Joe Cole: Rodgers' System Suits Me

Liverpool midfielder Joe Cole believes that the style of football Brendan Rodgers wishes to implement at Anfield will suit him.

Over the past two seasons, the creative midfielder has been castaway from the Merseyside club, spending the 2011-12 campaign on loan at Lille.

The England international has been involved in Rodgers' pre-season plans, however, and thinks that he can make an impact this season.

"Yeah, I think the system is good for me," Cole explained to Goal.com. "I [also] think it's going to be good for the team mainly. We've taken the ideas on board.

"It's a different style of play, it's a very 'un-British' style of play."

Cole featured in Liverpool's 0-0 draw with Tottenham at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on Sunday and is eager to get the new season started after the team's tour of North America.

The Reds drew 1-1 with Toronto FC in Canada before suffering a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Roma in Boston.

"It's exciting to be back," he said. "We are really happy with the progress we've made on this tour with this team. We're going to keep going in the right direction."

Gerrard: Time For Youngsters To Step Up

Steven Gerrard has urged Liverpool's youngsters that they can't afford to be patient and must prove themselves worthy of a place in the first-team.

The likes of Raheem Sterling, Jonjo Shelvey and Adam Morgan have impressed while on the club's pre-season tour and will be hoping that new Reds manager Brendan Rodgers gives them a chance in the Premier League.

However, Gerrard believes that the next generation of Liverpool stars should not be waiting for their chance, instead giving Rodgers no other option than to pick them however old they are.

"I see or hear some young lads talking about being patient or waiting for their chance," Gerrard told Liverpool's website. "It sounds like they feel they need a 15-minute cameo in a first-team game to prove what they can do. That's not what it's about. It's about proving yourself every day in training.

"We train from 10am until 1pm or 2pm. In that time you have to show you don't want to wait around. Their attitude should be: it doesn't matter how old I am, I'm good enough.

"They don't want to be getting to September or October and wondering why they didn't get a chance in a game. Do it now is my message to them. They have to go in every day and prove to the manager that they are better than those players who are in the team."

Gerrard broke into the Reds' first-team in 1998, with a teenage Michael Owen already an established senior player and defender Jamie Carragher also making 20 appearances in the 1997-98 campaign.

"Myself and Jamie and Michael didn't wait around on the fringes of the squad hoping we'd be selected some day," he added. "We showed on the training pitch that we would do whatever it took to make the boss put us in.

"We showed the mental strength required. We proved that we were as good as, if not better than, those who had been ahead of us. That's what these lads need to do."

Gerrard Eyes Top Four Finish

Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard has backed new boss Brendan Rodgers to lead the club back into the UEFA Champions League next season.

The Reds have missed out on Europe's premier competition for the last three seasons after finishing outside the top four.

Former Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish paid the price for the club's by being sacked earlier this summer, although Liverpool owners John W Henry and Tom Werner insist Rodgers is under no pressure to deliver the Champions League in his first season in charge.

Gerrard has been impressed by the early impact Rodgers has made and feels if they are a bit more clinical in the forthcoming season they can achieve their goals.

"I do think we will get in the top four," said Gerrard. "I think we will get it. I am confident we will get it.

"I am not being unrealistic. If we can play like we did in a lot of games last season, be clinical and take our chances, I think we will be high up in the table. I do.

"It has got to come. We are Liverpool. We can't finish eighth. We have got to put that right. We have got to take the criticism for underperforming last year. We can't be doing post-match interviews saying 'we should have got the points or we were not clinical enough'. We have got to be clinical. We have got to get the points we should get.

"I don't think it's ever happened that a team has gone from eighth to first, but there are still other big targets for us to achieve short term. Getting in that top four again is certainly the priority.

"I thought we were brilliant at times in the league, it's just that we never got out of games what we deserved. Don't get me wrong, though, I'm not going to sit here and make excuses. There were times when we murdered teams. We just hadn't come off with what we deserved.

"But there were other times you would come off thinking no wonder we are sixth, seventh and eighth in the league. We hadn't played well enough. It was frustrating but if you look at the season as a whole, you can't use an excuse for finishing eighth. It wasn't good enough."

Gerrard admits he was sad to see Dalglish leave, but not surprised by the club's decision to replace the Reds icon after a disappointing eighth place finish in the Premier League

"Kenny knows himself that when Liverpool finish eighth, the owners and supporters are going to ask questions," added Gerrard.

"Everyone knows that. While there was shock and disappointment at the time, you understood the decision. You move on with what the club wanted to do and they wanted Brendan Rodgers in. They wanted a young manager with a vision for the long-term. They want him to bring stability and that is hopefully what will happen.

"I think we'll definitely see a much bolder Liverpool team and more exciting too, but with a quick transition when we lose the ball.

"Over the years sometimes Liverpool have come up against certain type of opposition and we have shown them too much respect. Maybe we had to because of the style we've been asked to play.

"There were times under previous managers when we did that, but I think this manager is the opposite and wants us to play like a big team.

"There is a lot of hard work and a lot of learning to be done sharpish if we want to implement that straight away.

"In my second session we were already doing team shape and he is telling players what he expects movement wise, how he wants the team to do the transition when we lose the ball to win it back.

"The manager has made me aware of where he's at and what he's trying to do - I've been really impressed with him."

Rodgers Open To Aquilani Return

Brendan Rodgers has left the door open for a return to the Liverpool first team for forgotten man Alberto Aquilani.

The Italian arrived in a blaze of publicity in 2009 for a fee of £20m while still recovering from surgery on an ankle injury.

But the 28-year-old failed to settle on Merseyside, making just 18 appearances in total for Liverpool - half of which were as a substitute.

As a result the talented midfielder has spent the last two seasons on-loan in his homeland of Italy with Juventus and the AC Milan.

But Rodgers is willing to wipe the slate clean after he featured in Liverpool's friendly defeat to former club Roma and offer the injury-jinxed midfielder a fresh start at the club.

"I need to have a close look at Alberto," said Rodgers. "It's been difficult for him during his time in England, and this is probably the first period where he's felt happy, according to him, and he's working.

"I need to assess, and that's what I'm doing at the moment. Come the beginning of the season I hope to have a group that I'd like to go forward with on our journey this season.

"I'm assessing all the players, young and senior, at the moment."

Hammers Offer £17m For Carroll

Sky Sports sources understand West Ham United have made a £17million bid to sign Liverpool striker Andy Carroll.

The Premier League new-boys have ambitiously offered to pay an initial £2m loan fee before making a permanent deal next summer.

Liverpool are thought to be willing to listen to offers for the permanent sale of Carroll, who they signed from Newcastle in a record £35m deal under Kenny Dalglish in January 2011.

Brendan Rodgers has succeeded Dalglish this summer and is ready to sell in order to raise money for new signings, including his £15m-rated former Swansea colleague Joe Allen.

Carroll has endured a difficult time at Anfield since becoming the most expensive British footballer in history and he now appears to be surplus to requirements.

Sam Allardyce's West Ham failed in an original approach to sign the England international solely on loan earlier this summer but have returned with a permanent option.

Liverpool want closer to £20m as they aim to recoup as much as possible on Carroll and his wages, which are reportedly close to £80,000-a-week, but the fee would represent a record deal for West Ham.

The most the Upton Park club, who won last season's Championship play-offs, has paid for a player in the past has been £9m for Savio Nsereko in January 2009.

And West Ham co-owner David Sullivan's son, Jack Sullivan, has added to the rumours by saying on Twitter: "Dad is working on the biggest signing in the history of the club - twice as big as anything the club has done before!"

West Ham are also reportedly hoping the friendship between former Newcastle team-mates Kevin Nolan, now West Ham captain, and Carroll can help influence any potential move.

Liverpool Striker Interests Sunderland Boss

Liverpool striker Andy Carroll could be set for a sensational switch to Sunderland, after Black Cats boss Martin O'Neill hinted that he would like to bring him to the Stadium of Light.

Carroll, who cost Liverpool £35 million 18 months ago, looks to be leaving Anfield this summer, after new head coach Brendan Rodgers indicated that the 23 year-old didn't feature in his plans for the forthcoming season.

Newcastle appears to be the front-runners for his signature, after it was reported that they made a £12 million bid for their former star.

However, as reported by The Sun, the Magpies could face competition from their local rivals for the England international, with O'Neill looking to bring in a striker this summer, following the conclusion of Nicklas Bendtner's loan deal.

When asked about his interest in Carroll, O'Neill remained coy, saying: “Andy Carroll is a really good player, a really good player. Would he come to Sunderland?

“He is a very fine player.”

Carroll is believed to be keen on a return to the north-east after struggling to adjust to life on Merseyside. However, the powerful striker recent spoke of his desire to remain at Liverpool and prove himself.

However, with Rodger's style of football means that Carroll would find first-team opportunities extremely limited.

Ramirez's Agent Arrives In England For Liverpool Talks

Liverpool has moved a step closer to landing Bologna winger Gaston Ramirez after his agent arrived in England for talks.

Reds boss Brendan Rodgers is desperate to add some much needed width to his new-look team next season, and has turned to Ramirez after baulking at Fulham's £10 million asking price for Clint Dempsey.

A fast, agile and elegant left winger who can play up front, Ramirez is rated as one of the finest players in Italy, and has been tracked by Barcelona, AC Milan and the two Manchester clubs in the last six months.

However, it appears that Liverpool, who held initial talks over a deal with Bologna last month, have jumped the queue, with the players agent arriving in England this week to sort out a transfer to the Premier League:

'Gaston is ready to leave Italy - so much so I am in England for talks with a Premier League club,' agent Pablo Betancourt told Mercato.

'He is one of the most important players in Uruguray, so there are no shortage of offers.'

Inter Milan and Tottenham are two other clubs believed to have significant interest in Ramirez, but neither is willing to stump up the £15 million Bologna want for the 21-year-old.

That clears the way for Liverpool to get their man, and they are hopeful they land the player in the next fortnight, despite the transfer being complicated, as Ramirez will be on duty for Uruguay during the London Olympics.

The former Penarol ace, who is contracted to Bologna until 2016, has already set his heart on a move to Anfield.

Liverpool Interested In Venezuelan International Centre Back

According to reports in Spain’s most read newspaper, Marca, Liverpool have approached Fernando Amorebieta’s representatives to express “a serious interest” in signing the Athletic Bilbao centre back.

The Venezuelan international is currently under contract with the Basque club until June 2013, so they will now have to decide whether to renew his contract this summer or risk him leaving for free in a year’s time.

Sources close to the 27-year-old are suggesting that his preference would be to remain at Bilbao, but only if the club can offer him an extension on his contract with a considerably better pay package, which could prove difficult with his club teammate, the recently-crowned European champion Fernando Llorente, also insisting on a significant pay rise.

The biggest obstacle for Liverpool may prove to be the €35million (£27.4M) buy-out clause in Amorebieta’s contract, but Athletic Bilbao have not issued a flat-out refusal to negotiate that clause, which they did almost immediately after being informed of the interest in Javi Martinez from Bayern Munich and Barcelona.

Speculation in the Spanish press suggests that the Athletic Bilbao president, Jose Urrutia, may be willing to accept an offer around £10million for Amorebieta.

Spurs To Rival Liverpool For Team GB Star

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly joined Liverpool in the race to sign Swansea City’s Joe Allen.

The Anfield club was the only side reported to have a serious interest in the Team GB midfielder, but now a report in The Sun claims Spurs have joined the race.

Allen was impressive for the newly-promoted Swans last season and, when boss Brendan Rodgers made the switch to Merseyside earlier this summer, it was quickly being reported that he wanted his former charge to make the same move.

The report claims Liverpool offered £12.5million plus Jonjo Shelvey on a season long loan for the 22-year-old, but the bid was quickly knocked back and the Swans are understood to be content to wait for something much closer to their £15million valuation.

Spurs' reported interest will please the Welsh club, as it increases the likelihood of their estimation of Allen’s worth being met.

This interest has created a rift between Swansea and Liverpool, with the former releasing a statement expressing their anger at the Reds approach, as it contravened a written agreement signed when Rodgers left, and certain details of his contract being made public.

Aquilani Aiming To Prove Worth

Liverpool misfit Alberto Aquilani is desperate for a chance to prove his worth at the club after being dismissed by previous managers.

The £20 million signing has spent the last two seasons on loan in his native Italy with Juventus and AC Milan after being jettisoned by Roy Hodgson and Kenny Dalglish.

Aquilani, 28, was signed by Rafa Benitez but arrived at the club injured and never got an opportunity to display his range of skills, but he is puzzled at the treatment he has received from the Spaniard's successors.

"How can you pay £20m for a player and this player is never taken into consideration?" he said.

"I never asked to leave but I was always pushed by the club. I am here and I would like to play for Liverpool but it doesn't depend only on me."

It remains unclear how prominently the Italy international will feature under new boss Brendan Rodgers.

He played in the first half of Liverpool's defeat against his old club Roma in Boston on Monday and is upbeat about his prospects of playing under Rodgers after their initial conversations.

"I had a very good talk with Brendan where we were able to share our thoughts and it was a very positive chat," he added.

"I like his footballing philosophy and I like the mentality he has because it matches my own skills."

Liverpool fans have rightly wondered why a player acquired for such a handsome sum in 2010 has not been able to stake a claim for a first-team place.

But the playmaker remains determined to show Liverpool fans he can make the grade at Anfield.

"The situation changed after Benitez left," Aquilani added.

"In past years, I felt forced out. I never asked to go on loan but they made it clear it was better for me to go.

"I think Liverpool people have to know that I have never said I wanted to leave the city because my family and I were not happy here. This is not true.

"I cannot say I have unfinished business in English football because I really never played but, the little I did, I believe I was able to show to Liverpool fans that I have quality and that I could have helped the team."

Cup Wouldn't Have Saved Kenny

Liverpool owner John W Henry says he would still have sacked Kenny Dalglish even if the manager had led the Reds to FA Cup success.

Anfield legend Dalglish was shown the door by the club four days after the Reds came in eighth in the Premier League - their worst finish since 1994.

Suggestions have been raised that the manager might have survived the axe had he followed up Liverpool's Carling Cup success with another Wembley triumph in the FA Cup, where they lost out to Chelsea in the final.

But Henry, frontman of Reds owners Fenway Sports Group, says the trophy would not have saved the 61-year-old Scot.

He said: "The FA Cup would not have made any difference had he won it, no, no.

"For us we were 17th over the second half of the season and Liverpool should not be in that position.

"I don't place the blame on Kenny and assistant Steve Clarke but I think it was obvious to every fan that something was wrong and something needed to be done."

Henry admits Dalglish, who was in the role for 18 months after replacing England boss Roy Hodgson at the helm and has been succeeded by Brendan Rodgers, was only ever going to be a short-term solution.

He added: "When I first discussed making a change before he took the job, we danced around it and discussed what role he would take at some point.

"He did say that if it was the manager's job, he would only do it until we had the right young man to come in for the long term. We spoke two or three times before he actually took the job.

"Kenny was always saying no one man is bigger than the club. Everyone knows what it meant when he came back, how he did right the ship and brought all the disparate elements back together.

"There were a lot of different directions and he unified the club internally and externally - he did an incredible job of getting us all on the same page."

Excitement Building For Gerrard

Steven Gerrard is looking forward to the start of 'an exciting new era' at Liverpool and claims he is raring to go ahead of the 2012/13 campaign.

The Reds skipper has linked up with the rest of his team-mates in Boston after being granted extended leave on the back of his efforts at Euro 2012 with England.

It may have been a busy summer for Gerrard and those at Anfield, but he believes Brendan Rodgers' arrival as boss and the continued support of the club's American owners bodes well.

Liverpool will have little time to find their feet under the new coaching team, as they prepare for an early entrance into the Europa League qualifiers, but all of those connected with the Reds are in buoyant mood.

"It's great to be here in Boston and it's an exciting new era for the players," Gerrard told the Liverpool Echo.

"We've been looking in from our holidays and hearing what the manager is saying and what his vision is.

"All we can do is give him our full support and work as hard as we can to make his job a bit easier.

"The Boston Red Sox are such a big team out here and so is Liverpool in England. The challenge for the owners is to try and make both successful at the same time.

"I can only speak on behalf of Liverpool Football Club and promise the owners we will give everything we have got to bring as much success to the owners as possible.

"We started that last year with two big cup finals. We won one and lost one, so there is a platform there for this team to grow and improve.

"With a new manager and new coaching staff, it's an exciting time and I'm really looking forward to bringing more success to this club.

"I just need to get my legs going again and try to stay fit. After two friendlies we're straight into the Europa League. I am really looking forward to that and will hopefully play some part."

Borini Itching To Get Going

Fabio Borini admits he is 'desperate to get started' at Liverpool after cutting short his summer break to settle into new surroundings.

The Italy international became Brendan Rodgers' first signing as Reds boss when he completed a switch from Roma.

He has worked with Rodgers before at Chelsea and Swansea, but appreciates that it will take time to get to know his new team-mates and the intricacies of their game.

For that reason, Borini was only too happy to return to pre-season training ahead of schedule and give himself the best possible preparation for the start of the 2012/13 campaign.

"I chose to come early because I think it's important to be with the team, especially because I'm a new player," the 21-year-old told the club's official website.

"I could have had a month but I didn't play at the Euros.

"I chose to come early to get used to the team and adapt more quickly. I am desperate to get started."

Borini admits Rodgers' presence at Anfield helped to lure him back to English football and he has full faith in the Ulsterman's ability to bring success to the red half of Merseyside.

"First of all he is a good person outside of football, and it's important to work with good people," he said.

"As a manager he is great. He knows what he is going to do every single day, he is very organized.

"You can see at the training ground, he gets there early and he really wants to work and improve every day.

"I think he is the kind of manager players love to play for. I love to play for him.

"We are very close. When he was working at Swansea, he'd text after I scored twice, and I'd text when he achieved good results with Swansea, when he beat the big teams.

"It's a good relationship as a friend, as human beings, and then as a working relationship."

Rodgers Ponders De Vries Move

Sky Sports understands that Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers is planning a surprise swoop for Dorus de Vries, a goalkeeper he knows well.

De Vries worked under Rodgers during their time together at Swansea City, with the pair helping the Swans secure promotion to the Premier League.

They parted company in the summer of 2011, with De Vries opting to link up with Wolves as a free agent.

He penned a three-year deal at Molineux, but was restricted to just five appearances in all competitions during his debut campaign as the club suffered relegation out of the top-flight.

The 31-year-old could be tempted to move on if the right bid arrives, and Rodgers is understood to be ready to offer him a route to Anfield.

Liverpool is expected to part with the services of Alexander Doni and Brad Jones this summer, leaving them short in the keeping department.

De Vries would provide experienced cover for undisputed number one Jose Reina.

Liverpool To Trigger Release Clause For Swansea Midfielder

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is edging closer to making Swansea City’s Joe Allen his second signing of the summer by triggering a £15 million release clause in the midfielder’s contract.

Details of the clause in the 22-year-old’s contract emerged in The Daily Telegraph this morning, whereby if any club from an elite five of Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal or Chelsea meet the valuation of the Welsh midfielder, Swansea are contractually bound to let the player leave.

Strangely, Allen’s contract also stipulates that any other club outside of this quintet can make a bid lower than the £15 million valuation, creating an open market where anyone can pursue the player.

Liverpool would appear to be firm favourites in the race to sign Allen, who is currently with Team GB as they prepare for their group stage opener with Senegal. Rodgers has expressed his desire to make Allen, his former player at Swansea City, a central figure in his Liverpool revolution, conceding last week that if any club made a move for the midfielder before Liverpool, then they would have to make a bid.

Following Kenny Dalglish’s extravagant spending last season, Rodgers has been told to operate under a far more prudent budget, which has seen negotiations for new signings taken in a more meticulous fashion, and the swift departures of high-earners, such as Maxi Rodriguez and Dirk Kuyt, who did not figure in the Northern Irishman’s plans.

Clint Dempsey is another Liverpool target alongside Joe Allen, as Rodgers seeks to implement his sleek passing game that earned so him so many admirers during his time at Swansea. Should they complete the move, the Welsh midfielder would be Liverpool’s second signing of the summer, following the arrival of 21-year-old Italian forward, Fabio Borini.

Liverpool Target Snubs Anfield Interest To Pen New Deal

Borussia Dortmund star Jakub Blaszczykowski has snubbed rumoured interest from Liverpool, by agreeing a new four-year deal with the Bundesliga champions.

In a statement on Dortmund's official website, it was announced that the Polish international put pen to paper over a new long-term deal, effectively ending any such chances Liverpool had of luring him to Anfield.

Blaszczykowski, who captained his country at this summer's European Championships has been imperative in Dortmund's rise to prominence in Germany, playing a pivotal role in their back-to-back League titles.

He has developed into one of Europe's most sought-after acquisitions, with talkSPORT claiming that Liverpool were considering a move.

With new boss Brendan Rodgers looking to build a squad capable of challenging for honours next season, the 26 year-old could have added a strong influence to the midfield, with his ability to play out wide, as well as in narrower positions.

However any such strengthening will not feature Blaszczykowski, whose contract will keep him at the Westfalenstadion until 2016, with Dortmund reserving the option to extend it by a further year.

The midfielder is the latest player to be offered a new deal at Dortmund, with the club having extended the contracts of defender Mats Hummels, a reported target for Arsenal, and the highly-rated Mario Götze.

Lucas Wary Of Rushing Comeback

Lucas Leiva is confident of being fit for the start of the new Premier League season, although the Liverpool midfielder is refusing to rush his comeback from injury.

Lucas returned to action for the first time in seven months after damaging cruciate ligaments in November, coming on as a 75th-minute substitute in Liverpool's pre-season friendly with Toronto FC at the weekend.

The 25-year-old returned to training earlier than expected following a cruciate operation, and the Brazilian has been lavished with praise by new manager Brendan Rodgers, who has tipped the midfielder to play a key role during his tenure.

Although Lucas is keen to make up for lost time, he is in no hurry to load his body with too much work having suffered such a serious knee injury.

"Firstly it's been a very good two or three weeks training," he told ESPN. "It's nice to be back and building up again in terms of strength and performance. Everything is going well, the progression is going well. I'm looking forward to the new season and hopefully I'm free of injury.

"I'm hoping to play the first game of the season [against West Brom on August 18] but there is still a long way to go. I'm sure the way we do things will be safe, not taking risks because I've been out for a long time and we need to be careful and progress very slow."

Lucas signed for the Reds from Gremio for £5 million in 2007, and he initially struggled to make an impact at Anfield. However, he has since developed into a formidable holding midfielder and now says he is "comfortable" playing in a deeper role.

"I used to play in a forward position but the way I could adapt and the way I feel more comfortable in the Premier League is as a holding midfielder," he said. "We have one of the best players in the world in Stevie [Steven Gerrard] in that [attacking] position so it was very hard for me at the beginning. But slowly I changed, and now I feel really comfortable in my position and the role that I'm doing.

"I had to get used to the football, the country, the people. I came at such a young age, I had to change the way I live and I was far from my family. I started to adapt to the Premier League, in terms of the pace and the physical game, I got a bit older and gained more experience. I had to prove myself, show that I can play [in the Premier League]."

Despite the Reds winning the Carling Cup and reaching the FA Cup final last season, they endured a tough season in the league, finishing eighth. Subsequently Kenny Dalglish was replaced by former Swansea boss Rodgers and Lucas is eyeing a change in fortunes under the new regime.

"If you talk about Liverpool you always talk about challenging for titles and Champions League spots, it's what we want but it's too early to set targets," he added. "It's a new manager and he'll build a new squad. During the season we will see how good will be in terms of targets and what we can achieve. The way we are training and the way the new manger has been approaching the sessions has been good. I think we will have a great season. If we can be more consistent we'll have a great season."

Aquilani Wanted Roma Return

Liverpool midfielder Alberto Aquilani has admitted that he wanted to return to Roma last season, as he prepares to face his former side in a pre-season friendly.

The 28-year-old left his boyhood club in 2009 for the Premier League after then-Anfield manager Rafa Benitez stumped up €20 million [£15.6m] for the playmaker's purchase.

Injuries thwarted Aquilani's settling into his new environment, however, and a subsequent return to Italy fared no better as both Juventus and then AC Milan declined to take up the options to make their initial loan arrangements permanent.

The midfielder has now revealed that he had the option to return to Roma following his spell with the Old Lady at the end of the 2010-11 season, as he gears up to potentially face his former employers.

"I had the opportunity to go back to Roma last year, and would even have been prepared to take a pay cut to represent my old club's colours again," stated Aquilani to Corriere dello Sport.

"Facing my old side is always a strong emotion for me, and to do that in a Liverpool jersey will be different to those when I played for Juventus and Milan.

"[New coach] Zdenek Zeman is the right choice for the club, although I thought Luis Enrique did a good job too."

Liverpool Must Accept Loss On Carroll, Says Newcastle Boss

Liverpool will have to accept making a loss if they wish to part ways with Andy Carroll this summer, according to Newcastle United manager, Alan Pardew.

Carroll’s future at Anfield has been under more scrutiny than ever since Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers hinted that the 23-year old forward may not be part of his plans as the club prepares to embark on a new season.

Since then, several clubs have expressed their interest in taking Carroll on loan, including Fulham and West Ham United. But Alan Pardew has made the most significant efforts to bring their would-be-prodigal son back to St James’ Park, initially through a loan bid, followed by an offer on a permanent basis.

Thus far, Newcastle’s efforts have been turned away, but Pardew believes it’s time for Liverpool to cut their losses for the club’s own good.

“[Reading chairman] John Madejski used to say to me about certain players, 'Just wipe your nose and move on', and I think [Liverpool] are going to have to do that with Andy,” Pardew told BBC Radio Newcastle.

"I think it was obvious as soon as Brendan went into Liverpool that Andy's time was going to have to be somewhere else. I think it's quite right we're involved in that.”

Newcastle are yet to make a signing this summer, with the transfer of Lille right back Mathieu Debuchy yet to be resolved. Interest has also been shown in Marseille forward Loic Remy, but Pardew remains open to bringing the Gateshead-born forward back to Newcastle United.

"Whether he comes here, is something that I will take or I will leave,” Pardew added. "It's a lot of money for Mike [Ashley, Newcastle's owner], although we'll obviously be getting a big upside in terms of what we sold him for, and we've got three great strikers here already.

"But of course as the manager, I want the best players I can get."

Liverpool’s Rodgers has made one signing in this summer transfer window, Italian forward Fabio Borini. The former Swansea manager has found himself in a situation where funds for new recruits are scarcer than they were for his predecessor, Kenny Dalglish, and Pardew believes that money generated by any potential deal for Carroll will be used wisely by Rodgers

“Whether it's £15m, £16m or £20m, if [Rodgers] uses that money and gets an uplift in the player that he brings in that's OK."

Liverpool Signs Up Chevrolet As Club Car Sponsor

US carmaker Chevrolet has signed a four-year deal with Liverpool to become the football club's car sponsor.

The firm, owned by GM, signed a similar deal with Premier League rivals Manchester United in May.

The LFC partnership runs to the end of the 2015/16 Barclays Premier League and European campaigns.

Ian Ayre, managing director of the Anfield club, said the deal demonstrated "the value of Liverpool's international appeal".

No financial details have been given about the arrangement.

Chevrolet is also an official sponsor for the cub's North American pre-season tour, which has already seen Liverpool play Toronto FC, and will later play AS Roma and Spurs in the US.

GM's UK-based Vauxhall business sponsors the England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland national football teams.

In May, GM said it would drop advertising from next year's broadcast of the National Football League's Super Bowl, and has also pulled out of advertising on Facebook.