Simao deal collapses

Unfortunately no deal could be struck with Benfica for the signing of Simao. They wanted 20 million euros and we were only prepared to offer 18 million. This was unacceptable to Benfica and they pulled the plug on the deal.
This is yet another blow for us in a frustrating summer transfer wise.
It's not all doom and gloom though as we have signed a great 'keeper in Reina and a potential superstar in Sissoko. And we are the European Champions!
Please post your comments.

Simao passes Liverpool medical

Simao's agent Jorge Baidek has confirmed that he has passed his medical. He went on to say that he is hopeful a deal can be concluded in the next few hours. However there have been conflicting reports about Benfica trying to prevent the deal by asking for Cisse in part exchange.
All we can do now is wait, see and hope.

Crouch set for debut against Tottenham

After making a reserve appearance last night Peter Crouch is hopeful of making his Premiership debut for us against Spurs. He had this to say about his return:
"I have had a couple of days training and the plan was for me to play for 25 minutes. I felt good and I came through without any problems and I now want to get myself fit and ready for the Tottenham game. "With the international break I will be able to get another week's training under my belt. It was frustrating being injured so soon after arriving at Liverpool but I always knew I was suspended for the first two Premiership games anyway. "I can't wait to make my Premiership debut for Liverpool and I will be working hard to make sure I will be ready for the Tottenham game."
It looks like Rafa will have plenty of options when Crouch returns. At present I think our best strike force would be Crouch & Cisse. Crouch can knock the ball down for Cisse to run onto using his electric pace.
Please comment on our options up front and who you think Rafa will select.

Rafa wanted Owen but only for £8m

Rafa has revealed all about the Owen situation. He was hoping Owen would reject Newcastle to enable us to agree a lower price with Madrid:

"We tried until the very end to sign Michael. We even made phone calls early yesterday morning. In the end, it was impossible," he said. "When we spoke to Madrid, they only ever talked about £16m. We couldn't spend that much money on a player we sold for £8m. We have to think about the club over any player in this situation. "Real Madrid put a lot of pressure on Michael to go to Newcastle because they wanted the money to sign Sergio Ramos. I hoped Michael would say no and then, maybe, we could do something." Benitez will now put his faith in the club's current crop of strikers, including Djibril Cisse who has also had to read speculation over his future in the past few days. He added: "Whenever I was asked about Owen I had to respect the strikers we have at the club. "We had offers for Cisse, some involving loan deals. We never planned to sell Cisse but when Madrid kept on telling us they wanted £16m, it was a problem and we had to look at different possibilities. We had clubs interested in Djibril, but we made it clear to them we wanted to keep the player. "I like Cisse and he is the type of player we need to score a lot of goals and he showed that in the Super Cup final. We didn't want to sell him and that's why we turned down some offers. "I thought we could bring Michael to the club because Neil Mellor is out injured for a few more weeks and some clubs are interested in taking him on loan. "We need different sorts of strikers at the club and having Michael, Florent Sinama-Pongolle, FernandoMorientes, Peter Crouch and Djibril Cisse would have given us many different options."

Selling Cisse may have been a last resort but now the saga is over he will be staying. Hopefully he can outscore Owen and prove a point.

Please post your views.

Simao flies in to Liverpool for medical

It has been reported on the Portuguese FA website that Simao has been given special dispensation to leave the national squad and travel to Liverpool to agree a deadline day deal. They are expecting him back in Portugal by 5:30pm so news of his signing will hopefully be confirmed in the next few hours. It is thought that he will cost in the region of £ 10 million.
Hopefully our search for a new right winger will be over with his acquisition.
Please post your comments.

Gerrard should be fit for England

Liverpool and England received a welcome boost this morning as Sven has confirmed Gerrard is likely win his fitness race in time to face Wales on Saturday:
Eriksson revealed: "Steve Gerrard did some good work on Tuesday, not with the other players but with the physio.
"He will continue that on Wednesday. Hopefully on Thursday, he will train with us. The physio and doctor think he will be ready for Saturday."

Sven praises Carra

As John Terry has been ruled out for a month Jamie Carragher is likely to play as centreback for England in the next two World Cup qualifiers. Sven is happy that Carra can step in and has spoken about his improving all round game:
He said: "There has been a lot of talking about me having so many centre-halves and that will give me a problem. So far they have not all been fit together! It's good to have a lot of them - and we need them.
"I am very pleased with Jamie Carragher. I don't know if it is a Liverpool attitude but he never gives up and the game he played in the Champions League final was incredible.
"He has improved a lot in the last year. He played left-back for a long time with Liverpool, then right-back sometimes. It has been a huge improvement, even technically. He is a good passer today."
If Carra plays for England like he did for us last season he can make himself first choice.
Please post your comments on the best English defensive pairing.

New players linked on deadline day

According to The Times we are after Zoltan Gera from West Brom. He was instrumental in helping the Baggies avoid relegation last season. He would be a good attacking option for us on the right and a goalscoring threat.
Reports in Portugal say we are close to a deal for pacy Benfia winger Simao. Apparently he would cost £ 10 million which in my opinion would make this transfer unlikely. The reports even suggest we may offer Cisse in part-exchange.
I am convinced Rafa has something up his sleeve. Whatever happens it is going to be exciting to see what unfolds today and how it will impact on our season.
Please post your comments.

Cisse confirms he is staying

Coincidently a few hours after missing out on Michael Owen, Djibril Cisse has rubbished any speculation regarding his departure:

"My future is with Liverpool. I was first linked to Newcastle, then it was Marseille and now Monaco.
"I was rumoured to go everywhere. But during my discussions with Benitez, there was never any question of leaving.
"I have another three years on my contract and I am staying at Liverpool. There is no need to panic, why should I leave?
"I am trying to ignore everything I read, but I am annoyed by it all. I never asked to leave."

This is fantastic news. Let's hope Cisse can build on his perfomance in the Supercup on Friday. Please post your comments.

Stop showboating Luis

Rafa has told Luis Garcia to cut down on the audacious skills and concentrate more on keeping the ball:
"That is the one problem for Luis and I have spoken to him about it," said Benitez. "He likes to try different things and I know the supporters are sometimes not happy when they don't come off. "He has his own style and is very talented, but he has to learn there is a time and a place for some of the things he does. "He has to take on board as quickly as possible where it is all right to attempt something out of the ordinary and when he should play safe and not risk losing the ball. "I think he heard the crowd the other day (against CSKA Sofia) and he is beginning to understand that, no matter how good you are, you must use your qualities in the right area. "Anyone who has seen him knows he has the talent to succeed in the Premiership. It's just that, at times, he tries difficult things in the wrong places. "The key thing, though, is that he has intelligence as well as ability. If you are making a lot of mistakes and are not that much good anyway, there is not much you can do as a coach. But it will be easier with Luis because he is a very clever player as well as a good one."
Garcia is the type of player who can really turn on the style but should wait until we are 2-0 up. The problem is our inability to kill of games to put us in position where he can showcase his skills. We also get exposed when attacks break down due to lack of pace at the back.
I would like Garcia to carry on attempting his flicks and tricks as sometimes they are exactly what is required to break down the opposition.
Please post your thoughts.

Rafa signs more youngsters

We have today completed the signings of Besian Idrizaj & Ramon Calliste. This brings the tally of young talent acquired this summer to six.
Idrizaj is 17 and is Austria's current young player of the year, and has signed a two-year deal with the European Champions after recently enjoyed a trial spell at Melwood. The boyhood Liverpool fan is an attacking midfielder and has signed from Linzer ASK in the Austrian league. Idrizaj is delighted with the move and said: "I have always been a Liverpool fan and it is a dream come true to play for them. "If you get a chance to go to Liverpool on trial then you have to take it. You cannot ingore a trial with the reigning Champions League winners. I would even have swam across the channel just to take part." Striker Ramon Calliste, 19, is a Wales Under-21 international and he has signed a one-year deal with Liverpool. He was released by Man U at the end of last season and impressed Liverpool during his recent trial scoring for the reserves against Newcastle last week.
Hopefully Calliste will be as successful for us as John O'shea has been for Man U after being released by Liverpool. We may be struggling with higher profile signings but at least Rafa is doing his best to secure a successful future.
Please post your comments.

Bonera & Solano linked

According to the Italian media we have made a bid of £ 4 million for Parma's Italian International Defender Daniel Bonera. If these reports are true the move looks likely to be doomed as Parma no longer need to sell as their financial problems have eased.
We are still being linked with a move for Nobby Solano. The Mirror thinks he could sign before the deadline for around £ 1.5 million.
We are crying out for a right sided midfield man and Solano would fit the bill nicely.
Please post comments.

Crouch to make reserves return

After missing out on Owen we have a received a welcome boost as Peter Crouch will be on the bench tonight for the reserves. Bearing in mind that Crouch scored 16 goals for relegated Southampton last season it will be interesting to see how he does for us in comparison to Owen. Who do you think will score more goals in the Premiership Owen or Crouch?

Riise ready to regain spot

John Arne Riise is unworried after finding himself demoted to the bench following the arrival of Bolo Zenden stating that his shooting skills will make it hard for Rafa to leave him out:
"I'm going to try and get as many shots on goal as I can this season," said Riise. It's an area of my game where I know I can do well. "I know it's going to be harder this season for me because the squad is bigger. There are some of us who know we'll be on the bench for certain games. But that's not something which worries me. "I'm very happy here and this is all part of being at a club like Liverpool. When you play 60 games a season, no-one can expect to be in the side every week. "I've had a good few seasons where I've played a lot of games, so maybe this will be a bit different, but as long as I keep working hard, showing what I can do in training and taking my chances when they come along, I'm confident I can have a good year."
It is suprising to see Bolo picked ahead of Riise as, last season, he was one of our better players and we have yet to see evidence of what Bolo can offer that Riise can't. Things will even get more competitive when Kewell returns in the next few weeks.
Please let me know who should feature as our number one left midfielder.

Josemi happy to stay and play as centreback

As Rafa confirmed yesterday Josemi will be given the chance to succeed at Liverpool. Josemi has stated he will do his best to take advantage of the opportunity:

"I had difficulties in my first season here but I feel things are going to get better," he said. "I'm very happy, not only at the football club, but away from the game. My wife is expecting a baby and we feel more settled in the area. I feel there is a lot for me to look forward to and be positive about this year. "It's not always easy when you come to a new country and it can take time to get used to it. When you are settled, the football becomes more enjoyable. "Little by little things are starting to improve. It also helps me to be part of a good team and to be working with a manager and coaches who have always been good to me and always wanted to help when I've had difficulties. They are happy with me and have always told me they believe in me, which gives me confidence." He added: "A lot of people spoke about me returning to Spain in the summer, but for me that was never an intention. I wanted to remain here and show I could be an important player for Liverpool. "My biggest hope for the season is to ensure I don't get any injuries because I feel this caused most difficulties for me last season. Until I was injured I thought things were going well. "If I'm used as a centre back more, I'll be happy. I love tackling and this is where I'm strongest. "In my last season at Malaga I played centre back, not right back so it's not a problem position for me. In fact, it's a position I enjoy very much."

He may well be playing in central defence more often if Rafa doesn't get his act together in the transfer market. Please comment.

Owen agrees 4 year deal with Magpies

Michael Owen has agreed to a permanent move to Newcastle. After talks yesterday he agreed terms and is now having a medical. This is yet another transfer blow for us after missing out on Figo and having the permit problem with Mark Gonzalez. I think Owen has put his England prospects ahead of club glory and our refusal to match Madrid's price has also contributed. Please post your comments on this surprise transfer.

Owen has talks with Magpies

Michael Owen this afternoon was in the North East for talks with Newcastle. Real Madrid have accepted a bid of around £ 17 million for Owen. Although Owen has stated he will only go to Newcastle on loan if he can't go back to Liverpool. This situation is complex because we would like Owen on loan as we need to spend any transfer funds on a winger and central defender. Real Madrid have already said he will not be allowed to leave on loan, so you may ask what is the point of Owen speaking to Newcastle? I think if Owen rejects a permanent move to Newcastle we will be able to negotiate a lower price with Real, although I'm still not convinced whether Rafa wants him.
It is going to be a very interesting few days. Please post your comments.

Defenders linked before deadline

There have been reports this morning from BBC Sport and Skysports.com that Dutch International stopper Wilfred Bouma is likely to sign for an English club in the next couple of days. Aston Villa have been strongly linked although Rafa may well be interested as he is the type of player we need, a pacy centreback. According to reports in France we had a loan approach for Philipe Mexes rejected by Roma yesterday. Another story says we are trying to sign Jonathan Woodgate on loan with a view to a permanent move. This sounds unlikely though as he has just made his debut for Madrid and will give him every chance to regain his fitness at the Bernebeau.
We only have until Wednesday to sign the players we need. I am sure that Rafa has something up his sleeve and he has been using the Owen speculation to deflect attention away from other dealings.
Please comment on who you think we should try to sign bearing in mind we have a surprisingly limited budget.

Warnock's call up delight

Steven Warnock has spoken about his surprise England call up:

He said: "I can't quite believe it. I've been reading the papers during the past week and they have been saying I could get a call-up, but I wasn't so sure. "And then I got a text message at around 7.15pm from the FA telling me I'm in the squad. Roy Evans rang me straightaway to wish me all the best, which was nice, and Chris Kirkland has also been on the phone. "He's one of my best mates and it's great to see him back in the squad as well. For me personally it's brilliant and certainly goes some way towards making up for the disappointment of last season. "Istanbul was a great experience because I love the club so much but then it hurt me badly to miss out on it all. Of course I was made up that we won, but I was really upset to miss out on the final. I've thought long and hard this summer about where I need to improve and luckily the manager has put his faith in me. "I've just got to establish myself as the first choice left back before anything else, but this England call-up is certainly a massive boost for my confidence. "I'm looking forward to showing what I can do. Ashley Cole is obviously the first choice left back, but apart from maybe Wayne Bridge and Paul Konchesky, there are perhaps not many other left backs around."

This is fantastic news for Warnock. He seems intent on making up for lost time following a catalogue of injury problems earlier in his career. Please let me know your views.

Rafa happy with Josemi

Rafa has put Josemi's inconsistent performances last season down to his injury problems and has hinted he may well be used again as a centreback.
He said: "Josemi can be an important player for us. He is a good player, an aggressive player, and he is getting more used to English football now. "He played very well at centre back last week. I knew he could play there because he spent a year in that position with Malaga. Of course he can also play on the right of the defence as well so he gives us different possibilities. "He was unfortunate last season because he had so many injury problems, but if he can stay fit then he will be an important member of our squad this year."
Let's hope Josemi can prove his critics wrong and Rafa right. Please post your comments.

Three Liverpool players in England squad

Sven has announced his squad for the upcoming World Cup Qualifiers. Stevie Gerrard, Carra & Steven Warnock have been called up. This is a fantastic reward for the tough tackling Warnock who has started the season with the intention of making the Liverpool left back position his own. Gerrard is still a doubt after missing the Supercup final. Carra may play on the right of the back four as the normal 1st team right back is injured.

Is Josemi good enough for Liverpool FC?

After painfully watching Josemi given the run around in Supercup final I have concluded that if he has a future at Liverpool he will need to improve greatly. I love the fact the Josemi shows great bravery and never shirks a tackle. This was typified against Monaco last season when his commitment contributed to a nasty head wound. The problem is he frequently gets caught out of position and makes lots of rash challenges. He seems to have difficulty dealing with tricky opponents and his attacking skills are nowhere near good enough to compensate for these defensive deficiencies.
I believe he may improve if he has a run of games however he will find it hard to displace Steve Finnan as a first teamer and, at present, he does not have the quality required even to be a squad player. I also think that any further performances as a centreback for us will be to the detriment of his development as a right back.
Please share your views on Rafa's first Spanish import.

Reina bolsters defensive confidence

Both Steve Finnan & Sami have been quick to acknowledge the positive impact our new Spanish keeper has made:

Hyypia told Liverpoolfc.tv: "I think Pepe has been great for us. When he first came he didn't speak much English but he's learning well very quickly. He is a good goalkeeper, very commanding in his area and he communicates a lot with us which is always a very good sign. "He hasn't had a lot to do in the games we have played so far but we have to be happy as a team that we have stopped the opposition from creating too many chances. He has been brilliant and is a very good goalkeeper." The Finnish international says a real feature of Reina's game is his punch when he gets great distance from them but admitted he wouldn't like to get on the end of a Pepe punch! Hyypia said: "He has got a heck of a punch on him and I wouldn't like his fist in the back of my head so I think it's best to stay away when he does that! He punches the ball in training and gets a lot of distance with them, some even go over the halfway line!" Steve Finnan echoed the praise from the Finn Hyypia and told Liverpoolfc.tv: "I think Pepe is a quality keeper and he has impressed everyone. He has got a good presence about him and he communicates well with the back four. He has a big physical presence. "He can punch a ball to the halfway line which is good for us as it gives the rest of the team confidence knowing we have a keeper who will take charge of the situation and punch the ball that distance. Mind you when he does it you have to duck and get out of the way! "We have got quality goalkeepers here with Jerzy and Scott Carson and it's good for the club."

The Goalkeeping spot is one of the most important in the team and, if Reina can be as successful as his early perfomances have suggested, he will help convert defeats into draws and draws into wins. Judging by the above comments on his punching if football doesn't work out for Pepe he can always take up heavyweight boxing!

Please leave your comments.

Sunday Speculation Summary

According to the People Bolton are after Didi:
I think we should have no trouble keeping him. He has just signed a new one year deal and his experience is still vital for us, particularly in Europe.

The Mail on Sunday think Owen will either make a return to us or stay put in Madrid:
One of the main reasons Owen is after a move is to ensure his inclusion in the England World Cup team. I think he would love to rejoin us but Rafa will not pay more than the amount we received from Madrid. I also think Rafa is not entirely convinced that Mickey will fit into our playing style and he has other transfer priorities.

Please don't hestitate to voice your opinions.

Is Cisse off?

After Cisse's excellent supersub Supercup performance Rafa hinted that he would welcome offers for Cisse:
"We have met and talked about the rumours but we have not had offers," said Benitez.
"After this game and his goals maybe we will have a lot of offers.
"We must enjoy this trophy and we have five more days for talking about these other things."
Personally I would be very upset if Cisse was sold at this stage, even to make way for Owen. Cisse has overcome his horrific injury wonderfully well and has yet to be given a proper chance to prove himself in the premiership. He is only 24 and has the right type of attributes to be a great success in English football. Unfortunately, due to our lack of squad depth in certain areas, he has been played out of position on the right wing at times.
Please post your comments on the Cisse situation.

Cup Final Captain Carra

Jamie Carragher is ecstatic to be captaining the team tonight in Gerrard's absence. He had this to say:
"To captain Liverpool in any game is special, but to do it in a final, particularly an occasion like this, would be one of the proudest nights of my life.
"Obviously, the most important thing is to win the game. We'll be looking to put in a good performance because, as the gaffer has said, winning any trophy is what it's all about for us."
I would love to see Carra lifting the Super Cup.

Sami would love to win the cup again

Hyypia was the captain of the treble and Super cup winning side and he would welcome a repeat performance of 2001 when we beat Bayern Munich 3-2.
"Winning the Super Cup in 2001 as captain is a good memory for me. It is one of the cups we can win again and we go to Monaco looking to win the game," he told Liverpoolfc.tv.
"Now we have lost against Sofia that might make us work even harder to beat CSKA Moscow and win the trophy on Friday. If there was a good thing to take from the defeat against CSKA Sofia it was we won over the two games.
"CSKA Moscow are quite a similar side I think to Sofia. They have technically good quality players and if you give them time and space to play their game they can hurt you. I think if we play as a team and work very hard as a team it will be very difficult for them to beat us and hopefully we can score some goals.
"It is a nice cup to win and it stays in the history books if you win it and we want to win it."

Rafa speaks ahead of Super Cup

There is no doubting the importance that Rafa the Gaffer is placing on the game tonight.


"This is a trophy I value. For a big club like Liverpool, every trophy should be valuable. That is why we're in football. To win competitions. "This is very important. Some people like to say one competition is more prestigious than another. That's true, but we are playing this final to win. "I was happy to miss out on the opportunity to win the competition last season because I came to Liverpool after Valencia won the UEFA Cup. Now I'm even happier I have the chance to win it with Liverpool. "I think one of the most important aims you can have is to earn the right to be in the Super Cup because it means you have enjoyed big success to get there. "I know being in the top four of the Premiership is very important, but you will never see any club honours list recording an historic fourth place in the Premiership. "History remembers champions and trophy winners. For us, this could be our second trophy in a short space of time and that's what you're remembered for."

Bolo confident ahead of Super Cup

Bolo Zenden believes that we are good enough to compete with anyone:

Speaking to Liverpoolfc.tv, Zenden said: "I know all about Liverpool's great history and success and I would love to win my first medal in the Super Cup.
"Liverpool Football Club is all about winning trophies and we hope to win many more in the years ahead. I am delighted to be in Monaco and part of a Liverpool squad trying to win its second trophy of the year.
"CSKA Moscow won the UEFA Cup and are a good team and we will not be taking them for granted but we want to win another trophy for this club. This is a trophy we are taking seriously.
"I am thoroughly enjoying being a Liverpool player and this club is everything I expected it to be. It is a great club and it would be very nice to win my first medal as a Liverpool player.
"We feel sharp and are confident we can beat anybody. We are Liverpool Football Club, the European Champions and we are hungry for more success."

Stevie & Maureen on Champions League Draw

Yet again we have been drawn against Chelsea. We played them 5 times last season and could potentially play them even more times this season. At least we have Gerrard on our side and he will not be affected by speculation like he clearly was at times last season. This is what he had to say about the draw today:

"Once a few teams came out of the pot, it seemed inevitable we were going to draw Chelsea. It's going to be a tough week.
"A lot of people are going to be talking about what happened in the summer when these games come about but for me the most important thing is that the team play well and I've got to make sure that I'm up for it individually myself.
"Two big performances would be nice from myself.
"It's going to be really tough as they are a fantastic team with a special manager so let's hope both of us can qualify from the group.
"The way we played in the Champions League last year we don't need to fear anyone. We need to show them respect, but it's a very tricky group so we just have to make sure we progress.
"I'm sure they do want revenge but we want to beat them as well. Ideally we didn't want anyone from England as these are very tricky games but it's done now and we are just looking forward."

Chelsea manager Mourinho believes the draw is a "dangerous" one.
Mourinho said: "This is a very dangerous group for us. Not because of Liverpool, as all the teams in the top group were dangerous, no matter who we got. All of them were big teams with a big reputation.

Lets hope we can beat Chelsea both home and away this time.

Owen deal being worked on

The Liverpool Chief Exec has given the clearest indication yet that we are interested in signing Owen. This is how he replied when quizzed about the Owen situation:

"Wait and see," Parry told Sky Sports News. "Absolutely [it's all I can say].
"There's been far too much speculation on it already.
"Let's just rely on facts and we'll see when we get to that day [next Wednesday's deadline].
"I don't [want to comment on my feelings on bringing him back]. My personal feelings do not have anything to do with it.
"One myth that can be dispelled is there's never been a difference of opinion between Rafa and me. We're just keeping our counsel.
"There's some work to do and it's a few days before the deadline so we'll see."

It appears that a lot of tough negotiating will need to be done to get Real Madrid to sell Owen to us at a decent price as Newcastle have complicated matters with their £ 16 million bid yesterday. Please let me know what you think about the return of Owen and how much we should pay for him.

Carra not recognised as Europe's best defender

Despite monumental performances against Juventus, Chelsea and AC Milan in last year's Champions League win Jamie Carragher was only named in the top three European defenders. John Terry won the award. I personally find it staggering that after his efforts last season Carra did not receive the accolade he deserved for some legendary defensive displays.
Please let me know your opinions.

Gerrard is Europe's most valuable player

As a Liverpool fan I already know this but it was nice to see Gerrard receiving his award for being the best player in Europe last season. Gerrard has the following to say about his award:
"It's a great honour to receive this award and I feel really proud. "I need to thank the club, the coaching staff and my team-mates for helping me to win this award. "It was a real team effort last season. This award is for an individual but you can never win personal honours without your team-mates and everyone in our squad played their part last season. I'm a team player and the idea is to be a team and try to win more things together. That's what we'll be looking to do in the future." He added: "We'll never forget what we achieved last year and there were so many highlights along the way. On a personal level lifting the cup was the biggest but I also enjoyed all the wins we achieved throughout the competition, especially against Juventus, Chelsea and of course AC Milan in the final."

Tough draw for reds

We have been drawn against Chelsea, Anderlecht and Betis in the Champions League group
stage.
I am sure you will agree that the group is difficult but as European Champions we should fear no one.

Marseille after Cisse on loan

According to skysports.com Marseille still believe they can secure the signing of Djibril Cisse.

"We won't miss such an opportunity," said l'OM chairman Pape Diouf, who is understood to have spoken to Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry about a loan arrangement.
"However, we are very realistic about this case. There are a lot of parameters."

I would find it staggering if we were to let Cisse go even if Owen signs. Cisse has not had a proper chance to prove himself after his shocking injury and I am confident he will be very successful for us. Please let me know what you think.

Rafa confident ahead of draw

Rafa the Gaffer has spoken ahead of the draw:

"The most important thing for us was to get into this group stage. We have done a good job in the qualifying rounds. That is where our defence of the trophy began but we will come up against more difficult teams now," he told Liverpoolfc.tv shortly before flying out to Monaco for Friday's Super Cup Final against CSKA Moscow. "I do not mind who we are drawn against. Most of the teams at this stage will be dangerous and seeing as we have no influence over whom we may play it is not worth worrying about. "There's been a lot of talk about playing Chelsea again but for me this is not a problem. The good thing about playing English clubs in European competition is that it cuts down on the travel."

Why should we care who we get drawn against. Bring them on I say we are the European Champions!

This afternoon's Champions League Draw explained

The Champions League draw will take place later today at 2:30pm. There will be 4 pots corresponding to each of the 4 levels of seeds (details below). Each one of the eight groups will consist of one team from each seed. No team can draw another team from the same country, apart from the European Champions, Liverpool. This means Liverpool may get drawn in the same group as Chelsea as they are only 2nd seeds.

4th Seeds
SL Benfica (POR)
Rosenborg BK (NOR)
Real Betis Balompié (ESP)
Udinese Calcio (ITA)
Fenerbahçe SK (TUR)
SK Rapid Wien (AUT)
FC Thun (SUI)
FC Artmedia Bratislava (SVK)

3rd Seeds
Club Brugge KV (BEL)
RSC Anderlecht (BEL)
Olympiacos CFP (GRE)
FC Schalke 04 (GER)
AC Sparta Praha (CZE)
LOSC Lille Métropole (FRA)
Rangers FC (SCO)
Werder Bremen (GER)

2nd Seeds
FC Porto (POR)
Juventus FC (ITA)
PSV Eindhoven (NED)
Olympique Lyonnais (FRA)
Panathinaikos FC (GRE)
Chelsea FC (ENG)
Villarreal CF (ESP)
AFC Ajax (NED)

Top Seeds
Real Madrid CF (ESP)
AC Milan (ITA)
FC Barcelona (ESP)
Liverpool FC (ENG, holders)
Manchester United FC (ENG)
FC Internazionale Milano (ITA)
FC Bayern München (GER)
Arsenal FC (ENG)

My ideal group would be Liverpool, Ajax, Club Brugge, & FC Thun. Please let me know who you would like to see in the draw.

Is Distin a target?

According to the Sun today we are in talks with Man City trying to negotiate a price for Sylvain Dystin. The price Man City will sell at is believed to be in excess of £ 7 million. I think the pacy French defender is the type of player we need. He is good on one on one situations and will allow us to play further up the pitch without being caught out Hyypia style.

Please feel free to post your opinions.

Bolton unhappy with our declaration of Stelios interest

Bolton Chairman Phil Gartside has expressed his displeasure over Rafa's comments about one of our transfer possibilities being Stelios Giannakopoulos.

"Yet again I am disappointed that on the eve of a Premiership match a fellow Premier League club have gone public with their interest - it is morally wrong.
"Liverpool have not made an offer for Stelios. I am aware that they are likely to make an offer soon but if they don't meet our valuation of over £2million then we won't be talking to them."

Bolton will not be doing us any favours now and I am afraid that any chances we had on haggling for a lower price have gone.

Gerrard likely to miss Super Cup final

Unfortunately Rafa has confirmed that Gerrard will find it very hard to be fit for the Super Cup Final against CSKA Moscow.

Benitez said: "It is only a possibility that Steven can play. We need two more days with him working hard with the physios in the morning and afternoon.
"But it will now be difficult, even if we will still consider the possibility because the player wants to play. But we need to be careful with him.
"I have talked to the doctor and it will be hard for Steven to play on Friday in the Super Cup. He wants to play and I want him to play, and it is a trophy we want to win, so we will wait and see."

It looks like the midfield bossing responsibilities will rest on Xabi's shoulders on Friday.

Liverpool in talks with Bolton over GiannaKOPoulos

After months of speculation we have confirmed that we are trying to acquire Stelios Giannakopoulus. It looks likely that the 31 year old Greek International will be filling the problem right wing spot very shortly.
"Our chief executive Rick Parry is talking with their chairman (Phil Gartside) about the possibility of a deal," said Benitez.
"I also spoke to Sam Allardyce about the player last night because we need to know if he'd be available. At this moment Stelios is one possibility for us.

Djibril comes up with excuse for indifferent performances

Unfortunately our strikers have been misfiring recently and Cisse has been guilty himself of fluffing some straightforward chances.

Cisse said: "I've been a little bit hurt by all the speculation," he revealed. "I did my best to come back from injury so quickly, so when you hear stuff about possibly leaving, it's painful. But that's part of a footballer's career so I must be strong and deal with it. "I don't feel I've been here long. It's just my second season. At Auxerre I also had difficult moments, but I'll live with this. You can't always have good times as a player. "I'm not anxious about what's going to happen. I don't want to leave, but if I have to go, I'll go. "I'm under contract and I want to stay and show the people what I can do. It's up to the boss, but I don't think he wants me to go. "I've not heard from Lyon or Marseilles, but this is the third season in a row Marseilles has been mentioned. They are the club near where I was born. It's not new to me. "I asked the manager about the situation in the newspapers and he told me just to concentrate on my football and forget it."

I expect a hatful of goals from Djib once the transfer window closes and the speculation dies down.

Steve Warnock gets new contract

Rafa Benitez has rewarded Steven Warnock with a new deal after he has impressed this season with his performances.
Warnock put pen to paper on his new deal after last night's clash with CSKA Sofia as he committed his future to the club until 2008. The 23 year old defender thought his Liverpool dream was over two years ago when Gerard Houllier sent him on loan to Coventry City, where he picked up the Supporters Player of the Year award. He broke into Rafael Benitez's first team plans last season and made 29 appearances for the club.
If Warnock continues to improve i would not be surprised if he gets an England call up.

Owen has finally spoken of his desire to return

Michael Owen has confirmed the reports that have been circulating for the last few weeks. Following Real's signings of Robinho and Baptista Owen has found himself 4th choice striker despite his impressive performances last season.

Owen said: "I met the Real Madrid president before Tuesday night's friendly at the Bernabeu and we discussed my future.
"I said that my ideal situation was to start the season in the Real Madrid team and if not I would prefer to return to Liverpool.
"The president understood and said he would try to help me achieve this. If the transfer cannot be finalised in time I have agreed to go to Newcastle United but only on a one-year loan. I need to be playing regularly in World Cup year.
"I am most grateful to Senor Perez for his personal concern about my career. I have really enjoyed being part of his Real Madrid team."

The main question is whether Rafa wants him. I am not convinced Rafa's playing style suits Owen's game as Rafa likes to play with a target man up front.

Pongolle denies transfer reports

Florent Sinama Pongolle has stressed his intentions to stay at Liverpool and battle for a 1st team place. There have been all types of speculation in the last few days of him being unsettled and about to join Lyon or Aberdeen on loan.
He said: "There is no truth whatsoever in this story. There has been no contact and it's not going to happen. I have no desire to leave this club. I am very happy here." After seven months out with a knee injury the French striker was delighted to be back in the first team spotlight against the Bulgarian champions and added: "My aim now is to carry on working hard in training and push hard for a regular first team place."
I am ecstatic that Flo will be staying as, alongside new boy Sissoko, he is a very promising young player who can reach the highest level.

Baros joins Villa

Milan Baros passed his medical this morning and signed for Aston Villa this afternoon. I am sure we all wish him the very best at Villa apart from when he plays against us. Baros was unveiled at a press conference this afternoon and spoke about the move.

Baros said: "It is never easy to leave Liverpool but it was made easier by the fact that Aston Villa is a big club. It was a big decision for me in my career but I have made the right decision.
"I never had a personal problem with Rafael Benitez. He prefers other players in his team and that's just the sort of thing that happens in football.
"But even before the Champions League final in Istanbul there was speculation about my future so I was prepared for leaving Liverpool.
"I know Lyon were interested in me but I made it clear I wanted to either stay in England or go to Spain. Villa is a club with history and a great stadium, and a strong squad, and they were also very straight with me. I had no problems in coming here and hope it can help my career.
"I think the manager David O'Leary was first interested in me two years ago so since then I have always followed their results in the league and they have always just finished outside a European place.
"The team is good and I hope we can achieve Europe next season. I think we are capable of it.
"The manager said I am the type of player he was looking for and I hope I can repay his faith in me."

Finnan unsurprisingly confident of Champions League Progression

Steve Finnan has spoken ahead of the game against CSKA Sofia of how things may pan out this evening.
The Irish defender told Liverpoolfc.tv: "I think they proved that they are a good team in the first 15 minutes over in Sofia and they caused us a few problems. Pepe Reina made a big save for us at the end and it was a great save to stop it being 3-2. "If they got an early goal that would give them a boost but we are confident we will reach the group stages. They have got to win 3-0 to go through so we have to approach the game in the right way and with confidence. "We will approach it as though it is 0-0. We will try and put pressure on them from the start and try and get an early goal. "It is a blow for us to be without Steven Gerrard and a massive disappointment but maybe because we are 3-1 up it won't be that bad for us, so hopefully he will be back for the Super Cup on Friday."
Another example above of how the players are now reliant on Gerrard. In my opinion it makes no difference that Gerrard is out tonight because we should be far better than Sofia despite his absence.

Talented Spanish youngster Barragan has spoken ahead of possible debut tonight

Our passage to the Champions League group stage is a formality therefore Rafa may well give opportunities to some youngsters this evening. One of these youngsters, Antonio Barragan has recently signed from Sevilla despite making no first team appearances in the Spanish League. Understandably he is very excited be the prospect of a debut at Anfield.


Speaking exclusively to Liverpoolfc.tv Barragan says: "I have to say I can't wait to play at Anfield. I have watched the two games at Anfield so far this season against TNS and Kaunas and I was very impressed by the atmosphere and I can't wait to experience it myself soon playing in the red shirt of Liverpool. "I was delighted to make my first team debut in the Champions League. It was an unforgettable experience for me and it came earlier than I expected. "Rafael Benitez was a big factor in me coming to Liverpool but just to play for the European Champions is special. I'm so proud, in fact I can't describe in words how proud I am to play for Liverpool. "After the match in Bulgaria the manager told me I did very well and I just have to continue working hard in training and fight for a place in his first team." Barragan was born in Pontedeume, Galicia, in Spain and is an under-19 international. From the tender age of six he has always wanted to be a professional footballer and is a great admirer of the Juventus and France right back Lilian Thuram. Barragan says he has tried to copy Thuram and likes his style of play. Coming to Liverpool has also given Barragan the chance to play with another one of his modern heroes and that is the Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard. Barragan adds: "I am very happy to be a Liverpool player and I can't believe I am training and playing alongside one of my favourite players in Steven Gerrard. "I am an attacking right back and love to get forward. I really admire Lilian Thuram as and have tried to model my game on him. I will keep working hard and keep improving my game." The player admits that having other Spanish players at Anfield has helped him settle quickly into life in a new country. "There are a few Spanish players at Liverpool and it does help you settle in better as they speak your language but I have been made to feel very welcome here by everyone," he says. "I am learning English and can speak a little bit and interact well with the other players. "I really like the city of Liverpool, it is a nice place. I am staying with a lovely family who have made me very welcome and I am really enjoying it."

Baros on his way to Villa after Liverpool accept bid

Liverpool have accepted a bid of in the region of £6 million for Milan. Baros has already gone to the Midlands for a medical and is likely to sign for Aston Villa tomorrow. Milan Baros arrived in December 2001 from Banik Ostrava. He has shown great potential but has never developed into a consistent goalscorer in the Premiership. Still we have made a tidy profit of £ 3 million and Rafa now has funds to renew his spending spree.

Alonso welcomes new additions and promises better this season

Xabi has analysed our performance on Saturday and spoken with his usual intelligence about the season ahead.

"You can improve the squad, no matter how well you're doing," he says. "I think we have good players here but a side will always look for new players to add other qualities to the team. That's Rafa's job and we know that's what he is thinking about. "We need to get better in certain areas. People will say we only scored one goal and that's where we must improve, but that shouldn't be a problem because I still think we have the players here to ensure we'll score lots of goals this season. "I'm happy with my goal and we're happy with the points, but we're not happy with our performance. There were a lot of things wrong and it turned into a tough game. "It was difficult for us, but now we must look forward and think of performing better against CSKA. We can take positives because we won and had a clean sheet. "For me personally, I will try to have a big impact in my second season in England. I want to improve my level and help the team make at least the top three in the league."

Alonso is such a class act it is difficult to know how he can improve.

Rafa reveals all about our transfer dealings

On potential defensive signings:

Benitez said: "I have read in the press about centre backs and the information was correct. The only problem for me is when you read that in the newspapers it means the clubs will put the price up for the player. "Maybe one of the players plays for Stuttgart and the other for another club who I don't want to say. We have been linked with a lot of players and I need to talk with Rick Parry and my scouting department to see what we can do. "I want a centre back and a right winger. I would like at least two new players, maybe two centre backs but we will have to see how much money we have available. "We need to sell a player first to pay for Crouch and a new centre back and a right winger. We have possibilities and we will wait and see and be patient."

On the exit of Baros:

"Baros at this moment is our player but he might not be in the next two to three days," says the Reds boss. "We have had a very good offer from Lyon and another offer from Aston Villa. The player himself wants to stay in England so I would say Aston Villa are closer to a deal."

On reports linking us to Kuyt:

"Kuyt is a good striker," Rafa claimed today at Melwood. "He was top scorer in the Dutch league last season and he is a player we have been looking at. Maybe he is cheaper than other players but we'll have to see what happens."

Benitez delighted with Reina

Rafa has bestowed the highest praise on Pep Reina saying he can become Livepool's version of Peter Schmeichel.
Benitez said: "Reina has a lot of confidence. He is always talking, controlling the defenders. They feel already that they have a very good keeper behind them. It will be the same with Reina as it was with Schmeichel. "Now he talks a lot but he doesn't know a lot of English words but he's improving. "The new situation for him is going to be the physical side of the game here. But Reina likes the physical side. He has no problems. He's strong."
Hopefully he can win as many Premieship medals as Schmeichel!

Hyypia acknowledges that we must improve

After our lacklustre performance on Saturday Hyypia has assessed what is required to prevent any repeat performances:

"We were not at out best," says the big Finn. "But in two weeks people will look at this as a 1-0 win and nothing else. We got away with it. We did not work well enough as a team and that made it more difficult. "Teams will come to Anfield and play five across the middle and we have got to find a way of breaking them down, something we did not do well on Saturday. "We all know that we can do so much better. There was a lack of ideas and we did not create enough. It was not so much down to the strikers, we could not find the best penetrating balls. The supply was not good enough. "I thought that we did better when we had strikers up front alongside each other in the second half and we got the ball to them better. But no-one is panicking. At the end of the day it was a job done. "The expectations have certainly been raised by what happened in Istanbul. We are aware of that. The supporters now want to see us going for the title and we will have to play better than we did on Saturday to achieve that. "People thought that we would be fitter because our season started so much earlier, but I do not know how that will work in the long run. I don't know how that will affect us around Christmas. "We have got a better squad this season and we should be more consistent and even if we get some injuries we will be able to cope. The manager has said that there are one or two more coming in and they will help make us better."
Encouraging quotes above also suggesting more signings are imminent.

We still cannot grab the 2nd crucial goal

Yet again we have produced a below par Premiership performance due to our inability to finish teams off and convert our chances. Although Benitez was keen to deflect any blame away from the strikers.
Benitez said: "I am satisfied with the result as it's three points. We started well and created a lot of opportunities and Xabi scored a great free-kick. "We needed to score the second goal but we didn't. That gave Sunderland more confidence and they put us under some pressure without creating clear chances. We didn't play as fluently as I would have liked but I'm not overly worried about the chances the strikers missed. We could have scored three or four goals today but that happens some times. "I used Cisse on the right wing but that is not his position. That is why I am looking for a right winger."
I can't wait for a new right winger to sign and look forward to seeing Morientes and Cisse partner each other up front at Anfield. I have no doubt that if the service is good the goals will flow.

Gerrard out for a few days with calf strain

Unfortnately Steve Gerrard has been ruled out of our next game. Thankfully the injury is minor.

Gerrard had a scan on Sunday morning which revealed a strain on his right calf and will be hoping the injury improves for him to captain Liverpool in the Super Cup Final against CSKA Moscow in Monaco on Friday. Liverpool FC Head of Press Ian Cotton said: "Steven had a scan which showed a strain in his right calf. He will definitely miss Tuesday's game. Regarding his involvement in the Super Cup we will have a better idea later in the week."

Hopefully Stevie with be firing on all cylinders by the beginning of next month.

Owen May Return On Loan

Lots of reports have been circulating this morning claiming it is only a matter of when and how Owen will make his reds comeback. According to the report in the Times he is likely to return on Loan with a transfer being made permanent next season for £ 10 million. If Baros goes to Lyon will should be able to fund his signing outright now.
Personally I would love to see Owen return.

Lyon Make Large Bid For Baros

Lyon have stormed into the fray to sign Milan Baros. The bid made is believed to be around 8.5 million. Previously Baros has stated he did not want to move to France however due to the size of the bid Benitez will be doing everything possible to change his mind. This is bad news for Villa who looked to be closing in on his signing for a measly 6.5 million.

Sinama Pongolle Makes Welcome Return

Florent Sinama Pongolle made an immediate impact as a substitue for our reserves last night. Trailing 3-0 against Everton Pongolle was introduced early in the 2nd half on the right wing. He caused the Everton defence to panic, scored one, created a whole host of chances and almost equalised in the last minute. Youngster Danny Guthrie also scored in the 3-2 defeat.
If Rafa was watching he may decide the we do not need a new right winger after all and Flo is the man for the job.