Match Preview: Liverpool v Sevilla

The Reds will return to Champions League action on Wednesday when they face Sevilla at Anfield.

Liverpool held by Sevilla in Champions League opener

Liverpool began their Champions League group stage campaign with a 2-2 draw with Sevilla at Anfield on Wednesday.

Match Day: Liverpool 1-1 Burnley

Liverpool endured a frustrating afternoon at Anfield as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Burnley on Saturday.

Goal Highlights: Liverpool 1-1 Burnley

Liverpool is keen to make up for the frustration of Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Burnley.

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Showing posts with label pre season friendly. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pre season friendly. Show all posts

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Watch Liverpool last pre-season friendly highlights

Dublin-deciderDaniel Sturridge made his return from an ankle injury as Liverpool ended their 2013-14 pre-season preparations with a 1-0 loss to Celtic in the Dublin Decider at the Aviva Stadium.

The striker made an encouraging 45-minute appearance after missing the majority of the summer as the Reds were unfortunate to lose through an early Amido Balde strike.

The clash brings an end to a highly impressive run of friendlies, with Brendan Rodgers' side emerging victorious in all six of the battles that preceded the match against the Scottish side.

Despite appearing increasingly comfortable in possession in the early stages, the Reds found themselves a goal behind against the run of play, courtesy of Balde.

The towering striker managed to knock the ball around Andre Wisdom before his side-footed effort ricocheted off the onrushing Simon Mignolet's trailing leg - unfortunately it wasn't enough to alter the direction of the shot as the ball bounced into the back of the net.

That proved to be the catalyst for a flurry of attempts from Rodgers' charges that forced Celtic custodian Lukasz Zaluska into a string of impressive saves.

The Pole initially anticipated the danger well to race off his line and block Philippe Coutinho's shot from close range before producing a much more eye-catching stop just a minute later.

Stewart Downing cut in from the right flank before sweeping an attempt that was destined for the far corner before Zaluska acrobatically leapt across to palm away the danger.

Glen Johnson surged forward in typical fashion and broke through Celtic's backline but was foiled when his low shot was met by the diving 'keeper.

Full report: Official Liverpool FC

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Watch Liverpool beat Valerenga Highlights

Liverpool-v-ValerengaLiverpool extended their pre-season winning streak to six matches on Wednesday evening with an enjoyable 4-1 victory over Norwegian outfit Valerenga at the Ullevaal Stadium in Oslo.

In front of the club's principal owner, John Henry, the Reds maintained their impressive form through goals from Luis Alberto, Iago Aspas, Martin Kelly and Raheem Sterling; their clean sheet record was ended by Giancarlo Gonzalez, though.

The pre-match team news had confirmed nine changes to the Liverpool team which celebrated Steven Gerrard's testimonial by beating Olympiacos on Saturday - Joe Allen and Aspas the two men to retain their starting berth.

An incisive burst by Stewart Downing served notice of Liverpool's threat to the hosts as early as the third minute. The winger knocked the ball around his marker and showed lightning pace to collect the ball on the other side, before drilling a centre which Jordon Ibe was unfortunate not to connect with.

First-half captain Jordan Henderson whipped a free-kick high and wide in the eighth minute and Allen trained his sights with a wayward effort shortly after. Continuing the theme, Ibe skipped beyond two challenges to work space - a rash shot followed, though.

Aspas then had two inviting opportunities to break the deadlock on the quarter-hour. Downing claimed possession and drove forward in a two-on-one scenario, releasing the Spaniard to blast goalwards. Saved.

The summer signing swung a boot seconds later at the left edge of the box but his strike drifted the wrong side of the far post after taking a deflection. The subsequent corner looped off Andre Wisdom and briefly scared home goalkeeper Gudmund Taksdal Kongshavn, and Ibe directed an attempt off target as the Reds established control.

Full report: Official Liverpool FC

Friday, July 26, 2013

Pre-season friendly: Melbourne Victory 0-2 Liverpool

lfc-tourSteven Gerrard's first-half strike and a late Iago Aspas goal sealed an encouraging 2-0 win over Melbourne Victory in the second game of the Reds' three-match summer tour at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The skipper's composed finish and Aspas' tap-in epitomised the entire team's impressive performance as they eased their way to yet another victory to maintain their 100 per cent record in pre-season so far.

Wholesale changes were made in the second half and the starting side's replacements looked just as assured in front of the 95,000 sell-out crowd as Brendan Rodgers' squad continued their preparations for the 2013-14 campaign.

An opening quarter of an hour that was starved of goalmouth action forced both sides to bid to break the deadlock in more ambitious circumstances.
Raheem Sterling caught a sight of goal but unfortunately sliced his 25-yard effort wide before Andrew Nabbout tested Brad Jones from similar range. A firm effort from the front-man forced the Australian custodian to palm away the danger.

Gerrard cut across Sterling's pass with a fierce strike that Nathan Coe leapt across to save before the Victory goalkeeper was rendered helpless by the Reds captain shortly after the half-hour mark.

Joe Allen surged through midfield and showed patience before sliding a pinpoint pass through to the onrushing Gerrard, allowing the skipper to calmly tuck the ball into the corner.

Full report: Official Liverpool FC

Monday, July 15, 2013

Pre-season friendly: Preston North End 0-4 Liverpool

prestonvliverpoolDebutant Iago Aspas' second-half curling strike aided Liverpool to a comfortable 4-0 win over Preston North End in their Shankly Shield match at the Deepdale Stadium.

Jordon Ibe also scored his first senior Reds goal in what was a resounding win in Brendan Rodgers' side's first pre-season game ahead of the 2013-14 campaign.

New signings Luis Alberto, Simon Mignolet and Kolo Toure also featured as further composed finishes from Philippe Coutinho and Raheem Sterling helped ease the visitors to victory.

Amidst the intense heat within the ground, Daniel Agger was the first to test Lilywhites custodian Declan Rudd with a typically well-struck long-range drive.

The Dane - who was installed as captain for the day - drilled a stinging 30-yard shot that Rudd could only parry, before Preston quickly reacted to clear the danger.

Liverpool's constant pressing paid dividends in the 13th minute when Coutinho forced former Reds midfielder John Welsh into giving away a penalty.

The North End captain hesitated in possession deep into the home side's half before the determined Brazilian stole the ball away from him. In a desperate bid to regain possession, Welsh hauled the 21-year-old to the ground - leaving the referee no choice but to point to the spot.

After dusting himself off, Coutinho stepped up to casually tap the spot-kick into the corner - sending Rudd the wrong way in the process.

A period lacking goalmouth action ensued before Liverpool began re-applying pressure on Preston's backline.

Full report: Official Liverpool FC

Monday, August 13, 2012

Video Highlights: Liverpool 3-1 Bayer Leverkusen

Raheem Sterling took just three minutes to net his first senior Liverpool goal as the Reds completed their pre-season with a 3-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen.

The 17-year-old put the finishing touches to an incisive Liverpool move when he sprung clear of his marker and curled past Bernd Leno to open the scoring.

Lucas Leiva added a second before Andy Carroll fired home the Reds third and Sidney Sam clinched a late consolation goal for the visitors.

Sami Hyypia made his return to Anfield as Leverkusen manager and the crowd had barely finished chanting his name to welcome him back to his former home when Sterling broke clear and fired the Reds ahead.

Full report: Liverpool FC Official

Video source: FootyTube

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Monday, July 30, 2012

Video Highlights: Tottenham 0-0 Liverpool

lfc-tour-usaFabio Borini made his debut and Steven Gerrard returned as Liverpool brought their tour of North America and Canada to a close with a 0-0 draw against Barclays Premier League rivals Tottenham at the M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.

The new signing from Roma and the captain both played half an hour against Spurs as Brendan Rodgers introduced several players who had been handed extended leave following Euro 2012.
Spurs winger Gareth Bale had an instant chance to break the deadlock, running clear on goal straight from kick-off but his effort at Brad Jones was deflected out for a corner, which the Reds subsequently cleared.
Also making his first appearance in pre-season, Stewart Downing had the first sight of goal for the Reds, sending a cross-shot into the box from the right hand side which curled dangerously but not enough to trouble former Liverpool goalkeeper Brad Friedel.
Jonjo Shelvey, who impressed from midfield during the 2-1 defeat by Roma on Wednesday, showed positivity again from the centre, driving forward and planting a shot from distance into Friedel's hands on 13 minutes.
Tottenham tried to respond three minutes later, when young striker Harry Kane received a through ball inside the Reds' penalty area and guided a shot around Martin Skrtel which rolled narrowly wide.

Downing drifted in from his position on the right again in the 23rd minute and when his shot was blocked, the ball arrived at Adam Morgan, via Joe Cole, in a promising position but the striker dragged his attempt off target.

Full report: Liverpool FC Tour

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Thursday, July 26, 2012

Video Highlights: Liverpool FC 1-2 AS Roma

lfc-tour-usaLiverpool continued their pre-season preparations with a 2-1 defeat against Italian side Roma in front of a packed crowd at the historic Fenway Park in Boston.

Roma responded quickly and should have taken the lead when Pablo Osvaldo dribbled past Jamie Carragher and found himself one-on-one with Gulacsi, but again the Hungarian stood tall and pushed the shot around the post for a corner.

As both teams increased their tempo, Jonjo Shelvey almost helped the Reds break the deadlock twice in quick succession. First, the 20-year-old drove from midfield before sending a shot at goal which Lobont had to parry, then the midfielder played in Nathan Eccleston, whose rising shot went wide.

Two of the Reds' returning stars combined on 32 minutes but were denied by the woodwork. Alberto Aquilani's precise dink forward found Cole, who, spotting Lobont off his line, lobbed the 'keeper but saw his attempt bounce clear off the top of the crossbar.

Shelvey brought another save out of Lobont five minutes before half-time after creating a chance for himself out of nothing. The Reds No.33 carried the ball past two Roma defenders and hit a left-footed strike towards goal but the goalkeeper was down quickly to save, and Lobont was called into action again a minute before the break, stopping a Cole shot to ensure the half ended goalless.

Full report: Liverpool FC Official

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Monday, July 23, 2012

Video Highlights: Toronto FC 1-1 Liverpool FC

lfc-tour-usaBrendan Rodgers began his reign as Liverpool manager with a 1-1 draw against Toronto FC in their friendly at the Rogers Centre in Canada.

The Reds recovered from a goal behind to claim a draw with the Major League Soccer side, who took the lead through Quincy Amarikwa but were pegged back by Adam Morgan.

Rodgers took the opportunity to give 23 players a taste of the action during his first match as Liverpool boss, which also served as the opening fixture of the team's tour of North America and Canada.

There was an early chance for the Reds when Dani Pacheco was found free on the left edge of the area by Nathan Eccleston after 2 minutes, but the Spanish forward's cross was cleared.

The hosts, who are midway through their MLS season, had seen little of the ball during the opening seven minutes but created the first genuine opportunity of the match with their maiden attack.

Full report: Liverpool FC Official

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Friday, August 12, 2011

Liverpool FC’s Pre-Season - An Overview

After finishing the premier league season 2010-11 with a gusto , the expectations on the red on the red half of Merseyside were high.

A Liverpool side languishing in Twelfth had managed to salvage the season . Kenny Dalglish had worked his magic charm , the confidence was back and Liverpool were playing with a sting in their tail .

But , in retrospect , it was all too late and sixth was a paltry showing for a side boasting the likes of Pepe Reina , Jamie Carragher , Raul Meireles , Steven Gerrard , Glen Johnson , Dirk Kuyt and Luis Suarez.

Nevertheless , Melwood was buzzing with excitement in earnest for the new season.

The Liverpool side last season had a lot of glaring loopholes . Defensive  and attacking reinforcements were needed . Our New American owners made no secret of the fact that they were willing to invest heavily into the squad .

Kenny Dalglish drew out his transfer-targets and began pursuit swiftly. First in-line was the surprising signing of Sunderland's young midfielder Jordan Henderson . Much coveted over the last few seasons because of his impressive performances at the stadium of light , earning him a call-up to the senior side , signing him raised a few eyebrows.Considering Liverpool have a plethora of midfielders , Signing Henderson for £16 MILLION showed a level of intent.

Charlie Adam's rise to prominence in the premiership was unmissable . So, it was only fitting that Liverpool jumped into swoop for him. Liverpool have for the past few seasons, lacked some serious width and a quality winger . Stewart Downing had put in match-winning performances for Aston Villa since signing and after a long-drawn out transfer saga , Downing put pen-to-paper on a five year deal at Anfield. Roma's Alexander Doni was next signed on a free . The Brazilian having endured  a poor season with Roma , having fallen out of favour in Rome. In Doni , Liverpool possess an experienced back-up for Reina.

All the right moves were made in the transfer market and , now it was time for the players to function as a cohesive unit.

Pre-season is all about getting the players back into the right frame of mind , getting their fitness up to the mark and using a lot of the fringe players to gauge the depth of the squad. The pre-season fixture list was drawn up and Liverpool's fixtures were as follows - A trip to Asia , Hull City , Galatasaray , Valarenga and Valencia .

Copa America winner Luis Suarez was given the month off , Steven Gerrard was still recovering from a groin infection while all the new signings were expected to get a good run-out.

Pre-season gives the manager a clear indications of his side's strengths and weaknesses.

Liverpool have a massive fan base in Asia . So , it was a good ploy  football and business-wise to play two friendlies in Malaysia and Singapore .

Liverpool kicked off their pre-season against Guangdong Sunray Cave. The game ,  on the whole was controlled by Liverpool . In the first half , Liverpool raced ahead with goals from David N'Gog and Christien Poulsen and stamped their immediate authority in the first half only have a goal pulled back because of slack marking. Kenny Dalglish rang out wholesale changes in the second half with the introduction of Charlie Adam , Alberto Aquilani in particular .The impressive Conner Coady scored the third slotting home brilliantly after trading passes with Andy Carroll

Charlie Adam showed glimpses of his wonderful array of passes , Liverpool showboated in the front of the cheering Chinese supporters. But football is an unpredictable game and Liverpool were caught napping as two quick-fire goals from The excellent Lu Lin and Ying Hongbo took the gloss of an established Liverpool performance . The Match ended 4-3 .

Next up for Liverpool was a trip to Malaysia to face the Malaysia XI . Liverpool started off well but faded off as the half wore on . Charlie Adam scored his first Liverpool through the penalty spot to give Liverpool the lead . Safiq Rahim equalised with a superb free-kick to make it 1-1 . The game sparked into action in the second half with both teams playing attractive ,flowing football. But Liverpool's experience and skill overwhelmed the Malaysian resistance as 2 goals each from David N'gog and Maxi Rodriguez put Liverpool into the driving seat.Malaysia XI fought back bravely though with quick goals from S.Sali but a Dirk Kuyt Goal demolished all hopes of a remarkable comeback . Liverpool winning comfortably on the night 6-3 . Alberto Aquilani was the standout performer for Liverpool pulling all the strings in central midfield.

However , the trend emerging was Liverpool's inability to keep a clean sheet. After the Asian escapade it was back to England for the remaining fixtures .

Hull City at the KC Stadium was Liverpool's next encounter.

Liverpool's new signings Jordan Henderson and Stewart Downing were on the bench while Alexander Doni was given his debut. Hull City started the sharper of the two sides and  broke the deadlock on 21 minutes with a superb strike from on-loan Manchester United youngster Robbie Brady. The home side doubled their lead 13 minutes later when Slovenian international Robert Koren found the net after working a one-two with Aaron McLean.Dalglish made 11 changes at half-time but failed to change the outcome of the game as Hull added a third following sloppy Liverpool defending to cap an impressive 3-0 win . Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson failed to make a mark but showed a few touches of class . Next up on the menu was a daunting trip to Istanbul,Turkey. It was built-up as Liverpool's glorious return to the unforgettable city of Istanbul that marked the club's most famous triumph in 2005.

Galatasaray possess a lot of Europe's has-been coupled with skilful youth . Surprisingly , Liverpool fielded an under-strength squad with Charlie Adam , Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson not travelling with the squad. The game from the onset was dominated by an experienced Galatasaray squad . Two goals from former red Milan Baros and a thumping Volley from Johan Elmander sealed the game on a rather forgettable night for the reds. The Liverpool attack lacked cohesion and the defending was shambolic at times. Although a friendly , the manner of the defeat left much to be desired . Liverpool went back to the drawing board and after a hard workout at Melwood travelled to Oslo to play unfancied Norwegian Valerenga . Liverpool put out a strong amidst criticism following the Galatasaray game with Glen Johnson (playing his first game) Jordan Henderson , Charlie Adam , Stewart Downing , Dirk Kuyt , Daniel Agger and Andy Carroll all starting. Liverpool dominated the early exchanges with Downing , Kuyt and Carroll linking up well. Valerenga took the lead though against the run of play with a low cross from the left that was neatly slotted home by Lars Iver Strand . Minutes later the Norwegian’s went two ahead as the ball broke to Yssouf Kone inside the Liverpool box and, while he was in the act of shooting, he was carelessly, clipped by Charlie Adam and the referee showed no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Fegor Ogude finished off a neat penalty giving Reina no chance . Liverpool huffed-puffed after that without threatening the Valerenga Goal . Just before the half-time interval , the impressive Stewart Downing delivered a delightful cross towards Andy Carroll who controlled and finished a well worked goal . In the second half , Liverpool grew into the game and dominated possession following the introduction of Alberto Aquilani . The Italian International , rumoured with a move away from the club , forcing two good saves from the Valerenga keeper . The Liverpool pressure finally paid off as Daniel Agger scored off two Aquilani corners to put Liverpool 3-2 up . Liverpool looked to have pulled a narrow comeback only to be denied by a wonderful 20 yard goal from Mohammad fellah as he dribbled past two Liverpool defenders and struck a rasping left-footed shot past the helpless Reina. The match ended 3-3 , a fair result in the end.

Liverpool's final pre-season game was at Anfield against Valencia . On paper , Valencia was the toughest fixture . The pressure was on the hosts as they needed to perform in front a expectant crowd following a mixed pre-season. After a cagey start , Valencia defender Davil Albelda made a back pass that was intercepted by Andy Carroll and after his initial shot hit the post , He made sure of the rebound finishing expertly from an acute angle to give Liverpool the lead. Juan Mata found himself overshadowed by a decade of Premier League experience in Downing, whose barrage of deliveries into the Valencia area began in the opening minutes. Valencia barely threatened Pepe Reina's goal and they failed to find their rhythm . The second half continued much like the first with a pedestrian Valencia performance and Liverpool failing to make the most of Downing's whipped balls from the flanks. The game got its second goal as Sotirios Kyrgiakos scrambled home a Jay Spearing free-kick from the Left . Liverpool ran out comfortable victors with a deserved 2-0 victory . The victory came at a cost as Glen Johnson picked up an Hamstring strain which will rule him out for two weeks.

And with that , came to end a mixed pre-season for Liverpool FC having won 3 games , losing 2 and drawing 1 .

The fringe players showed a lack of class and skill . Players like Christian Poulsen , Jonjo Shelvey ,Emiliano Insua , Philip Degen ,David N'gog, Daniel Ayala and Joe Cole are far from proving they are Liverpool material . The youth players like Andre Wisdom , John Flanagan , Conner Coady , Jack Robinson and Raheem Sterling impressed and showed that the future is bright for Liverpool football club. Amongst the most notable indicators from pre-season were Liverpool's lack of defensive cover , inconsistent attacking play and creativity in the final third . At times , they looked one-dimensional with their direct passing . Alberto Aquilani was easily Liverpool's best player combining immense technical ability with flair and accurate passing . Liverpool's new signings Charlie Adam and Stewart Downing put in able performances . Jordan Henderson needs to play more games to justify his £16 million price tag. Daniel Agger needs to remain fit in order to steady the defensive shift . Andy Carroll looked sharp in the final two games . With Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez to come back into the squad , Liverpool have the necessary depth this season to finish in the top four . Consistency in the away games has been Liverpool's downfall past seasons . With abundant and variable resources available this time , it remains to be seen what actually transpires on the football pitch.

Written by Mayank Adhye, who blogs at The Musical Escapade and also a Reds supporter.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Video: Liverpool 2-0 Valencia

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Pre-season: Liverpool 2-0 Valencia

Andy Carroll was on target as Liverpool concluded their pre-season programme with a 2-0 win against Valencia on Saturday evening.

The No.9 fired in at the second attempt after just six minutes before substitute Dirk Kuyt bundled in a late clincher as Kenny Dalglish's side warmed up for next week's curtain-raiser with Sunderland in style.

The Reds played some vibrant attacking football at times and the added bonus of a clean sheet will have left the squad buoyed heading into 2011-12.

On what began as a sunny afternoon in L4, Fabio Aurelio's first appearance since May was the subject of the pre-match natter as a trio of the club's new recruits were also handed their first Anfield experience in a red shirt.

Stewart Downing, Charlie Adam and Jordan Henderson were all starters as the boss looked to use the encounter as a dress rehearsal for the showdown with the Black Cats.

The visitors arrived in the early stages of their preparations for 2011-12 and the opportunity was there for Liverpool to make a fast start.

An exquisite flick from Alberto Aquilani had the Kop purring early doors before Downing and Henderson combined to tee up an almighty goalmouth melee that Los Che just about survived.

Next it was Aurelio's run and pass that released Downing once again but the winger's teasing, low cross just evaded Carroll in the centre.

There was a definite feeling in the air that Liverpool weren't far off an opener and on six minutes they were handed the initiative.

David Albelda under hit a woeful back pass allowing Carroll to rampage in on goal. The England forward saw his first shot rebound back off the post via Diego Alves's fingertips and had to follow in to tuck home from a tight angle.

It was the perfect start for King Kenny and co but there joy was soured just moments later when Glen Johnson was forced off through injury.

The visitors had barely set foot in the Reds half at the quarter of an hour mark but finally gave a warning of their quality on the break when Mehmet Topal came close to diverting a left-wing cross beyond Pepe Reina.

Liverpool responded and Henderson let fly with a low effort from distance before Carroll once again took advantage of a defensive error, but this time his shot was too tame to beat Alves.

The frustration seemed to get the better of the England man who responded by launching into a late challenge on Adil Rami that may well have resulted in more than a yellow card in a competitive encounter.

Read more: Liverpool FC Official

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Friday, August 5, 2011

Watch Liverpool FC v Valencia Live

liverpool v valencia Liverpool is going to meet Valencia tomorrow. Liverpool v Valencia match will be held at Anfield in a pre-season friendly match. Watch Liverpool v Valencia live stream online with LFC.tv Online from 4.30pm UK time.

Alternately, for all Malaysian Liverpool fans with Astro sports package subscription, you can catch the match live on Astro SuperSport 3 channel 817 from 12.25am, 7th August.

Kenny Dalglish's Liverpool play their last game of pre-season against Spanish outfit Valencia, before next weekend's big kick-off against Sunderland in the Barclays Premier League.

Valencia finished third in La Liga last season behind Barcelona and Real Madrid and are a very talented outfit.

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Thursday, August 4, 2011

Rumour Mill: Liverpool gearing up for a defender swoop

Kenny Dalglish Kenny Dalglish is working hard to shipped out the deadwoods at Anfield to refill his transfer kitty for at least one more new player before the new season kick-off.

Liverpool FC are weighting their option on moving Joe Cole to QPR and are keen to reduce their wage load. Milan Jovanovic, who are certain to be moving to the Belgian club after Liverpool agreed terms with Anderlecht on Tuesday evening.

A woeful pre-season defensive display from Liverpool FC which saw them leaking three goals each against Guangdong FC, Malaysia XI, Hull City, Galatasaray and Valerenga. With Martin Skrtel out on a calf injury, the 26-year-old played every minute of the Merseyside club's Premier League campaign last season, but has suffered with the injury during pre-season.

Dalglish would like to sign a new centre-back as cover for his team and Scott Dann and Ryan Shawcross names has been recently linked with a move to Anfield.

Elsewhere, reports has indicated Hull City manager Nigel Peearson are interested in signing Liverpool centre-back Daniel Ayala. The Tigers have made six signings already this summer but are still keen to add the 20-year-old to their ranks.

Dalglish is believed to rate Ayala in the £1million bracket but it is not known whether Hull agree with that valuation.

Now signing a new centre-back would be the top priority for Dalglish as Jamie Carragher and Sotirios Kyrgiakos are over 30-years-old. While Daniel Agger are injury prone and only left Academy graduate Andre Wisdom who recently signed an extension contract as cover plus Danny Wilson available for selection. If the Hull’s story are to be true, then Liverpool are freeing up the centre-back slot for a new player soon.

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Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Video: Valerenga 3-3 Liverpool

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Pre-season: Valerenga 3-3 Liverpool

Valengra-v-Liverpool Goals from Andy Carroll and Daniel Agger (2) secured a 3-3 draw with Valerenga as grief-stricken Oslo hosted our penultimate friendly ahead of the 2011-12 campaign.

Early strikes from Lars Iver Strand and Fegor Ogude put the Norwegian side ahead but Liverpool clawed it back to lead 3-2 before a last-gasp goal from Mohammed Fellah gave the home side a share of the spoils.

Kenny Dalglish can take the return of Agger, Glen Johnson, and Pepe Reina as positives, while Stewart Downing's delivery was impressively accurate, notably in assisting Carroll's goal just before half-time.

A header from Agger levelled proceedings before the centre-back netted again late on to give the Reds what seemed set to be a hard fought victory - but it wasn't to be.

The game was preceded by a stirring rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone, the lyrics of which have rarely sounded so poignant following the death of 77 people here in last month's terrorist attacks. The teams then made their way onto the pitch wearing black armbands and, after a minute's silence, every Liverpool player carried a solitary flower to the Valerenga end - a touching show of unity from a football club all too aware of its sizeable fanbase in this part of the world.

Then to the football. Liverpool immediately looked sharper than previously witnessed in pre-season, with Downing wandering down the right and Charlie Adam tucked in on the left.

Read more: Liverpool FC Official

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Friday, July 29, 2011

Video: Galatasaray 3-0 Liverpool

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Pre-season: Galatasaray 3-0 Liverpool

galatasaray v liverpool Milan Baros scored twice against his former club as Liverpool slipped to a 3-0 defeat to Galatasaray in Istanbul on Thursday evening.

The ex-Reds forward netted a brace in a dominant first-half display by the hosts at the boisterous Turk Telekom Arena.

First, Baros hooked a volley beyond Alexander Doni to break the deadlock on eight minutes before converting with a close-range header just before half-time.

Liverpool posed more of a threat in a much improved second-half display, though they were unable to breach the Galatasaray rearguard and Johan Elmander's late volley ensured the Turkish side claimed victory.

Kenny Dalglish named a youthful-looking squad for Liverpool's journey to Turkey, and the starting XI contained the likes of John Flanagan, Jack Robinson, Jonjo Shelvey, and Martin Kelly.

There was a more experienced feel to the attack, though, with Andy Carroll partnered by Joe Cole, while Sotirios Kyrgiakos captained the side.

New signings Charlie Adam, Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson remained on Merseyside ahead of Monday's trip to Norway.

Meanwhile, a few familiar faces in Galatasaray's team selection, not least one of the Reds' many heroes from that epic night at the Ataturk Stadium in 2005, Baros.

The Turk Telekom Arena may have only opened in January, but it already has a place in the Guinness Book of World records for generating the loudest crowd noise at a sports stadium - and that was certainly in evidence as a wall of noise greeted the opening exchanges.

The decibel levels certainly seemed to have the desired impact upon Galatasaray, and they should have taken the lead just 30 seconds in, but Baros stabbed wide when released into space inside the area.

Moments later, Arda Turan looped a header narrowly wide of Alexander Doni's far post as the hosts looked to seize immediate control of the contest.

Gala's early pressure paid dividends on eight minutes, however, as Baros broke the deadlock against his former employers, hooking in a low right-wing cross from 12 yards to capitalise on some slack marking inside the box.

The best Liverpool could muster in response in the opening exchanges was a wayward Carroll effort from distance as the Turkish side maintained their early tempo.

As the half-hour mark loomed, Selcuk Inan's audacious chip from the edge of the box did little to trouble Doni, while at the other end Jonjo Shelvey's in swinging free-kick only just evaded both Carroll and Kyrgiakos in the centre.

Back came Galatasaray and Baros saw a powerful downward header parried away by Doni before Inan's follow up was deflected behind by Martin Kelly.

Liverpool's No.34 spurned a gilt-edged chance on 36 minutes when he turned Kyrgiakos's knockdown wide when inside the six-yard box when free, though the linesman's flag was raised for an infringement, before Doni pushed Turan's low drive around the base of the post.

And Galatasaray's lead was extended four minutes before the break when a near-post flick at a corner for the home side found Baros in space at the back post, and the Czech forward made no mistake with his close-range header.

Shelvey lofted a shot wide in first-half stoppage time, but after an opening 45 minutes dominated by the home side, the half-time whistle would provide the Reds with a chance to regroup.

Dalglish opted to introduce Dirk Kuyt and Alberto Aquilani into the equation during the interval, as well as Brad Jones, and there were signs of an improved showing in the early stages of the second period as Carroll saw a header parried by substitute Ufuk Ceylan.

The introduction of Kuyt and Aquilani helped Liverpool take the game by the scruff of the neck, and the pair combined brilliantly only to see the latter's effort thwarted by a fine save by Gala's goalkeeper.

Liverpool continued to probe, with Gala struggling to replicate the intensity of their first-half performance.

With time ticking away, Ceylan blocked another aerial attempt from Carroll but Galatasaray made sure of victory when former Bolton striker Elmander netted with a stunning volley from the edge of the box.

By: James Carroll

Source: Liverpool FC Official

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Sunday, July 24, 2011

Video: Tigers maul Liverpool

Source: TUFFGONGJR

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Pre-season: Hull 3-0 Liverpool

Hull City v Liverpool Stewart Downing, Jordan Henderson and Alexander Doni made their debuts as Liverpool fell to a 3-0 defeat to Championship side Hull City on Saturday.

Goals from Robert Brady, Robert Koren and Jay Simpson gave the Tigers a friendly victory they will remember on a day when Kenny Dalglish fielded 22 players in a bid to get his hefty squad fit for the 2011-12 campaign.

Both sides wore black armbands in respect for those killed in yesterday's terrorist attack in Norway, where the Reds have a massive fan-base.

Dalglish will not be overly worried by the result, with fitness the main concern at this stage, and he will now turn his attentions to Thursday's match with Galatasaray.

Joe Cole made clear his intention to impress from the off with a delightful pass down the wing to Martin Kelly, who skewed his cross behind for a goal kick.

But it was the side that finished 11th in the Championship last season who threatened first, Aaron McLean pinging over after a misplaced pass from Jack Robinson.

Our 17-year-old full-back, who became Liverpool's youngest ever player on this ground at the end of 2009-10, soon made amends with a superbly timed tackle on Liam Rosenior.

Former Manchester United youngster Brady forced a first save in Liverpool colours from debutant Doni, who smothered comfortably at his near post.

The Brazilian had no chance on 21 minutes, however, following a neat move from Hull which started with left-back Joe Dudgeon and ended with a top-corner finish from the edge of the box by Brady.

Liverpool almost hit straight back with a magical pass from Alberto Aquilani which put David Ngog into a few yards of space, but the Frenchman was denied by a brilliant save from our own out-on-loan stopper Peter Gulacsi. Cole attempted to convert the parry but his effort spun well over.

Conor Coady was next to open up the Hull defence with another smart ball to Ngog, whose touch let him down this time.

At the other end, Hull captain Koren floated a free-kick towards the penalty spot where an unmarked McLean waited to execute a powerful header that flew just over the bar.

The two Hull men combined again for the home side's second goal, working an intricate one-two outside the penalty area before Koren thumped beyond Doni with a strike he'll dream about tonight.

The final chance of the first half for Liverpool followed a lofted ball from Aquilani which was met with a decent first touch from Ngog before possession was stolen by Paul McShane.

And so Liverpool went in 2-0 down at the break, though Dalglish will have been heartened by the adventure his midfielders showed with the ball and in particular the performance of young Coady.

The Liverpool boss made 11 changes at half-time, with new boys Henderson and Downing among those introduced for their debuts.

John Flanagan offered his greetings with a crunching tackle which would have earned more than a ticking off from the referee had this been a competitive encounter.

Downing was just a few inches away from opening his Reds account within two minutes of the restart, prompting a fingertip save from Adriano Basso with a right-foot hit following a pass from Dirk Kuyt.

This was a very different Liverpool to that seen in the first half, with Kuyt, Charlie Adam, Henderson and Andy Carroll all looking to impose themselves on the game.

Downing was next to test Basso with another low drive but the angle was too acute for the substitute goalkeeper to be seriously bothered.

Hull's third goal was unexpected, then, and Liverpool will be disappointed with the way they defended Kevin Kilbane's cross on 58 minutes, allowing the ball to be chested down to Simpson, who couldn't fail to beat Brad Jones from close range.

Liverpool almost pulled one back on 68 minutes when Adam squared across goal but Carroll couldn't make meaningful contact and the ball disappeared wide of goal.

A hat-trick of corners failed to produce anything for the visitors, while a terrific cross from Flanagan looked to be heading for the forehead of Carroll until Paul McKenna earned the appreciation of 20,924 fans with a superb intervention.

Kuyt and Flanagan both had chances to get their names on the scoresheet in the final seconds but it wasn't to be.

Source: Liverpool FC Official

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