EPL Preview: Predicting the Liverpoll Starting XI vs. Bolton Wanderers

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(Bleacher Report)Liverpool are only two hours from facing off against Bolton. With the Reds having injuries to Glen Johnson, Raul Meireles and Steven Gerrard they are still not quite up to full strength.

However, they are much stronger than last season and have proven that.

The new boys seem to be settling in nicely. I am sure most of them will continue to hold onto their place in the first 11.

Jordan Henderson is the only player I expect to possibly be dropped, as Dirk Kuy'ts scoring history against Bolton could be a deciding factor for the Dutchman to start.

Here is a look at the Projected Reds Starting XI for today's match-up at Anfield......CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE SLIDESHOW.

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Liverpool FC: Grading Charlie Adam, Jose Enrique and the Anfield New Boys so Far

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(Bleacher Report)Liverpool have splashed a load of cash since their new owners took over from Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

With more than £100 million having been invested, if you combine their summer signings with those brought in during January there are many, many high hopes for Kenny Dalglish's side.

The primary goal for the club has to be Champions League qualification, but Dalglish will surely be aiming as high as possible, as a weekend victory against Arsenal proved the Reds could grind out a win in a difficult situation.

Granted the Gunners are in a bad spot, but it is still Arsene Wenger's club, and they have achieved more with less at different points during the Frenchman's brilliant reign.

That being said lets take a quick look at the Red's five newest signings, and how they have shown their worth so far......CLICK TO START THE SLIDESHOW.

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Liverpool FC: Luis Suarez, Charlie Adam and the Reds Starting XI vs. Arsenal

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(Bleacher Report)Liverpool are out to achieve their first win of the season, and a weakened Arsenal Gunners side looks to be on the menu.

The Reds should have taken a 2-1 victory at home on opening day, while Arsenal slumped to an away draw at St. James Park against Newcastle United.

With the Reds almost fully fit throughout the entire roster, they have the upper hand, and Kenny Dalglish will be willing his charges to victory.

I expect Luis Suarez to be primary creative cog for the Reds, as he will be all over the ball and the pitch up front.

Andy Carroll and Dirk Kuyt I assume will be the biggest goal threats, as the Reds front two may turn more to a front three at times with Kuyt or Downing playing in through the middle off the wings......CLICK HERE TO START THE SLIDESHOW.

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Liverpool FC: Suarez, Adam, Downing and Carroll Give Reds Future Great Hope

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(Bleacher Report)Despite the Reds being held to a draw in their home opener, their newer faces showed a lot of promise for the future.

Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez continue to prove they will be bright starts of the future and "El Pistolero" in particular looks to be the most endeared icon of the new batch so far.

The recent arrivals of Charlie Adam and Stewart Downing are also looking as though they will be more key to the future of Liverpool than many may have believed them to be.

After the opening weekend we can take a look at what they showed us on Saturday and perhaps take away that this is a bright attacking combination for the future......CLICK TO VIEW SLIDESHOW.

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Dalglish Ecstatic over Continued Availability of Funds

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(Bleacher Report)Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish has been quoted in the Daily Mirror extensively about his excitement for the upcoming season and his gratefulness to having overwhelming support from his club owners.

The Scot has splashed a ton of cash over the last eight months with the signings of Andy Carroll, Luis Suarez, Jordan Henderson, Charlie Adam, Alexander Doni, Stewart Downing, and just yesterday Jose Enrique.

All seven players have been brought in with specific purpose in the eyes of many fans, but the real issue has to be the overwhelming amount of fringe players left to be offloaded. However, it seems their is no end in sight for the club's spending at the moment.

Dalglish and the fans seem to have gotten just what they want this season with the owners showing no signs of letting up in hopes to bring silverware back to Anfield as soon as the coming season.

King Kenny has this to say in his interview quoted in the Mirror:

“The owners want their investment in a red shirt, and we’re delighted with the business we’ve done this summer."

“We are happy with the quality of the people we have brought in. Of course we will be judged by what happens on the pitch rather than off it but at the moment it’s positive.

“The five guys we’ve brought in have strengthened the quality and also the strength in depth of the squad, and we are a lot stronger than last year.”

It is believed that Dalglish could be expecting to make a surprise title push this season as the Reds are taking their missing out of European football as an advantage over the other top six clubs that will deal with even more cramped schedules.

“Every club wants to win trophies, and this is an exciting time - it’s a bit like Christmas day for the kids, isn’t it?”

“You need to win a lot of matches to win a championship, but you don’t need to win many to win a cup, so we’ll just focus on getting as many positives results as we can.

“Now we just have to see if we’ve made the right decisions. [Saturday's game] is when we have to enhance that positivity - let’s go on the pitch.”

There is no doubt that the Reds are stronger this season than in the last two and should at a minimum push themselves into the top three.

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Jose Enrique News Quiet After Reds Appear to Have Agreed Fee with Newcastle

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(Bleacher Report)On August 3rd, 2011 Jose Enrique was believed a lock for the Anfield club according to both the Daily Mail and the Daily Mirror. However, the fees believed to be agreed were of completely contradicting sizes with one stating it was for £10 million and the other £5 million.

Early this morning on August 8, 2011 the International Business Times report that Enrique will indeed be unveiled as the Reds fifth signing of the window after agreeing a fee of £5.5 million with Newcastle United.

Enrique will join the ranks of the Reds full backs who suffered a blow when Glen Johnson went down in the clubs 2-0 victory over Spanish club Valencia at Anfield on Saturday.

The Spanish national will be fighting for his place with Fabio Aurelio, and also possibly with Johnson as Martin Kelly and John Flanagan are both tipped to be huge fighters for a place in the starting eleven on the right side.

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Liverpool: Cahill, Baines, Dunne and 7 Other Defenders on the Reds Radar

The Reds look to Enlist new faces at the Back to Help Move the Club Forward.

by Rhydon Atzenhoffer on the Bleacher Report
March 23, 2011

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It has been no secret this season that Liverpool have been in desperate need of a quality left back. Roy Hodgson's purchase of Paul Konchesky was quite simply never going to live up to life on Merseyside. In addition, he allowed Emiliano Insua to leave the club on loan when he was clearly a more promising prospect as to warrant the purchase of another aging defender.

Fabio Aurelio, while providing good quality, attacking presence with his crosses and excellent free kick ability, is far to injury prone to be relied upon for the years to come. He has been a great steward to the club, but his time is being cut short because his body is letting his natural talent down.

Rumors have flown from all corners of the media since January about who Liverpool should be or are possibly courting to come in on the left-hand side of the defense.

From Goal.com to the Guardian, to Metro, the speculation continues to increase as only eight games remain for the Reds and the Summer transfer window beckons to the fans and club.

Vice captain, Jamie Carragher, is starting to get up in age, and it will be important for the team to have an additional center back to look to aside from Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel.

Sotirios Kyrgiakos has shown his ability to deputize when needed but doesn't seem to posses the skill to be more than a fringe player at the back for the Reds.

Youngsters Daniel Ayala and Danny Wilson have shown promise, but both are still too raw of prospects to really be considered as ready to step into a more permanent role.

Wilson has done decently in his games under Dalglish, and Ayala had some impressive outings under Rafael Benitez and looks to be one of the Spaniard's favored young defenders to make something of himself at the club.

With all the rumors swirling around, it seemed a good idea to take a look at 10 of the most talked about defenders that have cropped up in Liverpool transfer gossip.......READ MORE AND START THE SLIDESHOW ON THE BLEACHER REPORT

Liverpool Look to Continue to Strengthen

The Reds continue to be linked with Quality Attackers, Midfielders and Defenders in the Transfer News

by Rhydon Atzenhoffer
February 17, 2011

The papers continue to flood with prospective transfer news for the Reds during the summer. The overhaul of the front line during January shows the intent of the new owners to truly revive the winning heart and soul of Liverpool. Having applied their same business model before, with the Boston Red Sox, Fenway Sports Group has the mindset needed to take the Reds back to the top.

Their strengthening started with the top but now it has turned to the other main areas of the pitch. With width being one of the primary lackings in attack in this season and previous ones it is important to bring in players to create that space. The likes of Maxi Rodriguez and Joe Cole have just not been putting in enough quality on the wings to really create the chances Liverpool would like to see. With this in mind the Reds have been looking to new youthful options to bring in for the two aging 29-year olds.

Matuidi Highly Sought After

Eljero Elia continues to look like the most likely new wide player to arrive in the summer. He was a primary target during January, and is still continually linked with the club through the media. With a mutual admiration believed in the cards, Hamburg will most likely cash in on their young flying Dutchman over the summer.

The midfield and the defense are also in needs of new additions. Christian Poulsen has finally started to show his ability under Kenny Dalglish, but he is not believed to be a true long term replacement for midfield bulldog Javier Mascherano who departed for the Nou Camp at the start season. Damion Camolli has turned eyes to one of his former players in St. Etienne's Blaise Matuidi.

Kranjcar to Bolster Reds Midfield

The French defensive midfielder has been an enforces for his club and Camolli looks to bring in his former clubs man with the belief that he will develop into a top defensive midfielder. He has to potential to be much like Chelsea's Michael Essien at his best, and that kind of driving force from the deep part of the midfield could prove advantageous for the Reds future attacking schemes. He is a hotly tracked by a host of opposing teams. Arsenal is the other English Club poised to move for him, with other major clubs lurking as well in Juventus, AS Roma, Fiorentina, and Schalke 04.


Tottenham's Niko Kranjcar is also being looked into as another midfield bolstering move. With much of his talent remaining unseen in the first half of the season in London due to injury, his recent return has seen him net two winning goals from the bench and the super sub could move north as Tottenham look to add funds for another attacking shopping spree in the summer.

As for the Defense the same two players that were being discussed earlier in the week, Jose Enrique and Simon Kjaer are both still very much on the radar for the Reds.

Kjaer ready for the Move

Enrique has also been linked with Manchester United and Aston Villa. The 25-year old has been a key performer for Newcastle United's left side in their first campaign back int he top flight and he has progressed much since their last premiership stint as he was before looked upon as lacking in ability, but a few years of adaptation to the Spanish game has him much more in demand in the league.

Young Danish center half Simon Kjaer is a prime target for the Reds. His chance to link up with fellow Danish nationals Christian Poulsen, and Daniel Agger hopes to be a selling point for the Reds. Liverpool hope to prize him away from fellow suitors Tottenham, who also lodged a failed bid to take the defender to England from Germany's VfL Wolfsburg during the January window.

The buzz from the January signings and new owners certainly have the anticipations of the Reds future on the rise as a return of the English Title is the top priority for the club as they have yet to actually win a Premiership Trophy.

Liverpool To Sure Up the Defense

Article first published as Liverpool To Sure Up the Defense on Technorati.
Reports Indicate that Liverpool will continue to Strengthen as Promised

by Rhydon Atzenhoffer
February 15, 2011

Another few days worth of transfer rumors have the Reds looking to strengthen from the back in the summer. Several targets have appeared in the media in the last couple of days as the Merseyside club failed to land a defensive transfer in the January market. While being largely linked to Aston Villa and former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock in the light of Paul Konchesky moving on after his failed stint in Red.

Enrique, Boom or Bust?

The left back saga of the Reds continued for the entire window, and was only satisfied when Kenny Dalglish instilled Glen Johnson as his new choice leftback with Martin Kelly being catapulted to the spot light in the right back position where he has blossomed under his new manager.

With all that said it looks as though the Reds will be looking to bring in more options in the summer. With eyes looking north to Newcastle again there are reports that there is a possibility of Spanish attacking wing back Jose Enrique making the same trip that Andy Carroll made recently.

A possible make weight in the move for the defender, whom has received mixed reviews during his time in service on the Toon, could possible be Joe Cole. Cole has failed to ever make his presence felt in Red. his first game saw him Red Carded at Anfield, and a brief sign of life during the Europa League campaign has given way to another nagging injury that has kept the 29-year old England attacker sidelined yet again.

With Liverpool courting other attacking options of a more youthful age and injury status, Cole could see himself go North in the midst of a player and cash deal with Newcastle for the services of Enrique.

Another young defender on the up with the Liverpool camp's radar is Wolfsburg starlet Simon Kjaer. After impressing with Serie A side Palermo, along with the likes of heavily rated midfielder Javier Pastore, the 21-year old made his move to the Bundesliga outfit during the summer.

Danish Star Eyes Agger Pairing.

It now appears that after only a short time the German side is ready to cash in on their young talent in hopes of more options. Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly been tracking the young Dane and Liverpool reportedly had a bid turned down for him during the January window.

Liverpool's Danish contingent of Daniel Agger and Christian Poulsen could help in swaying the youngster to Anfield, and the possible arrival of another fellow compatriot in Christian Erikson could way heavily on the mind.

A Danish back line containing the international pairing would certainly add a solid understanding and partnership for both Liverpool and the Danes.