Red hot for Roy: Why Hodgson became Liverpool's most wanted...

Roy Hodgson will be unveiled as the new Liverpool manager this afternoon. With Fabio Capello fighting to keep the England job after a disastrous World Cup, Hodgson had also been touted as a leading contender to replace the Italian. How has the 62-year-old from Croydon become the hottest asset in English football?
Fulham had just reached the Europa League semi-final courtesy of a 1-0 win in Wolfsburg - at that point arguably the biggest game in their 131-year history - and Roy Hodgson was asked how he felt to be flying the flag for English football. 'It'll help our UEFA co-efficient,' he replied, without a hint of irony.
It was pure Hodgson: straightlaced to the point of suffocation but making an intelligent, considered point. He does not deal in vacuous, off-the-cuff soundbites and devours Jewish-American fiction (Philip Roth, Isaac Bashevis Singer and Saul Bellow) in his spare time.
Hodgson is a manager who spends his days honing, organising and coaching on the training pitch. He was - briefly, from 1972-73 at Alleyn's School in south-west London - a PE teacher, after all.
'Of course it's nice for people to believe some managers are born with a magical quality that will transform bad into good, but I don't,' he says. 'It's about leadership skills, practice, repetition and bloody hard work.'
Repetition is the cornerstone of Hodgson's success. There were grumblings from within Fabio Capello's World Cup squad that the Italian didn't spend enough time on 'pattern of play' drills, but Hodgson's Fulham did this every day. Fellow coaches and managers, such as Steve Coppell and Glenn Roeder, often attended sessions to watch the 62-year-old in action.
'Every day in training is geared towards team shape on the match day coming up,' said midfielder Simon Davies. 'Every day is team shape and it shows.
'He gets the 11 that he wants on a match day and he drills everything in that he wants. There are no diagrams. It's all on the pitch with the ball, nothing unopposed.'
Hodgson has described his approach as 'player-orientated'. Words 'spill out left, right and centre' from a man who speaks five languages. His players know exactly what he expects and how they can be successful in their ascribed roles. They also know who's playing more than two hours before kick-off.
After failing to make the grade at Crystal Palace and playing non- League football, Hodgson gained his full coaching badge aged just 23. He followed the likes of Don Howe, Sir Bobby Robson and Terry Venables - tracksuited English coaches who relished their 'time on the grass', as Robson called it.
With Hodgson it was 11 versus 11 every day, the manager stopping play to make a tactical or technical point, or to tell a player they weren't in the right position at the right time. Hodgson was at the heart of everything, in his shorts with his socks pulled up to his knees.
Zoltan Gera said: 'We do the same thing in every session and sometimes it gets boring but we know it's working so I'm happy to do it. Put it this way, when I wake up in the middle of the night I know what I need to do in the game, I know everything about how we play.'
Fulham players could have slotted back into position in their sleep last season but, for all Hodgson's emphasis on repetition, he is not a man resistant to change. Quite the opposite, in fact. It is part of the reason the League Managers' Association's manager of the year has rarely been out of work during a 33-year coaching career.
At Fulham he introduced a basketball defensive system, called a 'zonal trap', where his team moved as a unit when protecting their goal. When he joined Inter Milan in 1995 he asked Italian World Cup winner Giuseppe Bergomi, who had always marked man-to-man, to mark zonally. The team switched from a libero system to a back four and Hodgson asked Bergomi to play at right back.
After taking over at Hamstad in 1976, his first management role, Hodgson and his great friend Bob Houghton revolutionised Swedish football. They abandoned man-to-man marking all over the field in favour of a zonal approach. It is no wonder Hodgson tends to bristle at the suggestion he is an old-fashioned manager.
Now he will find himself rebuilding a Liverpool side bereft of confidence and star quality, against a backdrop of high expectations. Hodgson will need to draw heavily on those decades of experience.

Liverpool: Hodgson Targets Hangeland

Roy Hodgson hasn't been appointed as the new Liverpool Boss yet however his appointment is believed to be a mere formality after a compensation pack was agreed with Fulham and his terms of a contract, for two years, were also agreed rumoured to have been agreed on Tuesday night.

Even though the club hasn't confirmed this appointed the rumours of whom he'll bring from Fulham with him to Anfield have started. Norwegian defender Brede Hangeland is believed to be his top target and having secured his continued services at Craven Cottage despite interest from Arsenal last season Hodgson will, if confirmed as our Boss, look to tempt him to Merseyside.

This all sounds good and well, if we even need a central defender as a priority which I don't think we do, but with Fulham looking for a rumoured £7m for the 29 year old how are we going to pay that?

Read more: http://www.liverpool.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=203215#ixzz0sKYYXDBY

Roy Hodgson given cautious welcome by Liverpool FC fan groups

LIVERPOOL FC fans groups today cautiously greeted the imminent appointment of Roy Hodgson as manager.

They questioned who had made the decision to appoint the Fulham boss as successor to Rafael Benitez.

Others said some in the Kop will mourn the loss of a chance to see Anfield legend Kenny Dalglish back at the helm.

But they also called for 62-year-old Hodgson, who will now have to deal with a huge spike in expectations, to be given enough space to grow in to one of European football’s top jobs.

James McKenna, spokes man for Spirit of Shankly fans group, told the ECHO: “It’s obvious we need a manager, but we have had a few weeks without decisions being made in the boardroom.

“A lot of fans are asking ‘who’s made this decision?’ Has George Gillett made the decision or was it Christian Purslow?

"Who with a footballing background has decided that Roy Hodgson is the right man for Liverpool Football Club?

“Christian Purslow was meant to find a buyer for the club – but what qualifies him to make decisions about who’s going to be the manager?

“And what support is he going to get from the boardroom? The past shows that there’s been massive tensions between the manager and the boardroom.

“There’s a real worry that it’s been done more to steady the ship, rather than push the club forward again.”

Les Lawson, 47, secretary of the official LFC supporters association also said: “I think there will be a mixed reaction from supporters with regards to his appointment.

"A lot of supporters would have liked to see Kenny given the opportunity again – someone who’s got Liverpool blood running through his veins and who’s managed us successfully before.

“I’m sure the fans will get behind him.

"He is our manager, he may not have been the fans’ choice but ultimately he’s in charge.

"He has got to be given the opportunity to do the job to the best of his ability.

“What he achieved at Fulham would have been unacceptable if he achieved it here – there’s more expectation.”

Roy Hodgson is the new Liverpool FC manager

ROY HODGSON will be officially named Liverpool FC’s new manager today (Wednesday).

The 62-year-old is due on Merseyside to complete the formalities of signing a contract after the Reds agreed a compensation package in the region of £2million with Fulham for his release.

Cordial negotiations have been ongoing in the past 72 hours between Liverpool’s Managing Director Christian Purslow and Fulham Chief Executive Alastair Mackintosh and they have now reached a successful conclusion.
Though Liverpool – who have remained tight-lipped throughout their search to replace Rafa Benitez – were linked with a clutch of names, Hodgson was always the number one candidate.

Other names in the frame included former Real Madrid boss Manuel Pellegrini, Galatasary’s Frank Rijkaard and Didier Deschamps of Marseille, while Kenny Dalglish also made it clear he was desperate to take the job on.

Dalglish had initially been named as part of the recruitment process but he was desperate to have a second crack at the post he occupied between 1985 and 1991 when he felt his claims were as strong as the other candidates.

The board, though, were anxious to pursue Hodgson and Liverpool will be his 16th job in a managerial career that has spanned almost 35 years.

His first post was with Swedish side Halmstads in 1976 and he enjoyed instant success, leading them to two Swedish titles; he would later coach Malmo after a brief stint with Bristol City.
Success in charge of the Swiss national team led to him being appointed Inter Milan manager in 1995 and the highlight of his time at the San Siro was an appearance in the 1997 UEFA Cup final appearance, which they lost on penalties to Schalke 04.

Hodgson’s first crack at the Premier League came later that year, when he took over at Blackburn, but things did not go according to plan at Ewood Park – despite qualifying for Europe, he was sacked in December 1998.
Stints with Udinese, the United Arab Emirates, Viking Stavanger and Finland followed before Fulham turned to him in December 2007 and he successfully led their battle to avoid the drop, which they did thanks to a last day with at Portsmouth.

After that, his time at Craven Cottage went from strength to strength and he enhanced his reputation while transforming Fulham’s fortunes, guiding them to their highest Premier League finish and an appearance in the Europa League final.

Now he has a fresh challenge and Hodgson, the LMA’s current Manager of the Year, will meet those Liverpool players who have not been at the World Cup tomorrow when they return for pre-season training.

It had been mooted that Hodgson, who is expected to bring his trusted assistant Mike Kelly with him to Anfield, would be favourite to become England manager if the Football Association decided to sack Fabio Capello.

However, it is understood the delay in Hodgson being appointed to his new role had nothing to do with him waiting to see what happened with England.

One of Hodgson’s first jobs at Anfield will be to ratify Yossi Benayoun’s move to Chelsea after the clubs agreed a fee in the region of £6m for the Israeli midfielder.

New Liverpool FC manager will decide on who stays or goes

NOBODY will be leaving Liverpool until the club has appointed a new manager, according to Christian Purslow.

The Anfield managing director has responded to speculation linking Emiliano Insua with a move to Fiorentina.

The Serie A club are pursuing the youngster but Purslow insists decisions on any departures will be made by Rafael Benitez’s successor as and when he is installed.

“At this moment the only objective of the club is to find a new coach and then to evaluate the whole roster of players with him,” said Purlsow, who is leading the club’s search for a new manager.

“I cannot confirm the interest of Fiorentina for Insua, even if in Italy he is highly regarded, for example at Lazio who often came to see him in person last season.

“I don’t think the player wants to leave Liverpool.

“When and where he’ll do this request, regardless of the difficulties of the club, we’ll talk.”

Purslow knows that Liverpool have more chance of attracting their top managerial targets with the current playing staff in place.
That means moves for the likes of Chelsea target Yossi Benayoun and midfielder Javier Mascherano, who is being linked with Barcelona as well as Inter Milan, will not be sanctioned while the manager’s office remains vacant.

However, Liverpool could be faced with a battle to appoint Roy Hodgson should England fail to make the last 16 at the World Cup tomorrow.

Odds have been slashed for the Fulham manager to replace Fabio Capello, who is expected to be sacked or resign as England manager if his team slip up against Slovenia.

Hodgson heads Liverpool’s shortlist but the 62-year-old is said to have told friends he would accept the England role over any club job in the twilight of his career.

Royal Bank of Scotland turn up the heat on Liverpool FC owners

THE Royal Bank of Scotland are ready to turn up the heat on George Gillett and Tom Hicks to pursue a quick sale of Liverpool Football Club.

Liverpool supporters bombarded RBS Chief Executive Stephen Hester with an email campaign recently, aimed at getting the bank to reconsider the financing deal they have in place with the Reds’ co-owners.

A substantial part of Liverpool’s £237m debt is owed to the government-owned RBS and Hicks and Gillett were forced to re-negotiate an extension on the terms of the deal back in spring.

The RBS have made it clear they are prepared to be patient to maximise Liverpool’s hopes of obtaining a successful sale of the club but they do not want it dragging on unnecessarily – as they want to see the Reds flourishing.

An email to one Reds’ fan from Roger Lowry, the RBS’ head of public affairs, read: “We are confident that the Chairman and the Board will be mindful of the need to avoid any unnecessary delay in concluding a sale, as it is in no one’s interest to risk deterioration in the performance of the Club prior to it being sold.

“Our common goal is the long-term success of Liverpool Football Club and the Bank’s primary objective is to ensure financial stability, so that the Club can continue to perform both on and off the football pitch.

“There is little more I can add at this juncture, only to reiterate we are supportive of the steps that have been taken and we hope to have the opportunity to continue our financial support for the Club under its new ownership, once determined.”
Meanwhile, Daniel Agger – who is hoping to help Denmark make it through to the World Cup’s last 16 – has reiterated his commitment to Liverpool.

The classy central defender was brought to the club by Rafa Benitez and was once linked with a move to AC Milan before he signed a contract extension last year.

“I have no thoughts about leaving Liverpool,” he said.

“I have a four-year contract, I intend to stay and I want to stay, no matter who the manager is. I think my team-mates feel the same.”

Ex-Liverpool FC winger Mark Gonzalez sends Chile to verge of World Cup last 16

FORMER Liverpool winger Mark Gonzalez came off the bench to head Chile to within touching distance of the last 16.

The 25-year-old, now at CSKA Moscow, struck with 15 minutes remaining as Switzerland, reduced to 10 men when Valon Behrami was sent off before the break, finally succumbed at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth.

His goal will send the South Americans into their final Group H clash with Spain knowing a point will be enough to take them through to the knockout stages.

Behrami, having tangled with Jean Beausejour, did so with Vidal and saw the midfielder go to ground clutching his face.

Referee Khalil Al Ghamdi had little hesitation in producing a red card and the Swiss were very much on the back foot.

In truth, they had been already for much of the first half with Chile’s midfield trio of Vidal, Carmona - who will miss the final group game against Spain after picking up a second booking - and Matias Fernandez repeatedly causing problems.

Switzerland offered little in response and skipper Alex Frei, who missed the opening game through injury, departed before the break having struggled to make an impact.

Grichting made a fine 69th-minute block to deny substitute Esteban Paredes, but it was he who did the damage with 15 minutes remaining when he rounded Benaglio and crossed for Gonzalez to power a downward header in off the underside of the bar.

Swiss substitute Eren Derdiyok passed up a glorious opportunity to level with seconds remaining when he fired wide.

Dirk Kuyt hopes England captain Steven Gerrard stays at Liverpool FC

DIRK KUYT was disappointed to see Rafael Benitez leave his post as Liverpool boss and hopes the Spaniard will not be followed out of Anfield by captain Steven Gerrard.

Benitez left Liverpool by mutual consent earlier this month to bring an end to a six-year tenure that was highlighted by his Champions League success in 2005.

Kuyt was signed by Benitez from Dutch side Feyenoord a year later and the 29-year-old forward admitted he would be forever thankful to the Spaniard for giving him his chance in English football.

“I was sad to see Rafa go. He was the manager who brought me over to Liverpool and I think he is a great manager,” he said.

“He was very important for Liverpool.

"He won the Champions League and did wonderful things for the club.

“I would just like to thank Rafa for bringing me to Liverpool and making me the player I am now.”
Following Benitez’s departure there have been fears that Gerrard could follow him out of the club, with new Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho keen on luring a player he almost signed while he was at Chelsea.

That would be a major blow to Liverpool’s hopes next season in the eyes of Kuyt, after they could only manage a seventh-place finish last term.

“I wouldn’t like to see Stevie G go. Everyone wants to keep Stevie at the club,” he added.

“He is the captain of the team, he’s very important and his heart is bleeding Liverpool.

“But I don’t know what will happen. It’s just up to him and the club.

“I have spoken to Stevie while I’ve been here but we just talked about football – not his future.”

Riera changes mind again, wants to stay at Liverpool

Spanish winger Albert Riera says that he would like to stay at Liverpool, despite having recently said that he wants to leave and having complained that the club hasn’t fought to keep him.
The 28-year-old's latest change of mind is likely connected to the Anfield exit of Rafa Benitez.

Riera launched a scathing attack on the former Liverpool boss back in March, saying, "The team's playing badly and needs changes. It is a sinking ship. But in the two years I have been here Benitez has never managed a situation with a player by talking to him."

A proposed move to Russia then fell through and having been frozen out by Benitez for the final two months of the season, he said last month that his Anfield career is over, commenting, "The club has not put up any fight for me. I do not want to quarrel with somebody, but if a club doesn't fight for you, that means that they don't want you. I do not want to be in a place where I am not wanted."

Now in the lastest twist, the former Espanyol and Bordeaux player has stated that he wishes to stay at Liverpool.

Riera is quoted in the Daily Mirror today saying, "Honestly, if I can, I am going to stay at Liverpool because it is a top club. But, at the moment, the door is open for me. So, I really don't know."

Riera joined Liverpool from Espanyol for £8m two years ago, but he made only fifteen appearances last season, having been a first-team regular during his first season at the club.

Ex-Liverpool FC manager Rafa Benitez donates £96,000 to Hillsborough Family Support Group

Rafa Benitez today donated £96,000 to the Hillsborough Family Support Group as he gets set to leave Merseyside.

The former Liverpool FC boss, who was today confirmed as the new manager at Inter Milan, handed over the cheque to Margaret Aspinall, chairwoman of the HFSG, as the rest of the committee watched on this afternoon.

In a low key visit to the group's office, Benitez wished the group well and told them he hoped they would get the justice and the truth they are campaigning for.

Mrs Aspinall said: "It was just nice to know that he wanted to see us before he went."

Jamie Redknapp: If Liverpool don't appoint King Kenny Dalglish, it'll be another crying shame

Kenny Dalglish is the right man at the right time for Liverpool. He has the quality that
money cannot buy: respect. They should be crying out for his leadership now to
replace Rafa Benitez, who had to go.
I spent some time with Dalglish last week for the UNICEF game at Old Trafford and saw every day the passion and desire — and the knowledge — Kenny still has for football.
If the argument against his appointment is that he has been out of the game too long, you wouldn’t know it speaking to him — line-ups, formations, players. He’s been observing and building his knowledge. He’s ready to return to football.
I still see Liverpool as my club. I was captain and spent more than a decade playing for the club, after Kenny signed me at the age of 17 from Bournemouth.
I remember my first day up there, wondering how I would cope away from my mum and dad. He invited me to stay at his house, where his lovely wife, Marina, cooked chicken and pasta and we spoke about football. Then he told me I had to go to bed.
It was quite early and I was a bit surprised, but you don’t argue with the great Kenny Dalglish. So off I went.
I did as I was told, only to find out the next morning over breakfast that I was in the squad to face Wimbledon. I didn’t know until then, he didn’t tell me, but it was his way
of keeping me calm.
The day he left the club — about a month later — despite the thousands of people he needed to speak to and explain why, he called me and told me that I shouldn’t worry and that Liverpool was my club. I cried my eyes out.
Even last week, Kenny still had that aura about him. He is Liverpool’s Special One.
Benitez won the Champions League and the FA Cup, but it was time for him to go. I speak to some of the Liverpool players, but you don’t have to do that to see how unhappy they were last season. The manager had lost the dressing room. They almost downed tools.
The players were fed up and beaten. You can’t have Liverpool players like that! It reflected in their performances and their final league position. Whoever takes the job has a huge task rebuilding morale and standards.
He will inherit some good players — but not enough. He will have to take on the responsibility of keeping Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres. I just think Kenny, with all his Liverpool history, will have a better chance of achieving that, as well as attracting fresh blood.

I’m not pushing him as a candidate for sentimental reasons. He will need good coaches around him and he will need a budget to improve the playing staff, but there will be no compensation package.
That gives him another advantage over Roy Hodgson and Martin O’Neill, who will both be expensive as they are under contract with rival Barclays Premier League clubs.
Liverpool supporters also hold him close to their heart forever. When he departed Anfield in 1991, he moved on to Blackburn and won the title there, finishing ahead of Manchester United on the last day of the 1994-95 season.
I was in the Liverpool team at Anfield that day — I scored the winning goal in the game against Blackburn which might have taken the title away from Kenny — but you could still feel the emotion from the Kop, once the title was confirmed by West Ham’s 1-1 draw with United.
The modern Liverpool don’t need just a figurehead, but a leader. Kenny can be that man.

Christian Purslow, the new managing director, has been bold with his decision to sack Benitez and now he faces a challenging period searching for the right man. The
right man, in my opinion, is under his nose.
I’ll finish with a story that sums up Kenny. A couple of years ago, he took on the role of manager for the Rest of the World team against England, managed by my dad, Harry Redknapp.
It’s a game where a lot of people give up their time for free, but there is still a lot of competition between the coaches. We won, Kenny’s team lost, but he called it on with my dad, claiming he made a substitution that had broken the rules.
Dad sent on a player who had already been on, but it was a charity game! Kenny wasn’t having it and they had strong words.
This year, when Kenny’s team won, he was delighted with the victory. ‘I see you’re not crying now,’ I said to him at the end. It’s the behaviour of a winner. Kenny Dalglish is a winner. Liverpool need a bit of that right now.

Rafa Benitez returns to Liverpool with £33m offer for Dirk Kuyt and Javier Mascherano

The Italians have finalised an agreement for Rafa Benitez to be their next manager and will present him at the San Siro as soon as the Spaniard cuts short his holiday.
And the 50-year-old, who knows all about the financial constraints at Anfield, is ready to raid his former club for trusted allies.
While there is an interest in Fernando Torres, Inter acknowlege that competing with Chelsea would make it difficult to sign the Spain striker.
Mascherano and Kuyt, however, are more achievable signings and are thought to be open to teaming up with their former boss.
Kuyt was quick to praise the man who took him from Feyenoord to Anfield earlier this week, saying: 'I don’t know for sure who is going to be in charge at Inter, but Benitez is a fantastic coach and would be a great choice for them.
'Working with him is perfect and I am grateful for all he did for me. I was delighted when he asked me to join him at Liverpool, and while we were together, he gave me a lot of good suggestions about how I could improve my game.
'He was good for my career. I have read a lot about what might happen now, if he goes to Inter, but I am just concentrating on the World Cup.
'That is important, because I want to have a good tournament. I have a contract with Liverpool, and I have to respect that, because they are a big club and have been good to me.'
Mascherano pondered a move to Barcelona last summer but has since insisted he is happy at Liverpool.
However, the commitment has not been reciprocated by an acceptable new contract offer and talks with the Reds have been shelved until after the World Cup.
Barcelona are also interested in the Argentina captain but are also looking at cheaper alternatives for the holding role vacancy about to be created by Yaya Toure leaving for either Arsenal or Manchester City.
Tottenham's Wilson Palacios is among those who Barca are considering as an alternative to targeting Mascherano.
Meanwhile, Inter have put aside £25m to move for Valencia and Spain midfielder David Silva, who is also a target for Manchester City and Real Madrid, but is said to be keen to join up again with the manager who brought him through at the Mestalla.
Meanwhile, Benitez's three-year contract at the San Siro is reported to be worth £65,000 a week - less than half of what Inter paid Jose Mourinho.
The European champions were turned down by England boss Fabio Capello, Barcelona's Pep Guardiola and Turkey's former Chelsea chief Guus Hiddink before turning to the man who led Liverpool to seventh in the Barclays Premier League last season.

Paul Dalglish backs father Kenny to land Liverpool FC manager's job

KENNY DALGLISH is desperate to be named as Liverpool's new manager, according to his son Paul.

The former Liverpool Reserves striker has revealed his father's burning ambition to succeed Rafa Benitez in the Anfield hot seat.

And Paul believes the Reds legend, who managed the club between 1985 and 1991, is the ideal man to transform the club's fortunes and provide unity after a dismal campaign.

“I just think that hopefully he does get it because I know how much he wants it,” Paul said.

“To be honest with you it would be an unbelievable story for my dad to be going back.

“Some people say, well what happens if it doesn’t work? He’s been out of the game for 10 years.

“My question is, what if it does work? What person loves Liverpool more than my dad?

“Who would Liverpool fans love to see have success more than my dad? Nothing could make my family more proud. I’d love to see it happen.”
Paul, who lives in America and is head coach of Tampa Bay Rowdies, believes Dalglish and Reds assistant boss Sammy Lee would be the perfect double act.

“Sammy Lee is a great coach and very passionate about Liverpool,” he added.

“He’s the best man for that job. I don’t think they’d sleep at night until they were successful.”

When Benitez left last week, Liverpool announced that Dalglish, who returned to the club as an ambassador last year, would be assisting managing director Christian Purslow in the search for the Spaniard's successor in the Reds hot seat.

Dalglish has been out of management for over a decade since he parted company with Celtic.

However, the 59-year-old, who achieved legendary status at Anfield during a 14-year stay between 1977 and 1991 as first player then manager, would be a popular selection among the majority of the club’s supporters.

And the highly-respected figure could be crucial in helping to convince key players like Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard to stay at the club after the World Cup this summer.

Fulham boss Roy Hodgson is currently the bookies' favourite for the job but Paul insists Kenny would be a much better bet.

“I think my dad is the best person to do the job, I know he wants the job,” Paul said.

“If you look at my dad’s record, he’s had one bad year as a manager, and that was his second year at Newcastle. And he would admit he made some mistakes.

“Even in that terrible year, Newcastle still made it to the FA Cup final. He’s a born winner. He’s an inspiration to everyone connected to Liverpool Football Club. No one can inspire the whole club in these difficult times like my father.

“As for Roy Hodgson, he’s a very good man and he did a very good job taking Fulham to the UEFA Cup final.

“I’m sure given the opportunity, he would do a tremendous job. But I’m biased. I want my dad.”

Odds shorten on Kenny

Odds on Kenny Dalglish becoming the next Liverpool manager are shortening following news that the 59-year-old Scot has withdrawn from the selection panel.
The odds on Dalglish taking over are now down to 6/4 with some bookies as favourite Roy Hodgson slips in the market.

Keep an eye on the prices today as more and more people decide to back the former Anfield legend to take the reigns once more.

Fernando Torres is fit and raring to go in World Cup after injury-hit Liverpool FC season

FERNANDO TORRES has declared himself fighting fit for the start of the World Cup after scoring on his comeback for Spain.

The Liverpool striker made his first appearance since undergoing knee surgery in April as a 66th minute substitute for David Villa in their 6-0 friendly victory over Poland on Tuesday night.

Torres netted Spain’s fifth goal just 10 minutes later after coming on when he fired Pedro Rodriguez’s cross past Tomasz Kuszczak.

“I am very happy because now it is nearly two months after the surgery and I haven’t noticed any problems,” he said.

“It was a very important day to me because to play in the World Cup is most important.

“The minutes I played were useful to gain rhythm and to confirm that my knee is good. It was perfect and to get a goal as well, I’m very happy.

“I’d like to thank my colleagues for the support they have given me during this time.

“The injury has passed and now I’m able to help my team-mates, so it’s time to enjoy it.”

Torres was the only member of Vicente del Bosque’s 23-man squad who had yet to feature after warm-up wins over Saudi Arabia and South Korea in Austria.
Favourites Spain open their World Cup campaign against Switzerland in Durban on Wednesday, June 16. Torres added: “We have recuperated and our timing is there on the field. But the World Cup is very long and it will not be easy.”

Meanwhile, Spain midfielder Andres Iniesta has a “minor muscle injury”, the team doctor has revealed.

Iniesta brilliantly set up two goals in the opening 15 minutes and was the star performer as Spain dominated the first half of their World Cup warm-up match against Poland in Murcia.

Spain eventually won 6-0, but Iniesta was forced off after 39 minutes after feeling discomfort in his thigh.

The Barca midfielder missed much of last season with a thigh injury and coach Vicente del Bosque was unwilling to take any risks.

“The substitution was a precaution,” Del Bosque said after the match. “The doctors will examine him.”

However, Dr Oscar Celada revealed that Iniesta does have a slight injury.

“We substituted him because he had some discomfort in the back part of the thigh,” said the team doctor. He didn’t notice any tear and it has not got any worse.”

Fernando Torres will get better protection in South Africa than he does for Liverpool FC - Graham Poll

FORMER World Cup referee Graham Poll believes Fernando Torres can expect better treatment from referees this summer than he gets in the Premier League each week.

The Reds star recently spoke of his concerns regarding the intense physicality of English football, but Poll, who refereed in the 2002 and 2006 tournament, believes the Spaniard should fare better on the international stage, where protecting star players is a priority for match officials.

“I think there are two perspectives to look at,” said Poll.

“At international level, and especially at World Cups, referees are instructed to protect the skilful players, such as Torres.

“In the Premier League, on the other hand, the emphasis is on fast football and tempo and physicality, so there can’t be too much interference in that respect.

"And let’s be honest, if a player like Fernando is to leave the Premier League, one of the reasons will be the way he is handled by referees.

“I certainly think Fernando can expect better protection at the World Cup than he gets domestically.”

Poll also tipped Howard Webb, England’s refereeing representative this summer, to handle the pressure of officiating on football’s biggest stage.

“You cannot understand the enormity of a World Cup until you’ve been,” he says. “I’d done big games – European Championships, Champions League, FA Cup – but the World Cup is something else, it really is. Howard has all that coming to him.

“But he is a calm guy, his training as a policeman ensures that. You could see in this season’s Champions League final that he knows how to keep his emotions in check. I’m sure he will cope fine with the pressure and he will not be overawed.”
Poll is at a loss to explain his 2006 aberration, in which he issued three yellow cards to the same player – Josip Simunic – during a match between Australia and Croatia, though admits that the pressure placed on referees by abusive players is something which needs to be stamped out of the game.

“From my own perspective, I still cannot explain my mistake,” he said, “That game (Croatia v Australia) had everything – diving, bad tackles, disrespect, abuse – and those are the hardest type of games to referee.

“The ‘Respect’ campaign has had various levels of success, but in my opinion it will not work until referees start to consistently send players off for disrespectful, abusive language. We all know who the worst offenders are, but still they go unpunished.”

The 46-year-old, who retired from refereeing in 2007, also revealed his worst ever Merseyside derby moment, as well as his respect for Liverpool stars Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher.

“I’ve made a few mistakes of course,” he said. “But the one that sticks in the mind as far as Liverpool and Everton goes is when I didn’t allow Don Hutchison’s goal (at Goodison Park in the April 2000 derby) to stand. The blue half has probably never forgiven me!

“But I have to say I’m such a huge fan of Stevie; he gave me a shirt when he found out I was retiring, and signed it with a great message, which was a fantastic gesture.

"He also texted me after my error in 2006, as did Jamie Carragher, with a message of support. I really appreciated that.”

Graham was speaking to promote the Coral Dugout website, which enables punters to get the most out of every World Cup game from a betting perspective.

Holland are united for World Cup says Liverpool FC striker Dirk Kuyt

DIRK KUYT insists Holland are united ahead of the World Cup finals.

The Dutch are always tipped to impress at major tournaments but often their hopes are dashed by personality clashes and infighting in the squad.

“The unity is very good at the moment,” the Liverpool frontman said.

“We won every game in the group stage of qualifying.

“It’s funny that everyone in Holland and in other countries too asks about unity in the squad.

“The good thing about that is that this group of players is very aware that we have to do things together.

“We have to set everything aside to make sure we’ve got the best chance at the World Cup.”

Liverpool FC ace Fernando Torres favourite to win Golden Boot at World Cup 2010 in South Africa

PREMIER LEAGUE bosses reckon Fernando Torres is the most likely player to bring the Golden Boot back to England.

The Liverpool striker came in ahead of Wayne Rooney in the survey that league sponsors Barclays conducted with top flight managers ahead of the World Cup, which starts tomorrow.

Torres missed the last seven games of Liverpool’s season with a knee injury and only made his comeback on Tuesday night in Spain’s final warm-up friendly before jetting off to South Africa

But Torres made an immediate return to scoring form after coming on as a second half substitute against Poland, scoring the fifthin a 6-0 rout.

He secured 47% of the vote, ahead of Rooney (41%) and Manchester City and Argentina striker Carlos Tevez (12%).

The Premier League bosses have hailed Rooney as pivotal to England's hopes of lifting the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1966 but they believe Argentina talisman Lionel Messi will be the star of the tournament whilst most are tipping Brazil to claim their sixth world crown.

But 59%believe Rooney will also be among the top three stand-out players, with 82& of the managers citing Messi as the player set to make the biggest impact in South Africa.

Brazil are backed by 53% of the managers to claim an unprecedented sixth World Cup ahead of European Champions Spain (24%).

Liverpool FC To Be Taken Over by Sheikh Khalifa?

Could we see a possible takeover in the summer of struggling English powerhouse Liverpool FC? Well, according to latest reports surfacing, an Abu Dhabi billionaire might be on the cards for a comlplete takeover.

Nothing has been agreed upon or finalized, no press release or media report, so don’t celebrate just yet.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan is the current President of the United Arab Emirates and Emir (Ruler/ Leader) of Abu Dhabi. His one of the wealthiest Arab businessmen in the World. He is wealthier than his half-brother, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan who is the owner of Manchester City FC.

Sheikh Khalifa as his known is said to be the third wealthiest royal with his net-worth around $19 billion, he also has major interest in Abu Dhabi and UAE developments.

If he successfully takes over Liverpool, he will look to make major investments in the club and according to stats, with his wealth Liverpool could have more financial power than both Manchester City and Roman Abromovich’s Chelsea.

With so much money been spent around in recent years on club takeovers and player transfers, this could be exactly what Liverpool need. And in terms of the club, it could be perfect as they hope and wish to keep their most prized assets, Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard, at Anfield.

Recently we also heard of a bid by a wealthy middle-eastern businessman said to also be from Abu Dhabi who prepared a multi-billion dollar bid for Manchester United but was unsuccessful as the Glazers turned it down.

IS ST JOHN’S ATTACK ON BENITEZ AND OUR LOSS OF IDENTITY JUSTIFIED?

Ian St John has come out and criticised the ten years of foreign management that he believes has transformed the club beyond recognition. The Liverpool legend believes that for such dramatic changes to the backroom staff, there should have been a great deal more success than just the Champions League triumph of 2005. St John told BBC Radio Merseyside that it maybe was time to return to the club’s British roots:
“Personally I hope we get a British manager. We’ve had over 10 years of foreign managers. Take away the night in Istanbul and the whole club seems to have changed. The staff we’ve got now, one minute it was all Frenchmen, the next minute all Spaniards. I mean this is Liverpool Football Club. I thought earlier in the season when Rafa changed the academy staff, I thought that was shocking. The academy boys had been there for years turning out players like Gerrard and Carragher and winning the (FA Youth) cup a couple of times. And for them to lose their jobs, and for what? I thought that was shocking, and then to get an influx of Spaniards coming in, I thought it was a big mistake and it was something that was happening at the club that shouldn’t have happened.”
So does St John have at point about our identity? Has the spirit of the bootroom and passion to play for Liverpool gone away under foreign management in recent years? It’s difficult to say in some respects because the English game has been globalised to such an extent in recent times that this was inevitably going to happpen. Even Rafa recognised as much with his youth policy which St John much criticised. The aim that Benitez and the Spanish coaches Rodolfo Borrell and Pep Segura had was to develop players with a “passion” for the football club. Rather than relying on poaching youngsters from abroad, the aim was to develop a youth academy similar to Barcelona’s where Borrell and Segura originated, developing a crop of local youngsters who want to play for the club for the rest of their careers.
How the Barca academy works is typified by the contrasting attitudes of Lionel Messi and Cesc Fabregas. Both developed their skills at Barca’s La Masia academy, Messi came from a young age from Argentina to play for Barca while Fabregas left the club after being poached by Arsenal. While Messi wants to stay at the club for the rest of his career rather than returning to Argentina, Fabregas clearly has the desire to return to Spain. Why is Cesc not as loyal as Messi? Because Barca trained them both in the ways of Barca, and while one wants to stay, the other wants to return there. The same sort of thing was hopefully going to take place at Liverpool, and this is why I disagree with St John on the changing of the academy staff. For the best part of ten years, the Academy had only produced one player of any note, Stephen Warnock, and it was time for a change.
Part of this new approach was to bring in young English players to kick start this process of club indoctrination. Both Jonjo Shelvey and Raheem Sterling reportedly rejected bigger offers from other clubs to join the Reds, and these sort of players are seen as the way forward for the club. How much this was motivated by the Premier League quota system being established or by a genuine belief that that the team would be improved by more local talent is open to interpretation, but I believe the continual involvement of both Borrell and Segura is crucial for this process to continue. One of the best things a new manager could do is to convince them both to stay and continue with their long term project. Otherwise we may go back to square one and revert to poaching foreign youngsters. Then the club would truly be losing its identity.
Certainly the loss of the traditional Liverpool bootroom will lead to a certain extent a change of identity for the football club but such a thing is inevitable in any club these days as coaches and players come from all around the world to play in the world’s richest league. As long as the coaches and players understand the Liverpool Way and have that “passion,” then we shouldn’t ask for anything else, and any players who do not share this passion and loyalty to the club should, as Jamie Carragher put it, just leave. When going through a difficult spell in the club’s history, it is time for the team and staff to come together, the only way this can happen is through commitment to the club rather than wanting out.