You'll Never Walk Alone -- The End...

[shantanu_rooney]

Last updated: 14th July 2010

Juventus have finally captured Javier Mascherano and, after months of battling for his signature with the likes of Barcelona, Valencia and Real Madrid, the Argentine star has signed for the club officially.

A statement on the club's official website reads:

"Now it's official: Javier Mascherano is a Juventus player. The Argentina skipper has signed a five year contract which will tie him to the club until June 30, 2015."

Mascherano is delighted with the move and, before joining his new Juventus team-mates in Germany for their pre-season training camp and friendlies he stated, "I am enthusiastic about Juventus and I am proud to be a part of this prestigious club which I have dreamed about since I was a child.

"After my experiences in the Premier League and in Argentina, I can test myself in Italy with football of the highest level like the Premier League. It's a difficult and competitive league. I think it's the right moment in my career to make this important step and I am convinced I can reach important objectives with Juventus."

The details of the deal are as follows. Juventus will pay Liverpool a total of ?30million. The payments will be broken down into three instalments. The Italians will make their first payment of ?25m on July 10 2010, another ?2.5m six months later, and a final ?2.5m on July 1, 2011. However, Juventus could end up paying Liverpool an extra ?5m depending on Mascherano's achievements with the club over the next five years.​

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Last updated: 17th July 2010

Ferdinand - Red Devils want title back

Rio Ferdinand in the pre-season training for the Red Devils​

Rio Ferdinand has stressed Manchester United's priority this season is to reclaim the Premier League title from Liverpool.

The Red Devils have finished third to Liverpool in the title race in the past campaigns, having been champions in the previous three years.

Winning a fourth UEFA Champions League trophy is rumoured to be manager Sir Alex Ferguson's biggest wish, but Manchester United defender Ferdinand says the players want to be back on top of the domestic pile.

"We've had talks [Ferdinand and Giggs] and the Barclays Premier League is the one we're after, we want to get that back," Ferdinand told MUTV. "And over the course of the season, to show that consistency and get that back off Liverpool would be fantastic.

"They [Liverpool] have had one good year and you have to stand back and take your hat off to them, but we know we were good last year and we have another level to go to. Last year I think we saw the very best of Liverpool, but we have got an awful lot to come from last year.

"We have got improvements to make, but I think Liverpool are at their peak. The Premier League is the one we want and when the Champions League starts again, it's going to be exciting."​

 

[iridescentt]

Don't know if you can beat Chelsea

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Last updated: 27th July 2010

Agent - Vargas eyes Liverpool chance

Juan Manuel Vargas in action for Fiorentina​

Juan Manuel Vargas' agent admits his client would welcome the opportunity to join Premier League and Champions League winners Liverpool.

Reports in England suggest Jose Mourinho is planning to sign the Fiorentina left back before their Community Shield match against Chelsea, while Manchester City are also believed to be keen.

Vargas has been strongly linked with a move away from Stadio Artemio Franchi in the past, with the Peru international highly rated across Europe. He has expressed no public desire to take on a fresh challenge, after two years at Fiorentina, but his representative insists he would be interested in a switch to Liverpool.

"Liverpool would be a very welcome destination," Carlos Delgado told the Preuvian newspaper Libero. Delgado insists there has been no contact from the English champions as yet, but admits Manchester City have expressed an interest in the past.

He added: "At the moment we haven't been in touch with Liverpool, while the interest from Manchester City is long running. I can confirm that they have followed Vargas for a while."​

 

[CG123]

Your writing continues to be of outstanding class!!!
KUTGW...

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Last updated: 1st August 2010

Dossena makes Villa move

Andrea Dossena in action for Liverpool against Man City​

Aston Villa completed the signing of Liverpool defender Andrea Dossena for an undisclosed fee believed to be around ?13million.

Dossena has put pen to paper on a four-year contract which will keep him at Villa Park until the summer of 2014. Dossena underwent a medical and agreed personal terms at Villa earlier today ahead of making the move to midlands club.

A Villa statement read: "Aston Villa have completed the signing of Andrea Dossena on a four year deal."

Dossena is relishing the challenge of breaking into the Barclays League top four. He told AVTV: "The main aim is pushing for that top four spot. That's the ambition. The manager is buying some really talented players - young and ambitious - and I'm sure they will see that top four spot as a target and goal.

"Playing in Europe is important - playing against the top players on the continent is fantastic - and there's no better stage to do that than on the Champions League. If we could do that, it would be a great achievement."​

 

[m_vaughan]

13 million is a great price for Dossena. I think your sales have been excellent value for money. Risco would be an excellent signing but he more a left wing back than a left back and is more effective and dangerous in that position.

 

[Ollie_H]

You have sold a few players! Mostly fringe players and you look to have gained a fair amount of money from it so you will need to get some quality players in. Everyone knows about Liverpool's non existent strength in depth

 

[drainpipe32]

Liverpool>Chelsea

 

[iridescentt]

Liverpool>Chelsea

Did your spellcheck not correct you Gaz?

Liverpool < Chelsea​

Anyway, your making pretty hefty sums for those players. Agree with holdenator though haha.

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Last updated: 8th August 2010

The first silverware of the 2010/11 season is up for grabs on Sunday as Liverpool face arch-rivals Chelsea in first of the two consecutive matches, who still have former Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti at their helm...

Form Guide
Liverpool are the Kings of Europe and Kings of England after winning the Champions League and the Premier League last season, while Chelsea on the other hand ended their very poor season by their own standards by winning the FA Cup against Liverpool. Both teams have been in good form of late as they both ended the pre-season undefeated.

Ins and Outs
Liverpool will be without injured second choice keeper Diego Cavalieri while British record signing Sergio Aguero is set to make his first ever appearance for the Kings of Europe. Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti have a fully fit squad to select from including the services from their summer signing from Juventus, Alessandro Rosina.

Star Man
Fernando Torres would be the key for the Reds, as he had an outstanding last season by scoring the most number of goals in the Premier League and will be hoping to continue the same form.. For Chelsea, Michael Essien would be the key as he has the ability to break down opponent's attack in midfield and he would surely be the one to man mark Steven Gerrard.

Referee
Martin Atkinson will be officiating the game. Last season he offciated 28 domestic games, issuing 106 yellow cards and five red cards.

Odds
Liverpool 6/4, Draw N/A, Chelsea 13/8​

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Last updated: 8th August, 2010

Chelsea produced an efficient display to see off Premier League champions Liverpool and to lift the Community Shield in the curtain raiser game at the Wembley.

The closest Chelsea came to a first-half goal was Didier Drogba's shot put into his own net by Jamie Carragher, but Drogba was off-side anyway. Frank Lampard's curling free-kick in the second half finally gave the Blues the lead their dominance deserved. Ryan Babel wasted the Reds' best chance when he volleyed Steven Gerrard's cross wide in the dying stages.

Sergio Aguero also tried a desperate late overhead kick in an attempt to keep alive the champions' hope of winning the opening game of the season. But it was not to be for the Champions League winners. And it were the illustrious FA Cup winner, who take some physological advantage over Liverpool before the season kicks off on Sunday.

Early on, match-winner Lampard looked dangerous and tried a couple of efforts from range before threading a pass through into the path of Drogba as he bore down on goal, but he was denied by an expertly timed block by Martin Skrtel. Despite dominating early possession, it was a while before Chelsea got a shot on target, from Alessandro Rosina, but Pepe Reina in the Reds goal did well to turn it round the post.

Chelsea were comfortably on top in the first quarter but complacency almost set in when Michael Essien's poor clearance went straight to Alberto Aquilani. But the threat vanished the second he made contact with the ball, as the Italian ballooned the ball into the crowd behind Petr Cech's goal.

This warning shot inspired the Blues to go on the attack once again, and around the half-hour mark, they thought they had taken the lead. Rosina's shot was deflected into path of Drogba, whose spectacular overhead kick from the right-hand side of the box was deflected in off the head of defender Carragher. But fortunately for Liverpool, Drogba had been flagged offside and they stayed on level terms.

Liverpool began the second half in confident mood, but then fell behind on the hour mark. Nicolas Anelka was standing on the touchline waiting to replace Lampard when the Englishman's persistence won him a free-kick on the right-hand side of the box. He picked himself off the ground to curl a beautiful shot into the top left corner before being replaced.

On 75 minutes, Alessandro Rosina wasted a glorious chance to wrap up the win when he blasted over from close range following Michael Ballack's unselfish lay-off. With time running out, Liverpool's first clear chance of the night fell to the unmarked Babel when he got on the end of Gerrard's cross but his shot was way off target.

Aguero's overhead kick marked Liverpool's final attempt to snatch an equiliser and take the game to penalties, but once the ball was safely in Cech's grasp, Chelsea's Community Shield title was secured.

__________________________________________________​

Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Skrtel, Aurelio, Kuyt(Riera 75), Aquilani, Gerrard(C), Alexis Sanchez(Babel 60), Aguero, Torres.
Subs Not Used: Agger, Camacho, San Jose, Plessis, N'Gog.

Chelsea: Cech, Bosingwa, Carvalho, Terry(C), Cole, Essien, Lampard(Anelka 62), Ballack, Rosina, Deco(Montolivo 80), Drogba(Ferreira 88).
Subs Not Used: Turnbull, Alex, Ivanovic, Rajkovic.

Booked: Cole.

Goals: Lampard 59.

Att: 90,000.

Ref: M Atkinson.

Man of the Match: Frank Lampard.​

 

[Ollie_H]

Looks like for all the players Liverpool sold, they haven't brought in to many replacements and it must have showed in their loss to chelsea.

 

[m_vaughan]

Good to see Chelsea get off to a winning start. Should do their confidence a world of good. But Liverpool have a good first eleven this season but I am not sure about the depth after all those sales and no replacements. Well there is still time.

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Last updated: 12th August, 2010

Champions League and Premier League winners Liverpool have completed the signing of Peruvian wing-back Juan Manuel Vargas from Fiorentina.

Vargas, 26, joined Fiorentina in 2008 and has made over 60 appearances for the Italian club and has picked up valuable experience in the Europe's toughest club competition, the UEFA Champions League.

The undisclosed fee is reported to have been in the region of ?25million and Jose Mourinho is convinced his new signing can provide some solid performances which could help Liverpool defending their Premier League and Champions League crown.

He said: "Juan Manuel is a solid performer with good experience of Champions League football and is also a regular with the Peru national team. Juan is primarily a left-footed wing-back, but he is multi-functional and can also play at left-back or left-midfield.

"He is strong technically with a positive winner's attitude and I have no doubt his arrival will strengthen our team. Juan Manuel Vargas will be a huge asset to Liverpool."

Vargas, meanwhile, is in no doubt of just what his new club - who were crowned as the champions of both the Premier League and the Champions League - can achieve next season.

"Everything is set up for Liverpool to be very successful for years to come and I joined this club because I know Liverpool will be challenging for many more trophies," Vargas said in an interview with Liverpoolfc.tv: Official Web Site.

"Liverpool are a great club with a world class manager, high quality players and a fantastic stadium. I have had a good taste of the Champions League during my time with Fiorentina and this is something I am looking forward to experiencing again with the champions of Europe, Liverpool."

Vargas added: "I am also looking forward to playing in the English Premier League, which for me, is the best league in the world. I just want to assure the Liverpool faithful that I will give everything for this club and I hope we can enjoy winning some more trophies together next season."​