Liverpool Balls: Brendan Rodgers Admits Suarez Was the ‘Core’ Of The Team

WHY are Liverpool doing not all that well in the Premier League? Brendan Rodgers, the Reds’ verbose mangaer, knows:

“When you introduce a raft of new players and lose the core of players, that’s obviously a factor and then it becomes a little bit broken and that’s how our game has looked for me for a big part of the season.”

Anorak

Posted: 26th, September 2014 | In: Liverpool, Sports | Comment

Free Speech: Mario Balotelli Is Guilty Of Tweeting Whilst Black

A free speech campaigner uses a British flag as a gag during a protest opposite the Houses of Parliament in central London, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2013.

THE Mirror’s Brian Reade wants to talk about the problem of grown men exercising their right to free speech. Not everyone gets paid to comment, like a by-lined journalist does. Some people just talk and tweet and write with no concern for deadline or encouraging reader interest and clicks.

Reade begins his columns by explaining how things were great in the days of Roy Race, a fictional footballer who existed in a comic. Reade delivers some Melchester Rovers banter:

FAN: “You were lucky today, Roy.”

ROY: “Really? I thought we had your lot on the run.”

FAN: “Our lot run? That’ll be the day.”

ROY: “Ha ha. That’s a bit unfair on your lads.”

Anorak

Posted: 25th, September 2014 | In: Key Posts, Liverpool, Sports | Comment

Manchester United: Just another Chelsea

FOR a long time now, Manchester United fans have goaded other clubs for throwing their money around and buying various titles, accusing their rivals of having no soul.

Of course, ManYoo are no better, from their club-made banners that hang in the stadium to the very obvious huge sums of money they’ve thrown around themselves at their various squads. Sure, they’ve played some lads from the youth team, but that doesn’t make them any better than their competitors. In fact, in a lot of cases, they’ve spent more money that the rivals they mock.

This year, we saw Man Utd spend 18% of ALL the money forked out by Premier League clubs in this summer’s transfer window.

The club splashed £59.7m on Angel di Maria from Real Madrid alone, while in the meantime, selling off two promising young strikers from their squad in Welbeck and Hernandez. Even in Falcao, a mere loan player, Man Utd will be paying him more money than Wayne Rooney earns. Falcao will be getting more money from Old Trafford bosses than Arsenal will pay Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil combined.

And now, former Manchester United defender Phil Neville thinks that the club need another spending spree, with a £100 million-plus blurt required if they’re going to challenge for the league title.

With new manager Louis van Gaal throwing money around like a new lottery winner on Di Maria, Luke Shaw, Ander Herrera, Marcos Rojo, Daley Blind and Radamel Falcao, Neville thinks that there’s more cash to be spent.

“I know United have spent £150m,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live. “I think there’s another two transfer windows of similar amounts of money needed – maybe £100m – before they can even think about winning the title. There are still key positions in the team that need filling. I think the centre-back position is obviously the key area. Holding midfield or centre midfield needs addressing too.”

‘There were no world-class centre backs out there (this summer). I think that’s why in the next two transfer windows, United might still be looking for that world-class defender.”

Of course, there’s a number of fans who will love this, because a maintainable business model or the heart of a club don’t matter when all you’re concerned about is numbers and trophies. It must stick in the craw of older Man United fans who see their fellow fans concerning themselves only with how many trophies the club have and how much money they can spend.

There’s Manchester United fans who sing to smaller teams “We’ve got a stand that’s bigger than your ground”, or supporters who mock Arsenal for their lack of trophies. A product of the ‘football is a results business’ rhetoric, which is making many elements of professional football so achingly tedious, Manchester United, naturally, does have a heart and soul, just like Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City & Co, but it has been swallowed by short memories and overdrafts.

The Top 5 Mentality is the single most tedious facet of modern football, with more games happening each weekend that aren’t even in the Premier League. Manchester United’s fans who define their love by success are, whether they like it or not, the thing they level against hooting Liverpool fans who bleat on about the 70s and 80s, and the thing they berate Chelsea and Manchester City for.

And now, in the post Ferguson years, Manchester United fans are finding out, or being reminded, that reputation and cheque books count for nothing and that, you better find something else to love and enjoy about football because, without the success, you’ll have nothing to cheer about.

At Old Trafford, the young players aren’t valued like they were, the club is getting into dangerous debt, managers are binned off without completing a season and it doesn’t look like the rot in the boardroom is being protected from the people who are required to get results on match day.

It’s easy to tell yourself you’ve heart and soul when you’ve got a club that has the money to design it and implement it for you…

Mof Gimmers

Posted: 23rd, September 2014 | In: Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, manchester united, Sports | Comment

Liverpool Balls: The Travelling Reds Beat West Ham United 2-0

LIVERPOOL Balls: The BBC’s Mark Lawrenson wrote in his Premier League predictions on Liverpool’s trip to West Ham United:

Liverpool have had a bit of a strange start to the season. They had a lot of passes in their defeat by Aston Villa last week, but did not seem to really get anywhere. But I think they are a better side on the road at the moment, because teams seem to have worked out how to stop them at Anfield.

Lawrenson predicted a scoreline of 2-0 t0 the Reds.

Anorak

Posted: 22nd, September 2014 | In: Liverpool, Sports | Comment

Mario Balotelli Bombarded With Racist Abuse After ‘LOL’ Man United Tweet

NOW at Liverpool and once of Manchester City, Mario Balotelli tweeted a ‘LOL’ in response toManchester United’s spectacular collapse against Leicester City. Of course, Balotelli’s big-spending Liverpool were only yesterday beaten by West Ham United. So. Manchester United players are free to ‘LOL’ right back at him.

But then Balotelli’s Twitter feed attracted a blitzkerig of abuse.

Anorak

Posted: 21st, September 2014 | In: Liverpool, manchester united, Sports | Comment

Highlights Of My Five-Times-A-Night With Liverpool Striker Mario Balotelli

ANORAK enjoys a kiss ‘n’ tell.  Oh, come on, we miss the News of the World. What we enjoy are the details included in the story, the more mundane the better. Today’s kiss ‘n’ tell features Liverpool FC’s Mario Balotelli and “Ashley Cole’s ex”. No. Not Cheryl Cole. It’s Frenchie Eglantine.

Anorak

Posted: 21st, September 2014 | In: Liverpool, Sports | Comment

Liverpool Balls: Mario Balotelli Lets Off Fireworks In The Bedroom

WHEN Mario Balotelli left Manchester City and England a legion of would be mo-dels and kiss ‘n’ tellers sighed. What now for tales of Mario-fuelled pyrotechnics in the bedroom, to go with fireworks in the bathroom?

Thankfully, Liverpool bought the Italian forward.  And readers get to learn what it like to share a “night of passion” with the player:

Anorak

Posted: 20th, September 2014 | In: Liverpool, Sports | Comment

Savage Balls: Manchester City Should Breaks The Rules, Chelsea Buy Success And Liverpool Didn’t Win

TALKING Balls: The BBC’s football expert Robbie Savage is talking about Manchester City in the Daily Mirror.

Robbie Savage column: Arsenal, Liverpool and Man City can forget Champions League Final win already

One game into the Champions’ League and Savage delivers a rousing speech that only Chelsea should bother turning up for the tournament’s remaining games.

Best league in the world or not, the opening statements from England’s clubs in the Champions League this week were an embarrassment.

Anorak

Posted: 19th, September 2014 | In: Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Sports | Comment

Liverpool Balls: Anfield Thought Police Want Steven Gerrard To Be More Like Manchester United Fans

LIVERPOOL FC don’t want their fans to swear at the match.

Liverpool’s official Instagram account features a picture of Bart Simpson writing “I will not swear when I sing the Stevie G song”.

Bart Simpson sings about Steven Gerrard? We thought he just had shares in the club.

The Liverpool language police who want to turn their fans into 2D supporters working to a prime-time TV script then supply the lyrics:

“He’s big and he’s VERY hard! #LFC @stevengerrard.”

Anorak

Posted: 18th, September 2014 | In: Liverpool, Sports | Comment

Transfer Balls: Arsenal Sign Swansea’s Wilfried Bony For Less Than Spurs And Liverpool Bought Him For

TRANSFER Balls: The Daily Express reveals that Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham are in for “£19m target Wilfried Bony”. The headline ends a little esoterically: “CONFIRMS interest.”

Anorak

Posted: 17th, September 2014 | In: Arsenal, Liverpool, Sports, Spurs | Comment (1)

Liverpool ‘Trolls’ And The Trouble With Fabregas And Torres At Chelsea

THE Daily Mirror’s Brian Reade – the man who ‘assassinated’ an area and its white population in the “White Man’s Gulch” of Eltham – is upset at treatment meted out to Chesela’s Cesc Fabregas And Liverpool’s Fabio Borini:

Why are Fabio Borini and Cesc Fabregas now having to defend themselves against online character assassinations?

That question is soon followed by another?

Borini, who spurned two moves away from Anfield this summer has taken abuse from Sunderland, QPR and Liverpool trolls for being a greedy little git. Since when has having the determination to fight for your place at the club you signed for been a crime?

Anorak

Posted: 12th, September 2014 | In: Chelsea, Liverpool, Sports | Comment (1)

Liverpool Balls: Raheem Sterling Is The Non-Running Overmars

HOW journalism works: a look at the Daily Mail’s repoting of Liverpool and England’s teenage tyro Raheem Sterling.

The Mail’s Neil Ashton watched Sterling play against the Swiss:

England played with speed and purpose when they surged forward. More of this please. Most of it was down to the mesmerising touches of Raheem Sterling. When Sterling spins off his marker, dropping deep to demand the ball off his centre-halves you know that he is comfortable playing at this level. These deep-lying missions are reminiscent of Zidane or Maradona.

Blimey, Sterling was that good.

Anorak

Posted: 9th, September 2014 | In: Liverpool, Sports | Comment

Transfer Balls Awards: Arsenal Sign Cavani And Khedira, Manchester United Get Vidal, Kroos And Hummels – Falcao To Liverpool

TRANSFER Balls: Over the summer Anorak has been highliting the utter balls newspapers and football websites have presnted as fact. Time to review some of the choices cuts. As ever the biggest balls features Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United and Cheslea.

The Daily Mail told Manchester United fans that Miranda was on his way to the club from Atlético Madrid. He was looking at local schools for his children. He never left home.

The straw-clutching CaughtOffisde wesbite told its readers that Arsenal had signed Sami Khedira. The player remains at Real Madrid.

And:

Anorak

Posted: 2nd, September 2014 | In: Arsenal, Chelsea, Key Posts, Liverpool, Manchester City, manchester united, Sports | Comment

Transfer Balls: Radamel Falcao Joined Chelsea Twice, Signed For Manchester City And Manchester United And Headed To Arsenal And Liverpool

TRANSFER Balls: A look at reporting on Radamel Falcao, the Monaco player linked to Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Cheslea. It’s been a pretty rich summer of utter balls being passed off as a fact.

The Metro says Falcao has agreed to join Manchester United for £51m.

Is that to be believed? In 2013, the Mirror said Falcao had joined Manchester City for £54m.

The Mirror added:

…the deal is also a major coup for Pellegrini, with 27-year-old Falcao keen to work for the Chilean, who is expected to sign a two-year deal at City within a fortnight.

On August 29 2014, The Week asked if Falcao had joined Real Madrid.

On August 29, the Metro said Arsenal had a clear run to buy Falcao:

The ever dire Goal.com said that Falcao had signed for Chelsea.

The equally rubbish CaughtOffide stated that, yes, Falcao had joined Chelsea.

Of, course the same site said Cheslea had bought Falcao for much less money the year before.

But then the Mirror said Falcao had “already agreed” to kon Real Madrid. That was January 2013.

On Augut 7 2014, Falcao was heading to Liverpool.

On August 17, Falcao was heading to Juventus, said the Daily Mail.

It’s a Transfer Balls Royal Flush as Falcao is linekd with all give of English football’s biggest clubs.

Such are the facts…

Anorak

Posted: 1st, September 2014 | In: Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, manchester united, Sports | Comment

Transfer Balls Dead Cert: Radamel Falcao Heads To Manchester City, Chelsea Or Liverpool

TRANSFER Balls – betting special. Every day the betting industy pumps out PR missives that desperate journalists can turn into a story. Let’s take a look and see what the trusty bookmakers have been feeding the press about Monaco’s Radamel Falcao, linked, as he has been, with moves to Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City.

As ever, there is no talk on the size of the market. It might be that a few people have actually been mad enough (or got insider knowledge – ed) to gamble on the transfer season being as it is full of “lies” (source: Arsene Wenger).

The Daily Star tild us to put our money on Falcao to Liverpool:

Anorak

Posted: 31st, August 2014 | In: Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Sports | Comment

Transfer Balls: Fernando Torres Leaves Chelsea And Says He’s ‘Made For’ Liverpool

TRANSFER Balls: IS Cheslea’s Fernando Torres leaving Chelsea. The Times says Torres is heading to Roma on loan. The del also involves Roma receving £20m for striker Mattia Destro, 23.

Torres has two years left on his Chelsea contract. It pays him a meagre £180,000 a week.

Walter Sabatini, a Roma director, flew to London yesterday for the second time in a week, accompanied by Mauro Baldissoni, the club’s general manager, to try to thrash out a deal. Sabatini tried to tempt Chelsea and Manchester United into buying Mehdi Benatia on his first visit at the weekend and is also looking for a replacement in England for the Morocco defender.

The Mail has reported this month that Torres is wanted by Valencia, Atletioc Madrid and Inter Milan.

Dod they all really want Torrest, the man who gave the Indy this headline on August 13:

Fernando Torres fails to score in 266 pre-season minutes after another miserable night for Chelsea

He had his chances to score agasint the mighty Slovenia’s NK Olimpija Ljubljana:

Why is player who was so good now so bad? The Mirror quotes Jose Mourinho:

“Fernando is a good player and will not be sold. Maybe the self-esteem in terms of goalscorer is not at the top. All eyes are on him and when he misses a goal, everybody remembers. But his work for the team is fantastic and because of that we can play with two of the forwards at the same time, no problem…”

£50m for a good player. What does a great player cost? And if Cheslea give him the boot, what then for Torres’ faltering self-esteem?

Well, he’s not going to Roma. The Telegraph reports:

“It’s true that Chelsea are interested in Mattia,” Destro’s agent said on Thursday. “But the reports regarding a swap deal have no foundation, it’s all speculation.
“Roma don’t want to sell Mattia and Mattia prefers to remain at Roma.”

Still, at least the Chelsea fans love him…not:

Maybe Torrest should go back to Lvierpool. As he said:

“One day, Steven Gerrard came to say to me, ‘Fernando, now, you have to think of yourself. Do what you have to do’,” Torres told French magazine So Foot. But when I went to tell him that I was going to accept the Chelsea offer, it destroyed him. Announcing my departure from Liverpool to Gerrard was one of the most difficult moments of my career. He was my best team-mate and I am not sure of finding another like him in the future. We were made for each other.”

Stranger things have happened…

Anorak

Posted: 21st, August 2014 | In: Chelsea, Liverpool, Sports | Comments (2)

Transfer Balls: Mario Balotelli To Liverpool Makes A Liar of Brenadan Rodgers

TRANSFER Balls: Having been linked with amove to Arsenal, is AC Milan striker Mario Balotelli on his way to…Liverpool?

Italian site MediaSet says Liverpool have made a £17.5m bid for former Manchester City striker. No sources are quoted in the story. But it’s enough for the Star to run with it:

Anorak

Posted: 20th, August 2014 | In: Arsenal, Liverpool, Sports | Comments (4)

Liverpool Balls: Luis Suarez Trains Daniel Sturridge By SMS

THE Premier League season is udnerways. And the Mirror and Express lead with a Liverpool player who no logner plays for the Reds. Both paper ask the same question: “Who Needs Luis Suarez?”

The simple answer would be ‘the media does’.

But the Sun and star have a different answer. They say that Luis Suarez played a key role in Liverpool’s home win over Southampton, its feeeder club. It was thanks to Luis, now of Barcelona, that Daniel Sturridge scored the game’s winning goal. And he did it all with the power of a single text message.

Brendan Rodgers saw the text and concludes, according to the Sun:

“His heart will always be with Liverpool.”

Sure it will, Brendan. And his teeth will always be with Ajax, his hand with Uruguay, his racial awareness with South Africa…?

What Rodgers actually said was, according to the Indy:

“Luis Suarez sent us a lovely text this morning wishing us all the best and telling us to start strong – it’s a lovely gesture. We’re bigger than any one player, I still think we need a striker so we’ll search through until the end of the window for that. He sent the text to me personally. What did it say? Don’t be so nosey! I texted him back – it’s a great love in I’ve got with him! He’s a great boy but he’s gone. It was a lovely touch. Liverpool will always be in his heart.”

According to the Mail:

“He [Suarez] sent me a lovely text this morning wishing us all the best and telling his old team-mates to start strongly. He’s a friend of Liverpool now. I sent one back. He’s a good boy but he’s gone. His heart is with Liverpool. He’ll always be Liverpool and it was a lovely touch.’

Accordign to the Telegraph:

And on the Sun goes, telling readers that Suarez made the Reds what they are today.

BRENDAN RODGERS insists Luis Suarez is helping Liverpool’s title bid again — despite leaving Anfield this summer. Shamed striker Suarez departed for Barcelona in a £75million move after his World Cup bite. But Rodgers reckons his winning mentality rubbed off on his old team-mates… Rodgers believes Liverpool have more strength now than last season’s Suarez-inspired squad…

Over on the BBC, the Luis Suarez love-in is a little diluted:

The Reds required a 79th-minute winner by Sturridge to overcome a determined Southampton side 2-1 at Anfield. Asked if Liverpool are a better team following the departure of Suarez, Sturridge said: “I think so, with the players we’ve brought in. No disrespect – he’s a great player and will be missed – but we move on.”

If only the tabloids would…

Anorak

Posted: 18th, August 2014 | In: Liverpool, Sports | Comments (4)

Liverpool Balls: Brendan Rodgers Wishes Alexis Sanchez Had A Telly

LIVERPOOL Balls and a daily look at the wisdom of Brendan Rodgers, who says:

 “If you’re a football player in Europe watching how we played last season and saw our supporters, then your reaction would be that you’d want to play in that environment.”

Over to you Alexis Sanchez. And, yes, they do pick up Liverpool matches in Southampton…

Anorak

Posted: 14th, August 2014 | In: Liverpool, Sports | Comments (18)

Liverpool Balls: The Manchester City Double Winner Who Also Got The Reds Tattoo

ON the list of modern football stuff that annoys Anorak is ‘The Double’. The Double used to mean the FA Cup and League title.

But to this Manchester City fan it means something else.

Anorak

Posted: 12th, August 2014 | In: Liverpool, Manchester City, Sports | Comment

Transfer Balls: Samuel Eto’o Heads To Liverpool Via Arsenal, Everton, Ajax, Inter Milan And Sunderland

TRANSFER Balls: Is Samuel Eto’o heading to Liverpool? What about Arsenal, Everton, Ajax, Inter Milan or Sunderland?

The Sun says he might be.

The Sun’s story is an “exclusive” – that you can also read in the Daily Star:

The Star says “Liverpool have yet to make a formal approach for Eto’o”.

Anorak

Posted: 12th, August 2014 | In: Arsenal, Liverpool, Sports | Comment (1)

Transfer Balls Full House: Marco Reus Joins Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool And Man City

TRANSFER Balls: A regular look at rumour and speculation being passed off as fact in the media. So, is Borussia Dortmund’s Marco Reus heading to the Premier League? As ever, the media contest is to link every top player with every top English club.

 Daily Mirror, December 26, 2013:

Manchester United target Marco Reus will cost £40m… Midfielder Reus had a £29.4m buy-out clause in his contract at Borussia Dortmund. But it is understood the situation has changed since Bayern Munich activated a similar clause to snatch Mario Gotze last summer.

Anorak

Posted: 26th, July 2014 | In: Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, manchester united, Sports | Comment

Transfer Balls: Sami Khedira Wants Arsenal And £6m More To Play for Manchester United

TRANSFER Balls: Is Real Madrid and Germany midfielder Sami Khedira heading from Real Madrid to Arsenal?

The Daily Star manages to link the player with four of the biggest English clubs:

Liverpool and Man United join Arsenal and Chelsea in four-way £24m fight for Sami Khedira

Jack Wilson is in full Balls mode:

Both Arsenal and Chelsea have been linked with moves for the 27-year-old Real Madrid midfielder.

Linked by whom? Jack doesn’t say. Instead he just speculates to deadline:

But their attempts to sign him could be hit by their Premier League rivals… Manchester United were after Khedira last summer and ready to try and snap him up again. Liverpool could also reportedly move for the German.

Anorak

Posted: 12th, July 2014 | In: Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, manchester united, Sports | Comment

Liverpool Balls: Reds Fans Get Great Luis Suarez News

GOOD news, Liverpool FC fans. Luis Suarez can be replaced. Who says? Why, Tita Camara, that’s who:

When Liverpool sold Titi to West Ham United in 2000, there was much weeping and wailing. But the Reds muddled on. But they pulled themselves together, won the FA Cup, the League Cup and finished third in the League table…

Anorak

Posted: 8th, July 2014 | In: Liverpool, Sports | Comment

Transfer Balls: Suarez Replaces Sanchez In Barcelona As Liverpool Seek New Camara

TRANSFER Balls: A regular look at rumour, speculation and opinion backed by anonymous sources presented as ‘news’ in today’s mainstream media. The focus is on Luis Suarez:

Daily Mail: “Liverpool are holding out for £75million but Barcelona are hoping to make the payment in stages, with part based on performances.”

And shirt sales. As the Indy notes:

Luis Suarez is yet to complete his £63m move to Barcelona, but that hasn’t stopped one merchandiser in Spain pre-empting the Uruguayan’s arrival.

Can that £12m shortfall be made up by Suarez merchandise sales?

The Mirror looks at one shop in Spain:

Anorak

Posted: 8th, July 2014 | In: Liverpool, Sports | Comment (1)