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Liverpool were in great form at the end of last season, with Maxi Rodriguez bagging two hat-tricks. This campaign has failed to build on that promise, with limited opportunities. Is he being treated fairly?
Argentine midfielder Maxi Rodriguez has been one of the principal victims of Kenny Dalglish’s ‘Buy British’ policy.
With Dalglish electing to spend millions on Jordan Henderson and Charlie Adam, Maxi Rodriguez has found his opportunities hard to come by, even with Steven Gerrard missing a large portion of the season with injury.
It is a little of a surprise, as when Dalglish got Liverpool playing at their best last April, Maxi Rodriguez was the star, scoring six goals in two games.
Dirk Kuyt was another star performer, but he too has found himself rotated more than ever, and this week he fired a warning shot across the club’s bows that he wanted more first team games.
It could be argued that if he is sold this summer Rodriguez will not be missed, but that is partially due to the fact he spend more time on the bench than on the pitch.
With Liverpool struggling for goals, and home victories at a premium, surely Maxi should be given more of a chance between now and the end of the season, to show why he should not be sold this summer.
This season in the Premier League he has played just 367 minutes of football, not completing 90 minutes once.
He has not played in the league since the 3-1 defeat to Bolton Wanderers, a match Dalgish said would prompt him to wield the axe, and his actions since then show he meant his word, at least when it came to Rodriguez anyway.
But is is really fair to blame that terrible showing on Maxi?
Before that he had started just four games in the league, scoring the opener in a 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea in one of them.
That is all he has started, also featuring in disappointing home draws against Wigan, Blackburn, and a 1-0 win over QPR.
Throwing him in here and there is never going to get the best out of him, so to judge him on the few games he has been given opportunities in this season is hardly fair.
Equally, he cannot be judged the right player for Liverpool on the basis of two hat-tricks against Birmingham City and Fulham, but what that did show is that there is a lethal player in there, who has not been given a proper opportunity to show what he can do this season.
He has only started two consecutive league games on one occasion this term, which is never going to see him put a good run of form together.
If he had been given a run in the side, he could have been an asset this season, but Dalglish’s mind seems to be made up about him, and it is difficult to see him remaining at the club next season.
If Dalglish’s signings, Henderson and Adam had been convincing, we would likely not be talking about Maxi Rodriguez, but given their disappointment, it is time to reassess whether the manager has made a mistake in cutting the Argentine adrift.
The question is, has King Kenny treated him unfairly this season, or has he made the right call on an under-performing player? Let us know your opinion.
http://hereisthecity.com/2012/03/21/is-maxi-rodriguez-being-far-too-under-used-by-kenny-dalglish/?
Filed under: News
Feyenoord sporting director Martin van Geel has admitted he would love to re-sign Liverpool forward Dirk Kuyt for the Rotterdam club – but has admitted it is unlikely to happen this summer.
Kuyt has become something of a cult hero at Anfield since making the move to Merseyside back in 2006 from Feyenoord, but has seen his first team opportunities dwindle of late.
The 31-year-old was dropped for Carling Cup final against Cardiff last month, but emerged from the bench to score for the Reds in extra-time at Wembley Stadium as he lifted the first trophy of his Liverpool career.
Kuyt, contracted with the Reds until 2013, recently revealed that while he is happy to remain with Liverpool for the time being he could leave the club if he cannot break into the first team on a regular basis in the near future.
Geel says he hopes to capitalise on Kuyt’s lack of football at Anfield and bring him back to his former club, but says there is little chance of a move happening at the end of the current season.
“I would love to welcome Dirk at Feyenoord as soon as possible. He fits in here more than anybody else,” Van Geel was quoted as saying by NUsport.
“He is more than welcome at the club. However, I do not think that it’s realistic to believe that he could return this summer.”
In recent seasons Kuyt has been forced to ply his trade on the right wing having occupied a more central role earlier in his career at Liverpool, however manager Kenny Dalglish’s preference to deploy Jordan Henderson out wide means his chances are becoming increasingly limited.
Rob Jansen, Kuyt’s agent, confirmed he will return to De Kuip when his time with Liverpool comes to an end, but said it was impossible to put an estimate on when that could be.
“Feyenoord know that Dirk will join them once he returns to Netherlands. But when? It’s impossible to answer that question,” Jansen said.
“We are just waiting to see what happens at Liverpool now and what’s coming his way. We will make a decision on his future after that.”
http://www.givemefootball.com/premier-league/feyenoord-want-kuyt-return?
Filed under: Transfer Gossip
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The Daily Mail are claiming that Bayern Munich are urging Liverpool to renew their interest in Mario Gomez.
Roy Hodgson was reportedly close to completing a loan move for Gomez in the Summer – but Bayern cancelled the deal at the last minute.
The striker himself has admitted that he was tempted by the move to Anfield.
“I have said that if I leave Bayern I will go abroad,” he told German newspaper Bild.
“Then came this interesting offer from Liverpool. I took the loan offer seriously and discussed it with my family and girlfriend because I just want to play.”
“But Bayern gave me the impression that they see a future for me. And therefore a change was not an issue anymore.”
The German international joined Bayern from Stuttgart for €30 million in the Summer of 2009.
Filed under: Transfer Gossip
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Liverpool are readying a move for Benfica striker Oscar Cardozo, according to reports in Mexican newspaper Ultima Hora.
The reports claims that Roy Hodgson is putting together a £22m bid to take the Paraguay international striker to Anfield in January.
Hodgson has made his desire to add more firepower to his frontline no secret and would welcome support for Fernando Torres.
Cardozo will already be well known to Liverpool fans after he scored three times against The Reds in the Europa League last season.
He scored a total of 38 goals last season, which will be a major factor in his pricetag.
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The Italian media are reporting that Liverpool are ready to offer Roma’s striker Mirko Vučinić an escape route in January.
Vučinić, 27, is reported to have clashed with manager Claudio Ranieri recently after reacting negatively to being subbed after less than an hour Parma at the weekend – a game Roma drew 0-0.
Montenegro international Vučinić is contracted to the Italian giants until the Summer of 2013.
Roy Hodgson could be set to make a reduced offer of £12.5m for the frontman in a bid to add stock to his frontline options – and to ease the burden on the shoulders of Fernando Torres.
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Reports claim Liverpool have made contact with Real Madrid over the signing of Dutchman Royston Drenthe.
The former Feyenoord man is earning plaudits for his performances so far this season at loan club Hercules.
Spanish newspaper Sport claim that Liverpool have reignited their interest in the young defender after José Mourinho intimated that he is willing to listen to offers for him.
Liverpool could make a cut-price move for Drenthé will Real Madrid’s willingness to let the youngster move on as he does not feature in ‘The Special One’s’ plans.
Drenthé, who has previously been linked with a move to the Premiership, could cost Hodgson around £8m.
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Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson has warned Manchester United not to make a move for goalkeeper José Reina.
Recent reports have claimed that United are joining Arsenal in pursuing the Spanish international as each look for replacements for their current custodians.
Arsenal have been linked with Reina sporadically over the last few months, but it appears that United’s interest has particularly irked Hodgson.
“It was just one of those stories that seems to occur – it’s just disappointing and annoying,” Hodgson told the Liverpool Echo.
“Pepe is fantastic here, he is a lifeblood of this team.”
“Everything he does around the club is excellent – he is always lively in the dressing room, he is always first class in training and he always wants to do more to improve.”
“He demands better from those around him, he is always pushing people on. He is a player who we hold in the highest esteem.”
“We have heard nothing from Manchester United and, more to the point, we don’t want to hear anything from Manchester United.”
“If (Sir Alex) Ferguson is looking around at the end of the season and he has got lots of money to replace (Edwin) van der Sar, he might very well want Pepe Reina because he is the best around.”
“But we do not want to sell him. I would like to think that we are going to become a successful club once again and Pepe is crucial to that.”
Filed under: Transfer Gossip
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The People are claiming that Roy Hodgson will make a January move for Aston Villa winger Ashley Young.
The England international is reported to have put off contract negotiations with Villa since Martin O’Neill’s departure in August and could be keeping his options open having been linked with the likes of Manchester United, Tottenham and now Liverpool.
Hodgson is said to have been given a £30m transfer kitty for January and has earmarked his attack as an area that needs serious redevelopment.
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The People are claiming that Roy Hodgson is still interested in signing West Ham’s Carlton Cole and is also eyeing up a move for ex-Manchester United striker Diego Forlan.
The reports claims that Hodgson has earmarked £30m for a double swoop in January’s mid-season transfer window on the two frontmen to add support for Fernando Torres upfront.
Carlton Cole came close to joining Liverpool in the Summer, but a deadline day swoop was put off due to tight deadlines and West Ham being unwilling to budge on a price with no replacement lined up. The England striker has struggled to fit into Avram Grant’s teams this season as the Hammers prop up the table.
Forlan has been in exceptional goalscoring form since leaving United for Spain and continued his La Liga form into the World Cup, where he almost single-handedly took Uruguay to the final.
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Young Hungarian striker Adam Szalai is at the centre of a tug of war transfer battle between Liverpool and Inter Milan.
The 6″4′ striker is currently plying his trade for Mainz in Die Bundesliga and has helped steer them towards the upper echelons of the table.
Szalai has scored three times this season for Mainz since making his loan move permanent. He also grabbed a hat-trick during Hungary’s 8-0 thrashing of San Marino, before adding his fourth goal in five internationals in their 2-1 victory over Finland.
The twenty-two year old frontman was previously on Real Madrid’s books, but was sent out on loan to Mainz last season where he scored once in fifteen appearances. He has started this season in better form though, scoring three times in nine outings so far.
His agent, Oliver Fischer, has said that interest in his client is growing – but that there is also no rush for him to move on from Mainz.
“If there was an offer then it’s likely that we would consider it,” he told Nemzeti Sport.
“But at the moment the most important thing is that Szalai is happy to play at his present team.”
“No-one contests that Internazionale are a big club but the player is still very young, this is his first full season at Mainz and he has to progress.”
Inter’s new manager Rafael Benitez had Szalai watched while in charge at Anfield – and the dossier on the player is said to have interested the new management team, along with his upturn in goalscoring form.
Italian outfit Palermo and German side Hannover are also reported to be interested in signing Szalai.
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The Daily Star are reporting that Roy Hodgson is set to move for Portuguese defender Fábio Coentrão.
The Portugal international currently plays for Benfica in the Portuguese Liga ZON Sagres and has previously been linked with moves to Real Madrid, Manchester United and Chelsea.
Were Hodgson to complete this signing, the news would come as a bitter blow to Paul Konchesky who followed him from Fulham to Anfield, as Coentrão is also a left-back.
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Manuel Pellegrini has claimed that Liverpool have made an approach to install him as Roy Hodgson’s successor at Anfield – and that he would welcome the chance.
Hodgson has overseen Liverpool’s worst start to a season since 1953 and has been under mounting pressure to leave from sections of the Reds support – but he has stated his determination to remain in the job.
He may not have much choice if this is true, as Pellegrini is hopeful of returning to management by the end of the year.
Pellegrini was sacked by Real Madrid in May, despite collecting their biggest ever points tally in La Liga last season at an average of 2.53 per game – but crucially he failed to pip Barcelona to the title.
He is said to favour a move to the Premiership and sees Liverpool as the ideal club for that given the managerial situation and Latin contingent.
“Yes, Liverpool contacted me.” he said.
“It is a great club with many Spanish players who I already know, and it is my intention to work in the Premier League.”
“I had lots of offers, some that I like. Ideally, I would like to find a club in December.”
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Reports are claiming that Alex Ferguson will make a January, possibly Summer, move for Liverpool goalkeeper José Reina amid claims that he is unsettled at Anfield.
The former Villarreal man has been a fantastic linchpin for the club, but is said to be disillusioned by seeing the Reds slip into the drop zone this season under Roy Hodgson’s leadership.
Ferguson is looking for a new goalkeeper with Edwin van der Sar likely to retire at the end of the Summer and is said to be readying a £12m offer to swipe the ex-Barcelona man.
Reina is set for talks with new owners NESV as he seeks reassurances over the club’s direction and aims.
Reina is under contract at Anfield until 2016 so there are no concerns about being forced to allow him to leave – as long as NESV can convince him he remains at a club with ambition.
Filed under: Opinion
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Yep, I am already advocating that Roy Hodgson be sacked as Liverpool manager.
I was never confident by his appointment and am witnessing an even worse outcome from his appointment than I expected. I believed that we would struggle under his management, but I did not think we’d be nineteenth after eight games with just one scraped win.
That statistic says it all – one win in eight games for a team containing the likes of Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard, Joe Cole and Pepe Reina. We should be doing better than that but the players just don’t look motivated – they look shockingly low on confidence. That is where Hodgson comes in. He should be building them up and getting them psychologically primed for matches – not that they should need much building up for a Merseyside derby.
The signings Hodgson made in the Summer have had practically zero impact on the side. Joe Cole looked a marquee signing, but he has been obsolete so far this season. Paul Konchesky is as out of his depth as his manager and Christian Poulsen looks every bit as inconsequential in midfield as Lucas. Raul Meireles has looked bright, at times, but at £11m you would expect at least that much.
Hodgson failed spectacularly by not signing another striker in the Summer. David N’Gog is simply not good enough to be regularly appearing for Liverpool. He’s barely up to being fourth choice for a club of this stature, and yet he is the only backup to an out of form and injury prone Torres. The shocking lack of quality is only further highlighted by N’Gog’s presence in the squad. Torres knows his place is under absolutely no threat, so he doesn’t have to play for his spot in the team, but he shouldn’t have one on this form. But who would put in N’Gog ahead of one of the best strikers in the world?
The defence looks atrocious this season. Jamie Carragher is on the downward spiral and is not being well supported by Martin Skrtel or Soitiros Kyrgiakos. Daniel Agger is a class act, but he has either been injured or overlooked for much of this season, strangely. The Dane is considerably more able a player than the aforementioned two, but Hodgson seems not to favour him. Glen Johnson has been woeful this season, but is another with no competition for his place. His counterpart on the left looks a signing made out of familiarity and a low budget by Hodgson, with Konchesky miles off the required standard.
While Hodgson hasn’t had much money to spend, having to sell to buy, he hasn’t looked like a manager with any burning passion or understanding of what this job entails. He is the physical embodiment of our current form – he looks beaten, worried and out of ideas on the touchline. He is not a character that inspires any kind of inspiration or confidence in me as a supporter and I am not surprised that he cannot get his players organised and motivated either.
Another worrying aspect of his arrival at the club is how much it cost us to sack Rafa Benitez and pay off Fulham – a staggering £11m in total. Just how is trading a Champions League winning manager for a journeyman veteran worthwhile – especially at that price? Could this club afford to make that move? No. But the clash of characters are disastrous slide to seventh last season meant that Benitez was a cert to go. But why go out and spend a further £3m on a risk like Hodgson when Kenny Dalglish was available for nothing?
The Scot understands that club and is a figure that would surely inspire even the lowest player in our squad. He is the greatest player, officially, to ever wear the Red shirt and should have been treated with more respect by the board when tendering his interest in the role that he left in 1991. He has unfinished business here and should be installed as boss at the first opportunity by the new owners.
Should NESV be willing to provide transfer funds of any considerable value in January, then Hodgson is not the man that should be handed that kitty. He looks woefully out of his depth at this level and clearly does not have the reputation or pull to bring in quality players to a club that has so clearly fallen from grace.
John Henry and his group will hopefully realise today that they have much work, and spending, to do to take this club back to anywhere near the level we were a few years ago – and the first bit of business should be to replace Roy Hodgson at the first opportunity.
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Roy Hodgson’s start to life as Liverpool boss has been rocky to say the least, and with NESV now the new owners of the club…will he keep his job?
Defeat in Sunday’s Merseyside derby would give John Henry and co the perfect early opportunity to dimiss the Englishman, should they wish to bring in their own man. Potentially, if the Reds are beaten at Goodison Park on Sunday they could find themselves rock bottom of the Premiership table.
That scenario would surely put massive pressure on the former Fulham boss and could see his reign at Anfield cut dramatically short.
But are NESV likely to act so quickly when they have been so non-committal in interviews so far?
If the new American owners do wish to bring in their own guy, they would surely see this as the ideal chance to dispose of Hodgson. He has suffered one of the worst starts to any Liverpool manager’s tenure at Anfield – with just one league win so far. That was a tight 1-0 win over ten man West Brom at home – the same home that Blackpool managed to take three points from. Credit must go to Ian Holloway for masterminding a fine performance – but the mentions of heavy defeats at Chelsea and Arsenal are not fair.
Liverpool are not in the same bracket as those clubs in terms of quality on the field at present. The club outstrips both in terms of support, passion, history and aura – but they aren’t in the relegation zone through misfortune.
Hodgson’s tactics have been even more drab and insipid than Benitez’s last season. There’s no pace, no creativity and idea from his team thus far this season. Ok, it can take a long time for a manager to bed in at a new club and impress his ideas on his players – but surely this squad hasn’t been depleted so much that it can drop from seventh best to relegation contenders so quickly? There must be an influence in there somewhere of Hodgson’s tactics and methods.
While NESV may take that view, they may also sympathise with a manager trying to bring new ideas and progress to a club that has been in the doldrums for the last eighteen months since finishing a close second in 2008/9.
The club’s financial uncertainty and ownership issues have walked hand in hand with the team’s disastrous form. The new owners may feel that Hodgson deserves time, and hopefully funds, to turn things around in more clement circumstances.
Hodgson would surely not preside over a relegated side were he to stay as boss for the foreseeable future, but how far can he go with what he currently has available to him?
The low ebb and poor form of Fernando Torres this season will worry even the hardiest of Reds. His mind seems to be elsewhere and Summer rumours of him pining for a move to Chelsea may seem to ring even truer given his body language. The likes of City and United have also recently been linked for moves for the World Cup winning striker, but the long-awaited takeover may see an upturn of form in the former Atletico Madrid man.
Nobody is performing to the best of his ability in a Red shirt this season though. Steven Gerrard is struggling to hit the back of the net again this term and even seems happier plying his trade in the white of England. Pepe Reina made an uncharacteristic error against Arsenal in the season opener and has voiced his concerns over the club’s plight.
The departure of Javier Mascherano came as no surprise to anyone, but the Argentine’s late withdrawal from the team to face Manchester City did not help the new manager. A 3-0 hiding from the rich kids from down the East Lancs Road may have been a hammer blow to a squad already suffering from low confidence – it could have set the tone for the last couple of months.
The latest chapter in Liverpool history begins today and the first opposition for the NESV-owned Liverpool is a massive away day at Everton on Sunday. How the blue half of Liverpool would have been enjoying the disastrous tenure of Hicks and Gillett. Disappointment must have set in with them after seeing Liverpool’s ownership change hands in a massive morale lift today.
But how long will Roy Hodgson be part of the “virtually debt-free” Reds?
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