Expect Big Changes This Summer

I've found this not-so-sure-whether-it's-reliable source on the net and it states all the players that are under our radar and the plans.

But first, talk about something we're sure that is Sinama-Pongolle's departure from Liverpool. Not on the official site yet but it's confirmed on Recreativo Huelva's website, the club which loaned Sinama-Pongolle for the entire 2006/07 season.

It is understood that he'll sign for Recreativo in a 2.5million GBP deal and that is a far cry from what clubs were offering to him before he signed for Liverpool.

Touted along with his cousin, Anthony Le Tallec, as the 2 brightest young talent in France back then, he perhaps, showed a little more promise and even made several appearances for the first team for the past 2 seasons.

People might forget about what he has given to the club but looking back, without him, we wouldn't have won the FA Cup and Champions League.

His goal against Olympiacos was just as important as Gerrard's albeit less dramatic. At Luton last season, when we're on the verge of crashing out of the FA Cup, he came on a substitute to rescue us.

So, thank you Sinama. All the best.


Summer Transfer Target:

Liverpool's budget this summer will be 75 Million.

That is money that will be guaranteed from Tom Hicks & Goerge Gillett.

They have also told Rick Parry - that any funds made from players sales - will also be handed to Rafael Benitez.

That figure could then well top the 100 Million mark.

Onto the transfers side of things, as I said in the other link there will be alot of players leaving Anfield in the summer & that will leave space for lots of new faces.

Benitez's top priority - is to secure David Villa & Daniel Alves. He also has a big liking for Samuel Eto'o - who is wanting to secure some sort of swap deal including Xabi Alonso.

Tal Ben Haim is set to snub Chelsea and sign in the summer. The fee will be minimal & Allardyce has already stated he will leave in the summer - barring a miracle.

Also other firm wants are Giovanni Dos Santos Ramirez of Barca.

Javier Saviola - who will be available on a bosman in the summer - talks have taken place before.

Rafael Vaan de Vaart is another target - talks have already been held with his club.

David Trezaguet is also an option & the stories about Juventus wanting Crouch are firm - but thus far he is only an option, should his other striking options not materialise.

Manuel Fernandes - on loan at Everton is also on Benitez's wish list - should his club Benfica lower there asking price.

Shaun Wright-Phillips is liked by Benitez and should Chelsea sell him as they are expected to - Benitez will match any offer that is made by any British club.

Morten Gamst Pedersen is someone who Benitez has made enquiries about in the last 2 months - as is Gareth Bale.

Rick parry has had contact with West Ham wigs regarding Carlos Tevez & Anton Ferdinand - should West Ham Be relegated.

Then there are a host of youngsters will arrive too. Names being floated about are -

Homegrown
James McCarthy - Hamilton
Nathan Porrit - Middlesbrough.
Richard Keogh - Bristol City. (50/50 with Manchester United.)
Ged Dalton - Scarborough.
Jacob Mellis - Sheffield Utd.
Danny Blanchett - Cambridge City FC.

Foreign
Pedro Alcala - Malaga.
Esteban Granero - Real Madrid.
Simon Andras - Mtk Hungaria.
Dean Bouzanis - New South Wales Institute of Sport.
Mikel San Jose Dominguez -Athletic Bilbao.
Javi Garcia - Real Madrid (Luis Garcia's Cousin)
Alexander Kacaniklic - Helsingborg.


Drogballs:
A good long list there and expect a lot of names to disappear through the summer but just what IF this is the real thing?

Anyway, Tal Ben Haim and Anton Ferdinand? Why on earth would we need another centre back for? Agger is coming along nicely, Carragher isn't going to retire while we have Hyypia and Paletta waiting in the wings so that's probably made up.

The budget, I wouldn't believe in it actually.

Giovanni Dos Santos is an exciting prospect, touted the new Ronaldinho and seemed pretty good in the games he played in.

Javier Saviola was one of my favourite players but can't be sure whether he'll make it in the Premiership due to his slight build.

van der Vaart seemed to have gone down a bit and didn't live up to his expectations placed on him few years back. But he could be an option down the left just as Morten Gamst Pedersen. But with the latter having more Premiership experience, it's better to go for the tried and tested.

Manuel Fernandes looked pretty good against ManYoo last week but with so many midfielders already, can't see him fitting in anywhere.

David Trezeguet is passed it and I don't really rate him. Neither do I think Shaun Wright-Phillips will make any difference.

Your thoughts?

New Poll Is Up

Alright, after the Mickey Owen poll, I've set up another since the response seemed to be quite encouraging so this week, we'll do another one regarding the future.

It's widely believed that Rafa will have a 40million war chest this summer (I don't believe anyway) and which of the below players do you think will have the highest chance of joining the 'Red Army' next season or maybe the player you want to see most to don the red jersey.

The striker that is tagged along with Liverpool all this while is Valencia striker David Villa (left). He's the goal poacher that perhaps, Liverpool have been lacking in recent times after the departure of Michael Owen and the Spanish could yet provide more top quality goods to the side.

He loves to drift into wide position and plays in a similar way to Craig Bellamy so perhaps, Rafa MIGHT need to offload the Welsh before going ahead with him.

But he lacked the physical strength and could struggle against the hustle and bustle of the English game, which is constantly played at 100 miles per hour. The laid back approach of the Spanish might be their stumbling block and could turn out to be yet another Fernando Morientes.

The wing position has been quite a problem in recent seasons as Rafa continually looked for a top quality right winger. Simao Sabrosa was supposed to sign but backed out in the last minute 2 seasons ago.

But the deal could yet be alive once again this season with resources made available for the Reds boss. The Portugese international is an experienced winger who is skillful and has pace to burn. Although nearing his 30s, his experience could prove to be quite important in Liverpool's bid for the title next seasons.

Another winger in consideration is Daniel Alves from Sevilla. The Brazilian attacking full back has been a revelation for the Spanish side who won last season's UEFA Cup.

Capable of playing in both right back and right midfield position, his versatility is an asset while his small build makes him an agile and mobile player. Blessed with not only pace but also wonderful technique, this player will be a mainstay in the Brazilian squad in years to come.

Another striker who's name has been linked with all major English clubs for the past 2-3 seasons is Fernando Torres (left). The Athletico Madrid captain has remained loyal to the club up till this point but to further improve himself, he knows that he'll have to move on to a bigger club.

ManYoo have been tracking him for quite awhile but hasn't made the move yet therefore Rafa could bring another Spanish into the fray. The enigmatic striker, who has had a wonderful World Cup, suffered a little of the post World Cup syndrome and is currently struggling in the La Liga. Over-rated in my eyes, but perhaps it's time for him to move on and maybe for us to give him a try. He won't come cheap, though.

Back to the wings, it's quite a problematic one. Harry Kewell has had his days but injuries sets in and we're not sure what level he's at now. Fabio Aurelio is another regular in the medical room and therefore, it's left with Riise and Gonzalez on the wing.

Riise predominantly plays in the left back slot and Gonzalez has yet to prove his worth as he continues to struggle in the Premiership. Getting an experienced left winger who have tasted the Premiership might be the key here and that's the reason why I brought up Morten Gamst Pedersen (right) of Blackburn.

Known for not only his hair, the Norwegian has a intricate left foot and a deft touch. Ask any ManYoo fan and the sound of Pedersen's name might make them cringe. His free kicks success rate is quite impressive as well as his overall contribution to the team. Important thing is he's of proven quality and need not worry about how he'll settle down.

Bless all the Portugese wingers, Ronaldo, Figo, Simao and Quaresma. Oh yes, Ricardo Quaresma of Porto. He skillful and pacy winger who was once a Barcelona player but fell short of their standards perhaps due to the competition from Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi. He's not a big name and he has the power to frustrate just like Luis Garcia. But when he's on form, even Chelsea found him a handful.

Make your decision now and it could be another player which I've not mentioned above. The poll is set up just below the tagboard and it's not hard to miss.

No VIlla, Then...

Valencia star David Villa admits he's a regular at Liverpool - but insists he has no plans of joining the Reds' American revolution.

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez plans to use the cash of new co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett to prise Villa away from Los Che and the striker says: "Pepe Reina and I are good friends from our time together with Spain U21.

"I often go to England to see him and he comes here. But I am happy in Spain. My people, my language. It seems funny to say in 2007, but I don't have an ambition to play abroad."

Asked about Real Madrid's interest, Villa scoffed: "It seems they want to sign everyone! They have some champions, but they're going through a bad time."

Well, you can just say he's unambitious...

January Transfer Window

The window has opened for a couple of days already and it has been rather quiet. But it was not of any surprise as teams usually don't go around signing big name players or pay over the odds during this period of time due to the UEFA ruling of a player not being able to play for 2 different clubs in the Champions League.

That made a lot of teams shun the transfer window and either go for cheaper alternatives or just like Arsenal, do nothing at all.

With DIC's takeover impending, there are rumours flying all around about how we'll get David Beckham in or those really ridiculous transfer rumours. If you know how to filter away all those rubbish and take out those with a little bit of truth or at least logical to make any sort of sense, there isn't a lot and I don't think Rafa will go all out this January either. But here are some of the players that are ''rumored'' to join Liverpool during this window or in the near future.


David VILLA (Valencia) - 25 Million GBP & Above

Ha! A top class striker linked with Liverpool. He was even spotted at the Director's box on New Year's Day during the match against Bolton. Must be coming right?

Well, perhaps not. Or should I say, not SO soon. I can't see him coming to Liverpool during this very transfer window and if the sources (the very accurate poster on TIA.com forums) are true, he will only join in the summer. How much or how, I don't know.

But definitely a very good striker and IF he's really on his way then, wow, let's hope he's not going to be another Fernando Morientes or even worst, Andriy Shevchenko.

Chance: ~20% in the summer. 0% for now. I can put my house down and bet with you.

Lucas NEILL (Blackburn) - 3 to 5 Million GBP

The Australian defender has been linked with us for quite some time already. After a brilliant World Cup display, he has been pretty consistent in the Premiership as well and the advantage of having him is his versatility. He can play across the back four and is not afraid to put his foot in.

Just sometimes, he put his foot in at the wrong time and he has a tendency to break people's legs. He will need to kowtow to Jamie Carragher before he can be welcomed into the Liverpool family.

Just kidding of course.

Chances: Around 70%. Of course we'll have competition from Newcastle and other clubs but I think he'll rather join us than some random team that won nothing for the past 50 years. Only downside is he won't be promised a first team slot which he MIGHT not like. Who knows?


Ashley YOUNG (Watford) - 5 Million GBP & Above

To be in the Optim Top 25 player is honourable and this young man has impressed thus far. He's a young winger from newly promoted Watford and is capped for England U-21. His style is pretty much similar to Jermaine Pennant but the only difference is he score goals. 5 goals for a struggling team is decent for a player of his age and he might provide Rafa another option on the right wing and his arrival will means Gerrard won't be played on the right anymore!

I haven't watched him too much but I won't mind him joining us. He's young and promising. But as English players always are, they are overpriced. Another thing that concerns me is should Liverpool go for players like Young or should we go all out for proven qualities like Daniel Alves or even Ricardo Quaresma of Sporting Lisbon.

It remains to be seen whether he is yet another one season wonder or he will turn out to be a future star. If he's not overpriced, I'm willing to give him a chance.

Chance: 40%. We are not the only team chasing the youngster. Watford reportedly rejected bids from 3 clubs and he must be the player on demand. But the 5million GBP price tag is a little steep for him I reckon.


Others:

Roberto Ayala: Do we still need another centre-back? Think we have adequate cover.

Matthew Upson: See above.

Javier Mascherano: Only reason for him coming is that Zenden's Liverpool career is over. We haven't had the chance to see the real quality from him as he hasn't been able to settle in the West Ham side and only played around 400 minutes of Premiership football. He's obviously talented but isn't given the chance to shine YET.

David Beckham: Hah, don't be silly. It's all pillocks.

'Canna' Wins Ballon d'Or

Italian Captain Wins 'Golden Balls' With Gigi Buffon Second & Thierry Henry Third

Experienced centre half Cannavaro has claimed the coveted Ballon d'Or award after captaining Italy to World Cup success.

He also led Juventus to the Serie A title before the Italian giants were stripped of the honour for their role in the match-fixing scandal.

After the World Cup finals, Cannavaro followed his former Juve coach Fabio Capello to Real Madrid and he had been widely tipped to win the prize.

Cannavaro was delighted to be voted the 2006 winner and he becomes just the third defender to be named European Footballer of the Year after German duo Franz Beckenbauer and Matthias Sammer.

"Of course I will bring this trophy back to Madrid, but I would also love to bring it to Turin," said Cannavaro.

"My season at Juventus was just outstanding. I played 37 matches and scored four goals, all decisive."

He also offered his gratitude to his team-mates, adding: "It is thanks to them that I have been able to show my qualities on the pitch.

"So I want to thank my Juve team-mates and all my colleagues from the Nazionale."

Second spot in the voting went to Buffon, who was Italy's keeper at the World Cup and opted to stay at Juventus after the club's demotion to Serie B.

Arsenal captain Henry took third place after inspiring The Gunners to the UEFA Champions League final, and also helping France reach the World Cup final.


Drogballs: I personally thinks Cannavaro deserves the award fair and square, no qualm from me. The display he put up during the summer's World Cup was enough to earn him the acolade and also by helping his former club, Juventus, to the Italian Scudetto was yet another achievement for the Italian 'giant'. Not the tallest of defender, the man was a colossal figure in the Italian national team as well as his club. Small he might be, but everyone sees a giant in him.

I'm not so sure about Buffon and Henry though. We all know FIFA and UEFA are notorious for naming 'winners' and 'shortlist' with reputation in mind and I'm sure they overlooked some who deserve the award more.

Gigi Buffon, like Cannavaro, had a brilliant World Cup. And the thing that impresses me was his willingness to stay with Juventus although they're shamed and are now demoted to the Serie B. Goalkeepers are a bunch of undervalued, under-rated people who work their socks off without getting recognition. So it's nice to see him getting the second place.

Thierry Henry had sort of an on and off year. He led Arsenal to the Champions League final with some fine display namingly the Arsenal vs Real Madrid one. But then he bottled during the finals, missing several chances and then went on to whine during the post-match interview.

Hurt by the defeat, he spurred France to the World Cup finals and then predictably bottled it yet again. But this time against who else but Cannavaro the giant. Ironic? Perhaps.

Not the nicest person you can think of, but he is without a doubt one of the best striker in the world now. Deserve the award? I'm not so sure about it, though. If the award was base on fame and not form, then he will win it. But looking at form, I'm sure there are several players who got overlooked.

Didier Drogba: I know, I loathe the big man. But seriously, he's on fire at the moment. He is currently one of the most on-form striker and he has improved leaps and bounds after receiving criticisms from Chelsea fans, who jeered him. But he might never win it due to his...notorious reputation.

David Villa: Impressed in the World Cup. Impressed in Champions League. Together with Drogba, another of the on-form strikers at the moment. He scored tons of goals, but with no medals and trophies to show, it's just not gonna work.

Zinedine Zidane: Just because he had the balls to headbutt someone in the World Cup finals. All hail the legend.