Talking Reds is backing Spain at Euro 2008!
Apologies for the lack of blogging these past few weeks.
Between wrapping things up in my own personal life in Liverpool and dealing with the fall out from Manchester United's third European Cup win it's been a bit busy.
Not that United's win took a huge emotional toll on me but it did make me want to avoid football for a couple of days before and afterwards with all the predictable hysteria.
It was a good game which I wasn't expecting but even the suggestion that somehow this "Game of Games" as ITV billed it was better than the drama of Istanbul three years ago was absurd.
Anyway enough about events in Moscow.
On the transfer front at Liverpool, it's been disheartening if not unexpected to learn that funds are limited this summer. There are some reports that Rafa has been given a meagre £20m to spend meaning that he will need to sell to raise the kind of funds needed to compete with the other three.
Philip Degen's expected arrival means Steve Finnan looks set to join Jermaine Pennant, Peter Crouch and John Arne Riise on the transfer list this summer.
Scott Carson will likely be off too and we have some confirmation of Xabi Alonso's position at the club. While wishing to keep the Spaniard, Rafa has named his price and £16m is what Juventus will need to pay if the elegant midfielder is to join ex team mate Momo Sissoko at the Stadio Delle Alpi. It would be interesting to know how Alonso feels about this. He is no longer indispensable, a far cry from his position at Anfield a couple of years ago.
It would be a real shame to see him go in my view. He's a quality player whose contribution to the team is often overlooked amidst the eye catching tackles and all action style of Javier Mascherano and the sheer power, drive and goal scoring brilliance of Steven Gerrard.
But £16m is also a lot of money and is much needed given the ownership situation which has, after one summer of heavy spending, seen us revert back to the same position we were in before the Americans' arrival - going for our second choice targets because our first choices are too expensive. It's a mess that will no doubt come to the forefront again in the coming months.
Speaking of targets, our interest in Gareth Barry has brought us into conflict with Martin O'Neill, a man once often mentioned as a future Liverpool manager but who seems to have found his level at Aston Villa. He has been mighty pissed with our attempts to lure Barry to Anfield. It's likely to take time but if Barry wants to leave, and so far that is not entirely clear, then it's only a matter of time before it happens.
The fact we can throw Scott Carson into the mix could be a useful bargaining chip. Our valuation of him at £10m does seem a tad high but then perhaps Villa's valuation of a player who has no European experience and has only recently become a regular fixture in the England side is also high. Our assessment of Carson falls in line with some of the ridiculous prices we've been quoted for up and coming English players in the past.
Our solution to the left back issue appears to be Udinese's Andrea Dossena. I know nothing about this player but based on Benitez's previous defensive acquisitions in the likes of Arbeloa, Skrtel and Agger you can be reasonably confident this will be a shrewd buy provided we see off reported competition from Fiorentina and Juventus.
If Crouch leaves, there will be a strikers position open. I don't think anyone feels comfortable with Andriy Voronin being considered as an alternative to Fernando Torres. So it raises the question as to who we can bring in that is prepared to sit on the bench much the same as Crouch did last season but is good enough to adequately fill Torres' boots when called upon.
David Villa continues to be mentioned as he looks set to leave struggling Valencia but where he fits into our new formation is a question that Rafa will need to answer. He's a striker of immense quality and it will be interesting following Euro 2008 to see how he links up with Torres.
El Nino himself is subject of tabloid speculation about a mammoth £50m bid from Chelsea. Liverpool's denial was expected, more importantly Torres himself has little interest in joining the Russian circus at Stamford Bridge.
Instead we can look forward to him hopefully banging in the goals in Austria and Switzerland next month and returning to Anfield in July ready for his second season.
Needless to say I'm backing Spain at this summer's championships which I'm thoroughly looking forward too. The absence of England means we have none of the usual media hysteria and can instead look forward to what will hopefully be a quality tournament.
I'll throw in my tuppence worth as the tournament progresses as well as rounding up all the transfer gossip and deals throughout the summer months.
Have a great summer and keep checking back here for all the news!
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