Liverpool FC News: Robbie Keane can fire Liverpool to glory

Liverpool FC News: Robbie Keane can steer Liverpool to Title, says Benitez

Robbie Keane

Robbie Keane goes to his old Tottenham Hotspur stamping ground on Saturday with a glowing vote of confidence from his Liverpool manager, Rafael Benitez. In the latest Liverpool news Benitez believes players like Robbie Keane have made Liverpool, the leaders of the Premier League, superior even to his 2005 Champions League winners.

Keane took time to settle at Anfield following his £20million summer move from White Hart Lane but Benitez has no doubts Robbie the Irishman will prosper and add to his tally of two goals. "He has experience and he knows in a top side like Liverpool you have to win, to score goals, but he is working very hard,'' Benitez said.

"People talked about the work-rate of [Dirk] Kuyt and now he is scoring goals and Robbie Keane will be the same. Desire is the key word. He has passion. He's a Liverpool fan.''

Benitez, who reiterated his view that Spurs made a mistake in sacking Juande Ramos, will decide this morning whether to start Fernando Torres, who has recovered from his hamstring problem, or continue with Robbie Keane as his central striker.

Keane can play wide but Benitez argued that his best position was "clearly as a second striker or one of the strikers with some freedom because he has good movement''. The arrival of Keane and the Spanish winger, Albert Riera, has enhanced Benitez's belief in the team.

"We won the Champions League because it was a good team,'' the Liverpool manager said. "Now this team I feel is a little bit better. We knew technically Riera is good. Physically he is a good player for the Premier League. He is a winner. He takes responsibility.''

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Football Gossip

Football Gossip: Pennant winging his way to Blackburn?
Football gossip has it that Blackburn have been told by Liverpool to bid six million pounds for Jermaine Pennant, or forget it.

Paul Ince obviously is looking for a replacement for David Bentley and Pennant obviously fits the bill. Footy Focus can't for the life of us understand why Pennant is not getting a game in a Liverpool team that has as much width as a credit card standing on its edge, and as much pace as Joe Royle in his TV chair.

The game against Middlesbrough was crying out for a bit of pace and invention down the flanks, yet he was nowhere to be seen. The football gossip has it that Rafa Benitez is reluctant to sell him, as it's too late to replace him. Nonsense! He's not anywhere near getting a game!

If this football gossip is right, we think Liverpool will regret selling Pennant to Blackburn. The lad is very talented, only 25 and could well at last be maturing into one hell of a player!

Tom Hicks pulls plug on DIC purchase

Hicks aiming to hold all the power as he pulls the plug on DIC

Tom Hicks has ended negotiations with DIC over their proposed purchase of 49% of Liverpool Football Club. Citing DIC's requirement to run the club by 'committee', he has ended the delicate negotiations that were going on in Dubai.

Hicks today said: "Based on a meeting held earlier today in Dubai between my representatives and officials of Dubai International Capital LLC, as well as other recent contacts between us and them, I have decided to terminate any further discussions with DIC regarding their possible purchase of a minority stake in Kop and, in turn, in the Club.DIC made it clear that if they invested in the Club, they would want it to be managed by committee."

"Based on my thirteen years of successful experience as an owner of professional sports teams, and based in particular on the situation at Liverpool Football Club over the past year, it is clear to me that such a committee approach would not be in the best interest of Kop, of the Club or of the Club's loyal and passionate supporters.Accordingly, I have decided to exercise my right under the Kop Football (Holdings) Limited partnership agreement to veto any sale of any portion of Kop and the Club to DIC. I and my colleagues and representatives will continue to explore a number of other options with regard to the ownership of Kop and the Club aimed at achieving an appropriate ownership, financial and organisational structure for Kop and the Club over the long term."

It is now unclear exactly what will happen next after this surprise move. Is it a prelude to a Hicks total sell-off, a mere tactic as the negotiations unfold or has Hicks really walked away to seek other options? George Gillett clearly wants to sell, DIC want to buy, but it seems the sticking point has been the issue of who will have the major say in running Liverpool. Minority shareholder rights are obviously significantly more limited than the majority holders, and it appears an impasse has been reached due to DIC wanting to mitigate this.

Hicks is clearly in trouble attempting to raise finances to own Liverpool outright, he cannot go on working with Gillett, so he has to resolve the situation somehow, but how this will end up is anyones guess. DIC seem very determined to get Liverpool in the long run, but they are dealing with an equally determined man in Tom Hicks.

Meanwhile Liverpool are in Milan preparing for their second leg game against Inter Milan, after winning the first leg 2-0. Missing are Xabi Alonso and Steve Finnan, but Javier Mascherano is back in the squad after pulling a hamstring in the 4-0 win against West Ham.

DIC Takeover - Liverpool fans urges Hicks & Gillett to sell

Liverpool fans stage half-time 'sit in' and send message across the Atlantic

Liverpool's fans staged a half-time 'sit in' during their Premier League 4-0 victory against West Ham and made a barrage of noise against Liverpool's American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett. "Liverpool Football Club is in the wrong hands," fans sang while banners where unfurled that read read "Take ya bounty and get out of our club" and "Dubai SOS. Yank Out." Fans are upset that Hicks and Gillett, who bought the club in March, have saddled the club with debt and large interest payments, after denying they would do so, have failed to progress building a new stadium and sought to replace popular manager Rafa Benitez in a covert meeting with Jurgen Klinsmann.

 

There's no denying that this protest is exactly what DIC has sought to instigate, with its briefings and public comments to the media. Rather than this story coming to a rapid conclusion, it is only the beginning in an end-game DIC will hope see them gain full control of Liverpool. DIC are now seeking Gillett's share, while hoping to force Hicks into also selling via fan pressure. They are clearly seeking to exploit the fan's distaste for the Americans by increasing the protests against them, to the point where their position becomes untenable.

 

Hicks has repeatedly said he wants to keep is stake in the club, while Gillett has signaled a willingness to sell. However, Hicks has said he can block Gillett from selling. Also it is widely being reported that despite the public stance Hicks is continuing to talk to DIC. DIC clearly think they have a good chance of wresting control of Liverpool from Hicks and Gillett and are upping the ante' in their attempt to do so. Reports are now surfacing of an increased offer to Gillett, that would allow him to walk away with 80 million pound profit. Gillett is disputing this and puts the figure at 40 million.

 

This whole sorry, tawdry tale has some time to run yet and who knows the eventual outcome. As a Liverpool fan I only wish for a rich owner and stability!

DIC Liverpool takeover - midnight deadline or its off

DIC tell Hicks and Gillett its midnight or your dreaming

The battle to gain control of Liverpool is rapidly reaching a climax, with DIC telling Tom Hicks and George Gillett they have until midnight to accept their offer of 400 million or they will walk away.

DIC also upped the ante in their rhetoric, with Al Ansari accusing the American duo of being in dreamland in their valuation of the club. Reports are that they are increasingly bemused by the billion pound valuation of Liverpool, given that they paid little over 171 million for just over a year ago.

Our view is that this can't come to conclusion soon enough with hopefully DIC being the winners. That isn't anti-Americanism as some people have commented on this site. It's simply that DIC appear to have more investment clout than Hicks and Gillett. All Liverpool fans want is an investor to take the club forward, provide stability and enable them to compete with Europes best. DIC clearly seem the best placed of the two parties to do this.

Liverpool closer to DIC takeover

Hicks softening to DIC Liverpool bid, as Gillett is expected to be first to go

Reports are being leaked to the media by one of the camps fighting over Liverpool, that Tom Hicks is now softening towards a takeover of Liverpool by DIC. The News of the World is reporting that the Americans will profit by 50 million pounds, when the deal is finally done, with Gillett the first one to be bought out. Liverpool are now valued at 400 million, with 350 million worth of debt, giving Hicks and Gillett their 50 million profit.

It will be a long and slow road however, with a nightmare scenario mooted of Hicks buying out Gillett, and assuming sole control. DIC however, are seeking a swift closing of the deal, but Hicks remains the major obstacle to completion of their takeover of Liverpool.

Interestingly, Chris Bascombe, in what must be more leaked briefings to the media, states Benitez and Hicks have now formed an unlikely alliance. Not sure what this all means, but clearly DIC are closing in and the instability surrounding Liverpool will be around for the rest of the season at least. Also given results, regardless of who owns Liverpool, Rafa Benitez must be odds on to be removed at the end of the season.

Liverpool crash out the FA Cup to Barnsley

Rafa made to look a Yorkshire pudding as Barnsley produce a sucker punch

Liverpool crashed out the FA Cup in spectacular fashion last night as Barnsley pulled off one of the greatest upsets in the FA Cup's history.

An ashen-faced Rafa Benitez is now hanging onto his Liverpool job by a thread, and with the leaders of Italy's Serie A up next, its' not hard to see Benitez being out by the end of the season.

It all looked oh so different at half time for Liverpool. They had struggled to create chances in the first half, but had got the lead through a Dirk Kuyt finish from a Ryan Babel cut-back. Barnsley had created little of note, and the scene seemed to be set for a comfortable Liverpool win.

Liverpool came out in the second half determined to finish Barnsley off, but despite creating some half chances, they just couldn't get the second goal. Crouch and Kuyt were the worst offenders, missing some decent chances. Then in the 56th minute, Foster outjumped Crouch to power home Devaney's cross and Liverpool were rocking. After that it was backs to the wall stuff for Bansley, as they sturggled to hang on as Kuyt, Benayoun and Hyppia (twice) were all denied by Luke Steele in the Barnsley goal.

Then in the last minute came the drama and calamity for Liverpool as the Barnsley captain Howard, held off a challenge on the edge of the penalty area, Carragher and Rissie stood off him for a split second too long, and he lashed a tremendous drive into the bottom corner.

Benitez's position at Liverpool surely now is becoming untenable and his players are beginning to play like they think so too.

Liverpool won't risk Torres

FA Cup fifth round: Liverpool vs Barnsley- Torres out, Hypia and Arbeloa back in

Fernando Torres won't be risked as Liverpool entertain Barnsley in the fifth round of the FA Cup, on Saturday evening. The Reds top scorer is back in training after recovering from a hamstring injury sustained while playing for Spain, but Rafa Benitez wants to hold him back to ensure he is available for Tueday's Champions League clash with Inter Milan.

Another player missing tomorrow will be new signing Martin Skrtel, who picked up a calf injury in training this week.

Rafa added: 'Skrtel felt something in his calf the other day. He only mentioned it after training, and after speaking with the doctors we realised it could be a risk for the weekend. We need to check, but I don't think he will be available for the Barnsley game.'