lfc The Official Liverpool FC Thread

[The Infamous]

Liverpool bid to land Hamburg striker Elijero Elia for £5m in January

LIVERPOOL have entered the race for highly-rated Holland forward Eljero Elia.

Winger Elia, a member of the Dutch World Cup squad in South Africa, wants out of Hamburg and Liverpool’s director of football strategy, Damien Comolli, hopes his good relations with the German side can help broker a deal.

Hamburg want around £5million for the player, who is rumoured to be the subject of two offers from Italian giants Juventus. Liverpool would take Elia on loan or on a permanent basis, but their valuation is far closer to £3m.

Former Reds boss Rafa Benitez was interested in taking Elia to Anfield during his reign, but a deal could not be struck.

Now, though, manager Roy Hodgson and Comolli are more confident a deal can be done when the January window opens.

http://www.people.co.uk/sport/football/football-hotline/2010/12/19/liverpool-bid-to-land-hamburg-striker-elijero-elia-for-5m-in-january-102039-22793246/

Sturr Crazy: Roy Hodgson wants Daniel on loan in January

Roy Hodgson is making a ­surprise bid to sign Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge in a bid to save Liverpool’s season – and his own job.

Kop boss Hodgson wants to take the England Under-21 international on loan with a view to a £5million transfer and will open talks with the Double ­winners to push the move through for the start of the window.

Sturridge has yet to stake a place in the Chelsea starting line-up and could be interested in the chance of a game at the Kop – where Hodgson wants a new ­attacker to give Fernando Torres help and the occasional rest.

The talented youngster, 21, joined Chelsea 18 months ago from Manchester City when his ­contract expired but he has been left on the fringes at Stamford Bridge.

But Hodgson knows him well and thinks his kind of versatility – he can play through the middle or supporting the main striker – is just what he wants.

The fact Liverpool would like him on loan first – with a chance to buy if he does well – also adds fuel to the suggestion under-fire Hodgson needs to turn things round for his own sake.

Chelsea are aware of Liverpool’s interest in Sturridge but are yet to decide whether to let him go.

Boss Carlo Ancelotti will want another striker signed next month or he will leave himself short.

Ancelotti’s spies have been watching Cardiff City’s England new boy Jay Bothroyd, whose contract is up in the ­summer, and there are other potential targets.

Sturridge cost Chelsea a fee of up to £5m at a tribunal.

Liverpool would pay that kind of money if he pays off for them. His big wages do not scare them either.

The loan arrangement would also suit the young striker who wants to be sure his next move – if he makes a permanent one – is right to make sure his career finally takes off.

Sturridge was in the City side at 19 but left after a contract dispute.

http://www.people.co.uk/sport/football/football-hotline/2010/12/19/sturr-crazy-roy-hodgson-wants-daniel-on-loan-in-january-102039-22793383/

German sides offer Jovanovic an escape route

Published 23:00 18/12/10

By Jeremy Butler

Liverpool flop Milan ­Jovanovic is being hunted by German sides Cologne and Hamburg.

The Serbian striker has failed to fire at Anfield and is one of the men Roy ­Hodgson is expected to move on in the transfer window.

But the Bundesliga outfits are both aware of his form for his country and believe he could thrive in ­Germany.

Jovanovic was one of the players that looked ­unimpressive during Wednesday’s Europa League bore draw with FC Utrecht.

He managed to hit the bar with one long-range drive but disappeared out of the game and was subbed.

The hitman has yet to score a Premier League goal for the Reds in his four top- flight starts.

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Transfer-News-Liverpool-s-Milan-Jovanovic-is-a-target-for-Cologne-and-Hamburg-article6539

[Taurus]

Quality player

[anelka]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3v5VMDgnja0

[TF S4DK]

RT @loonz81: RT @glen_johnson: Can't believe Balckpool game could be off aswelll!!! « Good thing ur a footballer mate *blackpool* lmao» lol about 6 hours ago via ÜberTwitter

[HangTheDJ]

"Sometimes I'm frightened as a manager that I might get rid of a player who will be good for the club on the basis that there might be a name out there that looks a bit higher than the player you already have at the club," he said.

"When that player comes in and you work with them for two months, you realise that the name is great and it rings big bells but, in actual fact, he is no better than the player you let go. He [is] maybe even worse."

Perhaps on Cole v Aquilani?

[Flojo]

"Sometimes I'm frightened as a manager that I might get rid of a player who will be good for the club on the basis that there might be a name out there that looks a bit higher than the player you already have at the club," he said.

"When that player comes in and you work with them for two months, you realise that the name is great and it rings big bells but, in actual fact, he is no better than the player you let go. He [is] maybe even worse."

Perhaps on Cole v Aquilani?

Possibly but even if true why the f*ck would you come out and say that?

smfh and people wonder why I am so adamant he has to go.

[HangTheDJ]

Does seem unprofessional.

[Flojo]

It's not the first time either, if I post the '6 months of Hodgson quotes' from another forum I think even his biggest supporters would struggle to see him in a good light.

His man management is shocking.

[Mr Q]

Why does he have to talk?!

WHY?!?

[Mr Q]

"Roy Hodgson puts the English players to the forefront instead of the footballers from abroad." Andras Simon's agent after 20 y/o left

[Flojo]

Sounds very similar to what Mavinga said a few months back who incidentally is going on loan to Genk apparently

[What A CUNT.]

"Sometimes I'm frightened as a manager that I might get rid of a player who will be good for the club on the basis that there might be a name out there that looks a bit higher than the player you already have at the club," he said.

"When that player comes in and you work with them for two months, you realise that the name is great and it rings big bells but, in actual fact, he is no better than the player you let go. He [is] maybe even worse."

Perhaps on Cole v Aquilani?

The bold more or less confirms it. He has been living off his undeserved reputation for a long, long time.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/dec/23/roy-hodgson-joe-cole-liverpool

[Colin Turnover]

Comolli is a joker. Sturridge story is true.

[MEIRELES.]

Sturridge shits all over N'Gog though.

[Colin Turnover]

I agree.

Apparently Hodgson/Comolli are focusing on bringing in more young English talent.

[Kompressor]

That would be 1 way to get the Spirit of the club back, a group of players who understand and respect the relevance of Liverpool FC

[Mr Q]

Getting a manager who does that would be too

[TF S4DK]

Durham been going in on Hodgson for the last 38 minutes...

[Kompressor]

i think Roy gets it, he's just out of his depth,

It'd be like putting you up front for them and you not performing to a decent level and then people coming at you saying you dont care about or undrstand the club,

[Mr. Gayle]

Durham been going in on Hodgson for the last 38 minutes...

I know lol

/

TBH J Cole wasnt a huge part of Chelsea's success, so kinda see where Woy was coming from. But not the done thing to air it out like that

[Mr Q]

He does not get it.

Torres/United comments, and lack of 'em, shows that the most if you ask me.

[MEIRELES.]

LOL @ Putting a guy like N'goog up front hoping he can get you something positive from the game.

I'm still bamboozled about why we actually signed a guy of his calibre. Oh wait, Rafa signed him - he usually gets them crude signings in on a regular BUT its cool cos it is Rafa at the end of the day.

[Flojo]

JOE COLE was sitting in a media tent in the build-up to England’s opening match at the World Cup when he was asked if Fabio Capello’s disciplinarian outlook, and the sparse and isolated surroundings of the team’s Rustenburg base, might take away some of the enjoyment of being involved in the biggest show on the planet.

“You can’t suck the fun out of football,” Cole shot back, his response instantaneous.

With his own personal annus horribilis now weighing heavily on his shoulders, his attitude may have changed in the months since.

From Chelsea cast-off to England reject to bit-part player at Liverpool, Cole is facing arguably the biggest test of his career as he attempts to coax the smile back on to his face and force himself back into someone’s – anyone’s – starting line-up.

One thing is certain: the new year represents a new start.

“Joe has to come to terms with the fact that he has come here after an unsuccessful period at Chelsea with high hopes of taking Liverpool by storm and unfortunately it’s not happened. That’s life,” said Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson yesterday.

“He should have great confidence in his ability as he is a very good footballer. As far as I am concerned, everything he has to say should be said on that patch of green grass.

“He should be convincing me and everyone watching that this is a player who can help Liverpool win things. And you couldn’t say that has been the case so far.

“I don’t care how many things are written or said, you can’t make black into white.

“What I’m saying could be transformed into ‘Hodgson criticises Cole’, but it’s not that. I’m just analysing the situation.”

Having only recently returned from a hamstring injury, the postponement of the Fulham game and the threat which hangs over the Boxing Day fixture with Blackpool fits neatly with a year of frustration for Cole.

He made as many substitute appearances for Chelsea in the second half of last season, 11, as starts and was restricted to two cameos lasting just 44 minutes in total at the World Cup, despite John Terry’s very public lobbying for him to be shoe-horned into Capello’s starting line-up. Therein lies part of the problem for Cole, whose sole goal for Liverpool against Steaua Bucharest after just 27 seconds has at least earned him a place in the record books as the club’s fastest goalscorer in Europe.

Cole believes he is best deployed just off the striker. Yet after a handful of appearances in that role, stymied by his opening-weekend red card against Arsenal, Hodgson quickly moved him to the left of midfield.

Hodgson currently favours Maxi Rodriguez there and Dirk Kuyt on the right and, with Steven Gerrard also ready to return from injury, the competition for places will only become fiercer. “Joe is a midfield player and what’s the right position for a midfield player?” said Hodgson. “Gerrard has played all over midfield for as long as I can remember because he’s a good player.

“I hope Joe remembers this from the conversation we had in the summer when I made it clear I could not promise him a certain position.

“I made it clear Steven Gerrard was staying and the competition for the one spot, if it was the one spot he wanted, was going to be tough.”

It is interesting to note the way Hodgson speaks about Cole’s situation compared, for example, to the newly found warmth for someone like Lucas.

Liverpool’s interest in acquiring Cole after his Chelsea contract expired had been plotted long before Hodgson was appointed, but the club maintains that the manager approved, rather than simply inherited, the signing.

“It’s a difficult one for me to answer,” said Hodgson. “I was involved in the discussions with him, but the initiative and the desire to take Joe did come from Christian [Purslow, then managing director] perhaps more so than myself because I wasn’t in the position to say these are the players we should be targeting as I hadn’t been offered the job at that point.

“He’s not so much a player I can take responsibility for. I’d have to share the responsibility for Joe, less so than people like Poulsen, Meireles and Konchesky, who are players I was happy to bring to the club.

“Our competition for places is getting stronger, so the only thing I can say to him is, ‘We’re happy to have you here, Joe, but I can’t offer you anything more than a chance and you have to take it when it comes along’.”

Great man management once again, this must be that famous arm around the shoulder we were told about.

Macia was the person mainly involved in the Mereiles signing but Hodgson was happy to take credit for that because he's playing well.

Cole is playing poorly so he's quick to distance himself from being involved in that and throw the man who got him the job under the bus once again.

Classy.

[MEIRELES.]

Hodgson is a prick if he actually said that about Cole.

Smh.

[Davicious X]

Man went in on Cole.

Would still be nice to see Babel, Cole, Gerrard, Meirelles, Kuyt midfield.