Liverpool team news and starting 11

Liverpool have signed Goalkeeper Doni from Roma. http://bit.ly/nJucFs I hope this isn't because Reina wants out. Hopefully just healthy competition.

Lucas increases his hopes of bring ready for the season start as Brazil just got knocked out of Copa America.

Unfortunately Uruguay (Suarez)have made the semis.

Asian tour now over, Insua (visa issues) and Mereiles (ankle knock) played in the second game after being missing for the first. Both matches had 11 substitutions at half time. 10 goals scored. Full team details on LFC website.

Reina, Johnson, Gerrard, Henderson, Skrtel all missed the tour due to injury/op/U21 recovery but hopefully should all be Ok for day 1.

No idea where Aurelio is.....

Asian Tour facts:

Wed 13/7 Guangdong Sunray Cave 3 v 4 Liverpool
GOALS: Poulsen 19, Ngog 22, Coady 73, Carroll 85

first half:
Gulacsi
Kelly Carragher Wilson Flanagan
Poulsen Spearing Shelvey Pacheco Cole
Ngog

second half:
Jones (Hansen 71)
Wisdom Kyrgiakos Agger Robinson
Coady Adam Aquilani Rodriguez Kuyt
Carroll

Did not play: Insua (no visa), Mereiles (ankle knock)

Sat 16/7, Malaysia XI 3 v 6 Liverpool
GOALS: Adam 27(pen), Ngog 68,69, Maxi 76,90, Kuyt 94

first half:
Jones,
Flanagan, Carragher ©, Agger, Robinson,
Coady, Spearing, Adam, Meireles, Cole,
Carroll.

second half:
Gulacsi (Hansen 69),
Kelly, Kyrgiakos, Wilson, Insua,
Aquilani, Shelvey, Poulsen, Maxi, Kuyt,
Ngog.

Non playing subs: Wisdom, Pacheco

Missing from tour: Lucas, Suarez, Reina, Doni, Skrtel, Johnson, Aurelio, Gerrard, Henderson, Downing
(Bruna now officially confirmed as sold to Blackpool)

who was captain when carra did not play out of interest?

Agger in the first match. Not sure in 2nd.

With no Kuyt and Gerrard on the pitch, Adam took the penalty (twice!) but said afterwards that Carroll was supposed to have done.....

That could be a good indication that if Agger keeps fit he will be given a first team place

...and the fact he was paired with Carragher in one game (rather than share their quality over two halves / line ups)

Liverpool have today confirmed that Peter Gulacsi has joined Hull City on loan.

The Hungarian goalkeeper, who arrived at Anfield in 2008, has also signed an extension to his current contract and moves to the KC Stadium until June 30, 2012.

Downing, Henderson and Johnson photgraphed back in training. No sign of Gerrard, Reina, Aurelio, Skrtel or Doni yet.

I can see the lineup for Liverpool possibly being if season started now;

Reina
Johnson
Agger
Carra
Skrtel
Gerrard
Adam
Downing
Kuyt
Syarez
Carroll

Presumably that's Agger at Left back?

In my view, the team will be:

Reina

RB: Johnson
CB: Carra
CB: Agger (too good to drop - Skrtl if Agger LB)
LB: No idea


RM Kuyt (too good to drop)
CM Gerrard (ditto)
CM Any of Henderson, Lucas, Adam
LM Downing (fee and no other options)

Str1: Suarez
Str2: Carroll

...but would be interested in more knowledgeable people's views (on who Dalglish will start, not who they personally think willl start).

Agger not involved in any capacity today. Could be on his way (Bayern Munich interest apparently)

Gerrard groin injury rumoured to be not healing as expected, widely considered to be a 'chronic' problem & he'll be lucky to get 15-20 games per season. No idea how much truth in this.

Aquilani expected to sign with Fiorentina this week - maybe a loan, maybe permanent.

Reina still struggling, not yet training following op.

Lucas & Suarez will be given extended breaks following their respective Copa America exertions & may miss the start of the season


Basically tough to judge for another 3 weeks but if pressed

Reina
Kelly
Carragher
Skrtel
Johnson
Henderson/Kuyt
Lucas
Adam
Downing
Suarez/Kuyt
Carroll/Kuyt

Thanks. My specific query was meant to be who will be the first choice when everyone is fit, but I wasn't very clear.

Young keepers Gulacsi (season) and Hansen (28 days) have now gone out on loan which might mean:

a) confident Reina will be fit AND/OR
b) Brad Jones isn't being sold/released

A bit from Kenny about the returns to training of Lucas ("next week") and Suarez (not stated but rumours of around 6th after his daughter's birthday). Both would only have had 2 weeks off is those dates are correct.

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/latest-n ... -rush-luis

Reina hoping to be back for the matchon monday

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/latest-n ... for-return

Kenny Dalglish and his team have arrived in Norway for Monday's clash with Valerenga. The boss has brought a strong squad to Oslo, including new signings Charlie Adam, Jordan Henderson and Stewart Downing.

Fit again Glen Johnson, Daniel Agger and Pepe Reina are also in contention for the friendly, which is live on LFC TV Online.

If things go in 3's then its another 3-0 defeat tonight.

Raul Meireles will miss Liverpool's friendly with Valerenga because of a bruised foot. Meireles, Martin Skrtel (calf) and Steven Gerrard (groin) are still absent.

Dalglish intends to step up his side's preparations for the season by giving some players longer than the 45 minutes we've seen in most of our friendlies so far.

He told Liverpoolfc.tv: "It's great to see Pepe, Glen and Daniel back. There are still a couple of injuries. Raul still has a problem with a bruise on his foot, and there's Steven and Martin.

"There are a lot of lads tonight who'll play longer than the 45 minutes they've played before. We're happy with the level of fitness."

"You're looking for a lot of things from the game," he said. "You're looking for an improvement in fitness, an improvement in sharpness and an improvement certainly in passing and moving the ball.

"The result is always helpful but it's not always a barometer of what's happening. Various teams and various countries are at different stages and levels of fitness. Valerenga are in the middle of their season so you'd expect them to be fit.

"We'll expect our players to be sharper than they have been because it's another game (on in pre-season).

"They're certainly training very hard and they're looking fit enough. The only way they're going to get sharp is with what they do on the pitch."

(6pm ko, live on ESPN)

Valerenga 3 v 3 Liverpool
Goals - Carroll, Agger (2)

Another game, another 3 goals conceded - although the second was never a penalty!

Much better though and, for the first time, the team actually resembled one that could start against Sunderland in a couple of weeks’ time. There will be tweaks and returning players so don't take this as a predicted XI!

Formation wise, the first half seemed to be 442 initially (as posted below) with a switch to 4231 in the second half Kuyt went to RM and Henderson to the centre of the 3.

Performance wise it was OK at times, the vastly increased number of (near) first teamers helped although many are new faces so it didn't totally gel. Johnson looked rusty in his first game back, Downing looked good putting in some good crosses for Carroll (including the first goal). Adam and Carroll looking fitter. Henderson looked slightly lost with the fluid midfield of the first half when I think he was supposed to be left midfield. Personally I thought the 4231 worked better, maybe the 442 needs Suarez so Kuyt (and Downing) can play wide?? Aqua made a good cameo taking the two corners that led to Agger's goals.

Reina,
Johnson (Kelly 68), Agger (Sama 90), Carragher, Robinson (Flanagan 68),
Downing (Sterling 79), Spearing, Adam (Shelvey 68), Henderson (Aquilani 79),
Kuyt, Carroll (Ngog 79).

Not used: Doni.

The AWOL list includes the injured (Mereiles, Aurelio, Skrtel, Gerrard) the holidayers (Lucas - now back training, Suarez), some rested after playing in Turkey (Insua, Cole, Soto, Poulsen) and the out of favour!

Last pre-season game on saturday, Valencia at Anfield but before that “there's an educated week's training ahead."

As a neutral, I would agree the start of the second half was a lot better that the first, where it seemed to be a 4-4-2, but with no LM but still got over run in central midfield.

If the second wasn't a pen, then Carroll's was handball

Is there any mileage in looking at Maxi Rodriguez? where is he and is he worth consideration?

Where is he? Good question

Is he worth considering? No

Who you think is the best FF pick, Adam or Downing?

Neither.

Plenty of better options elsewhere.

Downing is probably the safer option.

Depends on your game and points system etc but I would say Downing in TFF for more KCs and maybe more reliable appearances over a season.

Enrique nearly a done deal according to many local and national rags. Price estimated at 6m. Let's hope we don't pay over 10.

Just heard on the local radio that Liverpool are close to resigning a former player. Any guesses?

Just look at the positions............LM, Downing, uninterested Maxi or crock Cole.
CM ..............they probably have 10 players who could actually play there