The OFFICIAL Liverpool Supporters thread

[Hound]

Personally I think the Yanks have taken a whole heap of unwarranted stick from fans. The only thing they did wrong was admit to meeting Klinsmann. Anyone who thinks the Arabs will be any better is in dreamland.

Unless you've got a headcase like Abramovich, any investor is going to be in it to make profits, whether it be Hicks, Gillet,  Glazier, Lerner, DIC. There will be no unlimited budgets - every transfer will have to make sense and there will have to be incomings as well out outgoings. And even Abramovich hasn't "given" Chelsea a cent - everything has gone in as an interest-free loan in the Balance Sheet of Chelsea. Nobody knows whether at the end of the day he'll look for payment or forgive it and write it off (though at the very least there's no big interest to pay like the mancs and Liverpool).

[isourboydownyet]

By Ian Herbert
Monday, 4 August 2008

Gareth Barry is likely to complete his £18m move from Aston Villa to Liverpool this week


Liverpool will secure Gareth Barry's signature this week, following the concession of defeat by the Aston Villa manager, Martin O'Neill, in his summer-long battle to persuade the midfielder to stay.


Liverpool's manager, Rafael Benitez, is keen to wrap up an £18m cash deal – the valuation Villa have always placed on the player – as quickly as possible. He may have the England international at his disposal within 72 hours, provided there are no hitches with the cash advance which Liverpool's owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, are understood to have agreed to make.

Benitez had been told that he had to sell to buy and the chances of securing Barry's services seemed to have receded with the £19m purchase of the striker Robbie Keane from Tottenham Hotspur last week. But Hicks and Gillett are understood to have provided the £18m needed to buy Barry ahead of possible further sales, and may be willing to write off any shortfall remaining after the transfer window closes.

Liverpool's major hope of helping to recoup the full sum receded further yesterday, however, when the Juventus manager, Claudio Ranieri, said after a 3-0 defeat to Hamburg in London that he was no longer considering a move for Xabi Alonso. The Italian club had never tabled a firm offer for the Spain midfielder.

Benitez can still hope that Jermaine Pennant will bring in £4m, should Blackburn Rovers develop their known interest in the winger. Andrei Voronin could bring in £6m and Steve Finnan £2m. Alvaro Arbeloa's departure has also been anticipated, though Benitez last week dismissed suggestions that the Spaniard might be unhappy at the club.

Liverpool remained hopeful of signing Barry after the drama of last Wednesday, when Villa made an unexpected declaration that the England player was to stay, minutes after the conclusion of a deadline they had imposed. Liverpool made no progress on the matter on Friday but Barry had actually persuaded O'Neill to give up on his services on Thursday morning. O'Neill, who has never been short of public proclamations on the issue, revealed as much after Villa's 1-1 draw at Reading in a friendly on Saturday.

O'Neill said that Barry and his agent, Alex Black, had felt that Liverpool could still do the deal. The Villa manager had hoped a £60,000-a-week offer might tempt the midfielder to stay.

"I was obviously very disappointed that that was still part of the scenario going forward," O'Neill said. "I gave it some thought and realised that at the end of it all there was little point in pretending. Gareth would want to join Liverpool and therefore there would be no deadline.

"I have agreed with Gareth now that Liverpool have got all the time in the world if they want to raise the money. That's the case. That's it. The ball is firmly in Liverpool's court, that's fine, not a problem."

For a manager who has railed against Liverpool and Benitez all summer, such a change of course and tone is surprising. But O'Neill can show that his club have earned every penny they were demanding for Barry, with a considerable amount payable immediately. It is understood Liverpool have accepted Villa's demand that the £18m be delivered in two instalments.

At Liverpool, Hicks' role in the move provides the biggest boost to his reputation since he arrived at the club in February 2007. Though the biggest concern at Anfield has always been the two American owners' capacity to get a new stadium built, two top-bracket signings and Saturday's 4-0 friendly win at Rangers provide a sense at last that the club is moving forward.

did yous all miss that comment

[Mentalman]

Personally I think the Yanks have taken a whole heap of unwarranted stick from fans. The only thing they did wrong was admit to meeting Klinsmann. Anyone who thinks the Arabs will be any better is in dreamland.

Unless you've got a headcase like Abramovich, any investor is going to be in it to make profits, whether it be Hicks, Gillet,  Glazier, Lerner, DIC. There will be no unlimited budgets - every transfer will have to make sense and there will have to be incomings as well out outgoings. And even Abramovich hasn't "given" Chelsea a cent - everything has gone in as an interest-free loan in the Balance Sheet of Chelsea. Nobody knows whether at the end of the day he'll look for payment or forgive it and write it off (though at the very least there's no big interest to pay like the mancs and Liverpool).

I don't know about dreamland, but it's patently obvious that our pair of septics have got in over their head, or at least have extended themselves beyond what they hoped too. The combination of the reality of costs in the premier league, the credit crunch, and their inability to work together means they are in no position to bring the club forward. Agreed everyone is in it too make money, but there are those willing or able to speculate to accumulate, and those who are only waiting to sell on at a profit, one step above asset stripping if things go wrong. It's obvious our guys are now firmly in that category, and if a suitable margin could have been garnered from DIC last year they would be gone already. In my opinion they have handled things very badly in the media, obviously not understanding the tradition of a club like Liverpool, where generally things are handled in house and out of glare of the cameras. Personally I would be amazed if the new stadium happens at all under their ownership, at best it won't be completed while they are there. Granted there are only a limited number of entities capable of investing in a club of Liverpool's size and attempting to resotre it to past glories, but these guys are not them IMHO - I hope to be proved wrong.

[GalwayBayBoy]

By Ian Herbert
Monday, 4 August 2008

Gareth Barry is likely to complete his £18m move from Aston Villa to Liverpool this week


Liverpool will secure Gareth Barry's signature this week, following the concession of defeat by the Aston Villa manager, Martin O'Neill, in his summer-long battle to persuade the midfielder to stay.


Liverpool's manager, Rafael Benitez, is keen to wrap up an £18m cash deal – the valuation Villa have always placed on the player – as quickly as possible. He may have the England international at his disposal within 72 hours, provided there are no hitches with the cash advance which Liverpool's owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, are understood to have agreed to make.

Benitez had been told that he had to sell to buy and the chances of securing Barry's services seemed to have receded with the £19m purchase of the striker Robbie Keane from Tottenham Hotspur last week. But Hicks and Gillett are understood to have provided the £18m needed to buy Barry ahead of possible further sales, and may be willing to write off any shortfall remaining after the transfer window closes.

Liverpool's major hope of helping to recoup the full sum receded further yesterday, however, when the Juventus manager, Claudio Ranieri, said after a 3-0 defeat to Hamburg in London that he was no longer considering a move for Xabi Alonso. The Italian club had never tabled a firm offer for the Spain midfielder.

Benitez can still hope that Jermaine Pennant will bring in £4m, should Blackburn Rovers develop their known interest in the winger. Andrei Voronin could bring in £6m and Steve Finnan £2m. Alvaro Arbeloa's departure has also been anticipated, though Benitez last week dismissed suggestions that the Spaniard might be unhappy at the club.

Liverpool remained hopeful of signing Barry after the drama of last Wednesday, when Villa made an unexpected declaration that the England player was to stay, minutes after the conclusion of a deadline they had imposed. Liverpool made no progress on the matter on Friday but Barry had actually persuaded O'Neill to give up on his services on Thursday morning. O'Neill, who has never been short of public proclamations on the issue, revealed as much after Villa's 1-1 draw at Reading in a friendly on Saturday.

O'Neill said that Barry and his agent, Alex Black, had felt that Liverpool could still do the deal. The Villa manager had hoped a £60,000-a-week offer might tempt the midfielder to stay.

"I was obviously very disappointed that that was still part of the scenario going forward," O'Neill said. "I gave it some thought and realised that at the end of it all there was little point in pretending. Gareth would want to join Liverpool and therefore there would be no deadline.

"I have agreed with Gareth now that Liverpool have got all the time in the world if they want to raise the money. That's the case. That's it. The ball is firmly in Liverpool's court, that's fine, not a problem."

For a manager who has railed against Liverpool and Benitez all summer, such a change of course and tone is surprising. But O'Neill can show that his club have earned every penny they were demanding for Barry, with a considerable amount payable immediately. It is understood Liverpool have accepted Villa's demand that the £18m be delivered in two instalments.

At Liverpool, Hicks' role in the move provides the biggest boost to his reputation since he arrived at the club in February 2007. Though the biggest concern at Anfield has always been the two American owners' capacity to get a new stadium built, two top-bracket signings and Saturday's 4-0 friendly win at Rangers provide a sense at last that the club is moving forward.

did yous all miss that comment

Apparently Voronin is still highly thought of in Germany where he did well for Leverkusen. Must be the 1980's metal haircut he has.

[Chrisowc]

I think there are a few German clubs interested.  But sure Saxon are popular there too!

You've been rumbled Galwaybayboy

Get your own material

[Mentalman]

Would be amazed if he garnered 6 million. I'd volunteer to drive the hoor to any club willing to part with 2 or 3 million! Or even reimburse me the diesel money!

[GalwayBayBoy]

I think there are a few German clubs interested.  But sure Saxon are popular there too!

You've been rumbled Galwaybayboy

Get your own material

I was more of a Scorpions man myself.

[Hound]

Team tonight:

Cavalieri
Arbeloa, Carra, Agger, Dossena
Kuyt, Gerrard, Alonso, Benayoun
Torres, Keane.

Subs: Reina, Plessis, Darby, Nemeth, Pacheco, Spearing, El Zhar, Insua, Ngog, Hyypia.

Its on channel 434 on the Sky system. Any pub with Setanta should have it. Kick off at 6pm

[gawa316]

Team tonight:

Cavalieri
Arbeloa, Carra, Agger, Dossena
Kuyt, Gerrard, Alonso, Benayoun
Torres, Keane.

Subs: Reina, Plessis, Darby, Nemeth, Pacheco, Spearing, El Zhar, Insua, Ngog, Hyypia.

Its on channel 434 on the Sky system. Any pub with Setanta should have it. Kick off at 6pm

We've been playing a lot of 442 in preseason but i don't think we really have the personal to play this formation. I liked the look of the 4231 formation we played in the second half of last season, maybe we'll switch back to it when the lads return from the olympics

[stevo-08]

Team tonight:

Cavalieri
Arbeloa, Carra, Agger, Dossena
Kuyt, Gerrard, Alonso, Benayoun
Torres, Keane.

Subs: Reina, Plessis, Darby, Nemeth, Pacheco, Spearing, El Zhar, Insua, Ngog, Hyypia.

Its on channel 434 on the Sky system. Any pub with Setanta should have it. Kick off at 6pm

that team & subs list certainly seems to confirm that finnan, pennant & voronin are all on their way out.

[Hound]

Live stream here apparently

http://www.justin.tv/mstv_2

[The Real Laoislad]

Its live on the Liverpool channel on NTL.
Cavalieri getting a lot of games isn't he

[GalwayBayBoy]

Team tonight:

Cavalieri
Arbeloa, Carra, Agger, Dossena
Kuyt, Gerrard, Alonso, Benayoun
Torres, Keane.

Subs: Reina, Plessis, Darby, Nemeth, Pacheco, Spearing, El Zhar, Insua, Ngog, Hyypia.

Its on channel 434 on the Sky system. Any pub with Setanta should have it. Kick off at 6pm

that team & subs list certainly seems to confirm that finnan, pennant & voronin are all on their way out.

Might mean those three are on the way out rather than Alonso.

Would leave us with lots of central midfielders unless Rafa is thinking of playing Barry on the left side of midfield.

[Hound]

I also like the 4-2-3-1 formation. But I think Mascho is vital for it to work effectively. With him there, the front 4 need have little/no worries about defending.

Yip, looks like Voronin, Pennant and Finnan are on the way out. £12m (say 4+6+2) for the 3 might mean we don't need to sell Xabi to buy Barry.

Degen and Skrtel are injured so that explains why they're missing.

Not sure whether Aurelio fits into the first or second category. Havent heard any rumours about him being on a potential selling list, and wouldnt see much sense in it either.

[Hound]

Would leave us with lots of central midfielders unless Rafa is thinking of playing Barry on the left side of midfield.

But Villa fans would tell you that when he transformed from a left back / left midfielder into a central midfielder, he transformed from a decent premiership player to an excellent one.