DIRK KUYT, LIVERPOOL FC LEGEND OR FLOP?

According to The Guardian Newspaper the world has a lot to thank Holland for, they say they invented or found the following: Self-milking cows, the microscope, New York, photosynthesis, spermatozoa,
But surprisenly they mention nothing about our new Dutch hitman Dirk Kuyt, that is a mistake because he could be their best export since they started to convince people that wooden clogs were comfortable on the feet.........does anyone actually wear them or are they all hung as souvenirs.
Believe me this guy is going to be a star, we all know about his great goal scoring record, if seen on a diagram against the other top strikers it really shows how good he actually is and playing with a top team like Liverpool Fc it should increase his chances.
People might say that his goals were scored in a weaker league and that the premiership is a very different proposition and the toughest league in the world. All true but Kuyt is no softie and i think he would happily knock John Terry`s teeth through his urinary track and out the other side.
The futures bright the futures orange!

NOT OFF TO THAT FLYING START.......

What the hell was that today, i was shocked when i seen Rafa`s starting 11 Aurelio on left midfield Bolo in central midfield forcing Gerrard out on the right, but i thought he was going with the same plan as last sunday and maybe introduce fresh legs in the second half but the injuries to Riise and Carragher put paid to that plan.
But taking off Fowler to put Pennant on in the last few minutes was madness, we needed a goal so why take a striker off for a midfielder if he thought they were over-running our midfield then Zendon should have been replaced with another midfielder........we looked less dangerous when Fowler came off so it was a mistake by Rafa
This was Sheffield utd we were playing, why did we buy these players in the summer that give us width and pace if we are just going to go back to the old negative formula of a left back playing in midfield and stevie wasting his attacking talents on the right wing........as always.... in Rafa we trust..........but he better start showing more balls and have confidence in our attacking style of football.

Few small things about todays game, i said yesterday that i thought Aurelio was going to be a great player, i was shocked today when they scored, he was marking the player who scored and he totally lost him and then had an expression that said`defending is not my job´ its a worry. Also Kronkamp showed he is not up to the level, Finnan is twice the player he is.
Liverpool Tv gave their man of the match to Gerrard, i think they are wrong for me it was the old timer Sami Hyppia, he was massive in defence and played some great long passes and even had a few chances on goal hitting the post once........as i said before even with all these new young defenders Sami can never be written off, he always rises to the challenge.
Robbie slotted the pen home in great style and he looks as sharp as ever today it was only the supply that was missing.
It was a bad result but its better to get these now this early in the season so we learn from our mistakes and improve and move on to the next level, today some players were caught out today, they are simply not GOOD enough to play for Liverpool Football Club´s first 11, and i hope Rafa has more faith in a wide midfield with lots of attack and pace.
But this is a marathon not a sprint so its not time to worry........ yet!

LIVERPOOL FOOTBALL CLUB.....CHAMPIONS?

The day has arrived Liverpool Fc kick of the new season against Sheffield utd today, and in my opinion there has not been a better squad of players starting a season for us in nearly 20 years.
That is how highly i rate Rafa`s buys over the summer.
Last year we were a good team but Rafa signings has made us into potentially a great team, he has reinforced our defence with Paletta and Aurelio, by the way i think Aurelio is going to be a great player he loves to get forward.
Gonzalez on the left and Pennant on the right has at last given us width and pace, 2 ings we has been missing for years. Rafa was very busy today as we also may have signed Moroccan youngster Nabil El Zhar, one for the future but have heard great reports about him
Up front Bellamy also gives us pace but he is also a proven prem goal scorer and judging by last sunday also deadly at providing opportunities for other strikers.
But i think the most impressive signing was made yesterday Dirk Kuyt, his goals per game ratio is amazing 71 goals in 105 games.
He was idolised at Feyenoord and turned down bigger wages at the toon to join us, clearly he sees a team on the up.
There is no doubt we are a much better team than last year but chelski will be very hard to displace, even though we beat them last sunday they know how to win week in week out in the league. We improved in that department last year but we have to beat the big teams, chelski is a six pointer game to us and we have to approach it as a cup final, but we can be sure Rafa has pointed this out to our players.
Finally a prediction for the up-coming season..i cant see us finishing lower than second and as for top spot, it really is 50/50 i believe we are equal to chelski in every department, even way ahead in midfield but the team that gets off to a good winning run early in the season is going to have a big advantage, but that first Liverpool chelsea game is going to have a big say in the final outcome, i think it will be that tight at the end of the season, but i think we have the squad now to just edge it..............IN RAFA WE TRUST!

DIRK KUYT FINALLY JOINS LIVERPOOL FC

The transfer saga that has dragged on for 2 years finally finished today when Rafa got his man.

Liverpool have completed the signing of Dirk Kuyt from Feyenoord.
The Reds agreed a fee with Feyenoord for the striker on Thursday after weeks of talks with the Dutch club.
The 26-year-old has inked a four-year deal at Anfield after agreeing personal terms and passing a medical.
Liverpool beat a host of clubs including Newcastle to sign the Dutch international.
Anfield chief Rafa Benitez was delighted to make Kuyt his sixth signing of the summer and has tipped him to score goals in England.

He really does have an impressive goalscoring record 71 goals in 105 games for Feyenood, i know the dutch league is not the same quality as the prem but that is some goal tally. We have gone many years since we had a striker capable of scoring over 20 in a league season and Kuyt could be our man.......Rafa seems to see him as the final piece of the jigsaw.

Liverpool Fc.... Have the BBC got something against Rafa?

This is from the BBC, and it seems this reporter Saj Chowdhury knows very little about the clubs in the premiership or Liverpool Football Club in particular, these are his views on likely managers to get the boot this season and those who are safe. Full list can be found Here
But one comparison screams out madness, its marked out of 10 lower the number safer you are, i have picked these 3 to have a look at.

• ARSENE WENGER - Arsenal

  The chances of Wenger getting the boot are as likely as Jose Mourinho turning up to Chelsea's training ground in a dress and a Tina Turner wig. It is not going to happen.

  Verdict: Do the Gunners hand out knighthoods?

  Sack Rating: 1/10

• SIR ALEX FERGUSON - Manchester United

  Every year United fans debate whether Ferguson should stay or leave, but they never call for the 64-year-old to be turfed out - one look at his record will tell you why.

  Verdict: They say there is no man bigger than the club, but Sir Alex comes close.

  Sack Rating: 3/10

• RAFAEL BENITEZ - Liverpool

  Benitez has already achieved sainthood having guided Liverpool to their millionth (slight exaggeration) European Cup triumph.

  He is now looking for his side to achieve the almost impossible, by beating Chelsea to the title. The signing of Craig Bellamy may prove to be his best move yet.

  Verdict: Safe. But many will expect Benitez's men to challenge strongly for domestic and European honours.

  • Sack Rating: 4/10
  
  So this guy actually believes that our Rafa is more likely to get the boot rather than the idiot that just payed over 18 million for Carrick, in my view Benitez and Wenger are the 2 most astute managers in the prem, but i would go as far as to say his job is even safer than Wenger, you have to remember where we were a few years ago under Houlier and the way he has cleaned that mess up and is now put a team capable of challenging for the title.

LIVERPOOL FOOTBALL CLUB 2-1 CHELSEA

Liverpool have won the FA Community Shield for the 15th time in their history after Peter Crouch's goal gave them a 2-1 victory over Chelsea.
Andrei Shevchenko grabbed his first goal for The Blues to cancel out John Arne Riise's early opener for Liverpool, but it was Crouch who had the last word to give Rafa Benitez's men the first trophy of the new season.

What a game and what a masterstroke by Rafa in the mind games battle between these 2 clubs, before the game Rafa said he was not concerned about getting into a war of words with his counterpart Mourhino and old maureen responded to that with the claim that Rafa ´had a problem with him´.
This is a beautiful example how actions speak louder than words, by leaving out our main stars from the starting line-up Gerrard Alonso Hyypia and Bellamy, Rafa showed chelski no respect and that they are beatable even with a second string team. What must these chelski millionaires be thinking tonight as roman tucks them into bed.
But onto the game itself, we had so many good performances out there today Zolo was so much better in the middle today, Crouch was a pest up front and got the goal he deserved, Pennant was a menace, Finnan showed why Rafa has still not bought another right back, Speedy is getting better with every game, Aurelio really impressed when he came on and shows he really really likes to get forward and looks very dangerous when he does, Agger looks good enough to play there now but will get better, Riise showed how good we know he is and if maureen still wants him surely that pushes his price over the 20 mill mark, Bellamy Alonso Carragher and Gerrard
all done well, Bellamy`s cross was inch perfect and great to see him link up so well with Crouch, hopefully a good sign for the future.
But one man impressed me more today than the victory or in the fashion we achieved it, Momo Sissoko, in the first half when he was out there without his superstar teamates Gerrard and Alonso, and for the first time we seen the real Sissoko, against the best chelski midfield that romans millions could buy he ran and commanded that midfield. Lumpy lampard and Co simply had no answer for him as he played them off the pitch, Sissoko has to be regarded as one of Rafa`s best transfer deals..............the boy is simply magic.

LIVERPOOL FC 2-1 MACCABI HAIFA

Not the most impressive start to our season, but on the plus it was good to see our new signings scoring and Pennant playing well down the right. But the final scoreline papers over a lot of the cracks in Liverpools display.
Credit to Haifa they are a good team and we could not have met them at a worse time. Their country is at war and that surely added a bit of fire in their bellys last night, but Liverpool made such a poor start to the game and only Haifa`s goal shook us out of our coma but after Bellamy scored we seem to go back to sleep once again.
The introduction of Crouch and that direct attack finally put Haifa on the back foot and Gonzalez looked good when he was on, and i have to say he did very well to dig that ball out from under his feet to score. But we have a lot of work to do in the second leg, but this time i think we will be fitter and know more about them.
One small point, what the hell have Liverpool got against taking a shot at goal when we have a free kick in range we wasted so many with these little set ups last night, but when they finally let Pennant take a shot only a brilliant save from the keeper denied him.

Rafa`s starting 11 selection highlights what is going to be a dilemma for him in the upcoming season. Sissoko Alonso and Gerrard, how can he fit all 3 of these central midfielders into his formation, and he will want too because Sissoko is the ball winner while the other 2 are more attack minded but too good to be left out, he will play Pennant on the right and probably Gonzalez on the left. That leaves him with 2 options either playing 3 at the back or 1 up front.
I think he will opt for one up front with Gerrard playing off the striker for now but which striker?
Bellamy is more of a goal poacher than Crouch but with Pennant sending in so many crosses Crouch`s height will be a big advantage, and we looked far more threatening when he came on last night. In a perfect world 3 at the back would suit our squad much better but even though Rafa has brought in 2 class central defenders in Paletta and Agger who have huge potential, i fear at the moment thats what it is potential. Paletta looks class and tackles like a cruise missile but he has made schoolboy mistakes but he will learn from them under Rafa`s guidance.
Dont get me wrong its always good when your problem is having so many good players that you have to try and fit them into your team, my only concern is that with playing only one striker we may be going a bit negative with our formation.

• TEAM RATINGS
  
• 25 Jose Reina Had not a great deal to do handled crosses well, could not do much about goal
  
• 3 Steve Finnan Went about his work well, linked up well with Pennant
  
• 23 Jamie Carragher Both central defenders looked bit shaky but Jamie looked more solid as game wet on, some great blocks at end
  
• 4 Sami Hyypia His great positional intelligence was not enough to make up for his lack of pace last night, but write this defender off at your own peril he seems to thrive on pressure when his place in the team is being challenged
  
• 6 John Riise surprisingly left for dust last night on a few occasions, nowadays more comfortable as a midfielder
  
• 8 Steven Gerrard Defiantly still not match fit, but at last we seen a position he cannot play, looked very lost trying to play on the left wing
  
• 22 Mohamed Sissoko Seems Momo is ready for new season great claw like tackles his parried shot gave the first goal and some lovely mazy little runs.......class act
  
• 14 Xabi Alonso Very quiet first half but then Alonso did what Alonso does, one defence splitting pass to set speedy up for the winner
  
• 32 Boudewijn Zenden I think he will be used as cover for our central midfielders did not look good on the left wing last night
  
• 16 Jermaine Pennant Probably the best player in a red shirt last night was a constant threat down the right good free kick, only minus is he really has to improve the quality of his crosses
  
• 17 Craig Bellamy Looked out of position for a lot of the crosses and needs to play more games with his teammates to be able to read there game more, but loved the way he nudged Gerrard out of the way to finish the goal ............shows real hunger
• 10 Luis García Done ok when he came on and had a 50-50 shout for a pen turned down
  
• 11 Mark Gonzalez Only on for couple of minutes but done well to dig ball out from under feet to score, and the boy is fast, think he is going to be a big plus for us this season, and scoring already will help him settle
• 5 Peter Crouch For me it was his introduction that changed the game for us, it put Haifa on the back foot with our more direct style attack, a nightmare for any defender, i just hope Rafa can find a system that allows him to play alongside Bellamy Fowler or whoever we buy
  

ROONEY THE NUTTER , WILL HE EVER LEARN?

WAYNE ROONEY could miss Manchester United's opening three games of the season after being sent off in disgrace again last night. Rooney, whose World Cup ended with his red card in England's quarter-final defeat to Portugal, caught Porto defender Pepe Ferreira with his arm as he jumped for a 41st-minute header. The 20-year-old, who at first refused to leave the field, pleaded his innocence. "I thought the referee was going to give a free-kick for a foul on me, because of the defender backing in," he said. "I can't believe he sent me off for that."

And sir alex defended his little lunatic by saying: He believes Wayne Rooney is being singled out for special treatment following his pre-season red card against FC Porto.

Sir alex of course he is being singled out because he is the single biggest idiot playing professional football in the world today (Lumpy Lampard included), most players with a reputation like Rooneys would try and be a little bit careful after his disastrous world cup adventures but this boy simply does not have the brain cells to relies that.
The most stupid things about Rooneys indiscretions are that most of them are done while not trying to win the ball but in off the ball action, the sarcastic hand clapping to the ref last year that also earned him a red card sums it all up, its not that he does not understand the rules its just that he does not have the intelligence or the will to control that temper.
I think Wayne Rooney for all the talent he has, will be more remembered for his hot head and red cards rather than his football abilities when his career is all done and dusted.

MAINZ 5 LIVERPOOL FOOTBALL CLUB 0

Liverpool completed their pre-season preparations by crashing to a 5-0 defeat against FSV Mainz in Germany.
With next week's Champions League qualifier in mind, boss Rafa Benitez started with a strong-looking side but a five-goal second-half blast from the hosts ensured a spectacular defeat.

Normally i would not care about the result of this game after all its just a friendly and our players are more concerned at the moment about building up there fitness, but for gods sake this is a shocking result we had a lot of players back against a second rate german team. I would expect better from the Liverpool fc reserve team, how low is the teams confidence right now, less than 1 week away from our champion league qualifying game agaist Haifa.
However after our performances and results in our first 2 preseason games maybe this thrashing is a blessing in disguise. Surely this has to set the alarm bells ringing in the players minds ahead of next weeks game and it may even get the players to start grinding out results early in the season, a period that has cost us dearly in seasons gone by.........but only if the players relies that friendly game or not this is not good enough for Liverpool Football Club.

Liverpool not a threat - Mourinho

The nutter maureen is at it again, he will never of course admit how much he really is worried by Liverpool football club, but his latest rant makes even less sense than normal.

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho says Arsenal and Manchester United will provide greater competition for his defending Premiership champions than Liverpool.
"I still believe United and Arsenal will be the biggest threat. They will be the better teams. "I say that because of the quality of their football, the way they play, the improvements in their squads."
Mourinho is impressed by the summer purchases of both Arsenal and United.

So maureen is impressed with uniteds summer transfers, the mans obviously a genius.

Liverpool are different. They are very competitive, it's very difficult to beat them," he said. "If they score a goal before you score it's very difficult to change it because they defend really well with 11 players very, very compact.

So what maureen is saying here is manure and Arsenal will be more of a threat, because they are less competitive and easier to beat than Liverpool, as i said before the man is a bloody genius.

Man Utd agree £18.6m Carrick fee

Tottenham reveal Man Utd will pay up to £18.6m for Michael Carrick, who will have a medical on Monday.
Great news sir alex is being made to pay through that big red nose of his 18.6 million for a player who would have no chance of starting for Liverpool Football club, dont get me wrong i think he is a good footballer that will improve when he has better players around him but for that to happen he has picked the wrong club.
I would go as far as to say that if manure do not start a rapid buying campaign in the next 2 weeks his former club led by the so far impressive Martin Jol will clinch the final fourth champions league spot.

What is happening at old trafford have the Glazers run out of money or has alex made so many bad transfers lately that he is afraid to make another mistake. Crazy times while Arsenal and Liverpool have bought wisely over the summer old alex seems to be sitting on his hands waiting for Ronaldinho and co to come knocking at his door, not going to happpen my little red nosed friend.
My biggest worry is not manure, its what a good manager like Jol is going to do with that money they are going to be a much better team next season

LIVERPOOL FOOTBALL CLUB....LAST CHANCE SALOON

With the capture of Jermaine Pennant and Craig Bellamy this summer Rafa is really showing how much he is willing to risk to bring the league title back home. He has brought in players that no one else wanted to touch due to there bad reputations, but by doing this he has bought quality proven prem players on the cheap........but will it work.
A lot of people might think we have too many bad apples at the club all at once, but i truly believe that these 2 players know it is there last chance to make it on the big stage and i know Rafa has no scruples when it comes to getting rid of a player that is not doing his all for the club. Its a risk but on our budget thats what might just see us pip the chelski and arsenal.

Duff fee set Toon back just £5million

Damien Duff's transfer from Chelsea to Newcastle was completed for just £5million, a statement to the Stock Exchange has confirmed

Have to admit a great bit of buisness by Newcastle, but for sure at that price Liverpool Football Club would have been after him, because he can play on the right and would have freed up enough transfer cash for Rafa to chase Kuyt. It has to be the case that maureen did not want to sell to us, as i said before he is a lot more concerned by the Liverpool challenge than he is openly saying and i think he really has made a huge mistake in offloading Duff as he is a world class player who has something to offer any football team in the world...........silly silly maureen

Duff to join Newcastle on Monday

It is understood that the Anfield club matched Newcastle's £10m offer but Chelsea were reluctant to lose such a talented player to one of this season's potential title rivals. In addition, Duff was ultimately swayed by his close friend and international colleague Shay Given, United's long-serving goalkeeper, when determining where his future might lie.

I find this whole Duff thing very interesting we need a right sided winger he can play there but its not his natural position, but he is such a good player he would solve our problem on the right and really add that extra attacking spark to the team. So i have no doubht that Rafa really wanted him, but the funny thing about this transfer saga was it was all media and no whispers coming from anfield that we were looking to sign him.
It makes me think that the boot room knew that Chelsea would sell him to anyone but us, surly Duff would prefer to play champions league football next season and have a decent chance of a challenge on the league, it can only mean one thing.....................The Special One is far more worried by our progress than he has been letting on.

RAFA THE VULTURE

England's top clubs are preparing to join the race to sign players affected by the Italian match-fixing scandal.
And Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez said: "There are a lot of good players in these teams and they interest us."

Benitez is thought to be particularly keen on Juve striker David Trezeguet and winger Mauro Camoranesi.

"The players will be a better price now than they would have been three months ago," said the Liverpool boss.

"All the Juventus players are good, including Trezeguet. "He didn't play much in the World Cup but that is because France have so many good forwards."

We have to get in there and scavenge as many of these top players as we can, because if we dont sir alex up the road and mr wenger surly will. Ok we will still have to pay top wages but this levels the playing field slightly with chelski,the other English teams having the chance to sign some world class players in one close-season closes the gap slightly. And remember Rafas reputation around Europe is glowing, so we may see some players willing to spend a season or two trying to become better players under his tuition.

It really is going to make it a very interesting summer of transfers

Bellamy finds net on Liverpool bow

The FA Cup winners travelled to Wales to face Wrexham, and Bellamy enjoyed the return to his home country by scoring the second in a 2-0 win.
Liverpool had Salif Diao and Florent Sinama-Pongolle on show but a host of youngsters were given a run-out with Anfield's World Cup players still on holiday
In my previous posts i have been less than sympathetic to our new crazy little Welsh man, but i hope he proves me wrong and so far the signs are good. Its always good to open your scoring account early with your new club and Bellamy has done that, but also he seems to realize that this is his last chance to make it at a big club, for him its now or never.
I had totally forgotten about Salif Dioa remember him Houliers new Patrick Viera, now it seems we cant give him away thanks for that mr Houlier.
Florent Sinamo-Pongolle could be a very interesting player to watch this year, if we fail to get a new right winger this summer could he do the job for us and if we do get one can he provide competition there.

RAFA BENITEZ is confident he will wrap up a deal to bring Brazilian star Daniel Alves to Liverpool.

Sources in Seville have been saying this week that the proposed transfer of the right-sided player is off because Liverpool will not stump up the £12million asking price.

But Anfield chief Benitez says the Spanish club's stance is merely a negotiating tactic and is adamant that his friendship with the Seville president will see the deal go through.

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The Liverpool manager has told friends that "however long it takes I will get him."

But Benitez is losing his fight to land Feyenoord striker Dirk Kuyt because he is struggling to raise the £10million required to bring him to Merseyside.

Instead Benitez has indicated that he will wait for the fall-out from Italy's match-fixing scandal to see if he can snap up a bargain.

Benitez is interested in Juve's David Trezeguet, Mauro Camoranesi and Gianluca Zambrotta, as well as AC Milan striker Alberto Gilardino.

So what are we doing wrong, money seems to very very tight dont know why, we won champions league last year and have not gone mad spending since.

But at the end of last season our 2 top priorities were at least one right sided midfielder and a world class striker, ok we have Bellamy but we need 1 more striker..........in Rafa i believe but we have strenghtened every position except these.

Cant wait to see Gonzalez play if he is half the player Rafa says he is, its going to be a great and entertaining season.

GONZALEZ EXCITES RAFA

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is titillated by the prospect of fielding new signing Mark Gonzalez in The Premiership.

The Reds finally landed their man this summer when the Home Office granted the Merseysiders permission to bring in the Chilean winger, having been refused a work permit 12 months ago.

The plan is unfolding slowly Gonzalez seems to be first choice on left of midfield, Zendon a back up for central mifielder, Paletta in defence with Aurelio as left back and crazy Bellamy up front, sounds great but it leaves out Gerrards favourite link up player and probably one of the best left sided players in the world Risse, and we still dont have our right winger or world class striker.

We have been very badly let down by the transfer deadline in Rafas other dealings lets hope so lets hope we get all our summer transfers sorted soon.

Zenden set for key Reds role

Rafa Benitez has hinted that Boudewijn Zenden will have a key role to play at Liverpool this season.
Who believes that with the amount of left sided players we have.
I like the south american players we have added this last week but surly Gonzalez Kewell and now Riise are our preferred left midfielders,
Me thinks this is just lip service from Sir Rafa

FAILURE AGAIN

I am not english so my views are not clouded by patriotism so i know that the ability of the players sent to Germany did not reach there full potential with there quarter-final knockout. When will the english fa learn that when things are going wrong they have to have the balls to change things, this is from Terry Butcher and his words are spot on

Sven-Goran Eriksson has left his job as England coach after five-and-a-half years in charge - and we are no further forward than when he was appointed.

He has reached three quarter-finals in two World Cups and a European Championship, and that is nowhere near the standard we should be achieving with the so-called "Golden Generation" of players coming through.Why should we be proud of the fact that we have one star on our shirt representing the fact that we reached one World Cup final 40 years ago?

Other countries have two or three stars to signify their World Cup achievements and both Germany and France have the power to add another in Germany.

It is embarrassing. We have only ever been in one final and two semi-finals.

How can we justify calling ourselves a world football power when we are not?

We have become all Billy Big Time and become too big for our boots, and yet we have got nothing to shout about because we have done nothing. This is what annoys me.

We have no right to be as confident or arrogant about our football as we are. It has been not been anywhere near good enough.

And sadly, Eriksson has not taken us on to the next level.

This is very true and something i hope every English fan relises, England has to start all over again pick out there strong points and build the future around that, at the moment its Gerrard and Rooney, but as the Fa has already decided that Mclaren is the new man, expect more of the same after all this man has learned all he knows about international football from Sven so as i see it there is still no light at the end of the tunnel