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Rodgers' Reds: Class is Permanent

The journey of Brendan Rodgers as he aims to bring Liverpool back to where they belong.
Started on 14 January 2015 by Glenn T
Latest Reply on 28 October 2015 by Maximus
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Glenn T's avatar Group Glenn T
9 yearsEdited

Boruc Retires




Liverpool goalkeeper Artur Boruc has announced that he will be retiring from professional football, and instead take up a new job as a goalkeeping coach at the club.

The 36-year-old was brought in by Brendan Rodgers on a free transfer after he was released by Southampton in 2015, but has not managed to make an impact at Liverpool. Boruc made only 2 appearances in all competitions and eventually slumped to third-choice goalkeeper behind Simon Mignolet and Jason Steele.

As a result, the former Poland international has decided to hang up his boots and continue contributing to Liverpool in a coaching role.



He leaves his playing career behind with 58 caps for Poland and a decorated history, having played for clubs such as Celtic and Fiorentina.

"It's great that I've been handed this opportunity to start on my post-football career at Liverpool," Boruc told the club's website. "I have been thinking about retirement for awhile now so it was impossible to pass up this offer when it came up from the manager. I hope that my work here can help the goalkeepers as much as possible."

Boruc's retirement means Liverpool is now reduced to only two goalkeepers in the senior team, amid rumors that Rodgers is looking to add to his side's quality in goal.

Mignolet won the Golden Glove in 2014/15 but looked shaky last season, conceding 71 goals in 51 appearances while keeping only 13 clean sheets, and is at risk of being dropped to the bench in favor of a new first-choice signing.

Liverpool Review: Euro 2016




The European Championships ended today, culminating in a Final between two sides no one would have expected. England and Poland were the two nations who managed to fight their way to the last game of the tournament, and England lifted the trophy after disposing of their opponents, crushing them 5-0.

Liverpool had eleven of their players called up to represent their country in the Euros, and five of them won it with England - namely, Daniel Sturridge, Adam Lallana, Jordan Henderson, Nathaniel Clyne, and James Ward-Prowse.

The Three Lions dominated their way throughout, finishing 1st in their group with 7 points taken from 3 games, before beating Greece and Turkey in the Second Round & Quarter Finals respectively, and then went on to best a tougher opponent in the Semi Final, Germany.

Clyne was one of England's best players, and won a place in the tournament's Dream Team starting eleven, while Sturridge, England's top scorer with 4 goals, had a place among the substitutes.


Sturridge was England's top scorer in the tournament, with a record of 4 goals

But not all of Liverpool's players enjoyed success. Despite the tournament being held in France, Mamadou Sakho's hosting side severely fell below expectations, getting knocked out at the group stages. They finished 3rd, in a group containing Croatia, the Czech Republic, and Ukraine, and dropped out of the Euros without a single win.

Simon Mignolet made it to the Second Round with Belgium, where they were knocked out by eventual finalists Poland, but did not register a single appearance with Thibaut Courtois starting every game.


Tournament hosts France were knocked out at the group stages

Mario Balotelli was another Liverpool man who failed to play a single game - the forward tore his calf muscle in training with Italy before the tournament. His estimated time of return is in September, after the start of the Premier League season.

Martin Skrtel failed to make it out of the group stage with Slovakia, and Lazar Markovic lost to Germany on penalties in the Second Round along with a rather spirited Serbia team.

Also losing out on penalties was Alberto Moreno, as Euro 2012 winners Spain suffered a big upset in the Second Round against Norway, who progressed to the Quarter Final after winning a penalty shootout.

The Liverpool players at the Euros will remain where they are and await the arrival of the first team squad to join them for the club's pre-season tour of France.

Liverpool: Summer Transfer Rumors




With Euro 2016 coming and going, it's back to club business for Liverpool's international players as they embark on their pre-season tour in France.

However, besides pre-season, manager Brendan Rodgers is also exploring the possibility of adding to his squad, and there are also many players linked with moves away from the club.

Alberto Moreno and Adam Lallana are two of such players, with Rodgers reportedly unsatisfied with how both of them performed last season.

Moreno only missed one Premier League game for Liverpool in his debut season, making 56 appearances in total, but could not demonstrate the same quality last season.


Moreno is one of a few possible Liverpool players who could leave the club

He gradually lost his place in the first team to Jon Flanagan, who has established himself as the club's first-choice at left-back.

And the 23-year-old is also apparently ready for a move according to sources inside the club. Real Madrid are keeping tabs on the Spaniard as a possible backup for Marcelo, but Tottenham and West Ham are also interested in keeping Moreno in England.

Spurs also want Lallana, who made only 25 appearances in all competitions last season. The midfielder, who won Euro 2016 with England, has not managed to find a place in the team, frequently being restricted to the bench by Philippe Coutinho and Lazar Markovic.


Adam Lallana could be on his way out of Liverpool, with Tottenham interested

Speaking of Lazar Markovic, the winger has won praise for his Liverpool performances since joining the club in 2014, and played a big part in the Reds' recent trophy-laden seasons. Naturally, other clubs have inquired about the availability of the former Benfica player.

One of them is Manchester City, and if rumors are to be believed, Frank Rijkaard has set Markovic as one of his prime targets for the summer transfer window.

It is unlikely that Markovic will switch from Premier League winners to a club that placed 9th last season, but he could very well be tempted by the potential sharp increase in wages, and Liverpool might allow a move to go through if a transfer fee of astronomical amounts is offered. The Serbia international is rated at around £35 million by his current employers.

For winning the double, Rodgers has been rewarded with a war chest in the region of £70 million, and left-back is a position that the Liverpool manager is desperate to strengthen.

Bayern Munich's David Alaba is at the top of Liverpool's list, and the Bavarians, who finished a disappointing 3rd in the Bundesliga, would be open to a deal if Rodgers splashes the cash.


Liverpool want a left-back and David Alaba is at the top of their list

An exchange deal might even be possible, with Bayern also interested in Lucas Romero themselves. The defensive midfielder has not made much of an impression since his arrival at Anfield in January 2015 and could move on to Germany.

Romero is number one on Pep Guardiola's priority list, with the Bayern manager keen on the Brazilian as a ready-made replacement for the aging Xabi Alonso, who is turning 35 in November.

Liverpool want to add more competition to their goalkeeping area, and may turn to re-signing former first-choice Pepe Reina, who left to join Bayern in 2014.

Reina has yet to make an appearance in the Bundesliga and is angling for a move away in a bid to play more first-team football. Bayern would welcome the possibility of exchanging Reina plus cash for Romero.


Pepe Reina could return to Liverpool, where he played from 2005 to 2013

But it is understood that Reina is not Liverpool's only option. Former Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes, currently playing for Russian Premier League side Krasnodar, is another player who is on Rodgers' radar.

Hugo Lloris would be another ideal signing and Tottenham would not mind cashing in on the France captain, but Liverpool are reluctant to spend too much money on the 29-year-old.

New Contracts




Liverpool have moved to secure Raheem Sterling's future at Anfield, with the 21-year-old signing a contract extension until 2021.

Sterling's previous contract was due to end in 2018.

The winger's lucrative new deal will see him earn £185k per week for the next five years, which also means he is the new top earner at the club. Winning the Champions League also entitles him to a bonus of £1.4 million.

Sterling was spectacular for Liverpool last season, firing the Reds to the Premier League title with his 19 goals and 22 assists in 44 appearances. He also added a second European Golden Boy as well as the Best Player in Europe award to his growing medal collection.

However, he missed Euro 2016 due to a broken foot suffered at the end of the season, and is still struggling to recover from the injury.


Sterling has been rewarded with a new mega money contract

Sterling is not the only player to sign a new contract, with Philippe Coutinho also putting pen to paper on an extension until 2021.

Coutinho has enjoyed plenty of success since joining Liverpool in January 2013, making 114 Premier League appearances in total and scoring 22 goals.

The exciting midfielder will be receiving a sharp increase in wages, now earning around £150k as compared to his previous £65k per week. Like Sterling, he has a Champions League bonus inserted into the contract, although slightly lower at £1.2 milion.


Coutinho and Gerrard have both signed contract extensions

In addition to the attacking duo, Liverpool have also confirmed that captain Steven Gerrard has signed a two-year extension to his current contract, from 2016 to 2018.

The club legend turned 36 just last month but has continued to be an important player for Liverpool, making 42 appearances last season.

For the Future




Liverpool have made their first signings in the transfer window, adding three 16-year-old youths to their Under-18s team.

Rodgers has mostly reached out to local youngsters, with Ola Morley and Ernie Sharp coming from Crystal Palace and Fulham respectively for £2.5 million each. Last but not least is Raphael Louis, costing £750k and hailing from Paris Saint-Germain.

Morley plays in central defense while Louis is a left-back. Sharp, perhaps the most promising of the trio, is an attacking midfielder.

Ola Morley
Age: 16
Squad Number: -
Position: Central Defender

/



Raphael Louis
Age: 16
Squad Number: -
Position: Left Back

/



Ernie Sharp
Age: 16
Squad Number: -
Position: Attacking Midfielder

/



It's clear to see that Liverpool are placing emphasis on the future of the club with the deals for the three youngsters wrapped up fairly quickly.

The new Under-18 recruits will be on youth contracts until their 17th birthday, and have provisionally agreed professional contracts when they come of age, that will last until 2019.

However, Rodgers is now ready to turn to strengthening his first team squad.

It is believed that the Anfield club are close to agreeing on a fee with Bayern Munich regarding David Alaba. Several Liverpool players are also in the process of negotiating moves away from Merseyside.

Summer Sale




Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has quickly delved into the transfer market, starting by getting rid of three fringe players.

Alberto Moreno and Adam Lallana have both been shipped out to Tottenham, and Emre Can has also agreed terms to sign with Manchester City.

The sale of Can is a fairly surprising one, with many expecting Rodgers to allow the young midfielder a path back into the first team despite a fairly poor loan spell at Galatasaray.


Can has left Liverpool after a poor loan spell in Turkey with Galatasaray

Can was barely given a chance to prove himself, making only 15 league appearances in his first season at Anfield before traveling to Turkey to join Galatasaray for a season. Unfortunately, he was reduced to being nothing more than a backup player.

City finished 9th last season and are clearly desperate to improve their squad, paying Liverpool a hefty £13 million for Can.

The price Tottenham paid for Lallana, in stark contrast, is reported to be just a paltry £2.5 million. That's £22.5 million less than what Liverpool paid for him two years ago.


Lallana had a great first season at Liverpool, but will now join up with Tottenham

The former Southampton captain had a spectacular debut season at Anfield, scoring 8 goals in 27 Premier League games, but did not hit similar heights in 2015/16. Philippe Coutinho and Lazar Markovic were preferred over him in his positions, and his proneness to injury has not helped either.

Joining Lallana at Spurs is Moreno, for a fee in the region of £7.5 million, and could rise to £10 million depending on his performances for club and country.


Moreno has also completed a move to White Hart Lane

The left-back, who has 12 caps for Spain, established himself as first-choice in Rodgers' offensive-minded side, but the emergence of Jon Flanagan meant he made only 20 league appearances for Liverpool last season.

With the departure of Moreno, Liverpool have confirmed that Flanagan will be taking the number 18 shirt formerly worn by the Spaniard, switching from the number 38.

It is also understood that a new left-back is on Rodgers' transfer wishlist, and David Alaba is expected to sign on from Bayern Munich soon, after long negotiations between both clubs.

Record Signing




Liverpool have confirmed the signing of Bayern Munich's David Alaba for a record fee of £50 million.

The 24-year-old is expected to slot straight into the team as a replacement for Alberto Moreno, who wrapped up his move to Tottenham a few days ago.

Brendan Rodgers has shown that he is not afraid to splash the cash on players in recent years, but his expenditure this time is on a whole new level, completely smashing the club's previous £35 million record signing of Andy Carroll.

However, Alaba is no doubt a world class player. He ends his time at Bayern with 141 appearances for them in the Bundesliga, as well as 3 Bundesliga league titles, and 4 German Cup medals. He was also part of Bayern's Champions League winning team in 2013.


David Alaba is Liverpool's new record signing

It is also important to bear in mind that he has achieved all these, as well as 51 caps for the Austria national team, at the age of 24.

Alaba will join new teammate Raheem Sterling at the top of the Liverpool wage pile, earning £185k per week on a five-year contract.

"I'm very excited about this new challenge with Liverpool," Alaba said, speaking to assembled journalists and reporters. "I've always followed the Premier League and Liverpool's rise in recent years have been great to watch.

This is a huge club and I want to help maintain the current standard and keep challenging for trophies. I can't wait to get started here."

David Alaba
Age: 24
Squad Number: 6
Position: Left Back




Huge signing that. Would a left back really give you £50m of value in terms of performances or is this just a showboat signing? :P
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Arvind: A showboat signing pretty much :P

Pre-Season 2016

This year's pre-season saw Liverpool touring France and playing against three French teams. Their fourth and final pre-season match came against Viktoria Plzeň, who traveled to Anfield all the way from the Czech Republic.




Friendlies

CS Avion 0 - 6 Liverpool
Doran
Coutinho
Markovic
Balanta
Doran
Ibe


Pau 0 - 2 Liverpool
Zivkovic
Zivkovic


Cannes 1 - 6 Liverpool
Osia
Balanta
Gerrard
Ward-Prowse
Markovic
Jones


Liverpool 1 - 1 Viktoria Plzeň
Ward-Prowse

Player of Pre-Season



James Ward-Prowse had a fantastic pre-season, being awarded the Man of the Match award in two out of the three fixtures where he featured. Ward-Prowse has improved by leaps and bounds since joining Liverpool last summer and will be giving similar performances this season, if his pre-season form is anything to go by.

Manager's Thoughts

A few great pre-season games that were really important for the players to warm up for the rest of the season. I would have liked to play a bit more matches but the presence of the World Cup this year meant it was pretty much impossible, but we can live with that. Our next game is against Manchester United in the Community Shield - they beat us on penalties last year so hopefully we can get our revenge this time.
Glenn T's avatar Group Glenn T
9 yearsEdited

August 2016

History repeated itself as Liverpool once again lost out in the Community Shield to Manchester United because of penalties, but on the bright side they also managed to make a winning start in the Premier League, taking a perfect nine points from their first three games.




Premier League

Newcastle 0 - 2 Liverpool
Markovic
Henderson


Liverpool 2 - 1 Man City
Ward-Prowse
Ward-Prowse


Liverpool 1 - 0 Stoke
Ward-Prowse




Community Shield

Liverpool 2 - 2 Man Utd (4-5 pen.)
Sturridge
Sturridge

Liverpool August Player of the Month



James Ward-Prowse's pre-season form has not diminished, instead being carried into the Premier League, with the midfielder scoring 3 goals in 3 games played. He bagged a brace against Manchester City and terrorized the opposition in a Man of the Match performance, and also hit home a great goal against Stoke.

Manager's Thoughts

A pity to miss out on the Community Shield once again, but while we have nine points in our opening three games, Manchester United have taken zero and are languishing in 18th place, so I can't complain too much. They certainly won't be in the relegation places for long, but while they still are I'll continue to laugh about it. This month, I've been very impressed with James Ward-Prowse, and if he can be consistent enough to play like this in every game, he could be an important member of the team for years to come.

Injury Report



Daniel Sturridge - 6 days (stubbed toe)

Daniel Sturridge is the only casualty this month, suffering a stubbed toe in Liverpool's win over Stoke. However, it isn't anything serious, and will keep him out for a week at most.

Liverpool FC: Summer Transfer Report

Aside from allowing 7 players to leave permanently this summer, Brendan Rodgers also sanctioned the record transfer of David Alaba, bringing the versatile left-back in from Bayern Munich for £50 million, while also adding strength to the club's youth teams with the additions of three talented 16-year-olds.


Arrivals - £56.5 million




David Alaba
Fee: £50m
From: Bayern Munich
Age: 24
Position: Left Back









Ola Morley
Fee: £2.5m
From: Crystal Palace
Age: 16
Position: Central Defender

/







Raphael Louis
Fee: £750k
From: Paris Saint-Germain
Age: 16
Position: Left Back

/







Ernie Sharp
Fee: £2.5m
From: Fulham
Age: 16
Position: Attacking Midfielder

/




Departures - £37 million




Jerome Sinclair
Fee: £250k
To: Nottingham Forest
Age: 20
Position: Striker

/





Emre Can
Fee: £13m
To: Manchester City
Age: 22
Position: Central Midfielder

/





Divock Origi
Fee: £7.5m
To: Inter
Age: 21
Position: Striker

/





Andre Wisdom
Fee: £5m
To: Nottingham Forest
Age: 23
Position: Central Defender

/





Ryan McLaughlin
Fee: £1m
To: Fulham
Age: 22
Position: Right Back

/





Adam Lallana
Fee: £2.5m
To: Tottenham
Age: 28
Position: Attacking Midfielder







Alberto Moreno
Fee: £7.5m
To: Tottenham
Age: 24
Position: Left Back

/

Liverpool FC: Squad Overview 2016/17

Brendan Rodgers failed to sign most of his targets during the transfer window but did manage to make a significant purchase in the form of David Alaba. But then again, there is no need to change a team of champions. Instead, there has been promotion from within, with players rising from the youth teams. Harry Wilson, Lloyd Jones, and Jordan Ibe enjoyed successful loan spells last season and are set to be included in this season's squad list.

Name - Age CA/PA

Goalkeepers
Simon Mignolet - 28
Jason Steele - 26

Defenders
Nathaniel Clyne - 25
Jon Flanagan - 23
Mamadou Sakho - 26
Martin Skrtel - 31
Eder Alvarez Balanta - 23
Samuel Umtiti - 22 /
Lloyd Jones - 21 /
David Alaba - 24

Midfielders
Steven Gerrard - 36
Jordan Henderson - 26
Lucas Romero - 22
James Ward-Prowse - 22
Raheem Sterling - 21
Ruben Garcia - 23
Lazar Markovic - 22
Harry Wilson - 19 /
Jordan Ibe - 20 /
Philippe Coutinho - 24

Forwards
Daniel Sturridge - 27
Mario Balotelli - 26
Richairo Zivkovic - 20 /
Lovely signing in David Alaba, great updates and good luck for the season!
1

Champions League: Group B




Liverpool have been placed in Group B for the 2016/17 Champions League season. Coincidentally, they will be facing not one but two of the same opponents from last season's group, with Real Madrid and Napoli also being drawn to face Liverpool again. The last club to round up Group B are Dutch champions Vitesse.


Real Madrid



Real Madrid have been a thorn in Liverpool's side so far. The Spanish giants trashed Liverpool 6-0 in the Champions League group stages last season, before going on to meet them once more in the Quarter Final, in a close 4-4 game that saw Real go through to the next round thanks to the away goals rule. However, they crashed out at the Semi Finals against Chelsea, and will be desperate to win it this time.

Key Man - Cristiano Ronaldo



Last season saw Ronaldo on the form of his life, as he scored 33 goals to help Real Madrid reclaim the La Liga title. Given the captain's armband at the expense of Iker Casillas, the Portuguese star will attempt to lift the Champions League as Real Madrid captain for the first time this season. Although already at the age of 31, he is not to be underestimated, and is still undoubtedly the best player at the Bernabeu.

Napoli



Napoli experienced Champions League disappointment last time around, failing to register a single win in the group stages and finishing 4th with 2 points taken from 6 games, and as a result, did not even manage to make the grade for the Europa League. Luck has not been kind on them, kicking the Italians back into the same group with Liverpool and Real Madrid, who are both looking especially strong at the moment. But an upset is always possible in football, especially with Napoli, who are hungry for success following their European blunders the previous season.

Key Man - Suso Fernández



Since joining Napoli in 2015, Suso has blossomed and is now easily one of their key men. Last season, he scored 11 goals in the Serie A and helped Gli Azzurri to finish 3rd in the league. His performances also earned him an international debut for Spain. This time, Suso will be hoping to achieve much more, especially in Europe, and opposition teams are going to have to look out for this dangerous number 10 player within the Napoli attack.

Vitesse



Drawn into a group of powerhouses, it will be a miracle for Vitesse to take anything from these three teams. Still, one should not rule them out, as Vitesse is a club on the rise. Last season, they won the Eredivisie for the first time in their history, and are adamant on hitting even greater heights.

Key Man - Valeri Qazaishvili



Despite having a funny name, Qazaishvili is the component that makes the Vitesse midfield tick. An attacking midfielder, his versatility enables him to play in a variety of other roles like up front as a striker and a winger. The Georgian international came up from the club's youth ranks after joining from local club Olimpi Rustavi, and has been a hit so far at the GelreDome, with his 16 assists from last season securing Vitesse the league title.

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