Hello, no top news so far, no new Fernando Torres-like signing.

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Jay Spearing (above), eyeing a new deal! As does Stephen Darby (left)!

 We might not have signed a 30-million player yet, but we have committed the future of several players to Anfield now, which must be seen as a big step towards establishing in the Premier League top! The latest players to sign are Stephen Darby and Jay Spearing, both making a handfull of matches last season, mainly in the Champions League. Both Darby and Spearing will probably wait for a real chance in the first-team.

Both Alvaro Arbeloa and Glen Johnson are currently inhibiting the position to the right in Liverpool’s defence, and with Johnson being signed for a huge sum, we cannot else but conclude that Darby will be second, or even third, in line. Spearing, in turn, is in a similar position with Steven Gerrard, Javier Mascherano, Lucas, and probably Xabi Alonso in front of him, all competing for two, or at its most, three central midfield positions. 

The youth ranks of ours have not been exceptional, so to speak, the latest five years. Since Steven Gerrard, Michael Owen, and Jamie Carragher broke through, no real super player has gone through the Academy and up to Melwood to really take that first-team spot.  We currently have some young starlets (Lauri Dalla Valle, Alexander Kacaniklic, Thomas Ince, Adam Pepper, Daniel Sanchez Ayala, and so on), but with Rafael Benítez gaining more ‘power’ within the club, more are arriving.

Now it is made official that five Hungarian players will join Liverpool’s reserves on trial. As we Liverpool fans know, Liverpool has a link to MTK Budapest, and players such as Andras Simon, Peter Gulasci, Zsolt Pölöskei, and Krisztian Nemeth has come to Liverpool from MTK. Now, Attila Abu (goalkeeper), Patrik Poor (defender, with a funny name…) Krisztian Adorjan and Patrik Vass (midfielders), and Peter Horvath (striker) join the Academy. Scout Frank MacParland has invited the players after having seen them in Hungary.

Adorjan and Vass make their second visits to Liverpool.

And so, finishing with a fantastic picture from Switzerland (where Liverpool are on training camp):

 Sincerely yours,

Great news, this time not an April-joke! Steven Gerrard, our lovely captain, has signed for another two years!

His previous contract was due to 2011, now it is extended to 2013! This is obviously vital not only for this year’s title challenge, but for all the future seasons! The fact that we know that Gerrard is with us (until he quits… But he has stated he would like a coaching role after retirement from playing, so…) will contribute not only to balance and security, but also the concrete player Gerrard playing for us.

Gerrard, 29 the 30th of May (by then captain of Liverpool for six years, reacord breaking captain at 23!), has been outstanding for us this season as we all have seen. Scoring goals, assisting to goals, wiining challenges, etc. etc. – you know the deal.

This time he will sign already three years in advance which of course must be a relief to both the board and to Rafael Benítez, who himself has signed a contract until 2014 (is it?). Together, a deadly duo.

I love this! Having signed up our captain for another five years does not hurt now, does it? I do not want anothe post-2005 Champions League situation again, with any player! Another good news is that Dirk Kuyt also has signed a new contract, from a contract stretching to 2010 to a new deal making him stay until 2012.

This is the thing I want with Daniel Agger. Agger is one of the players I like the very most! However, even before I would sign a deal with Agger, I would have contracted Gerrard. Just as Rafa has done. Still – sign the Danish defender’s contract before he leaves! Give him more playing time, according to me he is better than Martin Skrtel!

Gerrard, Kuyt, Agger, and Benítez are all important pieces in the puzzle of our dreams. Will we be able to complete it already this season?

Sincerely yours,

You’ll Never Walk Alone,

RedWalk

Read the most interesting rumour today!

SkySports reports that our talented left-back Robbie Threlfall is on his way to Swedish league challenging side Djurgårdens IF. Fun thing is,  my top favourite team overall (Liverpool) then will lend a player to my favourite Swedish team (Djurgården)!

Most of you may not have heard of Djurgården (also known as DIF or Järnkaminerna), but Djurgården have some strings in international football. Players such as Kim Källström (currently midfielder in Lyon, France), Johan Elmander (Bolton’s record transfer), Andreas Johansson (creative second striker, Ålborg, Denmark, which advances in the UEFA Cup), Andreas Isaksson (PSV Eindhoven, goalkeeper), and Tobias Hysén (ex-Black Cat under Roy Keane, left for Swedish side IFK Göteborg) are all Djurgården adepts!

Källström (left) and Isaksson (right) are two ex-Djurgården players who have made it to the international stage.

Djurgården’s current squad contains few great players, the most prominent and internationally know might be Mattias Jonson (ex-Swedish national team and have played for Norwich). Otherwise, Aki Riihilathi (former Crystal Palace motor), and Daniel Sjölund (Finnish national team playmaker, played for Liverpool and West Ham United before joining Djurgården, where he now is, in my eyes, the most important player and may get the captain’s armband this season).

Threlfall has played two games for Stockport this season, where he was on loan.

If Threlfall now joins DIF or not is to see, but SkySports is a good source for transfer rumours, and the fact that this news is so awkward might just prove its legimitacy.

DIF is the best Swedish club seen over the 21th century, with three league wins, but last year was really bad and DIF ended up on 12th place. This year though, they aim higher, and the Allsvenska soon starts, hopefully with Threlfall in DIF’s defensive line.

Sincerely yours,

YNWA,

RedWalk

Martin Skrtel seems to be healing all right from the nasty injury he got in the Everton game, on September 27th. His twisted knee is now better, and he says: “I will be the same player when I am fully fit again. I will make tackles like I always have and will stand up physically to the challenges that I face. It will take me a few games to get back to the level that I was at before the injury, that is only natural. But I won’t be a different player when I come back – I won’t allow that to happen.”

  or ?

He was in such good form before the injury, that my personal favourite in our defensive line Daniel Agger was kept on the bench or on the stand for very long! My absolute dream now when Sktrel comes back that Jamie Carragher maybe would play right-back, Agger and Skrtel in the centre, and our for the moment maybe best player – Alvaro Arbeloa to the left. However, losing Carragher’s dominance in the central area might be a bigger loss than playing Fabio Aurelio or Andrea Dossena to the left?

Speaking of which, Aurelio is injured for the 1000nd time. He was substituted in half-time at Anfield against Marseille, Wednesday. He has a strain in his left leg (I do now know what part of it though) and will be away at least a couple of weeks.

As is Fernando Torres, who once again is injured (seems like a frigthening sizzler in the squad right now…), will also miss out on at least a couple of weeks, maybe three or up to a month depending on how well he heals. So, against West Ham United, Monday, and Blackburn, Saturday, and PSV Eindhoven, next-next Tuesday both Aurelio and Torres will miss. Skrtel will probably be back in time to help and unburden the workload in December, around Christmas and New Year when the pressure is the worst for the Premier League teams. He will be welcomed, even though he might not be a 100% match fit.