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.”
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Thursday, June 10, 2010
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.
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."
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)