Swedish striker back on the radar

Speculations keeps coming on Roy Hodgsons manager future. According to FootballTransferTavern|he has got three games to save his job and turn Liverpools season around.

It seems Frank Rijkaard is the man ready to replace Hodgson.

During the summer transfer window Swedish striker Ola Toivonen was linked with a transfer to Liverpool. Now it seems the PSV player is back in the frame.

The PSV Eindhoven player scored twice as the Dutch club ran out 2-1 winners against Sampdoria in the Europa League.

His recent performances will have no doubt caught the eye of Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson as he looks to bring another striker to Anfield to take the goalscoring burden away from Fernando Torres.
- We have discussed his name, that's true, Hodgson earlier has told Sky Sports. - Like all teams, we are looking at a lot of players.
- I do know the player and think he is a good player, but can't give you any further indication.

- That doesn't mean we are going to rush in and buy him tomorrow. But he is a player who has come up, we have watched him and we know about him.

Now Liverpool are understood to be considering stepping up their interest in the £10 million-rated Sweden international in January in a bid to reinforce the striking ranks at Anfield, GiveMeFootball reports.

Liverpool have not yet made a move for reported Liverpool target Keisuke Honda, according to the player's agent.

Reports in Russia suggested that the two clubs had already begun negotiations over a possible transfer, with the Reds prepared to pay up to £8million.

But the 24-year-old's representative Kees Ploegsma insists there have been no offers for his client so far.

- To date, there is no offer for Keisuke from Liverpool, Kees Ploegsma says according to Sky Sports.

- There is nothing, these are just rumours. The situation is quiet. To date, there is no offer for Keisuke from Liverpool, nor from other teams.

- The player has a contract with CSKA Moscow [until 2013] and is now on vacation.

According to a report from France Football, Liverpool will move for Stade Rennais winger Sylvain Marveaux in the coming weeks as the talented 24-year-old is out of contract in the summer and will be available on a free transfer.

Rennes have repeatedly tried to extend the contract of the Vannes-born player, though he has persistently turned down their advances.

Having been approached by Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique de Marseille last summer, it appears that Marveaux’s future is in England as new Liverpool director of football Damien Comolli has instigated the move for the former France Under-21 international.

Last season was something of a breakthrough campaign for the attacker, who scored an impressive 10 goals in 35 appearances. Previously his career had been rather blighted by injury, and even now he won’t play until 2011 because of a hamstring problem.

Liverpool have been recently linked with highly rated FC Copenhagen left-back Oscar Wendt and have admitted to scouting the defender.

Reds scout Jakob Friis-Hansen explained to swedish paper Expressen:

- We are keeping a good eye on Oscar. He does a great job, but he must play at a high level every week, the scout said.

- In Denmark there are just a few high-quality games.

He’s hardly Liverpool’s secret though. Several clubs such as Tottenham, Roma and Juventus have previously been keen on the player but a contract renewal in 2009 put an end to any potential move for the left-back.

German outfit Werder Bremen are now on red alert having discovered Liverpool’s possible intent and have renewed their interest. Bremen signed former Manchester United left-back Mikael Silvestre to fill the role last year, but Bermen manager Thomas Schaaf is far from satisfied with the former French International’s performances.

Wendt is very much the modern full-back and could fit comfortably into both teams. He a very strong defender but he also has the ability to get forward and support attacking play.

The Swede has been linked to a host of clubs, and probably more than we know about. Liverpool will have to write a decent cheque to land this one. Despite a valuation of £2.5million to £4million, it’s likely Roy will get his man at around £6million come January.

Reported Liverpool target Mirko Vucinic seems to be closer to a departure from Roma, according to TribalFootball.

Mirko Vucinic's minders are not firm in their commitment to AS Roma.

Rather than rule out a move away, the striker's agent, Eugene Ascari, now says the decision will be up to Roma management.

Vucinic confessed earlier this season an ambition to play in England.

Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United have all had the Montenegro star watched in the last 12 months.

Liverpool in negotiations with Honda?

We are rapidly approaching half way this season, and with a miserable start rumors about who possibly will replace Roy Hodgson will not go away.

The name that keeps coming back is Frank Rijkaard who is, according to FootyLatest almost certain to be the next Liverpool manager

Money has flooded in to some bookies in recent days and now William Hill go massive odds on that Rijkaard will be named as the next manager at Anfield.

Elsewhere there is a player that seems almost certain to be headed for Anfield in January...

Liverpool's interest in Japanese star Keisuke Honda is apparently leading to action, as the team is reportedly commencing negotiations with the CSKA attacker.

Honda, who is valued at £12m, can play in any attacking role -- midfield, on the wing, or as a second striker -- and is one of the world's best set-piece takers.

His performances in the World Cup were so impressive that Arsene Wenger called him a "genius" and "the best player in the competition." Still, it is Liverpool - not Arsenal - that appear to be favorites to land him, while AC Milan is in the mix as well, according to GiveMeFootball.

Sankei Sports has reported that CSKA management is willing to part with Honda for the right price.

- We will not lock our players in. If the bid is fair, we respect the players' will, they have said.

Honda has long been assumed to be on the move to a bigger club.

Another familiar face is appearing on the radar; Liverpool are now being linked with a shock January move for former striker Djibril Cisse.

The French international forward is reportedly on the verge of a Panthanaikos exit, and Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson is one of a number of Premier League managers thought to be considering a move for the player, Metro reports.

Aston Villa boss Gerard Houllier is also thought to be interested in the player, and could use his French connections in a bid to bring the player to Villa Park.

Fulham manager Mark Hughes is the other interested party, with the Cottagers viewing the player as a second option should they fail to land Roque Santa Cruz from Manchester City.

However, reports from France and the continent claim that Liverpool could make a substantial offer for the 29-year-old striker in the opening month of 2011.

A move would see Cisse return to Anfield, where he signed in 2004 and won a Champions League medal the following season. His two-season stint on Merseyside was interrupted by a leg break though, and the mercurial striker could have unfinished business with Liverpool.

An earlier reported Liverpool transfer target is out of favour Real Madrid midfielder Lassana Diarra.

The Real Madrid midfielder is heavily linked with a Santago Bernabeu exit in the opening month of 2011, and Spurs are thought to have joined Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson in the race to sign the player, GiveMeFootball writes.

Diarra has Premier League experience through his time at Chelsea, Arsenal and Portsmouth. Sold to Madrid for a fee in the region of £20 million, Diarra appears out-of-the frame under Jose Mourinho.

Resigned to a substitutes role with Los Blancos, Liverpool have highlighted the player as someone who could strengthen the Reds' squad at Anfield following a difficult start to the season.

Also Sportsvibe now reports that Redknapp has highlighted the player to his board at Tottenham Hotspur, with the club keen to strengthen as they challenge on several fronts this season.

Liverpool are after Hamburg winger Jonathan Pitroipa, according to The People.

The Burkina Faso international is allegedly being closely monitored by the Merseysiders and Reds scouts have been watching the 24-year-old with a view to launching a January bid.

Roy Hodgson was alerted to the talents of the Pitroipa when he impressed against his Fulham side in last season's Europa League, and the Liverpool boss has since thought to have kept a keen eye on his progress.

The former SC Freiburg attacker could be available to Liverpool for around £5 million and would fit with Hodgson's pledge to add more potency to his Anfield frontline.

Yet another new name: Birmingham defender Scott Dann is a possible transfer target for both Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur according to reports from Sky Sports.

The 23-year-old has been earning rave reviews since moving from Coventry to Birmingham City and has been tipped for an England call-up in recent weeks after a number of eye-catching performances at the heart of the Blues defence.

A number of clubs are believed to be tracking the former England Under-21 international who has formed an impressive partnership with tough tackling defender Roger Johnson.

Liverpool are reportedly ready to make a move for Dann in January after finding out that Jamie Carragher has been ruled out of action for three months with a dislocated shoulder.

The Reds defence has struggled to keep clean sheets this season with Daniel Agger currently ruled out for the foreseeable future and Glen Johnson also having missed a number of games through injury.

- Obviously the speculation linking me with some top clubs in the Premier League is flattering, Dann told skysports.com.

- Ultimately it is my ambition to play at the highest level with a major club like it is for any player, but for the time being I am happy playing at Birmingham and I am focused on doing my best for the club, he says.

The next manager?

With Roy Hodgsons future as Liverpool manager in doubt and an upcoming transfer window with potentially big money to spend, the rumor mill is running overtime.

Right now a potential new manager for Liverpool FC is favoured rumor to report on for many websites. The last few weeks the club has been linked with some names, inkluding Kenny Dalglish and Frank Rijkaard after his job was terminated as Galatasaray manager.

Today another not surprising name pops up again. Former Aston Villa boss Martin O’Neill this week has claimed he wants to get back into football “sooner, rather than later”.

Footylatest reports he is heavily tipped to become the new boss at Liverpool.  O’Neill has spent two months out and now feels it is time to return to management.

O’Neill has been heavily linked with Liverpool over numerous seasons and many feel his time as Anfield manager could be just around the corner.

A more surprising name coming out of the hat right now is Atletico Madrid manager Quique Sanchez Flores.

According to Caughtoffside he is being considered as an option by the club who are ready to sack their current manager unless he can reverse the club’s alarming slide down the Premier League table.

The former right back considered by many as the “Next Mourinho” after a very successful start to his managerial career and after two solid seasons as Rafa Benitez’s replacement at Valencia and a decent spell in Portugal with Benfica.

The 45 year old had a great first season at the Vicente Calderon where he led Madrid’s ‘other’ club to a Europa League title.

Some Spanish sources apparently believe that the club’s new owners may prefer to bring in an up and coming boss with real potential as they look to start a new era at a club desperately looking for a change in fortunes.

On the other hand Liverpool, with new owners NESV just settling in, for the moment have no chairman and no CEO to appoint a manager.

What do you think?

Benitez' dager snart talte?

Har Rafa Benitez fått det siste klappet på skuldra som manager for Liverpool?

Den siste tidens begredelige sportslige resultater for Liverpool, som toppet seg med tirsdagens tap mot Lyon i Champions League, kommer det naturlig nok ville spekulasjoner omkring manager Rafa Benitez sin framtid på Merseyside.

Søndag skal Liverpool ut i en av høstens store kamper i Premier League når Manchester United kommer til Anfield. Dersom Liverpool taper denne kampen vil det bli svært vanskelig å få noe godt resultat denne sesongen av Premier League. Samtidig kan det bli vanskelig å komme videre til cupspillet i Champions League etter kun tre poeng så langt.

Det spekuleres nå villt i at klubbens tidligere storspiller og manager Kenny Dalglish, som nå jobber på ungdomsakademiet og som ambassadør for klubben, ved et tap søndag vil overta midlertid som en såkalt caretaker manager. Og i følge Tribalfootball.com melder den italienske avisa Gazzetta dello Sport at tidligere Chelsea-manager Jose Mourinho er favoritt til å overta om Benitez får sparken.

En annen manager som nå blir satt i forbindelse med en eventuell jobb på Anfield om Benitez får sparken er den tidligere Barcelona - nå Galatasaray-manager Frank Rijkaard, i følge The Mirror.

I følge The Times er imidlertid Liverpools eiere "ekstraordinært fornøyd" med Benitez som manager, som skrev under på en ny langtidskontrakt for ikke lenge siden. Men det har vi hørt før om andre managere, rett før de har fått fyken. Er dette det berømte "siste klappet på skulderen" før han forsvinner ut av Shankly Gates?

The Daily Mail mener Benitez sitter trygt i managerstolen, fordi det vil bli svært dyrt for Liverpool å sparke manageren. De har beregnet at hans ferske kontrakt vil gjøre at det koster Hicks & Gillett omkring £20m å gi Rafa fyken.

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Liverpool - Barcelona 0-1

Liverpool gikk fortjent videre i Champions League etter å ha slått ut fjorårets mestere Barcelona.

Scoringer fra de røde var det eneste som manglet for å gjøre kvelden komplett på Anfield tirsdag. Noen av de mange skuddforsøkene, blant annet fra John Arne Riise, burde gått inn. Det er helt klart at vi trenger en toppspiss fra absolutt øverste hylle denne sommeren.

Barcelona var som en skygge av seg selv, og ble ikke farlige før målscorer Eidur Gudjohnsen ble byttet inn i 2. omgang. En spiller jeg lenge har ment at Liverpool burde kjøpe. En spiss av rang som lenge er blitt undervurdert, og som kanskje kunne fylle våre behov.

Det ble dramatisk mot sluttet etter at Barca fikk sin scoring. Men heldigvis klarte våre gutter å holde roen inn til sluttsignalet.

Og Barcelona-trener Frank Rijkaard ga også et godt skussmål til våre gutter etterpå:

- Laget (Barcelona) jobbet hard og forsøkte alt, men Liverpool er et veldig vanskelig lag å spille mot. De er veldig sterke, spiller direkte og er mentalt godt forberedt. Av og til er fotball slik at uansett hva du forsøker kommer ikke resultatet. Jeg kan bare gratulere Liverpool med avansement. For nøytrale må dette ha vært en morsom kamp, sa Rijkaard, og det hadde han rett i.

Se høydepunkter fra kampen her: