GWistooshort

Transfer news/speculation from this morning's papers.................... Liverpool "have not given up hope" of signing Gareth Barry & "club sources have suggested a finance deal is still being worked on". "Given Barry's firm desire to leave the club earlier this summer, his future will remain unclear until he himself declares his intention to stay". http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/...eclaration.html Barry's proposed move to Liverpool "showed no fresh signs of being resolved" yesterday as Villa's position remained the same, though it's "understood" Rafa's "determined" to sign him & "negotiations are expected over the weekend". http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/...--football.html Barry "remains hopeful enough...to hold off on demanding a transfer for now" although the possibility of an agreement between the two clubs seems "further away than ever" following recent events. Barry, who is in "a state of astonishment" over Villa's statement declaring he is staying at Villa Park, "faces a tense wait to see if a dialogue can be reopened & though forcing matters is a possibility he will bide his time a little longer". Liverpool were "equally bewildered by Villa's announcement, which came as they were preparing to inform Villa that a deal they insist they had struck with the Midlands club for Barry's services was one they could deliver on. Working to the 5pm deadline, sources at Liverpool suggest that they were told, late on Tuesday afternoon, that they must pay up in fewer instalments & were subsequently left with 24 hours to arrange the financial approval that entailed. In part, that involved persuading Hicks & Gillett that larger instalments should be paid. The Americans had apparently consented when Villa declared the issue closed. For their part, Villa are adamant that no deal for Barry had been reached & that the only communications between the clubs on Tuesday & Wednesday were a fax from Villa Park to Anfield on Tuesday morning laying out the deadline, which Liverpool had acknowledged, and a telephone conversation between Rick Parry & Randy Lerner on Wednesday morning. Villa say that Liverpool had never disputed the time-frame & after the Wednesday morning conversation that there had been no further contact from the club – and no request for an extension – before the 5pm deadline elapsed. Villa deny that £17.5m plus Steve Finnan had been offered for Barry." Though Liverpool "retain some degree of confidence" they might still secure Barry "it is difficult to see how a deal may now be done. Villa's statement has backed Martin O'Neill into a corner, with any agreement between the clubs now guaranteed to result in loss of face for him". Despite the "agonies" felt at Anfield, Liverpool "do not want to antagonise Villa further". The events of the past week have "only compounded [barry's] doubts about his future". Barry felt "there was no option but to agree" to the deadline suggested by O'Neill & Lerner. He "is of the view that a fee for his services had been agreed on Tuesday morning and that a new payment structure was stipulated by Villa on Tuesday afternoon". "There was a sense from both sides that yesterday would not elicit a breakthrough. Villa "provided no sense that they were ready to reopen discussions". Barry "harbours a deep conviction that after 10 years [service] at Villa he should not be put through the ignominy of asking for a transfer". http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/footbal...ove-882489.html Liverpool "are prepared to wait for the outcome of talks between Barry & O’Neill", but both Barry & Rafa "are keen to push the deal through" after Villa "accepted Liverpool’s £18m bid – which has always the main stumbling block during this saga". "The structure of the deal couldn’t be agreed in time during Wednesday’s negotiat-ions, but Barry his agent plan to meet O’Neill to reiterate their desire to compete his Anfield switch". Rafa "wants the deal finalised quickly" with only 3 more warm-up games before the new season starts. http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverp...64375-21446153/ A "furious" Barry has "demanded he be sold to Liverpool" after he was "fuming" over Villa issuing their statement even though they had agreed "in principle" an £18m fee with Liverpool & "left raging" by Villa's hard line stance. "By mid-afternoon, the fee had been set but there were still problems over the terms of payment, with Lerner keen for the fee to be paid in 2 instalments, instead of the usual 4 or 5." Liverpool deny they agreed to Villa's deadline. http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/200...15875-20677993/ Barry "told O'Neill yesterday he still wants to quit for Liverpool" & "said his heart remains set on a move to Liverpool" & "was insistent he will not be signing a new contract". http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/200...15875-20679518/ Barry "will try to break Aston Villa's resolve & resurrect [his] £18m move to Liverpool". Liverpool "insist they never agreed" to Wednesday's deadline & "having met Villa's valuation before the deadline, remain determined" to sign Barry. Barry is "dismayed" that Villa blocked the move "when it was the structure of payments, & not the fee itself, which resulted in Liverpool missing the 5pm target". He is "believed to be unwavering in his desire to leave & will repeat his request [to leave] to O'Neill & Randy Lerner". "Villa are understood to have changed the structure of the deal 24 hours before the deadline. Liverpool had expected to pay the transfer fee in more instalments than Lerner demanded & missed the cut-off point by minutes as a result of returning to their bank for approval on the deal." "Despite Villa's hardline stance, neither Barry nor Liverpool are prepared to concede defeat at this stage". O'Neill "now has to persuade" Barry to stay at Villa. Should O'Neill fail to do so, "Villa may then accept Anfield's offer". Liverpool "are awaiting a firm offer from Blackburn for Jermaine Pennant". http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/au...villa.liverpool Barry "believes his £19m move [to Liverpool] will be finalised over the weekend once Aston Villa accept a re-structured offer". "Despite Villa's public insistence that he will be staying" Barry "is confident his protracted move is imminent". "Villa accepted Liverpool's bid of £17.5m plus £1.5m-rated Steve Finnan on Wednesday but after a bank guarantee failed to arrive at the agreed time they told Liverpool the deal would have to be paid in 2 instalments instead of the originally agreed 3." Liverpool "have since been working with their banks to make the deal happen" while "friends say Barry is furious with Villa's attitude". Rafa believed he would have to sell again before being able to buy Barry, but Hicks & Gillett "authorised more borrowing to secure Barry". Barry is "thought to have already found a house to rent in Cheshire to be close to Melwood" & did not figure in yesterday's behind closed doors friendly against Notts County. Liverpool will sell Pennant for £5m to Blackburn "failing any last-minute intervention from Portsmouth". http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/...er-weekend.html Pennant's move to Blackburn "will be completed in the next 24 hours". http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/...inho-Meite.html "It is thought Blackburn lead the race to sign the £5m-rated Pennant", whom Rafa "is willing to relase after 2 disappointing seasons at Anfield". Yossi Benayoun has also been linked with a move, with West Ham "among the frontrunners". If Gareth Barry stays at Aston Villa, Rafa "could turn his attention to David Silva", whom Valencia "may be forced to sell for less than the £18m Villa were demanding for Barry". http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/...urn-Rovers.html There was "never any substance" in speculation linking Villa with a move to Liverpool "although perhaps only the lack of experience & know-how of English football are the main things that counted against him". http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverp...64375-21446161/

From today's Lancashire Telegraph........... "Ince will now use a sizeable chunk of the fee [the £15m received from Spurs for David Bentley] to quickly sign a quality replacement, and Liverpool’s Jermaine Pennant is reportedly one of the names on his short-list. On the reports linking Pennant to Rovers, Mathias said: “The papers make a lot of speculation. I’m sure there have been other people mentioned as well.” http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport..._in___15m_deal/ No denial then

From today's Birmingham Post............... Villa claim victory over Barry Jul 31 2008 By Brian Dick Aston Villa have won the latest battle in their attempts to retain their influential captain Gareth Barry, though whether it proves to be the decisive skirmish of an increasingly bloody war remains to be seen. Villa claimed last night that Liverpool, Barry’s long-term suitors, had missed the 5pm deadline which the club set earlier this week to find the £18 million transfer fee which manager Martin O’Neill has demanded from the outset of the longest-running saga of the summer. Within five minutes of its passing the club issued a statement on its website, which was almost euphoric in its nature and which stated the England international will be continuing his ten-year relationship with Villa: “Aston Villa can announce that Gareth Barry will be staying with the club following the interest from Liverpool over recent months,” it read. “During discussions in the past few days, a final deadline to conclude this episode was set that all parties were aware of and agreed to. This deadline has now passed and so Gareth will remain with Villa.” Yesterday’s line in the proverbial sand had been drawn at a meeting between Villa and Barry and his representatives on Monday. It was re-emphasised by chairman Randy Lerner during a telephone conversation with Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry early yesterday morning and Villa are adamant they heard nothing more from Parry by the time the deadline had passed. But that barely hints at the confusion that surrounded the transfer for much of yesterday afternoon. One report claimed that Liverpool had found the money and had agreed to pay, with Reds’ former Birmingham City right back Steve Finnan accompanying a barrow-load of cash on its way down the M6 as part of the deal. Indeed there was a suggestion, emanating from Merseyside, that Liverpool had found the money but that Villa had tried, late in the day, to muddy the waters by changing the payment schedule. That accusation is vehemently denied at Villa Park, however, and sources at the club maintain the Anfield side had never offered the asking price. Indeed, Villa maintain, the last formal bid they received came a month ago and was for £13 million. With several of their players virtually in the exit lounge at John Lennon Airport, including another former Birmingham City man in winger Jermaine Pennant, Liverpool’s cashflow situation appears to have eased. They have proof they can pay for Barry and so it seems all that is required is the offer Villa have always wanted. What is not clear, though, is whether O’Neill will countenance another edition of the Barry soap opera. He may try to renegotiate Barry’s contract, though the player will not have much of an appetite to do that and his state of mind can only be guessed at. If, after months of quibbling, Liverpool can finally meet Villa’s valuation, it is difficult to see quite how the 27-year-old returns to the Villa side knowing his desired move is just a handshake away. For that reason alone, it would be bold to think that July 30 was Armistice Day in Aston. O’Neill, however, believes the end has finally been reached as he expressed his delight that he had won his war of wills with opposite number Rafael Benitez. “We’re all relieved that there is resolution and closure to the transfer saga,” he said. “At a very positive meeting on Monday, it was agreed between Gareth, his agent, Mr Lerner and myself that a deadline should be communicated to Liverpool to finally resolve the situation. Liverpool were informed and that deadline came and passed. Now we can all look forward to the season ahead with relief, anticipation and ambition.” http://www.birminghampost.net/midlands-bir...65233-21440258/

From today's Birmingham Mail............... No going back on Gareth Barry now for Aston Villa Jul 31 2008 By Bill Howell ASTON Villa are adamant their deadline to pull the plug on the Gareth Barry to Liverpool deal was no sham and that the England midfielder will be remaining at Villa Park. There is speculation Liverpool were close to getting together all the money to sign the 27-year-old by yesterday’s cut-off. But following talks on Monday between Villa manager Martin O’Neill, club owner Randy Lerner, Barry’s agent Alex Black and the player, O’Neill has insisted the matter is now closed regardless of what Liverpool do over the next four weeks until the transfer window closes. Liverpool were believed to have put together an £18million deal for Barry last night. The England star still fancies a move to Merseyside but has also grown a little weary at the lack of urgency from Anfield and, coupled with the superb reaction he got from Villa fans last Saturday during the game against Odense, he appears willing to give the club one more season. Fomer Villa favourite Andy Townsend believes Barry now has to come through a huge test. “I’m sure he will come through it, but I am not so sure he will be the same player,’’ said Townsend. “I’m just sceptical about how Gareth will be about this. I’m not sure he will be the same player he has been over the past two years.” Villa insist there will be no further negotiations and point to a 5pm Wednesday cut-off having been agreed on Monday with Liverpool and Barry. A club statement last night read: “This evening Aston Villa can announce that Gareth Barry will be staying with the club following the interest from Liverpool over recent months “During discussions in the past few days a final deadline to conclude this episode was set that all parties were aware of and agreed to. ‘‘This deadline has now passed and so Gareth will remain with Villa.” O’Neill is thought to be resolute that whatever happens over the coming days or weeks, he will not consider selling Barry. “Naturally we’re all absolutely delighted that Gareth will be staying at Villa Park and relieved to find a resolution and closure to the saga,” said O’Neill in an early statement released by the club. “We had a very positive meeting on Monday when it was agreed between Gareth, his agent, Mr Lerner and myself that a deadline should be communicated to Liverpool to finally resolve the situation. ‘‘Liverpool were informed and that deadline came and passed. Now we can all look forward to the coming season with relief, anticipation and ambition.” http://www.birminghammail.net/birmingham-s...97319-21440389/

Yes, but only if you have Setanta through Satellite (Sky) or Virgin Media (not if you get it through Freeview, BT Vision, Tiscali TV or broadband) http://www.setanta.com/en/UK/How-to-subscribe/ Anyway the match doesn't seem to be live on Rangers TV, which appears to only be on Mon-Fri & bizarrely not at weekends http://www.rangerstv.info/tvschedule.asp

Gareth Barry move still on despite Aston Villa claim Jul 31 2008 by Nick Smith, Liverpool Daily Post Barry move still on despite Villa claim LIVERPOOL will try to revive the Gareth Barry transfer saga after Aston Villa tried to finally kill it dead last night. The Anfield club were finally close to agreeing a deal for the player – with American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett prepared to sanction a cash-only £18million transfer. But Villa released a statement saying they had ended negotiations when their deadline of 5pm passed before the terms had been finalised. However, as the predicted sales Liverpool have seemingly needed to make to finance the transfer have not materialised, that will only re-affirm manager Rafael Benitez’s determination to land his top summer target. He is now armed with the money to persuade Villa to relent in their stubborn refusal to allow their captain to leave and pursue his ambition of playing Champions League football. The latest stumbling block is not thought to be about the valuation of the player, rather the way the deal is structured. And Barry will be more desperate then ever to seal his switch to Anfield after his already agonising wait was so close to a conclusion yesterday. Villa’s statement said: “This evening, Aston Villa can announce that Gareth Barry will be staying with the club following the interest from Liverpool over recent months. “During discussions in the past few days, a final deadline to conclude this episode was set that all parties were aware of and agreed to. “This deadline has now passed and so Gareth will remain with Villa.” Villa are only more aware, however, that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to guarantee that the England international’s stay will go beyond the current transfer window. Their manager Martin O’Neill has made no secret of his hostility to Liverpool’s pursuit of the England midfielder and he has doggedly tried to persuade him to hang on for one more season. After Barry received a warm reception from fans at Villa Park during his side’s Intertoto Cup tie with Odense on Saturday, O’Neill said: “Everyone at Villa Park wants Gareth to stay. I would like him to stay and we could do an awful lot of things to try and ensure that. “I will talk to Gareth first of all and we will do everything we can as he would be a terrible loss – very, very hard to replace. “My own view is that Gareth should hang around another year – if we don’t make the progress that he would want then he can move elsewhere.” But relations between the pair have deteriorated since Barry’s expression of his desire to leave in an interview last month was punished by his manager banning him from the training ground. After the capture of Robbie Keane from Tottenham Hotspur on Monday, Benitez was on the verge of forking out £38m in the space of three days – but he still intends to see that spending through. http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverp...64375-21438422/

Not listed on Sky, Setanta or Five at the moment Best I can find is from 7-8.30pm on Sat on LFC TV

Here's the article on Dalglish from the journo that nominated him - it's in today's Guardian......... Through European nights and days of horror, Dalglish was exceptional Kenny Dalglish possessed more talent and dedication than any other British footballer of the last 50 years, argues Kevin McCarra 31 July 2008 No other player in modern British football history has had the combination of talent, dedication, durability and football intelligence possessed by Kenny Dalglish. Sometimes I wonder if this marvellous performer can actually have been Scottish at all, so unrelated was he to the hell-raising, self-destructive virtuosos that were once a speciality north of the border. Dalglish was never at risk of burn-out. The fire indeed was so hard to extinguish that he was 39 when, in 1990, he made his last appearance for Liverpool. Because of a dry manner, with its sardonic humour, his sheer passion for the game gets overlooked. That joy was unmistakable on the field, particularly after a left-footed curler clinched a 3-1 win for Scotland over Spain in 1984. An explosion of delight vaporised every line on his 33-year-old face and it was a schoolboy's features that filled the camera lenses. When the need was great, Dalglish could be the individualist who came to the team's rescue. As someone who watched many of his games in the mid-1970s, it is my feeling that there were more examples of spectacular virtuosity from him in those days. He was probably reacting to the needs of the side because Celtic had by then slipped back a little from their European Cup-winning peak. Dalglish knew what was required by each of his teams and tailored his style accordingly. In retrospect it seems silly that anyone wondered if he could adapt when he moved to Liverpool as Kevin Keegan's replacement in the summer of 1977. At the close of the ensuing campaign, he composed himself to gather a Graeme Souness pass at Wembley and dink the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper as his new club beat Bruges 1-0 to retain the European Cup. He had the sort of career that bludgeons sceptics with a statistical barrage. There were a total of 336 goals for Celtic and Liverpool, with another 30 from 102 caps placing him alongside Denis Law as Scotland's highest-ever scorer. The most impressive aspect, though, is that despite such figures he was not a pure predator. Dalglish, instead, was really a deep-lying striker. Lacking raw speed, his approach was founded on technique, imagination and the sturdiness to hold off defenders. He was complemented exquisitely by Ian Rush, the striker he released for so many Liverpool goals. The lasting value of Dalglish is quantified in the honours he accumulated. For reasons of space, it might be as well to confine ourselves to mentioning the six League titles and three European Cups at Anfield alone. Familiar though defenders were with an opponent who was around for so long, few could stop the adroit Dalglish from exploiting their weaknesses. Nowadays people seem to have forgotten that the astuteness carried over into a managerial record that was formidable at both Anfield and Ewood Park. There were sneers that he had bought Blackburn the 1995 title with Jack Walker's money, but many clubs have spent heavily and failed since then. In addition, it should be recalled that Blackburn made a total profit of over £16m on the eventual sales of Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton alone. Over a wonderful career on the field and some fruitful years in charge of teams, Dalglish showed strength of character. He not only succeeded Joe Fagan after the Heysel Stadium disaster but did so as player-manager of Liverpool, a dual role that now looks inconceivable. Dalglish remained in charge, too, during the harrowing times after the carnage at Hillsborough in 1989. In all circumstances of sport, from the euphoric to the tragic, he was exceptional. http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/07/...hts_and_da.html

Transfer news/speculation from this morning's papers..................... Despite Aston Villa's statement yesterday evening that Gareth Barry would be staying at Villa Park "the transfer will finally be concluded on Thursday [ie today]" for "£17.5m plus Steve Finnan". Apparently "the mix-up was due to a deadline being missed by 20 minutes" & in fact "the two clubs were still talking over the move". Barry has been "withdrawn" from a behind-closed-doors friendly against Notts County today that he was "due to play in" & "it appears that [he] has already committed himself to renting a house in Cheshire". "Liverpool needed to provide the bank with a guarantee that funds to cover the move will be raised during the remainder of the close season" & will "act quickly by offloading players" to raise the necessary funds with "those destined for the exit door including Andriy Voronin, Alvaro Arbeloa, Xabi Alonso & Jermaine Pennant". "Pennant will probably be the first to leave as Blackburn spend some of the transfer money received [from Spurs for David Bentley]". http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/...wap-Finnan.html Rafa's hopes of signing Barry "were dented – but not destroyed" by Villa's statement. Negotiations had resumed after Villa set a deadline of, but the talks stalled resulting in Villa's statement. However, Liverpool "believe the matter is not yet closed". Liverpool "are believed to have increased their bid" offering £17m plus Finnan & "thought a deal was close before a dispute over the amounts to be paid up front & in instalments proved to be the sticking point". Liverpool "remain hopeful that having progressed so far...it seems highly unlikely that the deal is dead, particularly as Barry himself remains adamant he wants to move to Anfield, a position that will hardly have been softened by Villa’s brinkmanship". http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/...--football.html Gareth Barry's "hopes of a move to Liverpool were extinguished" by Villa's statement. With Liverpool "needing to sell...to raise the cash to buy Barry", Villa setting a short deadline meant "any talks were doomed to fail" leaving Barry to conclude "that it was O'Neill who has brought the curtain down on his hopes of leaving Villa Park". "Privately, Barry remains distraught about the saga, the light in which it has cast him & what he considers to have been a breach of an understanding he insists that he & O'Neill came to when the Irishman arrived at the club two years ago – that O'Neill would not stand in his way if the chance of Champions League football arrived & Villa had not been able to deliver it...Barry is now resigned to start the new season in the Midlands, with Arsenal the only club likely to meet his desire for Champions League football & willing to pay Villa's asking price." http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/footbal...ime-881305.html Barry's agent, Alex Black, said yesterday "as of 4.35pm...the deal has not been done. It is still between the two clubs at the moment. It is still ongoing." despite reports a deal of £19m plus Finnan had been agreed. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/...l-transfer.html Barry's "immediate future lies with Aston Villa". Villa "have not received a formal offer from Liverpool since June, when a cash bid of £13m was rejected, & consider the matter finished" although "sources close to Liverpool" claim Barry is "dissatisfied". "Barry was integral to the discussions that took place this week, during which all parties agreed that the protracted saga needed settling. Rick Parry spoke again yesterday morning with Randy Lerner indicating that he hoped to make an offer by the deadline, but that was the last communication between the clubs." Rafa "refused to be drawn on the Barry situation" after last night’s friendly match against Villarreal saying “I would prefer to concentrate on the game and my squad.” Barry will be reinstated as Villa captain, given a testimonial & get a new contract which gives him a 50% pay rise to about £70,000 a week & "is likely to include a get-out clause that could lead to him leaving for a vastly reduced fee should Villa not meet mutually agreed targets". http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/foo...icle4432710.ece "Importantly, though, there has been no confirmation from Barry himself that he is happy to stay in the midlands." http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/foo...icle4431770.ece Barry's future "remained shrouded in uncertainty last night after it emerged Liverpool were in the process of putting together an £18m deal for [him] when Villa issued [their] statement". However, Villa "remain adamant there will be no further negotiations" & say "there is no chance of the situation changing". But "it appears unlikely that Barry, who has made no secret of his desire to move to Anfield, will concede defeat". It is anticipated that Barry, "mindful that Liverpool can now meet Villa's valuation", will hold discussions with O'Neill today "in an attempt to force the issue". "He may even submit a transfer request", something Liverpool are "expected" to "encourage" him to do, "although there can be no certainty that O'Neill will give in". Since yesterday's 5pm deadline had been agreed on Monday Rafa is "known to have leaned heavily on the Anfield board & persuaded Tom Hicks & George Gillett to finance the Barry deal". He "convinced Gillett & Hicks to sanction a bid without trimming the squad, although authorisation for an offer did not arrive until after Villa issued their statement". Villa "claim they have not received a formal offer from Liverpool since a £13m bid was tabled more than 6 weeks ago", with no further bid arriving before the deadline. Liverpool "were confident of addressing that situation yesterday morning, when Rick Parry telephoned [Randy] Lerner to discuss Barry. However, there was no further contact between the clubs before the 5pm deadline, prompting Villa to announce that Barry would be staying." http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/ju...villa.liverpool Talks between the 2 clubs were "believed" to be "nearing completion" yesterday afternoon before Villa issued their statement, with Liverpool set to pay £17.5m plus Finnan for Barry. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/ju...pool.astonvilla Blackburn will "try to complete a deal for Pennant" although they "face late competition from Portsmouth, whose chances of landing Shaun Wright-Phillips from Chelsea look slim". Blackburn "hope" to sign Pennant for £5m, although Liverpool rate him at £6m. Rafa "would prefer to sell Pennant rather than Yossi Benayoun", who has been the subject of £6m bids from Man City & West Ham. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/...ntley-cash.html Liverpool have "bids on the table for Pennant [from Blackburn] & Benayoun [from Man City & West Ham]". http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/footbal...ist-881306.html Benayoun "is in line for an incredible return to former club West Ham". Although the player's agent dismissed the rumours as pure speculation, "it is believed Benayoun's days at Anfield are numbered" as Rafa "is tasked with raising sufficient funds for a renewed Gareth Barry bid". Man City are also "understood to be weighing up a move for Benayoun & could out-bid West Ham by tabling a £6 million offer". http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/...Ham-return.html Man City have offered £6m for Benayoun. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/ju...rcity.blackburn Liverpool are "reluctant to sell" Benayoun "now that they have agreed a fee with Villa for Gareth Barry" & will "resist...overtures" from both Man City, who have Yossi on their "list of targets", & West Ham, who "registered an interest [in him] yesterday". http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/...s-QPR-more.html Man City have offered midfielder Michael Johnson a new 5-year contract worth £25,000-a-week - double his current earnings - to try to convince him "to shun the advances of Arsenal & Liverpool". http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/...-Liverpool.html

Several articles yesterday said Arsenal's sell on clause is 40% of any profit, with the price Blackburn paid for Bentley given as between £1.5m & £3.5m netting Arsenal between £4.6m & £6.2m

According to reports in Spain Real Madrid will sign Rafael Van der Vaart, who has been linked to Liverpool in previous articles, next week for £7.8m http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11835_3885970,00.html

Benayoun's agent says he doesn't think Liverpool want to sell Yossi http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_3886502,00.html

From the Echo today...................... "Liverpool have received a number of inquiries for Yossi Benayoun but no offers have been submitted". http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-f...00252-21433427/

I think Rafa is considering replacing/wants to replace Xabi with Barry for a number of reasons, including: * Barry offers increased mobility * Xabi likes to play in the space that Agger comes into when he brings the ball out of defence which I think reduces Agger's effectiveness going forward * Barry will play higher up the pitch (particularly important with Mascherano in the team) * Barry gets forward more * Barry scores more goals Personally I don't think Barry links up play any better than Alonso, although I think he will do it in a more attacking area of the pitch if he joins us, but Rafa is going for him because of the reasons above plus the fact the link up play isn't a downgrade or only a slight one. What we lose if Barry replaces Xabi is: * reduced long range passing ability * less of a goal threat from our own half

I think that we've got a really good group of attacking players now who offer an awful lot, including plenty of goals. However, I don't think they're the right players to play exactly the same system as Man Utd for the following reasons: Gerrard - not particularly effective with his back to goal Babel - shown he has lots of potential in a good 1st season, but not there yet Torres - the one who fits the bill most closely, but I'd want to keep him as close to the box as possible so he can carry on scoring those goals Kuyt - too slow Keane - a possibility. I'd need to watch him playing more closely to comment further. As I said I think this group of players is really good, probably the best group of attacking players that we've had for many years, but I think trying to exactly replicate Man Utd's system doesn't play to their strengths or make the most effective use of them.

Don't get me wrong Knox I really like Xabi both as a player & a person & will be sad to see him leave, if he does. I just think that our style of play is evolving to one into which doesn't necessarily suit him & in which his weaknesses do get exposed. Although he is an infinitely better player than Riise, I think - as someone on here said about JAR - our style of play is moving on & currently Xabi is being left behind.

Which illustrates that we are probably lacking a midfielder who can link up the play/carry-the-ball such as Barry My comment was just that if you play with 2 deep lying centre midfielders you do run the risk of playing too many hit & hope balls - I wasn't saying we would play less with Mascherano/Gerrard centre mid partnership. I think you have to have a pretty exceptional front 3/4 to be able to do that successfully - they need to be pretty mobile, fairly quick, comfortable playing all over the front 3rd of the pitch & all able to score an average of 15+ league goals a season for that system to work. I don't think we have the right players to be able to afford 2 deep lying midfielders who contribute very few goals/make that system work for us.

Ok please be gentle with me Transfer news/speculation from this morning's papers..................... Rafa "has not given up securing Gareth Barry", but that prospect "is reducing since he needs to sell Jermaine Pennant & Alvaro Arbeloa to raise funds & with Xabi Alonso staying, he faces an abundance of central midfielders if Barry does arrive". http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/footbal...ole-880195.html Rafa "is still determined to sign Barry, all the more so because he feels the England midfielder has been bold enough to demand a move & incur the wrath of Martin O’Neill & the Villa fans" & "isn’t about to leave him [barry] stranded now". Steve Finnan "will go to Villa as part of the deal". Rafa is "also ready" to sell Pennant to Blackburn & "will listen to offers for Andriy Voronin & even Dirk Kuyt". http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/...oke-switch.html Liverpool are "still hopeful" they will sign Barry, but that "is now dependent on offloading other players...the principle one being Xabi Alonso". http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/foo...icle4422164.ece Liverpool are yet to receive any offers for Xabi Alonso, who is "the player most likely to make way" to raise the funds to sign Barry. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/foo...icle4425813.ece A "senior club source" has said 'I don't know where that came from about Arbeloa, but it is nothing. He is definitely, definitely staying here. He is happy and will be staying.' http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/...-Liverpool.html Man City "have made a £6m offer for Yossi Benayoun", but West Ham who have "asked about Benayoun" are "unlikely to match City's bid". The opportunity of a £1m profit on Benayoun "could be too good to reject" for Liverpool who must sell before making another bid for Barry. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/...r-Benayoun.html "Blackburn will move for Jermaine Pennant although they won't meet the £6.7m asking price". http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/200...15875-20676844/ Valencia's vice-president Fernando Gomez has said the club hasn't received any offers for either David Silva or David Villa, whom Rafa said was on Liverpool's list of striking targets, & "insists he will do everything in his power to keep them" in the face of "interest from a whole host of clubs", including Liverpool, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Chelsea & Inter Milan. Real Madrid "are said to have made Villa their number one transfer target of the summer after having all but conceded defeat in their bid to sign Cristiano Ronaldo". Reports in Spain suggest Atletico Madrid have tabled a €22m bid for Silva, whose agent has confirmed that Atletico are interested in the player. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/...-Spain-duo.html Man City midfielder Michael Johnson, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, is "expected" to sign a new 5-year contract with City. Everton, Spurs & Arsenal are also interested in Johnson, "who grew disillusioned last season after struggling with a groin injury". http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/foo...icle4426060.ece David Bentley, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, is "expected" to have a medical with Spurs this morning before signing for around £15m plus add-ons. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/...ckburn-15m.html The fee for Bentley could rise to £18m & with a sell-on clause included when Bentley joined Blackburn from Arsenal, Arsenal could receive up to 40% of the profit on the £3m Blackburn paid which equals £4.8m. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/...-Blackburn.html Bentley's transfer to Spurs "should be finalised today". http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/foo...icle4426157.ece

Worth a read............. ROBBIE'S FIRST BOSS SPEAKS TO .TV Paul Hassall 30 July 2008 One drop of the shoulder, a ferocious strike and a cheeky grin to finish was all it took to convince Crumlin United boss Sean Wall that Robbie Keane was the real deal. Now chairman of the South Dublin School boy outfit, Wall knew within seconds of the first training session that he had something special on his hands when he took charge of his son's under-11s side way back in 1990. Since then he has watched the career of Robert David Keane with great interest and has no doubt that the lifetime Liverpool fan will repay Rafael Benitez's faith in him by proving to be a sure-fire hit on Merseyside. "I remember the first time I set eyes on Robbie Keane and I can tell you I was very impressed," he told Liverpoolfc.tv. "He had this lightning pace that was a complete nightmare for defenders and I thought 'we've got something special here'. "My only concern was that he didn't have the build. That was the only thing I could see stopping him from going on to have a career in the game. He lacked a bit of height back then but apart from that he had everything. "He's gone on to enjoy a magnificent career in the game and I think the best part is still to come at Liverpool - his spiritual home." Wall recalls some of Robbie's finest moments in a Crumlin shirt with great affection and admits it didn't take long for the scouts to start flocking to South Dublin to check out the talents of one of Tallaght's finest. "I remember one game in particular where Robbie's influence was massive," chuckles Wall. "It was an under-11s match in the cup and we were playing against a side that always beat us. They had the Indian sign over us that's for sure, but on this particular day Robbie was unplayable and he eventually won a penalty that saw us go on to win 2-0. "A lot of the newspapers came to see that game and they always gave out kit bags to the best player on the pitch. Needless to say Robbie went home with some new kit that night! "Those types of displays make people take notice and from the age of 12 there was always a scout or two checking on his progress. "He nearly signed for Liverpool at one point and I think Forest were interested too but in the end he went to Wolves. He just clicked with the set-up and the coaching staff there and at that age feeling comfortable in your surroundings is the most important thing; so that was that. "I always remember his last game for Crumlin. He had a goal disallowed that would have given him 60th goal of the season. He was gutted at the time but I assured him he was going on to bigger and better things. Knowing Robbie though, I'm sure he's still irritated that he didn't get his 60th of the season!" For all his skill and finishing ability in front of goal, it is Keane's mentality that Wall believes is key to the Irish international's success in the game. He's seen the 28-year-old overcome a series of disappointments in his time, from the frustration of missing out on a school boy select side at the age of 11 through to the high profile disappointment of his big money move to Inter Milan. It is a character trait he feels will prove beneficial to Liverpool in the years ahead and he is convinced it won't be long before the striker is banging in the goals and cementing his place as a new Kop idol. "I think Robbie's secret is that he has great mental strength," he says. "It's unbelievable how strong his mind is. "In Ireland we have something called the Kennedy cup squad which only the best young players in the area are selected for. "Robbie was banging in the goals left, right and centre for us but he wasn't picked because they thought he was too small. "I was worried that it would get him down but he didn't let it get to him. Instead he just focused on improving his game and came roaring back, scoring even more goals and the next time that squad was picked he was in it. "It was the same with Inter Milan. He got this big money move to Italy and was all set to play for a manager who believed in him. But then Marcelo Lippi left and a new guy came in who didn't fancy him as a player. "But did it get him down? Not Robbie. He worked harder than ever and even when it didn't come off for him in Milan he came back to England and hasn't looked back since. "He's gone up another level again now with Liverpool but he's not one to let pressure get to him and I assure you he will do the business for the Reds. "I think he'll be a big favourite with the fans, I really do." Keane's move to Liverpool is a dream come true for a man who once mimicked the skills of John Barnes, Ian Rush, John Aldridge et al as a youngster growing up in Tallaght. It is an opportunity Wall feels Keane will be delighted to have finally realised and recalls a moment 15 years earlier when a wide-eyed youngster got his first taste of Anfield action. "I remember taking the boys over to Liverpool for a game back in 1993," he says. "It was real milestone for them and their first experience of Anfield. Robbie was a mad Liverpool fan just like my son Brendan and after the game we went and stood outside the players' entrance. "They all asked autographs and got their picture taken with the likes of Ronnie Whelan and it was just the perfect end to a great day. "I think he's always remembered that and uses that as an example of how to treat fans now that he is a player. "We phoned him up at the end of last season and asked him to come and give out some end of year awards for us. He said he couldn't make it because he was stuck in the hotel ahead of a game with Ireland. "He was disappointed not to be able to attend and after thinking it over for a few moments told us to have the ceremony without him and then bring the kids to the Ireland team hotel because there was nothing stopping him from seeing them there. "So we got a coach to take us to see him the next night and he was just fantastic with them. He spent a good few hours signing autographs, having his picture taking and chatting to all the players. It just sums up what kind of a great person he is." Wall admits he has yet to speak to Keane following his big money move to Liverpool but feels Ireland's record goalscorer will already be itching to get started and insists it won't be long before the Reds' new number seven is tormenting the Premier League alongside new strike partner Fernando Torres. "I'm sure his phone is red hot at the moment so I'll leave it a while before I pass on my congratulations," he says. "I've no doubt he is over the moon. You only have to look at these pictures of him as a kid at Anfield to see that Liverpool is where his heart is. "I'm sure he can't wait to play his first match for the club now and start to link up with Fernando Torres. "I thought the Keane-Berbatov partnership was the best in the league last season and I've no doubt he will link up just as well - if not better - alongside Torres. "Robbie can drop off and slide passes through for Torres and I'm sure they will hit it off in no time at all. "He's such a great team player that he'll do whatever is needed for the good of his side. That can only be good for Liverpool and I'm sure that he will now go on and continue that fine tradition of great players to wear the number seven shirt for the club. "Rafael Benitez knows what he is doing and he'll know he's brought in a gem of a player who could go some way to helping them end that long, long wait for the Premier League title." http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N...080730-0858.htm

Well-balanced article in the Times on how Keane will fit in at Liverpool............ July 29, 2008 Analysis: Robbie Keane could spark Liverpool to Premier League title James Ducker gives his verdict on Robbie Keane's £20.3 million move to Liverpool. He talks to Ben Smith Is this really the final piece of the jigsaw for Liverpool? There is a lot of talk that this is a gamble for Liverpool. In some respects it is, Robbie Keane is 28, there's no re-sale value and he will have no time to bed in. But Liverpool are hoping they have bought proven quality and they will want an immediate return on their investment. Keane has scored a lot of goals for Tottenham but the demands of a top four club are different, he will need to produce a level of consistency that he hasn't had to before and Benitez will hope he is able to do that. There's a lot of encouraging signs and I certainly think he's going to give Liverpool a lot more options up front. Benitez has generally favoured younger players, so in some ways this is a change of policy because he has realised that sometimes you need to buy the finished product. Does this signing bring Liverpool any closer to winning the Premier League? I think if Keane is a success then it absolutely will. You look at the strength of Chelsea and Manchester United and it's clear they are going to take some overhauling. But if Torres and Keane can click they are going to be a pretty potent strike force and it will certainly ask a lot more questions of defences. Liverpool have never had a shortage of very capable players but Benitez himself has admitted they have been over reliant on Gerrard and Torres so it just brings an added dimension. If Keane scores 20 goals, Torres gets 30 and Gerrard gets 20 Liverpool are going to be an altogether different proposition in terms of the title. How do you see him fitting in to the team? Benitez has got a couple of options. He could either go 4-4-2 and play Keane and Torres up top, which might dictate that Gerrard is pushed back on to the right. Or he could go 4-2-3-1, as he did last season, with Torres up top on his own and Keane and Kuyt out wide with Gerrard through the middle. Although Keane has the ability to play in any of forward positions. Will Keane feel under more pressure to deliver at Liverpool? I don't think the fee or even the fact he's wearing the No 7 shirt will be a burden for him. I just think it will be interesting to see whether he can produce top form regularly. Spurs are obviously one of the clubs who are moving closer to the top four - but this move is a significant step up and presents a whole new series of demands. It will be interesting to see how playing in the Champions League regularly affects his form in the league with the extra number of high-pressure games. But he's a player with no shortage of confidence. Do you think this deal ends Liverpool's hopes of signing Gareth Barry? No I don't, they are still hopeful that they will sign him but that is now dependent on Benitez offloading other players. The principle one is Xabi Alonso, if they can offload him they will certainly make another bid for Barry. The alternative is offloading Voronin, Pennant and Arbeloa, who could return to Spain. But whether Benitez would want to bring Barry on board without getting rid of Alonso and therefore still have a surplus of high-quality central midfield players I don't know. That in itself would create different problems. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/foo...icle4422164.ece

Some more from Rafa on Keane............... “Managers and defenders will try to do things, but the presence of people like Keane will be another problem for them,” Benítez said. “It will be important for Torres to have another player who can score goals. I could play 4-4-2 with Keane and Torres up front, or 4-2-3-1 with Keane on the right or the left [of the three]. “When you know you are very close [to the top], sometimes you need a little more quality, more experience, because last season we had a lot of draws when, maybe, with more experience, we could have won those games.” http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/foo...icle4425813.ece

Graphic from this morning's Times on how a Keane/Torres partnership will work http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/pdfs/keaneandtorres.pdf

From this morning's Daily Mail............

Also Xabi likes to play in the space that Agger comes into when he brings the ball out of defence which I think reduces Agger's effectiveness going forward especially as Mascherano is often in that area of the pitch as well, making it particularly congested. As I've said before Xabi's an offensive midfielder who likes to play in a defensive midfielder's area of the pitch. With both Xabi & Mascherano in the team it increases the likelihood of the team sitting too deep or for there to be too big a gap between the defence/Xabi/Mascherano & the attacking players (the usual outcome for any team in such a situation is to resort to too many long hit & hope balls). Mascherano's the better defensive midfielder of the 2, yet you would want more goals than Xabi gets from your offensive midfielder. All reasons why Rafa's after Barry IMO.

Is that reported Liverpool target David Bentley?