Anfield Red

Just finished watching Liverpool’s match against Thailand that kicked off their Asian Tour. The match included some fairly decent football from Ryan Babel, a player I think we all believe needs to up his level this season after being unimpressive in his first two seasons. The goal came in the sixth minute off a great through ball from Carra to Babel, who just slotted it home with ease. From there it looked like an up and down match with the rust still very evident.

Thailand’s Panupong Sutee equalised in the 72nd minute with a great 1-2 that caught the back line on their heels. The second half, like the first, had some bright spots – but most of the play appeared to be in slow motion, which I guess could be attributed to the humidity.

Not much else to say other than that we’re still without a win in three pre-season matches. It’s nothing to get concerned about at the moment, but it does make you wonder about our youngsters on the squad. Also, rumours were swirling regarding Alonso not being on the bench for the match. Please note that there has been NOTHING to report as of right now.

Some people have been claiming he’s already on to Madrid to sign for the club. I haven’t heard anything of the sort at the present time.

Discuss the match as you please in the comment area below…

If agents weren’t already considered the scum of the footballing world, then this little story pushes things over the edge. Men like Walter Tamer and Kia Joorabchian are just part of the reason why the game is going to hell in a handbasket.

If you’ll recall, it was only a couple of weeks back that we began hearing rumblings regarding a potential Mascherano to Barcelona transfer rumour that had most of us (myself included) on edge regarding his future. We’ve heard all of the bollocks regarding the transfer saga: his wife was unhappy in England; he wants to go and play in La Liga; and other tired bullshit that made many of us wonder where all of this nonsense was coming from.

Mascherano remained fairly mum about the whole situation, as his scum of an agent, Walter Tamer, pleaded his case to anyone listening. Well after weeks of dealing with a mass exodus from two of our best midfielders, it looked like Mascherano was back in the fold and ready to go. But apparently his agent isn’t going to go away quietly with regards to the Barca rumours.

Tamer, who is gutless wonder, is now pushing the Masch to Barca talk once again! But where are the comments from Mascherano? Oh, they’re nowhere to be found. Shocking!

“Barcelona is the easiest deal to set up as Javier wants to go to Spain. He is tired of life in England.

“His wife has not been given a permanent visa. She has to go through an odyssey each time she wants to go. Liverpool refuse to sell, this can be overcome with an extraordinary offer.”

Rafa refuses to sell because he’s smart and understands that agents are only about one thing: money. Mascherano is one of the best players in the world, and if he’s so intent on leaving the club, then I’d expect him to be a man about things and hand in a transfer request. Until then this story is utter tosh to me.

He was know as “Skippy” during his long spell at Liverpool, and for those of us who were lucky enough to watch him play, we can all agree that there’s only one Craig Johnston. Whilst he never truly made his mark like many legends before and after him, Craig made his impact at the club in another way: opening doors for Aussies after him to have a shot in the Premier League. For those of us who saw him play, we all know he always gave a complete performance whenever he stepped foot on the pitch.

After retiring from football, Johnston went into the business of designing football boots. He and Simon Skirrow set about designing a revolutionary new football boot that would change the game. In the end they came up with a boot we all know: the adidas Predator.

Johnston is launching the Football Boot Awards for 2009 over at footy-boots.com. Take a minute to go over and vote for the Football Boot of the Year, Safest Football Boot of the Year, as well as other awards.

Johnston also took some time during the announcement of the Football Boot Awards to discuss a major injury problem in the world of football today: the safety (or lack thereof) of today’s football boots.

We all know the stories regarding Rooney, Owen, and Beckham, to name a few. And whilse Johnston believes today’s boot technology has improved, he feels the biggest problem is that today’s boots are “too safe”:

“A lot of players have been injured over the last four or five years because of their equipment and because of the quality of the pitches.”

“There’s been David Beckham, Wayne Rooney and even Michael Owen, just to name three.”

“People say that the boots don’t provide enough protection. In fact the opposite is true. The problem is that the boots are so well made there is no give at all in the materials – especially the cheaper synthetics.”

“The pitches are now so well maintained and even woven with synthetic materials that the players’ studs engage like they should do but they don’t release enough, causing injury.”

“Also, the studs are far too long and give far too much grip.”

“Something has to give and in this day and age it is the ligaments and the metatarsals that are giving way – not the boots, the studs or the grass of the new-generation pitches.”

“I would make a call to the big brands and manufacturers and just say to them: please, for the safety and well-being of all footballers of all abilities, put a bit of research and development money behind the
concept of stud release.”

I’d have to agree with Criag’s assessment of today’s boot technology. There’s just not enough give in the boots. Whilst I under the need to create cheaper boots with the use of synthetic products, I think we can all agree that leather boots are best for a reason. Here’s hoping boot manufacturers consider shortening the studs and making the boot material a bit more pliable.

The Liverpool transfer rumours are alive and well after an extended break. That break wasn’t due to me being lazy – but rather due to Rafa keeping things under wraps for the last month or so. With the exception of a name here and there, the one name (or names if you include Masch) being thrown around was that of Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso.

There’s been enough Alonso talk of late, so why do we move our attention to some of the other names being linked with the club. Believe it, believe it not, or believe it maybe, these are the rumours circulating around Anfield at the moment.

Dossena calls on Roma midfielder to consider Liverpool move
Xabi Alonso hasn’t even left the club yet and already current players are throwing in their two pence about who should replace a player that’s irreplaceable. Dossena was quoted via laroma.net that Roma midfielder (and rumoured Liverpool target) Alberto Aquilani should consider a move to the Premier League side if given the chance.

“Aquilani is destined to improve even more and could do so even more quickly under a great coach like [Liverpool boss Rafael] Benitez,” Dossena told laroma.net.

“He has many solutions at his disposal and could employ Aquilani in different ways.”

Of course, Dossena is Italian (as is Aquiliani), so it shouldn’t come as a shock that he’s pushing for his countryman to make the move. Regardless, I don’t think his name should be on the lips of any player until the Alonso saga is settled.

Ashley Young at Liverpool?
Last year Rafa Benitez chased after Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry in the hopes of signing the player in what had to be the longest transfer saga of the summer. This summer Rafa’s rumoured to be after another Villa player: Ashley Young. Young is now being linked with Liverpool after Tottenham’s £18m bid was rejected by the club.

The rumour is coming via News of the World, so make of it what you want. Regardless, I can’t see how Rafa would get Young of O’Neill’s hands after last year’s heated verbal battle with the Villa manager over Gareth Barry. He’d need to throw at least £30m+ at O’Neill to make him even consider selling the player. And where would that money come from?

Phil Brown chasing Voronin for possible loan deal
Hull City is chasing after Andriy Voronin for a possible loan move. I doubt Rafa would be too keen to loan the striker to a club in the league – especially after Voronin had such a stellar season in the Bundesliga. Plus, we don’t need to loan him out; we need to sell him. I’d reckon there’s a good chance he’ll still be at the club come the first game of the new campaign.

The worst news of all is that he still has two years left on his current contract. It’s time to find a buyer as soon as possible!

Stevie G’s first trail day came and went without much fanfare. Whilst the rest of the team is in Asia at the moment preparing for their international tour, Gerrard was back home in Liverpool Crown Court appearing in front of the law for his charge of affray during a nightclub bust-up.

Here’s the story from the AFP:

England and Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard appeared in court here on Monday before his trial charged with affray over a nightclub brawl last year.

The midfielder appeared in the dock alongside his six co-accused at Liverpool Crown Court wearing a dark grey suit and black suede shoes, as jurors waited to be called in for the start of the trial.

I’ve been hearing this case will take anywhere from two to three weeks to complete. I’m far from a lawyer, so I can’t comment on if Gerrard will have to stay in town, or if he’ll be able to meet up with the squad. My thoughts are he’d need to stay in town. Whatever happens, I just hope this whole ordeal is settled in as little time as possible.

Xabi Alonso has finally broken his silence over a possible transfer to Real Madrid.

Speaking to Spanish paper AS, Alonso revealed: “It’s always a great feeling when Madrid want you, especially considering the phase of the career I am in now, But at this point, as I have always said, whether or not that can happen is not up to me. It’s a matter that involves three parties, including myself.

“The truth is that I cannot say much, because every little thing can be misinterpreted. And I do not know how things will turn out either because I am not a fortune teller.”

From what he is saying there, it looks like there will not be a transfer request handed in, and that he is leaving it entirely up to the clubs involved to decide his future.

Finally some real football! Whilst I wasn’t able to listen to the whole match yesterday on .tv, I was able to catch most of the second half of a boring 0-0 against St. Gallen draw that, to be honest, didn’t shock me that much. Rafa played loads of reserve and fringe players in an effort to give them some first team football — albeit in a pre-season seeting — whilst Masch, Dossena and others have yet to return to training.

I’m not going to go into great detail because to be honest, I don’t think a report on a pre-season friendly is worth much. There was a lot of rust on the players, and from I did see, we didn’t really gel on the pitch. But what else is new in the rest match of the season!

If there’s one thing I did want to comment on, it would be the superb play of Glen Johnson. I know many of us were slagging on Johnson, wondering aloud if we paid too much for the right-back. Well after watching him play on the LEFT side of the pitch — he was filling the hole left by Aurelio — and almost scoring within minutes of walking on as a second half sub, I think we all need to shut our yaps and let the lad do his thing. He’s pure class. End of story.

His work rate was first class, and from what I could see, he’s going to be a real help to Liverpool’s back line. I’ve said in the past that Rafa’s preferred lineup requires a right- and left-back with pace and a nose for the goal. Johnson brings both of those.

Once Aurelio returns (hopefully sooner than later) I really believe we’ll be able to push up and throw opponents into a pace they otherwise wouldn’t be accustomed to. Most of the Premier League prefers a slower pace; I think Rafa will up the tempo and blow the doors off most of the squads this year. Expect big things from Glen.

The lad just can’t catch a break. Just when we all thought he was ready to fight for a starting XI spot, we get this bit of news via the Liverpool Echo:

Rafa Benitez’s pre-season preparations have been hampered after Daniel Agger was ruled out of Liverpool’s first warm up match against St Gallen in Switzerland tonight.

Agger first picked up the injury while on international duty with Denmark last February and though he recovered to win his place back in Benitez’s starting line up towards the end of the season the problem flared up again at the weekend and the Reds boss has opted to take no chances on his fitness.

You have to feel for Agger and all of these nagging back injuries. One can only hope this is just a blip on the radar and that he’ll be back in training soon enough. Get well soon, DA!

If you would have asked me at the beginning of the summer if Andrea Dossena would be suiting up for the club in the first pre-season match of the season, I probably would have told have told you there was a better chance of seeing myself on the pitch than the Italian fullback.

But one Aurelio injury and a botched Juve transfer later, it looks like Dossena is stuck to us like glue for the foreseeable future. The rumour surrounding Dossena’s possible meeting with Napoli has been rubbished by his agent – and you know how agents will take any face time they can get to land the best contract possible. Dossena’s agent didn’t do that. He rubbished the report and claimed his client would be a Liverpool player.

“Dossena to Napoli? It was all a misunderstanding,” Pastorello told Calciomercato.it.

“The papers were quick to make a case, but there is nothing true in it. Dossena is a Liverpool player.”

Whilst something could still happen, I’d reckon he’ll be with the club at least until Aurelio makes his return.

OK, simple question: How many goals do you expect us to score today against St. Gallen? I know it’s our first pre-season match of the campaign, but at the same time, I do expect us to come out and put on a show for the Swiss fans in attendance. Give me a final score of 3-0.

Also, do you expect to see many of the first time players in the starting XI today?