Pics: Reds train in Switzerland
19th Sep 2012 - Latest News
Liverpool trained in Switzerland on Wednesday night ahead of the Europa League fixture with Young Boys – and our photographers were there to get these snaps of Brendan Rodgers putting the lads through their paces.
Author: @James_Carroll84
Tagged: Europa League , images , photographs , photos , pics , pictures , switzerland , young boys
Sterling start but be focused! Gerrard backs whizzkid to be England regular
By Matt Barlow
PUBLISHED: 15:41 GMT, 10 September 2012 | UPDATED: 00:11 GMT, 11 September 2012
Raheem Sterling will not need an arm around his shoulder or a quiet word in his ear from Roy Hodgson explaining how the future lies with England rather than Jamaica, for whom he is also eligible.
'That point has already been made,' smiled Steven Gerrard, captain of Liverpool and England, where the teenager has joined the squad for tonight's World Cup qualifier against Ukraine having exploded into the first team at Anfield.
'That's not why I've called him up,' insisted Hodgson, refuting the suggestion an ulterior motive may lurk behind the surprise call for the 17-year-old.
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He'll be a star: England's Steven Gerrard (left) has backed his Liverpool teammate Raheem Sterling
Promotion: Sterling, 17, has previously represented England at Under-19 level
STERLING FACTS
Age: 17
Born: Kingston, Jamaica
Height: 5ft 7in
Weight: 10st 9lbs
England junior caps: 23 (U16-U19)
Premier League minutes: 180
If Sterling gets on for even a few seconds at Wembley on Tuesday, he will be forever English in the eyes of FIFA, but the England boss said: 'I'm prouder of the England football shirt than that. I'd hope the chance to play for England is sufficiently interesting.
'If Raheem decides he wants to play for Jamaica, he will go with my blessing. But I'd like to think he'll have the right desire to play for England because he's a potential England player.'
Sterling was born in Jamaica and moved to London when aged five. He grew up in the north west of the city and attended Copland Community School in Wembley, just a few hundred yards from the national stadium.
His speed and trickery earned him a wonderful reputation in the youth ranks at Queens Park Rangers and Liverpool came in when he was 16, moving him to Merseyside for an initial fee of £500,000.
Breakthrough: Sterling has impressed for Liverpool in his first few games this season
BRENDAN RODGERS
The Liverpool manager says:
Young players will run through a barbed wire fence for you.
Older players will look for the hole or just turn back and not even go through it! But you get that freshness from Raheem. I like exciting players as well and he is a boy that excites you.
I have got to say I have seen a lot of development in him in a short time. He takes on a lot of the concepts and he is very good with instructions.
Normally wingers want to do their own thing but he is improving tactically every day.
'He's a quiet kid who wants to learn and wants to listen,' said Gerrard. 'His impact has been fantastic but let's not rush him or put too much expectation on him.
'He has done fantastically well so far and it won't be too long before he's a regular in this squad. He is that good. He has that talent. But we shouldn't build up too much expectation.'
Gerrard was once drafted into the squad as a Liverpool teenager and tipped for a big future. It was the day after his 20th birthday in May 2000 when he made his debut against Ukraine and he is set to win his 98th cap tonight. He has survived the hype but Hodgson is cautious and protective over Sterling, who has represented England at different youth levels but is yet to appear for the Under 21 team.
'When you bring in young players like Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and now Raheem Sterling, who is even younger, you're causing headlines but we're talking about a precocious talent,' said Hodgson.
Consummate professional: Gerrard (right) was outstanding against Moldova in England's opening World Cup qualifier
'It's meteoric, his rise, and all of us are concerned that we dampen expectations for him as much as we can. I can't stop people writing about it. It's a natural thing.
'But we'll be making it clear to Raheem. "It's a great start, there's interest in you, but don't read too much into being here other than we're watching you".'
Hodgson discussed the issue with Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers before making the call.
Next generation: Hodgson has called up Sterling, Adam Lallana and Jake Livermore into the England squad for the Ukraine match
'I've cleared this with him and he is satisfied,' said Hodgson. 'He thought it would be nice for him to soak up the atmosphere around a big game.
'He'll be pretty lucky to get close to the field because there are plenty of players who were chosen in front of him.
'I can only hope he takes it in the right way. He mustn't think he's become a part of the set-up and has made it. He has to try next time to make sure he is one of the original 23. We'll be watching him.'
Go for it! We gave Ukraine too much respect at the Euros says Gerrard
"They have players who can hurt us and could feel hard done by not to have got at least a point - we need to be on it against them"
Lucky day: Gerrard feels England could have lost to Ukraine at the Euros
Scott Heavey
Steven Gerrard has admitted England got lucky against Ukraine in the Euros this summer - and cannot afford to make the same mistake in the rematch.
Gerrard says the Euro 2012 co-hosts almost gave them a painful lesson as they came close to knocking out England in the final group match.
Wayne Rooney's goal earned a 1-0 victory but Roy Hodgson's men were left clinging on and should have conceded when John Terry cleared Marko Devic's shot after it crossed the line, but the goal wasn't given.
England captain Gerrard feels England didn't go for the jugular against Oleg Blokhin's men back in June and will have to be at their best to make it back-to-back wins after their five goal thrashing of Moldova on Friday.
Gerrard said: "There were times in the Euros when we gave them too much respect and stood off them and they had a few dangerous opportunities to score. Over the 90 minutes, they could feel hard done by not to have got at least a point.
"The difference for this game is we didn't know too much about Moldova before that game. We performed really well, but this game will be a bigger and tougher test.
"If you stand off them [Ukraine] and give them too much respect, they have players who can hurt us. We need to be on it against them.
"They are a group of players who have played together for a long time. Technically they are very good. If you stand-off these players, they can hurt you.
"But we won the game in the Euros, did what we needed to do, and hopefully we can get the same outcome.
"They have got our respect. They are a dangerous team. If you show them too much respect, they can hurt you.
"We were strong defensively against them in the summer and we got the job done. They will have a respect for us as well."
Gerrard made his debut against Ukraine at Wembley in 2000 when he had just turned 19.
He is in line to win his 99th cap on Tuesday and admits he and Ashley Cole would love to make it 100 on the way to reaching World Cup.
It has gone full circle for Gerrard as now he is the elder statesman who players such as Liverpool team-mate Raheem Sterling, 17, look up to.
That is another honour for Gerrard who has no doubts that, despite his surprise call-up, Sterling is ready and England do have strength in depth.
Gerrard said: "It's a dream come true when you get your first cap at Wembley. 100 caps would be a nice touch, for both me and Ashley.
"The important focus is to get to the World Cup - individual achievements are always nice along the way but I'm more interested in the points against Ukraine.
"Going back to the Raheem Sterling questions, just before that debut I was invited to come and train with the senior group with Kevin Keegan, along with Gareth Barry, to see how it all works.
"It takes a lot of pressure and nerves away when the step up came for real.
"When I was selected, I was judged by the rest of the squad. It'll be interesting to see how it works with Raheem Sterling.
"It opens the debate we've had before, about the amount of foreigners coming into the league. I don't think these questions would be asked if everyone was fit and available - Jack Wilshere, Wayne Rooney, Ashley Cole would all be here.
"We're speaking now because we have a lot of drop-outs and injuries. When everyone's fit and available, we'll be fine.
"It's a pleasure to help these lads. These lads are fantastic talents.
"They've got all the tools to go on and become fantastic players but let's not build them up and put too much pressure on and let them progress and become good players naturally.
"I wouldn't blame you guys for doing that because you see the performances they are putting in for their clubs and you can't help but get excited."
Echoing the thoughts of boss Hodgson, Gerrard is hoping that England will deliver a performance to entertain a big crowd and maintain the feel-good factor after a spectacular sporting summer.
He added: "It will be one of the higher attendances throughout Europe and on the back of the Olympics and Paralympics, it is incredible - it is incredible on the back of the Oympics.
"The onus is on the players to excite them and put in a good performance and get six points from our first two games."
New Liverpool FC monthly magazine
13th Jul 2012 - Latest News
Liverpool FC will be publishing a fantastic new monthly magazine ahead of the 2012-13 season.
'Liverpool FC' will be a must-read for all Reds fans. At 116 pages, it's the biggest monthly club publication of all Premier League clubs.
Following the final weekly edition of 'LFC' last month, the new monthly publication will hit the newsstands on Thursday 2 August, priced £3.95.
Produced in conjunction with the club's new publishing partner ProgrammeMaster from our Chapel Street office in the heart of the city, the first edition features a fabulous free gift - a CD-Rom 'Gerrard: A Decade of Goals.'
The 48-minute show features Steven Gerrard's best goals during his first 10 years at Anfield in the first team and you get to hear about them straight from the man himself.
Gerrard is also the cover star of the first edition, talking about his hopes for the new season while on tour in America.
And that's not all, in a series of exclusive photoshoots and interviews, Jamie Carragher takes in the sights and sounds on a walk along Crosby Beach and Lucas talks about his expectations for the coming campaign after returning from injury.
There's also a five-page Q&A with new manager Brendan Rodgers, plus further exclusive insight from Charlie Adam, Daniel Agger, Jonjo Shelvey, Jan Molby, Stephane Henchoz, Tommy Lawrence, Mike Marsh and many more. Celebrity Liverpool fans Sue Johnston and David Price also share their Reds memories.
The much-respected Liverpool programme This is Anfield has also undergone an extensive redesign over the summer. Still featuring everything you've come to expect over the years, this season it will be better than ever, going perfect bound for the first time - and it's still only £3.
There are some substantial savings to be made if you subscribe to either club publication and if you subscribe to both, you will receive a fantastic free Liverpool scarf worth £8.
To view the various discounts on offer through subscribing, click HERE.
Jesus "Suso" Fernandez: The Next Spanish King of Anfield
(Contributor) on September 10, 2012
Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images
Liverpool's lack of depth this season is widely known, and with 11 players (including Jay Spearing and Andy Carroll) leaving the club during the transfer window and just five coming in, as well as Joe Cole and Dani Pacheco returning from loan, Liverpool will now rely on their prestigious academy for quality backup. Players such as Adam Morgan and Jordan Ibe took an active part in Liverpool's American tour, and Raheem Sterling is already getting rave reviews playing on the right side. It's fair to say though, that Liverpool has not produced a star since the likes of Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher. There have been good players like Martin Kelly, but many (John Welsh, Jon Ostemoboor) have simply fallen into the lower leagues after failing to fulfill such potential.
However, a close view of the reserves could change all this. Top young quality can be found from Conor Coady to Michel Ngoo, but it's not them who has the potential to be one of the best technical players in the world. Back in the days of Rafa Benitez, the Spanish manager scoured his homeland and managed to convince a young man to turn down Real Madrid and Barcelona and help revamp the academy with new technical coaches Rodolfo Borrell and Pep Segura. Jesus Joaquin "Suso" Fernandez Saez de La Torre, the boy from Cadiz, showed that the Spanish contingent refuses to die out at Liverpool, and for good reason.
Anyone who watches the reserves on a regular basis will know the ability the attacking midfielder, come winger, come striker has on and off the ball. He plays very much like Andres Iniesta, with a fantastic touch and a brilliant dribbling ability, matched with an exceptional passing ability. He is able to dictate the play from any position he plays, and the 5'9" Spaniard is exactly the type of player Brendan Rodgers wants to have—he has grown up playing the 4-3-3 Tika-taka style football from an early age.
With the experience of two world class youth coaches guiding him towards the first team in Borrell and Segura, and also with the added help from Mike Marsh and the rest of the Academy team, it won't be long before he is playing along side Steven Gerrard, Nuri Sahin, Lucas and Joe Allen in the heart of the Liverpool squad.
Looking at the team, you could in fact make the point that Joe Allen and Suso both play their game in a very similar way to Xavi and Iniesta respectively. Allen is the pass master in the Liverpool midfield, and will chase and press anything that moves until possession returns to the Reds. Suso will be more of a box-to-box midfielder, yet will still have immense vision and passing ability. The style he plays means he could be a major influence, both in Liverpool's technical set-up but also results alone. It will also be another win for the academy, as they hope to bring in the other potential players as well.
It will take time for Suso to break into the team (if issues with his temperament are to be believed and the physicality of first team football will take time to sort), and Adam Morgan is more of an orthodox striker to play, but Spain played an advanced playmaker in the mold of Suso in Cesc Fabregas during the Euros, so could we expect Brendan Rodgers to do the same?
With two recognized strikers, he may have to take the chance. With quality Spanish custodians in pass master Xabi Alonso, goalscorer Fernando Torres, goalkeeper Pepe Reina and more already making their mark in the Liverpool team, perhaps it's time for a new one to light up Anfield. Step up Jesus Joaquin "Suso" Fernandez Saez de La Torre.
