Is Mascherano Barca Bound?

There seems to be almost constant speculation in regards to defensive midfielder Javier Mascherano’s Liverpool future. On what feels like a daily basis a story emerges about a possible transfer to Barcelona with some sections of the media going as far as to state he is certainly heading to Camp Nou in January in a £36million deal.

However, Spanish sports publication Sport has today reported that there is no ‘concrete foundation’ to the rumours. The player himself has apparently voiced his dislike of the English lifestyle and climate, but for a player earning so much money and being a regular in the starting eleven at a club like Liverpool surely this is a small price to pay (although, granted the weather is terrible).

Unless Mascherano hands in a transfer request then I just can’t see Rafael Benitez selling him. Another point to consider is the World Cup in South Africa next summer. Masch is a regular in the Argentina national side and he will retain his place in Diego Maradona’s midfield as long as he is playing regular first-team football. At Anfield he is pretty much guaranteed a starting place, but a move to Barcelona may see him sat on the sidelines until he has settled into the side and I doubt the 25-year-old would want to put his World Cup spot in jeopardy.

Sport have claimed to have been in contact with both Barca and Liverpool, with both denying they have been in contact with regards to the player. If this is true it would seem as if there is no truth in the speculation linking Masch with a move to Camp Nou.

There are a couple of other transfer rumours doing the rounds, here is a quick run through them.

Carlton Cole: It has been reported that both Liverpool and Manchester United are battling it out to sign West Ham’s Carlton Cole, who is valued at £20million. There could be some truth in this as Liverpool could certainly do with another striker, whether the Hammers would be willing to let him go or not remains to be seen.

Ryan Shawcross: Again, United have also been linked with Shawcross but the defender has just agreed a contract extension at Stoke and it seems unlikely he will head to Anfield or Old Trafford anytime soon.

Simon Kjaer: This 20-year-old defender has been getting rave reviews for is performances at Serie A side Palmero. However, the club don’t want to sell the Danish stopper and if a move does materialise, it will be next summer.

Eljero Elia: Hamburg’s Dutch winger only made the switch to the Bundesliga in the summer but is already attracting interest. Reports suggest the Reds will make a £15million move in January – with Ryan Babel possibly heading the other way.

Eduardo: Arsenal striker Eduardo has been linked with a £10million switch to Anfield in January – for me this is just pure speculation and I can’t see this one happening at all to be totally honest.

Written by Gareth Freeman, a sports writer promoting Irish racing and racing tips for today for Betfair.

What's Happening?

Wow, a really eventful month of January passed by and still, I have much problem figuring what is going on here at Liverpool FC.

What's happening to the team on the pitch? We haven't won a single game since Boxing Day, mind you. If it isn't worrying then start to, because we're a massive 17 points behind leaders ManYoo (Even by saying that, I feel the stab in my heart).

Almost outplayed by West Ham at Upton Park was hard to watch. It was a bitter pill to swallow but it killed my soul when Carragher conceded the penalty and Mark Noble making no mistake, condemning Liverpool to the abyss. Well, at least it stopped us from drawing games....

What's happening with the Javier Mascherano deal? It should be sealed as soon as possible yet it always seemed like anything to do with Mascherano and Liverpool ends up with the words 'last minute'. Like how we signed him at the nick of time last season, we did the same but failed.

He's an important asset and one of the best in the business but there's a worrying thought that he's being tempted to leave in the summer after such an abysmal season, yet again. Rafa Benitez's future at the club is also one of the keys that he'll consider if he is to put the pen on the paper.

Although he really doesn't contribute much to the attack, he is really one heck of a player in the middle of the park. We need quality and he is that.

Oh, and finally, what's happening to technologies and Microsofts nowadays when a transfer deal is still done over a facsimile. Yes, a fax machine, in 2008!

Lazio president Claudio Lotito has revealed the signing of defender David Rozehnal nearly fell through because of a pair of errant fax machines.

The Czech Republic international moved to the Stadio Olimpico on loan for the rest of the season from Premier League side Newcastle on transfer deadline day.

But Lotito revealed to Sky Sport Italia: "There was a problem with the fax machines - one was broken and the other one had run out of ink.

"But we sorted the deal in the nick of time and we are satisfied."

Well, I guess at least the fax is still very reliable, considering the millions of geeks and technofreaks trying their best to create viruses and hack into email accounts. But seriously, just imagine if the transfer didn't go through and the reason being...

The fax ran out of ink. Sorry boss. Great excuse!

GOLASOOOOOOOO

In case you didn't know, in this morning's Copa America match between Argentina and Paraguay, our very own Monster Mascherano scored his first ever goal for Argentina and what a goal it was!

Mascherano (1-0) vs paraguay 05-07-2007
Uploaded by CatrachoMillonario

It was a cheeky yet simple goal to score and I'm happy for him. Go monster go!

Post Season Team Review Part II

So, here we are, part deux of the team seasonal review. Note that this isn't a daily thing so no, tomorrow won't be the review for strikers! I need some time to gather thoughts and also busy with school work so do understand! :)



7. Harry Kewell

Missed the whole term through injury, nothing much to comment about except he finally made his appearance in the final two games of the season and made some impact.

Nice to see him back without his ugly ponytail and he looked pretty trim and fit! And if he regains his form back in his Leeds days, he can still be an extremely good player. Here's hoping....

Grade: Ungraded


8. Steven Gerrard

After scoring 20 odd goals last season, he didn't seemed to have the same scoring boots on this season and half of it, which is 11.

But yet, nobody can doubt his ability at the top level and his contributions to the team is more than just goals but also his assist and leadership on the pitch.

He is still capable of match winners and still able to drag Liverpool out if there's a need to. Although Rafa's key here is to make us less reliant on the skipper, he is certainly a special player yet is able to work to Rafa's ideology.

Being stuck out on the right win is something he doesn't like as he's mentioned in his autobiography but he did it for the good cause of the team and he still is formidable whether he's in his favourite central midfield position or even out on the flanks.

Although he didn't perform as well as last term, he still did pretty well and thoroughly deserve the reward of the new contract.

Grade: A- (Nominee for TRC's Player of the Year)


10. Luis Garcia

Only when we lost him to injury then we began to notice how important this little man is to the club.

Always frustrating yet always managed to conjure up magical moments, Little Luis has been missed since his injury, which ruled him out of the second half of the season.

Despite only 11 starts, he managed 3 goals and 4 assists, which are good returns from him. His creativity was sorely missed and his ability to play between the lines means we've lost a very intricate player.

Most notable contributions will have to be the goal he scored at White Hart Lane, which helped us defeated Tottenham while also stringing a few passes and assist for Peter Crouch against West Ham on the Kop End's 100th birthday.

Grade: B-


11. Mark Gonzalez

The winger which went through all sorts of problem before finding himself at the John Lennon airport, he certainly hasn't lit up the Premiership like was expected to.

Due to a major injury and some work permit problems, he was left at the Real Sociedad for the 05/06 season before being declared a Liverpool player.

This term, he has been one of the more disappointing component to our season as he huffed and puffed his way through while clearly intimidated by the physical side of English football.

Known as 'Speedy Gonzalez', he wasn't able to show forth his greatest asset while he wasn't able to use his powerful left foot as well as he did back in Spain. Despite all that, he still managed to score a good freekick against Fulham and also ensured Liverpool's entry into the Champions League after he scored a late winner against Maccabi Haifa after replacing Steven Gerrard.

Still needs to work on the physical side of the game while improve on his movement and technique. Afterall, it's still his first season at the club and let's not jump to conclusion and call him a flop.

Grade: C-


14. Xabi Alonso

The Spanish playmaker has had a pretty average season and might have been affected by the World Cup last summer.

We can speculate all we want but he hasn't been at his best for quite a while and him being a playmaker with only one assists to his name is pretty disappointing. In the 05/06 season, he's had 7 assists.

Despite that, his class was never in doubt and he has adapted to the English game well. In his first season, he was being bullied off the ball at times and looked physically not up to it but we're now seeing the tenacious side of Xabi.

Now, with Mascherano and Lucas challenging his central midfield spot, he has to step up and improve and we all know what he's capable of. His passing might not be at it's best at times this season but I'm sure with a good rest this summer, he'll bounce back next season.

Grade: B-


16. Jermaine Pennant

When we signed him from Birmingham for 6.7million, many doubted that he's the one we should sign and perhaps, not good enough for a club like Liverpool. But with limited resources, we pay for the quality and Rafa certainly thinks he has something to offer.

Maybe he's right after all. This lad has something to offer and has proved some of us wrong in some ways. Although earlier in his Liverpool career, he looked like a fish out of the water and didn't have the best of times but gradually, he stepped up and finished the season with reasonable results.

The goal he scored against Chelsea speaks volume about Pennant's ability and being the most expensive teenager back then when Arsene Wenger signed him from Notts County, he was meant to be special but perhaps his attitude and focus wasn't there and he went astray.

With 6 assists to his name this term, it has to be said he does offer something to the team. He can be as frustrating as Luis Garcia at times in terms of holding possession and his passing but when he has the belief in him, he is capable of great things.

Whether he'll still play an integral part in Liverpool is still unknown at the moment but he has certainly proved his doubters wrong. His first season here might not be spectacular or eye-catching but he does just enough.

Grade: B-


20. Javier Mascherano

Arrived on the very last day of the winter transfer window, the Argentinian proved to be a shrewd signing from Rafa and whether it's a permanent deal or not, nobody really knows.

But I can't imagine what if we failed to sign Javier back then. He has been terrific for us since he joined and played a major role in Liverpool's push for Europe and also did well in the league.

Being wasted at West Ham earlier this season, he somehow lost his way and was left in the cold by the Hammers. Despite not playing for 2 whole months, Rafa decides to go ahead and gamble. It paid off handsomely indeed.

Not really known for his scoring prowess, the tenacity and the maturity of the Argentinian midfielder is things that he offer, and just to name a few only. As a defensive midfielder, he breaks up numerous plays, tackled hard and is able to read the game very well.

He could probably win the best player award if it all started on January but with so many midfielders vying for a place in the squad, he knows he still has a lot to do and continue to improve as a player. (Another task for him would also be to convince Tevez on joining Liverpool!)

Grade: B+


22. Momo Sissoko

It might be a little harsh but the Malian certainly had a torrid time at Liverpool this season. He hasn't been able to stamp a place in the first eleven and his injury didn't help.

With rumours that his eyes are still not 100% recovered from the horrible injury last year, he has been in and out of the team regularly. And also with the arrival of Mascherano and then Lucas Levia this summer, his place in the team looked more threatened than ever.

As a midfield destroyer like Mascherano himself, his ability to harass attackers and making crucial intervention is still an important asset. But technically he still needs to improve a whole lot. When it comes to passing the ball, he still looked unsure and not composed enough. Often a time, he managed to tackle the ball only for him to surrender it back to the opponents.

But nobody should doubt his potential and the possibilities he bring to the team. His performance against Barcelona was probably one to savor while still in search of his first goal for the club.

Grade: C+


32. Bolo Zenden

The Dutchman arrived at Liverpool on a free transfer and was supposed to be just a squad player but as the season wore on and injury was a bit of a problem down the left, he stepped up and did it pretty well.

Honestly, I'm not a keen admirer of him as I thought he's not good enough in many areas such as technical ability or his lack of pace. But he has fit in well and Rafa has mentioned before that what Zenden offer on the pitch is not only the football but also his ability to encourage team mates, leadership and also some experience.

He too, suffered injury setbacks and just when he was supposed to hit form, he was out again and yet, he returned and repaid Rafa his faith in him. His future at Liverpool is still in doubt as Rafa will undoubtedly splash big money this summer but he has been a good team player for us this term.

Grade: C+


Alright, so here ends part 2 of the review. If there are ratings or things you would like to point out, just drop me a mail or even a comment below. Cheers.

Oh, Poor Javier...

West Ham goalkeeper Jimmy Walker has revealed why Javier Mascherano feels his move to Upton Park just wasn't meant to be.

Mascherano is sweating on a loan deal with Liverpool to be rubberstamped and Walker, in his column for West Ham's match programme, revealed how one day everything conspired to work against the Argie.

Walker wrote: "I have to tell you about his day from hell when his interpreter Ciaran had forgotten to tell him the team had the day off.

"Javier drove to the training ground but broke down as he had run out of petrol so he walked to the nearest petrol station but realised he had no money.

"He had to ring Ciaran and ask him to speak to the petrol station manager, but they were not having any of it and just said 'if he does not have any money he is not getting any petrol'.

"He had to walk to the training ground to borrow some money off Anton, who was in for treatment, and also discovered the team were not in. He walked back, filled the petrol can up, walked to his car put the petrol in and set off back home. Then half a mile up the road a taxi crashed into the back of him. When he was telling me about it in his broken English he finished the story by saying, 'Jimmy, I get home, I shut the curtains and I sleep'."


Drogballs: Oh dear, what a terrible day for him. Honestly speaking, he should never have joined West Ham in the first place. But who could fault him. It's the company that holds his contract that 'sold' him off.

Better luck at Liverpool, hopefully. He's a good player.

MASCHERANO!! OUT!!

Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano has already put his foot in it at Anfield - by saying he now considers himself a Red Devil!

The Argentine World Cup star is still waiting for clearance to make his debut, having joined from West Ham on deadline day last week.

But he's already caused a storm by referring to the Kop kings as the Red Devils, the nickname of course of bitter rivals Manchester United.

He told The S*n: "I have disconnected myself from West Ham and signed a contract with Liverpool.

"I can consider myself a Red Devil. It's now just up to the Premier League to authorise me to play, something I believe should happen because it was they who made the appeal to FIFA to allow me to move clubs. I hope the situation is resolved as soon as possible."

Firstly, never call us the Red Devil. Read up the bloody history book or even have a heart to go and read Wikipedia!

Secondly, don't EVER speak to The S*n. Speak to them again and you'll most probably end up like Graeme Souness. Great player but nobody gave a sh*t about him after he sells his story to The S*n.

Hope you learn your lesson!

You Must Wait To Get The Best

That line above sums up everything about Liverpool, isn't it? Once again, we're made to wait for not one, but two decisions, right at the eleventh hour. Both Javier Mascherano and Dubai Int. Corporation (DIC) are the losers of this round as one was made to wait along with Liverpool while the other one threw tantrum and left when they faced challenge from US billionaire, George Gillett.

Wait For Javier

Liverpool's protracted bid to sign West Ham midfielder Javier Mascherano has been drawn out further by the Premier League's decision to look more closely at the details of the transfer.

The Argentina midfielder was given special dispensation by world governing body FIFA to complete the transfer despite already played for two clubs competitively this season - the Hammers and Brazilian club Corinthians.

Liverpool submitted the player's registration documents to the Premier League ahead of the midnight transfer deadline but they cannot, as yet, call the player their own.

"The Premier League can confirm that, in accordance with its rules, Javier Mascherano's registration documents were received from Liverpool FC prior to the transfer window closing," said a statement from the Premier League.

"While Liverpool have met the required deadline the Premier League Board, consistent with its powers in this matter, has decided to take time to satisfy itself with the proposed arrangements before the registration can be effected and the player permitted to play for Liverpool FC.

"The board will consider the terms of the registration as quickly as possible and notify the parties involved of its decision accordingly.

Something which I cannot agree with and baffled. Right, so after a month of 'discussion', FIFA decides to let us go ahead with the signing of Mascherano from West Ham on loan. It's controversial as it's an exploit of the loophole in the 'rules' of the game as a player is not supposed to play for more than 2 clubs in a year. We had a point to argue and we made ourselves clear. Fair enough.

So it took FIFA around 30 days before they gave us an answer and by then, we had to submit the case to FAPL and now again, another 'investigation'. If the world football governing body has already dispensate the case, why do they need another round? Trying to show who's big daddy here?

Miles and miles of red tapes. Time wasted. A player's career I'm talking about here. Javier haven't played since December 8 and why? I don't know. Perhaps the shady company that owned him has the answer.

What to do? Wait, la.


Wait For Takeover

Boy A likes Girl A and his love reciprocated. But in comes Girl B and Boy A seemed impress by her. Seen talking to the new Girl B, Girl A got jealous and let with a note saying "Hope you have great fun with your new girl." and then a "hmmpf!" at the end of it.

Sounds familiar? Read the DIC statement on their decision to pull out of the deal.

"As businessmen, we move on. As fans, we hope that the new owners would share the same vision as we had for LFC."

It's really how you interpret their statement. Some thinks they're nice enough to say good luck. But then again, read between the lines, you could sense a little anger and annoyance. I could understand. To me, their CEO, Samir Al-Ansari seemed like a nice person with a passion for the Reds. Sadly, due to unforeseen circumstances, the board decided to reject the bid from them and out they went.

I'm disappointed, as you can see from my previous post. But then again I have to make myself clear that the post yesterday was more of a knee-jerk reaction (we all do, don't we?). Sometimes we just jump to conclusion to quickly and never really take a look at the bigger picture.

I cannot say I've seen the bigger picture, actually not much have been made available for fans, but I still believe Parry and Moores KNOWS what they're doing. And what can we do as fans? Trust in our board I guess. Nothing much we could do. Only the insiders know what's going on and the people on the outside like us, could only speculate all day lay blames and pointing fingers.

CEO RickParry has appealed to the fans to trust the board and I still think they know what they're doing. Not much have been known about this new American billionaire since he seemed to be in and out of the picture all the time and his didn't gain as much publicity as the DIC.

Even the FA Premier League Chief, Brian Barwick came forward and said about how clubs now have befallen into the hands of foreigners and has reinstated that clubs are not a passive thing but something that many have their lives attached to. He spoke as a passionate Liverpool fan and said "don't mess with the club I love".

And again, all we can do is, WAIT. Hopefully, not for long.

Last Day Transfer Fury

It's so fast that I can't keep up as well. So today, depending on which newspaper you read (or wants to read), we have either signed Javier Mascherano on a 18 month loan or we're totally not going to get him due to FIFA's regulation. According to 'The Daily Mail':

Javier Mascherano Done Deal?

Liverpool have announced the signing of Javier Mascherano from West Ham in an 18-month loan deal that has bent football's rules.

Mascherano, who was deemed not good enough for West Ham's relegation battle by Alan Curbishley, will be thrust into Liverpool's Champions League campaign instead.

The signing is reward for Liverpool's patience.

If it's true, then great news. I don't know what's stopping a top class player from playing for West Ham. Perhaps the complication in his contract which makes West Ham seemed reluctant to let him start a game although we clearly know he is class and by the performance he has put up during the World Cup, surely a team in the relegation mire will want him?

We'll see. Is Rafa thinking of pushing Gerrard out wide again? Or does this signals the end of Bolo Zenden's Liverpool career? I hope it's the latter of course due to Gerrard's excellent form in the middle of the park together with Alonso, dispelling the doubt of the pair not being able to play together.


Arbeloa?

Deportivo La Coruna defender Alvaro Arbeloa is excited by the prospect of a move to Liverpool.

The 24-year-old will travel to England on Tuesday to agree terms with the Reds after Deportivo and Liverpool reached a verbal agreement on his permanent transfer to Anfield.

"Until this morning [Tuesday], I wasn't sure whether I was going to leave or not," said Arbeloa in a press conference.

"My agent told me the deal was very advanced and I was then told that the deal had been reached between both clubs.

"I am happy that Deportivo will take double the amount of what they paid for me, I am grateful to them and I know my departure will help the club.

"For me this is a beautiful challenge and I hope everything goes well.

"It's a huge leap for me."

Arbeloa, who joined Deportivo in a £1.3million deal from Real Madrid last year, has made 20 league appearances this season.

Seemed like Rafa's fetish of bringing in his fellow Iberians is working up again. This time it's someone unknown even to a Football Manager addict like me. I've never heard of him at all. But first of all, let's hope it's not another Josemi or Jan Kromkamp. We need someone to actually challenge Steve Finnan rather than another panic buy.


Duran Duran?

Liverpool are set to acquire the services of promising Spanish midfielder Francis Duran from second division team Malaga.

The 18-year-old will travel to Liverpool on Tuesday and is expected to sign a professional contract with the Reds, according to the Spanish media.

"It's a unique opportunity and I couldn't let it go by," Francis told the Spanish press.

Apart from his very...musically inclined name, it's yet another youngster from Spain. How many of them actually turn out to be as good as Fabregas? Hmm, not much. But at least Rafa is willing to give it a try and why not, not as if we're going to lose a whole load of money.

I know, it's hard to catch up. With rumours flurrying around like a tornado, it's still best to wait and hear from the official site. Will keep you updated, my friends :)

DIC & Mascherano

The takeover of Liverpool remains on course but is not expected to be completed until the end of the month or even early February.

The inspection of the club's accounts by the potential new owners Dubai International Capital (DIC) is continuing but Liverpool's directors have put off any idea of holding a board meeting until closer to the actual handover.

The due diligence process is now expected to be completed around the end of the month - meaning that the budget for any new signings for Rafael Benitez's side during the transfer window will have to be independent of any DIC cash.

Liverpool bosses decided against holding a board meeting on Tuesday and will wait until DIC have virtually completed the due diligence process before the directors get together to discuss the £450million takeover again.

Drogballs: So that virtually means we have not much money to spend this winter transfer window. Might be a bad news but of course nice to hear the takeover is still on course. I'll bring you the latest update.


FIFA PONDERING REDS' MASCHER APPEAL

FIFA's legal department are considering an appeal from Liverpool to overturn a ruling preventing Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano moving to Anfield from West Ham.

FIFA's rules state that players cannot appear from three clubs in any one year between July 1 and June 30 and Mascherano has already played for Corinthians and West Ham - but Liverpool have pointed out he has only played for the Hammers for six minutes since October.

FIFA are reconsidering the case but it will be a surprise if they overturn their own ruling.

Drogballs: Again, it's those useless rules and red tapes set by FIFA that makes it such a pain in the arse. Whatever it is, I hope we will get the benefit of doubt and sign him. If only they've set rules on players diving and cheating rather than how many clubs a player play a season.

Eh, Mascherano? Rosenior?

Reds Loan Move For Mascherano

Liverpool have reportedly struck an amazing deal for Javier Mascherano that could land them in hot water with FIFA.

According to The Daily Mirror, the Argentine World Cup midfielder has undergone a medical at Anfield and will sign on loan for the remainder of the season.

But the tabloid also says the Reds are taking a gamble because the 22-year-old must get FIFA clearance over their strict transfer rules.

The regulations prohibit players from figuring for more than two clubs in a year from July 1, and Mascherano has already played for Corinthians and the Hammers.

Juventus have already cooled their interest in the player, reportedly for this very reason.

Mascherano has failed to nail down a regular place at Upton Park since joining along with Carlos Tevez amid a blaze of deadline-day publicity last August.

He's managed just three starts and 235 minutes of action in the Premiership.


Drogballs: I'll be absolutely delighted if it goes through, honestly. We have been guilty of signing some really average players for the past few seasons that don't and won't get into a 'championship winning team'. But this Argentinian is going to be a good signing I reckon. The best thing about this deal is that it's only a loan deal and if it really don't work out, then we won't have to trouble ourselves pimping him away.

Even West Ham fans could tell this man is quality and the reason why he hasn't produce the goods would be the amount of playing time. Shocking for a 22 year old playing for the Argentine national team. The only reason I could come up with would be the deal with that company that owned Tevez and Masch.

His arrival will probably sound the end of Zenden or maybe even Kewell. Who knows. But he IS quality and when he finally finds his feet in the Premiership, he'll be an asset. But now we could only hope that the incompetent FIFA can let the deal go through, closing an eye.


Rosenior In Rafa's Good Book?

Rumours are circulating that Fulham's Liam Rosenior is of interest to Liverpool.

With Liverpool looking for cover for the right back position Rafa is looking to number of players.

Rumours suggest that Rafa sees Lucas Neil as a gamble with his poor disciplinary record and the fact that a number of teams are chasing him.

Rafa would love to bring in Alves but he has recently signed a new contract at his current club. As it looks like DIC funding won't be in place until after the transfer window rafa will go for £2m rated right back Liam Rosenior.

Link

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.

You Have Diving, Shirt Pulling, Elbowing....

Now you have a brand new way of fouling people which is biting, or in Jermaine Defoe and Tottenham's case, 'nibbling'. I'm sure some of you might be aware the incident over the weekend in the game between West Ham and Spurs. Apparently Jermaine Defoe was tackled from behind by Javier Mascherano and in a fit of anger, the Spurs striker turned around and bit Mascherano in the arm!




Hahaha, funniest thing I've seen for weeks. Maybe after the 'Lasagne Gate', Martin Jol ordered his players not to eat raw meat and Defoe just got hungry....*chew*