Albert Riera sold to Olympiacos

It has been announced Olympiacos have purchased left midfielder Albert Riera for £3.3 million with a possibility of another £1.7 million of they win the Greek League this coming season. This is atleast a £3 million loss from the original £8 million Rafa Benitez paid Espanyol.

While Riera was never a spectacular player, I enjoyed watching him in a Liverpool shirt. He had technical ability and a good left foot. He was the one left sided player that actually gave the team the team some width. The problem with Albert was always his lack of pace in a very speed oriented English league. For me, I would have rather watched him play over the very average Maxi Rodriguez.

His time with Liverpool was a very up and down ride. He went from not on the Spanish team radar, to a starter in last year’s Confederation’s Cup, then not even being on the World Cup team. I understand his frustration with Rafa Benitez for not playing him this past season, but he did not need to come out publicly.

Good luck Albert in Greece, for your sake and for Liverpool. The club could use that extra £1.7.

Danny Wilson confirmed to Anfield

Liverpool lost one young defender in Emiliano Insua and have quickly signed another in 18 year old Scottish starlet Danny Wilson. The initial fee is £2 million, but can reach £5 million based on games played and future value.

With Danny Wilson, Liverpool have signed one of the best defensive prospects in Europe and reigning Scottish FWA and PFA Young Player of the Year. His natural position is left center back and while he can play wide left, he is much more suited centrally. Wilson is a very good aerial threat and has a very good positional sense. He sounds like a young Sami Hyypiä tome.

I don’t see this as a signing for the present. Hodgson is still going to have to find replacements for Insua and Aurelio, but it is exciting to see Liverpool purchase another young player with the potential to be world class.

Here is a nice goal he scored against Hearts

Liverpool win Joe Cole race

Much speculation went on over the past few weeks about where Joe Cole would sign. On Monday, it was announced that he signed a 4 year contract with Liverpool worth just under £100k per week.

It has turned out to be a straight swap of Yossi Benayoun for Joe Cole. Both players play the same position, and while Cole will be making 30k more per week or so, the sale of Yossi will be enough to cover the difference.

So what will Liverpool have with this swap? In reality, both are very similar players that the difference will be minimal while on the field. About all of Joe Cole’s qualities (tidy dribbler, quick, good control) are the same as Benayoun’s. This move will prove important for the culture of the team. With a big name like Cole, the other stars on the squad will believe the organization is committed to winning.

The question for Cole has always been his health. He made over 14 starts just one time in the past 3 seasons because of recurring injuries. For this reason, he cannot be counted on to be more than what Yossi was: a bit starter and the occasional sub appearance. I hope that Roy takes great care with how Cole is handled. I’d prefer he only start 20 or so games with some substitute appearances than go 5-10 games in a row and suffer a serious injury. On the positive, Cole is an English player and is two years younger so he should still have plenty left in him.

Cole is adept with both of his feet and can play on either flank. However, it has been noted that he wants to play in a more central position. I can see him playing behind Torres with Gerrard moving back into the midfield. He also could play as the inverted winger I wrote about when Hodgson signed on with the team.

I see this move as a plus for Liverpool. I feel under Rafa’s watch, Yossi would have been replaced by a £3-5 million flop. This is a high quality replacement and the team just needs to keep him healthy.

Liverpool agree to sell Emiliano Insua to Fiorentina

Liverpool have agreed a fee with Fiorentina to send Emiliano Insua to the Italian side. The player just has to come to personal terms for the deal to be final.

Earlier this offseason, I was not completely against this rumor, but I have changed my tune. I do not see the purpose of this sale. It has been reported that the deal was being worked on before Roy Hogdson arrived to the club so this cannot exactly be pinned on him. This is on Christian Purslow and Rafa Benitez. With the selling of Dossena and not offering a contract to Fabio Aurelio, the team has now lost three left backs in the past 6 months. What is the point of selling a 21 year old player that had shown promise for £5 million?

Sure Insua wore down last year, but he was not meant to be the starter for the majority of the season. The team had Aurelio and Dossena who were supposed to be ahead of him. Now Roy is going to have to promote Chris Mavinga to the senior roster, play Agger at LB where he is much less effective plus purchase another LB…or 2 more if he doesn’t look in house. Chances are any player with the potential of Insua or a proven player is going to cost more than the £5 million received. I’m afraid that this move is going to hinder the club in its search for attacking depth because they will be looking for another player that was already covered last year.

Note regarding transfer rumors:

I’m going to start doing a weekly transfer rumor report instead of every day. Hopefully this will work more efficiently and weed out some of the crazier rumors.

Friday Transfer Rumors

Here are some of Friday's Liverpool rumors:

-Liverpool interested in bringing back Peter Crouch?

-David N’gog isn’t opposed to a loan move

-Roy Hodgson delaying a possible Insua sale

-Dirk Kuyt wants to stay at Anfield

-Alou Diarra return to Liverpool?

Who is Jonjo Shelvey?

One move that has flown under the radar this offseason for many Liverpool fans was the £1.7 million signing of Jonjo Shelvey from Charlton Athletic in April. This was a bit of a surprise with Rafa Benitez’s transfer history as he seemed distrusting of young players. Liverpool has not graduated many players from the academy under his watch and to sign a legitimately talented youngster instead of squad filler is pleasing. I am ecstatic about this deviation from Rafa’s normal philosophy and I believe this will turn out to be a very positive move.

In April of 2008, 16 year old Jonjo Shelvey took the field to become Charlton’s youngest player to make a first team appearance at the age of 16 years and 59 days. The next January, he became the youngest goal scorer for the club. At the same time, Shelvey has been climbing the ranks of the English National team system. He captained the U16 team when they won the Victory Shield and is now regarded as one of the top talents of this generation.

The first thing you notice about Jonjo is that he is completely bald. I have seen much confusion over this, but no, it is not a fashion statement. He has suffered from alopecia since he was very young. You’ll also immediately recognize similarities in play style between Jonjo and Steven Gerrard. This is no coincidence.

'I've mirrored my game on Steven Gerrard - I love him to bits, everything about him, from the way he walks to the way he plays,' says Shelvey. 'I want to have played with him and against him by the time I've finished my career. That's my dream.'

For his age, Jonjo has excellent composure. He does not panic when pressured and can find the open man. While he may lack the pace of an ideal box to box midfielder, he makes up for hit with physicality. At 6 foot, he has the strength to hold off a challenge as well as make them himself. All signs point towards Jonjo Shelvey being a future star and I’m very excited to see it happen in a Liverpool shirt.

Here is a video put together of Jonjo vs Brentford last season. Yes it is just League 1, but I love how he is always directing the play and making himself available for a pass.

Liverpool confirm Jovanovic and Thursday Rumors

On Saturday I gave my opinion and reported that Milan Jovanovic confirmed he would be a Liverpool player. The club confirmed today that he signed a 3 year contract.

Here are some other rumors from today:

-Roy Hodgson expects Steven Gerrard to stay with the club

-Liverpool departures unlikely without new signings first

-David N’gog linked to West Brom and Blackburn on loan

-Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham are battling for Shaun Wright-Phillps

-Roy will bid on Maynor Figueroa if he can sell Insua

-Mascherano wants to join Rafa in Milan

-Hodgson to bid for Slovenian starlet Rene Krhin

-Liverpool put German Stefan Kieβling at the top of target list

-also are considering shock move for David Trezeguet

-Inter want Dirk Kuyt if Balotelli is sold

Wednesday Transfer Rumors

Some interesting rumors floating about today

Fernando Torres will not address his future until after the World Cup

Liverpool plan to sign James Milner and Ashley Young and in return send Ryan Babel/Cash

10 things to know about Liverpool target Bryan Ruiz

West Brom looking to bring in David N’Gog on loan

Inter’s interest in Javer Mascherano is based on whether they sell Balotelli

Joe Cole is going to reject Liverpool

Liverpool to target ex Wigan midfielder Paul Scharner on a free transfer

Tuesday's Transfer Rumors

Here are some of the other rumors that are making the rounds this Tuesday

- Liverpool interested in FC Twente forward Bryan Ruiz

- Roy Hodgson is targeting Newcastle centerback Steven Taylor

- as well as Aston Villa winger Ashley Young

- Interested in bringing Julio Baptista to Anfield?

- More on Joe Cole as well as a linik to Maynor Figueroa of Wigan

[update]

-Fiorentina closing in on Emiliano Insua

A couple of these are a day or so old, but I didn't catch them yesterday.

Thoughts on Chelsea's Pursuit of Fernando

On Tuesday, Chelsea put in an official bid of £40 million for Fernando Torres with ESPN reporting £55 million. The day Liverpool were eliminated from the Champions League last season, it was inevitable that one of the big boys would try to steal him away. When Chelsea came calling for Steven Gerrard in 2004, Rafa Benitez was able to sway him to stay. I’m not so sure that Fernando will do the same without guaranteed Champions League soccer and an unstable owner situation.

If Roman Abramovich is willing to offer that kind of absurd money for Fernando, I would take it in an instant. As much as I love him on the team, Torres has only started 52% of Liverpool’s leagues games over the last 2 years, while making substitute appearances in 6 others. Fernando has said himself that he fears for his health if he continues to play in England. His body is breaking down right before our eyes. This team has too many needs to not take advantage of this potential cash flow and he is too risky to keep with his value so high.

If Hodgson accepts a Torres bid, the owners need to allow him to reinvest into the squad. With that kind of money, Liverpool would become instant players again in the transfer market. These are the players I would trust to replace El Nino.

Edin Dzeko- The 24 year old Bosnian international has been scoring heaps of goals in the Bundesliga for Wolfsburg (48 in 62 games with 58 goals in all 71 competitive games over the last 2 years). Dzeko has been compared to a young Zlatan Ibrahimovic as a he can play as both a target or link up man while possessing size, strength and very good ball skills. He has been linked to Manchester City and Juventus for £35 million.

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar- Scored at a phenomenal rate for Ajax before two unsuccessful moves to Real Madrid and AC Milan. Huntelaar is a regular call up to the Dutch national team though just like his club career, he is not a regular starter. If he could find some regular playing time, he could reach his potential.

Andre-Pierre Gignac- The Toulouse front man was sensational 2 seasons ago scoring 24 goals in 37 league games in a French league that is known for being a low scoring league. Though he had a dip in form last year, he still has the skills to be a solid target forward in England. He has a decent touch, but is known for his power and holdup play. Surround him with the higher quality players that Liverpool have, he could turn into a force.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic- With Barcelona’s signing of David Villa, he is guaranteed to get even less playing time than he received last year. He is a proven goal scorer for every team he has played for and would be an excellent addition to the Reds. He has been linked to the Premier League via Manchester City, but with the Torres cash, Liverpool could become a suitor. Ibrahimovic is not just a target man. He provides creativity from the center forward position with his great movement and passing vision. He would link up nicely with Steven Gerrard and the other attacking players that Roy Hodgson implements into the side. He is highly unlikely, but is interesting to mention.

Other players I like include Luis Fabiano (Sevilla), Vedad Ibisevic (Hoffenheim) and Lucas Barrios (Dortmund). I’d be interested to hear who you would want to sign if Torres were to be sold.

With the other £20-30 million added to his original transfer kitty after buying a replacement, Roy Hodgson would potentially be able to fill in some of the teams other holes.

- Left back to replace Fabio Aurelio

- Midfielder if Mascherano is sold

- Striker depth

- Creative winger or playmaker

Monday Transfer Rumors

First let me state, these are rumors. In this silly season, there are a lot of rubbish reports, but its interesting to speculate on what could happen.

-The Daily Mail is reporting that Fernando Torres is set to leave Liverpool with Man City and Chelsea interested.

-While Sky Sports is reporting the Torres wants to stay

-Javier Mascherano is close to joining Barcelona for £24 million.

-Rafa Benitez wants Glenn Johnson to replace Maicon if he leaves for Real Madrid.

-Gervinho to replace Benayoun?

-Daniel Ayala wants to return to La Liga.

-Arsene Wenger has denied interest while Harry Redknapp has confirmed Tottenham interest in rumored Liverpool target Arda Turan.

-Joe Cole is in no rush to make a decision on his future.

-Hodgson signing for Liverpool has created rumors that he wants to bring Clint Dempsey with him.

-Reto Zeigler to replace Fabio Aurelio at left back?

-Italian Striker Stefano Okaka would love to follow Hodgson to Liverpool.

-Roy Hodgson wants Sami Hyypia to return to Anfield as a player coach.

-Liverpool interested in Japan World Cup standout Yasuhito Endo.

Yossi Benayoun Completes Switch to Chelsea

In catching up on the news I missed over the last couple days, Yossi Benayoun has completed the move to Chelsea that was first let out a couple weeks ago. The Daily Mail has reported the transfer to be worth £6 million, but officially, the fee has been undisclosed.

Over the past 3 years, Yossi has netted 18 goals in 92 league games. He was never a first team regular and made 40% of his appearances off of the bench. He will be remembered for scoring big goals when the team needed it most; breaking the tie vs. Fulham, giving Liverpool the lead in Madrid in the Champions League and a hat trick in the thumping of Besiktas. For those moments, he will be missed. He provided a creative spark that the team often lacked. The problem is Yossi would disappear for minutes and games at a time. As a strict tactical manager, Rafa Benitez seemed to be very uncomfortable with Benayoun. He free roamed and did not have a lot of positional sense. Benitez never knew what he was going to do on the pitch. I believe this is what led to Benayoun’s sporadic playing time.

Selling Yossi Benayoun now is a good decision for Liverpool. At the age of 30, he very likely has just 3 or 4 years of top flight soccer left in him. It was time to capitalize on Roman Abramovich’s interest.

Unlike some, I have no ill will towards Yossi. He became frustrated with the lack of playing time he received and decided to make a move that was best for him. I know as fans we only think of the team we root for, but these players only have so many years to play so they must get the most out of them.

Milan Jovanovic confirms signing for Liverpool

After months of confusion, Serbian international Milan Jovanovic has confirmed that he will be a Liverpool player. He signed a pre-contract agreement with Rafa Benitez in January, but it was unsure whether he would complete the signing once Roy Hodgson was hired. A hybrid left winger/striker; he has good size at 6’ and is known for his pace and technical dribbling.

Jovanovic has been playing with Standard Liege in Belgium for the last four years, with stints for Lokomotiv Moscow and Shakhtar Donetsk prior to that. While he does have a very good scoring rate of 52 goals in 112 league games in Belgium, some wonder if his ability will translate to a much tougher English League. I have heard many Andriy Voronin comparisons but are they warranted?

While Milan Jovanovic has not put up the same goal rate in Europe against tougher competition, he does have 6 goals in 21 appearances. That is not a bad return for a player who is not a true out and out striker and plays many games on the wing. He is also a standout for the Serbian National team and was arguably the top player for that side in the World Cup before getting knocked out. He has contributed 10 goals in 29 goals for his country.

Jovanovic has the technical ability that a player like Voronin did not. If he is not able to score regularly for the club, Jovanovic will still be able to contribute some creativity that the team is severely lacking. He is not the answer if Torres goes down for a long period of time but he should be a solid squad player for the club without the embarrassing spells that Voronin provided.

On Rafa and Roy Hodgson

After a spectacular start to his managerial career with Liverpool, Rafa Benitez never quite lived up to his early standard. Yes, Liverpool was always a threat in Europe, but we have seen Benitez long enough to know that he did not have what it takes to win in England. His downfall was squad depth as Liverpool could put out a starting 11 as good as any team in the world. However, he failed too many times in the transfer window and never gave the academy players a chance. When Liverpool lost players to injury, the team did not have the punch needed and too often players would get loaned and or sold without ever getting a shot with the first team.

With a new era facing Liverpool, Roy Hodgson could turn out to be the perfect signing. The current owner situation means the club’s manager will not be able to spend money like the other contenders. Liverpool will have to be frugal and get positive return on investments. In his two years at Fulham, Hodgson took a team that fell to an annual relegation candidate back into a mid table team. He has shown the ability to make shrewd transfer signings without burning through the budget. I do not believe that we will be seeing the busts that we saw under Benitez.

What kind of tactics will be deployed by Hodgson? With Fulham he favored a mix between a 4-4-1-1/4-4-2. Like Rafa, there have been criticisms that Hodgson is too conservative. This is a little bit of a concern if the team struggles to score, but a competitive team must have a solid defense so I am not worried. Plus, there is the fact that Hodgson has not had the attacking arsenal that he has been armed with at Liverpool.

I find it very interesting that at Fulham, Hodgson preferred to use inverted wingers on the flanks. Damien Duff and Clint Dempsey routinely operated on the opposite side of their strong foot in order to cut inside and shoot. This really suits the likes of Ryan Babel and Maxi Rodriguez who can play on the left. It is interesting to note Dirk Kuyt has played on the left for the Netherlands in the World Cup. Playing there could suit his attacking instinct more than playing on the right side. Liverpool does not have many options for the right, so if Roy lasts at least a couple seasons, look for him sign a left footed right winger or invert a left winger in the future.

While this is not a flashy signing and many people may be down on Roy Hodgson, I do not share that same pessimism. It seems like the club is getting a very similar manager tactically, but off the field is where this move makes the most sense. Hodgson has thrived on finding solid players on a limited budget.

This is my first attempt at a blog so I would love to hear any ideas, thoughts or opinions you guys have Let me know here or on twitter @royalsfan7. I expect to become more polished as time progresses.

An introduction

My name is Justin and after months of contemplating, I have decided to start a blog. I have a long list that I read every day, but was disappointed in the lack of Liverpool focused sites. My hope for this blog is to stir up conversation on the team and sport I love, as well as keep those of you that do not have time yourself to stay up-to-date on the team