Alonso out – Baptista/Heinze in

The Sunday papers are full of speculation linking Liverpool and Real Madrid with a big money and player swap deal.

Xabi Alonso is apparently homesick (despite being here for over 2 years now) and Real Madrid are prepared to offer a combination of cash and/or Baptista/Heinze.

Rafa Benitez has tracked Argentina defender Heinze since it became apparent he wanted out of United in the summer.

Heinze alone would not be enough for Benitez to do business, but the addition of Baptista would apparently tempt him.

Baptista, who spent last season on loan at Arsenal, has just reclaimed his spot in the Real starting line-up and scored a wonder goal against archrivals Barcelona last week.

Two footed tackle

Whats the big furor over this?

Crouch was sent off earlier this month for a two footed effort on Jon Obi Mikel and there seems to have been a fair few players seeing reds recently for similar things.

Cue a media frenzy and knowledgeable figures such as Slur Alex condemning the animals that perpetrate these vile acts. Heaven forbid a player make actual contact in this so called “contact sport”.

Apparently the FA need to slap bigger punishments on players dismissed for two-footed challenges in order to protect players on the receiving end of these “career enders”.

Surely we should be looking at the facts though?

How many top flight players, in England, have had their careers ended as a result of a two footed challenge?

I can think of one – and that was the result of a challenge from…… a Manchester United player.

Silva linked with Reds move

Valencia star David Silva has spoken of his unrest at the Spanish side which will alert those looking to recruit his services with Liverpool topping the list.

Silva made his breakthrough at the Mestalla last season with some stunning performances.

Things have since turned sour for the 21-year-old, who has fallen out with coach Ronald Koeman as Valencia slip to seventh in La Liga.

Rafael Benitez, the former manager of Valencia, made an unsuccessful inquiry about Silva last summer, but will be heartened by the latest comments from the striker.

“Everything has changed here and the whole atmosphere within the team is different,” Silva said.

“England is a sensational country for football and Liverpool is a big team.”

The Spanish international signed a seven-year contract with the former Champions League finalists last June, but sporting director Miguel Angel Ruiz is reported to have given the green light for his departure.

Reds team vs Portsmouth

The Liverpool team in full:

Reina, Arbeloa, Riise, Hyypia, Carragher, Mascherano, Gerrard, Benayoun, Kewell, Torres, Kuyt. Subs: Itandje, Aurelio, Babel, Voronin, Lucas.

What was the point of the takeover again?

Very interesting set of figures in todays Telegraph.

It lists various aspects of the club ranging from the proposed cost of the new stadium to Steven Gerrards weekly wage. The most striking figure of all though, is the total sum of money Gillet and Hicks have invested in the club from their own resources.

Its zero.

We are in more debt, more turmoil off the field and have more questions marks hanging over the long term future of the club than I can remember – and for what?

Zero.

These two came in on a wave of razzmatazz , new stadium, big bucks but so far they have fallen short on every single promise they made.

Liverpool by numbers

£300 million         The cost of Liverpool’s new stadium at Stanley Park.
£121 million         Liverpool’s turnover in 2006.
£120,000             Steven Gerrard’s weekly wage.
£220 million        The price paid by George Gillett and Tom Hicks to buy Liverpool last February.
£350 million        The amount they are looking to borrow to refinance borrowings used to buy the club.
£30 million        The estimated annual interest repayments linked to that refinancing.
£42 million        Liverpool’s summer transfer spending.

£25 million    The amount borrowed to help pay for those transfers.
£40 million    The amount of cash Gillett and Hicks are being asked to find to help fund refinancing.

0     The amount of money Hicks and Gillett have so far invested in the club from their own resources.

Euro draw tomorrow

Liverpool face the prospect of being handed tough opponents when the draw for the first knockout round of the UEFA Champions League is made on Friday.

The draw in Nyon, Switzerland begins at around 11am tomorrow- will see the eight group winners pitted against runners-up in the last 16.

Because clubs cannot play those from the same country at this stage, it means Liverpool will face opponents from Spain (Real Madrid, Barcelona, Seville), Italy (AC Milan, Inter Milan) or Porto from Portugal.

Fernando Torres wants Liverpool to draw his old adversaries Real Madrid.

“I hope that we draw Real Madrid – that would be a great tie,” he said.

“We have a chance to play a team from Spain or Italy, but playing Madrid would be really good.”

Major question marks over future of new stadium

George Gillet and Tom Hicks have apparently put plans to the borrow the £300million needed for the club’s new stadium in Stanley Park on hold until 2009.

Todays Daily Telegraph claims the Liverpool owners are set to clinch an interim deal before Christmas – with the Royal Bank of Scotland and American bank Wachovia – to borrow £350million to refinance the loan used to fund their £220million takeover at Anfield last February.

However the global credit crunch and nervousness about the level of debt has prompted Gillett and Hicks to scrap plans to raise all the money for the stadium.The paper’s source have said that the pair are now looking at borrowing £350m whic would pay off a two-year loan with RBS, inject £60million of working capital for the new ground and cover £25m of credit notes used to finance last summer’s transfer spending spree.The £60million for the stadium is thought to cover the first 18 months work at Stanley Park, but the paper reports that Gillett and Hicks will not seek the rest of the money until 2009, when it should be easier to get the money because accurate predictions about sponsorship deals and coporate sales can be made.

The paper also repeats reports at the weekend that the owners plan to put some of the new debt on the club – something they said they would not do earlier this year.

Juve back in for Sissoko

The Daily Mirror today claims that Claudio Ranieri will renew a move for Liverpool midfielder Momo Sissoko during the January transfer window.

Sissoko apparently wants showdown talks with Benitez after struggling to hold down a regular place.

Juve are also alleged to be looking at Arsenal’s Gilberto Silva but Mali international Sissoko may be allowed to leave.

 Sissoko has been a shadow of the player he was prior to his injury problems and has been something of a scapegoat amongst groups of fans.

Reds crash out of Carling Cup

2 straight league defeats have put Liverpools title challenge on the rocks – tonight it was the turn of another silverware chase to come to an end.

Rafa Benitez made 9 changes and picked a severley weakened side which inlcude young defender Jack Hobbs and keeper Charles Intanje. Chelsea made similar changes but the difference in the quality of the two squads was clear to see from the starting line ups.

To their credit Liverpool performed pretty well despite being clearly inferior on paper. Lucas could have put the Reds in front while Babel continued to impress. Sadly another deflected Frank Lampard goal, quickly followed by a petulant red-card challenge from Peter Crouch ended any hope.

Liverpool need to turn this run around over Christmas or we are going to find ourselves in another rut. 1 win in 4 now.

Reds team for Chelsea clash

Xabi Alonso is back in the Liverpool starting XI for Wednesday night’s Carling Cup tie at Stamford Bridge after recovering from a metatarsal break.

The influential midfielder, who hasn’t featured since the end of October, lines up alongside Lucas and Momo Sissoko in the middle of the park.

Ryan Babel, Andriy Voronin and Peter Crouch make up a three-pronged attack.

The Liverpool team in full is: Itandje, Arbeloa, Aurelio, Hobbs, Carragher, Alonso, Lucas, Sissoko, Babel, Voronin, Crouch. Subs: Martin, Hyypia, Riise, El Zhar, Benayoun.