Welcome back

So I picked a good week to go on vacation. Where to start…



- Right, I should start with that lovely gentleman, Liverpool’s new #9, even though it seemed fairly certain he’d sign before I left. And as I wrote earlier, I’m thrilled about this. Thrilled. Torres is strong enough, quick enough, and skilled enough to make a huge impact in the Premiership. He is still only 23, after being the captain of his club since he was 19. I believe he can play with either Kuyt or Crouch or as a lone striker, giving Rafa the ‘possibilities’ he so desires. Obviously, it’s never a given that a player will settle, especially when they’ve played abroad for their entire career, but I truly feel very good about El Nino. You wanted a world class signing? This is a world class signing.

Seriously, the only striker rumored I’d rather have seen come to Liverpool would be Eto’o, as I hinted at before, and was almost certainly a pipe dream. And yes, that includes Tevez. The news about him possibly joining Manchester United (ugh – where are they getting all this money from?) proves what I had thought. Whereas Torres says things like "The Liverpool offer arrived and I told the club to listen to that offer as that is the team I wanted to play for," Tevez seems likely to prove what I feared all along: he’s a complete mercenary. Have fun with the Mancs, and I’m curious to see how he, Rooney, and the two new boys (Anderson and Nani) actually play together.

To sum up, I fully endorse this article with quotes from former Atletico manager Raddy Antic. It’s music to my ears.

- Going in the opposite direction are Bellamy, Cisse, and Zenden, all of which always seemed likely to happen. Cisse to Marseille isn’t a surprise in the slightest, while Zenden will join Djibril in southern France, where he should do well. Bellamy going to West Ham isn’t a shock either. Once Darren Bent said no to West Ham, Bellamy was the best British striker with Premiership experience in the Hammers’ price range. When signed last summer, I had hoped Craig would prove to be a missing piece for Liverpool, and I love narky players to boot (I actually was more worried about Pennant than Bellamy, which again shows what little I know), but it was fairly obvious he didn’t work out. And Liverpool was able to sell him at a better price than was paid, which is always a plus. No matter what happened this past season, I wish him well, as long as it doesn’t come back to bite Liverpool in the rear.

- Liverpool played their first friendly of the season yesterday, with Besian Idrizaj scoring a first half hat trick and Jermaine Pennant giving the best performance of the few senior players (Finnan, Arbeloa, and Sissoko were involved as well). Obviously, it’s only a friendly, against Wrexham and in the first week of July, but I was thrilled to see Rafa’s comments challenging Bes to earn a first team spot this season. That shows how highly Benitez rates the lad, and that’s nothing but good news. Plus, now I’ve got the first taste of the 2007-08 season, and I can’t wait for the real thing. August can’t come soon enough.

There’s probably a lot more I’m missing, and I could expound on each of these topics for their own posts, but I still have far too much catching up to do. We should be back in the full groove very soon, hopefully tomorrow. Promise.

Gone Fishin'

Time for some deserved summer holidays. Normal service will resume next week.

Of course, I’m leaving the day Torres is to take his medical for Liverpool. Naturally.

With that kind of luck, by the time I’m back, Liverpool will have sorted out one of two more targets, and all will be raring to go for pre-season starting the 9th.

Everyone play nice.

On Luis Garcia (for probably the last time...)

With Garcia set for a move back to Atletico Madrid, I can’t help but reminisce. I’ve been humming “You are my Sunshine,” the tune of Garcia’s song, all day long, and I imagine it’ll pop into my head more over the next couple of days. He truly will be missed. I can’t emphasize that enough.

Yes, Luis frustrated, Luis could be inconsistent, Luis gave the ball away too often, and Luis had the tendency to drift in and out of games. But very few have scored more meaningful or impressive goals, and very few fulfilled the niche for Liverpool that Garcia has over the past three seasons. 30 goals in 121 appearances is nothing to scoff at, especially considering his injury spells and the fact he’s often used as a sub. He’s probably been Liverpool’s most dangerous player in European competition in each of Benitez’ seasons. And without him it’s unlikely Liverpool lifts either the Champions League trophy or FA Cup.

But we must always give our goodbyes at some time. I don’t like looking at this as ‘in comes Torres, out goes Garcia.’ Obviously, the transfers are related, and Garcia’s move to Atletico should end up knocking a few million pounds off of Torres’ price, but at this stage, it looks like the deals are independent, seeing as Liverpool’s willing to let Garcia go before Torres officially signs. God forbid something happens and Torres doesn’t arrive (I fail to believe this will happen. It cannot happen.), I still imagine Garcia will depart.

He seems to want a move back to Spain, specifically Atletico, where he had a good spell in 2002-03. He’s 29, and will soon sign what will probably be his last big contract. Despite my affection for the player, and my belief that Liverpool needs the sort of creative spark Garcia brings, I can’t begrudge this move, and can do nothing but wish him all the best.

And in memory, here are my five favorite goals by Luis. All the best in Spain…

Juventus (2005 Champions League QF)


Chelsea (2006 FA Cup Semifinal)


Everton (03.25.06)


Charlton (10.23.04)


Arsenal (02.14.06)

What a day so far

It’s not even July, and I’ve succumbed to the transfer gossip I’d hoped to avoid. Alas. Maybe next year.

- Torres looks likely to come to Anfield: Guardian (Sid Lowe!), BBC. I haven’t been this excited about a transfer since the last record-breaking acquisition. I realize that may not be the best comparison, nor does it warm the heart in the slightest bit, but in my defense, Houllier had been trailing Cisse for over 2 years, and the expectations surrounding him were off the charts. I have no doubts that Torres will be a different case, but more on that later, I’ve already put the cart too far in front of the horse. This had better go through. PS: My birthday is in just under 2 weeks; Torres is signed before then would be a more than suitable present.

I’m undoubtedly not thrilled to lose Garcia in the process, as I still firmly believe that Liverpool missed his presence greatly last season, but he hasn’t signed a new deal, he’s 29, and it seems as if he wants a return to Spain with his last big contract. These things happen in the business of sport. I sincerely wish him all the best at Atletico, as it looks like this part of the deal will go through, Torres or not.

I guess the Benayoun speculation, even though it's gone somewhat quiet, is as a replacement for Garcia, but I still see them as slightly different players. Yes, they both can fill a number of midfield positions, and have the nous to break the deadlock in a tough, tactical game. However, Benayoun’s not as much as a goal threat as Luis, and I haven’t seen him in the ‘super sub’ role Luis has filled excellently, but Yossi is a better passer and is marginally more consistent.

- Speaking of Cisse, it looks as if he’s finally been sold to Marseille. I’m not really bothered if it’s less than half of the original £14m, which it probably will be. That always looked likely to be the fee. It’s not another loan, he’s off the wage bill, and it’s an extra £6m or so that maybe wasn’t factored into the transfer budget.

In retrospect, it’s certainly a pity Djibril had the two leg breaks; had he not, we might have had a different outcome, but for my money, he was far too similar to Baros and not enough of a Benitez player. Head down, run as fast as possible, then blaze an awkward shot at goal. As we’ve seen, that works far better in Ligue 1 than the Premiership.

It is, however, worth noting that if a 22 year-old striker with his reputation came from the French league to the Premiership this summer, it’d be for a lot more than £14m.

- In the meantime, Darren Bent’s been ruled out, as he’s finally signed with Tottenham. Since the fee’s £16.5m (?!), that’s a huge relief. West Ham is playing with Monopoly money, and Spurs were more than happy to follow their lead. Also, the British market is absolutely berserk. I had thought we’d seen the pinnacle of this with the Carrick, Walcott, and Bale, but Bent’s fee blows those out of the water. I also highly doubt the majority of Spurs fans feel that a new striker was their top priority. Bent’s a better player than he’s being given credit for because of the outrageousness of the fee, but still. Defoe seems certain to be on his way out (and had better stay far, far away from Anfield), while I can't wait to see how Robbie Keane reacts to being part of a three-man partnership again.

- And finally, more Anfield youngsters: German striker Marvin Pourie, Swedish winger Alexander Kacaniklic, Spanish defender Mikel San Jose, and Bulgarian keeper Nikolay Mihaylov. Further continuation of Rafa’s youth revamp.

As to Mihaylov, this is from the first article I saw about the transfer:

He was hailed early in his career as a dead cert future national team goalkeeper, where he would follow in the footsteps of his father Borislav and grandfather Bisser.

But his poor performances in the last season made him a figure of ridicule among Levski fans, who accused his father, now head of the Bulgarian Football Union, of nepotism.

His worst moment in a Levski shirt came in a Champions League game against Werder, when he failed to control a back-pass from a defender and turned the ball into his own net, then letting in two more goals in the space of five minutes.

He ended the season as Levski's third-string goalkeeper after falling out with manager Stanimir Stoilov over his flashy lifestyle and was reported to have signed a deal with Italian Serie A club Fiorentina.

Seeing as that's from a Bulgarian news source, I reckon they think exceptionally highly of him.

Sissoko gets his new contract

Liverpoolfc.tv reports today that Sissoko has joined Gerrard, Alonso, Carragher, and Reina in signing a new contract extension. The only one left who was mooted for a new contract and hasn't gotten one is Finnan.

That's all well and good, and I truly don't mean that blithely, but there's far more stunning news on the official site.



Rafa's gone and grown a goatee. And it's a stellar goatee at that.

It'll eventually come to me who he reminds me of, but it's quite sinister nonetheless. Is this the year for his heel turn? It'd be fitting with his “outburst” following the CL final, and could create a lovely media narrative. Can't wait.

So now all four central midfielders outside of Mascherano have multi-year contracts? I realize, maybe even more so than a month or two ago, that Lucas will have little impact on this season and the main rotation will be Ste, Xabi, Momo, and Masch, but something still has to give.

But I reckon it's not going to give until January at the earliest, and most likely, not until next summer. Which will give Rafa (and his goatee) more than enough time to mull over his possibilities.

Interesting.

The End of an Era

Well, it’s less melodramatic than the title connotes, but still a sign that the times, they are a changing.

Piet Hamberg named new Academy Technical Manager

Liverpool have confirmed Piet Hamberg as their new Academy Technical Manager, with the former Ajax player taking up the position in July.

Hamberg, who played professionally in both the Dutch and Swiss leagues, joins from Grasshoppers of Zurich where he has overseen the youth set-up.

He has previously coached in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Hamberg will be part of a new-look Academy management structure introduced by the club this summer. He will work alongside John Owens, who has moved from Under-18 Coach to become Academy Manager, and Malcolm Elias, who will head up all Academy recruitment.

Chief Executive Rick Parry said: "Following the departure of Steve Heighway, we took the opportunity to review the Academy structure and decided to separate the very distinct roles.

"Piet will come in with the specific brief to head up the coaching and development side, while Malcolm will be in charge of all recruitment. But continuity is also very important, which is why we are taking full advantage of John's many years of experience within the youth system by promoting him to Academy Manager."

Reds Manager Rafa Benitez said: "We have had some very good reports about Piet and he will bring great experience to the new role. Our youngsters can only benefit from working with someone with his background in youth development."

It’s a fairly big shift going from Steve Heighway, who was head of the Academy for 18 years after a long playing career with Liverpool, to Piet Hamberg, who has absolutely no ties to Liverpool, the Premier League, or English football in general.

And yes, it’s a sign of the times. Look at the majority of the youth players Benitez has brought in. Antwi (Ghana), Roque (Spain), Idrizaj (Austria), Ajdarevic (Sweden), Insua (Argentina), Duran (Spain), Huth (Panama), Nemeth and Simon (Hungary), among others. That’s about as cosmopolitan as it gets. Just as Hamberg’s professional history is about as cosmopolitan as it gets.

It’s a bit strange seeing someone like Hamberg come in after the job that Heighway’s done over the years, but it’s another clear step in Benitez’s plan to overhaul the academy and overall youth/reserve systems. And while I can’t speak to Hamberg’s qualifications, I’m certain that he’s been brought in with good cause. Benitez and Heighway rarely saw eye-to-eye, and I highly doubt that Liverpool would appoint someone contrary to Benitez’ philosophy of, like Arsenal, scouring the world for Academy players before their prices go well through the roof. And someone with Hamberg's history looks to be just the man for that job.

In other housekeeping news, and not the end of any eras, Liverpool has re-upped with Carlsberg as official sponsor for the next three seasons. There are no figures bandied about in the article on the official site, but I’m hopeful the new contract is far more than the old one, which saw Liverpool vastly underpaid for shirt sponsorships, especially in comparison to United, Chelsea, and even Spurs.

At least I will feel less required to buy a new kit.

Also, I’m more than hopeful (sadly, much more than hopeful, which doesn’t usually help my mental health), there will be even more news on the Torres front (see here, here, and here for today's "new news"), now that organizations like the BBC are reporting that talks have actually been opened. Not to preempt any future scribbling, nor get too far out in front, but there is only one striker I’d rather see join Liverpool this summer, and I’m certain that Liverpool would be well priced out of a move for him if he even leaves his club.

I hope this transfer is tied up soon. I'd actually be alright with Liverpool paying the £27m buyout, even though that's nearly double the record signing. We know Benitez wants the player, and when Benitez spends big money, it's usually with good cause (Cisse as Houiller's signing doesn't count, but Alonso, Agger, Crouch, Garcia, Kuyt, Mascherano, and Reina sure do), and we know the player wants to come. Okay then.

On Thierry Henry

Thierry Henry should have left for Barcelona after last season.

It would have been best for Henry, as he certainly didn’t have a season to remember and has obviously wanted to leave since around November, if not earlier.

It would have been best for Arsenal, who would have received a much higher fee, and could have had an extra season to get their youngsters acclimatized to more responsibility and more playing time.

The only party who may not have benefited more from a move a year early might be Barca, who would have paid far more for Henry’s services, and would have had to figure out how to fit Henry, Ronaldinho, Eto’o, and Messi in the same team, when Messi wasn’t nearly as ready for the limelight as he is after the last season and Ronaldinho and Eto’o weren’t surrounded by falling out rumors.

Don’t get me wrong. Despite my allegiances to Liverpool, this is a sad day for the Premier League. Henry was easily the best foreign player to grace the Prem. I’d go so far as to say he’s one of the top 5 players I’ve had the luxury of watching in their prime. You can’t say enough about his abilities or quality, both on and off the field.

And £16 million bought him. £16m for Henry’s service, when he’s still yet to turn 30 and with 3 years remaining on the deal he signed with Arsenal after last season. At best, that's a little low, and at worst, it's a joke. Charlton wants more for Darren Bent. We live in a strange world. Yes, Henry’s much more injury-prone than he used to be and has lost a couple of steps, but he’s still one of the best players in the world when on form. And Spain should suit his gloriously.

I hate to keep harping on it, but if Henry had been sold last summer, Arsenal would have earned more than double what they are now. Various media reports from last summer quoted David Dein saying that the Gunners had turned down two £50m+ bids before Henry resigned. I know the majority of you can do the math, but £50m is a fair bit more than £16m, especially considering Henry’s impact this past season.

And while we’re on the topic of David Dein, I do believe his leaving is less of a reason for Henry’s departure than he’s given credit for, but it can’t be overlooked, simply because of the relationship between the two. Dein’s son is one of Henry’s main agents, and Henry was the best man at Darren Dein’s wedding. Still, had Henry wanted to stay, he would have, with or without Dein. I just can’t put so much credence into the actions of one director. No matter how close an ally, an executive leaving cannot be the end-all, be-all for Henry at Arsenal. I also still reckon that sooner or later, Stan Kroenke is going to take control of Arsenal by hook or crook, and Dein won’t be out of a job for very long.

Wenger is a bit of a different case. I have no doubt that the media reports are right, and Wenger will see out the final year of his contract, but beyond that, your guess is as good as mine. And Henry knew that. Players that might replace Henry will the funds Arsenal will receive will also know that. I can’t wait to see how that plays out, especially when Real Madrid puts the full-court press on Wenger for his services. Which will be nice, having Arsene wooed through the media instead of Rafa for a change.

I am, however, fairly certain that Wenger is fine with Henry’s exit. In all probability, he’s the man who negotiated Henry’s transfer to Barca. Not to mention there’s a long history of Wenger getting rid of players around their 30th birthday or when they start to fade, whichever comes first: Vieira, Petit, Overmars, and Pires immediately spring to mind. Arsenal will have to buy some form of replacement, with only two proven strikers on the books and Aliadiere and Baptista on their way out. But in van Persie and Adebayor, the Gunners have two very good strikers that Wenger is very fond of, and I honestly don’t know how much money will actually be spent on Henry’s successor.

As a fan of the game, I’m saddened to see a player of this quality leaving England. It truly is the end of an era. But, as a fan of Liverpool, which I never tire of saying comes first and foremost, I’m thrilled to be seeing the back of him. He’s scored something like 9 goals against Liverpool in his career at Arsenal, including a hat trick in 2004 and a brace in 2006 that I’ll always have trouble forgetting.

Now the transfer market should get good. Barca will be selling (who, I have no idea, but something has got to give), Arsenal will be buying, and everyone’s aware of this. This will kick the summer into a higher gear for sure. Although I can’t say I’m thrilled that another major English team will be in the market for a striker.

For shits and giggles, below is my favorite goal from Henry. It’s not a belter, but I can’t think of a better way to remember his Premier League stint. It’s pure Henry: clever and class. Both qualities will be dearly missed, even by the opposition.

Guthrie loaned to Bolton

Well, I spoke a little too soon. It appears there has a bit of transfer business.

Of course, though, it’s the wrong end.

News today is that Danny Guthrie will spend next season on loan to Bolton. This is excellent news for Guthrie, Liverpool, and Bolton.

Guthrie was always going to find chances very limited in Liverpool’s first team. He’s normally a central midfielder, and there’s Gerrard, Alonso, Mascherano, Sissoko, and Lucas ahead of him in that queue. The few chances he got in the Carling Cup and League, mainly as a substitute, he’s spent just as much if not more time on the right wing as in the center. No matter how well regarded he is at Anfield, he’s not yet good enough to get the time he needs to develop, especially in his preferred position.

However, at Bolton, he should get more of that time. And in Sammy Lee, he’ll not only have a manager who gets on very well with the players, he’ll have a manager who knows what it takes to make it at Liverpool, as Lee worked his way up from a trainee to Liverpool’s first team, despite his size and the players in front of him.

And, unlike Guthrie’s loan at Southampton for the latter half of last season, he’ll get this time and experience in the Premiership, which hopefully will equip him even more for what’s to come when he returns to Liverpool. And if he does progress, and does look the business, it's not as if he was sold outright, although admittedly I'll be very surprised if he becomes a regular for Liverpool.

I’m hard-pressed to think of a better situation for Guthrie, even though I don’t believe Bolton will have the success next season that they’ve had in previous years under Allardyce. This loan can only be a good thing for all parties involved, and it’s rare you can say that.

Good luck Danny.