“Thanks to growing up with boys – I’ve got five brothers – I started watching football out of boredom as I didn’t want to spend the whole time alone by myself. That was how it all began. I wasn’t even born when he was at his peak with Liverpool but, thanks to the genius invention of video recorders (and my brothers) I was able to relive the unseen action later in life. He is the reason why I became a Liverpool fan, “he” of course being the unstoppable Ian Rush. The legendary Welsh number nine who wrote history at Anfield.” (The Equaliser)

“‘I want Rafa to stay,’ screamed the headline in the Daily Mirror on April 24th this year. The thrust of the story was that a potential bidder for Liverpool FC had reached “a crucial stage” in negotiations with Tom Hicks and George Gillett to buy the club. The bidder had ‘been granted access to the club’s accounts’ yet still hadn’t been put off. Indeed, he believed a deal ‘could be finalised’ in June as ‘my audit team is examining the books and my legal team is in close contact with theirs.’ On August 3rd, the UK national media reported that Liverpool had ’11 days to consider’ the bidder’s ‘take-it-or-leave-it’ offer. A week later, the bidder’s spokesman finally spoke: ‘No decision to submit a bid has been made.’ The bidder’s name? Huang Jin-Hua. ‘Kenny’ to his mates.” (twohundredpercent)

Steven Gerrard
“Benitez out, Hodgson in, then. If we take it as read that Rafael Benitez had outlived his usefulness at Anfield (and, whilst there are plenty of supporters that remain unhappy at his departure at the start of the summer, Liverpool last season were a team – and club – in decline, rather than a team – and club – in transition), then he probably had to go at the end of the season. There are two conflicting views on the appointment of Roy Hodgson, and both of them have merit. One the one hand, it could be argued that Hodgson is a steadying hand on the tiller – a managerial journeyman with a reputation for treating his players well but drilling some discipline into them both on and off the pitch. Perhaps he is the perfect choice to arrest Liverpool’s recent and sudden decline.” (twohundredpercent)

Premier League preview No10: Liverpool
“Certainties are fewer than Gary Neville worshippers in Liverpool right now. But one thing that is clear amid all the transfer and takeover talk is that it is a good thing Rafael Benítez has gone. Decent chap and all that, but would you have trusted the Spaniard to make optimal use of any transfer bounty that eventual new owners may brandish? No, his strike-rate in the transfer market is too haphazard for that.” (Guardian)

“Liverpool hosted Macedonian side FK Rabotnicki in the second leg of the third round of UEFA Europa League qualifying. The reds had a 2-0 lead from the first leg and would move into the play-off round with a one goal margin loss, a draw, or victory in the match.” (The 90th Minute)

“Fernando Torres has seemingly confirmed he is staying at Liverpool this season, saying ‘My commitment and loyalty to the club and to the fans is the same as it was on my first day when I signed’.” (Guardian)

Inner Life of Fernando Torres
“Louis Armstrong – ‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot’” (Run of Play)

“Roy Hodgson will manage Liverpool for the first time tonight as a popular Premier League manager. But it wasn’t always like this. In WSC 130 (December 1997) Matt Nation remembered a fraught few months at Bristol City in 1982.” (WSC)

“The Mill knows that many a hack suffers from the Tetris effect. People who play Tetris over a sustained period of time find themselves thinking about ways that objects can fit together in the real world so, for example, when they see a book they instinctively imagine slotting it into a space on a shelf or if they catch sight of their fist they envisage placing it perfectly into Jeremy Kyle’s provocative face. What this means for hacks who spend their summer days scribbling transfer yarns is that when they see a footballer they instinctively link him with a club where the fit seems plausible.” (Guardian)

Roy Hodgson
“With the departure of longtime club favourite Rafael Benitez, a lack of Champions League football and a hard rebuilding job with minimum cash influx in front of Roy Hodgson, it’s indeed a tough time to be a Liverpool fan as the decisions taken by Hodgson, Purslow and Broughton might go on to define the club for the foreseeable future. But looking back, the circumstances in which Rafael Benitez had taken up the reigns of the club seem to have a striking similarity to the ones Roy Hodgson now faces, and which ultimately led to the sacking of Houllier and Benitez.” (EPL Talk)

“Roy Hodgson arrived at Fulham in 2007 without much fanfare. He was regarded, probably largely because of an unhappy spell at Blackburn Rovers, as a mediocre manager who’d had reasonable success abroad with a string of mid-ranked countries — Finland, Switzerland, Sweden — but who couldn’t really cut it at the highest level. His two years of rebuilding work at Internazionale in the 1990s, in which the Italian club finished seventh and third and reached the final of the UEFA Cup, was broadly ignored.” (SI)

“So it’s come to this, a once-great European side reduced to selling their best players and bringing in a crocked creative midfielder? This isn’t going to be Inter Milan’s best year. Wait, that was last year, it’s Liverpool this time. When it comes to Liverpool you’re guaranteed two things; Drama and impassioned fans. Impassioned often about complete polar opposites (‘Benitez out’ Vs ‘In Rafa we trust’, ‘Joe Cole is the key’ Vs ‘Joe Cole is a crock’) and football is about these divisive issues. The thing about the beautiful game is that you never know what’s going to happen, however I’m still going to try to predict it.” (EPL Talk)

“So in today’s news, one of the biggest transfer deals of a hitherto quite quiet summer has taken place. Joe Cole has signed for Liverpool. Cole signs on a free transfer after his release from Chelsea in June, a parting of the ways that Cole described as ‘political’ in nature rather than for any particular footballing reasons. As is increasingly becoming the case these days, Twitter has proved an interesting source for news, opinion and information on Cole’s move to Anfield.” (Just Football)

Joe Cole
“At first glance, the signing of Joe Cole by Liverpool might seem like madness. Cole will be twenty-nine years old later on this year and has had a wretched time of it with injuries over the last year or so. He remains a player whose best position remains something of a mystery after ten years of professional football. His four year contract will be worth almost £19m, and his physical condition is, if anything, more likely to slip further rather than improve as he turns thirty. This could turn out to be wrong, but in terms of signing footballers, as in the buying and selling of all other commodities, it’s a matter of balancing probabilities.” (twohundredpercent)

Jamie Redknapp: Joe Cole was right to choose Liverpool over Tottenham and Arsenal
“Joe Cole has made the right decision. Going to Anfield to play for Liverpool is the right move.
I know my dad, Harry, tried to take him to Tottenham and I can see why. He’s a clever footballer, who unlocks defences and who still has so much to offer, an old fashioned dribbler.” (Daily Mail)

For Hodgson, success won’t come easy in his step up to Liverpool
“Roy Hodgson arrived at Fulham in 2007 without much fanfare. He was regarded, probably largely because of an unhappy spell at Blackburn Rovers, as a moderate manager who’d had reasonable success abroad with a string of mid-ranked countries — Finland, Switzerland, Sweden — but who couldn’t really cut it at the highest level. His two years of rebuilding work at Internazionale in the 1990s, in which the Italian club finished seventh and third and reached the final of the UEFA Cup, was broadly ignored.” (SI)

Krisztian Nemeth
“Roy Hodgson is concerned some elements of the Liverpool squad are “disenchanted” as a result of a disappointing 2009-10 season, but the club are ‘working very hard’ to ensure their best players remain at Anfield. Liverpool failed to qualify for the Champions League last season and previous manager Rafa Benitez departed Anfield, leaving Hodgson with the task of convincing the likes of Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and Javier Mascherano that they would be best served by remaining on Merseyside.” (ESPN)

Inter coy on Mascherano“Inter Milan sporting director Marco Branca has refused to rule out a move for Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano. Mascherano has been strongly linked with an exit this summer and, amid reports he is set for a reunion with Rafael Benitez, he has revealed he is learning Italian.” (ESPN)

BLOOD RED: Joe Cole fits the bill for Liverpool FC
“WHAT have Thierry Henry and Joe Cole got in common? They’ve both been spotted around Liverpool city centre more than the Superlambanana in recent times. Just as there were numerous sightings of Henry from Lime Street to the Lobster Pot prior to him joining Barcelona three years ago, rumours were rife this week that Cole was camped out at Melwood.” (Liverpool Echo)

Liverpool FC striker Krisztian Nemeth still eager to be a hit at Anfield
“YOUNG Liverpool striker Krisztian Nemeth could be facing an uphill battle to break into new boss Roy Hodgson’s first team plans this season – but remains hopeful of succeeding at Anfield.” (Liverpool Echo)

Roy Hodgson
“Hodgson is the very definition of ‘seen it all before’ and has English top flight experience in the form of an impressive stint with Blackburn (guiding them to a UEFA Cup spot) and Fulham (with a Europa League final spot). Indeed, after a career trailing around Europe, he now cuts a convincing figure as the stereotypical cultured, cosmopolitan European coach, despite his current location on Merseyside.” (ESPN)

“Fernando Torres could be fit for the start of the season after it emerged the thigh injury that ended his involvement in the World Cup final was not as serious as had been feared. Torres suffered only a small tear to his left thigh after coming on as a late substitute in Spain’s 1-0 victory over Holland. He has been told to have three weeks of complete rest and will then undergo a specially tailored rehabilitation programme aimed at getting him fit for Liverpool’s opening game against Arsenal on 15 August – if he decides to stay at Anfield in the face of persistent interest from Chelsea.” (Guardian)

“Liverpool medical staff believe the adductor injury sustained by striker Fernando Torres in the World Cup final may not be as serious as initially feared. Torres, who returned from knee surgery just in time for the finals in South Africa, pulled up in extra-time during Spain’s victory over Netherlands, leading to universal gasps of concern from the red half of Merseyside.” (ESPN)

Cisse targets future Liverpool return
“Former Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse admits he would relish a dream return to the club, and insists that he never got the opportunity to prove himself at Anfield. Cisse, currently plying his trade with Greek side Panathinaikos, joined Liverpool for £14 million in 2004, having been singned by Gerard Houllier just before he was replaced by Rafael Benitez.” (ESPN)

Nabil El Zhar and Emiliano Insua set for Liverpool FC exit while Reds eye move for Paul Scharner
“MOROCCAN winger Nabil El Zhar wants a move away from Liverpool. The 23-year-old is frustrated at the lack of first-team football at Anfield and is not convinced he will be given a chance to impress new Reds boss Roy Hodgson.” (Liverpool Echo)

Roy Hodgson
“New Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson hopes to persuade star players such as Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres to stay with the club. Hodgson officially took on the job vacated by Rafael Benitez on Thursday, and he will have to overcome the doubts of players and supporters ahead of Liverpool’s first Europa League qualifier at the end of July.” (ESPN)

Roy Hodgson ‘can’t force’ Fernando Torres or Steven Gerrard to stay at Liverpool
“Hodgson has claimed he ‘cannot nail their feet to the floor’ when asked about the future of the club’s most influential players. Flanked by Martin Broughton, Hodgson emphasised that financial issues remain under the supervision of interim chairman, but added he would endeavour to keep both Torres and Gerrard at the club.” (Telegraph)

Roy Hodgson heads for talks with Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher
“Roy Hodgson plans to meet Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher this afternoon after being unveiled as the new manager of Liverpool.” (Guardian)

“Rafael Benitez has left Liverpool by mutual consent. Benitez, who took over from Gerard Houllier in 2004, found his position untenable after a disappointing season which saw Liverpool finish seventh in the Premier League, just 12 months after being runners-up to Manchester United.” (ESPN)

“My memories of how I learned about the news regarding the Hillsborough Disaster and the Bradford Fire Disaster are a lot more vivid than what happened 25 years ago today in the Heysel Stadium Disaster. Part of the reason was because both the Hillsborough and Valley Parade games were played on a Saturday, while the European Cup Final of 1985 was played on a Wednesday night in Brussels. For me, living in the United States, it was certainly easier to follow games on my shortwave radio on a Saturday morning when the signal was much more clearer than on a Wednesday afternoon when I would be working and the signal strength was abysmal.” (EPL Talk)