All posts by h79snht.top

Lucas has been on a real journey since his arrival at Liverpool eight years ago.

Signed under Rafa Benitez, the Brazilian was lauded as the ‘next big thing’ following some fine attacking midfield showings in his homeland, and Reds fans dared to dream that they may be seeing a genuine samba star running games from midfield on Merseyside.

However, Lucas’ adaptation was slow to say the least, and as a back-up to Steven Gerrard, Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano he was a scapegoat waiting to happen for significant sections of the Anfield crowd.

However, as the years advanced he moved deeper, changing his game to develop into a controlling holding midfielder, and with this adaptation, and the club’s slide, he became a vital cog, helping to stem the flow of goals at the wrong end while adding some authority as the likes of Mascherano and Alonso left.

He’s now firmly a cult hero among Kopites, so it’s been greeted with a degree of sadness to hear that he may be on his way out of the club after a fall-out with manager Brendan Rodgers. The Northern Irishman is understood to have indicated to him that he’s fifth choice at the club behind Emre Can, Joe Allen, Jordan Henderson and James Milner, opening the door for a long talked about switch to Inter Milan.

However, even with his role limited, Rodgers wants a replacement to come in and should he delve back into the transfer market any addition would be number EIGHT this summer. So, what options remain for Liverpool?

Well, here are FIVE…

Asier Illarramendi

Although not in the same mould as Lucas in terms of his defensive midfield contribution, Illarramendi is already being touted as the most likely target should the Brazilian leave.

The Spaniard has been likened to Kop hero Xabi Alonso in the past due to his passing range and desire to dictate the play from a deep midfield role, which appears well-suited to the style of football Rodgers craves.

On top of this, Illarramendi is thought to be available with Rafa Benitez having deemed him surplus to requirements at the club, which could open the door for a move.

Sergi Samper

Another deep-lying playmaker of Spanish descent that may be of interest to the Reds is Barcelona’s Sergi Samper. The 20-year-old currently plies his trade with the Catalans’ B team, but with his age now hovering around that of a player who should be playing senior football, it appears to be ‘make or break’ for the midfielder in terms of progression.

An £8.4m release clause sits tantalisingly in the mix, and even though Barca have suggested that he’ll be considered for first-team action, it’s hard to see how he’ll fit in regularly with the likes of Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitic and, when available, Arda Turan just three of a host of impressive central stars at the Camp Nou. A lack of Champions League action may dissuade Samper from selecting Anfield, but regular playing time is sure to be appealing.

Thiago Motta

At the other end of the scale, both in terms of style and age, is PSG’s Thiago Motta. The Brazil-born Italy international is a burly, destruction-minded defensive midfielder, which is, typically, the sort of player Rodgers has dodged at Anfield so far.

However, at 32 he looks set to move on for a small fee, and with bags of experience from a career spent playing for sides such as Barcelona, Inter Milan and PSG – he’s won league titles with all three – he does appear to be an appealing short-term option and is unlike any player currently available on the red half of Merseyside.

Adrien Rabiot

Also at PSG, Rabiot is another potential option. The 20-year-old has been linked with moves away from Paris for much of the last few years amid fears for his first-team future, with the Ligue 1 champions well-stocked in terms of experienced and proven options in the engine room.

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Sent off in PSG’s first game of the new season for picking up two bookings within the opening 30 minutes at Lille, Rabiot may well find himself out of the action again for some time as the Parisians look for a fourth consecutive league title, and his cultured, pass-orientated style appears suited to Rodgers’ approach.

William Carvalho

Likely to be a popular name among the Reds’ fanbase, Carvalho is an appealing, if unlikely, late option for the Reds. The Portugal international has long been talked about as one of Europe’s finest emerging defensive midfielders, so a fee of close to £30m is likely to be asked for by Sporting CP.

Although Liverpool are by no means paupers, such a sum on the back of the £80m+ spend this summer – not factoring in wages and signing on fees – may be a stretch, yet if a decent fee can be reeled in for Lucas and the Merseysiders are clever with their negotiations, a deal could be possible, with Rodgers a fan of the player.

Everton slumped to another loss in the Premier League to really ring alarm bells, this time a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Southampton on Saturday afternoon.

Stuart Armstrong and Shane Long grabbed the goals for the hosts which leaves the Goodison Park faithful still anxiously looking over their shoulders in the table.

Some performances were certainly not up to scratch, and The Transfer Tavern have since used statistical experts SofaScore to analyse who the three worst performers (to have played at least 45 minutes) were for the visitors on the day:

Allan – 6.3

Although tied with other players in terms of rating (6.3) Allan ranks in third here as he only played the first half.

The Brazilian lost out on six of his duels, and also failed to record any clearances, interceptions or key passes.

Allan also lost the ball seven times, and picked up a needless yellow card just 15 minutes into the game, summing up his underwhelming half.

Donny van de Beek – 6.3

van de Beek was also given a 6.3 rating, but ranks in second here having played the whole match.

The Manchester United loanee also lost six duels like Allan, and failed to hit the target with all three of his shot attempts.

He also made no key passes, and gave possession away on no fewer than on 19 separate occasions in total, the joint-second most out of his teammates.

Jonjoe Kenny – 6.2

With just a 6.2 overall rating, Kenny was ranked as the Merseyside club’s worst player.

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Playing as a makeshift left-back, he lost all six of his duels, and did not manage to make any successful dribbles, tackles or accurate crosses, all while giving the ball away 15 times.

In other news, find out which Toffee is wanted on loan here!

West Ham United have confirmed the capture of Germany midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger on a three-year contract.

The 28-year-old former Aston Villa midfielder will officially join the Hammers on July 1 after his contract with Italian side Lazio was cancelled by mutual consent.

Hitzlsperger, who made 99 appearances during four years with Villa before leaving to join Stuttgart in 2005, is Avram Grant's first signing since becoming the new Upton Park boss earlier in the week.

"We had to move quickly to secure his services when he became available, especially as there was understandably so much interest in him from around Europe and back in Germany," chairman David Sullivan told the club's official website.

"Thomas is a top-quality player who I know the fans will love. He is a whole-hearted midfielder with an eye for a goal who gives everything in every match.

"He is the first of many signings this summer. We are going to sign a mixture of exciting young talent as well as the very best senior pros who can add real strength to the squad like Thomas."

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Hitzlsperger was a regular in the Germany side during qualifying for this summer's World Cup but missed out on his country's final 23-man squad for South Africa.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

Roy Hodgson will reportedly be handed an initial £15 million transfer kitty to spend during the summer window after becoming the new boss at Liverpool today, and it appears the Englishman has already drawn up a list of players he wants to bring in.

With the likelihood of Javier Mascherano leaving for Barcelona for approximately £25 million and Yossi Benayoun’s proposed £6 million deal to Chelsea looking increasingly more likely to go through, Hodgson would conjure up and add to his current transfer fees in order to spend it on the quartet he has targeted this summer.

Rafael van der Vaart, Gilberto Silva, Brede Hangeland and Danny Murphy are high on the Englishman’s wish-list. However, are these four players the idealistic quartet to reignite Liverpool football club for the upcoming season?

Gilberto Silva

With odds on Mascherano departing this summer, Gilberto Silva would prove to be a ready-made replacement for the Argentine midfielder. The Brazilian anchor-man has valuable Premier League experience from his time at Arsenal and even though at the age of 33, the defensive midfielder can still produce the goods as he has proven in the Greek league for Panathinaikos and in South Africa so far. The Greek club are in financial crisis and have made him available which is a good sign for Hodgson. Gilberto has become sluggish in his movement due to time taking its obvious toll, but technically and for what he is paid to do, the Brazilian is still very much capable of doing his job. Some Kop fans may feel Hodgson should target a more youthful holding midfielder, but surely an experienced one, who has played in the English league before is a better option?

Ideal Rating: 7/10 – Very experienced footballer who has Premier League experience, although his age and lack of pace does look a problem, especially in the fast and competitive English game.

Brede Hangeland

Brede Hangeland would be another good signing should Hodgson pull it off. The tall centre-back has a good relationship with the Englishman and bought the Norwegian to the Premier League in 2008. Hangeland is an experienced defender in both international and club level, and at the prime age (for a defender) of 29, would fit well into the Liverpool squad. His aerial ability is second to none due to his height, yet his positional marking and movement is suspect at times. Liverpool already have Jamie Carragher, Martin Skrtel, Daniel Agger and Sotirios Kyrgiakos on the books, so more than likely, Hangeland would be spending more time on the bench rather than on the pitch. He is an ideal target for Liverpool, but surely just for cover in the back-line, right?

Ideal Rating: 6/10 – Good tall defender, although there are better options at the club and possibly elsewhere.

Click here to continue to page 2

Danny Murphy

Kop fans may feel a bit puzzled as to why their new boss has targeted Danny Murphy, purely for the fact that he will not be a starter and because of his age. The 33-year-old creative midfielder has played under Roy Hodgson and has also had a 7 year spell at Liverpool from 1997 to 2004.

The Fulham man has been impressive for the London club, especially last season where he helped the side reach a Europa League final. Murphy has great passing and technical attributes but due to his age and deterioration of pace, he has subsequently dropped deeper than he has done in the past. With Liverpool’s formation currently at a 4-2-3-1 (not too sure what Hodgson will set-up this season), it looks as if Murphy would not get into the starting eleven. Lucas Leiva and Alberto Aquilani would be in front of Murphy in the pecking order. However with that being said, if Hodgson can acquire the midfielder for experience and squad depth then why not.

Ideal Rating: 7/10 – There are better alternatives out there, although Liverpool do lack Premier League experience in the midfield, which certainly Danny Murphy could offer to them should he sign for them this summer.

Rafael van der Vaart

With Yossi Benayoun possibly on his way to Chelsea this summer for £6 million, Rafael van der Vaart would be an ideal replacement for the Israeli international. The Dutchman is very versatile and can play on the wings as well as just behind the striker. Van der Vaart’s creativity and technical ability is second to none, yet somehow the attacking midfielder struggles to get games at Real Madrid. The 27-year-old is currently in South Africa with the Netherlands squad and has impressed enormously so far when he has featured for his country. The Dutch star would certainly get into the current Liverpool squad for the skills that he possesses, and his versatility would absolutely make a great addition to the group. Jose Mourinho would not stand in the player’s way if he wants to head out of the Bernabeu this summer, which again works in Hodgson’s favour. The only thing that could cause a problem in acquiring his signature would be that Liverpool do not seize Champion’s League football for the approaching season, which ultimately may see the Dutchman look for a club that does offers this. Nonetheless Roy Hodgson has definitely targeted a superb player, which Liverpool fans will be encouraged by…the new Kop boss may just pull it off, who knows.

Ideal Rating: 9/10 – A very talented and versatile player who is at peak age for a footballer. If Liverpool can target more players like this, then they will be fine this season coming.

All of the players on Roy Hodgson’s wish-list should encourage the clubs fans, even if some of the players have had their better days. The sign of a manager wanting to buy players is always a good sign, but, like many believe, Liverpool’s failure to qualify for the Champions league has hurt them dearly. The club can still attract players, but certainly not the best because of their letdown last season. Everybody knows that Roy Hodgson has a big summer ahead of him, but early signs suggest that he has the right intentions in mind.

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Click on image below to see the Argentinean babes at the World Cup

Arsenal striker Robin van Persie has said he wants to put his injury problems behind him and become a world-class talent next season.

The Netherlands striker missed much of the campaign with an ankle injury, but he is confident he can lead the Gunners to glory by playing a major role.

Speaking to L’Equipe, he said:“When I came back from my long injury back in the spring, Arsene Wenger told me that people will soon be talking about me in the same breath as they speak about Messi.

“I’m sure that would already be the case if I was not injured so often.

“I can feel that the manager has faith in me, but I must remain lucid. I am clearly not in the same league as Leo. Moreover, I am injured too often.

“I’m dreaming about a season with 30 goals and 20 assists. Wenger knows that I can do it, but my body will have to hold on.

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“My final objective is to be in the same class as Messi, Ronaldo and Rooney, but Leo above all because he is a giant.”

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The feel good factor has continued on Merseyside this week as Hodgson is convinced that Fernando Torres is set to remain at Anfield next season. Elsewhere Liverpool has been linked to a variety of new signings from Rafael van der Vaart to Luke Young, as Hodgson looks to rebuild Liverpool’s fortunes.

This week at FFC we have seen a mixed bag blogs which has included…

Plus we have taken a look at the best Liverpool stories on the Web this week.

Ill-timed comments are exactly what Liverpool don’t need

Liverpool set to fall victim as player power rears its ugly head

Is Fernando Torres really a step too far?

EIGHT runners and riders to replace Mascherano

Hodgson’s grand plan starting to gel together

Liverpool starlet offers Roy a striking Plan B

Has Match of the Day had its day?

Liverpool’s forgotten man set for a new lease of life?

Roy Hodgson facing up to his first big Anfield battle

Liverpool have more pressing concerns than a bid for Van Der Vaart

One deal that Liverpool cannot afford to baulk at

Premier League’s lesser lights set to benefit from new rules

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Best of Web

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Compared to Ageing Man U and Chelsea, Our Young Squad Looks Promising – Live4Liverpool

What price loyalty, Masch? – This is Anfield

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Joe 90 and Stevie Glee put a (temporary) smile on Liverpool FC – Well Red

Young defender Danny Wilson can be the latest Great Scot at Liverpool FC – Liverpool Echo

Dani’s Dilemma could be difficult to solve Roy – Live4Liverpool

Warning, debt can seriously damage your core support – This is Anfield

With the PL season nearly upon us, let’s see the WAGS that will be keeping the players on their toes. Click on image to VIEW gallery

Blackpool manager Ian Holloway is frustrated at delays which have held up his move to sign free agent striker Marlon Harewood.

The 31-year-old was expected to feature for the Seasiders in a weekend friendly with Hibernian, but he was pulled out of the fixture due to concerns from his agent over the possibility of sustaining an injury.

A frustrated Holloway told The Gazette:"I was going to play someone, but his agent didn't want him to play because of the risk of injury. I can understand that, so I tried to do a deal with him.

"Turns out it's a different agent, turns out he wanted more than he said, turns out my chairman's head is coming off because of all these people who are getting involved when they shouldn't.

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"So we didn't get the correct information and now it's gone above what we wanted, so we will have to try to batter them down."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

After being touted as the man to replace Xabi Alonso, Liverpool’s £18 million singing Alberto Aquilani has returned to Italy. The midfielder has joined Juventus on a season-long loan after enduring a difficult year in which he started only nine Premier League games. An ankle injury delayed his anticipated PL debut to October. Niggling injuries, his substantial price-tag and reputation all combined to be too much for the former Roma man. But as a takeover of Liverpool seems increasingly unlikely and doubts persist over Javier Mascherano’s future and Lucas Leiva’s quality, was there not room for Aquilani this season? Roy Hodgson could not guarantee Aquilani regular first-team football but with his aptitude for improving players, could he not have restored his fortunes?

The 26-year old joined Liverpool from his boyhood club Roma last summer where he made 102 performances, scoring nine goals. He prospered after returning from a loan spell at Trieste and working with Fabio Capello. ‘The King of Rome,’ Francesco Totti had this to say about the ‘Little Prince:’ “Alberto is an incredibly talented player, with great technique and an excellent understanding of the game. He is elegant and smart.” These desirable characteristics saw Aquilani become an increasingly important component in the Roma team, scoring long range efforts and displaying his creative passing.

These qualities were not lost on the former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez who claimed that the player would have been more expensive if he had not be recuperating from an ankle injury. After failing to live up to expectations, is this a classic case of an Italian being unable to acclimatise to the physical demands of the English game? Earlier this year, Benitez appeared to lose patience with his pricey signing. “Some players maybe can manage with the pain, but some cannot.” The Spaniard hinted that the player’s persistent ankle problems were partially physiological. This could explain why Aquilani never flourished in the role that was ear-marked for him. Replacing Alonso was always going to be an uphill struggle and would require confidence, passion and determination to settle into an all-round central midfield role.

By moving forward to support a lone striker in the hole, fans started to see what the initial fuss was about. Freed from defensive responsibilities he was able to concentrate on his imaginative, passing game supporting the attack through neat, incisive touches. Astoundingly the Italian set up a goal every 136 minutes last season which was the best assist rate across Europe’s top five leagues. Furthermore he scored with an accurate half-volleyed finish in Liverpool’s Europa League semi-final against Atletico Madrid. Yet he only played 26 times last season and these were mostly substitute appearances.

Notwithstanding his precocious talent Aquilani is viewed by many as another name in Benitez’s long list of failed signings. This is arguably an unfair portrayal of a player whose position was unclear and found his playing opportunities circumscribed. Although used in pre-season Roy Hodgson sanctioned his return to Serie A. “It gives him the football he needs and protects the value of the player. We’re doing it with a view to bringing him back.” Aquilani’s Anfield career may not be finished but with Mascherano unsettled and further signings doubtful, could the club have not used his talents this season? It is a sensible and pragmatic move by Hodgson but his team’s deficiencies were ruthlessly exposed by Manchester City on Monday. The evidence suggests that Liverpool need all the help they can get from their squad this season.

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Click on image below to see the gallery of Mario Balotelli’s stunning girlfriend

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Newcastle United manager Chris Hughton pulled no punches after seeing his side beaten 2-1 at home by Stoke City.

The Magpies led 1-0 at the interval thanks to a Kevin Nolan penalty, but the Potters turned the game around after the restart and eventually emerged as deserved winners.

Hughton said afterwards:"We knew this was going to be a tough season and we knew it is a season where we are probably going to lose more games than we win.

"I am realistic enough to know where we are at this moment. We are a side that has just got promotion back up to this division.

"It would be nice for me to say that we will win more games than we will lose. That would see us in a very favourable position in the league, which would be nice, but I am realistic about where we are.

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"We are now playing in a lot tougher league than we were last season. We knew that there were going to be lows."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

Tottenham have moved quickly to quell the mixed interpretation of quotes that were made from AEG yesterday with regards to the club’s interest in the Olympic Stadium. I for one was pleased to hear this, especially given what was coming out of AEG’s Chief Executive David Campbell yesterday.

Maybe I am just an old romantic, but the prospect of leaving Tottenham for Stratford would be like ripping the heart out of the football club in my view and shouldn’t even be contemplated despite the vast difference in cost. Some of the business minded amongst you may think that financially the Olympic stadium would be the more viable option, and while that may well be the case I will still be totally opposed to any such move.

So am I letting my heart rule my head here with regards to the Olympic move? Apparently it will only cost in the region of £150m to transform the Stratford site to one suitable for football, whereas the new White Hart Lane will cost anywhere between £300-400m. It is a huge difference in price and although Sponsors would likely make up a large chunk of the costs with naming rights of the stadium, we have to accept the fact that for a few seasons the manager will have to rely on minimal investment and will have to lean largely on our youth set-up, like the other mob down the Seven Sisters to see us through. The Olympic stadium would enable us to remain competitive in the transfer market and start generating greater revenues sooner than the proposed new White Hart Lane; therefore you can understand why Tottenham shareholders would be interested in such a proposal given the current financial climate.

While I understand the pros and cons, I would rather use £150m to ensure that Tottenham remain loyal to their roots, even if it means we have to remain prudent for a few years as a result. That is the question that Tottenham fans have to ask themselves as they contemplate the two stadium proposals and whether they’ll be happy for the club to lose their roots for the sake of a cheaper option.

Written By Roy James

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