The OFFICIAL Liverpool Supporters thread

[The Real Laoislad]

Arbeloa is a tremendous right-back

You should put that on the Corny one for a Friday thread,It will be the best joke ever on it

[stevo-08]

Lads, I just read an interesting article in 'Kop' paper that may explain some of Benitez's transfer positioning, and targets.

Apparently, for the 2008-2009 Champions League season, all teams must include at least 8 'home grown' players in the 25 man squad.  'Home grown' means that the player, of any nationality, who have, between the ages of 15 and 21, trained for at least 3 years in the COUNTRY in which the club plays in.

In addition, 4 members of the 25 man squad, must have trained at the club's own academy for 3 seasons before they were 21.

So, from Liverpool's perspective, the squad last year had exactly 8 players 'hown grown'. Steve Finnan, Harry Kewell, Stevie G, Peter Crouch, Jermaine Pennant, Jamie Carragher, Stephen Darby and David Martin.

If we had those 8 next year, we'd be okay for the first criterium. However with only Gerrard, Carragher and Darby eligible under the acadamy rules, we would have been 1 short there.

With Kewell, Crouch, Finnan and maybe Pennant on the way out, Rafa will probably have to sign 4 'home grown' players this year.....

If he doesn't we could have Gerrard, Carragher plus 6 young lads. As it stands, he will have to add someone like Nemeth or Threlfall or someone like that to make up the 4th spot of the acadamy players.

It helps understand why Barry is such a target, and Keane rather than Villa. Expect another 1 or 2 low level players to make up the squad, or else the likes of Pennant to stay.

Just checked uefa site. Basically says numbers 18-25 on the squad are reserved for "Locally Based Players". A Locally based player can be either club trained (registered with his present club between age 15-21) or association trained (registered with any club in the country of his current club between age 15-21). Also, no more than 4 association trained players in the 8 places between 18-25.

However the only penalty for having fewer than the above numbers is a reduction in the maximum squad of 25. So I doubt it's the main reason behind Rafa's transfers.

I think those have been the champions league requirements for a few seasons now az

uladh, the rule was there in previous years but it was 6 players (squad nos 20-25) rather than 8.

[GalwayBayBoy]

Degen is a right-back.

Don't know if he's any good but he's a right-back.

Well he couldn't get his place on a poor enough Swiss side, but it remains to be seen I suppose.

He was a regular in the Swiss team but only recovered from a bad inury right before the Euros. Had lost his place by then. Remains to be seen how he does but I've heard he is very good going forward. Not so good defending.

[The Real Laoislad]

Degen is a right-back.

Don't know if he's any good but he's a right-back.

Well he couldn't get his place on a poor enough Swiss side, but it remains to be seen I suppose.

He was a regular in the Swiss team but only recovered from a bad inury right before the Euros. Had lost his place by then. Remains to be seen how he does but I've heard he is very good going forward. Not so good defending.

We just sold someone like that 

[Mentalman]

He was a regular in the Swiss team but only recovered from a bad inury right before the Euros. Had lost his place by then. Remains to be seen how he does but I've heard he is very good going forward. Not so good defending.

Not to worry, that's what Liverpool have Kuyt for

[Mentalman]

Degen is a right-back.

Don't know if he's any good but he's a right-back.

Well he couldn't get his place on a poor enough Swiss side, but it remains to be seen I suppose.

He was a regular in the Swiss team but only recovered from a bad inury right before the Euros. Had lost his place by then. Remains to be seen how he does but I've heard he is very good going forward. Not so good defending.

We just sold someone like that 

Risse unfortunately wasn't particularly good at either!

[stevo-08]

Rafa promises big-name striker
Rafa Benitez says there will be at least one new striker at Liverpool this summer, but admits no end is in sight over the Gareth Barry saga.

The Liverpool boss has admitted his exasperation at the drawn-out campaign to prise Barry from Aston Villa, which shows no sign of ending.

And the Spaniard has also revealed the growing financial problems he is having in the transfer market.

He admits that Tottenham skipper Robbie Keane is a target, but although he is also a big fan of Valencia and Spain striker David Villa, a move seems unlikely.

Benitez unveiled two new full-backs on Thursday, Swiss international Philipp Degen and £6million Italian defender Andrea Dossena, and expects to formally announce a £3million deal for Brazilian goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri in the near future.

But it has become increasingly obvious that Benitez is working with a much smaller budget than was expected at the end of last season when figures of £25-30million were being suggested as a potential kitty.

He admitted: "We know the situation regarding what we can spend, and we are trying to find solutions if we do not have enough money.

"And we will still try to sign players that will make us better. But if you do not have too much money, and that is clear, we will have to have a little bit of imagination to progress in the market.

"Everyone knows what our ideas are and what players we want. We are working hard with different names now, and at the moment that is not (David) Villa.

"We will have another main striker before the season starts, maybe two."

He added: "We had our ideas at the end of the season. We have tried to use players to raise money for business in the past, sometimes selling players who have not settled down.

"This summer it is very much the same idea. We know we will have to sell some players if we want some cash. So we have to do that.

"The fans must trust us, we are working hard during the summer with a lot of people in different countries working for us.

"We have a new keeper. And we are looking for a lot of players for the right price.

"Now if we want to spend we can do it. But we have to be careful what we do spend."

There have been rumours for weeks that Benitez is working with very little money, although sources insist that he can complete the deal for Barry without selling Xabi Alonso.

That deal - with Juventus - has also gone cold and Benitez revealed: "The situation with Alonso has not changed.

"Juventus made an offer that was not good enough and now we are just waiting. I do not know, really, whether that will go through.

"Xabi wants to stay because he is happy here but he also knows that Juventus is a top side. I have talked to him, he knows my ideas and he knows why. So we will try to find a solution for him, for us, and the best for the club."

Liverpool have been linked continually with Irish striker Keane.

Benitez said: "David Villa is one of the players on our list, but at this moment I do not see it being an option for us.

"Keane is also one of the names we are interested in, and we are still working on other possible situations.

"There has been some contact (over Keane) but we will have to see how things progress."

On Villa, he added: "We know he is a very good player, we know the price, and we know the players we have. At this moment he is not our target.

"We are still waiting on Gareth Barry. I prefer now not to say anything and to wait."

Sources at the club claim the price for the Villa midfielder could have risen above the £18million the midlanders' manager Martin O'Neill was believed to want.

There is a growing frustration at Anfield with the continual shifting of the position, and the elimination from the deal of several Reds players who initially interested Villa, but who are now not on O'Neill's wishlist.

And now the fact that Barry is banned from Villa's training ground and has already missed a week of vital pre-season work is also worrying Liverpool and could, it is claimed, affect their willingness to meet Villa's demands regarding the fee.

With Aston Villa away at a Swiss training camp, and Liverpool soon to be in the same country next week at their own base, the conclusion of the Barry saga looks some way off.

[EC Unique]

Can't understand why Liverpool would sell Crouch and then buy Keane. Both of equal worth to the team. Maybe Crouch did not want so much bench time but would Keane be happy?

Well that's only true if you view both of them as being similiar. Which they aren't. Crouch can only play right up the top where Torres likes to play while Keane can play right up the top, he can play in behind a front man and he could play as part of a front three. As well as being more versatile than Crouch he has a better goalscoring record than him in the league.

Might have something to do with the fact that he played far more games in the league

[Hound]

Crouch could only play in the very few games where either we played 4-4-2 or Torres was rested/injured. That was it.

Keane can do that, but can also play in any of the front 4 positions when Rafa goes 4-2-3-1.  Therefore he should be a far more useful/valuable player than Crouch.

[magpie seanie]

Will his patented "run away from the ball pretending it was a dummy" be the key to ending Liverpools long wait for the title?

[corn02]

Fowler for Baclburn - God could be back in the Premiership.

Btw Insua will make a big impact this year.

[full back]

Was shocked when I heard about Fowler & Blackburn.
Thought that was it over for him when he went to Cardiff - and he didnt exactly set the world alight there
Perhaps Ince is looking after his mate & former playing colleague

[corn02]

Sounds a bit like that but who cares if Fowler gets to run around the premierhsip again.

[GalwayBayBoy]

Liverpool have today confirmed the signing of goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri from Brazilian outfit Palmeiras. 
The 25-year-old has penned a four-year contract with the Reds and will act as understudy to Pepe Reina in the Liverpool goal.
 
After becoming the third major arrival at Anfield over the summer, Cavalieri - who was born in Brazil but holds an Italian passport - is now looking forward to the chance of establishing himself in the Premier League.
 
"I know it won't be easy to get into the team," he told Liverpoolfc.tv in his first interview since arriving in England. "I watched some Liverpool games in both the Premier League and Champions League last year and I know Pepe is a very good goalkeeper. But everyone has to fight for their place and I'm sure we will have a healthy rivalry.
 

"I know I will have to be patient and work very hard to achieve my aims – but it is always like that when you come from another country. You have to adapt inside and outside of the pitch and get used to the way things work. But with hard work you get there.
 
"My confidence has got me where I am today and maybe people are aware of what I did at Palmeiras in Brazil. I am sure that one day I can get the number one position but that will only come with hard work."
 
Cavalieri, who cites countrymen Taffarel and Marcos as his role models, admits he hasn't had much time to dwell on his dream move to Europe, with everything happening in the space of a week.
 
Despite the haste in which his life has been turned upside down, the shot-stopper claims he didn't hesitate to pack up his gloves once Liverpool showed an interest.
 
"I feel very privileged and happy to have signed for Liverpool because everyone knows they are one of the top clubs in the world," he explained. "The name 'Liverpool' is known all around the world. It's an honour to wear this shirt.
 

"It was a dream for me to come to Europe, though I was taken aback by how quickly everything happened. It's all been sorted out in one week.
 
"But I have been given a very good welcome from my teammates and the manager, so I'm very happy to be here. I just hope I can respond to all this.
 
"Rafa and I spoke for a long time on the day I arrived. He explained to me how the football is here and the differences from Brazil. He also talked to me about the responsibilities of representing a club like Liverpool."
 
Cavalieri is now the third Brazilian at Melwood alongside Fabio Aurelio and Lucas.
 
The pair have already offered their services in helping the new boy settle into the English way of life – not that the move to Europe is as daunting as it once was.
 
Ever increasing numbers of South Americans are now cutting their teeth in the Premier League, a trend Cavalieri doesn't expect to change.
 
He explained: "I had an opportunity to talk to Lucas and Fabio when I arrived and they have welcomed me with open arms. They said that if there is anything I need they will help me. I'm very pleased that I'll be playing alongside some Brazilians.
 
"I think the quality of the Brazilian players means they can come to Europe. Every day you hear about new players coming through. Also, the European market is very strong and it's very difficult for the Brazilian market to compete." 

[The Real Laoislad]

Sounds a bit like that but who cares if Fowler gets to run around the premierhsip again.

I for one would be delighted for him