Liverpool Give Fernando Torres And Steven Gerrard 14 Days To Decide Their Futures

Liverpool want their stellar performers Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard to decide their futures in the next 14 days and end the prolonged transfer speculation.

According to the News of the World, new Kop boss Roy Hodgson will hold further talks with his £30 million-rated captain Gerrard when he returns to training on Tuesday.

Hodgon's transfer plans have been left in limbo this summer as the club waits for clarification on the duo's future.

The self imposed two week deadline from the Anfield chiefs signals their desire to put the whole saga behind them, and it is believed that if the pair do not ask for a transfer before the end of July they will be remaining with the Merseysiders for next season.

There is increased optimism that both stay with the Reds for the 2010-11 campaign, something that will give Hodgson £40m transfer war-chest, provided Javier Mascherano's move to Inter Milan gets the green-light.

If the star pair do leave, the kitty will rise to almost £140m, allowing Hodgson to bid for high-profile replacements.

Currently, as the Reds prepare for their Europa League qualifiers, Hodgson is struggling to field a competitive side as he awaits the return of his World Cup 2010 participants.

Having allowed Emiliano Insua to leave for Fiorentina for a fee in the region of £5m, and transfer listed youngsters Nabil El Zhar and Damien Plessis, the Merseysiders are in desperate need of fresh blood.

It is hoped that England World Cup players Gerrard, Glen Johnson and Jamie Carragher will be available for selection for the second leg of the qualifier, with either Macedonia FK Rabotnicki or Armenia's FC Mika their likely opponents.

However, is believed that such is the shortage of first-team star, that Liverpool will ask 'keeper Pepe Reina to return from holiday earlier than expected and take his place between the sticks for the first qualifier.

Liverpool Make Massive Offer For Joe Cole

Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson will hope to outbid the likes of Tottenham and Arsenal as the race for Joe Cole hots up.

England midfielder Cole was released by Chelsea after six years at Stamford Bridge after the Blues refused to meet the 28-year-old's wage demands.

It is thought that Tottenham and Arsenal are leading the chase for Cole, who has spent his entire career in London, having started at West Ham. However, Hodgson will hope to persuade Cole that the future at Anfield is bright and that stars such as Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres can be persuaded to stay at Liverpool, especially if Cole himself opts for a move north.

The News of the World reports that Hodgson is prepared to push the boat out to sign Cole, which would send a statement of intent to the rest of the Premier League. Apparently, Cole will be offered a massive £4.7million-a-year deal, equivalent to a £90,000 three-year contract in order to become Hodgson's first major signing.

Liverpool's England contingent, Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Glen Johnson, return to training at the end of the week and Hodgson would be delighted if their World Cup team-mate Cole were to join them.

Liverpool Consider Offering Dirk Kuyt To Juventus For Midfielder Christian Poulsen

Premier League giants Liverpool are looking to sign Christian Poulsen from Italian powerhouse Juventus, according to a report in Italy.

Tuttocalcionews.it reports that the Reds want to sign the Danish international and are ready to barter Dirk Kuyt in exchange.

The Bianconeri are looking to sell one of their central midfielders to make room in their transfer and wage budgets to invest in other departments, and it appears they would be willing to listen to enquiries from Roy Hodgson's side.

Both the Reds and the Old Lady failed to qualify for next season's Champions League and have appointed new managers this summer.

With speculation continuing to link Javier Mascherano with a move to join Italian and European champions Inter, holding midfielder Poulsen may serve as his replacement at Anfield if a deal was to materialize.

Liverpool Turn To Paul Konchesky To Fill Left-Back Gap

Roy Hodgson could return to his old club Fulham and sign Paul Konchesky with Liverpool currently without a recognized left-back.

The 29-year-old was a regular for Hodgson's Fulham side last season, playing 39 games to help them reach the Europa League final. However, the England international has a year left on his contract and is thought to be keen to cash in on a move at this stage of his career.

Fulham reportedly turned down a £1.5million bid from Birmingham City several weeks ago and Blues boss Alex McLeish could increase his offer for the left-back.

Liverpool is set to begin the season without a recognized left-back unless they make a signing in the coming month. Brazilian Fabio Aurelio has left the club and Argentinian youngster Emiliano Insua is also set to leave Anfield, with a £5million move to Fiorentina likely to be completed this week.

Hodgson said, "A deal has been struck with Fiorentina…We wish him well for the rest of his career and thank him for his time spent at Liverpool.

"I am expecting him to join Fiorentina next week."

With Birmingham City also in the chase for Konchesky, the News of the World reports that Liverpool could look to sign the defender for £2million. They will hope that the lure of linking up again with Hodgson on the big Anfield stage will be enough to lure him to sign him for the Reds.

Liverpool FC Agree Fee With Italian Club Fiorentina For Sale Of Emiliano Insua

Liverpool has agreed a fee with Fiorentina for the sale of defender Emiliano Insua and the player is travelling to Italy to discuss personal terms.

The Argentinian had a difficult season as injury to Fabio Aurelio meant he was first-choice left-back for most of the campaign and that eventually took its toll on his performances.

Insua has left the club’s training camp in Switzerland to have talks with the Serie A outfit.

His imminent departure, combined with Aurelio being released after his contract expired, means manager Roy Hodgson’s priority is finding a new left-back as soon as possible.

“We have agreed a fee for the sale of Emiliano Insua to Fiorentina and given them permission to speak with the player,'' said a club spokesman.

“Emiliano has now left our Swiss training camp and we’ll make further comment when appropriate.”

Insua arrived at Anfield in January 2007 from Boca Juniors and played 62 matches for the Reds.

Liverpool's friendly against Al-Hilal in Switzerland this evening has been called off after the pitch was deemed unplayable following heavy rain.

It means Hodgson will have to wait until Wednesday, when they face Swiss side Grasshoppers, for his first game since taking over from Rafael Benitez on July 1.

Hodgson thanked Insua for his service to the club.

“A deal has been struck with Fiorentina. We wish him well for the rest of his career and thank him for his time spent at Liverpool,” he said.

“I am expecting him to join Fiorentina next week.”

Milito Expecting Mascherano Move

Diego Milito is confident his fellow Argentine Javier Mascherano will be joining him at Inter Milan.

The reigning European and Serie A champions are known to be interested in the Liverpool midfielder, with former Reds boss Rafa Benitez having succeeded Jose Mourinho at the Giuseppe Meazza helm this summer.

The Spaniard is an avid admirer of Mascherano's talents, having taken him to Anfield, and is keen for the South American enforcer to follow him to Italy.

His quest has been aided by the fact that Liverpool can no longer offer their top talents UEFA Champions League football, and Milito believes that could be the factor which helps to turn the tide in Inter's favour.

"We are very excited about Mascherano joining us at Inter," the experienced striker said in the Daily Star Sunday.

"He has made it clear he wants to be here and it's just down to the relevant people agreeing the deal now.

"In my view we are getting the very best defensive midfield player in the world and Maradona calls him one of the three most important players in the Argentina squad along with Lionel Messi and (Carlos) Tevez. That's how highly he is regarded."

Milito added: "I think it's unrealistic of Liverpool to think they can keep hold of Mascherano when they can't even offer Champions League football and are not challenging Manchester United and Chelsea for the Premier League title.

"The boss and Mascherano have a good friendship so there were no other clubs on the cards for him after that, including Barcelona. He has wanted to join for a while but when the boss joined Inter I think that sealed the deal.

"Rafa has already made it clear that he wants another season like Jose had with us last season. Javier is a natural-born winner.

"He'll relish being at a club where he will win top honours.

"I think it will be hard for Liverpool to hold on to the top players, including (Steven) Gerrard and (Fernando) Torres, but that is not my concern.

"I would like Tevez to join us as well but I don't think that will be possible this summer.

"Manchester City is in a position where they don't have to sell, but Carlos has told me he would like to play in Italy in the future."

Chelsea Coach Carlos Ancelotti Rules Out Signing Of Fernando Torres From Liverpool

Chelsea coach Carlo Ancelotti has indicated that he is not interested in signing striker Fernando Torres from fellow Premier League rivals Liverpool this summer.

The Spanish international striker, who won the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa, has been linked with a move away from Anfield, with a number of top European clubs supposedly keen on signing the former Atletico Madrid forward.

Last season's Premier League winners Chelsea were one of the clubs reportedly keen on landing Torres, but Blues' coach Carlo Ancelotti has now ruled out a move for the 26-year-old.

Speaking at a press conference after Saturday's 1-0 friendly win at Crystal Palace, the 51-year-old Italian said, "I don't think we need any other strikers. Nothing has changed, because in the next few days [Didier] Drogba, [Nicolas] Anelka and [Salomon] Kalou will return - and we have [Daniel] Sturridge."

Alex Ferguson Salutes New Liverpool Manager Roy Hodgson

Liverpool has appointed the Premier League’s top manager of last season in Roy Hodgson.

Who says so? None other than the boss of the Anfield club’s bitterest rivals – Manchester United’s Sir Alex Ferguson.

Fergie has clashed in the past with Liverpool managers – particularly Rafa Benitez, Hodgson’s predecessor in the ­Anfield hot seat.

But there could be a thawing in the relationship between the giants following ex-Fulham boss Hodgson’s arrival.

Hodgson, 63 next month, is one of the elder statesmen of management in this country – just like Fergie himself.

And there is no doubting the respect the United boss has for the man hoping to be the new king of the Kop. That was clear at the end of last season, when Hodgson was named by his peers as the Manager of the Year for leading Fulham to the Europa League Final.

Fergie said: “Roy absolutely deserves to be manager of the year. He’s had a fabulous season – getting Fulham to that final, well, it’s a miracle.

“It’s one of the best British performances of all time. His team has played with great consistency and his team selections are always consistent and sensible.”

The United boss was convinced Fulham would win the Europa League but it was not to be with Spain’s Atletico Madrid coming out on top in Hamburg.

But Hodgson’s achievement convinced Liverpool that he was a safe and experienced pair of hands to take over after a season of failure for the Anfield club.

Finishing seventh in the Prem was great for Fulham a year ago – but not good enough for Liverpool last season. And it’s left Hodgson trying to convince Liverpool’s top players – Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard – that he can restore the good times to Anfield.

Hodgson admits he has inherited players who are “disenchanted” after last season, when Liverpool fell five places after being runners-up to United in the previous campaign.

What is clear is that British managers like Fergie are pleased to see a top job like the Liverpool post go to a boss from this country.

Scouser Peter Reid, back in management at Plymouth, said: “We keep hearing about the foreign bosses but look at Fergie.

“Look at the job Harry Redknapp did at Tottenham last season, finishing fourth and taking them into the Champions League. Would a foreign boss have done better?”

Liverpool Will Be Without World Cup Stars For Europa League Third-Round Qualifier

Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson has stressed he will not risk damaging the club's Premier League campaign for the sake of progress in Europe.

Liverpool face a potentially-tricky Europa League third-round qualifier against Macedonian side Rabotnicki or Armenia's Mika later this month.

Hodgson is likely to have to play both legs, the first scheduled for July 29, without any of his World Cup stars after the club's medical staff warned him about forcing them into action too early after a gruelling and lengthy season.

"Possibly none of our World Cup players will play in the early Europa Cup games if we listen to the advice of the sports science people," said the 62-year-old.

"They are telling me we would be very foolhardy to use players who have only been training for three or four days on the back of the World Cup that early on because that will affect us further on down the road.

"If we feel we are endangering our chances of doing well in the Premier League by risking players in the early stage of the Europa League, it will be a decision the club will have to take. You have to follow the guidance."

Liverpool's England contingent of Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Glen Johnson, Denmark's Daniel Agger and Slovakia's Martin Skrtel will all return to individual programs at the club's Melwood training ground in the coming days while a squad made up largely of reserves are still at their Switzerland training camp.

Argentina duo Javier Mascherano and Maxi Rodriguez are due back a week on Monday while Spain's World Cup winners Fernando Torres and Jose Reina and beaten Holland finalists Dirk Kuyt and Ryan Babel do not return until after the first leg has been played.

"Their (medical staff's) advice is to not use these players," added Hodgson, who will at least have new signing Milan Jovanovic available with the possibility of any new arrivals also being utilized.

"If we have enough players to put a team out without them is another question.

"Things can happen before July 29; we will not be speculating on that and there is no point in me making predictions of what the team will be like for that game.

"The sports science people are advising me not to use the players from the World Cup.

"Therefore new signings would become important for the Europa League."

Sammy Lee’s Place At Liverpool FC Is Safe – Roy Hodgson

Roy Hodgson confirmed Sammy Lee’s place on Liverpool FC’s backroom staff is secure – as he spoke of the peril that awaits the Reds in the Europa League.

With men such as first-team coach Mauricio Pelligrino and goalkeeping coach Xavi Valero following former boss Rafa Benitez out of Anfield last month, Hodgson is expected to make a number of new appointments.

But one man he is not thinking of replacing is Anfield stalwart Lee, who has played a key role in helping Hodgson settle into his new role during the early days of his reign.

It remains to be seen what position Lee will fill, but Hodgson recognizes both the passion he has for the club and the respect he has from the players, and is anxious to keep tapping into the 51-year-old’s knowledge.

“Sammy will stay here for the foreseeable future, absolutely – as long as he wants to be here,” said Hodgson, who takes charge of his first game as Liverpool manager against Al Hilal.

“I have no intention of letting him go and if he wants to stay with us, he is more than welcome. I haven’t made decisions on any (other positions) yet.”

Lee, who won two European Cups and three league championships during his playing career at Anfield, returned to the club in May 2008 when Benitez appointed him to the role of assistant manager.

He had previously been manager of Bolton Wanderers where, ironically, he took charge of game in the UEFA Cup against FC Rabotnicki of Macedonia – the side Liverpool could face in their Europa League qualifier in 12 days’ time.

The other option is for Liverpool to play FC Mika from Armenia, but either option means Liverpool will have a gruelling journey and Hodgson knows that the trip will be fraught with problems.

“It is every bit as difficult as I was expecting,” said Hodgson. “In this qualifying stage there are a lot of teams from countries that you don’t know well. There are teams that we are not going to know well, either. They are not the teams that reach the latter stages of these competitions.

“What I do know is that Rabotnicki are in Europe every year. I don’t know so much about Mika from Armenia but I do know the place.

“I managed a game in Armenia with the Finnish national team and I do know that we are going to get two very tough games.

“It is up to us now to get as much information as we can in what is a very limited period of time. But that is what we will try to do.”

Tus Zefik, the Rabotnicki assistant coach whose side lead 1-0 following Thursday night’s first leg, said: “I wished for Liverpool, my favourite club since I was a kid.

“Realistically, the chances of beating Liverpool are minimal but I’ll be more than happy with the knowledge that if we defeat Mika we will welcome to Macedonia one of the best clubs ever to have played here.”

Hodgson Isists Torres And Gerrard Are Staying

Roy Hodgson has held face-to-face talks with Fernando Torres and club captain Steven Gerrard to tell the Liverpool pair they are not for sale.

Hodgson, whose first competitive fixture in charge will be a Europa League third qualifying round first-leg tie against either FK Rabotnicki or FC Mika at Anfield on July 29, met Gerrard on Merseyside before flying to Spain for talks with Torres earlier this week.

Both Gerrard and Torres have given little public indication of their intentions, despite long-term speculation linking the pair with moves away from Liverpool following the club's failure to secure Champions League football this season.

With Chelsea and Manchester City courting Torres, Hodgson admitted he had made it clear to the Spain striker he had no intention of allowing him to leave Anfield.

Hodgson said: "I have met with Fernando. It was a pleasant conversation that took place where he is holidaying after the World Cup.

"As far as we are concerned, Fernando Torres is a Liverpool player. We want him to remain a Liverpool player and he is not for sale. We are not welcoming any offers for him because we want to keep him."

"I left him in the company of our chief executive (Christian Purslow) to come here (Liverpool's training camp in Switzerland)," Hodgson added. "You would have to speak to Christian to find out how that particular conversation went.

"My talk was not that long because I had to get here for the training camp. It was purely on football matters -- the World Cup, how he did, how his injury is and how much I am looking forward to working with him."

Gerrard has continued to figure high on Real Madrid's most-wanted list, but Hodgson insisted that the midfielder's future remained at Anfield.

Gerrard reports back for training next week, but will not be travelling to the team's Swiss base.

"What we haven't had is a club come in and say, 'We want to buy Steven Gerrard.' As far as I am concerned, Steven is not for sale. I made that clear to him," said Hodgson.

"I completely support the club policy -- we want him, we need him at Liverpool and we want to build a team around the good players that we have. We don't want to sell them and start again.

"I have tried to contact Javier Mascherano. I have left him voice messages and sent him texts but have had no reply. To be fair to him, that's not unusual because he's had a tough World Cup and I believe he's gone back to Argentina. It's not always easy to get in touch with people.

"I have tried to reach him to make it clear I am happy to talk with him at his convenience."

Liverpool's pairing with Macedonian outfit Rabotnicki or Armenian club Mika leaves Hodgson and his players with the prospect of a difficult journey to eastern Europe for the second leg on August 5, 10 days before the Premier League opener at home to Arsenal.

Their opponents will be confirmed next week after the conclusion of the second qualifying round. Rabotnicki hold the edge in their tie with Mika after a 1-0 victory in the first leg.

Victory would put Liverpool through to a play-off round -- along with the likes of Man City and Aston Villa -- for a place in the group stages.

"We know we will get two tough games," Hodgson said. "We also have to get as many of our players as fit as we can for the first leg, but we already know the four players involved in the World Cup final won't be involved in these games."

Javier Mascherano's Future At Liverpool Is Uncertain, Says Roy Hodgson

Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson has appealed to midfielder Javier Mascherano to get in touch to discuss his Anfield future.

Hodgson cast further uncertainty over the Argentina captain's Anfield career when he conceded that he had been unable to contact him since he took charge more than a fortnight ago.

Mascherano, 26, has been linked with a move to European champions Inter Milan this summer and his agent has described the potential of such a move as a ''dream''.

''I have tried to contact Javier. I have left him voice messages and sent him texts but had no reply," Hodgson said.

''To be fair to him, that's not unusual because he's had a tough World Cup and I believe he's gone back to Argentina.

''It's not always easy to get in touch with people. I have tried to reach him to make clear I am happy to talk with him at his convenience.''

Mascherano is contracted to Liverpool until 2012 and any deal could cost a club such as Inter as much as £30 million.

Lucas Leiva: I Want To Stay At Anfield Despite The Criticism

Although he admits he can't fathom why so much criticism has been thrown in his direction with regards to his performances, Lucas Leiva says he is happy to remain at Liverpool this summer.

The 23-year-old midfielder has been tipped to follow former manager Rafael Benitez to Inter Milan, after being constantly sniped at for his displays by some sections of the Anfield support.

However, the Brazil international insists he has no temptation to abandon ship and feels after putting in some solid performances last season he can go one better with the Reds this time around.

"I'm happy in Liverpool and looking forward to my fourth season," he told the Press Association.

"I hope I stay. I'm happy to play for Liverpool and to improve my performances, as I did last season. I'm not here to try to prove critics wrong. I'm here to prove myself to the manager and my team-mates.

"That's the most important thing. I don't know why people criticize me so much but I just try to be positive and be strong. I know I had a good season last season and hope it will be even better this season.

"I have to keep going and show the manager that I can play and have the quality that he expects."

Lucas is currently at the club's training camp in Switzerland and his first impressions of new manager Roy Hodgson, who arrived in the Anfield dug-out this summer after leaving Fulham, have been positive.

"He [Roy Hodgson] seems to be very good as a coach, good with the tactical side of the game," he added.

"He will help everyone, but for me he has a lot of experience, he has worked with big players at big clubs so his experience will help in giving me advice to help improve my game.

"I am confident we [Liverpool] will have a better season. When there are lots of changes new motivation comes through and I think we can do better. We will do better."

Liverpool Winger Albert Riera Set For Move To Olympiakos

Olympiakos are determined to prise Liverpool winger Albert Riera away from Anfield, according to skysports.com.

The Spaniard’s future with the north west club has been uncertain ever since he fell out with former Reds manager Rafael Benitez.

Riera has since been linked with the likes of Spartak Moscow but Olympiakos have seemingly emerged as the favourites for the Spaniard's signature with reports suggesting vice-president Sokrates Kominakis is in England for talks.

Liverpool are said to be asking for around £4.2 million for the Spanish winger but reports imply the Greek outfit are only planning to offer £3.4m.

Dirk Kuyt’s Reputation Enhanced After Excellent World Cup

While the World Cup final was not the classic encounter many hoped it would be, some of the reaction to Holland’s performance has been staggering.

They were never going to be able to beat Spain playing a similar brand of football, so what was wrong with their coach Bert van Marwijk coming up with a game plan that was designed on stifling?

It would appear, though, that Holland are destined to become pantomime villains in this country with the perception being they are snarling, vicious bunch who can only flourish with force.

Nonsense, of course. You don’t reach the latter stages of these tournaments unless you have outstanding players and Holland showed they have many who can be classed as such – including Anfield’s own, Dirk Kuyt.

He might have endured an evening to forget trying to shackle Sergio Ramos in the final but, prior to that, Kuyt’s displays – notably in the semi-final against Uruguay – had been outstanding.

Once he has had chance to recharge his batteries, Kuyt will return to Liverpool’s squad to again play a major role in the team.

Hopefully it won’t be long before he experiences the other side of the coin when a cup is up for grabs.

Liverpool FC Need A New Lucky Number Seven

In the grand scheme of things, the news which filtered through about Milan Jovanovic earlier this week did not grab headlines or trigger huge debate.

Nor should it. After all, Liverpool simply announced their new Serbian striker had been assigned the number 10 jersey ahead of the forthcoming Premier League campaign and, with so many other topics dominating the agenda, this was just an aside.

But pause for a moment and think again; Jovanovic has actually taken charge of one the Reds’ most iconic numbers, the shirt that men such as Barnes and Molby, McDermott and Toshack made famous.

Wearing number 10 traditionally means you have a licence to thrill or the chance to excite – cast your mind back to the exploits of another distinguished possessor of said shirt, Luis Garcia.

Though he may have infuriated some, he was always likely to conjure up something out of nothing – he was, as the song so famously declared, “five feet seven of football heaven”.

Clearly, then, Jovanovic has much to live up to but, even at this early stage, it is fair to say he will be more of a success than its previous derided incumbent, Andriy Voronin.

Hearing the news that number 10 has been assigned, however, brought a similar theme sharply back into focus and increased a sense of bewilderment.

Consider this: the most famous shirt in Liverpool’s rich history remains in mothballs, awaiting someone to bring it back to life.

Roy Hodgson might have a lengthy task list to work his way through at the moment but somewhere on his sheet of things to do must be unearthing a little box of tricks.

Think about it. Generations of Liverpool supporters were brought up on the exploits of Ian Callaghan, Kevin Keegan, Kenny Dalglish and Peter Beardsley, men who remain giants in the club’s history; they were inspirations and played the game in the manner it should be.

Yet since Beardsley crossed Stanley Park in 1991, there has only been one player – Steve McManaman – who upheld the tradition; look at some of the others who have been bestowed the ultimate honour and all you will see is a trail of disappointment.

Dean Saunders never had that something special. Nigel Clough started brightly but faltered badly; Vladimir Smicer’s best moment came when he switched to number 11; Harry Kewell could have been a great but flattered to deceive, while Robbie Keane’s four month stint can best be described as an unsuccessful experiment.

“When I came to Liverpool, Kenny gave me his number seven shirt,” Beardsley recalled recently. “What bigger compliment is there than that?

“When you wore it back then, you were a god. The number seven shirt is something special.”

It still is – it just needs someone to come along and restore it to former glories; Beardsley’s choice for the perfect candidate was Steven Gerrard but the skipper’s preference has long been for number eight; that, remember, was his one request when rebuffing Chelsea’s advances and committing to Liverpool in 2004.

Moving Fernando Torres from number nine, meanwhile, is an absolute no-go, as if ever a player was tailor-made to follow in the steps of those great predators Hunt, Rush and Fowler then it is the new World Cup winner; provided he remains at Anfield, he will continue to play as a Liverpool number nine is expected.

If he had a proper number seven behind him, with Gerrard providing the ammunition to both, the future on the field might not be as bleak as many are predicting it will be.

One of the things that supporters wants to see this season is Liverpool play with verve and panache and bring Anfield to life again; think of all those games you sat through during the past 12 months that were devoid of life, soul and creativity.

“Our task is to keep hold of the very good players that we have here and complement them with some other very good ones, who will help us achieve our goals,” Hodgson said shortly after settling into the hot seat.

“We are not going to achieve our goals on organization alone – we are going to do that by having very good players. I have got to keep the quality of players that it should be at Liverpool Football Club.

“We have to keep the traditions of a good work ethic, players sweating blood for the shirt and never letting the fans down.”

Those characteristics were synonymous with men who gave the number seven shirt its mystique; Callaghan, Keegan, Dalglish, Beardsley and McManaman all wore that jersey with pride – wouldn’t it be nice to think someone to follow their lead might be just around the corner?

Roy Hodgson Runs The Rule Over Liverpool Youngsters In First Pre-Season Friendly Against Al Hilal

The Grand Resort Hotel and Spa, situated at the foot of the Alps in the picturesque Swiss town of Bad Ragaz, is the last word in luxury.

Perfectly manicured lawns, elegant staff and magnificent facilities – some rooms are so big they even have their own sauna – it is the kind of establishment you would expect Premier League footballers to stay in; the prices, you can imagine, are not for those of a sensitive disposition.

For those unaccustomed to such trappings, The Grand Resort could easily prove something of distraction and it would be understandable if some of the younger members of Liverpool’s travelling squad felt overwhelmed by these opulent surrounds.

In a funny way, though, all the amenities that are on offer to the Reds here could be educational; for while some enjoy all the spin-offs that come from being on the books of a Premier League team, they don’t necessarily want to put in the work to make it happen.

With that in mind, then, Roy Hodgson will be watching intently as his reign as Liverpool manager begins with a friendly against the Saudi Arabian champions Al Hilal, across the border in Austria.

Given the Reds’ A-listers are resting weary limbs following their exploits at the World Cup finals, opportunity knocks for novices such as Martin Kelly and Steven Irwin, Thomas Ince, Nathan Eccleston, Stephen Darby and Jonjo Shelvey.

Hodgson has an open mind as to what to expect against Al Hilal – who are managed by Eric Gerets and have already played two friendlies – but the one thing he does want to see is players scraping, fighting and stretching every sinew to show they can play a part in the future.

A game in the Europa League, after all, is just around the corner and as Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Dirk Kuyt will not be match fit for the first leg on July 29, some of these young men could find themselves involved against either FC Rabotnicki or Mika. Hodgson said: “I would love to start off with a win but it might be too much to ask.

“If I wanted my first game as Liverpool manager to be a winning one, I would not have chosen to play a team of Al Hilal’s quality with what is basically a Liverpool reserve team.

“I have got to be realistic.

“I am not going to make any statements that people think I should be making. I will only expect to start winning games when I think the Liverpool team resembles something like it should be.

“The game against Al Hilal is an opportunity for some of those players who have probably never been given a chance before. They might find it hard to get another chance when the top players come back.

“But, at the same time, it is a chance for them to try and do something. I will be very interested to see how it unfolds. I will be very happy if we win but if we don’t, I won’t be in a position where I will be losing sleep.”

That might be true but, clearly, Hodgson would be a little more relaxed had just a little bit longer to prepare for that first competitive fixture 12 days from now; with that in mind, the fixtures against Al Hilal, FC Grasshopper and Kaiserslautern assume a different dimension.

“What has made things problematic is the fact we have to play competitive football on July 29,” said Hodgson. “The draw has not been kind to us in terms of the opponents we will face and where we have got to travel to.

“But we will get a team out and we will do the best that we can. And this is a chance for them to stake a claim – that’s what these games are for. I’m sure these players won’t let the club down and they will work very hard.

“They will give their all to show they deserve to wear this Liverpool shirt. Our fans can rest assured that these players won’t let them down but, at the same time, you can’t set a barrier that you know people won’t be able to jump over.

“That’s what we are tending to do with these three matches. We are setting the barrier so high with the quality of the opposition we are playing, it would be unfair to ask a 17-year-old, like Thomas Ince, to do.”

Ince’s presence in the travelling party is something that has left Hodgson doing a double take, as it wasn’t very long ago that he was coaching his father in Italy, when Liverpool’s former captain played for Inter Milan.

“That bothers me,” Hodgson said with a wry smile. “I can’t pretend to be 40 any longer. I remember Thomas back in 1995, as a small boy running around, kicking balls in his Dad’s apartment. He made sure Paul didn’t get too much piece after training.

“He probably did his best to make sure Paul stayed fit! But I have been impressed with him. He is a talented young man; in an ideal world, you wouldn’t be thrusting him into matches of this calibre but, who knows? It might be very good for him.”

As it will be for Hodgson; there is only so much a manager can ascertain from coaching sessions on the training ground and there is little doubt a contest against a side the new boss has a great respect for will serve a purpose.

Slowly but surely Hodgson is becoming attuned to life at Anfield and after the 90 minutes with Al Hilal are over, he will know even more.

“Things have been very good so far,” said Hodgson. “We are staying in an exceptional place, a marvellous hotel with wonderful training facilities. The players are working very hard with the new fitness regime.

“It is a young, inexperienced squad but they are working very hard. In the two and a half weeks I have been pushing them, I have been very satisfied with what I have seen.”

Hodgson Rules Out Fernando Torres Sale

Roy Hodgson has reiterated that Liverpool have no intention of selling Fernando Torres after holding talks with the Spanish striker.

It is reported that Torres is considering his future at Liverpool following the club's failure to qualify for the Champions League and Chelsea are believed to retain an interest in the World Cup winner.

However, Liverpool are reluctant to lose any of their leading players this summer and Hodgson has firmly stated that as far as he and the club are concerned, Torres will not be leaving Anfield.

"I have met with Fernando. I found him to be a very pleasant man and we had a nice conversation," Hodgson told reporters. "As far as we are concerned he is a Liverpool player and we want him to remain a Liverpool player. He is not for sale and we don't welcome any offers for him.

"We want to keep him. My conversation with him was only short because I had to leave to come to the training camp in Switzerland. We spoke about football, the World Cup, his injury, and I told him how much I am looking forward to working with him.

"[Managing director] Christian Purslow was also at the meeting and chatted to Fernando for a lot longer after I left but my chat with him was only about football matters."

It is a similar situation for captain Steven Gerrard, who has been linked with a possible move to Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid over the summer.

Roy Hodgson: Wantaway Midfielder Javier Mascherano Has Refused To Return My Telephone Calls

Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson has admitted Javier Mascherano has blanked his telephone calls as the midfielder angles for a move to Inter.

The Argentina captain, who led his side to a quarter-final exit at this summer's World Cup, has been linked with a reunion with ex-Reds supremo Rafael Benitez at the San Siro all summer. These rumours follow his attempts last year to engineer a transfer to Spanish giants Barcelona.

Speaking to reporters on the club's pre-season tour to Switzerland, Hodgson brushed off the hard man's refusal to make contact with him.

"I've tried to contact him. I've left him voice messages and text messages but I haven't had a reply," Hodgson said.

"That's because, to be fair, he had a very tough World Cup and went back to Argentina, I guess, it's not always as easy to get back in touch.

"I've tried to reach him and made it clear to him I'm very happy to talk to him at his convenience but as of yet we've not had that conversation."

The former Fulham boss also blanked quotes from Mascherano's agent that declared his client's desire to make the switch to Inter.

He responded: "As far as I know we've had no approach from Inter and I don't understand where those quotes come from."

Nice Striker Loic Remy Set For Liverpool Medical After Agreeing £12.5m Transfer

Liverpool are on the verge of signing French striker Loic Remy on a five-year contract for a fee of around £12.5 million [€15m], Goal.com UK understands.

The 23-year-old is expected to travel to Merseyside in the next few days to undergo a medical before joining Roy Hodgson’s squad at its training camp in Switzerland, according to sources at Remy’s club, Nice.

Remy had been tempted by offers from Tottenham and West Ham, whose directors, David Sullivan and Karen Brady flew to the south of France in an attempt to negotiate a deal, but it was Liverpool’s history that tipped the balance and a deal has agreed in principle.

“Liverpool is a legendary club,” Remy told Nice Matin today. “I am very excited by the thought of playing there. It has a magnificent stadium and a fantastic public.”

Liverpool is expected to pay Nice £7.5 million [€9m] upfront with the rest to follow in installments.

The Nice president, Gilberto Stellado, is believed to have sought reassurances about Liverpool’s financial situation before agreeing to the move. Nice paid Olympique Lyonnais a club record €8m for Remy, although after two seasons and 25 goals they have accepted they can no longer hold on to a striker who but for an ankle injury might have gone to Arsenal in the January transfer window.

"I absolutely rely on him but we have resigned ourselves to his leaving," said the Nice coach, Eric Roy. "We had a verbal agreement that he would spend two seasons at Nice so it was always likely he would leave if an offer came along that matched what the club expected."

It comes after Remy's agent Frederic Guerra revealed he was in talks with Liverpool.

"Yes, Liverpool are interested in Loic and Loic is interested in Liverpool," he told Sky Sports. "There has also been interest from West Ham and Tottenham and it is now up to Nice. Loic has always said he is keen to play in England and Liverpool is a massive club."

He added: "I believe if Loic comes to England he will be a massive success. He is like Thierry Henry, but I believe if he comes to England he could be even better than Henry. He is a sensational player, he is very strong, very quick and two-footed. He is the complete player and Liverpool would love him."

Liverpool's new manager Roy Hodgson has made bolstering his team's forward line a priority, amid uncertainty over whether Fernando Torres will stay at the club.