Weekend Links: A view on English prospects in this season's Champions League, Wayne Rooney – Some role model, eh?, Wayne Rooney Saga, United held, Chelsea win, Giants suffer comprehensive defeats

Another round of weekend links from me. This week’s focus on “Looney” Rooney and fall of the titan in Spain. Want to have your post mentioned here? Find out more here.

 

A view on English prospects in this season's Champions League – 90 Minutes

English clubs are becoming more obsessed than ever about winning the Champions League. Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham are on the road to try and claim their first win in this great competition whilst Manchester United are trying to reclaim it. [Read more…]

 

Wayne Rooney – Some role model, eh? – Football Corner

This is what Wayne Rooney had to say when asked about his position as a role model in the game back in March following the revelations surrounding John Terry’s private life. [Read more…]

 

Wayne Rooney Saga – Football News Blog

Wayne Rooney would have not been the first person to of used football to escape demons on his personal life. Rooney wanted to be professional and not let his personal life affect his work, any one who works can understand that you have to leave your problems at home. The problem is that while scoring on Tuesday night delighted a nation, his professional life will not affect his personal life, while his personal life could affect his professional life. [Read more…]

 

United held, Chelsea win – Prem League Live

Wayne Rooney was left at home as Manchester United threw away two points at Everton courtesy of Mikel Arteta's dramatic equaliser. [Read more…]

 

Giants suffer comprehensive defeats – Premiership Talk

Champions League favorites Barcelona and AC Milan did little to prove their credentials ahead of the midweek’s group stage openers when they both succumbed to 2-0 defeats against minnows Hercules and Cesena, respectively. [Read more…]

 

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Liverpool on the brinks into administration

Tom Hicks and George Gillett's ill-starred reign as owners of Liverpool looks like having less than a month to run after the club's loans with Royal Bank of Scotland were placed into its toxic-assets division.

The deadline for the refinancing of the owners' personal loans from RBS is 6 October, and that now looks set to be the date that Hicks and Gillett's association with England's most successful club will end. The bank's decision to switch the debts to its Global Restructuring Group is the strongest possible signal that these loans will not be extended.

The co-owners' previous attempt to refinance the debts in June, when they are believed to have offered to secure the loans against their US assets, was overruled by the club's board, led by the chairman, Martin Broughton. Now, with the loans having been shifted into RBS's so-called "bad bank", where all toxic assets have been housed since last year, it is clear the club's lender has also adopted a more steely stance towards the Americans.

According to the club's accounts to July 2009 Liverpool's owners owe £237.4million to RBS. Through companies in the UK and overseas, Hicks and Gillett are also personally exposed to tens of millions of pounds in other commitments to the club and its lender. These have been a mixture of cash, which the pair have injected through equity, and guarantees to the RBS loans. Last year's accounts stated these amounted to £145.3million, but it is believed to have risen dramatically after the last refinancing agreed five months ago.

RBS would hope to achieve an orderly sale without having to take control of Liverpool. However, depending on the terms of the April refinancing agreement – which have never been made public – that may prove difficult if the co-owners, who value the club at £800million, refuse to go quietly.

One tool at RBS's disposal is to force the insolvency of Liverpool's UK parent and associated companies. It is clear from mortgage documents lodged with Companies House that in the event of default RBS has the power to place Kop Football and Kop Football (Holdings), as well as Gillett's loan-security vehicle, Football UK Ltd, into administration. However that would be unpalatable for the bank, Liverpool's board and the Premier League since it would require the imposition of a nine-point penalty on the club.

Gérard Houllier's return to English football with Aston Villa provides a reminder of how little and everything has changed about Liverpool since the need for new investment prompted former chairman David Moores to accept the Americans' £5,000 per share offer. Houllier spent years bemoaning Liverpool's inability to compete financially with Manchester United and Chelsea (though Arsenal's achievements at that time always undermined his argument) and was sacked after an alarming dip in form, bad buys and with Liverpool fearing they could be cut adrift while losing the services of two disillusioned stars – Michael Owen and Steven Gerrard.

Replace Owen with Fernando Torres this summer and the parallels are clear yet, even though the calls for Houllier's removal far exceeded those for Benítez, Liverpool's support is now politicised like never before. Instead of bridging the gap, Hicks and Gillett have cut Liverpool adrift – from title contention, the Champions League and from the faithful. Hicks hoped to win the latter back by ceding to Benítez's demands on his last, powerful contract at Anfield, but he had no chance.

Offering Jürgen Klinsmann a European Cup-winning manager's job turned the tide of public opinion against the co-owners, but a bigger mistake was to redraw plans for a new 60,000-capacity stadium on Stanley Park within weeks of their takeover. It was pre-credit crunch, and planning permission and European funding was in place for a stadium that was estimated to cost £215million.

The verdict was returned long ago. And they never did buy Snoogy-Doogy.

Source: Guardian UK

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Carragher week: 1 career, 23 pictures

By Paul Hassall of Liverpoolfc.tv

Jamie Carragher will mark his 15th season as a first-team player with Liverpool in a testimonial versus an Everton XI on Saturday - here's his career to-date in 23 great pictures.

 

The ultimate one-club player, and with one of the biggest hearts in football, Jamie Carragher is Mr Liverpool.

The vice-captain has been instrumental in the Reds' success over the last decade, during which he's made more than 500 appearances.

One of the heroes of Istanbul, it's hard to imagine that famous comeback occurring without him.

His Liverpool journey began back in October 1996 when he signed professional terms following a successful apprenticeship.

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Liverpool completes the signing of Fulham defender

Liverpool have today completed the signing of Paul Konchesky on a four-year contract.

The 29-year-old full-back moves to Anfield from Fulham after agreeing terms with the Reds and passing a medical.

Youngsters Lauri Dalla Valle and Alex Kacaniklic have made the switch from Anfield to Craven Cottage as part of the deal.

Konchesky has been allocated the number 3 shirt in Roy Hodgson's squad.

Source: Liverpoolfc.tv

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Video: Javier Mascherano unveiled at Barcelona

Javier Mascherano has been unveiled at the Nou Camp after completing his transfer from Liverpool to Barcelona.

 

The Argentine midfielder passed a medical at the Nou Camp earlier today and has now put pen to paper on his new contract. 

Mascherano made 139 appearances and scored two goals for Liverpool during his three years at the club.

 

Adios, Javier.

Source: Telegraph UK

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Fulham full back on the verge of Anfield switch

Fulham’s Paul Konchesky is set for a move to Liverpool and is believed to be travelling to Merseyside for a medical this weekend.

The 29 year-old Englishman is expected to cost Liverpool around £4million and will see him link up with former boss Roy Hodgson at Anfield.

Konchesky’s transfer can be completed now as Fulham have signed their replacement for him, PSV’s Mexican international Carlos Salcido – a player Liverpool were also interested in.

Meanwhile, reports suggest that The Cottagers are in talks with two Liverpool youngsters, Lauri Dalla Valle and Alex Kacaniklic. The teenagers had medicals at Fulham.

This story has been reproduced from the media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.

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Reds complete Meireles deal

Liverpool have completed the signing of Portuguese midfielder Raul Meireles on a four-year contract.

With Javier Mascherano heading to Barcelona, supporters were anxious to see whether Hodgson would be given the chance to reinvest the substantial fee the club will receive for the Argentine.

That is most certainly the case as Mierles, one of Portugal’s stand out performers at the World Cup finals, will plug the gap left by Mascherano’s departure.

Meireles will cost Liverpool £10.7million and his move will be made official once he has completed the formalities of passing a medical and agreeing personal terms.

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Mascherano set for move

Liverpool Football Club have agreed terms for the transfer of Javier Mascherano to FC Barcelona.

The Spanish club have now been given permission to speak to the Argentina midfielder.

The transfer appears to be nearing completion, with the Argentina captain now in the Catalan city to put the finishing touches to the deal.

Mascherano joined Liverpool from West Ham in 2007, initially on a loan deal that was turned into a four-year contract in 2008.

Barcelona failed in an attempt to lure him to Spain last summer but on his return from the World Cup in July, Mascherano made it clear he wanted to leave Anfield, saying his wife could not settle in England.

Since taking charge of Liverpool in July, Hodgson has been eager to end the uncertainty surrounding Mascherano's future.

More than a year after he first asked to leave the club , the 26 year-old is expected to travel to Barcelona this weekend for a medical before signing a four-year contract worth around £90,000 a week.

Adiós.

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