Liverpool Rocked As Huang Pulls Out

Kenny Huang, the Hong Kong businessman who led the first and arguably most credible bid to take over Liverpool, last night ended his interest in the club.

Huang gave no reason for pulling out, although his valuation of Liverpool at £325m is well below the figure owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett would want to cede control.

Huang had become frustrated at the slow pace of negotiations with chairman, Martin Broughton, and had engaged the former Chelsea and Manchester United chief executive, Peter Kenyon, to lead talks with the board.

Negotiations had, however, not been helped by a comment from Huang's consultant, Marc Ganis, that: “What is not one of our goals is the enrichment of the current owners.” Ganis left the consortium shortly afterwards.

However, sources close to Liverpool said Huang had been slow to produce evidence of financial backing for the bid that was to be made through his QSL Sports Group and that they had a duty to examine every offer for a club that was £351.4m in debt when it was put up for sale in April. Unless £237m of that debt is repaid to the Royal Bank of Scotland by October 6, the bank will invoke a £60m penalty clause.

Huang's strategy, which was based on expanding the club brand in Asia while offering manager Roy Hodgson substantial transfer funds, was popular with some sections of the club's fans and contacts had been made with the Spirit of Shankly group. However, his bid ran into difficulties when he refused to say whether it was backed by the Chinese government.

Huang said in a statement last night: “Our strategy and unique ability to expand the fan base in Asia would have been of benefit to all. We regret we will not have the opportunity to implement this strategy.”

The spotlight will now fall on the bid led by Syrian entrepreneur, Yahya Kirdi.

Inter Pull Out Of Race For Javier Mascherano

Roy Hodgson has, temporarily at least, won his battle to keep Javier Mascherano on Merseyside after Internazionale dramatically called off their pursuit of the Argentina captain.

On the same day that the Liverpool manager authorized Alberto Aquilani's loan move to Juventus, the Inter president, Massimo Moratti, phoned Hodgson to tell him he would no longer authorize any bids for his players.

Moratti and Hodgson's relationship goes back 15 years to the time he was appointed manager of Inter and their conversation has ended what seemed a done deal. If Moratti is to be believed, it ends speculation that Dirk Kuyt would be another prime candidate to rejoin his former manager, Rafael Benitez, at San Siro.

“I believe that Inter were only interested in two of our players and they are now not going to buy them,” Hodgson said yesterday. “I spoke to Massimo Moratti on Wednesday about the fact they are not going to buy Liverpool players and Dirk comes into that category doesn't he? Moratti said they were not going to buy.”

Although it is conceivable that Mascherano will leave Merseyside, where his wife has failed to settle, he has few escape routes other than Inter. Last summer he had come very close to a transfer to Barcelona, prompting the Liverpool hierarchy to promise they would not stand in his way if he played another season at Anfield. Asked yesterday if he would still be interested in signing Mascherano, Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola replied, “We will have to see.” In the context of a terse press conference, this equates to a “yes”, but the financial situation at the Catalan club makes it far from certain that Liverpool will receive an offer.

Should Mascherano, who handed in a transfer request on his first day back at training, stay for at least another six months it would represent a significant victory for Hodgson, after both Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard committed their future to Liverpool.

His insistence that he would rather run down the remaining two years of Mascherano's contract rather than see him leave Anfield cheaply, appears to have concentrated minds at San Siro, although the danger is that the midfielder, having been promised he could leave, will feel alienated.

Should Liverpool sell him in January window it would be for much less than the £25m they could command this summer.

However, the increasing likelihood that Mascherano would stay made the decision to loan out Aquilani that much easier. Yesterday, Aquilani's agent confirmed his return to Serie A was almost complete. “Talks are in progress, the offer from Juventus is in and it is one that excites us,” said Franco Zavaglia.

However, Zavaglia's statement, made two days ago, that Aquilani had Hodgson's confidence and was preparing for his “breakthrough season in the Premier League” now appears horribly wide of the mark. “Last year, he came here and hardly played,” said Hodgson. “If he has another season like that, his value will be vastly diminished but, most importantly, he will be very unhappy.”

Liverpool Table A Bid For PSV Eindhoven Striker Ola Toivonen

Liverpool have made an offer of approximately £9 million for PSV Eindhoven striker Ola Toivonen, according to skysports.com.

With Fernando Torres needing support up front, Reds manager Roy Hodgson has made it clear he is interested in the Swedish international.

However, the 24-year-old has refused to comment on speculation surrounding him with a move from Holland.

The Swede appeared against Sibir Novosibirsk in PSV’s Europa League Cup tie which makes him ineligible to play for Liverpool in Europe if he was to make the switch to Anfield.

Krisztian Nemeth Set To Join Olympiakos

Krisztian Nemeth arrived at Liverpool lauded as a hugely exciting youngster, but he has left for Olympiakos after failing to break through in three years at Anfield.

The 21-year-old will sign a three-year contract with the Greek giants, subject to a medical, after the Reds agreed an fee believed to be £1million.

Nemeth - who had also interested Panathinaikos and Lecce - opted for a return to Greece after spending last season on loan at AEK Athens, where he scored three goals in 17 games.

Liverpool will take a 25 per cent of any future sale of Nemeth, who follows Albert Riera in leaving Anfield for the club in Piraeus.

The Greek club said on their website: 'Olympiakos announces a deal with Liverpool for the acquisition of Hungarian international player, Krisztian Nemeth, who will sign a three-year contact with the club.'

Juventus Have Reached An Agreement To Take Alberto Aquilani On Loan

Il Corriere dello Sport have claimed that an agreement has been reached and the former Roma star will join Juventus on loan for the 2010-11 season with an option to make the transfer permanent at the end of the campaign for €17 million.

The player's agent, Franco Zavaglia, later confirmed a deal is in place.

"It will be a loan, with the right of Juventus to buy the player at the end of the season. The wage of Aquilani will be paid by Juve," he revealed to Sportitalia.

All the required contracts have reportedly been signed and an official announcement is expected in the near future.

Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson has revealed that midfielder Alberto Aquilani could return to Italy on loan, with the player's agent claiming that a deal with Italian giants Juventus is on the verge of being completed.

Aquilani was absent from the Liverpool squad for their 1-0 Europa League victory over Trabsonspor at Anfield on Thursday night and afterwards Hodgson confirmed via the club's official website liverpoolfc.tv that the player may be set to leave to guarantee first team football and preserve his value.

The former Roma midfielder joined the Reds in a €20 million move last summer as a replacement for Xabi Alonso but after spending much of the season overcoming injury, he failed to make a telling impact on Merseyside and Hodgson has acknowledged that he is not guaranteed regular football at Anfield this season so a loan move may be in the 26-year-old's best interests.

"At the moment we are considering possibly loaning him to an Italian club, but nothing is sure about that yet," Hodgson revealed, before hinting the player still has a future at the club beyond the current campaign.

"I didn't want to use him tonight just in case the loan goes through because for Aquilani this year it's very important that he plays regular football, every week as the number one man on the team sheet.

"I can't promise him that here so if a loan move to Italy could help him in that respect it might be good for all parties.

"It would certainly be what he needs, it would certainly protect the value of the player and when he does return to Liverpool no doubt we will see the Aquilani that we signed before he came here injured last year."

Inter In Talks With Liverpool Over Deal For Dirk Kuyt - Agent

Inter have agreed a deal to take Dirk Kuyt from Liverpool to Serie A, according to a report from De Telegraaf.

The report claims that the move was agreed earlier this week and could go be concluded today.

Kuyt was omitted from Liverpool's Europa League win over Trabzonspor at Anfield, with Reds boss Roy Hodgson claiming that the Dutchman was being rested.

However, that omission means that Kuyt is not cup tied for European competition and it seems that he is heading for a reunion with former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez at the San Siro.

Benitez is a known admirer of Kuyt, and during his time at Anfield made little secret of the value he places in the hard-working and versatile Netherlands international.

Kuyt's agent, meanwhile, acknowledged that his client was considering Inter's offer carefully before deciding on anything.

"Yes, there is real interest from Inter, but Dirk has not decided yet whether he does want to leave Liverpool. He must think carefully before leaving," Kuyt's agent Rob Jansen told Voetbal International.

Jansen also acknowledged that the move might not be that straightforward to complete quickly.

"This is also a complicated transfer. Dirk Kuyt is a Liverpool player," he explained.

"He has an ongoing contract and was recently in the World Cup final. There will be a transfer fee involved. The deal can not simply go ahead. "

Kuyt does seem to be in a strong personal position about the possible move.

"Regardless of the choice Dirk must first consider himself. He can move to Inter or just stay at Liverpool. This is a good position to be in," he added.

"It is also an option that a player from Inter will be involved in the deal with Kuyt."

Barcelona Open The Door To Liverpool's Javier Mascherano

Barcelona are set to once again express interest in luring Argentine midfielder Javier Mascherano to the Camp Nou, after coach Pep Guardiola stated his desire to bolster his squad ahead of the new season.

Guardiola, in a press conference earlier today, admitted that he would not rule out any new additions ahead of the closing of the transfer window, and according to television channel TV3, the club are looking to complete a deal for the Liverpool enforcer before the deadline on August 31.

The coach said: "Somebody might come along. If not, we have 19 in the squad plus three, four, five, six, seven or eight players from the B team I can use.

“I’d rather have 24 players, but I don’t want to take players on just to make up the numbers. We’ve got 19, and we’d normally have 23 or 24, but that means you’ve got 11 or 12 who aren’t playing."

Barcelona are in the hunt for a defensive midfielder following the departure of Yaya Toure to Manchester City, and the collapse of the proposed deal for Cesc Fabregas from Arsenal, with the 26-year-old Mascherano now their number one priority.

Mascherano has publicly stated his intention to leave Anfield to further his career, and following discussions with international colleague Lionel Messi, the player believes that Barcelona would fulfill his requirements.

Last week, Blaugrana sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta passed comment on Mascherano, insisting that the player does not feature in the clubs’ plans for the season, but they have also been linked with an offer of €15m plus Aliaksandr Hleb to land the former West Ham and River Plate star.

Reds To Go Coast 2 Coast

A team of Liverpool FC employees are set to take part in a 'Coast 2 Coast' cycle to raise money for charity next month.

Reds coaches Stephen Hollis and Mike Yates, as well as manager of the club's Action for Help campaign Mark Haig and Parker Cycles' Barry Major, are aiming to raise funds for Claire House Children's Hospice and Meningitis UK - organizations that have special significance to the four Liverpool fans who have chosen to participate.

The 170-mile cycle begins on the Cumbrian shoreline at Whitehaven on September 1 and ends at Sunderland FC's Stadium of Light two days later.

Liverpoolfc.tv recently caught up with Stephen and Mike at Anfield, where the pair revealed the poignant reasons behind the selection of these two particular charities.

Stephen told us how close friends of his tragically lost their four-year-old boy Harvey in March after being diagnosed with Peroxisome Biogenesis disorder when he was just 9 months old.

Harvey spent four months in Alder Hey Children's Hospital with Claire House, where he was looked after and his family provided with the help that they needed in order to cope throughout such a difficult time.

It is in Harvey's memory, and in recognition of the great work and support from all the staff at Claire House, that Steve intends to complete the Coast 2 Coast challenge.

Fellow coach Mike is taking part in the cycle in to raise funds for Meningitis UK after his niece Eloise lost her five-day battle with Pneumococcal Meningitis and Septicemia last December.

In February a new vaccine was successfully launched which, had it been available two months previous, could have saved Eloise's life.

Meningitis UK is committed to the eradication of the disease through the development of such vaccines and Mike and his family see this as a crucial step towards preventing other families experiencing the terrible loss they suffered.

The two coaches will be joined by Mark, who is the manager of LFC's Action for Help Campaign and, as a cyclist, is expected to 'set the pace'.

lso taking part is Barry of Parker Cycles - who kindly donated the bikes for the journey - someone who has recently recovered from meningitis himself.

The quartet are just over a month into a rigorous training regime which has seen them cycle over 20 miles a day and the coaches admit so far it's been a challenge.

"To be honest it's been a little bit harder than we thought," said Stephen. "We're going to be doing 60 miles a day over a period of three days and it's totally different from what we're used to.

"We used to play here (at Anfield) but the training doesn't prepare you for the bike ride, you use a completely different set of muscles. You might think you're reasonably fit but this just shows you. The seat doesn't help either!

"It will be difficult but we're hoping that the reasons for doing it will help us through. When you think about it really, 200 miles is a small price to pay."

So far, the quartet have received donations via the internet and with your kind help, they hope that the amount pledged to date will be further raised over the coming weeks.

The cycles used by the team on their two-day journey will be signed by Kop stars Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Joe Cole and Fernando Torres.

After the Coast 2 Coast challenge has been completed the bikes will be raffled, with those who have donated more than one pound via the trust fund pages in with a chance of winning.

Match Report: Liverpool 1 - 0 Trabzonspor

Ryan Babel handed Liverpool a slender advantage in their Europa League play-off - but Joe Cole's miserable week continued.

Babel, playing as a lone striker for a much-changed Reds side, struck in injury time of an otherwise dismal first half against Trabzonspor at Anfield.

Liverpool should have won more convincingly but big-name new signing Cole, sent off against Arsenal on Sunday and found guilty of speeding on Wednesday, missed a second-half penalty.

Debutant Christian Poulsen also had a goal disallowed as Liverpool carried a much greater threat after the break but the contest remains far from over with another 90 minutes to play.

Manager Roy Hodgson gave Steven Gerrard the night off and Liverpool's dynamic captain was conspicuous by his absence throughout a drab opening 45 minutes.

Little of note occurred until Cole slipped in Babel on goal with a fine ball in stoppage time at the end of the first half and the Dutchman calmly clipped over the advancing Onur Kivrak.

Prior to that a Liverpool side retaining only four of the XI which opened the Barclays Premier League season against Arsenal lacked drive and direction.

Liverpool showed patience on a surface made greasy by persistent rain and had a chance after five minutes as Sotirios Kyrgiakos tested Kivrak with a bouncing header.

Yet it was a rare moment of incision in the first period as both sides were restricted to long-range, and invariably off-target, free-kicks.

The more fluid attacks came from Trabzonspor and they gave Liverpool a scare when Reds right-back Martin Kelly was forced to head past his own post from a free-kick.

Selcuk Inan then flashed a header across goal from the resulting corner.

Yet neither goalkeeper had a save to make until Liverpool suddenly woke from their slumber with 45 minutes on the clock.

Cole found space and picked out the onrushing Babel with precision and the Holland international struck clinically.

Unfortunately for Babel, linked with a move to Wolfsburg this week, it proved to be his final touch of the game as he was replaced by Torres at the interval.

The Spaniard, feeling his way back into action after a groin injury, needed little time to show his class as he tested Kivrak with a long-range shot after a driving run.

Liverpool looked a different team from the one that had played out most of the first half and an unmarked Lucas headed a glorious chance wide from a Milan Jovanovic corner.

Poulsen then won possession and combined well with Jovanovic before lashing another effort over.

Liverpool should have had a penalty when Rodriguez was felled in the area after 50 minutes but the referee pointed to the spot barely a minute later after Serkan Balci brought down Lucas.

Cole, sent off against Arsenal and anxious to get his Anfield career up and running, stepped up to take the spot-kick but shot tamely at Kivrak.

Liverpool were almost made to pay just before the hour as Umut Bulut showed great control on the edge of the area to turn and shoot but Reina deflected the ball over.

Torres, looking a different player from the one who laboured through the World Cup, rose to meet a Jovanovic cross but Kivrak grasped his firm header.

Liverpool thought they had claimed a second after 72 minutes when Kivrak spilled a Kyrgiakos header and Cole nodded on for Poulsen to stab in.

The Dane, however, had inched offside and the goal was ruled out.

Aurelio then found good space but dragged a shot wide from 12 yards.

For all Liverpool's dominance, the tie was still far from safe ahead of next week's return trip to Trabzon.

The visitors played out the closing minutes safely, perhaps hoping for another chance on home soil.

Roy Hodgson 'Disappointed' Liverpool Could Not Find Second Goal Against Trabzonspor

Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson admitted he was disappointed after watching his side record a narrow 1-0 victory over Trabzonspor in the first leg of their Europa League qualifier at Anfield.

Ryan Babel secured victory for the Reds in the first half before Joe Cole had a penalty saved and Christian Poulsen a goal ruled out in an eventful second half.

Speaking after the game to ITV Sport, Hodgson revealed he thought his side deserved to win the match and when asked if he thought Liverpool should have won by more goals, he said: “Yes I think we could have done.

“I think particularly in the second half we were good value for our victory and I think if you miss a penalty you only have yourselves to blame.

“It was a fairly fortunate penalty in the sense that it was just a bit of a clumsy challenge but it was a good opportunity to put the game beyond them. But we missed it and then we had a goal disallowed.”

Liverpool now travel to Turkey next Thursday for the second leg and Hodgson rued his side’s inability to secure a bigger lead.

“I’m a bit disappointed not to get the second goal because I think at 2-0 we would have been in a good position ahead of the second leg,” he added.

“One nil is not a bad result, it’s going to be tough for us over there as we saw they were a good team.”

Joe Cole Apologises For Missing Penalty In Europa League Win Over Trabzonspor

Joe Cole has apologized after missing a penalty in the Europa League on Thursday, but is keen to bounce back by helping Liverpool qualify for the group stage.

The Reds beat Trabzonspor 1-0 after Ryan Babel’s well-taken goal on the stroke of half-time. Lucas then earned a penalty minutes into the second half and Cole was given the chance to score his first goal for the club, but saw his weak spot-kick saved.

Speaking to ITV Sport, Cole admitted his penalty wasn’t the best, but is pleased to have won the game.

He said: “It was a bed penalty, I hold my hands up. It was predetermined [the penalty], but you can’t dwell on them things. We won the game 1-0 and we take positives from that.”

The former Chelsea star set up Babel to score Liverpool’s goal and is enjoying his new role playing behind the striker.

“[I’m] finding my feet in there, its my job to do that and make goals and it was nice to do that for Ryan and I’m enjoying my start here,” he said.

“I’ll try and do my best every game. I’m enjoying my football, getting fitter and getting stronger every game.”

Liverpool didn’t look convincing against their Turkish opponents and Cole insists the tie is not over despite the Reds’ advantage.

He added: “[It] wasn’t vintage by any stretch. A lot of players were changed, a lot of players needed a rest, but we’re far from through. It’s going to be tough in Turkey, so we’ve got to be on our game next week.”

Kuyt Agent Confirms Interest From Inter Milan

Dirk Kuyt's agent has confirmed that the Liverpool forward has the chance of moving to Treble-winning Inter Milan, although his client is yet to make any final decision over whether to leave Anfield.

Kuyt is a target for Inter coach Rafa Benitez, who brought the Dutchman to Anfield from Feyenoord for a fee of £9 million in August 2006 and relied heavily upon the hard-working forward.

Inter have stepped up their interest in Kuyt after seeing a move for Genoa's Giuseppe Sculli stall and the Netherlands international was conspicuous by his absence in Liverpool's Europa League tie against Trabzonspor on Thursday night.

Though Kuyt's agent insists the player is yet to make a decision over his future, it appears a move to Serie A is a distinct possibility for the 30-year-old.

"Dirk is being professional," Rob Jansen told Voetbal International. "Yes, there is real interest from Inter, but Dirk has not decided yet whether he does want to leave Liverpool. He must think carefully before leaving.

"This is also a complicated transfer. Dirk Kuyt is a Liverpool player. He has an ongoing contract and was recently in the World Cup final. There will be a transfer fee involved. The deal cannot simply go ahead.

"Regardless of the choice Dirk must first consider himself. He can move to Inter or just stay at Liverpool. This is a good position to be in. It is also an option that a player from Inter will be involved in the deal with Kuyt."

Aquilani Set To Return To Italy On Loan, Says Hodgson

Liverpool midfielder Alberto Aquilani, who was left out of the squad that faced Trabzonspor in a Europa League playoff on Thursday, is likely to be loaned out to a club in his native Italy, manager Roy Hodgson said.

The 26-year-old joined Liverpool for 20 million pounds ($31.10 million) from AS Roma before the start of last season as a replacement for Xabi Alonso but has failed to establish himself at Anfield.

"At the moment we are considering possibly loaning him to an Italian club," Hodgson said. "I didn't want to use him (against Trabzonspor) just in case the loan goes through, because for Aquilani this year it's very important that he plays regular football, every week, as the number one man on the teamsheet.

"I can't promise him that here so if a loan move to Italy could help him in that respect it might be good for all parties.

"It would certainly be what he needs, it would certainly protect the value of the player and when he does return to Liverpool no doubt we will see the Aquilani that we signed before he came here injured last year."

He missed the first two months of last season because of injury and only made 26 appearances in all competitions, scoring twice.

Juventus Step In For Liverpool Midfielder Alberto Aquilani

Liverpool's Italian midfielder Alberto Aquilani has attracted the attention of Juventus after a tough season settling in at Anfield. The playmaker has been tipped to return on loan to his homeland to get some regular football under his belt.

The ex-Roma star had been rumoured to return to Italy to an undisclosed club and today Corriere dello Sport have revealed that club is Juventus.

Despite the 26-year old's agent denying any move, Aquilani was left out of the Liverpool team yesterday for their Europa League play-off qualifier against Trabzonspor.

Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson explained his decision, "I didn't want to use him tonight in case the loan goes through because for Aquilani it's very important this year that he plays regular football, every week as the number one man on the team sheet.

"I can't promise him that here so if a loan move to Italy could help him in that respect it might be good for all parties. It would certainly be what he needs, it would certainly protect the value of the player and when he does return to Liverpool no doubt we will see the Aquilani that we signed before he came here injured last year."

Chances Of Royal Bank of Scotland Liverpool FC Takeover ‘Remote’

A taxpayer takeover of Liverpool FC is very low on the Royal Bank of Scotland agenda, it emerged yesterday.

As the Anfield board studies bids to buy the club, fears have grown about how long it will take to complete the process.

Yesterday, we revealed any deal could take months, possibly as late as October, before official agreement is reached.

This would mean key discussions extending beyond the October 6 deadline, set by RBS, when they could call in their £237m debt.

Then, the bank could choose to take control of the club, and as RBS are 83% owned by the taxpayer, it would effectively render Liverpool nationalized.

But the Daily Post understands RBS are not making any sort of preparation for such a radical scenario.

Seven weeks away from that deadline, RBS are confident Kop chairman Martin Broughton and Barclays Capital, the investment bank brokering the deal, will secure a buyer. The bank, however, have not ruled out fining American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett as much as £20m if they do not complete a sale by the end of August.

Reports have suggested Hong Kong- based entrepreneur Kenny Huang is growing impatient with the continuing due diligence by Liverpool FC, but his team appeared to distance themselves from such claims.

The Chinese mogul’s consortium is said to have increased the amount it is willing to pay from £325m to around £400m, which is still short of the £600m premium the Americans Hicks and Gillett want.

Publicly, Liverpool FC is not commenting beyond the statement released last Friday evening, when they confirmed a number of firm takeover proposals, possibly as many as five.

British Airways chairman Broughton has been keen to stress scrutinizing all offers, including those from Syrian Yahya Kirdi and American private equity group, Rhone Capital, will take time. Huang has claimed, in interviews, that he has submitted documents to Anfield bosses proving proof of finance, but he recently added he was only “50% confident” of buying Liverpool while acknowledging the strength of his competitors, known to be Mr. Kirdi and the American private equity group, Rhone Capital, hinting at his uncertainty with the process.

High on the priority list for Liverpool FC is identifying an owner who can pay off the £237m debt, finance a new stadium and provide cash for new players.

Those overseeing the deal are wary of a massive backlash from Liverpool supporters if any new ownership ultimately leaves the club in a financially precarious state.

The result of the protracted diligence is that newly-installed Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson is unlikely to have any significant funds to buy major new recruits before the transfer window deadline on October 31.

Peter Kenyon Fronting Kenny Huang’s Liverpool Bid

Former Manchester United and Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon is the face of Kenny Huang’s bid to buy Liverpool.

Chinese businessman Huang has launched a £400million offer to buy the club from current unpopular American duo Tom Hicks and George Gillett. Huang has said that he is 50% confident that his offer will be successful.

Former Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge supremo Kenyon is working on behalf of Creative Artists Agency, who is helping Huang to conduct negotiations at Anfield and Bloomberg reports that Kenyon has already held talks with Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton.

Current Liverpool owners Hicks and Gillett are reportedly not in favour of Huang's bid, as it will leave them with a smaller profit than other potential offers, including that of the other major frontrunner, Yahya Kirdi.

Europa League Play-Off Preview: Liverpool vs Trabzonspor

Roy Hodgson’s reign as Liverpool manager so nearly got off to the perfect start on Sunday, though the former Fulham boss, who enjoyed such great success in the Europa League last term, will now hope his first success in the Reds’ dugout comes against Trabzonspor. Faced with Arsenal on the opening day of the Premier League, David Ngog shot ‘Pool into the lead early in the second half, despite Joe Cole having been sent-off in the first period. Only a Pepe Reina error late on denied Hodgson’s men three points and they will be expected to immediately bounce back on Thursday.

Trabzonspor will provide significant opposition. As the most successful non-Istanbul based Turkish outfit, much of the nation will be backing the six-time Super Lig champions, who qualified for the competition as cup winners last term. Like Liverpool, Bordo-Mavililer only has one competitive game under their belts this term, though unlike Liverpool they can boast that to be a victory. Teofilo Gutierrez grabbed a brace as Ankaragucu were defeated 2-0 at the weekend, getting the Black Sea Storm immediately into the winning habit. Thursday’s foes will be a big step up in comparison to the side that finished in the lower reaches of the Turkish standings last term.

TEAM NEWS

Liverpool

Roy Hodgson doesn’t have any injury or suspension worries going into this game. He may choose to give Joe Cole some additional time on the pitch as the former Chelsea man prepares to sit out a three-game domestic ban, but there could otherwise be a fair degree of rotation employed by the Cottagers’ boss.

Christian Poulsen isn’t eligible and with Fernando Torres struggling for peak fitness it’s unlikely the Spaniard will be seen.

Probable Starting XI: Cavalieri; Kelly, Carragher, Kyrgiakos, Agger; Kuyt, Leiva, Cole, Rodriguez; Babel, Ngog

Trabzonspor

Senul Gunhes hasn’t registered any selection worries going into this encounter, and it’s unlikely that he will make big changes from the weekend squad.

Probable Starting XI: Kivrak; Balci, Glowacki, Korkmaz, Cale; Colman, Gulselam, Inan; Yilmaz, Gutierrez, Alanzinho

Premier League Always The Priority, Says Hodgson

It may be nearly 40 years since Bill Shankly declared the domestic league campaign as Liverpool FC’s “bread and butter”, but the maxim remains true to this day.

Just ask Roy Hodgson. The circumstances may be somewhat different – Shankly’s comments came in the wake of a championship and UEFA Cup double – but it is with one eye firmly on the Premier League that the Anfield manager approaches tonight’s Europa League qualifying play-off first leg against Turkish cup winners Trabzonspor.

That Liverpool is even in the competition in the first place is testament to the travails of the previous campaign that saw Hodgson parachuted in to the top flight.

Of course, having guided Fulham to the final of the Europa League in May, the 62-year-old has recent experience of the effects a lengthy European run can have on domestic efforts.

And with Monday’s testing trip to title-chasing Manchester City sandwiched between both games against Trabzonspor, Hodgson admits Premier League points will take precedent over Continental aspirations.

It’s why skipper Steven Gerrard is among several players that started Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Arsenal who will miss out this evening, with Javier Mascherano nursing a calf strain and Daniel Agger yet to fully recover from concussion suffered at the weekend.

For Hodgson, the game therefore represents an early opportunity to gauge the strength in depth of his squad.

“You always have to have one eye on the Premier League games,” says the Liverpool manager. “We have got players who have played 90 minutes last week, 90 minutes on Sunday, maybe asked to play 90 minutes on Thursday, then 90 minutes on Monday, then 90 minutes on Thursday, then 90 minutes on Sunday.

“If you ask 11 players to do that then you are asking a lot of them. We have already lost two and I’m not sure how many more we are going to lose along the way. But we have a squad of players to deal with that.

“Hopefully a club of our stature has more than 11 players capable of playing at a top level, and it’s going to be up to me to make certain I choose the right ones for the games and I don’t get anybody into a situation that, thanks to being overplayed, they miss a lot more games.”

Indeed, Liverpool are in the midst of a busy spell of five matches in 15 days in which Hodgson is seeking to navigate a safe passage to the group stages of the Europa League and avoid a repeat of his players’ stuttering top-flight start of the previous campaign.

However, the hangover of the World Cup continues to force the manager into a series of creative compromises while attempting to prepare his players.

“That’s the nature of the business,” says Hodgson, who has confirmed Mike Kelly has joined from Fulham as the club’s new goalkeeping coach.

“If you take a job at a top Premier League club like Liverpool, you know a lot of things aren’t going to be ideal.

“You don’t get the players back when you want them, it’s spasmodic balancing who has done enough training and who hasn’t, and the season comes upon you so quickly.

“Hopefully with a bit of luck we can come through this period. I don’t think we had that luck in the first game maybe that will come in the games to follow.

“You do need a bit of luck to survive this period before you have stabilized things to your satisfaction.”

One player eager for an outing is Fernando Torres. The Spaniard made his first Liverpool appearance since April as a late substitute on Sunday, but is likely to remain on the bench this evening.

“Fernando is very keen,” says Hodgson. “If we decide he should start the game he would be ready to do so. He’s training and working hard and when I ask him how he’s doing he says he’s fine.

“Could he play on Thursday and against City? I don’t know if he is up to two games in four days.

“I would think he could do that though. He’s worked very hard since he rejoined with us. He has worked hard with the physical conditioning people.

“But what we must remember with Fernando, Pepe Reina, Dirk Kuyt and Ryan Babel are they are doing something of a pre-season with games going on around them. We have to not be blinded by the fact they are three to four weeks behind.”

Christian Poulsen, though, could be in line for a debut following his move from Juventus last week.

“He has had a pre-season with Juventus,” says Hodgson. “He started shortly after us.

“But the Italian clubs, because they start their season later on, they start by taking the players into the mountains and running them into the ground.

“Then three weeks before the season starts, they get the ball out, do some tactical work and play some games.

“Christian has done his running but hasn’t done much playing. The only question is whether he is capable of playing a match.”

Kenny Huang To Back Out Of Race To Purchase Liverpool If Club Does Not Decide The Winning Bid Soon

Chinese businessman Kenny Huang is set to give up on purchasing Liverpool as he is frustrated with the lack of progress his bid for the club is making.

With current Reds owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett looking to sell the club, Huang is one of the parties interested in buying, and submitted an offer for Liverpool.

The Liverpool board is verifying that each perspective owner has the funds they have offered and are deciding which bid they will accept, with the bidder that receives the majority of the votes getting control of the club.

According to The Guardian, Huang is growing impatient as he hoped to buy the club before the transfer season ends so that he can provide Reds boss Roy Hodgson with funds to strengthen the squad.

Frustrated with the fact that Liverpool has not made a decision on who will take over the team, Huang could now drop out of the running for the club if the Reds do not choose the winning bid soon.

Liverpool Set Sights On £16m Manchester City Pair As Hodgson Looks To Spend Potential Mascherano Windfall

Liverpool are considering a move for Manchester City pair Wayne Bridge and Roque Santa Cruz. Roy Hodgson is willing hoping to re-invest any potential incoming funds from the sale of Javier Mascherano and Emiliano Insua to bring in the Eastlands pair who does not appear to have a first team future at Eastlands.

Roberto Mancini is looking to trim his squad ahead of naming his 25 man Premier League squad and is looking to release some more of his ever expanding squad on loan but is willing to listen to decent offers for some of his players, including the England full back Bridge who has now fallen down the pecking order at the club.

Roque Santa Cruz only arrived at the club last summer for a fee of £17.5m but Man City may well accept offers of around £10m for the 29 year old and Roy Hodgson is keen to bring in new attacking options and is said to be a big admirer of the former Bayern Munich and Blackburn Rovers man who only managed six Premier League starts last season and is likely to see even less action this term.

Bridge would cost far less and would help resolve the left back problem the Merseyside club currently finds itself in. Daniel Agger had to fill in against Arsenal and Hodgson is keen to bring in a new full back as soon as possible.

Both players would probably jump at the chance of a new challenge and the only obstacle to such a move could be Mancini’s unwillingness to hand over his players to potential rivals to a top four finish.

Reds Capture Oldham Starlet

Liverpool has agreed a deal to take 14-year-old Oldham starlet Iaia Embarlo to Anfield for a sum of £25,000.

The Portuguese striker, who attended the Latics' centre of excellence, has moved for that initial fee with further add-ons included in the deal.

Embarlo is the latest youngster to leave Boundary Park for the Barclays Premier League, following Tom Eaves' move to Bolton earlier this month.

Greeks Face Fight For Nemeth

Krisztian Nemeth's agent has revealed that the Liverpool striker is attracting interest from a number of clubs other than Olympiakos.

Reports in Greece have suggested that Nemeth is poised to join Olympiakos after the two clubs agreed a deal for him to move.

The Hungarian's representative Viktor Kovesdi admits that negotiations have taken place over a switch but insists nothing has been decided yet.

Nemeth has failed to make the breakthrough at Anfield since arriving as an 18-year-old in 2007, but is still regarded as an exciting prospect for the future and Kovesdi says there is attention from elsewhere.

Speaking about the link with Olympiakos, the agent told Pepsifoci: "We can confirm that there have been talks between the two clubs.

"What is more they agreed about the details verbally, but there are numerous teams which want to sign Nemeth so his future is not decided at all.

"There are two other clubs which would like to get him and they go on as they want to be the winner for the striker's signature.

"Negotiations went so far with Olympiakos that we could turn onto the details of what the Greek side can offer for the player.

"But Nemeth hasn't travelled to Athens yet and he won't go there on Thursday because other clubs want him too."

According to Hungarian reports, Liverpool has offers for Nemeth from Portugal, Spain and Italy.

Hodgson Rejects Talk Of Babel Interest

Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson has dismissed rumours suggesting that Wolfsburg have made an offer for Dutch forward Ryan Babel.

The 23-year-old has struggled to make his mark at Anfield, but Hodgson is not about to sell the Netherlands international.

He told reporters: "I'm afraid we're in the realm of speculation. You know better than I how many stories you're getting every day and many of them are unfounded - many are attempts from people to get their players in the spotlight.

"We've had no written or formal offers for Ryan Babel and he's a player who I'm expecting to play for us."

Roy Hodgson Reveals He Tried To Sign David Ngog At Fulham

Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson has revealed he isn't surprised by David Ngog's scoring spree as he tried to bring the striker to Fulham.

Ngog, 21, has been in blistering form for the Reds and has scored four goals in three first team appearances this term. The France youth international struggled to make an impact last term and had looked to be on his way out under then manager Rafael Benitez.

Speaking to the club's official website, Hodgson admitted he had expected Ngog to shine and had made the centre forward a loan target in the New Year while in charge at Craven Cottage.

He said: "I wouldn't say he has surprised me. He is performing pretty much in the way I thought he could and should perform.

"In terms of judgement of front players, there's often a dual judgement - the judgement of the coach and the players who appreciate what he's doing, but if he's not scoring goals that won't be appreciated by other people such as fans and the mass media.

"I tried to loan him when I was at Fulham, but we were not allowed to because Liverpool didn't want to loan him out.

"We ended up taking Stefano Okaka from Roma, but when we were looking for some help up front we enquired about David Ngog and were told he wasn't available.

"So obviously I've always had some consideration for him."

Despite hitting new heights this campaign, Hodgson refused to set a target for the youngster and insisted he will stay as reserve to star man Fernando Torres.

"To get 20-25 goals a season you have to be playing in the region of 50-60 games," he stated.

"In reality, I wouldn't want that at the moment because that would possibly mean Torres isn't playing a lot of games.

"I don't set targets for him in terms of number of goals, my target for him is to be good enough to play in the Liverpool first team so that if I decided just to play with one forward, he could do what he has been doing for us so far."

Hodgson Would Be Happy To See Javier Mascherano Play Out Current Contract

Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson is prepared to allow Javier Mascherano to leave the club for free when his contract runs out in two years.

The Argentina international is keen to leave England due to family reasons and former Reds boss Rafael Benitez would like to bring Mascherano to Inter Milan with him.

However, the Serie A giants refuse to pay Liverpool’s asking price of £30 million, meaning that the midfielder will have to wait to leave until January at the earliest.

Hodgson, who took over for Benitez this summer after Liverpool finished a disappointing seventh in the Premier League last season.

With the Reds preparing for the first leg of their Europa League playoff tie against Trabzonspor at Anfield, Hodgson acknowledged that he would be happy to keep Mascherano at Liverpool for the next two seasons.

"I'd be quite happy to work the two years with him. If he then wanted to walk away, then so be it,” Hodgson told The Sun.

"The nicest thing of all would be if he signed a new contract, it's there for him. But nobody is putting him under any pressure.

"I'm very happy he remains with us because in an ideal world if it was simply a situation of 'would we be prepared to listen to offers for Mascherano', I would say 'no, we aren't'.

"It's only this promise that was made a year ago that lingers over my head, which means I'm even prepared to go as far as this.”

Hodgson revealed that Liverpool has not received a bid for Mascherano, and the Reds boss insists that they will not sell unless they get a proper offer.

"We haven't had an offer for him. We want one that meets what we think is his value and Javier is perfectly happy with this - he doesn't expect the club to just let him walk out of here.

"His problem is a familiar one that his wife doesn't come to Liverpool, so when he's here he lives alone.

"But he realizes he is a very valuable player, the best at what he does in the world and a club has to offer us what he is worth."