534-23667365/

The Independent Wednesday, 20 May 2009 Redknapp looks for new leader in Barry By Sam Wallace Harry Redknapp wants to sign Gareth Barry this summer to give his Tottenham Hotspur team the experience and leadership he believes they have lacked this season. The interest in Barry is long-standing, as is the interest in Roque Santa Cruz and Glen Johnson, and Spurs hope that Liverpool's uncertain finances mean that they will be able to tempt Barry away from Aston Villa where he has one year left on his contract. At 28 years old, Barry does not fit the profile of the kind of player whom the Spurs chairman Daniel Levy usually signs – Levy normally prefers to buy younger, less-expensive players. However, Redknapp is convinced that the club needs older, more experienced players to set a more professional mood around the training ground and Barry fits the bill perfectly. Another sticking point for the Spurs hierarchy is the wages the player is likely to command. Villa are understood to be offering Barry around £70,000-a-week to sign a new contract at the club. In contrast, Spurs' highest-earners command around £45,000-a-week. Redknapp has become increasingly frustrated this season at the lack of a natural leader at Spurs, especially since Ledley King disgraced himself with his drunken antics on a night out earlier this month. The Spurs manager faces competition for Barry's signature from Liverpool and Manchester City. Redknapp must also convince Levy that Santa Cruz, 28 in August, is also a good investment despite his age and a patchy record with injuries. The Paraguayan has had an operation on his knee and has not played for Blackburn since 4 March which will also give Levy cause for concern if he is asked to pay upwards of £10m for the striker. Johnson, who played under Redknapp at Portsmouth, is also regarded as a viable target despite Liverpool's interest. Barry is now represented by his former Villa youth team-mate Michael Standing after ditching his former agent Alex Black who was part of the botched attempt to join Liverpool last summer. Standing, who joined Villa as a teenage trainee with Barry from Brighton, is not a Fifa-licensed agent. A former player with Bradford, Walsall and Bournemouth among others, it is Black who has been entrusted with negotiating what will be the most important contract of Barry's career. He quit playing for Lewes FC after the club were relegated from the Blue Square Premier this month. http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/footbal...ry-1687706.html

Daily Mirror 20/05/2009 Aston Villa's huge deal for Gareth Barry to keep him from Liverpool By James Nursey Aston Villa are offering Gareth Barry a huge new deal in a final attempt to keep him out of Liverpool's clutches. Villa boss Martin O'Neill is willing to sanction England midfielder Barry, 28, getting a whopping £80,000-a-week to stay. The star has one year left on his contract at Villa Park and had been widely expected to move to Liverpool this summer. But O'Neill hopes the proposed new deal, plus the lure of regular first team football, the captaincy and offer of a testimonial, will tempt Barry to stay. Liverpool, who failed with four bids for Barry last summer, remain interested in the left-footed maestro, who has 29 caps. But Villa have once again shown their determination to retain their prized asset by offering to break their wage structure in a bid to keep him. Villa's England prospect Ashley Young is the club's current highest earner on £56,000-a-week. Yet Villa are willing to top that with an offer to Barry which reflects what he could have earned had he moved to Anfield last summer. Villa officials are now hopeful Barry may extend his stay in the West Midlands since making his debut in 1998. http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/200...15875-21373128/

Quite a bit about Barry & us in the papers today............ The Times May 20, 2009 Aston Villa will try to tempt Gareth Barry to stay Oliver Kay Aston Villa are preparing to offer Gareth Barry a vastly improved new contract in a final attempt to persuade him to reject a transfer to Liverpool this summer. Having had a move to Anfield blocked last August, the England midfield player hopes that an agreement can be reached in the coming weeks, but the Midlands club will increase his wages to £75,000 a week if he extends his stay at Villa Park. Barry’s existing £47,000-a-week contract, which he signed in 2006, expires at the end of next season, at which point he would be eligible to leave Villa on a free transfer. For that reason, Martin O’Neill, the Villa manager, has hinted that it may be difficult to “withstand” bids for Barry if no agreement can be reached on a new deal. But O’Neill and Randy Lerner, the owner, will test the player’s determination to leave by offering a significant pay rise and the promise of a testimonial year in view of his long service. Rafael Benítez, the Liverpool manager, remains keen to sign Barry, particularly because doubts have resurfaced in recent days about the future of Xabi Alonso. Benítez is far less willing to sell Alonso to finance a deal for Barry than he was last summer, given the Spain midfield player’s impressive form this season, but the Merseyside club are aware of growing interest from Real Madrid. Benítez had a £20 million bid for Barry vetoed by Liverpool’s owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr, last August, but he is optimistic that there could be no repeat this time, having secured greater autonomy over his transfer budget as part of the new contract he signed in March. Barry would be likely to cost little more than £12 million this time, with Benítez still having money to spend from the sale of Robbie Keane to Tottenham Hotspur in January as well as the funds that he hopes to raise by selling Ryan Babel and Andrea Dossena. Carlos Tévez, the Manchester United forward, remains a target and seems certain to be available when his two-year lease at Old Trafford expires on June 30, with little prospect of a compromise over a new deal. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/foo...icle6323834.ece

The Guardian Wednesday 20 May 2009 Rafael Benítez prepares to fine tune Liverpool on his own terms Andy Hunter • Spaniard is expected to have around £30m to spend • Transfer budget control removes well-worn excuse Rafael Benítez has prepared for his first summer in full control of Liverpool's transfer budget by admitting he has no margin for error with the major signings he requires to overhaul Manchester United next season. The Liverpool manager intends to fine-tune rather than overhaul his squad following a season in which the Anfield club emerged as the strongest challengers to United's recent supremacy in the Premier League. Established talent such as the Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry will be a priority but, having taken that route and failed with Robbie Keane last summer, Benítez admits there are no guarantees of success and that his main acquisitions will be exposed to far greater scrutiny than they receive at Old Trafford. "If you spend big money on one player and he's not successful for you, it's worse for us than it is for United," the Liverpool manager said. "If they make one or two mistakes, because of the difference in money they can spend £40m-£50m on other players. That's why I am so proud of our team this year, because we are closer than before with the same problems, the same differences between the teams but money is the most important thing." Benítez will have between £20m and £30m to spend this summer plus whatever he can raise through player sales, as has been roughly the case throughout his Anfield tenure. This pre-season will see the Liverpool manager assume far greater control for his recruitment under the terms of his new five-year contract, which allows him to set the valuations on players he signs and sells. He still requires the blessing of the owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, for major purchases. Transfer fees and player contracts were previously under the domain of Rick Parry, the Liverpool chief executive, who will relinquish his post at the end of this season and may not be replaced for several months. Liverpool's owners have appointed a firm of head-hunters to identify Parry's successor only in the last few weeks and, unless the candidate is an internal appointment – and the commercial director Ian Ayre is in the running – the process of interviews and notice periods could leave the position unfilled until next season. All of which leaves Benítez with more responsibility for this summer's transfers than he has enjoyed at Anfield before but, despite the need to sell to satisfy all his squad needs and the salutary lesson of Keane, the Liverpool manager is confident that he can ease the burden on Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres next season. Benítez, who made a potential £3.5m loss in six months on Keane and will encounter the Tottenham Hotspur striker in the season's finale at Anfield on Sunday, added: "If you have more money you can sign players with more quality, like United have. It doesn't matter if they play Rooney, Berbatov, Tevez or Ronaldo. They can play with two and rest two but keep the same level. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/ma...transfer-policy

not sure why Arbeloa leaving is good news - it's bad news in my book he's pretty solid, although he needs some competition replacing him is likely to cost quite a bit more than the £2.6m he cost us if he leaves we will need to get in 2 players who can play right back in my view cos not sure that Darby is up to it

Valencia's agent has confirmed Real made an offer for him last week http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_5336264,00.html

87 matches in a row from January 2000 to October 2001 without a booking http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N...090519-1259.htm

From the Liverpool Daily Post this morning................ Everton FC and Liverpool FC warned to sort out stadium plans May 19 2009 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post LIVERPOOL council leader Warren Bradley has warned Everton and Liverpool they have until December to resolve their stadia issues or risk missing out on hosting the World Cup. And for the second time in a week, Cllr Bradley reiterated his desire for further talks over a shared stadium between the two Merseyside clubs. Representatives from Everton, Liverpool and the council were present at Wembley yesterday as the Football Association officially launched their bid to host the World Cup in 2018 or 2022. Liverpool have already registered their interest in becoming a host city for the tournament, with the city having until the end of the year to formally submit a bid. Cllr Bradley revealed that it was feasible Everton’s proposed new 55,000-seat stadium in Kirkby and Liverpool’s planned new stadium on Stanley Park could both be included in the city’s application. But he said the city would first require assurances over the viability of the schemes while revealing Gerry Sutcliffe, the Minister for Sport, had called for a fresh debate over a controversial shared stadium. “In theory, it’s possible that the city could have two stadiums by 2018 that could host World Cup games,” said Cllr Bradley. “But that has to be identified by December this year, so it is crucial by then that the situation is resolved over the new stadia for the two clubs or any possible joint stadium. “Both clubs have aspirations of building a new stadium. If those don’t happen, then I think there has to be serious discussion over a joint stadium. “(Minister for Sport) Gerry Sutcliffe buttonholed me and said it would be a good thing for the city. He said we have should have further talks on a joint stadium and get the two football clubs around the table again. “Obviously, I said I’d love to. And with the Minister for Sport so keen, it would be a good thing to have him there also. “Of course, it all depends on the outcome of the inquiry into Everton’s proposed new stadium and whether Liverpool can raise the finances for their new stadium. “But both clubs want to work as closely as they can with us to make sure the bid is robust.” The outcome of the inquiry into Everton’s projected Kirkby move is expected in the autumn while Liverpool’s new stadium has been put on hold following the global economic downturn Should the FA’s bid to host the World Cup finals prove successful – world governing body FIFA will make a final decision in 18 months on who hosts the 2018 and 2022 tournaments – financial support is expected to be awarded to help fund the building of any new stadium. But Cllr Bradley believes only a shared stadium between Everton and Liverpool should benefit from any public money. “Discussions about any possible funding would ideally be based around a joint stadium as that would be far easier to justify spending public money on,” he said. “If the clubs decide to go individually, I would not support any call for public money to be spent on the stadia. And I would guess the government would tell the clubs they have to fund the building themselves.” Cllr Bradley added: “Twenty stadiums need to be identified by the December deadline. It doesn’t have to be limited to just one stadium per city. “Both Manchester stadia are sure to want to be involved while in London there is every probability that Arsenal and a proposed new stadium at Tottenham would join Wembley. “It’s about meeting all the criteria. You can have two great stadia but without the infrastructure that can cope then the bid will fall short.” The city successfully hosted World Cup games at Goodison in 1966, including the semi-final between West Germany and Russia, while Anfield was a venue for four games in the European Championships in 1996. And Cllr Bradley said: “I think this is the next stage for the city. “We have Shanghai around the corner and now we are trying to be further recognised on a world stage by being a World Cup bidding city. This is a big opportunity for the world to see Liverpool. “There’s more to being a host city than merely hosting the matches themselves. There are other important aspects such as the infrastructure, the accommodation, grassroots participation and the team bases. “You also need to supply Fan Parks as part of the bid. “These Fan Parks aren’t close to the stadia, so it would be another big event with another 10,000-15,000 fans there. “But Liverpool has shown with the Capital of Culture celebrations last year that we are capable of hosting events of such recognition, and we want to build on that. “Bringing the World Cup to the city in 2018 would swell the coffers and further raise the profile of Liverpool.” http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverp...92534-23654804/

Since joining Newcastle or before?

Although he may have played full-back at times, Gutierrez is really a winger isn't he? From what I've seen of him, I don't think he's anywhere good enough defensively As for Wheater I just don't think he's anywhere good enough

From the Daily Mail today............ Tottenham are back in the race for Wolfsburg’s Bosnia striker Edin Dzeko. The 23-year-old has attracted interest from Arsenal, Manchester United, Everton and Blackburn but Spurs are in the driving seat after watching him score nine goals in four games this month. Dzeko, valued at around £12million, is unhappy after his mentor, manager Felix Magath, was allowed to leave for Schalke. He said: ‘I will have to consider my options at the end of the season.’ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/...tman-Dzeko.html