TAKE A BREAK FROM WATERPOLO!
Reina's nearerst rival was across Stanley Park at Goodison, where Everton's Tim Howard recorded 14 shut-outs. Reading's Marcus Hahnemann followed with 13 clean sheets in his first Barclays Premier League season.
Previous Barclays Golden Glove winner Petr Cech, and Manchester United's Edwin van der Sar, were two of five goalkeepers who racked up 12 games without conceding.
Reina Fact-File:
Jose Manuel Reina was born on 31st August 1982 in Madrid, but began his career with Barcelona and made his debut for the Catalan side at the age of 18, also playing against Liverpool in the 2001 UEFA Cup semi-final.
Reina signed for Liverpool in July 2005 from Villarreal for £6 million.
During the 2006-07 season he made 34 League appearances and registered 19 clean sheets. He now holds the Liverpool club record for successive clean sheets since the Barclays Premier League began, overtaking the five games in a row achieved by David James in the 1996/97 season.
Tuesday, 7th August 2007
Florent Sinama-Pongolle has completed a permanent move to Recreativo from Liverpool.
The French striker spent last season on loan with Recreativo and notched 12 goals in La Liga.
His stint in Spain failed to convince Rafa Benitez of his capablities and he has been allowed to rejoin Recreativo permanently.
Details of the fee have not been disclosed and the deal brings an end to Sinama-Pongolle's four-year association with Liverpool.
During his time at Anfield, Sinama-Pongolle scored nine times in 66 appearances and also spent a spell on loan at Blackburn Rovers.
IT is a brave player who walks into Alex Ferguson's office and demands understanding - let alone a transfer to Liverpool - but Gabriel Heinze did just that yesterday as he returned to pre-season training with little or no intention of building the bridges he has burnt over the past five weeks.
Ferguson, alarmed but seemingly not unnerved by the player's actions during the summer, had suggested that there would be "no problem" once Heinze was back in the fold at Old Trafford, but the Argentina defender's mood on his return to United's Carrington training ground was far from conciliatory as he claimed that the club were guilty of breaking promises in blocking a proposed €10million move to Liverpool.
It was not clear last night how Ferguson had reacted to Heinze's show of dissent, but no matter how stubborn the manager may be by nature, there is a growing feeling among the United hierarchy that the defender's position seems untenable.
Heinze, his agent and his legal team are determined to proceed with the legal bid to force the player's departure, whether via the Premier League or the courts, with the only encouraging aspect for Ferguson that the 29-year-old is willing to consider alternative offers, with Real Madrid and Juventus having registered interest.
United would prefer to send Heinze overseas, even if it meant receiving a smaller fee than that offered by Liverpool three weeks ago.
Dismay
However, their unwillingness to sell to the Merseyside club - which they have not done since Phil Chisnall moved to Anfield in 1964 - has led the player and his agent, Roberto Rodriguez, who is less than revered by Ferguson, to campaign for a transfer that would dismay the United supporters who grew to idolise him after his arrival from Paris Saint-Germain in June 2004.
Heinze was told that he could leave at the end of last season, when a move to an unnamed Spanish club seemed imminent.
United chief executive David Gill wrote to Rodriguez to confirm that the player could be sold for a fee of €10m, with Heinze and his representatives regarding that letter as a legal document that entitles him to move if any club offer such a fee, as Liverpool did on July 16. Gill has stated that the letter is "meaningless", but it has been seized by Heinze's legal team - which includes Liverpool's legal adviser Richard Green - as a passport to Anfield.
Having been given extra time off after his exertions for Argentina in the Copa America last month, Heinze cited an injury on his return to Carrington, which rules him out of either of the two friendly matches tomorrow evening, away to Dunfermline Athletic and Glentoran, one of which is expected to feature a debut for Carlos Tevez, his compatriot.
The Argentina forward has not finalised his controversial move from West Ham, but Ferguson hopes that the necessary paperwork will be completed in time.
Already impressed with Tevez's ability is United veteran Ryan Giggs. "I am really excited about Carlos joining," he said.
"He trained with us on Friday and fitted in straight away. We saw last year what a quality player he is. He can score goals and create them and will definitely give us an extra dimension."
Options
Despite Tevez being poised to add to United's already impressive attacking options, the Welshman believes it will be in defence that the Premiership will be won or lost.
"We do have plenty of attacking flair," said Giggs. "We have at least four or five players who can change a game and take people on. That is what Manchester United is all about.
"But you cannot lose sight of the fact defences win you championships and that is what happened last year.
"The defenders provide the platform for attacking players to produce the skills they have. We must defend well and be solid as a team."
United's preparations for the new season have also been boosted by the signing of Tony Strudwick, a highly regarded fitness coach, whom they have enticed from Blackburn Rovers.
This development follows the abrupt and acrimonious departure of Valter di Salvo, the United fitness coach, to Real Madrid last month - but United have moved quickly to replace him, with Strudwick having begun his new job on Saturday.
Blackburn are understood to be disappointed by the timing of the man manager Mark Hughes credits with turning his squad into the fittest in the top flight, but United are working on a compensation package that would go some way towards smoothing relations with their Lancashire neighbours. (©The Times, London)
- Oliver Kay
The Liverpool legend has given us his verdict on the Premier League. Agree? Disagree? Let us know by using the comments button at the bottom of this story.
And Sven... look away now!
"MARTIN JOL’S Tottenham will gatecrash the top-four party in the Premiership this season.
I’m sure the usual suspects will be leading the race - Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea - but the real interest centres on that fourth spot.
I’m sure the usual suspects will be leading the race - Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea - but the real interest centres on that fourth spot.
The capture of Darren Bent could well prove to prove to be £16.5million well spent. He grabbed 15 goals in a struggling Charlton side last season and his partnership with Bulgaria’s Dimitar Berbatov, who helped himself to 25, could be explosive.
The football in North London should be good to watch. We all know Arsenal, even without Thierry Henry, will play attractive football.
The arrival of Eduardo Da Silva to link up with his Brazilian team mate Gilberto could spark the Gunners into life. In the pre-season tournament at the Emirates, they at least had a go.
CONTINUE READING "Kenny Dalglish: Premiership predictions" HERE »>>>
More importantly, we go into the season with a full week to prepare, no injuries (tonights game was not a final, so I think when Harry went off it was tactical, not the compulsory final injury). The team, based on the most recent evidence, seems to have a bit of fire in their belly, and all the new players have had a decent amount of minutes and time to settle in. All new signings have, in fits and starts and in varying degrees, impressed, and not one looks, at this very early stage, like a bad signing.
We have quite possibly the best fist team, and the best squad overall, that we’ve had for almost twenty years, a great manager, and an encourging sense of positivity surrounds the entire club. Big money is being spent (though the net spend is in line with, or lower, than previous years), and a big stadium on the way. The big players have all been tied to long term contracts, and the fans have big hopes.
Expectactions will, of course, be high - we’re LFC, and they always are - but whatever happens, I’m just glad it’s football time again!
Let’s finally get that number 19!
The captain drove forward in the 73rd minute to take the ball past the Feyenoord defence and slot home left-footed past Ekramy to cancel out Royston Drenthe’s goal a minute before half-time.
The result means that Liverpool do not take any silverwear back to Anfield with them from the pre-season campaign, with the Port of Rotterdam Tournament being won by FC Porto who earlier beat Shanghai Shenhua 3-0.
Liverpool now travel to Villa Park next Saturday for their opening game of the new league season.
Benitez saw six of his players booked - there were nine cautions in all during the 1-1 draw - and skipper Steven Gerrard come close to being sent off for a shove in the face of Feyenoord's Theo Lucius as the game deteriorated into a melee involving most of the players on the pitch.
Gerrard had earlier grabbed Liverpool's equaliser but was furious with a late tackle from young winger Royston Drenthe, the hosts' first-half scorer.
Lucius had earlier twice pushed Daniel Agger as tempers flared.
Benitez said: "I do not think Steven will be in trouble, there was a lot going on out on the pitch.
"It was hard to see what was going on and I would want to review the match before commenting - but I would need to see the replay to decide what happened, but maybe you should talk about everything with the referee.
"I felt the team played okay, we had some chances but could not score. In terms of football, we were all right. As for the tournament, this was a very strange one."
Benitez was clearly not impressed by the standard of the event that included a very poor Shanghai side and a competitive but defensive host club.
He added: "Maybe these kind of games are more difficult with a local referee in charge. They become even more difficult.
"I am not bothered really about what went on and how the lads were treated, it is not the end of the world."
And Benitez praised Gerrard's contribution and goal, coming after his excellent effort in Friday's 2-0 win over Shanghai.
Benitez said: "Steven showed us what he can do, there was another goal for him. But the team also, they created chances and played well.
"Steven though will normally play more games this season in a central role. We have got plenty of wingers now.
"We have confidence, we have prepared well and have a better squad than last season, so hopefully we can start with a win in the league at Aston Villa on Saturday."
Liverpool's record signing Fernando Torres scored his first goal for the club in their penultimate pre-season friendly against Shanghai Shenhau.
The £20m striker picked up a Yossi Benayoun pass and chipped it home as Liverpool recorded a 2-0 win in the Rotterdam tournament.
Captain Steve Gerrard sent a curling 20-yard shot home for the second.
"Getting off the mark will give Torres confidence heading into the new season," said Reds boss Rafael Benitez.
"I was very pleased with Fernando, it was very important for him to score his first goal for Liverpool.
"When Peter Crouch first joined us, everyone was asking when he was going to score. Torres has now got that and that takes the pressure off.
"Both goals were really good and I was very pleased with the performance of my players."
Liverpool will aim to round off their pre-season programme with a good performance against hosts Feyenoord on Sunday.
"I have not yet decided who will start the first Premiership game, it's still too early to say," said Benitez, whose side face Shanghai in the Rotterdam Tournament tonight.
"The players know if they show a good level in these games and in training next week, then it will decide what we do.
"We're now looking for the players to show their sharpness and form, and we're seeing improvements every day in training.
"They know how strong the competition for places now is in every position, and that's making a difference.
"On Wednesday we organised a full practice match, and the quality and tempo of our play was of a high quality."
The Spaniard had said after the Hong-Kong tournament that new signings Fernando Torres and Ryan Babel, in partitular needed to improve. And Benitez has now revealed that they are coming on well along with fellow new arrivals.
"All the new players, Babel, Torres, Leto and Leiva, are adapting to the side and we're really happy with how they're doing in training.
"Now the idea is to show the same in the games, but we must remember everything now is about preparing for the Premiership game next week."
The Reds, who have won the competition five times and were beaten in last season's final, must face the Ligue 1 side over two legs for a place in the lucrative section of the competition.
Arsenal's first European tie since the departure of talismanic striker Thierry Henry will be a tough one too, against Czech side Sparta Prague.
"Torres is athletic, he's brave enough and he'll run the channels for them, which he did well in Madrid.
"He's good in the air and has got a physique. He's quicker than you think.
"Over the past few years there has been some interest for us in Torres, but every time he signed a new contract.
Boss Rafa Benitez handed summer signings Yossi Benayoun and Ryan Babel their first starts while Fernando Torres came off the bench at half time and young Bulgarian goalkeeper Nikolay Mihaylov also made his debut.
Liverpool now go to Hong Kong for the Barclays Asia Trophy and appear in good shape with the start of the Premiership season just over three weeks away.
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