Liverpool boss is satisfied with summer budget.

Liverpool manager, Rafael Benitez, says he is happy with the budget he has been given for this summer as Liverpool look to close the gap on current champions, Manchester United.

Liverpool have already missed out on signing Gareth Barry, a player who they had been tracking for well over a year. However, the boss insists that Liverpool’s failure to capture Barry was not down to not having enough money. Liverpool have spent a large sum in making sure that important players stay at the club this summer and are ready to play for next season.

Fernando Torres for example is the club’s best striker and was offered a lucrative new deal that will keep him in the side until roughly 2012/2013. It is important that Liverpool keep the spine of their side in place as one or two key players have been linked with moves away from the club e.g. Xabi Alonso’s possible move to Real Madrid.

Speaking today, Benitez said: “We spent some money to guarantee the extension of those contracts. Now we need to improve a little bit because we are in a very good position. We knew it would be difficult, especially as there is a [financial] crisis all around the world.”

“But when I decided to sign a five-year extension to my contract, I knew in my own mind that Liverpool is more than just a club, it is the heart of the city. It means so much to a lot of people. We want to keep our best players and Xabi has done really well for us. He has three years left on his contract so he is not for sale.”

This is all positive news for Liverpool fans who may have been wondering why the club had not put up a better fight in order to make sure that Barry was wearing the red shirt next season on not the light blue one. However, it is clear that Liverpool were not willing to pay over the odds for a player in the same way that City were and they seem content to work hard this summer to make sure that all arrivals are correct.

The worry is that with a reported limited budget, Benitez will have to focus on one or two players when he would have liked to have bought three or four. Top of the list si sure to be David Villa of Valencia, who no doubt will want the chance to play in th Premier League under a manager he already knows and with a striker than he is best friends with. There is also the added benefit that quite a few people at Liverpool speak Spanish.

Benitez seems smart enough to make sure Liverpool get things right in the transfer window and he is probably still hurting from being shown up by United in the latter part of the season that has just finished. There will be names on a list that he is but the selection of the correct ones will determine how close Liverpool can get next year.

TV giant about to fall down quickly.

TV giant, Setanta, is about to fall flat on its face as the company faces administration. Setanta owes the Premier League roughly £30 million and will plummet from business unless financial backers can stump up the cash to save the station.

Setanta has come in for a lot of criticism for its handling of certain TV rights and the fact that it deprives a mainstream audience from being able to watch a lot of big games, which are only viewable to a small number that have subscribed to the station.

The broadcaster also owes money to the Scottish Premier League, which is roughly ten times less than it owes to the English version. Therefore it seems highly unlikely that unless something is drastically done Setanta will drop like a fly from providing us with top-flight entertainment.

Setanta also has rights to show live cricket matches and golf tournaments but the revenue generated from 1.2 million subscribers is clearly not enough to stamp out the growing debts that it is building up on a daily basis.

No doubt the news will be a welcome relief to Setanta’s competitors. In the recent battle for rights to show live sports next season Sky virtually swept the board. This will please a lot of people that never really saw the point in a small broadcaster showing high quality matches that only a small number actually paid to watch.

It will also be good news for many in the current economic climate as a lot of people may already have Sky and for this reason they will not have to renew or sign up for a Setanta subscription in order to prevent them from missing out on a lot of entertainment in the months to come.

The news just acts as proof that the lucrative world of global sport is expensive and requires a lot of funds, time and attention in order to provide a high quality service. This is something Sky have consistently done since the Premier League was formed in 1993 and is something they now look like they will be unrivalled in doing.

TV rights to show Premier League football are getting more expensive as each season passes. Due to this Setanta now looks like it will go the same way as ITV Digital did in 2003 after it was reported that they were unable to pay the full amount of £105 million for the rights they had acquired to show Premier League football and highlights.

So for now the broadcaster has a lot of work to do but the whole scenario just goes to show that you should never try and punch your weight against a competitor that has everything. Sky have the reputation and the reliability of service to be able to consistently deliver and what many people thought would happen is finally unfolding.

Deloitte will step in and run the company should administration finally kick in however, fortunately for Setanta they won’t be facing any ten-point penalties that could dent their future for a long time to come.

Friendship a dangerous game

Managers in top flight football have a very clear choice. Their managership style.

Some choose to be pals with the players, others prefer to keep their distance. Fabio Capello has obviously chosen the latter. So what does he get? Criticism about being dour and not having a relationship with his squad.Fortunately, the rather acid attack has come not from the England team but from new Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti who claims the Italian was surly when in charge of AC Milan in the early 1990s.

In his biography, Ancelotti alleges that Capello had no dialogue with his players, an allegation that has totally baffled the England manager. In fact, he says he doesn’t recognise himself from the description.

Neither will England fans. Since arriving, Fabio Capello might not have been a bundle of laughs or a man who jokes, eats and plays with his team. Unfortunately, other England managers have done just that over the years and looked where that got them and the side? Capello might not dance up and down the touchlines or slap his squad on the back every time they secure a win. But it’s obvious to all that he is the thinking man’s manager who demands respect and gets it.

Managers who become close to their players are dicing with a dangerous game. It’s always said there is no room for sentiment in business and the same applies to football. Managers are there to make tough decisions and the old pals act with the squad just won’t wash. Friendships between managers and players can only lead to trouble, jealously, recriminations and back-stabbing.

So far, Capello has managed to avoid all of this and conducted himself in the most upright of manners.Okay, he didn’t go out to dinner with the players at AC Milan or, perhaps even more crucially, with the journalists either. No leaks, no sneaky headlines in the press, no public arguments. If Ancelotti wants to regard this as being dour, that’s his perogative. Let’s see what sort of relationship he strikes up with Chelsea and where that will lead him if and when the going gets tough.

Capello is doing a great job for England and has lifted spirits. He also has a record second to none. A former professional footballer, he won the domestic league title with every club he has managed, namely Milan, Juventus, Real Madrid and Roma.

During his managerial career, Capello has become known as a disciplinarian and has no hesitation in clamping down on even his star players if he feels they are not pulling their weight. Given headlines in the past about England teams – from eating unhealthy breakfasts to playing cards and falling out of nightclubs at the crack of dawn – it’s just what we needed.

Capello gets a lot of money to do his job and he is earning it. He’s no stranger to public fallings-out as David Beckham found to his cost when at Real Madrid and that too sounds a warning to the England team. No player is too big to be brought down to size. Capello isn’t afraid to admit when he is wrong too and to bring players back into the team when he feels the time is right. Did Beckham ever believe he would get back into the Real Madrid team or even captain England again?

Capello may well have been touched with controversy during his career and made some ill-advised public comments but he remains unblemished and a family man. He deserves our respect alone for mastering the English language so quickly. Oh but for us Brits to speak Italian fluently!

Fabio Capello has already indicated that managership of England will be his last role and he intends to go out on a high. There would be few who would bet against it.

England vs Kazakhstan

Can England expect?

This is it folks! England are one step nearer to the 2010 World Cup finals and dare we think about searching out our St George’s flags and dusting down our car banners?

If there’s one thing guaranteed to lift the nation, it’s success in football and moods would certainly be lifted once we know our team is guaranteed a place in next year’s tournament.

It’s certainly looking good. England have now won six straight victories in six successive World Cup qualifiers. Just who would have thought it? Just a year ago, fans were turning off the television in droves because of the dire state of English football. Why put ourselves through such torture, we were asking ourselves.

Then along came a magic wand, courtesy of Fabio Capello. Seems the Italian maestro can do no wrong and England are once again flying high. Talk is even turning to England actually winning the 2010 World Cup. Now that is ambitious!

As usual, England put us through the grinder as they got off to a shaky start against Kazakhstan in Almaty. Striker Sergey Ostapenko nearly gave supporters a heart attack as he missed a clear chance on 19 seconds and then had a goal ruled off-side.

But Gareth Barry answered his critics after a week of controversy over his move from Aston Villa to Manchester City. Ironically, his opening goal on 41 minutes followed a link-up with Steven Gerrard, the man he might well have partnered if he had gone to Liverpool last year.

Stalwart Emile Heskey showed that his resurgence in the squad was no fluke when he made it 2-0 on 45 minutes, giving England fans the chance to get out their 2010 diaries and book their holidays from work.

Rooney got on the score sheet again on 73 minutes with a spectacular overhead kick after a rebound. This was his eighth goal in six internationals, surely one of the keys to Capello’s success. Frank Lampard then slotted home goal number four with a penalty on 78 minutes to secure a convincing win for England and a competent second half performance.

England now top the Group 6 table with a straight 18 points from six matches and an impressive 20 goals scored and just four away. One of their biggest rivals, Spain also top their Group 5 table, having netted 13 goals and conceded just two.
England are playing down qualification hopes by saying they are taking it a game at a time and Capello refuses to get carried away. Obtaining 21 points by mid-week would, he says, be good but not conclusive.

Captain John Terry shares the view and believes there is still plenty of improvement to come. He is concerned about hitting form a year too early but surely England need to send out a clear signal to their competitors ie watch out for us, we are a force to be reckoned with. Certainly, Terry believes England can match Spain for performance and few would disagree, provided we can get over our wobbly starts and not concede any silly early goals.

In any event, a 100 per cent World Cup qualification record is something to be proud of and to shout about. It’s a long time since England could boast such a feat and the achievement shouldn’t be under-estimated or played down. For once, it’s a great feeling to be able to put on an England shirt and wear it with pride rather than out of duty.

Splashing the cash for Barry

Money really does talk when it comes to football.

Manchester City have become the latest high-fliers, splashing out 12 million pounds on Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry. The 28-year-old has reportedly signed a five year deal which will bring him in around 80,000 pounds a week. Not a bad pay cheque which obviously had to be a huge attraction for Barry.

Villa fans are obviously bitterly disappointed that he will not be part of their campaign next season and are blaming cash as the incentive. Aston Villa are going great guns, having finished a very creditable fifth under Martin O’Neill to Arsenal and very nearly pipping them for fourth place. But a place in the Europa League and the prospect of challenging the big four in the Premiership – Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal – obviously wasn’t enough to keep Barry at Villa Park, if indeed he had any choice in the matter.

Manchester City supporters are, of course, thrilled and they believe they are the team to watch next season. Other big signings are expected as Mark Hughes bids to strengthen his squad now money appears to be little object. He has praised Barry’s flexibility in being able to play according to tactics and believes his experience and determination will count for everything. Barry is certainly one of the best midfielders in the country today. He played more than 400 games for Villa, scoring 52 goals and has won 29 caps for England, a number which arguably should already have been substantially more. Capello might well be putting that right in due course.

Barry says he feels real potential with Manchester City, said to have been the only club to put forward a bid. Liverpool obviously took the huff following last year’s debacle when protracted negotiations to buy Barry failed. The price tag of 18 million pounds was considered just too high. Liverpool won’t be wasting any time crying over spilled milk, that’s for sure.

Barry had been offered a lucrative deal to stay on at Villa after his contract ended next season but at least his departure should open the way for new arrivals and Liverppol have their sights set elsewhere too. Manchester City finished the season tenth but only 12 points behind Aston Villa, not a huge margin and one Barry will obviously be helping to bridge. Let’s see if money really can build a team. It worked originally for Chelsea and if Manchester City can splash the cash, why not go for it.

In any event, Barry’s signing fee pales into insignificance with all the talk about where Kaka is going to land up – Chelsea or Real Madrid. Real are said to be negotiating a deal which would cost them a staggering 65 million euros though AC Milan have denied the reports and both the club and Kaka say he is staying put. Now that really would be a huge purchase on your credit card bill!

Can Ancelotti build the dream?

Is money already talking under the new regime of Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti? The former AC Milan manager is making no secret of the fact that European glory is his main aim. He pledges that Chelsea will lift the Champions League crown within the next three years and who would bet against them doing it in his first season in charge?

Ancelotti knows European football inside and out and has a pedigree of success. He guided AC Milan to victory in 2003 and then again in 2007 and won the trophy twice as a player. He describes success in the tournament as “beautiful” and the pay cheque isn’t too bad either. Might that have something to do with his ambition?

Certainly, Chelsea fans will be hungry for success after reaching five semi-finals in six years. The taste of being beaten by Manchester United on penalties in the 2008 final is still bitter and players will relish the challenge. Ancelotti also promises to retain the feel-good factor at Stamford Bridge following the club’s victory in the FA Cup. The team and supporters are relishing their first bit of silverware in two years, thanks to outgoing boss Guus Hiddink who delivered the perfect leaving present.

But club faithfuls are already asking whether European glory should be Ancelotti’s main target. What about the Premiership or is this going to take second fiddle to the Champions League? If so, it will spell great news for both Manchester United and Liverpool who will be battling it out for top spot. Perhaps it might have been more diplomatic for Ancelotti to target as much success as possible, including the Champions League. Building a dream on the continent is commendable but performing on the stage at home in front of a crowd who pay good money to see their club has to be a top priority as well.

Chelsea fans will also be interested to see what type of play Ancelotti will favour. Will he encourage the free-flowing style the Blues are used to or adopt the AC Milan more stifled approach? One player who insists he won’t be following his former boss to Stamford Bridge is ace forward Kaka. Both Real Madrid and Chelsea are rumoured to be interested in signing him but Kaka says he has no intentions whatsoever of leaving Milan, full spot. That means he will be signing for Chelsea before the end of June then.

Though Chelsea fans will be relishing Ancelotti’s obvious ambition, he’s got a hard act to follow in the footsteps of Jose Mounrinho and Hiddink who became firm favourites. Ancelotti does have a good track record and says he is very much a people’s person, likes to work together and be close to the players. He also speaks very highly of Chelsea and their teamwork. Ancelotti certainly talks the talk, now let’s see what he can deliver on the field, whether for home tournaments, the Premier League or Europe. He wants to build a dream and Chelsea will want him to deliver.

Liverpool secure future of their best player.

Liverpool have secured the future of their best player with the news that Fernando Torres has signed a new contract. Torres is now contracted to the Anfield club until 2013 with the option of an extra year if desired.

It will be welcome news to Rafael Benitez who will want to create a team that will win the Premier League next year. The length and depth of his feud with Sir Alex Ferguson has been shown on many occasions this season with the odd rant or two but Rafa will know that this is the first building block to success.

Torres joined Liverpool from Athletico Madrid for £20 million in July 2007. Since this point he has become one of the best strikers in Europe and probably doubled in value making him one of Liverpool’s most potent attacking threats and one of the most feared strikers in Europe.

The combination of Torres and Steven Gerrard has been more than enough to break through the defences of many teams and the news of a lengthened contract shows the ambition that is building inside Liverpool’s Spanish gaffer.

Benitez said: “We’ve made huge progress this season and now we need to take the next step. We are building something special here and securing such important players as Fernando on long-term deals means we can move forward with confidence. He has shown how much he wants to achieve success at Liverpool by committing his future to the club. He’s a special talent, but still has the hunger to improve his game.”

Liverpool have just hard arguably their best season since the Premier League started in 1993. Benitez puts a lot of the fact they didn’t push Manchester United closer down to the fact that for a lot of games Torres was not fully fit and could not play a part.

Well with his future secured and with his fitness now properly sorted it out it is likely that Torres could well end up as the best striker in the Premier League next season. A lot depends on the work that Benitez does in the transfer window as he will need to bring in some big names as well as improving the fringes of the squad.

It was the depth of Liverpool’s squad that cost them at crucial times last season. Most notably was the 4-4 draw the developed against Arsenal at Anfield, a match that Liverpool should probably have won at a canter.

However, the spine of the side is very good. The keeper and the defence have played together for a long time and Liverpool have one of the best midfield players in the world making things tick in the middle of the pitch. Rafa would do well to mould the rest of the team around Gerrard and Torres and now he has no excuses for not propelling Liverpool to success.

Torres really needs a high class player beside him in the attack and if Liverpool make reality of the David Villa from Valencia rumours then they could give anyone a run for their money next season.