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Bellamy Scores, Liverpool Beat Wrexham 2-0

Former Hull City youngster Paul Anderson and the man of the moment Craig Bellamy were both on the scoresheet, impressing in Liverpool’s first preseason friendly fixture ath the Racecourse Ground this afternoon.

With debuts for both Bellamy and Gabriel Paletta the game took only five minutes to produce the first goal, the kickoff having been delayed 15 minutes due to crowd congestion. Riise made a speedy dash all the way up the left to produce a cross for Anderson on the far post with the 17 year old (birthday next week) rounding off the move with a terrific volley to open the scoring.

Benitez was making sure that everyone was getting a run this afternoon and made a total of 8 changes alone at half time, removing Gabriel Paletta who had been performing well up to that point but simply lacked match practice.

Robbie Fowler was one of the 8 introduce at the break and took just seven minutes to set up Craig Bellamy for his first Liverpool goal, Fowler passing clear of the defence to set Bellamy on a run to fire past Jones in the Wrexham goal. Pongolle is back in Liverpool colours following his loan spell at Blackburn and came close to making it 3-0 midway through the second half before Adam Hamill had his shot turned onto the post with only a few minutes remaining.

Appearances for James Smith, Danny O’Donnell, Godwin Antwi, Salif Diao, Lee Peltier and Jack Hobbs means a world of good for the Liverpool squad with the majority of the first team still recoving after World Cup duty, though Jerzy Dudek did play 70 minutes of today’s encounter.

Liverpool move across to Crewe next weekend which should also see the introduction of Fabio Aurélio and Mark Gonzalez if everything goes to plan. Final score at the Racecourse Ground is Liverpool 2 - 0 Wrexham.

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Fans To Wait For Gonzalez

Looks like Mark Gonzalez won’t be taking any part in tomorrow’s pre-season friendly clash against Wrexham at the Racecourse Grounds. A post on the club’s official website revealed that Gonzalez picked up a slight injury to his knee but should in training at Melwood but should be ok to make his introduction against Crewe next week.

Fabio Aurélio is also in the same position and looks set to make his Liverpool debut against Crewe. No doubts about Craig Bellamy as of this evening who looks set to start up front alongside Robbie Fowler.

The game kicks off tomorrow at 3pm and if you’re an e-season ticket holder (as I am) on Liverpoolfc.tv you’ll be able to catch all the action live on the site.

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Medjani, Traoré Next Out The Door

Transfer news for Friday and it appears that both Carl Medjani (you thought he was gone already, didn’t you!) and Djimi Traoré are next out the Anfield door.

Medjani, once hailed as the next big thing when it came to French defenders, looks set to sign a three year contract with Lorient where he had been on loan all of the 04/05 season. The 21 year old had been on loan last season at Metz but couldn’t do enough to secure a long term deal. Another one of Houllier’s French misfits, Medjani rarely featured for Liverpool and certainly has no place in the plans of Rafa Benitez for this season or any other one what with the arrivals already of Fabio Aurélio, Gabriel Paletta, Jan Kromkamp, Danny Agger….

On the other side of the coin, Djimi Traoré is rumoured to be on his way out of Anfield now that competition for left back has really picked up with Bolton his likely destination. Sam Allardyce has a free £400k to play around with following Didi Hamann’s dramatic U-turn earlier in the week. Traoré’s other likely destination would be Birmingham, should a deal be brokered for Jermaine Pennant it would be hoped that the Frenchman could be used in a part exchange to help hold on to what finances are left in the Anfield coffers.

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More Transfers To Come - Benitez

I was hoping the summer spending wouldn’t stop after the unveiling yesterday of Fabio Aurélio and Gabriel Paletta and so I awake to the good news on LiverpoolFC.tv that Benitez isn’t finished shopping yet.

After getting shot of Fernando Morientes and Djibril Cissé I wouldn’t certainly hope not! I would still be hopeful that he bring back Nic Anelka, tried and tested in the Premier League, but whoever he brings back it should at least be someone to add support up the front, unless Craig Bellamy knows something that we don’t and could fire off a 20 goal season.

Via the club’s website…

We will continue to work on the squad, to find the right players,” said Benitez… we now have enough competition on the left…now we must do the same on the right to give us more options. It is certainly the priority. We have a limited amount of money, we will try to use our imagination to do something, maybe two or three more players.

A nice Champions League warchest on the horizon, good revenues from last season and the club’s much improved league position, plus a possible £8m from Djibril Cissé maybe even at Christmas would surely be enough for Benitez to work something good into the equation. Of course, “a limited amount of money” doesn’t mean a small amount of money with the club having to shell out in the region of £12m if they are hoping to lure Dani Alves away from Sevilla.

Speaking of Alves, Fabio Aurélio has come out in support of Benitez’ efforts to land the play, as mentioned in the Guardian.

I’ve seen Daniel play in Spain and he’s a fast, attack-minded full back and he would be a great addition to the Liverpool squad. It would be a huge positive for Liverpool if he were to come here too.

So who would you like to see at Anfield. Is Jermaine Pennant likely to make the move? Help fill that versatile role between the right and up front? Do we need a dedicated right winger there - work a bit of magic and land Joaquin ;). Now in fairness, if Liverpool landed Joaquin I think we’d be laughing. Makes for one solid midfield line.

Questions aside, I’m looking forward to seeing whatever transfers Benitez manages to secure. He’s not one for hanging onto transfer mistakes (Josemi, Antonio Nunez, Pellegrino) unlike Houllier, whose dead wood still clutters Melwood and Anfield. I would still be a little cautious about that forward line though, especially if there is a reliance on the midfield to score 20 goals a season…

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Cissé Wraps Up Marseille Loan

Djibril Cissé, the previous owner of the #9 shirt for Liverpool has officially joined up with Marseille today on a one year loan deal, as confirmed by L’OM this afternoon.

“My choice has always been Marseille,” Cisse said after agreeing the switch. A quick look at the Marseille club website this afternoon shows a smiling Cissé in the sun in the new Marseille kit. End of story of Cissé’s Liverpool career I think.

There should be a full video of Cissé’s introduction available on the Marseille club site (for those of you who are interested) from around 6pm this evening.

So, £14m, 78 appearances, 24 goals and 2 broken legs later we kiss goodbye to Djibril Cissé. Of course, Cissé has only agreed so far to go on loan to Marseille, with the French side more hopeful of a permanent transfer. Think Benitez will have a change of heart? I think Cissé may look for a removal van some time soon…

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Hamann Completes City Switch

In one of the craziest Liverpool transfers in a while, Didi Hamann has finally completed his move to Manchester City, 24 hours after signing for Bolton.

Hamann effectively moves to City on a free transfer, though the club have agreed on a £300,000 compensation package with Bolton.

Why he’s at City though I seriously wonder. If it was me in Hamann’s position I would have opted for Bolton. Interesting read somewhere yesterday about City becoming a graveyard for old Liverpool players (James, Fowler, McManaman, Anelka…) and I sincerely hope for Hamann’s sake that he’s not just another statistic.

Of course, we wish him all the best at Manchester City.

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Hamann U-Turn on Bolton, Joins City

Ok… so word via Liverpoolfc.tv earlier, along with my own article, revealed this lunchtime that Hamann was out the door to Bolton with everything done and dusted.

But a quick visit to the Bolton club website suggests otherwise, with Hamann having a change of heart, not wanting to honour the contract he signed with Bolton. But yes, he actually signed a contract.

A statement on Bolton’s club site…

BOLTON WANDERERS wishes to clarify that although Didi Hamann signed a contract with the Club, he has since had a change of heart and will sign for another football club in the next 24 hours.

It is most certain now that Hamann will in fact link up with Manchester City, as to whether or not he will actually count as a Bolton player is another thing, if he does it was a very short career at Bolton. Big turnaround for Sam Allardyce who was no doubted delighted after seemingly getting his man at long last earlier today.

Hamann will (should) become City’s fourth summer purchase after goalkeeper Joe Hart, Frenchman Ousmane Dabo and former Blackburn striker Paul Dickov.

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Hamann Checks Out, Signs For Bolton

Sam Allardyce will be one happy man today. Only days ago he was resigned to losing Didi Hamann to Manchester City with reports saying that Hamann’s wife would prefer the city life of Manchester as opposed to Bolton, but we can report this afternoon that he has officially ended his Liverpool career having a fresh deal with Bolton.

Hamann himself managed a grand total of 283 appearances in the Liverpool shirt since his arrival under Houllier way back in 1999 and in those seven years he clocked up 11 goals in the process.

I think Hamann’s best game for Liverpool came in 2005’s Champions League Final, Hamann playing out the game with a fractured foot, terrific in his second half appearance, cool in the shootout.

I’ve had my ups and downs about Hamann over the past few years. Wasn’t overly fond of the fact that he liked to have the ould long shot at goal, fans full knowing it wasn’t really going to go anywhere, but you can’t discount that he has been a great player for Liverpool and a great servant for the club and will be missed by many a fan.

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Kirkland Follows Heskey To Wigan

Chris Kirkland has followed Emile Heskey to Wigan to hook up with his former Anfield teammate, signing a six month loan deal with a view to a permanent transfer at during the January transfer window.

Kirkland has already been training with Wigan and behind Pepe Reina, Jerzy Dudek and Scott Carson doesn’t really have a place any more at Anfield. Paul Jewell, as with Wigan fans, will be hoping that Kirkland can remain injury free at least until Christmas, something that would greatly improve his chances of staying on at the JJB.

Kirkland is really desperate to make things work and from reading reports on the transfer process itself it seems that Jewell is just as anxious to get Kirkland back on his feet and between the sticks at Wigan.

With just 45 games for Liverpool in 4 seasons at the club I doubt there’s ever a chance of seeing anything remotely like the £6m that was paid to bring him to the club from Coventry.

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Wednesday Deadline For Cissé

Looks like tomorrow is the last day at Anfield for Djibril Cissé with his loan deal to Marseille set to be complete, though no official word on this matter yet. Cissé has always said he would love to play for Marseille though I’ll admit I’ll be sorry to see him go. Just when he looked to be coming he, go breaks his other leg. Bit of a disaster really. I’d be wondering if we ever saw the real Cissé, the one that was worth spending £14m on.

Either that or we look at Benitez shaping the team in his own vision, casting aside the French revolution created by Houllier.

The loan move for Cissé is said to only be the first part of the plan, as when the player recovers from his broken leg he is likely to make a permanent transfer to L’OM, at least bring in some cash reserve for the player. Liverpool of course need to find a replacement before the start of the season. Still no word on Dirk Kuyt or any possible move for Anelka (ah go on). Fernando Torres anybody? Yes please.

Of course, Marsellie could always take him on loan for the year and just send him back. Another injury to Cissé and he’s good to nobody.

With the move destined to go through, Cissé should be revealed to the French media on Wednesday afternoon some time. Wonder what he’s going to do with that big manor in Liverpool….

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