Ducky's Note: After we featured Joe Allen in our first Liverpool
post in almost as much time as it took Torres to score for Chelsea, we seem to have opened
the floodgates, at least by this site's Liverpool-post-frequency standards. So next up we have
Arunkumar Sekhar, picking through Liverpool's transfer dealings with a numerical
obsession nearing John Nash's.
Is this the third year zero or the first? It's the third year in a row where Liverpool have started
the season with a new manager, something that's never happened in the club's 120-year history.
Brendan Rodgers replaces Dalglish who replaced Hodgson who replaced Benitez.
Liverpool left back Jack Robinson is wanted on loan by several Premier League and Championship
sides, with Norwich City and Bolton having shown interest in the 18 year old.
Derby County is also looking to sign the Warrington born defender for the duration of next
season.
With the departure of Fabio Aurelio this summer, Liverpool have only Jose Enrique as a recognized
left back at present, although Glen Johnson was chosen as cover whenever Enrique was injured last
season, ahead of Robinson.
Liverpool have released Brazilian full-back Fabio Aurelio after six years at Anfield, with the
32-year-old set to return to football in his native country after agreeing terms with Gremio.
His new club announced the acquisition on its official website, stating: "Gremio confirm
agreement with the left-back Fabio Aurelio Rodrigues".
Liverpool defender Fabio Aurelio has sealed his exit from Anfield after agreeing a one and a
half year deal with Brazilian club Gremio. Aurelio had been at Anfield for six years, but this
summer saw his time expire after Liverpool released him.
The writing was on the wall for the left back when Liverpool signed former Newcastle standout
Jose Enrique, and with a new manager on the way in Aurelio will be looking forward to a new start
in his home country.
Of the players that are expected to leave this summer, there was only certainty around the
departure of Fabio Aurelio. Today it's been widely reported that he'll head back to Brazil on a
free transfer to join Gremio, where he'll surely see out the final days of his playing career.
We've said goodbye to the player once before, which makes this a less traditional farewell post,
but he's still deserving of a mention for the impact that he made during his time with
Liverpool.
Against Blackburn, he scored twice in the opening twenty minutes in what should have been an
easy Liverpool victory. Against Everton in the FA Cup, Liverpool played the bulk of their best
football after he was brought on from the bench on 75 minutes. Yet despite that Liverpool have
consistently played better with him in the lineup than out of it, Maxi Rodriguez has only made
thirteen starts and a further four substitute appearances across the 47 games Liverpool has so far
played this season in all competitions.
Dirk Kuyt's agent has revealed the striker is considering his future at
Liverpool with Roma a possible option
It is believed that there is a push at Anfield to reduce the average age of the squad and bring
in fresh faces without drastically changing the wage bill and Even the likes of Maxi Rodriguez and
Fabio Aurelio would also find themselves surplus to requirements at Anfield.
Liverpool head to the Northeast hoping to duplicate their performance against Newcastle from
earlier in the season, when they hit the European hopefuls for three at Anfield in Steven Gerrard's
return to action. Alan Pardew's side sit eight points above Liverpool in the table, however, level
on points with Chelsea and only five off Spurs in fourth.
Liverpool welcome Wigan to Anfield for their second match against a relegation-threatened side
in four days after their late collapse at QPR on Wednesday. The Latics can't quite nudge their way
out of the drop with a win, but they can at least draw level on points with the side that condemned
Liverpool to their fourth league defeat in five matches.
The Flying Dutchman has struggled to nail down a regular starting place in Dalglish's first XI
with summer recruit Jordan Henderson taking his position on the right-side of midfield. Kuyt has
featured in only 29 games in all competitions this season, finding the back of the net four times,
while Liverpool struggle in seventh place on the Premier League table.
Liverpool get back in the swing of things to see out a busy January, heading to the Reebok in
hopes of getting three points for only the second time in six matches. As has mostly been the case
in league over the past month and a half, they won't face an entirely overwhelming opposition, with
Bolton only a point above Wigan in 19th.
Stoke City head to Anfield currently sitting alone in eighth and unbeaten in their last four.
Tony Pulis' side has managed success both domestically and in Europe, as they'll accompany the two
Manchester sides in the first knockout round of the Europa League early next month. Liverpool will
hope to continue their relative hot streak at home, during which they've scored eight goals in
their last two matches at Anfield and finally found a way to finish chances.
Liverpool step into the last remaining competition on their calendar, welcoming Oldham Athletic
to Anfield in the third round of the FA Cup. The League One side got past Southend United in the
second round after a draw forced the home replay, which the hosts won 1-0. Liverpool will be
looking to get past the third round for just the third time in six seasons after crashing out to
Reading and Manchester United in the past two seasons.
3pm ET, not live on TV anywhere in the world. The whole world, apparently. So there probably won't
be streams and there probably won't be an OYB match review either. Yes, this sucks. I'm sorry.
Last four head-to-head:
3-0 Liverpool (a) 01.15.94
2-1 Liverpool (h) 10.16.93
2-3 Oldham (a) 05.
Steven Gerrard took an active part in Liverpool training on Tuesday, but Kenny Dalglish is refusing
to put a date on the player's return to action.
Liverpool has been shorn of the services of their captain since he picked up an ankle infection in
October. The Reds have made repeated denials that the midfielder had suffered a setback and he was
pictured working hard in training on Tuesday.
The last of the newly promoted sides visits Anfield tomorrow, as Neil Warnock's twelfth-placed
QPR side look to continue the success experienced by Norwich and Swansea. It's been an up and down
campaign so far, but with more than a few promising displays, they'll hope to match their fellow
newcomers.
It's back to Stamford Bridge for Liverpool as they seek progression to the semifinals of the
League Cup for the first time since 2005. The timing of the fixture makes it challenging for both
sides for Liverpool, who've sent out strong squads in each of their three wins in the competition,
it's cause for serious questions about who and what we'll see.
Liverpool and Chelsea meet tomorrow in one of the more hotly-contested matchups of the past few
years in English football, with both clubs on the front end of particularly important stretches of
their respective seasons. Action off the pitch has added more spice to the fixture in the past
calendar year, and the matches themselves have been fairly even Liverpool's done the double in
league twice of the last three years, with Chelsea splitting it up and winning both matches two
seasons ago.
Liverpool's Fabio Aurelio: Jose Enrique should be in Spain squad
The Brazilian claims his fellow full-back could make a bid for an unclaimed position in the
Spanish starting line-up despite having not yet received his maiden call-up
View the full story here: Goal
A news article on 2011-11-13 16:45:00 from: Goal
This news item has been reproduced from today's media.
Swansea visit Anfield in the last match before the break, looking to earn points away from home
for just the second time this season. They find themselves in tenth on the strength of three home
wins and two draws, but their only point on the road came via a 2-2 draw at Wolves. Liverpool will
hoping to change things up as well after two consecutive 1-1 draws at Anfield prior to their win at
the Hawthorns last weekend.
Liverpool left-back Jack Robinson has been handed a new long-term contract at Anfield after
impressing manager Kenny Dalglish over the past six months.
Last season the 18-year-old was called into action on a number of occasions as Paul Koncheskey was
sent out on loan and Fabio Aurelio was sidelined with an injury.
Quick turnaround for Liverpool after their Sunday victory as they head to Loftus Road to face
Queens Park Rangers tomorrow night. After a difficult start to 2012, Liverpool finally look as
though they're turning a corner with a convincing win over Everton in the Merseyside Derby and a
grinding victory over Stoke on Sunday to advance to the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
Stoke visit Anfield for the second time this season, with the two clubs facing each other for
the fourth time overall, this time for a chance to progress to a Wembley semi-final. While
Liverpool's form in domestic cup competition has been sparkling the League Cup's already been
secured and they've scored 13 goals in their three FA Cup wins Stoke hasn't hasn't been much worse,
and given the narrow finishes in their three previous fixtures this season, there's no reason to
think that tomorrow will be any different.
Liverpool can't continue their hot streak and end up with their eighth home draw of the
campaign, failing to take advantage of a Spurs side that were lacking in both personnel and intent.
With the success of the past few weeks creating a healthy dose of optimism this one's got to be
chalked up as a disappointment, and worrying in that Liverpool yet again failed to capitalize in a
match that mostly looked like theirs for the taking.
Liverpool's big week culminates with Manchester United's trip to Anfield in the fourth round of
the FA Cup tomorrow, two weeks ahead of their visit to Old Trafford in league. United had the more
arduous task in the third round, traveling across town to the Etihad, where they scraped past City
in a 3-2 win.
It's finally the scoreline we were waiting for, but a lackadaisical first half and an incident
late in the second take some of the sheen off for Liverpool, who worked their way past Oldham on
the strength of a terrific display by Craig Bellamy.
Liverpool welcome Newcastle to Anfield in 2011's final match, with both squads barely on the
outside looking in at the European places. Tomorrow's guests rode a hot start to the season to the
top three, going unbeaten in their first eleven matches and surprising everyone after expectations
were low entering the campaign.
Liverpool head back out on the road, visiting the West Midlands in search of their second
consecutive win in league. Success away from Anfield has been easier to come by, with Kenny
Dalglish's squad winning more at opposition venues than they have at home. Alex McLeish's squad are
level on points with Norwich City in ninth and have earned eleven of their nineteen points at Villa
Park despite losing two of their last three.
Liverpool visit Craven Cottage tomorrow and a Fulham side that's struggled to piece together any
sort of positive results domestically, winning only twice thus far on the season. They've got
nearly identical records home and away, with their first and only win at home coming in early
October.
Suarezgate is over! Racism has been solved in Engand! Rejoice, peasants! Though all snark aside,
it's genuinely refreshing to be able to pass along a collection of the day's news and notes without
having any of the items relate to the story that's seemed the sole focus of Liverpool discussion
for nigh on four months now.
