Tuesday, May 03, 2011

Suarez Wants Euro Glory

Luis Suarez would have no complaints if Liverpool's ongoing revival resulted in qualification for the Europa League.

Kenny Dalglish has produced a remarkable turnaround in form since returning to the Anfield hot-seat in January and the club has lost just two of their last 14 Premier League matches.

Thirty points have been collected in that space of time to move Liverpool above Tottenham, who still have to visit Merseyside, in fifth place in the table, which would book a place in Europe next season.

But it has been suggested that the comparative lack of glamour and resulting fixture congestion of the Europa League is something that Liverpool and Tottenham would want to avoid.

However, former Ajax striker Suarez, who was ineligible for Liverpool in Europe when he joined in January, thinks otherwise.

The 24-year-old Uruguayan said: "If we get in the Europa League, of course, our objective has to be to win it. That is what a club like this must aim for.

"We have to do everything we can to win as many competitions as we can. Qualifying for Europe has to be our objective.

"When I came I wanted to help Liverpool get there. But when the second half of the season started it looked really difficult.

"But we have kept winning games, we have played really well and got some important victories. We have been hoping that Tottenham drop points."

Juventus Will Not Pay Liverpool £16m For Alberto Aquilani

Juventus will not pay Liverpool £16 million [€18m] to sign midfielder Alberto Aquilani on a permanent contract in the summer, according to sporting director Giuseppe Marotta.

The Italy international joined the Turin giants at the start of the 2010-11 campaign on a season-long loan from the Reds and has been in good form.

Juve have said on more than one occasion that they want to keep the 26-year-old beyond the summer but have once again refused to meet the English club’s valuation of the player.

Aquilani’s contract has a buy-out clause of £16m and Liverpool are reportedly asking the Serie A giants to pay the entire sum, a notion that the former Italian and European champions refuse to come to terms with.

“There is a buy-out clause that has to be activated by May 15,” Juve’s general manager Giuseppe Marotta told Sky Sport Italia.

“We’ll try to reach an agreement before the deadline. I can certainly say we will not sign Aquilani for the sum set by Liverpool.”

Aquilani himself has revealed his desire to remain in Italy, although Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish has suggested that the former Roma medio could return to Anfield at the end of the current season.

McDermott: 'All Hell Will Break Loose If Dalglish Doesn't Get Liverpool Job'

Terry McDermott has called on Liverpool’s owners to confirm Kenny Dalglish as manager and warned them ‘all hell will break loose’ if they don’t give him the job.

The Anfield legend has overseen a remarkable turnaround in the club’s fortunes since replacing Roy Hodgson in January and the Reds are now in line to qualify for Europe by finishing fifth in the Premier League.

But McDermott, a former Liverpool team-mate of Dalglish, shares the fans’ sense of disbelief that the Scot has not been handed the reins on a permanent basis.

He told talkSPORT: “I’m delighted for Kenny, he’s one of the great guys in English football. It’s just a matter of time before they actually give him the job because if they don’t all hell would break loose. He’s done a fantastic job and got the players believing in themselves again.

“Kenny has turned the club around and got the players playing for him. They [the board] should announce it straight away.

“They should stay he’s staying for two or three years and give him the money he needs to bring players in, because they do need that. They need a fresh impetus. If they give him money he’ll buy the right players and they could be Champions League material next year.”

And McDermott has warned the Anfield hierarchy that any delay in appointing Dalglish could lead to the good work he has done in the second half of this season being undone.

He added: “I’m sure he’s identified players he wants but until he gets the green light he can’t do anything. He’ll have his eyes on players he wants to get in, and players he wants to leave.

“He won’t want to leave it until the end of May or into June when other clubs might have moved in for those players. Liverpool wants to be at the front of the queue.”

Striker Eyes England Glory

Academy star Adam Morgan has set his sights on glory as England U17s begin their defence of the European Championships against France this afternoon.

The Reds frontman has been in scintillating form this season, netting 21 goals for a Liverpool U18s side that is still fighting for the Premier Academy League Group C title.

However, the 17-year-old now turns his attention towards his country's first clash of the tournament in Serbia and is hopeful he can follow in the footsteps of Conor Coady and Andre Wisdom by going on to lift the trophy.

Morgan told Liverpoolfc.tv: "I spoke to Conor about the tournament and he told me it was a really good experience for him when he won it last summer.

"Looking at the teams involved, I can't see many sides as strong as England but you never know what will happen. We've just got to try our best and hopefully we can match the achievements of last year and retain the trophy.

"If you win the trophy you get to walk out at Wembley with it at a senior England match, so that's another motivating factor.

"It's a wonderful stadium and one I'd love to end up playing in one day too."

Raheem Sterling and Brad Smith are also in England's squad - but Matty Regan has been forced to withdraw after picking up an injury in training.

John Aldridge: Jamie Carragher Has Plenty Left To Give Liverpool FC

When Jamie Carragher lines up against Fulham next Monday night he will be making his 666th appearance for Liverpool.

Only Ian Callaghan will have played more games for the Reds and that's a phenomenal achievement.

The number of games Carra has played speaks for itself and for me he epitomizes what Liverpool are all about.

His form is still tremendous and he is marshalling the defence brilliantly.

He's like a father figure to young John Flanagan on the pitch.

I think it's fair to say Cally's record is safe but Carra still has so much left to offer.

He's been a fantastic servant to the club and deserves to be ranked right up there with the all-time Liverpool greats.

Academy Football: Michael Ngoo’s Penalty Earns Point And Keeps Liverpool’s Title Hopes Alive

Michael Ngoo’s penalty earned Liverpool under-18s a point at Sheffield United and kept up their hopes of finishing top of the Group C table in the Barclays Premier League.

Rodolfo Borrell’s youngsters are now five points behind Everton and must win both their final two matches to go ahead of Everton at the top.

Following the 4-0 midweek defeat to Everton, Liverpool’s title hopes were hit, but following the Blues shock 1-0 loss to Leeds in their final match, Saturday’s point keeps Liverpool in the hunt.

With four regulars missing due to their England U17s’ international commitments Liverpool had to dig deep after they went a goal down midway through the second half to FA Youth Cup finalists Sheffield. But substitute Ngoo was brought down in the area with 10 minutes to go to give Liverpool the chance to level it up from the spot. And the former Southend striker calmly fired home to give Borrell’s youngsters a share of the points.

Liverpool now faces Midlanders Wolverhampton Wanderers at home and away to complete the regular season. They must win in the Midlands today (11am) and at the Kirkby Academy on Friday to overtake Everton and secure a play in the national play-off semi-finals.

Liverpool defender Matty Regan was forced to pull out of John Peacock’s England U17s squad for the UEFA European U17 Championship in Serbia due to injury. That means there will be three representatives from the red half of Merseyside in Raheem Sterling, Adam Morgan and Brad Smith.