Rodgers' Reds: Class is Permanent

2015-07-02 04:56#215707 Lenny : Good luck for your exams, Glenn.

Thanks Lenny!

2015-07-02 08:54#215714 Pauker : Cesena definitely the team that surprised everyone with their qualification! Red hot streak man, keep it going!

Indeed, I was really really surprised when I saw them in the group. Thanks!

2015-07-02 14:56#215728 Maximus94 : Congratulations on your SoTM nomination Glenn!! Very, very well deserved. And good luck!

Thank you!

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Liverpool's 14-game winning streak has come to a surprising end at the hands of Newcastle, after the relegation candidates put in a superb defensive effort to deny their goal-hungry opponents.

One goal was enough for Newcastle as they took home all the spoils in a 1-0 win, courtesy of a brilliant header from Erik Sviatchenko.

There was some below par finishing on Liverpool's end as they registered just 6 out of their 17 shots on target. In stark contrast, Newcastle managed to test Jeronimo Rulli 3 times out of 5 attempts.

Richairo Zivkovic scored his 11th league goal of the season last week in his side's 5-1 romping of Aston Villa, but the 24-year-old looked completely out of place this time and found himself being bullied by a defensive partnership of Sviatchenko and Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa.

Lucas Romero's second yellow card in the 82nd minute did not help matters either, and from that point on the title holders were playing to keep the score from going to a 2-0.


The Man of the Match award eventually went to a Liverpool player - James Ward-Prowse picked up the honor but the captain, who has been an ever-consistent presence in the center of midfield, could not inspire the club to a one hundred percent record of 15 wins in 15 games.

Meanwhile, Newcastle's best player was the man who battled it out with Ward-Prowse in midfield. Traditionally a right-back, Joel Ward was cast into the center of the pitch by Toon manager David Moyes, and that decision paid off spectacularly.

But the Toon Army's hero came in the form of Sviatchenko, who topped off a fantastic afternoon of silencing Zivkovic with a 42nd minute header into the Liverpool goal.

A corner from Remy Cabella found Henri Saivet, and the Senegalese winger headed it backward for Sviatchenko, who proceeded to smash it past a host of Liverpool players, including goalkeeper Rulli.


"I don't score goals often but I'm happy to have scored this one. It was a very, very important goal for Newcastle," the Denmark international said, speaking to a reporter after the game.

"Liverpool are a good team, maybe even the best in the Premier League and getting three points against them is something very valuable, so of course I'm pleased that we've gotten a win."

Reds boss Brendan Rodgers was naturally upset with the result, and he revealed as much in the post-match press conference.

"It's a terrible, terrible result and honestly a big disappointment. I believed that we could end the season with zero losses but I suppose that will not be the case now. We looked very bad offensively and have to improve on our performances before the next game.

"But credit to Newcastle. Their defenders played well and with that sort of performance I'm sure they will be able to avoid a relegation battle."

Rodgers also addressed Romero's bookings, blasting the Argentine's challenges as "severely unprofessional."

"For Lucas to get sent off at such a crucial time was very disappointing. It was severely unprofessional and he's let the team down.

"But instead of dwelling on what cannot be fixed, we have to move on and I'm sure Lucas will come back a better player after serving his suspension."

Liverpool next play Championship minnows Rotherham in the Quarter Finals of the Capital One Cup, a fixture that they should have little problems with.

Shame you can't have an invincible season One loss though, but now hopefully onto better things again

You've won pretty much everything there is to win with Liverpool..as mentioned above maybe an invinsible season would be the final piece? and then who knows maybe a World Cup with England great story as always mate!

2015-07-02 23:53#215742 LFC : Shame you can't have an invincible season One loss though, but now hopefully onto better things again

Yes, hopefully

2015-07-03 00:03#215743 Devzie92 : You've won pretty much everything there is to win with Liverpool..as mentioned above maybe an invinsible season would be the final piece? and then who knows maybe a World Cup with England great story as always mate!

It certainly would, but now I'm going to have to wait until next season to achieve that Managing England is definitely something I would like to do as well if I get the chance. Thanks as always Devzie!

As 2021 approached, Liverpool experienced a slight slump in form, as their winning ways in the Premier League came to a short end against Newcastle, while they also only managed to take a point from overachieving Leicester. Some positives include a 3-1 demolishing of title rivals Chelsea, which served to push them further down the table, and advancement to the Capital One Cup Semi Finals after a narrow 1-0 win away to Rotherham. The Reds also finished top of their Champions League group on goal difference after drawing to Paris Saint-Germain.

Liverpool December Player of the Month

The last Player of the Month for 2020 is, once again, James Ward-Prowse, after a spectacular month of games. The reliable midfield enforcer has not missed a single Premier League game for Liverpool thus far, and played especially well against Swansea and Newcastle this month. With his excellent consistency, Ward-Prowse is set for a place in the FIFA World XI announced at the end of the year. He has also been nominated for the FIFA Ballon d'Or.

Manager's Thoughts

Losing to Newcastle and drawing against Leicester are some hard results to take. We're sitting comfortably on top of everyone else in the league but that could change soon if complacency starts to take hold of the squad, something I'm keen to ensure doesn't happen. In the Champions League, Paris Saint-Germain put up a tough fight, but we were able to secure first place in Group D and that's what matters. Next month is going to be another busy one, with around eight games to be played, and of course, the January transfer window.

The fact that this was a slump month shows how good you are, good update again!

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A new year is upon us, and with it, the opening of the January transfer window. With Liverpool apparently ready to make some big purchases to kick start the new year, let us take a look at the transfer-related rumors linked to the club.

First off is West Ham's Eric Kirk. The 20-year-old plays as a defensive midfielder, and has been tipped as one of England's biggest prospects since bursting onto the Premier League scene with the Hammers back in 2019.

However, Kirk's contract will run out at the end of the season, and The Academy of Football's latest youth product is yet to agree a new deal to keep him at the Olympic Stadium.

Various clubs are already encircling the England Under-21 international, but Liverpool are believed to be at the forefront of the race, along with Merseyside rivals Everton. West Ham do not want to let Kirk leave for free and will thus sell him at a cut-price figure, but the player himself has yet to come to a decision regarding his future.

Meanwhile, Manchester City have identified Nathaniel Clyne as their prime transfer target. The 29-year-old has been Liverpool's first-choice right-back for about 6 years, but his position in the first team is gradually being usurped by the constantly improving Ryan Joseph.

This season, Clyne has struggled with injury problems, playing in only 7 league games out of 19, but City manager Rafa Benitez has no doubt that the Reds fan favorite can aid his side's title push.

Clyne's Liverpool contract expires in 18 months and it is believed that he is entertaining the idea of playing more first-team football elsewhere, but Rodgers would preferably not strengthen a title rival.


Since the departure of Roberto Martinez to manage the Spain national team, Champions League holders Arsenal have struggled and find themselves currently residing in 8th place, below the likes of Watford and Norwich.

New boss Antonio Conte, who is beginning to face increased pressure to turn things around, wants to go on a spending spree this month, and the former Italy boss is looking towards Liverpool.

35-year-old Laurent Koscielny and 34-year-old Lucas Leiva, the latter a former Liverpool player himself, are set to be offloaded, and young Frenchman Yannis Aubry is wanted to replace them.

The 21-year-old holding midfielder can double as a center-back and has played in 60 Premier League games for Liverpool since his arrival on English shores in 2017.

Arsenal will have to part with big money to sign Aubry though, considering he cost Liverpool a total fee of £24 million, and has only made further improvements to his game since then.

Jordan Henderson is another target for the North London club, but the Reds vice-captain has been at Anfield for almost 10 years, and does not intend to leave.


Liverpool have maintained their interest in Atalanta striker Israel since the end of last season, and Rodgers is finally prepared to break the bank for the Brazilian wonderkid.

The forward scored 20 goals in 33 Serie A appearances last term, winning himself the Serie A Striker of the Year, Serie A Fans' Player of the Year, as well as the Capocannoniere, otherwise known as the Serie A Golden Boot.

This season has been quite the different story for Israel unfortunately, with a return of only 6 goals from 21 games played across all competitions, but Liverpool officials are undeterred and will allow the move to go through.

Atalanta are understood to be resigned to losing their star player, but that does not mean he is about to leave on the cheap. The Italians will hold out for a fee of at least £35 million for Israel, and nothing less.

Speaking of Italians, Mario Balotelli may be on the way out this January after a six-and-a-half years spell in a red shirt.

The Kop idol has been one of the best players of the Brendan Rodgers era, but is on a visible decline and Liverpool could be tempted to make a profit on the player before his contract expires in 2023.

Balotelli was plagued by a hamstring problem early on in the season that kept him out for three months, but has returned fit and firing, and although his days of scoring one goal per every match might be behind him, there are still plenty of teams willing to take a punt on the 30-year-old.

Atletico Madrid and Fiorentina are admirers but Ukraine side Shakhtar Donetsk are the ones believed to be leading the chase for his signature. There is also plenty of local interest, and a reunion with Manchester City, the first English club that Balotelli played for, may be on the cards.


Midfield duo Lucas Romero and James Ward-Prowse are both on the wishlist of oil-rich Paris Saint-Germain, but Liverpool will refuse bids of any amount having just committed both players to contracts lasting until 2025.

Real Madrid see Raheem Sterling and Eder Alvarez Balanta as direct replacements for 35-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo and 34-year-old Sergio Ramos respectively, but attempts to sign them are unlikely to succeed. Similarly, Juventus' interest in Dutch striker Richairo Zivkovic is expected to be knocked back.

A deal that has a much higher chance of going through between Real Madrid and Liverpool is the transfer of Gustavo Cuello.

The central midfielder was Madrid's first signing last summer, joining from Liverpool for £15 million, but his time at the Spanish capital has been nothing but a nightmare. After just 3 games played for Real in the Copa del Rey, Cuello is ready to change clubs for the second time in six months.

Andre Villas-Boas does not fancy the Argentine either and is desperate to rid his squad of Cuello, so much that he has given the green light on allowing the 23-year-old to go for free.

If Cuello does return to Liverpool, it would be a £15 million profit made by the 22-times league winners, in exchange for absolutely nothing at all.

So much detail, love love love it! Keep it up mate.

Wow, they'll offload Cuello for free O.o?

2015-07-03 19:40#215768 Iconic : The fact that this was a slump month shows how good you are, good update again!

Thanks Iconic!

2015-07-04 00:25#215792 NorthernPride : So much detail, love love love it! Keep it up mate.

Thanks man, that means a lot

2015-07-04 00:52#215798 Pauker : Wow, they'll offload Cuello for free O.o?

Real Madrid doing class business as usual, I got 15 million free pounds for literally nothing except let him go for six months

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Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has rubbished rumors that there are certain players set to leave the club this month.

Ukrainian Premier League side Shakhtar Donetsk were believed to be in advanced negotiations regarding the sale of forward Mario Balotelli. It is also understood that Atletico Madrid had clocked in with a late bid in an attempt to bring the 30-year-old to Spain.

But Rodgers denied reports of having accepted a £20 million fee in a press conference this week.

"There has been interest in Mario but we have no intention of selling," said the Reds boss. "He's a very good player and he still has a lot to contribute.

"This may be a different story if Mario himself wants to leave but he does not plan on doing anything of the sort, so I can say with certainty that he will be staying at Liverpool."


Adding on, Rodgers said, "The next few months are going to be very important for us. We're playing in a lot of competitions, the Champions League, the FA Cup, the list just goes on and on.

"I'm not very open to the idea of cutting down on the squad's numbers. This is a very crucial time in the season for us and the more players available for selection the better."

Rodgers' words would mean that fellow title contenders Manchester City are set to have their hopes of signing Nathaniel Clyne dashed.

The Reds number 2 is wanted at the Etihad Stadium to increase Rafa Benitez's options at right-back. John Stones, a £11.5 million summer arrival from Everton, is currently the only City player who can be utilized at that position.


It is understood that Clyne, whose Liverpool contract runs out in 18 months, will be allowed a departure if he so desires, but there is no said indication on the defender's side.

Instead, a decision on the 29-year-old's future is only expected to be made at the end of the season, meaning that City will have to turn to other targets if Benitez pursues his aim of purchasing a right-back before the transfer window closes.

Although Rodgers has made his stand clear about departures, signings are still expected to be made to strengthen Liverpool's title-winning team.

Gustavo Cuello, who left the club for Real Madrid for £15 million just six months ago, has agreed personal terms and his return to Merseyside will be confirmed after the Argentina international passes his medical.

A £2 million transfer of 20-year-old Eric Kirk from West Ham is also in the works, after the promising midfielder informed manager Slaven Bilic that he would not be signing an extension to his soon-to-expire contract.

"There is going to be some activity going on," Rodgers admitted, when quizzed about the subject. "We are interested in a few players and hopefully there will be some good news to share before the window shuts."

Good news, especially the news that you aren't going to be strengthening a rival

2015-07-05 01:44#215831 LFC : Good news, especially the news that you aren't going to be strengthening a rival

Yeah I'm not really interested in helping Man City because that might come back to bite me, and if Clyne leaves I don't have any replacements lined up. He can still do a pretty decent job so I'm keeping him for now

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Liverpool have confirmed the re-signing of former player Gustavo Cuello on a three-year contract, just six months after the midfielder left for Real Madrid.

Cuello originally arrived for a fee of £10 million after impressing in the Eredivisie with ADO Den Haag, but made only 37 league appearances in his 3 years on Merseyside, and opted to pack his bags for Madrid after the La Liga winners came calling.

However, his time with Real has proved to be a big mistake. Cuello did not make a single appearance in the Spanish league, and only put on a Real jersey on four separate occasions in the Champions League group stages, Copa del Rey, and the Supercopa de España.

Andre Villas-Boas was happy to let the Argentine go for free, despite paying £15 million for his services last summer, and Brendan Rodgers was happy to allow Cuello the chance to revive his professional career by returning to England.

"I'm delighted to be back," he said on the Liverpool club website. "I never should have left in the first place and I jumped at the chance to re-sign when I heard Liverpool wanted me again.

"Going to Real Madrid will go down as one of the worst mistakes I have made in my career as a footballer, and I'm thankful to be rejoining this club."


Rodgers also spoke about his first buy of the month in a positive manner, while at the same time taking a dig at Real Madrid.

"When we heard about Gustavo being available for nothing it was a no-brainer for us. Real Madrid's transfer policy is fairly unwise, but I have no complains as it's allowed us to land a talented player, and profit at the same time."


With their first signing of the January window secured, a second is expected to be confirmed before the Reds move on into February.

Unfortunately, in slightly more disappointing news, Liverpool loanee Andres Bascon, whose Barcelona contract was set to expire at the end of the season, has decided against making his stay at Anfield permanent by signing a contract extension until 2024.

The young Spaniard has made 14 appearances in all competitions for Liverpool this season since linking up with the club on loan as backup to Eder Alvarez Balanta, Samuel Umtiti, and Kyriakos Papadopoulos.


Barca boss Luis Enrique had earmarked Bascon as a direct replacement for the aging Gerard Pique, but the 21-year-old's impatience in securing a first-team spot threw his future at the Catalan club into uncertainty.

But matters appear to be resolved after Enrique convinced Bascon that he would play a big part at Barcelona next season, dashing Rodgers' hopes of signing the center-back on a Bosman transfer.

As if rubbing salt on the wound, promising holding midfielder Eric Kirk has also rejected the chance to join Liverpool in favor of their neighbors Everton.

The West Ham academy graduate was pursued by both Merseyside clubs, but made the decision to sign for Everton, as the Toffees were willing to guarantee him first team football. At Liverpool, he would have been competing with the likes of Lucas Romero and Jordan Henderson for a weekly spot in the starting eleven.

Regardless, if reports in Italy are to be believed, Liverpool are close to agreeing a fee for wantaway Atalanta striker Israel to join Cuello as the club's second January signing.

The 11-capped Brazilian came to prominence after a wonderful debut season in Serie A last year, scoring 20 goals in 33 games, and is now poised to grace the Premier League with his lethal finishing ability.