Pawlu

Ask him:

Here's a video of the whole thing: http://mms://video.jumpy.it/adsportmediaset/2008/05/C_27_video_1385_GroupVideo_filevideo.wmv This is Gattuso's reaction: and a look at the pair upfront

When Deggen was first rumoured to be joining Liverpool, I got in touch with a Borussia fan site to get their view on him. Overall they were pretty balanced saying that he seems to have the skill but not really the attitude. For what its worth, here is a piece about him that I wrote on my blog: ---- He’s not yet a Liverpool player – and he may never be on if his recent comments hold any truth – but Philip Degen has already split the fans into two. Well, the split is actually 70 – 30 with the majority unable to shake off the feeling that Deggen has been targeted not really because he is anything special but rather since he is available for free. Call it the Andriy Voronin syndrome, if you want. That of the Ukranian striker is indeed a powerful argument and few would dispute that he isn’t good enough to be playing for Liverpool. He is an average striker who adds nothing to the squad except for numbers. That he didn’t think twice to bad-mouth Liverpool as a city certainly hasn’t helped. Then again, Voronin is arguably fourth in ranking as far as forwards are concerned something that would not be acceptable for anyone who is any better. Liverpool didn’t pay anything for him, would probably get a transfer fee should they opt to sell him and in the meantime have a striker who is reasonably good against the smaller teams in the league. There you have the alternative position, the one that states that Benitez wants to get Deggen in order to strengthen his options. At 33, it is hard to see Steve Finnan playing on for much longer at the level required by Liverpool and at times during the season Alvaro Arbeloa has showed that he is good enough to be his long term replacement. Getting Deggen in will ensure that there is competition for places. He is a Swiss international, someone who has experience at playing in a top league and the sort of player who would have easily eaten away into Benitez’s restricted budget had his contract not run up. The real major flaw in any of these arguments is that few of those making any sort of claim have seen Deggen play and, if they have, it is often a one off game where it is impossible to make any sort of judgement. It is why a look at what Borussia Dortmund fans have to say can be revealing albeit not too comforting. “As far as Degen is concerned most experts and supporters are happy with his decision to leave the club,” says Dominic Ponattu, a Dortmund fan and one of the writers on the club’s fanzine Schwatz Gelb. “Though he is a highly talented right wing back - he has a fine technique and is quite fast as well - he did not play out these strengths in Dortmund.” It gets worse. “In a lot of matches, he was even an uncertainty factor in the defence as he unnecessarily caused penalties and stood too far away from his opponents. He has clear deficits in the defence.” There is however, some hope. “Degen shows good performances as Swiss national, especially in the offence. But still many say that his performances there are quite inconsistent as well.” “I think that Liverpool can only benefit from Degen if they are making him work hard on his deficits in the defence and force him to play out his qualities which clearly lie in the offensive game play.” All of which swings the argument largely in favour of those who are against the transfer. Sort of, because the feeling is that Benitez sees the need for a fast right-back comfortable with moving forward and helping the attack: it is what his long time targets Daniel Alves and Rafinha have in common. Like it or not, the club’s financial reality dictates that neither of those players is likely to make it to Anfield so instead Benitez has gone looking for someone who has the potential to be as good as them – or at least offer the same tactical advantage – but has failed to fully exploit his potential. By most accounts, Deggen has that ability. How well he can use it is now Benitez’s call.

Spoke to Dominic Ponattu, a Dortmund fan and one of the writers on the club’s fanzine Schwatz Gelb, and he had this to say of Degen: “As far as Degen is concerned most experts and supporters are happy with his decision to leave the club. Though he is a highly talented right wing back - he has a fine technique and is quite fast as well - he did not play out these strengths in Dortmund.” “In a lot of matches, he was even an uncertainty factor in the defence as he unnecessarily caused penalties and stood too far away from his opponents. He has clear deficits in the defence.” “Degen shows good performances as Swiss national, especially in the offence. But still many say that his performances there are quite inconsistent as well.” “I think that Liverpool can only benefit from Degen if they are making him work hard on his deficits in the defence and force him to play out his qualities which clearly lie in the offensive game play.” Full article here: A Liverpool Thing: Nothing Good Comes For Free

From what I've seen both Pacecho and Bruna have great potential. In particular I've been impressed with Bruna who initially struggled to make any impact at all but has slowly started to show his class. Once he gets stronger I think that he will be quite a player. As for Budimir, I think that the Bild article is basically saying that he is about to move to Hansa Rostock.

Tony Evans on the on-line version of the Times offers a different take on things. Now, I know that there will be those who will slate him but Evans is a Scouser and a die-hard Red so his view is worth listening to. Analysis: Only one of Benitez or Parry will surviveTony Evans While most observers would say that Rick Parry's biggest mistake was to sell the club to Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr, the Liverpool chief executive may come to believe that his biggest blunder was appointing Rafael Benítez as manager. Parry brought Benítez to the club, but the Spaniard's relationship with his chief executive has been fraught. A Liverpool fan from childhood, Parry believes that managers and players are transitory and only the club endures. To Benítez, who craves control, this translates into a suspicion that the chief executive thinks the manager is dispensable. The former Valencia coach has also complained that he has reached agreement with some of his transfer targets only to find that Parry, instead of tying up loose ends, has presented the clubs and players concerned with inferior financial packages to those promised by the manager, causing the deals to fall through. This is just one area where their different philosophies have caused their relationship to deteriorate. Ultimately, only one of Benítez or Parry will survive. It is a sideshow to the ownership issue, but one that has serious ramifications for Liverpool. Analysis: Only one of Benitez or Parry will survive | Liverpool - Times Online --- The one thing that I've been asking myself is why did anyone who has Liverpool's best interest at heart - rather than self-preservation - leak the letter to the press?

The keeper - Gulacsi - is only on loan for a season but Steve Hunter was saying during yesterday's game that Ablett was saying that he hopes to sign him on a permanent basis so I'm guessing that he has impressed the coaching staff. As for Simon, let's not forget that he is almost two years younger.

That Mancini kid who was an unused substitute is the son of Inter coach Roberto Mancini. The rumour here in Italy is that next year Mancini senior will move to City to be Eriksson's assistant. As for Liverpool's youths, pity how things have gone flat in recent weeks.

Don't know about Ramsey but Della Valle made his debut coming on as a second half substitute.

You're right, it was Mellor. Purely accidental I believe.

Welsh is at Chester on loan from Hull. He's just come back from a long term injury that he suffered last season, ironically inflicted by Lee Peltier.

Guys, there's no need to worry: we'll get Pako in.

Can Italian clubs negotiate their own TV deals? Not as of last Saturday when a new law was passed dictating that the Lega Calcio (football league) is to negotiate for all clubs with certain percentages going to the lower leagues. Was fairly big news until the police started to shoot on innocent bystanders.

You're right there. He used to say "let the ball sweat , not you" which is much like the pass and move philosophy. If you find anything in Italian, post them and I'll do the translation.

He was the Roma manager when they were beaten by Liverpool in the Champions Cup final in 1985. A true gent, my tribute is here.

In 2000 and 2001 Arsenal won the FA Youth Cup back to back. At the time many claimed that this was due to the rehaul that Wenger had carried out in their youth system and that the players in those team would go on to be world beaters. Here is an article about what happened to those players. Is it because Wenger didn't give them the time / opportunity to play? Or because sometimes it takes a very long time to perfect these things and in any case there is no way to be sure how a player will develop?

Mark Smyth has turned up in Malta for a trial. Remember him from that League Cup game against Spurs: he was reasonably good on that day.

Isn't it obvious: neither one is a defensive midfielder or a goalkeeper.

What he's saying is that Rafael Benitez has made a last ditch attempt to convince the player to join Liverpool but Quaresma want to joint Atletico for a number of reasons. He's also saying that Benitez has asked him why he wants to join a team of losers. The bit in caps is due to that final coment where the poster is basically saying that he has lost all respect he had of Benitez.

The Pourie transfer went ahead last May. He's a tall striker apparently. More details (well, slightly more), here.

All I've been able to find out about him is that he was Otto Pfister's assistant at the World Cup with Togo. Also, his previous club was Grasshoppers where a certain Karl Heinz Riedle is general manager.

During John Barnes' brief spell at manager, they signed a Brazilian called Rafael Scheidt who played up to his surname.

The official site is once more on the ball. They could have at least asked for a couple of quotes.

There was another interview with Pederzoli where he said that he had been told by Benitez to look at Amauri but once he got injured (and rather seriously) they dropped their interest. Will try to find a link later. As for Trezeguet, it seems that Juventus want to get rid of him. Cheers

Actually, he seems to be a Liverpool employee. Found a piece on Il Giornale where it says that he is basically the scout in charge of looking at players in Italy. Apparently he met Benitez when he was still a coach at Extremadura and kept in touch ever since.