The OFFICIAL Liverpool Supporters thread

[corn02]

I see Insua signed a new contract - happy about this, the boy is one for the future.

Villa have disciplined Barry as well - sounds like a spanking.

[corn02]

I wonder how much we got for Le Tallac - Probably about 0.5million.

[Minder]

I wonder how much we got for Le Tallac - Probably about 0.5million.

Tins of beans? Good deal.

[Over the Bar]

Fernando Torres - I owe success to Liverpool FC

Reads like a man who's trying to avoid getting his house burgled.........

[corn02]

My sides.

[stevo-08]

will be great to see this guy back in a Liverpool shirt. Badly missed last season.

Reds really missed Agger, says Rafa
Rafael Benitez believes the injury absence of centre-back Daniel Agger cost Liverpool in the race for the Premier League title last season.

The Danish centre-back proved to be one of Liverpool's most consistent performers in 2006/07 as Liverpool reached the Champions League final.

Agger, though, missed the majority of last season with a recurring foot problem after breaking a metatarsal in the first half of the campaign to leave veteran Sami Hyypia and Jamie Carragher forced to play a combined total of 62 league games.

And, as a fully-fit Agger returned to pre-season training on Thursday, Benitez admits the 23-year-old has been missed at Anfield as youngster Jack Hobbs and full-back Alvaro Arbeloa were also forced into central defensive duty.

"I think it cost us early in the season," Benitez told Liverpool's official website.

"We conceded goals at the end of games which finished as draws because Sami Hyypia and Jamie Carragher were playing too many games in a row.

"We were using Jack Hobbs in some games and Alvaro Arbeloa as a centre-back; clearly we missed Daniel Agger.

"He is a centre-back but good on the ball and a threat for the other team too. We missed Agger."

However, Benitez has praised the contribution of Martin Skrtel, who arrived as a £6million signing from Zenit St Petersburg in January.

Benitez added: "We knew this player when he was 18. It was funny because some people were going to see Everton against Zenit and were saying this player really has ability.

"But we already had four or five videos of him which we liked. We had already sent our people over there and we knew he was the player for us.

"It can be difficult to settle down in this country but Martin has been really good."

[GalwayBayBoy]

Andrea Dossena has today put pen to paper on a four-year Anfield deal. 
The Italian full-back becomes Rafael Benitez's second acquisition of the summer following the arrival of Swiss international Philipp Degen.
 
Dossena, who has been capped once at senior level by Italy, is seen as the ideal replacement for John Arne Riise, who departed for Roma earlier this month.
 
The 26-year-old began his career aged 14 with Hellas Verona in northern Italy, coming through the ranks before spending four seasons in the senior squad.
 
His big break came when he signed for Udinese in 2005, though he was immediately loaned to Treviso FBC 1993 for a year.
 
The defender returned to the Stadio Friuli ahead of the 2006-07 campaign, where his form eventually saw him make his international bow in a friendly against South Africa in October 2007.
 
By the end of the season his move to Merseyside had been confirmed, with Dossena saying: "Liverpool are a great team, and it is great to be linked to such a famous club. I want to play Champions League football, the Reds have already won it and they often get to the big games. In England, they are on the same level as Manchester United."

[GalwayBayBoy]

Swiss defender Philipp Degen has today put pen to paper on a four year Anfield deal. 
The 25-year-old - who was an unused substitute during the recent European Championships - has opted for a new career with the Reds after his contact at Borussia Dortmund expired last season.
 
Degen becomes the first new arrival at Anfield this summer, with left back Andrea Dossena likely to follow in his footsteps over the coming days.
 
After agreeing to sign Degen last month, manager Rafael Benitez said: "Philipp is still young but has gained great experience from playing in the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund and on the international stage with Switzerland. He also played in the Champions League during his time with Basel and so is used to top level football.
 
"He is an offensive player with great energy and a winning mentality. His strength is going forward and I am confident he will be prove to be a quality addition to our squad."
 
He added: "Sometimes you can find these players on the market. When you find a player like him who costs no money it means you can use money for improving other parts of the squad.
 
"He is a good signing, a player of potential, who can help us improve in the wide areas."
 
Degen began his career with FC Basel in 1996, making his debut five years later.
 
Four seasons in the first team followed, during which he claimed three league titles and one domestic cup.
 
His time at St Jakob Park also gave him a taste of Champions League football. In fact, Degen was an unused sub when Basel claimed a 1-1 draw at Anfield in 2002-03.
 
In 2005 the defender joined the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund.
 
Degen, who featured four times for his country in the 2006 World Cup, spent three years with the German giants, the last of which was blighted by injury.
 
The full-back recovered in time for Euro 2008, a tournament co-hosted by Switzerland. Unfortunately he did not feature as the Swiss failed to negotiate the group stages.
 
Degen, who is fluent in French and German, has a twin, David, who also plays professional football. 

[Yes I Would]

Right the messin about is over Rafa!! Time to deliver and hope you have done your homework on these two!!

More i think about it less convinced i am with this Barry deal. Villa holding out for big dough and im not convinced he is worth it. Alonso should be perservered with. Yes he wasnt great last year but hopefully Spain winnin Euro's can kickstart things for him. He was pushing hard for a place in prob the best midfield in world football. Would Gareth Barry have been anywhere near that Spanish outfit!! I think not!!

[Chrisowc]

Right the messin about is over Rafa!! Time to deliver and hope you have done your homework on these two!!

More i think about it less convinced i am with this Barry deal. Villa holding out for big dough and im not convinced he is worth it. Alonso should be perservered with. Yes he wasnt great last year but hopefully Spain winnin Euro's can kickstart things for him. He was pushing hard for a place in prob the best midfield in world football. Would Gareth Barry have been anywhere near that Spanish outfit!! I think not!!

I agree with that.  I was reluctant to see Alonso leave before the Euros.  Now I'm convinced.  Let Villa stew for 5 or 6 weeks and if they don't break we'll get Barry for about £10m in January.

[Yes I Would]

He isnt worth much more!! Doesnt seem to be too many breakin the door down for him!! Let him sweat it out at Villa as right for a few weeks
Rafa just seems when he has a few pound he needs to spend it just for the sake of it!

[GalwayBayBoy]

He isnt worth much more!! Doesnt seem to be too many breakin the door down for him!! Let him sweat it out at Villa as right for a few weeks
Rafa just seems when he has a few pound he needs to spend it just for the sake of it!

Don't think that's fair to be honest. He's trying to catch up to Man U and Chelsea while spending less money than them. He can't just write blank cheques like they can. He obviously has to sell players before he can afford to buy any but a policy like that won't win you many league titles.

[charlie stubbs]

Harry Kewell has signed a two-year contract with Galatasaray after passing a medical with the Turkish champions.

The Australian winger was available on a free transfer after leaving Liverpool following five injury-hit seasons at Anfield.

Galatasaray had announced a deal for Kewell on Thursday night, and the 29-year-old has now officially completed his move.

Speaking at a news conference in Istanbul, Kewell is confident he has made the right choice for his career.

"I wanted to move on and I think this is the best way to move on," Kewell, who was sent off against his new club during his time at Leeds United, told reporters.

Thrilled to bits
Kewell, who had also been linked with Celtic, Portsmouth and Roma, had earlier revealed he was relishing the opportunity to play for Galatasaray after arriving in Turkey for talks.

"I'm excited, I'm thrilled to bits," Kewell told the club's official website. "I'm looking forward to the new challenge.

"I can't wait to meet up with the team and to get going. It's something different.

"There's a lot of talk about the Turkish league. It's coming up in the world and the national team has done well in the last couple of major tournaments.

"There's a lot of young talent here, and it's different, that's what I'm looking forward to - a new challenge."

galatasary be a team to watch this year with kewell and itandje!

[pedro]

Degen, who featured four times for his country in the 2006 World Cup, spent three years with the German giants, the last of which was blighted by injury.   
The full-back recovered in time for Euro 2008, a tournament co-hosted by Switzerland. Unfortunately he did not feature as the Swiss failed to negotiate the group stages.

I'm surprised no-one has latched on to this bit. Right, fair enough we're getting hiim on a free but he has been injured for the last three years and couldn't force his way on to the SWISS national team. We've got another Kromkamp on our hands, I fear

[stevo-08]

Right the messin about is over Rafa!! Time to deliver and hope you have done your homework on these two!!

More i think about it less convinced i am with this Barry deal. Villa holding out for big dough and im not convinced he is worth it. Alonso should be perservered with. Yes he wasnt great last year but hopefully Spain winnin Euro's can kickstart things for him. He was pushing hard for a place in prob the best midfield in world football. Would Gareth Barry have been anywhere near that Spanish outfit!! I think not!!

I agree with that.  I was reluctant to see Alonso leave before the Euros.  Now I'm convinced.  Let Villa stew for 5 or 6 weeks and if they don't break we'll get Barry for about £10m in January.

I've said already that we are being ripped off with the Barry valuation. But unfortuantely that seems to be the norm for English players. Bottom line for me is that we need to improve the team considerably from last season. And i believe, regardless of the price, that Barry & Keane would make a huge difference. Remains to be seen how good Dossena is but those 3 plus a full fit Agger, and the return of Sammy Lee should see us close the gap further. Im not sure if Alonso can reproduce his previous form for liverpool so if we can get 15m for him now, then I'd let him go. Alonso is perfectly suited to CL football, but it looks like Rafa is chasing players more suitable to the PL, which isnt a bad thing...