Liverpool F.C. Official Thread...

lol i thought a load of new users had joined but its you!! still its good to have more threads to post in!

lol, i wanted to create more rooms to attract more people to talk. there are alot of users connected to this goal.community but they aernt talkin. i thought i'd start sum rooms with teams i like!

Liverpool new boy Jermaine Pennant says he is happy to be a goal provider after setting up The Reds' two goals on his debut for the club at the weekend:

The 23-year-old winger came on as a second half substitute in the club's pre-season game against Kaiserslautern and helped both Luis Garcia and Craig Bellamy to net against the Bundesliga side.

Rafa Benitez's men fell to a 3-2 defeat in the game, but Pennant earned high praise from the manager for his impact on the game and the former Arsenal man insists he would be happy to carry on in that vein.

"Setting up a team-mate is just as good to me as scoring," Pennant explained.

"It's always nice to score but if I can get as many assists as possible, then scoring goals will be a bonus.

"It's always nice personally to get off to a good start and to get the nerves out of the way.

"Now I've got one game under my belt, I think it's going to be much easier for me.

"I know how the team play, I know how the manager wants me to play and I'm just looking forward to the next game."

The £6.7 million man is brimming with confidence heading into the new Premiership season and UEFA Champions League.

"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't a good footballer," he added.

"Obviously Rafa has brought me in for a reason so hopefully I can play as much as possible and learn from the players around me.

"No disrespect to Birmingham but Liverpool won the Champions League so there are great players all around me.

"Playing with quality is only going to help my game."

Pennant is expected to get another chance to prove his worth in the next friendly against Grasshoppers in Zurich on Tuesday.

Out on loan
Djibril Cissé - Olympique Marseille (12 months from July 2006)
Chris Kirkland - Wigan Athletic (6 months from July 2006)

In:
Fábio Aurélio - Valencia (free transfer)
Craig Bellamy - Blackburn Rovers (£6.0 million)
Scott Carson - Sheffield Wednesday (loan return)
Salif Diao - Portsmouth (loan return)
Mark González - Real Sociedad (loan return)
Anthony Le Tallec - Sunderland (loan return)
Carl Medjani - Metz (loan return)
Gabriel Paletta - Banfield (£2.0 million)
Jermaine Pennant - Birmingham City (£6.7 million)
Darren Potter - Southampton (loan return)
Florent Sinama-Pongolle - Blackburn Rovers (loan return)

Out:
Ramon Calliste - Scunthorpe United (free transfer)
Bruno Cheyrou - Rennes (undisclosed)
Dietmar Hamann - Manchester City (undisclosed)
Fernando Morientes - Valencia (£3.0 million)
Michael Nardiello - West Bromwich Albion (free transfer)
David Raven - Carlisle United (free transfer)
Zak Whitbread - Millwall (£0 rising to £500,000 depending upon appearances)
Calum Woods - Dunfermline Athletic F.C. (free transfer)
Robbie Foy (released)
Paul Lancaster (released)
Paul Willis (released)
Antonio Barragan - Deportivo de La Coruña

Charlton Athletic have agreed fees to sign Djimi Traore and Amdy Faye:

Addicks boss Iain Dowie revealed earlier this week that he wants to make five more signings before the start of the season, and now appears to have at least two close to completion.

Liverpool defender Traore and Newcastle United midfielder Faye have been edging towards moves to The Valley over the past few weeks.

Those transfers are now expected to be tied up in the coming days as Charlton have settled upon fees for the duo.

Traore and Faye are thought to have already agreed personal terms at The Valley, but have been waiting for The Addicks to strike a deal with their respective clubs.

French stopper Traore has spent seven seasons at Anfield, but has never established himself as a first-team regular.

The 26-year-old could be afforded that opportunity by Dowie, who has been looking to add more depth to his squad.

Senegalese midfielder Faye has spent 18 months at Newcastle, since signing from Portsmouth, but is not considered first choice by Glenn Roeder.

Liverpool new-boy Dirk Kuyt has spoken of his pride to be joining Rafa Benitez's men:

The 26-year-old completed his switch to Anfield from Feyenoord on Friday after agreeing a four-year deal with the Premiership club.

Kuyt's switch to Liverpool ends a long-running transfer saga involving a number of Premiership clubs and the Dutchman says The Reds were always his favoured destination.

"I think Liverpool is a fantastic club, a very big club and for me it's a dream to play for a club like Liverpool," Kuyt told Sky Sports News.

"There were a few clubs who wanted me in the Premier League, but it's all about feeling and Liverpool gave me the best feeling. I really want to play for this club.

"It has taken a while. The guys from Liverpool gave me the trust that it would all come together. I'm very happy I'm here and I can't wait to play.

"I know Liverpool have been interested in me for a long time. When I heard about that, it gave me a special feeling.

"I said in Holland that I only wanted to leave for a bigger club. I think Liverpool is a fantastic club with a fantastic history."

Kuyt arrives at Liverpool with a reputation for scoring goals on a regular basis and the Dutch international is hoping to continue the tradition at Anfield.

However, he insists he will always put the club above individual honours and is not worried by the pressure that may come with his goalscoring reputation.

"I'm getting used to the pressure so it's no problem for me," he said. "The only thing that is important is the team going to win and it's not so important how many goals I score.

"I know I can score goals. I also scored lots of goals with Feyenoord and I expect a lot here, but I'm not a player who is going to say I will score 15 or 50 times.

"I'm a player who has said he wants to win trophies - that's the most important thing."

Having watched Premiership football for many years, Kuyt is excited to be finally getting the chance to prove himself on one of football's biggest stages.

"I can't wait to play in my first official match. It's very exciting. I think it's the best league in the world, so I can't wait to start," Kuyt continued.

"English football in Holland is very famous. Every weekend almost all the matches are live so I've watched a lot of English football.

"I think I can do well in this competition. I like to see the matches every week, so now it's going to happen for me to play myself in the Premier League."

Meanwhile, Kuyt believes Liverpool have the quality to challenge Chelsea for the Premiership title this season.

The Reds claimed the first win of the season between the two sides last weekend and Kuyt is confident Benitez has built a competitive squad.

"I think we have a very good squad. They beat Chelsea, I saw that match. I think we have a very good team and we will see what happens," he added.

"It will be good. It will be a dream to win the Premier League."

Liverpool made it into the group stages of the UEFA Champions League with a slender 3-2 aggregate victory over Maccabi Haifa after a 1-1 draw in Kiev, although they were made to sweat in a nervy ending.

Liverpool were the main aggressors throughout and took the lead early in the second half when Peter Crouch nodded in a Jermaine Pennant cross and the 2005 European Champions looked to be cruising at 3-1 up on aggregate.

However, Roberto Colautti drew Maccabi level on the night just after the hour mark and, after offering little until then, the Israeli side then sprung into action and Liverpool had to hold on in the nervous closing stages as the clock ticked down to a place in the group stages.

The victory also came at a price as Liverpool's early season injury problems struck again as both Stephen Warnock and Mohamed Sissoko went off injured.

Despite Rafa Benitez making eight changes to the starting line-up, including Steven Gerrard starting from the bench due to a stomach bug, Liverpool settled relatively quickly and created the bulk of the chances in the first half.

Crouch sliced a snapshot wide from a good position inside the box ten minutes in, while Xabi Alonso curled a super effort just inches past the post three minutes later with Nir Davidovitch well beaten.

Davidovitch produced an instinctive block on 15 minutes when Crouch supplied Luis Garcia with a neat cut-back, allowing the Spaniard to fire first-time on goal.

Haifa could have taken the lead in the 21st minute though as Liverpool survived an almighty scare as Alain Masudi nodded in after a goal-line scramble. Gustavo Boccoli flicked on Yaniv Katan's right wing free kick but Xavier Anderson was just offside at the far post as he headed back in before Masudi nodded home.

After the let-off, Liverpool returned to the offensive but Garcia was finding Davidovitch hard to beat in the Haifa goal as he twice went close.

A firm low shot was well saved by the keeper after a great ball into the box from Alonso, while Davidovitch flew off his line to parry Garcia's header after he was found by a Crouch knockdown from a corner.

In between Liverpool suffered another injury as Warnock became their third ankle injury victim in two games as he had to be replaced by Fabio Aurelio.

Liverpool started the second period brightly and went ahead on the night when Pennant beat his man and got to the byline for the first time, and he crossed for Crouch who got in front of his marker to head home at the near post.

Mark Gonzalez could have widened the gap six minutes later when he smashed into the side netting after good link-up play by Garcia.

Just two minutes later and Haifa pulled a lifeline out of nowhere when Anderson danced through the Liverpool rearguard and, when his shot was well saved by Pepe Reina the rebound was tapped in by Colautti for 1-1 on the night and a 3-2 aggregate score.

Liverpool's injury problems struck again just after the hour when the impressive Sissoko had to be carried off with a knee injury in what was a fourth injury in two games for The Reds - and stricken skipper Gerrard had to get off his sickbed to help out his side.

With the Israeli outfit now needing just one goal to force extra time, Liverpool begun to feel the pressure and Masudi went close with a volley before Daniel Agger had to clear his lines when Reina was beaten to the ball by Boccoli.

Gerrard was showing no signs of his illness when driving his shot just wide as he looked to power his side through, but Reina had to be at his very best moments later to turn over Colautti's fine curling effort.

Haifa finally showed some desire to get forward as they searched for the crucial goal but in the end Liverpool hung on despite a nervy ending to book their spot in the group stages with a 3-2 win on aggregate.

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has admitted it is difficult to juggle his striking options.

Dirk Kuyt, Craig Bellamy, Peter Crouch and Robbie Fowler are all battling it out for a place in Benitez's starting line-up.

Bellamy and Kuyt have started the last three games, but Crouch and Fowler are both pushing for recalls to the side.

Benitez has conceded he is not finding it easy to decide which is the best front pair to go with.

"For me, we have four options in front and we need to decide which players are better for each game and which players are fitter," said Benitez.

"It is not easy. I am sure you can make a lot of mistakes but that is football.

"I need to learn from mistakes."

Benitez, meanwhile, is expecting a tough game against Tottenham on Saturday.

The Reds have enjoyed the best of the recent meetings between the two sides, but Benitez is wary of the threat posed by Spurs.

Benitez believes the changes made by both sides over the summer will mean the clash at Anfield will pose a different challenge.

"If you change three, four, six players each year it is another kind of game, another situation," added Benitez.

"Each year is different. It is a new team and a different season. It will be a tough game but we need to keep the momentum.

"I think he (Jol) is a good manager. He is doing a good job.

"They have a good team. They play good football and I think they will be at the top of the table at the end. I hope we will be higher but I think they will be near the top!

"When you play two competitions, it is not easy - playing the Uefa Cup and the Premier League is not easy.

"And, after one good year, to keep the team at this level is difficult."

Agger scoops September award

Liverpool defender Daniel Agger is rapidly living up to his reputation as Denmark's greatest export since Carlsberg lager - so raise a glass to the great Dane who has been named Fans' Player of the Month for September by givemefootball readers.
Agger joined the Reds for £5.8 million (that's a whopping 63 million Danish Kroner) from Brondby during the January transfer window, and the most expensive ever Danish football export has already proved that it was money well spent by Rafa Benitez.

Liverpool fans have taken a liking to Danish footballers in recent years with Agger the fifth to join the Anfield ranks, following in the footsteps of Jan Molby, Torben Piechnik, Michael Stensgaard and Jorgen Nielsen.

And according to former Red Piechnik, Agger will go on to be the best of the bunch.

"In Daniel Agger Liverpool have bought themselves a player who I believe will turn out to be one of the best signings the club has ever made. Everyone in Denmark is really excited about him and delighted he has joined such a big club as Liverpool," said Piechnik.

"He is tall, strong, good in the air and equally adept on the ground. There's no doubt Agger is one of the hottest Danish prospects in years and he has the potential to be the mainstay of our national team for years to come.

"His rise to prominence has been a meteoric one. I personally, hadn't heard of him until he broke into the Brondby first team. He just seemed to appear from nowhere but quickly made an impression at club level and it was not long before he was a deservedly called up by his country.

"At 21 his best years are ahead of him and I can only see him improving at Liverpool. I noticed Rafael Benitez didn't throw him into the first team straight away and I think that is the right strategy to adopt."

Anfield legend Molby agrees and says of Agger, a Danish international who impressed when he marked Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney during Denmark's 4-1 win over England in August 2005: "Daniel had only played first class football in Denmark for 12 months. He's a good talent and I rate him. He's very calm, left-footed, good in the air and a good reader of the game."

Southend may be struggling in the Championship right now, but striker Freddy Eastwood is showing that he can make his mark at this level.

Last season's joint leading scorer in League One with 25 goals, Freddy already has six to his credit (three in the league, and three in the Carling Cup) this season and he is the fans' choice for player of the month in the Championship.

In League One, Bristol City have enjoyed a resurgence in the last month or so and that has been due in no small part to the performances of Scott Bown, whilst Player of the Month in League Two is Swindon's Peter Brezovan.

what the hell?  where's my Forum Supervisor *** and all my details!

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we're back in business! 3-0

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yeah good win against bordeaux, still its in the premiership that ye should be worried. if ye dont start winning more consistently you might not make a cl spot...

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im quite happy with the STYLE of playing... liverpool are looking more and more like rafa's La Liga champions Valencia...  and louis garcia's goal againt Villa said it all.

lets just say the last couple of games have been reassuring... i can now bet on my team winning with absolute confidence...

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i really think luis garcia needs to be in the starting XI, he is so unpredictable and creates something out of nothing on a regular basis and can also play a number of positions.