A selection of Liverpool Football Club-related stories and titbits you may have missed over the past seven days…
Liverpool recorded a 3-0 win over FC Sydney in their post-season friendly in Australia on Wednesday. First-half goals from Daniel Sturridge, Alberto Moreno and Roberto Firmino secured a comfortable victory in front of 72,892 people at ANZ Stadium. Most of the current Reds squad were involved as were ex-stars Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Steve McManaman and Daniel Agger.
At a press conference after the game, manager Jürgen Klopp responded to questions about the future and in particular when new signings might begin to arrive. “I wish tomorrow,” replied the German in quotes published by Liverpoolfc.com. “But unfortunately that’s not really likely. The best scenario is that you have them for the start of pre-season but I’m not sure if it will happen this time. It’s different with all different players so we will see. That’s not a big problem because we all know if they are fit and healthy we have a really strong squad and that means we could start with this squad. But that doesn’t mean that I would prefer this, I would love to have them in as soon as possible but we will see.”
Klopp is set to add FSV Mainz 05 head physiotherapist Christopher Rohrbeck to his backroom team. According to the Liverpool ECHO, the 38-year-old will join the Reds this summer after 14 years of service with the Bundesliga outfit.
The final league tables elsewhere in Europe, aided by final day victories by Borussia Dortmund and CSKA Moscow, mean Liverpool are to be seeded for the Champions League play-offs. The Merseysiders will consequently avoid some difficult opposition including Sevilla and Napoli when the draw takes place in Nyon on Friday 4 August.
The club’s pre-season plans, which already include the Audi Cup at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena, are starting to take shape with participation in the Premier League Asia Trophy now also confirmed. The eighth edition of the biennial tournament will take place at the Hong Kong Stadium on Wednesday 19 and Saturday 22 July. Crystal Palace, Leicester City and West Bromwich Albion are also set to take part.
Philippe Coutinho has been named in the Brazil squad for a pair of upcoming friendlies at the famous MCG in Melbourne. The Samba Stars will face Argentina on Friday 9 June, before taking on Australia at the same venue four days later.
Former Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt, who scored a hat-trick last weekend to help Feyenoord clinch their first Dutch title since 1999, has announced his retirement from the game. The 35-year-old told Feyenoord.com: “Throughout my career I have always followed my heart when taking decisions and that goes for this one too. To me this feels like the right time to retire. I have had two fantastic years here since returning to Feyenoord, with this season’s title as the absolute pinnacle. I had the dream of winning trophies and becoming a champion with Feyenoord. All my dreams have come true.” Kuyt stuck away 51 league goals in 208 appearances across six seasons at Anfield.
One-time Reds winger Harry Kewell has been appointed as the new head coach of League Two outfit Crawley Town. The Australian, who won the Champions League during his time as a player at Liverpool, takes his first steps into senior management after leaving his previous role as Watford’s U23s boss in April.
Sheyi Ojo played for just over an hour as England U20s were held to a 1-1 draw by Guinea at the FIFA U20 World Cup on Tuesday. The outcome, in which club mate Ovie Ejaria was an unused sub, keeps the Three Lions top of Group A heading into their final group-stage fixture against hosts South Korea on Friday.
Academy striker Rhian Brewster suffered final heartache on Friday as England lost the European U17 Championship final to Spain on penalties. The Three Lions were forced into a shoot-out after conceding an equaliser six minutes into added time to make the full-time score 2-2. Sadly for Brewster he was one of the two England players to miss from the spot.
Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ben Woodburn have lost out to Swansea City striker Oliver McBurnie in the running for the Premier League’s 2016/17 PL2 Player of the Season. The Liverpool pair were both named on an initial 11-man shortlist announced last week.
Liverpool Ladies extended their unbeaten start to the Spring Series to six games with a 1-1 draw at Bristol City Women on Saturday evening. Scott Rogers’ side will have been disappointed not to take all three points though after taking the lead through substitute Katie Zelem and generally having the better of proceedings. LFC Ladies: Chamberlain, Hodson, Bonner, Stoney, Greenwood (Longhurst, 72′), Ingle, Coombs, Weir (Zelem, 60′), Van de Sanden, Clarke (Johnson, 63′), Harding.
Follow me on Twitter @superbag
| At Vital Liverpool we’re always looking for contributors so if you’re an LFC fan who wants to share his or her opinion with the masses, simply email articles/blogs to liverpool@vitalfootball.co.uk | ||