The OFFICIAL Liverpool FC thread - #DankeJürgen

[Down South]

5 years ago yesterday a famous journey ended in Istanbul. From here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9atoTQ-S5VQ to here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dbGNgeMLH4

And a few of my own.







We won it 5Times. 

[Hound]

felt sorry for the guy there- I believe he thought at the time that he was doing the right thing...

He sold out to the highest bidder. The rest of the article is makey-up excuses IMO.

According to the 2009 Times Rich List his family are worth over a billion sterling.

Not the type of chap to feel sorry for.

[GalwayBayBoy]

Nothing new really in Moores letter. Basically he looking for some sympathy without having to say "sorry, we fucked up" or "I have a plan to put it right".

Looking at various forums, he isn't getting what he desired, only more abuse and anger directed at him. The chairman of a multimillion pound business admitting that he didn't know how to use a computer!

Flying to over to a game last year, i was sitting beside a Liverpool season ticket holder who admitted himself he had a few quid and was well travelled. In 2005 he stayed in same hotel as the Liverpool squad with his son and said that in the days before the game that Moores and Parry where in the hotel but he said that they looked like dodgy ticket touts dressed in tracksuits, shorts, cheap supporters T-Shirts and that from the outside looking in, their appearance give the impression of an amateurish set-up in comparison to the other suits in attendence from the media world, Uefa and other clubs in attendence. He said he wasn't surprised at the f**k up they made of the sale from that experience of seeing them on the biggest stage for a club team.

Always wondered about Moores and his family in general. Leaving aside the fact that he sold the club to the cowboys that he did which is bad enough would it not be a case that the Moores are at least partly responsible for the situation the club is in?? They stood idly by and watch other clubs with much smaller fanbases and potential develop their stadiums and commercial interests while they didn't do anything?? Liverpools problems didn't all appear when the Yanks bowled up.

Thats just an opinion looking from afar and I'll accept correction from any of you that understand the situation better..

That line of thinking would be quite common amongst Liverpool fans. Liverpool was run in an amateur fashion for years and then when they eventually sold the club they made a complete hames of it.

[supersarsfields]

<sup>Brand new Roo: Prodigy breaks Rooney's records
Wed May 26 11:36AM

Wayne Rooney's schoolboy record of scoring 72 goals in a season has been broken by 11-year-old Gerard Garner.
The Liverpool Boys star equalled Rooney's record from the 1996/97 season - achieved with the same team - with two matches left to play.

He then broke it with a goal in the North West Cup Final against Macclesfield before ending his season with a hat-trick against Wirral to sign off a 76-goal season.

"I never thought I would get anywhere near the record at the start of the season," said Garner. "I didn't even know there was one until much later!"

The incredible season has helped his side win all 39 of their matches this season, with the star player himself notching eight hat-tricks as they collected an astonishing nine trophies. Among those hat-tricks he scored four in a match on three occasions and five twice.

The Kirkby-born left-footer attended the same school as Rooney - Our Lady & St Swithun's primary school in Croxteth - and is heading to the same secondary school in September, and is already being tipped to follow the Rooney path to a glorious career.

Yet the lifelong Liverpool fan - who signed for the club at age six - actually prefers Spanish striker Fernando Torres to the England talisman.

"Wayne is a great player and I enjoy watching him," he explained.

"But I have been signed up by the Liverpool Academy and really like Fernando Torres.

"For me, he is my sort of striker and I love to watch him play and score."

And despite his exploits, the boy they nickname 'Jazza' still has his size-five boots well and truly on the ground.

"I'm only part of a team and I want to thank my team-mates for helping me break the record, and those who coached me," he added. "I couldn't have done it without them."</sup>



I reckon get him in the squad for pre season and see how he goes from there.

[Doogie Browser]

WTF was that clip of Rafa and Sammy Wee on Sky about this morning?  They were dancing on stage at the Liverpool Academy I think.

[GalwayBayBoy]

<sup>Brand new Roo: Prodigy breaks Rooney's records
Wed May 26 11:36AM

Wayne Rooney's schoolboy record of scoring 72 goals in a season has been broken by 11-year-old Gerard Garner.
The Liverpool Boys star equalled Rooney's record from the 1996/97 season - achieved with the same team - with two matches left to play.

He then broke it with a goal in the North West Cup Final against Macclesfield before ending his season with a hat-trick against Wirral to sign off a 76-goal season.

"I never thought I would get anywhere near the record at the start of the season," said Garner. "I didn't even know there was one until much later!"

The incredible season has helped his side win all 39 of their matches this season, with the star player himself notching eight hat-tricks as they collected an astonishing nine trophies. Among those hat-tricks he scored four in a match on three occasions and five twice.

The Kirkby-born left-footer attended the same school as Rooney - Our Lady & St Swithun's primary school in Croxteth - and is heading to the same secondary school in September, and is already being tipped to follow the Rooney path to a glorious career.

Yet the lifelong Liverpool fan - who signed for the club at age six - actually prefers Spanish striker Fernando Torres to the England talisman.

"Wayne is a great player and I enjoy watching him," he explained.

"But I have been signed up by the Liverpool Academy and really like Fernando Torres.

"For me, he is my sort of striker and I love to watch him play and score."

And despite his exploits, the boy they nickname 'Jazza' still has his size-five boots well and truly on the ground.

"I'm only part of a team and I want to thank my team-mates for helping me break the record, and those who coached me," he added. "I couldn't have done it without them."</sup>



I reckon get him in the squad for pre season and see how he goes from there.

Knows where the goal is anyway. Remember the name.

[EC Unique]

No longer like a lady... Now like a 12 year old boy!

[The Real Laoislad]

A haircut won't stop Vidic being scared shitless of him

[J70]

Glad to see the club have erected a plaque at Anfield in memory of the Heysel victims. About time, although I guess it is a delicate issue.

[blewuporstuffed]

BENITEZ WILL GET TRANSFER FUNDS - HICKS

Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks plans to back manager Rafael Benitez this summer with a "substantial" transfer budget.

Despite the Texan and fellow American George Gillett putting the club up for sale last month Hicks claims they are prepared to give Benitez the funds to put things right after a dismal season.

That will be welcome news to the Spaniard, who has spent much of his time since the sale was announced trying to find out from chairman Martin Broughton - brought in to oversee the process - exactly what funds would be available during the ongoing uncertainty.

However, until that cash is forthcoming there will be others aside from Benitez who doubt whether Hicks can follow through on his pledge.

Hicks also stressed that star players like Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard would not be sold to generate income.

"We have no intention of selling any of our top players and we have a substantial transfer budget in place," said Hicks.

"There's so much misinformation about transfer spending. It's more than doubled under the ownership of George and myself from the previous three years and we will make a significant investment this summer. It's really about getting the right players."

The Americans have made lofty promises before, most notably when they took over in March 2007 promising to improve the club and build a new stadium in Stanley Park, but failed to deliver.

If Hicks follows through with his offer of transfer riches to Benitez it may make the club a more attractive proposition to outside investors.

But it is unlikely to improve his and Gillett's tarnished reputation among supporters, who have campaigned for a long time for the pair to leave.

"There's been so much misinformation put out by people who have their own agendas and it's unfortunate," said Hicks in response to the sustained criticism he has faced.

"But the truth is the club is much better off than it was three years ago.

"We've done our best. I'm disappointed on a personal level that our efforts have not been received as well as I wish they had been."

And Hicks, who remains committed to his high valuation of Liverpool, said they would not sell to the club to anyone they did not think was worthy.

"I think I have said £600-£800million is not an unrealistic value range, but the market's the market. We'll see," he told Sky Sports News.

"We will sell the club. We're not going to sell it to the wrong group, we're not going to sell it for the wrong price, we're going to do it in a very thoughtful way.

"I don't anticipate it will be done necessarily before the beginning of the next season. We hope it gets done by the end of the calendar year.

"We're more concerned about finding the right next owner, somebody that can make the investment in the club to get the stadium built, and to let Liverpool be the best possible football club in the world."

[bingobus]

So much shite in his interview ith Sky. They are sadly deluded if they think that the club is worth 600-800m based on the fact that they have planning permission for a stadium in a green field. Idiots.

The reality is nearer that the best scenerio made be for RBS to take control and sell the club from under these two clowns.

[Gabriel_Hurl]

25 years since Heysel

RIP to the 39

[brokencrossbar1]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article7142868.ece#lfc

Liverpool have attempted to pave the way for Rafael Benitez's departure by offering their manager a compromise deal to leave the club this summer.

In what amounts to a vote of no confidence in Benitez, the Liverpool board approved a proposal to the Spaniard which would see him depart Anfield with a lucrative pay off worth in the region of £3 million up front.

According to the terms of the five-year contract he signed in March 2009, Benitez is entitled to a £16 million severance package but given their current financial predicament there is no possibility of Liverpool being able to come up with that kind of money, regardless of their desire to bring about a change of manager.

As such, the club's hierarchy is hoping that Benitez will stand aside without demanding the windfall that he would otherwise due or else they will have no option but to allow him to continue in the role he has been in since the summer of 2004 in the knowledge that he is no longer wanted.
   

Though Benitez is yet to accept the offer, the chances of a compromise being reached were raised by indications from the 50-year-old that he would not be able to take the club any further if, as expected, the current restrictions on transfer spending are extended into another summer. Despite claims by co-owner Tom Hicks last week that Liverpool are set to spend big in the coming months, the reality is that their transfer budget is currently limited to £15 million at most and there are yet to be any assurances that they will be able to re-invest the proceeds from player sales to any great extent.

Had Benitez received the guarantees he had been looking for during talks with Martin Broughton, Liverpool's chairman, then the current situation would not have arisen but with both parties unable to envisage a way of working together for the good of the club a parting of the ways now looks increasingly inevitable.

Such is Liverpool's palsied fiscal state, they recently posted record annual losses of £55 million and are saddled with debts totalling £351 million, Broughton was simply unable to offer Benitez the guarantees he was looking for and after a desperately disappointing campaign in which they finished seventh in the Barclays Premier League and failed to qualify for next season's Champions League the club's hierarchy would not have been keen to extend Benitez's tenure anyway.

Inter Milan ready to offer Benitez an escape route to Italy should he show any willingness to follow in the footsteps of Jose Mourinho, his managerial arch rival, although Benitez's agent, Manuel Garcia Quillon, has insisted that the reigning European and Italian champions have not made any contact with his client.

"I don't know anything about Inter," Quillon said. "No one has contacted me, it's just transfer speculation."

Massimo Moratti, the Inter president, is a confirmed admirer of Benitez and is monitoring his position. On Monday, he made his admiration and his interest public when he told reporters that "I have always thought Benitez is a good coach, but he is linked with Liverpool" and he will be encouraged by the fact that those links now appear to be loosening.

It would be problematic for Liverpool to find a top class replacement given that they cannot offer managerial candidates either a squad that is equipped for a title challenge or a substantial transfer package to tempt them. The situation is further complicated by the fact that the club is up for sale and the Liverpool board may not feel able to offer Benitez's successor a long-term contract in case potential investors are not impressed by their choice. That could mean a temporary manger is the only viable solution, at least until a buyer is found.

It is against this backdrop of managerial intrigue and endemic uncertainty at Anfield that Real Madrid have raised the stakes in their bid to sign Steven Gerrard. The front page of yesterday's Marca, the newspaper that is most associated with Real, carried a picture of the Liverpool captain and a story revealing that he is Jose Mourinho's number one transfer target.

Though adamant that Gerrard is not for sale, Liverpool are bracing themselves for an offer, probably in the region of €30 million, from Real and Pepe Reina is hoping that both club and player will resist the overtures from the Spanish giants.

"I hope Gerrard will not go to Real Madrid and that he will stay with Liverpool for a long time, that he will be with us for the rest of his career," the goalkeeper said. "I understand that something will happen, that Real Madrid are interested in Gerrard because Mourinho knows him very well and he is a footballer who can play in any team in the world."

Barrett is normally a reliable source but I was reading elsewhere that he supposedly copied a report from someone else.  Either way it does not look or read good for Rafa.  TBH, if he does go who is likely to come?  WIth no money to spend, no stability over the ownership, the possibility that 2-3 of the best players we have are looking out, it would be a horrible job for anyone to step in.  The other thing too is that if there are new owners they will want their own man.

Load of pish the whole thing

[stew]

Rafa gone to inter by the weekend, done deal.

[Geoff Tipps]

Looks like he's on the way out alright. Would be sad to see him go but perhaps it's best for all parties. The 2 names that are cropping up according to SSN are Hiddink and Grant.Please God let it be Hiddink.