[lfc-news] Benitez expects a rougher ride - PA

PA Sport, 6 August 2005
BENITEZ EXPECTS A ROUGHER RIDE

Rafael Benitez concedes that his European champions are facing their
toughest task yet in the defence of their Champions League crown.

So far in their trawl through the minnows in the qualifying rounds,
Liverpool have dispensed with Welsh champions TNS and Lithuanian side
Kaunas, smashing 11 goals in four games and conceding just one without
ever looking in danger of succumbing to a shock.

Steven Gerrard has managed seven of those goals, the first Liverpool
player to net in five successive European ties, but it may be a bit more
difficult to stroll past the Bulgarian champions CSKA Sofia and add to
that tally.

The Liverpool chief knows things will be a lot hotter for the Anfield
men on Wednesday in Bulgaria, against a team beaten only once in winning
their domestic league last season.

Benitez knew as much last week when he had seen a video of the
Bulgarians before naming his side for the second leg against Kaunas at
Anfield, already 3-1 ahead with the tie won.

The Spaniard turned out a side with eight changes from their previous
match, the clash with CSKA firmly in his mind.

The loss of Peter Crouch for at least three weeks with a hamstring
injury will not have helped Benitez's planning, but the giant striker
apart you can expect Liverpool's strongest possible side facing the
Bulgarians.

It has meant much chopping and changing for Benitez, but he won't
countenance any opposition to that.

He said: "It will be more difficult now, the better teams are arriving
in the tournament. We have watched a video of CSKA and we know the next
round will be much harder.

"It was difficult to make too many conclusions because the game was
played on a dreadful pitch, but they looked strong and organised.

"We always need to be careful in qualifying rounds, we have been against
TNS and Kaunas, but it this case more so. The standard is much higher
for the third qualifier."

And now, after resting the likes of Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Xabi
Alonso against Kaunas, the top men will be back in Sofia.

Benitez added: "All the players understand we must use many players, and
to rest people, if we are to be able to play so many matches in all
competitions.

"They are bright, they understand."

Benitez, who had clearly decided on Crouch as his first choice striker,
must now make other decisions about his front pairing.

Fernando Morientes still looks short of pace and strength, a situation
worrying Anfield fans who expected more from the Spanish star, and this
could ironically be just the sort of game that would suit Milan Baros' pace.

However, Benitez has confidence in Morientes proving his class, adding:
"I believe Morientes will improve. Sometimes he has done okay when he
has played and other times he might have done better, but he will get
better.

"We know that Morientes is a good player and we know what he can bring
to our team. We should see that very soon."

Benitez is expected to stick by his policy of not playing Baros in
Europe, even though possible moves to Schalke, Everton and Aston Villa
have gone nowhere. Monaco are now being mentioned, but they too would
struggle to meet the £7million asking price.

However, with Crouch out for three weeks at least, Baros could well find
himself back in the side for the opening Barclays Premiership games
against Middlesbrough and Sunderland, while key men are rested with the
second leg against Sofia and the European Super Cup final against CSKA
Moscow coming up in a fortnight.

To get to this stage, Sofia sealed a comfortable aggregate victory over
Albanian side Tirana.

The only problem for the Bulgarians in that second leg was that defender
Valentin Iliev was booked for a challenge in the second leg and will be
suspended for next week's first leg against Liverpool.

In the summer, CSKA have added Bulgarian international striker Stoiko
Sakaliev to last season's championship squad.

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[lfc-news] Gonzalez permit knockback for Reds - PA

PA Sport, 5 Aug 2005
GONZALEZ PERMIT KNOCKBACK FOR REDS

Liverpool are considering an appeal after a work permit application for
Chilean winger Mark Gonzalez was rejected.

The European champions were shocked by the decision made after a hearing
this week.

The situation is further complicated by the fact that Liverpool were
only planning a season-long loan deal for the 21 year-old, with a view
to a £4.7million deal with his Spanish club Albacete next summer.

Gonzalez, who was actually born in South Africa, is currently recovering
from a cruciate knee injury and would not have expected to be fit until
October.

The permit was refused primarily because Chile are not in the top 70 of
the FIFA rankings, and it is believed Liverpool also fell foul of
regulations that say the player had to be among their highest wage-earners.

Liverpool officials attended a hearing in London on Thursday to argue
their case but were shocked when a panel of judges refused them.

The ruling clearly upset Benitez, who argued that Gonzalez is not only
the best player in Chile but was also one of the most exciting players
in Spain last season.

Benitez told www.liverpoolfc.tv: "He's a player we have scouted for over
six months. I can tell the Liverpool fans who don't know too much about
him that he's a player with lots and lots of ability.

"He is very fast, good in the air, good at crosses and he can score
goals. In fact, he is the best player in Chile. We have had reports on
the player from our own scouts, professional players, former players and
other managers and they all say the same - that he is a very good player
for now and even better for the future.

"We haven't been awarded a work permit though and I was very surprised
to say the least."

Government regulations also require that when signing a young player
from outside the EU, a club must convince officials that there is no
comparable player in their own country first.

Liverpool would have a better chance if Chile were in the world top 70.
They are currently 72nd and their next match is against Brazil.

Benitez added: "We must now wait because one of the problems is that his
national team are not ranked in FIFA's top 70. If they win a couple of
games, maybe they will move up the FIFA rankings and things may change.

"Gonzalez is already a player who will shine in the Premiership but very
soon he could be one of the most exciting players in England.

"Liverpool supporters love to see players who can lift them out of their
seats and Gonzalez is exactly that sort of player. You saw the reaction
when Djibril Cisse came on against Kaunas on Wednesday.

"The fans were jumping up and cheering when Cisse raced down the wing.
With Gonzalez, the fans would be out of their seats the whole time
because he can play like Cisse but on the wing."

Liverpool may well now review the situation, and could wait until the
January transfer window to make a second application, hoping that the
player will then meet more of the UK criteria as well as being fit to play.

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[lfc-news] Stars lifting Zak to Anfield heights - Echo

Liverpool Echo, 4 Aug 2005
Stars lifting Zak to Anfield heights
By Tony Barrett, Liverpool Echo

EVER since Zak Whitbread made it onto the fringes of the Liverpool squad
he has found his path to the first team obstructed by two of the central
pillars of Rafa Benitez's new look side.

But instead of being envious or resentful at the enduring excellence of
Sami Hyypia and Jamie Carragher, the American-born centre-back says
Benitez's first choice defensive duo are providing him with the
inspiration to continue pursuing his Anfield dream.

Whitbread, who performed well alongside Hyypia in the 2-0 win over FBK
Kaunas on Tuesday night, is now looking to challenge his mentors and
give his manager a sel ect i on headache in central defence similar to
the one he has in central midfield.

"In the modern game you have to have a good squad with a number of
players for every position so you have to accept competition for
places," he said.

"My job is to put pressure on Sami and Carra so that the manager sees me
as an alternative to them.

"But you only have to look at the way those two have played in the last
couple of years to realise what a difficult job it would be to replace
either of them."

Benitez admits he wants two quality players for each and every position,
which is why he has added Mohamed Sissoko to the established midfield
triumvirate of Steven Gerrard, Didi Hamann and Xabi Alonso.

The Reds boss is currently looking for a central defender to complement
Carragher and Hyypia and if and when he arrives Whitbread is hoping
Benitez will continue to look upon him as a viable alternative.

He said: "Hopefully, if I keep impressing the boss I will be involved in
more games this season.

"I just have to keep on working hard in training and when I get a chance
in games like I did against Kaunas."

Although Hyypia and Carragher are blocking Whitbread's route into the
first team that hasn't stopped them from giving the young pretender some
helpful advice.

"Every day in training I pick up things from Sami and Carra, they are
always giving me advice and telling me what I am doing well and what I
need to improve upon.

"It's exactly the same in games. Even when they are not giving me advice
I am picking things up from them just from the way they play and the way
they position themselves.

"To be honest, something would have to be going badly wrong if you
couldn't learn from those two."

This pre-season Whitbread has not been the only recent graduate from the
Academy to be given an extended run in the first team set-up.

Darren Potter and Stephen Warnock have also been given opportunities to
impress as Benitez finalises his plans for the forthcoming campaign at
home and abroad.

All three have done their chances no harm with steady performances which
have proved without doubt that they are in the squad on merit.

Whitbread added: "It's good that there are a few of us in the squad
together because we have known each other for a long time and we can
help each other out."

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[lfc-news] Reds debating Tokyo invite - Official Site

Official LFC Wrbsite, 4 Aug 2005
REDS DEBATING TOKYO INVITE
By Paul Eaton

Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry has admitted the Reds are still
considering whether or not to take part in this season's World Club
Championship.

As European Champions, the Reds are automatically invited to take part
in December's showpiece event in Tokyo, when the winners from the
different FIFA confederations meet for a week long competition.

Liverpool have been drawn to play either Deportivo Saprissa or FC Sydney
in the semi-finals of the competition, but Parry says the Reds must
decide whether it would serve the club's best interests to take part.

"The World Club Championship draw has been made," he said. "This is
something we are debating very carefully at the moment. It is a world
tournament that is prestigious but we have to balance that with the
potential of losing another domestic fixture.

"We are already facing the disruption of two Premier League fixtures due
to the Champions League third round qualifier and the Super Cup.

"All of this is down to the price of success and as we've discovered in
the past, you tend not to get a lot of sympathy for being successful."

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[lfc-news] Reds cool on Owen return - Echo

Liverpool Echo, 4 Aug 2005
Reds cool on Owen return
By Tony Barrett, Liverpool Echo

LIVERPOOL are not in talks with Michael Owen - despite reports
suggesting otherwise.

Speculation linking the Real Madrid striker with a return to Anfield has
surfaced in recent days as Owen looks to secure a move back to the
Premiership.

But Rafa Benitez insisted last week he is more interested in signing a
centre back than a centre forward and club sources today indicated that
situation has not changed.

Back-up for Sami Hyypia and Jamie Carragher remains the Reds boss'
priority and Benitez is looking to bring in a defensive reinforcement as
soon as possible.

However, with Peter Crouch ruled out for up to three weeks with a
hamstring strain and suspended for the first two games of the
Premiership season and Milan Baros on his way out of Anfield Benitez
could be ready to reassess his attacking options.

Currently, he has only Fernando Morientes and Djibril Cisse to call on
for next week's Champions League third round qualifier against CSKA
Sofia in Bulgaria.

Benitez does have the option of pushing Luis Garcia further forward for
that game but that would be only a short-term answer.

Crouch says he is disappointed to have picked up an injury so early in
his Anfield career.

He said: "It is really frustrating to pick up an injury like that but
hopefully I will be back sooner rather than later.

"I wanted to finish the game against Kaunas because I was really
enjoying my home debut but I had no choice in the end and had to come off.

"It is a real disappointment for me."

Meanwhile, the Luis Figo saga came to an end today with the Portuguese
international agreeing a two-year deal with Internazionale.

Liverpool had been in the hunt for the winger and Figo had spoken of his
desire to move to Anfield but the former World Footballer of the Year
has now completed a free transfer to the San Siro.

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[lfc-news] Middlesbrough v Liverpool ticket news - Official Site

Official LFC Website, 4 Aug 2005
MIDDLESBROUGH V LIVERPOOL TICKET NEWS
By Paul Eaton

Liverpool have announced ticket details and selling arrangements for our
first Premiership clash of the season at Middlesbrough on August 13.

We have received a reduced allocation of 2436 tickets due to persistent
standing for this ALL ticket fixture priced as follows;-

Adult: £31
Child: £18 (under 16)
Over 65s: £18

Ticket Allocation

Tickets will be available to Season Ticket holders based on attendance
at Premier League away fixtures during Season 2004-2005 on the following
days:

Attendance at 10 or more games: Friday 5 August - 8.15am-5.30pm and
Saturday 6 August - 9.15am-1.00pm
Attendance at 9 or more games: Sunday 7 August - 9.15am - 1.00pm
Attendance at 8 or more games: Monday 8 August - 8.15am- 5.30pm

The allocation of tickets will be subject to availability and while
stocks last.

Tickets will be available for personal application at the Ticket Office,
by postal application and credit card bookings on Telephone Number 0870
787 2000. The Fan Card must be presented when applying at the Ticket
Office and in the case of postal applications or telephone applications
the number must be quoted, telephone bookings will require the
applicants address to be confirmed and are subject to a booking fee.

Please do not apply if you do not meet the required criteria, any
queries regarding the Fan Card please telephone 0870 220 2345.

We would emphasise to all eligible applicants that no guarantee can be
given that tickets will be available to all who apply.

Executive Box holders, Centenary, Premier and Executive members should
contact the Corporate Sales Department.

We apologise for the lateness of this notice, this is due to us awaiting
a decision from Middlesbrough Council on the number of tickets we would
be allocated.

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[lfc-news] Reds to play Sofia

3 Aug 2005

Liverpool will play CSKA Sofia in the third qualifying round of the
Champions League. The Bulgarians tonight won their second leg match
against SK Tirana 2-0 (4-0 on aggregate).

The away leg will be on Wednesday 10th August and the home leg on
Tuesday 23rd August. The Premiership fixture away to Charlton,
originally scheduled for the 23rd, has now been postponed (new date to
be announced).

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[lfc-news] Hamstring forces Crouch out - PA

PA Sport, 3 Aug 2005
HAMSTRING FORCES CROUCH OUT
By Paul Walker, PA Sport

Peter Crouch has been ruled out for up to three weeks after a scan on
the hamstring injury that forced him out of Liverpool's Champions League
success over FBK Kaunus.

The £7million striker limped off after just 54 minutes at Anfield last
night, and is now is certain to miss next week's third qualifying round
first leg.

He will also miss the start of the Barclays Premiership campaign but is
suspended for the first two games against Middlesbrough and Sunderland
anyway.

With the August 27 match against Arsenal postponed because of the
European Super Cup, Crouch may now have to wait until the trip to
Tottenham on September 10 to make his Premiership debut.

But boss Rafael Benitez will hope to have him back in contention for the
second leg of the Champions League qualifier against CSKA Sofia or
Dinamo Tirana on August 23.

Benitez said: "The partnership between Crouch and (Djibril) Cisse was
working well. We have Cisse's pace and the alternative qualities of Crouch.

"Against Kaunus we had decided that in the second half we needed to play
the ball in the air more, but unfortunately the plan only lasted a few
minutes of the second period.

"We could see that Peter was holding the back of his leg and we decided
to change him quickly because it was obviously a hamstring problem.

"You need to protect players in such situations to avoid even worse
problems.

"I don't think we are short of numbers up front. We have let Anthony Le
Tallec go out on loan, but we have (Milan) Baros, (Fernando) Morientes,
Luis Garcia, Cisse. They are all good players."

And with the prospect of Baros leaving for Everton seemingly having hit
a major snag over the £7million fee Liverpool are demanding, Benitez may
even be prepared to re-consider the decision to sell the Czech.

He may still not risk cup-tying him in Europe, but Baros could well be
needed for the opening league matches with the transfer deadline not
until the last day of August.

Crouch said: "I have no real idea how long it will be.

"I was enjoying my home debut, it was great to finally get the chance to
play at Anfield because we have been on the road for a long time since I
signed.

"I would have wanted to finish the game, obviously, so it was really
frustrating to pick up an injury like that.

"I was beginning to really enjoy things, so the hamstring was a real
disappointment."

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[lfc-news] Kaunas report - PA

PA Sport, 2 Aug 2005
Liverpool 2 Kaunas 0 (Agg: 5-1)

Steven Gerrard dragged Liverpool from the pits of a poor performance to
send them into the final qualifying round of the Champions League.

The man Jose Mourinho thinks is wasting his time sticking around at
Anfield showed just how much he means to the European champions.

He stepped off the bench to fire in his seventh goal in four qualifying
matches to set Liverpool on their way to a victory which had been a long
time coming as they struggled to suppress a spirited Lithuanian side.

Gerrard had only been on the pitch for two minutes when he belted
Liverpool ahead, with Djibril Cisse adding a cool second with five
minutes left.

It was all change in more ways than one as manager Rafael Benitez took
the chance to rest eight of the side which won the first leg 3-1 in
Lithuania.

Zak Whitbread got a chance at centre-back while Peter Crouch made his
home debut along with Mohamed Sissoko.

There was change too for Kaunas, who had a new coach on the bench with
Igoris Pankratjevas stepping in for Aleksandr Piskiarov.

The new broom swept out four of the side from last week, including
Lithuanian international goalkeeper Eduardas Kurskis, and there was the
expected high tempo and hard running from the visitors in front of
another Anfield packed house.

Luis Garcia's trickery was met with a string of fouls, while every
Crouch touch created a sense of anticipation from the fans.

But there was little else to enthuse the home faithful apart from a
Fernando Morientes glancing header that was pulled down by goalkeeper
Sarunas Kilijonas.

Any thought that Kaunas could be taken lightly soon evaporated on the
Kop, and when Nukri Manchkhava fired in a curling 25-yard free-kick
Scott Carson needed complete concentration to collect the effort.

There was little pace about Liverpool's approach, which was not pleasing
Benitez, who was clearly encouraging his players to play quick one-twos
that would open up the Lithuanians.

Bolo Zenden saw a shot blocked in the six-yard box as Liverpool slowly
took control, and Crouch had a snap-shot charged down before Sissoko
fizzed an effort wide, but it was a tepid first-half performance.

Cisse took over from Morientes at the break, and immediately linked
better with Crouch.

The pair made chances for each other, with Luis Garcia also firing over.
But the new front pair was short-lived with Crouch limping off, clearly
bothered by a hamstring pull, allowing Darren Potter's introduction.

But Kaunas were still in there fighting and Manchkhava saw one shot fly
across the goal and when Sami Hyypia produced a poor clearance, the
Georgia international blasted the ball inches over the crossbar.

The Lithuanians continued to frustrate the Anfield men, forcing errors
borne more from frustration than anything else.

Zenden saw a fierce drive headed away from a gaping goal by Irmantas
Zelmikas before Hyypia hit the crossbar with a header from Dietmar
Hamann's corner.

Liverpool were at last upping their tempo and playing positive passes
rather than the dainty little flicks from Luis Garcia which had
constantly cost them possession.

Gerrard's introduction on 75 minutes for Hamann was accompanied by a
standing ovation from the home fans, and after Kilijonas had forced a
Cisse effort wide of a post, the Liverpool skipper struck just two
minutes after his arrival.

A corner was played out to him on the left and his fierce low drive from
25 yards was only half stopped by Kilijonas, and the ball rolled
agonisingly over the line - Gerrard's seventh of this qualifying campaign.

Cisse produced a more respectable scoreline after 85 minutes when he
volleyed home a Luis Garcia chip.

Liverpool: Carson, Finnan, Hyypia, Whitbread, Warnock, Luis Garcia,
Hamann (Gerrard 75), Sissoko, Zenden, Crouch (Potter 55), Morientes
(Cisse 45)
Subs not used: Reina, Riise, Alonso, Carragher
Goals: Gerrard 77, Cisse 85

FBK Kaunas: Kilijonas, Kancelskis, Zelmikas, Baguzis, Manchkhava, Pehlic
(Barevicius 66), V, Petrenko (Klimek 45), Kvaratskhelia, Kunevicius,
Poderis (Maciulis 87), Rimkevicius
Subs: Kurskis, Beniusis, Kijanskas, Papeckys

Att: 43,717
Referee: Gianluca Paparesta (Italy)

CROUCH WORRY FOR REDS

A hamstring injury for his new £7million striker Peter Crouch was Rafael
Benitez's only worry as Liverpool hauled themselves into the final
qualifying round of the Champions League.

Liverpool produced a laboured performance before skipper Steven Gerrard
came on in the closing minutes to grab his seventh goal of the campaign,
with Djibril Cisse adding another to clinch a 2-0 victory over Kaunas -
and a 5-1 success on aggregate.

But Benitez admitted his concern when Crouch limped off in the 54th
minute, clearly in pain from a muscle injury.

The Spaniard said: "We realised he was hurt very quickly and the
decision was made straight away to take him off.

"I do not really know how bad the injury is until the doctors have had a
look at him tomorrow, but hopefully it is not a major worry.

"We will have to see about next week's match in the final qualifying round."

Liverpool will not know their opponents next week until CSKA Sofia and
Tirana play out their second leg tomorrow, but the Bulgarians are 2-0
ahead and should go through to a meeting with the holders.

Once again it was Gerrard appearance as a late substitute that turned
the match.

And Benitez said: "Steven is scoring a lot and I hope he continues to do
so in the next rounds. As I always say, he is very important for us.

"He, along with several others, were left on the bench for this one
because I was thinking about the next round, it is better for us if
players are rested and other players get the chance of playing."

Gerrard dismissed his own goalscoring records and hailed Cisse, saying:
"He has been through a lot these past few months.

"He has shown tremendous mental strength and it is amazing how quickly
he has come back from such a bad injury when he broke his leg.

"When is is fit and available he is a very dangerous player and it was
vital he got a full pre-season under his belt. Now he has I think he
will have a good season."

Benitez also praised Cisse and Mohamed Sissoko for their displays. Cisse
scored the second and the Anfield boss said: "Strikers need confidence
and it comes from scoring goals, he is certainly improving and looking
sharp.

"And I was delighted with Sissoko. He was one of our best players,
working hard and regaining the ball. I was happy with his performance."

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[lfc-news] Baros okays Evrton switch - PA

PA Sport, 2 Aug 2005
BAROS OKAYS EVERTON SWITCH

Liverpool striker Milan Baros is believed to have opened the way for a
move to Everton by making it known he has no reservations about a
cross-city transfer.

Everton have taken preliminary steps toward a potential £6million move
for the Czech Republic international who has been told he can leave
Liverpool after three and a half years in which he has scored 27 goals
in 106 appearances.

But the key to any such highly-charged transfer is whether the player
concerned is aware of the potential problems and is happy to face them.

Such moves can produce anger from one side of the Mersey divide and
reservations from the other.

But it is believed that, after discussions with his advisors, Baros has
given the green light for negotiations to continue.

No player has joined Everton from Liverpool since Gary Ablett made the
short trip across Stanley Park in 1992.

But, when Nicky Barmby moved in the opposite direction to Liverpool from
Everton for £6million in 2000, he was subjected to a ferocious hate
campaign, although Portuguese defender Abel Xavier had no such problems
when he moved from Goodison Park to Liverpool for £800,000 in January 2002.

Everton chief executive Keith Wyness has confirmed on Tuesday that "we
are looking at a number of different striking options and we are
currently reviewing them all. Baros is one of the names on the list".

But Wyness insisted that Everton had not made a formal bid for the
23-year-old, who was the top scorer in last year's Euro 2004 finals.

The mood in the Goodison Park camp, said one source was "very
optimistic" that something can be sorted out, maybe even in time for
Baros to pass a medical and be registered with UEFA before the end of
the Thursday deadline to be allowed to play in next week's Champions
League qualifier at home to Villarreal.

Everton will not go to the £7million asking price but Liverpool would
probably accept £6million for a player who is now fourth in the
strikers' pecking order behind Fernando Morientes, Djibril Cisse and
Peter Crouch.

There has been interest in Baros from Aston Villa, West Ham and Monaco
but no offers that have interested Liverpool while, earlier this week,
German side Schalke pulled out of the bidding.

They were told in no uncertain terms by Liverpool that, after a week of
negotiations, there was no chance of a season-long loan.

And, with earlier target Andy Johnson committing himself to Crystal
Palace with a new five-year contract on Tuesday, Everton's options have
diminished.

They need to bolster their squad quickly after an unsatisfactory
pre-season that has seen them struggle to score goals.

Liverpool could do with the cash to aid their moves for a defender -
probably Deportivo's Jorge Andrade - and a winger, with boss Rafael
Benitez still refusing to rule out Luis Figo.

Liverpool are likely to farm out on loan two French youngsters shortly

Defender Carl Medjani is on his way to Metz for a season while Anthony
Le Tallec is a target for Sunderland.

Benitez wants both to have regular football, in particular, Le Tallec,
whom he believes would benefit from a full campaign in the Premiership.

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[lfc-news] Le Tallec goes on loan to Sunderland - PA

PA Sport, 2 Aug 2005
LE TALLEC JOINS SUNDERLAND

Sunderland have signed Liverpool forward Anthony Le Tallec on a
year-long loan.

The 20-year-old played in both legs of Liverpool's Champions League
qualifier against TNS but has struggled to establish himself at Anfield
since moving to the club in 2002.

Le Tallec told official website www.safc.com: "I chose to come to
Sunderland because I need to play games.

"At Liverpool it is very difficult to play every week, the coach [Rafael
Benitez] told me that."

Le Tallec, who is capped by France at Under-21 level, has been loaned
out to St Etienne and Le Havre since arriving at Liverpool.

"I don't know too much about Sunderland but I see it as a big club and a
big challenge," he added on official club website www.safc.com

"I spoke to Mick McCarthy about the club and had a good feeling straight
away. I'm a competitor and want to play games. I'm looking forward to
playing in the Premiership with Sunderland."

Le Tallec was brought to Anfield by Gerard Houllier in a double deal
also involving Florent Sinama-Pongolle.

He was not given a long run in the first team but opened his goalscoring
account with a strike against Olimpija Ljubljana in the UEFA Cup in 2003.

Benitez only gave him seven appearances last season, but was included in
the 2-1 win against Juventus at Anfield when he set up Luis Garcia for a
goal.

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[lfc-news] Benitez unfazed by schedule - Telegraph

Daily Telegraph, 2 Aug 2005
Benitez unfazed by schedule
By William Johnson

The demands of earning the right to defend the European Cup won so
spectacularly in Istanbul last May will not deflect Liverpool from the
overriding objective of making their strongest challenge yet for
Premiership honours, according to manager Rafael Benitez.

By the time Liverpool open their title campaign at Middlesbrough on
Saturday week, they will, barring accidents against the Lithuanians of
Kaunas tonight, have played five Champions League qualifiers on the way
to what they hope will be their part in a five-pronged English assault
on the group stages.

An anticipated sixth hurdle - the second leg of their third qualifying
tie probably against CSKA Sofia - will have to be encountered later this
month at a time when most of their Premiership rivals will be fulfilling
their third fixture, while the European Super Cup tie against CSKA
Moscow in Monaco will cause their ensuing Premiership match to be postponed.

The chances are that by the end of the first month of the new domestic
season, Liverpool could be playing catch-up on Chelsea and Arsenal.
Benitez is unconcerned by that handicapped start, as he plans to end
Liverpool supporters' 15-year wait for their 19th league title. He said:
"I'm convinced that we are a better team than we were last season and it
is my intention to improve it further. The initial aim is to secure a
place in the top four and then go even higher."

That domestic objective can wait until another place in the group stages
of the Champions League is guaranteed. Benitez will not look forward to
next week's third round until Kaunas have been safely dispatched.

The Lithuanian champions gave his team a fright last week by taking an
early lead but goals by Djibril Cisse, Jamie Carragher and Steven
Gerrard put the Merseysiders in control in advance of tonight's Anfield
return.

Peter Crouch, who made his debut after a £7 million move from
Southampton in the first leg, is likely to continue his partnership with
Cisse, and Benitez is anticipating a powerful contribution over the
coming months from his England striker.

"I am very happy with him," said the manager. "The fans will see that
Peter will bring something different to the way we play. When the ball
is played up to him he is able to hold on to it and lay it off into the
path of players making a run forward. This will help our midfield and
give them the confidence to go forward. But I am also confident that
Peter will score goals."

Team details

Liverpool (possible): Reina; Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Warnock; Potter,
Hamann, Alonso, Zenden; Cisse, Crouch.
Kaunas (possible): Kurskis; Zelmikas, Pacevicius, Kancelskis,
Manchkhava; Barevicius, Rimkevicius, Klimek, Baguzis; Poderis, Tamosauskas.

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[lfc-news] Crouch key to goals - Echo

LIverpool Echo, 1 Aug 2005
Crouch key to goals
By Tony Barrett, Liverpool Echo

RAFA BENITEZ today backed Peter Crouch to bring out the best in the
Liverpool midfield.

The Reds boss believes the addition of the £7m frontman will increase
the goalscoring output of the likes of Steven Gerrard, Luis Garcia and
Bolo Zenden.

And Benitez says he is looking forward to seeing Crouch in action at
Anfield for the first time when Liverpool take on FC Kaunas in the
second leg of their Champions League qualifier tomorrow night.

He said: "Peter has been training well and he has played well in the
games he has been involved in. I am very happy with him.

"The fans will see that Peter will bring something different to the way
we play.

"When the ball is played up to him he is able to hold on to it and lay
it off into the path of players making a run forward.

"This will help our midfield and give them the confidence to go forward.

"But I am also confident that Peter will score goals because he has
already proven he is a goalscorer in the Premiership."

Crouch is in line to make his Anfield debut against Kaunas, but one
striker who won't figure is Milan Baros, who is likely to see his
Liverpool career brought to a close in the coming days.

Liverpool remain adamant the Czech striker will not be allowed to leave
for anything less than their asking price and will certainly not move on
a season-long loan, despite German side Schalke saying they would like
to take Baros on a temporary basis with a view to a permanent move.

Schalke have agreed personal terms with Baros but are yet to come to an
agreement with Liverpool, who value the striker at £7m.

The Bundesliga outfit are in the driving seat in the race to sign Baros,
though, with the forward believed to be keen to try his luck away from
the Premiership despite the continued interest of Aston Villa and West Ham.

Schalke coach Ralf Rangnick is confident of capturing Baros and said:
"We have agreed things with Baros and his agent. He wants to come to us."

The impending departure of Baros could force Liverpool into making a
decision on whether or not to bring Michael Owen back to Anfield.

Madrid have privately indicated to Owen that they are willing to allow
him to leave on loan for a season and, with Liverpool having first
option on the striker, they could still make a move for him.

Benitez already has Crouch, Djibril Cisse, Fernando Morientes and Luis
Garcia as attacking options, plus the injured Harry Kewell, Neil Mellor
and Florent Sinama-Pongolle to return. He is thought to be reluctant to
spend £11m on a player who left the club for a knockdown £8m just 12
months ago - but a loan deal would suit all parties.

* Liverpool have been drawn to play either Sydney FC or Deportivo
Saprissa in the FIFA Club World Championship in December.

The Reds have been seeded and will join the competition at the
semi-final stage, along with Sao Paolo, of Brazil.

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[lfc-news] File - faq.txt

******************************************
Liverpool [lfc] Football Club News-List FAQ
Last Updated: January 2004
*Please read and keep for future reference.*
******************************************

- ----------
CONTENTS
- ----------
1. What is the Liverpool FC News List?
2. What are the List Rules?
3. How do I subscribe and unsubscribe?
4. Digest or Single emails?
5. How do I send a message to the list?
6. How can I read previous topics?
7. Problems and complaints?
8. What other mailing lists are available?

1. What is the Liverpool FC News List?
=====================================================
The LFC-NEWS list is a low volume list for news, articles and match reports
only - not discussion.

2. Mailing List Rules
=====================================================
Basic netiquette should suffice.

3. How do I subscribe and unsubscribe?
=====================================================
Subscribe?
To subscribe please send an email to lfc-news-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Unsubscribe?
To leave the lfc list visit the user centre and press the 'unsubscribe' link.
Or send an email to lfc-news-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

4. Digest or Single emails?
=====================================================
If you wish to change your mail format visit the user centre and switch
between 'daily digest' or 'individual mails'.
To change your subscription to daily digest mode, send a blank message to:
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5. How do I send a message to the list?
=====================================================
This news list is an announcement only list.

6. How can I read previous topics?
======================================================
There is an archive URL if you wish to read an old post from weeks
gone by, it's available at both:
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7. Problems and complaints?
======================================================
If you do not have web access, cannot solve a problem or wish
to make a complaint please contact the list board outlining your
problem at:
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8. What other mailing lists are available?
======================================================
The LFC mailing list is a Liverpool FC debating forum via email, be warned
that a high volume of messages can be expected so please ensure your mail
provider can cope. The LFC mailing list originated in 1994 and is used by
Liverpool fans all over the world for discussion and distribution of information.
Be warned this is a high volume list.
To subscribe please send an email to lfc-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

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