[lfc-news] Rafa: Watch us go - Echo

Liverpool Echo, 27 June 2005
Watch us go - Rafa
By David Prentice, Liverpool Echo

RAFAEL BENITEZ welcomed back his European heroes for pre-season training
today - and promised a "fitter, stronger Liverpool this season."

Just 33 days after raising the Champions League trophy in Istanbul, the
Reds were back at Melwood preparing for the visit of Welsh minnows Total
Network Solutions in a fortnight.

Despite the low-key start, boss Benitez has promised his Reds squad will
hit the ground running.

"We need to train harder at the start and change the culture of
pre-season here," he said.

"If we sign new players after June 27, they will have to start afresh.

"But I want all the players to show the right mentality from the very
beginning of pre-season and this will make it easier for them throughout
the rest of the year. "I'm sure you will see a fitter, stronger
Liverpool this season."

Goalkeeper Jose Reina is expected to join the Reds this week, with an
£8m switch from Villareal due to be completed in the next dew days.

Reports also suggest that Southampton striker Peter Crouch and Bolton
winger Stelios Giannakopoulos could be joining them.

According to the Greek daily Sportday, Liverpool have made Bolton a £1m
bid for the 30-year-old international.

Bolton boss Sam Allardyce would be loathe to part with a player who
enjoyed an outstanding end to the season at the Reebok Stadium, but
Stelios has only a year to run on his Bolton contract.

According to the Greek report, Stelios has already held talks with the
Reds and agreed a two-year deal. No-one from Anfield, however, was
available to comment.

It is believed that Steven Gerrard's contract talks will finally start
today.

The Reds' skipper has been keen to open talks since leading the club to
European glory last month - and all parties were finally able to get
together today to begin negotiations.

No dates have yet been confirmed for Liverpool's Champions League
qualifiers against TNS, but neither Goodison nor the Millennium Stadium
are likely venues for the second leg.

UEFA would not approve Goodison - teams are only allowed to play outside
their home country in exceptional circumstances - while the Millennium
Stadium has been booked for a Jehovah's Witness rally the weekend
before, leaving no time to lay the pitch.

Wrexham's 10,000-capacity stadium, The Racecourse, is still favourite.

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