Morientes makes Valencia switch The 30-year-old former Real Madrid striker failed to live up to his reputation during his 16 months on Merseyside and managed just 12 goals in 61 games for the Reds. He was left out of the Spanish squad for this summer's World Cup after failing to play a major role in the Liverpool first team last season. A statement on Liverpool's official website read: 'Everybody at Liverpool would like to wish 'Nando' all the best with his new club in Spain.'
Morientes joined Liverpool in January 2005 for £6.3million from Real but struggled to adapt to the Premiership.
The move comes just two days after Morientes' agent said the player would not be returning to Spain this summer.
Liverpool were linked with a swap deal with Valencia's Marco Di Vaio, until the Italian forward snubbed talk of him moving to the Premiership club.
Great Red North @ 7:25 pm
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Feyenoord striker Dirk Kuyt claims that Liverpool have made a fresh enquiry regarding his availability. The 25-year-old Dutch international has been linked with the Reds for some time and Rafa had a £10million offer rejected last summer. Yesterday the player said he was ready to move to England and said he would jump at the chance to play for a club like Newcastle who have already made an approach since the 2005-06 season concluded. The player now claims Liverpool have made an approach but he has denied speaking to anyone at Anfield. Kuyt said: 'I have several opportunities but it is now down to Feyenoord. 'Jorien van den Herik has informed me of a new approach from last year's European Champions but it is out of my hands. 'I am happy at Feyenoord but I would like to play in the Premier League. 'Last year this was close to happening so for now I prefer to concentrate only on the World Cup because my hopes could be soured again.'
Great Red North @ 8:16 pm
With Valencia's left-back Fabio Aurelio having already agreed a Bosman transfer to Anfield, Traore is surplus to requirements. His agent Willy McKay said today: 'I have been told to try and find Djimi a new club. Djimi is keen to move to a club where he will be playing regularly and I am speaking to several clubs about him.' 'We just hope Liverpool will be sympathetic when it comes to what they want for Djimi. He is the second-longest serving player currently at the club and he has been a great servant to them.' 'He never cost much when he joined them and we hope we can agree on a fee for him to leave.'
Great Red North @ 8:14 pm
LIVERPOOL will be forced to take a massive loss if they want to sell Fernando Morientes this summer. The Spanish striker is a target for Real Betis who have approached the English club with an offer to buy him just 18 months after Liverpool signed him from Real Madrid for £7million. But Betis will only go to a maximum of £2m for the 30-year-old, and they have also admitted they cannot match Morientes's £2m-a-year wages. Reds boss Rafa Benitez wants to offload the centre-forward, but he could be forced to give Morientes a pay-off just to leave. If Betis pay him £1m-a-year less, he will expect Liverpool to make up the difference before he joins. That will see Liverpool take a hit comparable to virtually all of the fee they paid less than two years ago, for a player (' who managed just eight goals in' 27 starts last season. Betis have already made contact with both Liverpool and the player's agent, as they attempt to lure him back to Spain. Morientes said last week he would have to leave Anfield because of his lack of first-team opportunities. He has also attracted interest from Espanyol and Monaco.
Real Betis defender Melli is being linked with a move to Liverpool. Melli revealed the interest but insisted that there is no contract with Liverpool, that is simply up to Beits and his agent. After playing against Real Betis in the Champions League, Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez must have gotten a good look at Melli and it's widely believed Liverpool are looking to strenghten their defence. 'A club like Liverpool is always interested in Spanish football and I remember our two matches in the Champions League,' said Melli. 'I am happy by the interest, but I have not received any contact with Liverpool. 'That is a subject for Betis and my agent.'
Great Red North @ 2:32 pm
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Sat Jun 03 07:00AM Pacific Sat Jun 03 08:00AM Mountain Sat Jun 03 09:00AM Central Sat Jun 03 10:00AM Eastern Length: 2 hr SDD Rogers Sportsnet - ALL REGIONS - Canada International Friendly - UEFA/CONCACAF Englandvs Jamaica
Great Red North @ 4:15 pm
Liverpool midfielder Dietmar Hamann has announced his retirement from international football after being omitted from Germany's World Cup squad.
The 32-year-old, who won a runners-up medal at the 2002 World Cup, has not been involved in the national set-up since August 2005 and believes he now has no chance of adding to his 60 caps.
'It's not really a big surprise to me I wasn't in the squad,' Hamann told Liverpool's official website.
'I haven't spoken to the manager (Jurgen Klinsmann) for the last three months so I didn't think there was much chance of me being included.
'That's it for me now at international level. I'm 32 now and this would have been my last tournament.
'I'm not any more disappointed because the tournament is in Germany than had it been anywhere else. I enjoyed it in Japan and France as much as I could have done anywhere.'
Great Red North @ 12:41 pm
Friday, May 19, 2006
Norwegian business tycoons Oystein Stray Spetalen and Petter Stordalen are reportedly keen to buy a slice of Liverpool Football Club for £70million. Backed by Danish billionaire Flemming Ostergaard, the consortium isn't exciting anyone at Anfield just yet. It is claimed that Spetalen and Stordalen have been put off by other Liverpool shareholders who are reluctant to surrender their stake in the club. As a result, if they can raise enough funds, it is suggest that they will make an offer to try and take full control.
Great Red North @ 9:25 pm
Thursday, May 18, 2006
In a radio interview on Boston's WEEI Sports Radio today, Jonathan Kraft (President & CEO) admitted that the Kraft Group were very very close to becoming owners of a Premiership club at the end of last year.
In talking about football in general, the conversation turned to the MLS as a rising force in quality and what parallels could be made to the Premiership. Kraft spoke of how he and his father have been closely following 'soccer' abroad, especially in the Premiership, and stated that 'we (the Kraft Group) came very very close to becoming owners of a Premiership club last December'.
The Krafts had been closely linked with Liverpool football club for some time last year and Rick Parry had even been sighted at a NE Patriots game as a guest of owner Bob Kraft in the owner's suite.
Both Liverpool and the Krafts denied talk of any investment or ownership but this latest disclosure by Kraft casts severe doubts upon any claims that Parry was just visiting. Although LFC were not mentioned by name, it is exceedingly doubtful that Kraft was talking of any club.
No reasons for not buying the club were given.
Kraft also took time to praise coach Steve Nichol for the sterling job that he has done with the Revolution in taking them to the play-offs for each of the last 4 years and reaching the final in 2 of those 4.
Great Red North @ 4:04 pm
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Samuel Eto'o insisted Barcelona's breathless late comeback last night was inspired by the memory of Liverpool's exploits in Istanbul a year previously, with the Cameroonian striker heralding this the 'most beautiful moment' of his career.
Eto'o's equaliser, slipped beyond Manuel Almunia at his near post following Henrik Larsson's flick, deflated the Premiership side to pave the way for Juliano Belletti's winner just five frantic minutes later. Yet it was the Merseysiders' startling recovery from 3-0 down at half-time last season which ensured Barça's players, frustrated through the first period, never despaired of recovery.
Great Red North @ 10:00 pm
Thu May 18 05:00PM Pacific Thu May 18 06:00PM Mountain Thu May 18 07:00PM Central Thu May 18 08:00PM Eastern Length: 1 hr GolTV Canada Germany 2006 - The Contenders
Great Red North @ 9:59 pm
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has taken a dig at Chelsea insisting their success deserves more recognition because it was achieved on a limited budget.
The FA Cup winner said: “I hear some people say they never get the credit they deserve when they win trophies, but there are some achievements which are more valuable than others.
“I congratulate teams like Wigan and West Ham who have done very well with no money to spend, and I think there is more value in our success in the last two years because we’ve done it without being able to go out and buy the most expensive players in the world. That’s harder.
“I won’t be going away this summer saying we are the best club or that I am the best manager, but it’s important people understand how hard my staff and players have had to work for this success because it’s not been easy for us. If we get a lot of credit, it’s because as a club we deserve it.”
Great Red North @ 9:58 pm
Thu May 18 06:00PM Pacific Thu May 18 07:00PM Mountain Thu May 18 08:00PM Central Thu May 18 09:00PM Eastern Length: 1 hr FOX Sports World Canada English Premier League - 2005-2006 Goals of the Season
Great Red North @ 8:01 am
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
In what must have seemed to be nothing more then a dream barely more then 6 month's ago, Robbie Fowler finally put pen to paper on a new Liverpool deal that will see him stay at the club for at least another season.
Robbie originally signed a six month deal in January but his efforts on the pitch and in training have impressed Rafa and the coaching staff sufficiently to warrant a new one year deal.
Fowler told the clubs official site: 'It's been a great season for the club and it finished off in the best way possible by winning the FA Cup in Cardiff.
'Obviously I was a bit disappointed to be cup-tied for the competition but to be honest being offered a new Liverpool contract was my cup final.
'I'm looking forward to next season already and can't wait to get started. I think it could be another great one for the club.'
Great Red North @ 9:02 pm
Monday, May 15, 2006
Please log on to :-
http://phobos.apple.com/ WebObjects/MZStore.woa/ wa/viewArtist?id=65017902 to download "Remember Us 3:14", a Hillsborough song by Dean Walker. All profits from the sale of the song go to the Hope For Hillsborough Campaign. Support a brilliant cause & let us never forget.
Great Red North @ 8:31 pm
Sunday, May 14, 2006
In case you didn't know...........GOL TV is airing its weekly 'Liverpool TV' feature which, I hope, covers the FA Cup victory. The first airing is on Thursday May 17th. at 10:00 am (EST) with repeats at 1:00pm (EST) & at 1:00am (EST) in the wee hours of Fiday morning. It really is a good channel & certainly worth a subscription if only for the mental & incomprehensible Geordie commentator!
Great Red North @ 9:51 pm
Great Red North @ 11:48 am
FA Cup no. 7 came our way via a god-like effort by a team but moreso a man called Stevie G, aided & abetted by a certain Pepe Reina. This latest triumph makes the Arsenal final look like a planned endeavour ! What a day, what a game, what a team!? Stay tuned for more. YNWA, Dara
Great Red North @ 11:37 am
great red north
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