Brendan Rodgers agrees deal to become new Reds manager

Brendan Rodgers has agreed a deal to become the new manager of Liverpool Football Club.

The 39-year-old is understood to have agreed a three-year contract at Anfield and his appointment is likely to be officially confirmed within 24 hours.

Liverpool will pay Swansea City between £4m and £5m in compensation to secure the Northern Irishman's services.

Liverpool sacked former manager Kenny Dalglish on 16 May after finishing eighth in the Premier League.

The Reds were 17 points away from a Champions League qualification spot, but won the League Cup and reached the FA Cup final.

In contrast, Rodgers guided his Swansea side to an impressive first season in the top flight, including a 1-0 win over Liverpool on the final day of the season.

After parting ways with Dalglish, Liverpool embarked on an extensive search for a new manager.

The Reds were linked not only with Rodgers and Wigan manager Roberto Martinez but also former Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas,  ex-England coach Fabio Capello,  and Ajax manager Frank de Boer. 

Rodgers declined the opportunity to speak to Liverpool about the vacancy 12 days ago, and instead the club's hierarchy sought a meeting with Wigan's Martinez.

But it appears Rodgers was always the preferred candidate, despite Wigan chairman Dave Whelan at one point suggesting his manager had been offered the job at Anfield.

Rodgers' managerial career began at Watford in 2008 after coaching spells at Reading and Chelsea.

His return to Reading was an unhappy onebut, after his appointment as Swansea boss in July 2010, Rodgers guided his Welsh side to promotion to the top flight in May 2011, making Swansea the first Welsh team to reach the Premier League.


Via -> BBC

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How will Liverpool be a TOP club again?

Every Liverpool supporters say that we will be in the top - 4 next season but they know that it is REALLY tough now. Teams like Tottenham and Newcastle are becoming challengers for 4th postion & Liverpool seems like another mid-table team, 


After Hicks & Gillet era was over a new sense of belief was there among the Liverpool supporters. Then FSG took over there plan for Liverpool was really nice.. But did that work out?? Signing players like -> Downing, Henderson was not a good sign. Both have the potential but they did not prove their price tag in their first season! Downing -> 0 Goals, 0 Assists.(IN BPL)

Even after that, FSG sacked Kenny who was not involved in ANY of the signing, (Carroll, Downing, Henderson, Adam And Enrique were bought by -> COMMOLI). Kenny only signed 1 player -> LUIS SUAREZ, who turned out to be one of the BEST Liverpool player last season! Even then Kenny got sacked.

After that everyone wanted AVB, Guardiola Or Benitez to be Liverpool's next manager, But FSG are going after ROBERTO MARTINEZ! Who managed a team who just escaped relegation after 1 month ofgood run.One question i would like to ask to FSG - If you wanted to have MARTINEZ in managerial postion then why sack KING KENNY???  


TRANSFER TARGETS ->

Chelsea -> Hazard(almost signed) and hulk
Arsenal -> Podolski(signed), Vertongen and M'vila
Manchester United -> K.P. Boateng and Kawaga
Manchester City -> Ibrahimovic, Higuain And SKRTEL

And we? We 'LIVERPOOL' ARE LINKED WITH ->

Diame, Dempsey and Matias Suarez 


Is this how we will challenge City,United and Chelsea? If we do not get a TOP - CLASS manager, We will not get good players this season. Also many of our players also might LEAVE.
Like Skrtel is linked with a 20m move to City


So, all i want to say is that FSG should STOP going after Martinez and go for Guardiola Or AVB instead! This will let us attract BIG players to the club and make us challengers for Top-4 position


We need Likes of -> Cavani at Liverpool! We should have tried to sign Hazard also!

Also A List Of Players Available for FREE this summer -> 


Salomon Kalou 
Andre Arshavin
Dimitar Berbatov
Klasnic 


If we get Klasnic and Arshavin for free that would be great as Klasnic can be a good Back up Striker!
Same with Arshavin 


Thats all from me -> Anuj Suarez Punj

All i want is the BEST for Liverpool :)

YNWA JFT96 :) 


 

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Louis van Gaal - I'll Be Joining Liverpool

Louis van Gaal says he's joining Liverpool as Martinez considers offer

Louis van Gaal believes that Liverpool will make an official announcement of his appointment at the club by the end of the week.

However, it is still unclear whether he will be the manager of the Anfield club or a sporting director.

The Dutchman has told those close to him that he is considering an offer from Fenway Sports Group (FSG), the owners of Liverpool.Liverpool currently have two vacancies after Damien Comolli and Kenny Dalglish left the Merseyside club and the owners have been in discussions with a number of candidates for each job.

Despite being initially approached about the sporting director role, Van Gaal has made it clear he would be happy to succeed King Kenny in the Anfield dugout.

There is still confusion over the situation as outspoken Wigan chairman Dave Whelan has claimed that Latics boss Roberto Martinez has been offered the manager's role at Liverpool.He met with the owners in Miami earlier this week about the role and it is thought he would not be happy to work under a sporting director.Swansea's Brendan Rodgers, Jürgen Klopp of Borussia Dortmund and Ajax's Frank de Boer have all turned down the opportunity to discuss a move to Anfield.

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Why Liverpool should AVOID midfielders from French ligue

Joe Cole says he would "love to have a chance to put it right" at Liverpool, following his season at Lille. Meanwhile, Sochaux's Algerian midfielder Ryad Boudebouz claims that the Reds have made contact with his agent over a possible move (despite not having a manager). While the rest of the Premier League's top clubs are sniffing around top talent from the French league this summer, a list of Liverpool's previous signings from Ligue Un can only fill Kopites with dread…

Jean Michel Ferri
With France winning the World Cup in 1998 and Arsenal flourishing under the French influence of Arsene Wenger in the late 1990s, Liverpool appointed Gerard Houllier in the hope of grabbing a piece of the Gallic glory. Houllier's first signing was 30-year-old Ferri from Sochaux for £1.5m. Hardly Patrick Vieira, the midfielder's greatest contribution was allowing newspapers to print 'Ferri Cross The Mersey' headlines upon his arrival in November 1998, playing just two games for the club.

Bernard Diomede
In the summer of 2000, Houllier coughed up £3m for French World Cup winner Bernard Diomede. The winger had figured in three games of France's 1998 success, which was one more than he managed during three years at Anfield. In fact, he managed one less game than Liverpool won trophies during the 2000/01 treble cup-winning season.

Bruno Cheyrou
Three words: "The new Zidane". Three more words: "No he wasn't".

Salif Diao -> "With Salif, I knew after a week of training that he wasn't going to be good enough," said Houllier in his autobiography. Why did you pay Sedan £4.7m for him in 2002, then?

El Hadji Diouf -> Probably the most unpopular player in Liverpool history, Senegal international Diouf was signed off the back of some impressive 2002 World Cup performances for his national team, including a goal against France. Houllier duly coughed up £10m for a player more noted for spitting at fans during his time with the club than the six goals he scored in 80 games.

Djimi Traore
To give Traore his credit, the gangly French defender's clearance off the line in the 2005 Champions League final was a vital moment in the Reds' greatest ever match, but then he did typically concede the free-kick that led to Milan's first goal in the second minute. Traore was a trier, but after signing for £550,000 in Laval in 1999, it's fair to say he won't be challenging the likes of Yeats, Hansen and Hyypia as an all-time Anfield defensvie great.

Anthony Le Tallec and Florent Sinama Pongolle
This duo were voted the best two players at the 2001 U17 World Cup, which the French won, prompting Liverpool to sign them up from Le Havre, but neither lived up to early expectation. Pongolle had his moments under the management of Rafa Benitez, notably getting the ball rolling in a comeback against Olympiakos, with an assist for Harry Kewell, in the successful Champions League campaign. Le Tallec made just 17 appearances, scoring one goal, and Liverpool fans would probably struggle to remember that he was a surprise starter in the 2005 Champions League quarter-final win over Juventus at Anfield.

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Liverpool 2011-12 Season: Why It Will Go Down as the Worst League Season Ever

Why 2011 - 2012 Campaign will go down as the worst league season ever? To put it bluntly, because it was—at least in the Premier League era that's for sure.

Now let me quantify.

Liverpool had some moments of achievement—such as the Carling Cup victory and making the FA Cup final—but that's not what we're talking about here.

League-wise Liverpool have been awful and there's no justification to comments such as "they had an unlucky season."

People talk about how many times the team struck the woodwork as a way of highlighting the club's misfortune. I call it missing.

The excuse that the team hasn't had time to gel is superfluous considering the vast quantities of cash that the players receive in their bank accounts each month. If you worked in sales job and used that as an excuse for poor sales figures, you probably wouldn't last a week.

The reason for the poor performance can only be assigned to two areas. Poor management or poor players.

The Liverpool owners have pointed to the former by sacking Kenny Dalglish, and a replacement is yet to be assigned. Were they right in taking such drastic action? On results alone you'd have to say yes, although Dalglish will always garner more relief from fans due to his legendary status.

There is no crystal ball in the football world that means one method works for all when it comes to managerial success. Alex Ferguson was nearly fired by Manchester United before becoming one of the most successful managers in history. On the other hand, Jose Mourinho made his mark in his first season at Chelsea.

Public relations have been strained with the Luis Suarez racism row involving Patrice Evra, and Liverpool know that there is no place for that type of behaviour in the modern game.

Money spent on improving the squad turned out to be a small fortune—which is fine as long as the Liverpool owners didn't dish out the money under the assumption that their first transfer window would their only big spend. Football, of course, is ever evolving.

It has been repeatedly said that the latest signings haven't worked out for the most part, with Stewart Downing and Charlie Adam receiving particular scrutiny from the powerful Kop voice. Andy Carroll and Jordan Henderson could give 10 years service to the club if things work out—a statement that would seemingly improve their relative worth over time—but will they be given it?

I haven't even broached the subject of home form and the league results because I respect the Liverpool fans too much. They don't need a comparison chart of how this season's points fared against previous ones. Liverpool fans know where things have been going wrong and they know what needs to happen to change it.

Results, PR nightmares, overspending on average players, the sacking of a legend—Liverpool's season was a manual on how NOT to run a Premier League football club, and one they'd do well to never repeat.

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Are FSG Scared Of Benitez?

IN the nine days that have passed since Kenny’s departure we’ve seen a who’s who of managerial candidates linked with the position from Roberto Martinez & Didier Deschamps through to Andre Villas-Boas & Jurgen Klopp. But so far the only links between LFC and Rafa Benitez have been either via the press or by the massive wave of optimistic support from the fansthemselves. Despite what we may or may not want, it really is beginning to seem as if Rafa is not going to be under consideration this time around and there can really only be one reason for this:

Something about him scares FSG.

The first and perhaps most obvious reason, would be that he’d been sacked from his last two jobs. Two very, very high-profile jobs. He was moved on from Liverpool after the clubs worst league season under him and Inter Milan sacked him after an average start to his first season. However, his final season with the Reds was still a better one than either of our last two and afterJose Mourinho won Inter the treble, he was always going to be under intense scrutiny from Massimo Moratti – a man renowned in Italy for his impatience with managers.

I feel that they would have much greater foresight than this though (they must have if Roberto Martinez is their main candidate for the job!) because even a cursory glance at his CV shows a man that is more than capable and easily qualifies for the job. 2 La Liga titles with what was (during his time there) one of the least fashionable and smallest clubs in the Spanish elite league, and a UEFA Cup. Then on to Liverpool and a Champions League in his first season, followed by the FA Cup and a number of other cups and minor trophies at Inter, Liverpool and Valencia. Perhaps most importantly for us, as Liverpool fans, he took us as close as we’ve ever come to the Premier League title in 2009 and that means a lot because we know he is one of the few that would know what it takes to get us back there.

So surely all of this would see him at least qualify for an interview? Well, you’d certainly think so but it would appear that the answer is no, as despite the conflicting reports between press, it seems that he still hasn’t been approached by FSG. Given his popularity amongst the fans though – and his exemplary CV – it really is hard to understand why. I mean sure, they’re supposedly looking at younger managers with potential but he isn’t exactly ancient, being in his early 50′s so there has to be something else.

A look over his previous period as manager shows that he earned himself a reputation for being something of a troublesome figure, so this would probably end up being a factor. While his relationship with Hicks and Gillett got off to a positive start it quickly deteriorated when the owners absenteeism became more and more prevalent, when transfer promises weren’t keep and when the transfer kitty began to dry up toward the end of his reign when Benitez felt like we were at a potential turning point, having finished 2^nd. The following season did not go well and Rafa and his supporters still put that down to his identified transfer targets not being chased and promises made over policy, etc. not being kept.

Also, Benitez had a penchant for not being afraid to voice his concerns through the media, as he did several times during his term. The press would – often willingly – allow themselves to be used as a conduit through which he could pass messages to the fans about the situation at the club and speak about other issues that he was unhappy over, such as referees, opposition players and managers (one in particular springs to mind) and I think that this would provide a sore point in particular, given how much was made of the situation Kenny created around the Suarez affair during his press interviews and conferences at that time. Like Kenny, Rafa is not a man that is afraid to speak his mind and after the bad press the club received between December and February this year, they may well be looking to ‘more press friendly and affable’ as a pre-requisite for the new boss and Benitez does not fit that bill at all.

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Liverpool Manager News: Reds Approach van Gaal as Martinez Decision Nears

                

















  








   


Liverpool chiefs have spoken to Louis van Gaal with the intention of making him the club's first ever sporting director, according to the Telegraph.

The Reds are reportedly looking to shake up their management structure ahead of the new season and it is believed the role offered to van Gaal would be similar to the one occupied by former director of football Damien Comolli, who was shown the door in April. The report adds that Liverpool's managing director Ian Ayre flew to the Dutchman's summer residence in the Algarve to discuss the position.

However, van Gaal recently revealed he was eager to work with players and wanted to return to football as a manager. He reportedly stressed he was not keen on an administrative role, a declaration that seems to rule him out of the position Liverpool are offering. Nevertheless, an earlier IBTimes UK report suggested the 60 year old could well also be seen as one of the candidates to replace Kenny Dalglish.

Van Gaal has seven league titles to his managerial credit - from Spain,Germany and Holland - and has also won the Champions League, during his time at Ajax. He is presently unemployed, after a spell with German club Bayern Munich, and is believed to be keen on a move to England.

Meanwhile, Wigan Athletic will hold a press conference on Tuesday where they expect Roberto Martinez to announce whether he is joining Liverpool, reports the Daily Mirror. The Spaniard has held talks with Reds' owner John Henry in Miami and Wigan chairman Dave Whelan earlier stated Martinez had been officially offered the manager's post at Anfield, only for Liverpool to dismiss those claims.

However, the 38 year old is still considered the favourite to nab the position at this point. Swansea City boss Brendan Rodgers, Borussia Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp and Ajax coach Frank de Boer have all already rejected approaches from Anfield, while Andre Villas-Boas revealed he would not be rushed and wanted to study all his options carefully before committing to a club.

Club captain Steven Gerrard has already pledged his full support to Martinez if he gets the job.

"We'll have to wait and see. I'm aware Roberto Martinez has been talking to the club but all I've heard about him is positive. If he is going to be the manager, he's got my full support," ESPN quoted the 31 year old as saying.

Martinez took charge at the DW Stadium after arriving from Swansea City in 2009.

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Liverpool's Possible Transfer Targets

A big summer awaits Liverpool Football Club and during all the recent talk of who is going to be the next manager, a lot of people seem to have forgotten there is a transfer window upon us. Although the window doesn’t officially open until July 1^st it is an almost defunct rule as Premier League clubs persist with signing players well in advance of the opening day of the two month long transfer window.

It would be a hugely detrimental mistake for Liverpool not to make the most of players that are available now and, in the meantime, afford other, rival clubs the opportunity to step in and get themselves some of the best talent the world has to offer.

Here, we discuss who we think should be Liverpool’s top five targets of the summer. Unfortunately, as money is a big issue in football, here at Live4Liverpool we are going to be realistic and won’t be including the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo or even Emile Heskey in this group.

So, in no particular order of importance, our five players to make the difference:

1. Clint Dempsey

The Fulham forward has been in blistering form this season for the Londoners and has managed 46 goals in his past two seasons in English football which, for a player who is not an out and out striker, is incredibly impressive. This form, coupled with the fact that he only has one year remaining on his Fulham contract and will therefore be able to be purchased for a cut price, means he should certainly be on Liverpool’s radar.

Proven Premier League class, a relatively cheap price and more than happy to make the move north to Anfield – surely a no brainer? Dempsey could well play in an attacking three, down the middle, just behind the big man Carroll – therefore allowing Steven Gerrard and the returning Lucas to pull the strings in the centre of midfield.

Estimated Value – £10-12 million

2. Gaston Ramirez

Uruguayan? Check. Skillful? Check. A handful for any defender? Check. We’ve already got him I hear you say? Isn’t that just Luis Suarez?

Not quite.

Gaston Ramirez is an attacking midfielder currently plying his trade at Bologna and looks a real talent. He’s made a huge impression on Serie A for the past few seasons and at the age of just 21, he could be a real astute piece of business for the Reds.

Valued at just under £20 million, despite recently signing a long-term contract at Bologna, Ramirez is a young man but has the ability to go straight in to the first team whilst having the luxury of being able to play right across the front line. The signing of Ramirez, who could potentially be purchased instead of Dempsey, alongside a world class winger could well be the final piece to a midfield jigsaw that has long to be completed.

Estimated Value – £16 million                     

 3. Younès Belhanda

Having just received young player of the year in France after an excellent season for newly-crowned French Champions Montpellier, Younès Belhanda is not short of a few admirers. The pacy, direct winger, who has an eye for an incisive pass, could be the sort of winger Liverpool fanshave been desperate to see for years at the club. With the big European teams’ attention on another of the French leagues exports, Eden Hazard, there is a definite chance available to Liverpool to make their move and try to bring in this exciting, explosive winger to provide the assists for the likes of Carroll and Suarez.

Estimated Value – £15 million

4. Mauricio Isla

Every club needs a utility man. The sort of player that excels in his favourite position but, when needed, does a job in an unfamiliar one too.

Mauricio Isla is that guy and, although this may come as a surprise to some of you, he would be a fantastic signing for the Reds.

Primarily a full-back, Isla can play anywhere across the back line, in the centre of midfield and has even been known to play just behind the striker also.

With Fabio Aurelio released from his contract, there is room for a full-back in Liverpool’s squad and competition would spur the likes of Jose Enrique and Glen Johnson on to perform better as both, particularly Enrique, suffered somewhat of a slump in form towards the back end of last season. Rated at just over £12 million, Isla would be an ideal acquisition for whoever the new manager may be.

Estimated Value – £12 million

5. Jermain Defoe

It was well documented that Liverpool tried to bring Defoe to Anfield in January but failed with a loan bid for the England striker. With his game time getting less and less frequent and with Spurs expected to sign Emmanuel Adebayor on a permanent transfer then now is the time for Liverpool to make their move. Defoe is a proven Premier League scorer, something which Liverpool sorely missed last season. The signing of Defoe would provide competition for Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez, forcing them into playing well, and would not break the bank either as Defoe is not valued too highly because of his age and lack of prominence in the Spurs side. A striker is a must this summer as we just did not score enough goals last season and with money not in huge abundance, the new manager has to be wise with his signings and Defoe, for Liverpool, would represent great value for money.

Estimated Value – £8 million

After adding all of those estimated values together, an amount of roughly £50 million would be spent on players this summer. If reports in the media are to be believed, the new manager will not get anywhere near that much from the owners to spend. However, the very minimum you would expect a Liverpool manager to get for a summer transfer budget is £30-35 million so that, coupled with a few Anfield exits, could potentially provide the funds needed to make these five signings however, as previously mentioned, it is a distinct possibility that not all these players will be signed or even targeted.

We understand that only one of these players are English and we realise that FSG’s policy in the past has been to look at the best of the English talent, we also realise that particular tactic did not work last season. As these five players are a mix of youth, experience, pace, goals and creativity these are simply the five players we at Liverpoolfccorner believe would make Liverpool a force in the Premier League for next season.

Follow Me On Twitter - @AnujLFCPunj

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Guardiola Ready To Be Seduced By Liverpool

ARE we waking up to the news that every single Liverpool fan has been waiting for, the reason why FSG have remained silent until now about the Kings replacement and the headlines that could rock the Premier League to its core?

Well if Señor Guardiola is to be taken to his word then maybe, just maybe, Anfield could be about to welcome Pep to Liverpool Football club as their new Manager.

The news will thrill every Kopite and leave us coiled in anticipation of the next week’s events.

In an interview taken before the upcoming Spanish cup final against Europa League finalists and Manchester United conquerors Athletic Bilbao the mercurial Spaniard admits he could be ‘seduced’ into scrapping his 12 month sabbatical by accepting a role elsewhere.

When pressed on his future Guardiola said:

“I will receive all calls with pleasure, but for the next month I have to recharge my batteries and my mind. I will rest and wait. I will be ready, if one club wants me, if they seduce me, I will train again”.

His comments will no doubt have messrs Henry and Abramovich in a no holds barred battle to secure the much acclaimed Barcelona idol. With Roberto Di Matteo delivering the FA cup and UEFA Champions League for Chelsea already this month perhaps Pep would see Liverpool as a more interesting proposition and would relish the challenge of restoring one of the world’s greatest football clubs to its rightful place at the pinnacle of domestic and European football.

I think I speak for every Liverpool fan worldwide when I say I certainly hope so. YNWA!

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Liverpool planning fresh Guardiola approach

Liverpool will make another effort to discover this weekend whether they can convince Pep Guardiola to take over the managerial reins at Anfield.

The Reds have previously made enquires through Pere Guardiola, Pep's brother and also agent to Luis Suarez, but have not received a response from the outgoing Barcelona boss.

Guardiola had initially claimed he wanted to take a sabbatical from football to recharge his batteries, but hinted earlier this week that he could be willing to take on a new job in the summer.

That has put Chelsea and Liverpool on red alert, and the Reds will again try to make contact with the Spaniard, who won the Copa del Rey on Friday in his last match as Barca manager.

Roberto Martinez has already held initial talks with Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) but is thought to want more control over transfers than is being suggested at present.

Guardiola, on the other hand, is used to working in the sort of system FSG want to implement, with his focus on coaching the team while a sporting director identifies transfer targets.

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