Tag Archives: faces

5 new faces to light up Prem

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With the Premier League season now just days away, fans of most clubs will be looking forward to seeing how their summer signings will get on. Here we look at five new faces to watch in the top flight in 2012-13.

1. Lukas Podolski (Arsenal)

Established German international Podolski needs little introduction to fans of European football as the striker has been a big name in his home country for several years now. The 25-year-old may be used by Arsene Wenger as a direct replacement for Robin van Persie, who seems destined to leave the Gunners, and his goalscoring record suggests that, while he may struggle to match RvP’s return of 30 Premier League goals, he can be trusted to find double figures this season and possibly plenty more besides (40/1 – Top Premier League Goalscorer).

Podolski hit the back of the net 13 times in 2010-11 and followed that up with 18 in the Bundesliga last term – a very impressive return in a struggling side that was eventually relegated. He started all three of Germany’s group games at Euro 2012, and scored once in the tournament, while he has already managed two goals for the Gunners in pre-season – a good sign that he has already settled into life at his new club.

2. Oscar (Chelsea)

Probably one of the highest-profile summer moves anywhere has seen this Brazilian starlet team up with Roberto Di Matteo at Stamford Bridge.

The 20-year-old joined the European champions (Chelsea 12/1 to retain Champions League in 2012-13) in a deal reported to be worth £25million just before the start of the Olympic football tournament and anyone who watched him closely in the UK over the past few weeks will have seen his undoubted potential.

The youngster is as comfortable on the ball as what you would expect from a seasoned Brazil international, let alone a rising star, and he will aim to have the same influence in the Blues’ engine room in the Premier League. The price-tag could weigh him down slightly but he is expected to develop into a world-class star in the next few years and is tipped to make an instant impact.

3.Karim El Ahmadi (Aston Villa)

Not one of the eye-catching summer transfers this, but Villa’s capture of the Morocco international could turn out to be among one of the best pieces of business done by any Premier League boss over the close-season. The midfielder had attracted plenty of scouts from England after some dominating displays for Feyenoord before he signed a three-year deal with the Midlanders earlier in the summer.

It will be a step up for the 27-year-old, but he has already made a big impression in training with several senior Villa players suggesting he will be a big influence in Paul Lambert’s new-look side this term as they look to break into the top six (20/1 – Top 6 Finish).

4. Fabio Borini (Liverpool)

Borini became Brendan Rodgers’ first signing at Liverpool and immediately made an impact in his first competitive match at Anfield, scoring the opener in the 3-0 Europa League qualifying win over FC Gomel. The 21-year-old is well known to Rodgers as he first worked with the Italian international when he was a youngster at Chelsea, before he signed him on loan for Swansea in the 2010/11 season.

The striker, who scored six goals in nine matches during that period for the Swans, impressed in Italy for Roma last season when he managed nine goals in 24 appearances. He is likely to fit into Rodgers’ attacking style well with his work-rate and eye for goal really marking him out as one to watch this season as Liverpool hunt a top-four return (5/2 – Top 4 Finish).

5. Shinji Kagawa (Manchester United).

The 23-year-old is tipped to be another astute Sir Alex Ferguson signing after arriving from Borussia Dortmund on a four-year deal. The Japan international helped Dortmund land successive German titles and scored a very impressive 17 times from midfield last season, while he also claimed 13 assists to help persuade Fergie he is a creator as well as a finisher in the final third.

United needed reinforcements in midfield this summer as they look to wrestle the title back off Man City this season (United 9/4 – Premier League Outright) and Kagawa is likely to be a key man for Ferguson’s side following Ji-Sung Park’s departure and the ongoing question marks over how much football veteran duo Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes can play.

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Hodgson faces more questions

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Roy Hodgson’s reign as England (10/1 – Euro 2012 outright) manager got off to a solid start on Saturday evening with a 1-0 win over Norway in Oslo, but as usual with the Three Lions, there are more questions than answers heading into Euro 2012.

For the opening half hour of the match, England dominated their Scandinavian opponents, stringing a number of impressive moves together. They were justifiably rewarded when Ashley Young scored the only goal of the game after just nine minutes.

Furthermore, the troublesome midfield area seemed to be working itself out, with Scott Parker providing enough protection for the defence to allow skipper Steven Gerrard to produce his trademark surging runs. This provided a number of opportunities for both Young and strike partner Andy Carroll.

However, the performance certainly tailed off in the second half when the players looked fatigued and Egil Olsen’s side were unlucky not to grab what would have been a deserved equaliser.

England now have just one more warm-up game – against Belgium – before travelling to Eastern Europe for their first match of Euro 2012 against France on June 11th (France 6/4, draw 11/5, England 6/4 – Match Betting).

The game against the Belgians will certainly provide a fairer indication of where the team currently stands as a number of players who missed the game in Oslo are set to return to the fold. Furthermore, the players will be desperate to secure their place in the side to face Laurent Blanc’s men in Donetsk.

Despite the unconvincing nature of the win, there were plenty of positives to draw on from Saturday’s game, most notably the performance of Andy Carroll (50/1 – Euro 2012 top goalscorer), who once again proved his doubters wrong and now looks certain to lead the line in Wayne Rooney’s absence.

Furthermore, his combination play with Young certainly looks promising and combined with Gerrard’s new-found freedom in the midfield, could provide the X Factor that England (13/8 to win Group D) have missed in years gone by.

Despite these positives, there are still a few questions hanging over the squad, most notably in defence where Everton’s Phil Jagielka, who is currently on stand-by, performed admirably and was arguably England’s best player.

The former Sheffield United man has been one of the Premier League’s stand-out stoppers over the last few seasons and his display will only raise further questions over the positions of slower defenders such as Gary Cahill and the out-of-form John Terry.

With all these quandaries still surrounding the camp, the game against Belgium certainly takes on extra significance and with Roy Hodgson still to finalise his squad, don’t be surprised if he decides to leave yet more established stars at home.

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Hodgson faces squad dilemmas

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Roy Hodgson will name his squad for England’s Euro 2012 bid on Wednesday and he is likely to face several dilemmas, particularly in defence and attack, before being able to identify the players he feels will fire the Three Lions to glory (10/1 Outright) in Poland and Ukraine.

Starting at the back and Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart is the only man for the job between the sticks, while Robert Green and Scott Carson have been the only other back-ups due to the dearth of talent available and Ben Foster’s steadfast refusal to come out of retirement.

However, Norwich City’s John Ruddy has been in inspirational form this past season and we feel he deserves a chance ahead of Carson, who Hodgson allowed to leave the Hawthorns for a move to Turkey 12 months ago.

Hodgson’s first big job will be selecting the right men to shut out foreign opposition, starting with a huge game against France on June 11 (England 11/8, France 13/8, Draw 11/5 90 Minutes).

The first names on the squad list in previous years have been former skipper John Terry and Manchester United’s Rio Ferdinand, who have struck up a strong central defensive partnership for past managers and have over 150 caps between them.

But with the duo at odds over Terry’s upcoming summer trial for allegedly racially abusing the latter’s brother, Hodgson might feel an alternative selection will be the safer option.

If he goes with Terry, who is younger and is arguably more reliable in terms of fitness than Ferdinand, then the obvious choice of partner would be his Chelsea team-mate Gary Cahill.

The duo have played well together in the heart of the Blues’ defence and Cahill has already shown he has the capabilities to be a success against top opposition after helping shut-out Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final first leg at Stamford Bridge last month.

If Hodgson feels Terry’s involvement could divide the squad, then Ferdinand could be the man he pins his hopes on for the finals.

With his Manchester United team-mate Chris Smalling ruled out due to injury, Hodgson could see Manchester City stopper Joleon Lescott as the man who would be ideally suited to Ferdinand.

The duo would complement each other well being a right-foot and left-foot combination and that could work well in the finals.

We expect Ferdinand’s United team-mate Phil Jones to be involved given the youngster’s impressive first season at Old Trafford and his ability to operate at right-back, centre-back or in a defensive midfield role.

However, Jones is more likely to watch from the sidelines as Tottenham’s Kyle Walker is the man to get the nod at right-back with Liverpool’s more experienced Glen Johnson breathing down his neck.

But the fact Johnson has been moved to a left-back role by Reds boss Kenny Dalglish means PFA Young Player of the Year, Walker, has been the best player in that position over the past season and deserves his chance.

Hodgson’s other problem centres on which strikers he will take to the finals given that his options have been depleted due to injury and suspension.

He has already intimated that Wayne Rooney (40/1 Top Goalscorer) will travel despite being banned for the opening two matches against France and Sweden.

Darren Bent is adamant that he will be fit despite being ruled out of Aston Villa’s season with ruptured ankle ligaments since February.

However, we feels it would be too risky to take the forward as a lack of match fitness will work against him when England need their players firing on all cylinders.

Therefore Danny Welbeck is the man who Hodgson will almost certainly give the nod to given the fact he has played the majority of the season alongside Rooney at United which will work in his favour when looking towards the knockout stage (England 13/8 Group D Winner).

Another alternative to Bent would be Tottenham’s Jermain Defoe, who has struggled for game time under Harry Redknapp this season, but always manages to get goals whenever he is pitched into the Three Lions’ team.

Chelsea’s Darren Sturridge is another possibility, but he seemed to drift off the radar in the closing months of the campaign and might well miss the boat.

The fourth striker berth will be a straight fight between three target men – Liverpool’s Andy Carroll, Stoke’s Peter Crouch and Norwich City hitman Grant Holt.

Holt’s 17 goals for the Canaries this past season have led to calls for his inclusion, while Crouch has a fantastic scoring record for England and his presence terrifies continental defenders which is why he would have been a definite selection.

However, £35million hitman Carroll has forced his way to the front of the queue having finished the season strongly, in particular with his recent goalscoring substitute performance in the FA Cup final.

The former Newcastle man has struggled since making the move to Anfield in January 2011, but the signs are he is rediscovering his best form again and that could be timed to perfection for England.

A wildcard pick would be to take Arsenal youngster Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to the finals.

He is an unknown quantity to opposition managers and players and could have a big impact in the finals akin to Paul Gascoigne in the 1990 World Cup and Rooney in Euro 2004.

Although Hodgson could be put off by the fact Theo Walcott was surprisingly taken to the 2006 World Cup by Sven Goran-Eriksson but then did not play a single minute with many feeling he wasted a squad place.

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Reds’ depth faces Fulham test

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Liverpool (6/5 in Match Betting) are without stricken midfielder Lucas Leiva while Fulham (5/2, Draw 23/10) are expected to make several changes after their Europa League defeat to FC Twente for Monday night’s Premier League clash at Craven Cottage.

Kenny Dalglish’s side are on a run of four straight away victories and have twice enjoyed success in Fulham’s south west London neighbourhood recently – against rivals Chelsea.

But Liverpool paid a high price for last week’s 2-0 Carling Cup quarter-final win at Stamford Bridge when Brazilian star Lucas sustained a serious knee injury which has ruled him out for the rest of the season.

The Anfield club’s midfield resources are already stretched due to Steven Gerrard’s injury so Jay Spearing must now prove himself an able deputy while Maxi Rodriguez, who scored a hat-trick in last season’s corresponding fixture, may also come in (8/1 First Goalscorer).

Rodriguez, who scored in both recent wins over Chelsea, looks like he could be a big price to grab another judging by his record of eleven goals from his last 25 Premier League starts for the club – but ten in his last eight in all competitions (9/4 Anytime).

Fulham picked up knocks to Stephen Kelly and Damien Duff in Holland but have quality in reserve with Chris Baird and Brian Ruiz their likely replacements.

Moussa Dembele (7/1 First Goalscorer) could be fit and Clint Dempsey (8/1) should return from a thigh complaint with Martin Jol determined to see his side improve their goal tally after a series of blanks.

Liverpool can equal a long-standing club record with a win – which would be their seventh consecutive victory on the road in all competitions – while Fulham have won just one of six Premier League games at Craven Cottage this season.

Dalglish’s side have scored two goals in each of those last six away wins – beating Everton, West Brom and Chelsea by a 2-0 margin (9/1 Liverpool 2-0 Correct Score) and Brighton, Stoke and Chelsea by 2-1 (8/1 in Correct Score).

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Who faces the basement battle?

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The fight to stay in the Premier League is often more nail-biting than the battle for the title and this season looks likely to be another tight tussle for survival. We take a look at the main contenders looking to avoid the dreaded drop from the top flight……..

The three promoted teams will always be mentioned among the favourites from relegation and the 2011-12 Premier League campaign will be no different, with QPR, Norwich and Swansea expected to struggle.

Swansea (8/15 to be relegated) are the team most people would expect to face an instant return to the Championship, following their play-off success. It will undoubtedly be tough for the Swans and, despite the capture of Danny Graham and their successful attempts to keep Neil Taylor, they look short of goals and too weak at the back to have an impact.

Norwich (11/4 to finish bottom) have at least been active in the transfer market, with the decent captures of James Vaughan, Steve Morison and Bradley Johnson. But Paul Lambert is relying on a lot of untried players at the top level and that is a big gamble which is unlikely to pay off.

QPR have been quiet in the transfer market to date, with just the two confirmed captures. If the R’s (4/9 to stay up) can keep Jay Bothroyd and Kieran Dyer fit then they can give themselves a chance, but defensive reinforcements will also be needed before the end of August.

Of the current crop of established teams, Blackburn (7/2 to be relegated) look to be in the most danger with a lack of transfer activity piling more pressure on rookie boss Steve Kean. Only a last day win at Wolves kept Rovers up last season and unless they find more firepower and fill the void left by Phil Jones’ departure, they will struggle again.

Wolves (9/1 to finish bottom) will be seen by many as relegation candidates, but Mick McCarthy has been shrewd with the captures he has made so far and they may be looking more towards mid-table than the bottom three this term. Roger Johnson is the type of centre-half they needed last season and he will sure up their flimsy back four.

At lot will depend on who Wigan (2/5 to stay up) keep this summer as to how well they will do this season, but Roberto Martinez had them playing good, effective football towards the end of last term and, although they are likely to face another relegation scrap, can survive again.

Under Roy Hodgson, West Brom (7/2 to be relegated) look to be heading in the right direction although the pressure will be on the Baggies boss to build on his current squad. He’s lost keeper Scott Carson and his signings, so far, this summer have been nothing to write home about.

Bolton (11/2 to be relegated) need some squad strengthening, especially with the threat of Gary Cahill leaving, but should have enough about them to be well clear of the relegation zone. While Fulham (1/20 to stay up), under the leadership of Martin Jol, have enough quality in their ranks not to be too concerned about the threat of relegation.

One side who could be dragged into the dogfight are Newcastle (6/1 to be relegated). They are yet to sign the big name the Toon fans expect following the recent high-profile departures of Andy Carroll and Kevin Nolan. Alan Pardew admits he needs at least a couple more players during the current window, in particular a 20-plus goal striker, and there is still the prospect of summer exits for the likes of Jose Enrique and Joey Barton.

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Pearce faces tough Danish test

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An England Under-21 side weakened by injuries will have it all to do when they come up against their Denmark counterparts in a tough-looking friendly in Viborg.

The Danes will be hosting the European Under-21 Championships in June, although they have been drawn in a different group to Stuart Pearce’s team, who are 6/5 to win Thursday’s match.

Denmark qualified for the tournament as hosts, but England struggled to join them, finishing as runners-up to Greece in Group Nine before sealing their place in the finals with a narrow 2-1 play-off success against Romania.

With another friendly against Iceland on Monday to prepare for, Pearce selected a big squad for the double-header although five early withdrawals have lessened his options.

Jack Rodwell, Gary Hooper, Mark Davies, Henri Lansbury and Alex Smithies have all dropped out as Pearce continues to ponder his options as he attempts to pick a 23-man squad for this summer’s extravaganza.

Celtic striker Hooper’s injury is particularly unfortunate as the prolific former Scunthorpe United star was set to win his first cap for his country, while Huddersfield goalkeeper Smithies has returned to his club with a slight injury.

Everton’s Rodwell is probably the highest-profile absentee, although Jack Wilshere – a regular in the Under-21 side until recently – is now an established fixture in the senior squad.

The withdrawals could hand chances to the likes of Ipswich Town teenager Connor Wickham and Chelsea starlet Josh McEachran, who were part of last year’s Under-17 Championship winning team.

England’s last game was February’s disappointing 1-0 defeat to Italy in Empoli while Denmark, 9/5 to win the match and 11/5 to draw, are coached by Keld Bordinggaard, although ex-Dundee and Celtic midfielder Morten Wieghorst will take on the role after this summer’s tournament.

The Danes were beaten 2-1 by ten-man Spain last month but are an attractive side that includes the likes of Villarreal’s Nicki Bille Nielsen and Jens Stryger Larsen of Brondby.

Reading goalkeeper Mikkel Andersen is also among their ranks while the goals are most likely to come from Lille’s Emil Lyng or Soren Frederiksen of Copenhagen.

Last month, Fabio Capello’s senior side were forced to come from behind before beating Denmark 2-1 in an international friendly, but the youthful Danish side could have the edge in this one – they 11/2 to win it 1-0 – as Pearce continues to juggle his resources.

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Brown faces tough start

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The Championship is looking as closely fought as most people expected before a ball was kicked, with only 14 points separating play-off places and the relegation zone. Any team putting together a good run can catapult themselves up the table, so which teams are set to be celebrating on Saturday evening…….

Preston v Leicester

Preston are really struggling this season and Phil Brown has a task on his hands to turn things around. Take a look at the strikers each respective team has brought in this week – Sven has persuaded Yakubu to drop down to play for Leicester, while Brown has got Nathan Ellington from Greek side Skoda Xanthi.
Leicester are a growing force, they beat Swansea a fortnight ago before drawing with Manchester City in the FA Cup. You would expect Sven’s boys to have too much and take all three points to add to Preston’s misery (Leicester are Evs to win the game).

Swansea v Crystal Palace

New Palace boss Dougie Freedman faces a tough trip to South Wales, as Swansea are riding high in the table and bounced back from their defeat to Leicester by beating Colchester 4-0 in the FA Cup last time out. The Swans (4/7 to win the game) have lost some consistency in recent weeks, but Scott Sinclair remains a striker in form capable of hurting a leaky defence – something which Palace possess.
Brendan Rodgers has the perfect motivation for improvement and that is the fact Swansea could overtake second-placed Cardiff if they win and Norwich do them a favour – something that could happen as Paul Lambert’s side are riding high themselves this season. (Norwich 5/4 to beat Cardiff)

Bristol City v Middlesbrough

Both these teams need to put some results together to help them begin to climb the Championship table and lower league opposition in the FA Cup last weekend beat both. The statistics for this game show that Bristol City are inconsistent at home and Boro are terrible on the road, but Tony Mowbray’s side have struggled to score goals on the road. All pointers suggest a draw in this clash at 23/10.

Burnley v QPR

Managerless Burnley face a tall order against top-of-the-table QPR on Saturday, but the loss of Jamie Mackie could have a large impact on Neil Warnock’s side. Nevertheless, you would expect the attacking flair of Rangers (7/4 for the win) to be too much for a Burnley side, who seem to follow a win with a loss, according to their recent form.

The Best of The Rest

Across the rest of the games, Leeds (1/2 to win) should get their season back on track following a faltering period by beating a struggling Scunthorpe side, who are short of real firepower.
Ipswich will be on a high after their Carling Cup win over Arsenal and the ‘new manager syndrome’ should be enough to get them at least a draw at Millwall – priced at 12/5.
Doncaster (7/5 to win) play host to Reading and the home side should come out on top, while another home victory in Yorkshire seems on the cards as Hull face Barnsley at the KC Stadium (Hull 4/5 to gain the points).
Sheffield United (11/5 to win) have only won once on the road all season, but could add to that when they travel to an inconsistent Coventry.
Watford (20/23) will beat Derby and continue the plaudits for Malky Mackay, while Nottingham Forest (8/11) should boost their promotion chances with a win over struggling Portsmouth.

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Anxious Ancelotti faces Trotters

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The Christmas programme continues on Wednesday when Chelsea entertain Bolton, Wigan play host to Arsenal and Liverpool take on rock-bottom Wolves in the Premier League.

Chelsea v Bolton (7:45pm)

Chelsea fans seeking a belated Christmas present could finally get some festive cheer on Wednesday when the stuttering champions entertain Bolton at Stamford Bridge.
Carlo Ancelotti’s double winners were five points clear at the top of the Premier League two months ago – but have failed to win in six and could be overtaken if the unthinkable happens against Wanderers in west London.
Noises about the future of the experienced Italian coach have done little to appease dismayed Blues followers but a first win on home soil since November 10 on Wednesday could set Chelsea up for a big push for the domestic crown.
Frank Lampard and Michael Essien are now back in tandem in the Blues engine room and Didier Drogba has shown signs of getting back to his unplayable best.
The Trotters had just 19 fully-fit senior professionals available for their Boxing Day win over West Brom and have now lost South Korea winger Lee Chung-yong to the Asia Cup. They have also not won at Stamford Bridge since 2003.
Chelsea could be nervous so the way to go could be to take the 16/5 about the draw-Chelsea half-time/full-time outcome.

Wigan v Arsenal (7:45pm)

Wigan are arguably the most difficult Premier League team to pin down in terms of a betting proposition and a Boxing Day win over fellow strugglers Wolves has set them up perfectly to stop Arsenal in their tracks.
Latics effectively killed the Gunners’ title hopes in April this year when they scored three goals in the last 10 minutes to seal a memorable 3-2 come-from-behind win at the DW Stadium and are unbeaten in their last five Premier League matches on home soil.
You have to go back to September 19 to find the last time Wigan lost in front of their own supporters and Arsene Wenger will know his players cannot afford to relax after a Christmas cracker against Chelsea.
Both Teams To Score can be backed at 10/11 in what could be an open affair and the 7/1 about an Arsenal 2-1 Correct Score offers value.

Liverpool v Wolves (8pm)

Liverpool are just three points above third-from-bottom Wigan but dig a little deeper and that is perhaps a fair reflection on Roy Hodgson’s side on home soil.
The Merseysiders have not played since December 15 because of the bad weather so should be itching for the visit of basement club Wolves to finally kick-start their Christmas programme.
The Reds have chalked up five wins, two draws and just one defeat from eight games at Anfield, with 15 goals scored and just six conceded, and should have too much for the visitors on Wednesday.
Ominously for Mick McCarthy’s side, star striker Fernando Torres and captain Steven Gerrard are both expected to start.
Wolves have yet to win on their travels, with seven defeats in eight games and 17 goals conceded, so the way to go could be to snap up the evens on Liverpool to Win To Nil or 5/6 to Keep A Clean Sheet.
Other ways forward are the 5/6 in the Liverpool-Liverpool half-time/full-time market and same price about 3-5 Goals.

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Owen faces new injury setback

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Manchester United (9/2 to win the Premier League) striker Michael Owen is set to spend yet more time on the sidelines after picking up another hamstring injury in training.

The former Liverpool and Real Madrid forward was due to play for United in their Carling Cup clash against Wolves at Old Trafford on Tuesday.

However Owen was withdrawn from the match not long before kick-off as the defending champions beat Wolves 3-2.

The 30-year-old was disappointed to pick up yet another injury after struggling with muscle problems throughout his career.

He said: “I’ve trained for a week and had a setback with another muscle injury.

“I’ve got some damage in my hamstring and will be out for the next few weeks unfortunately,” he added.

Owen has only started one Premier League match for United this season after he took the field at the Stadium Light for the Red Devil’s 0-0 draw with Sunderland.

However the former England striker has looked good when he has had an opportunity by Sir Alex Ferguson scoring two goals in the Carling Cup and a goal at the Reebok Stadium after coming on as a substitute against Bolton in the Premier League.

Ferguson has been hoping that Owen and fellow front man Wayne Rooney could rekindle their partnership when the pair played together for the Three Lions.

However it has been rare that the two players have been in the same United (11/2 to win the FA Cup)  line-up and currently both players are on the sidelines.

Revelations about Rooney’s private life and more recently contract issues have meant it has been a difficult time for the former Everton player but Owen believes hype surrounding the player has not affected his team-mates at Old Trafford.

He said: “I don’t think (there was) any (affect), really.

“Everyone seems to be happy now. The club have got a world-class player signed for five years and obviously Wayne’s happy and the manager’s happy.

“Wayne is obviously ambitious and the club’s ambitious. He wouldn’t have signed if he had any doubts,” he added.

United will be hoping that Rooney will return to the form that saw him ranked as one of the best players in the world after scoring 34 goals in 44 appearances for the Old Trafford side last season.

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Henry faces up to Liverpool task

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New Liverpool owner John W Henry has admitted he faces a tough task in reviving the club’s fortunes but is confident the Reds will again be able to compete with the best soon (Liverpool 11/1 to be relegated).

Henry’s NESV group finally became the new owners of the Merseysiders on Friday following several nervy days of court battles both in the High Court in London and in Texas as former custodians, George Gillett and Tom Hicks, attempted to block the reported £300m deal.

Henry, who initially said he would not be watching the Merseyside derby at Everton on Sunday but in the end was at Goodison Park for the 2-0 defeat, admitted there is plenty of work to be done to get the club back among the elite – both on and off the pitch.

“What am I thinking? How much work this is going to be. How steep the learning curve is going to be. This is not going to be easy,” he said.

“We realise the challenge that lies ahead if we are going to go toe to toe with the other big clubs.

“We are not asking for a long honeymoon. This is a contact sport we are in and the going can get rough sometimes. We realise that.”

Henry plans to meet Liverpool fans’ groups in the next few days to listen to their concerns but he insisted he has a good track record in reviving sports clubs and hopes the success NESV have enjoyed with the Boston Red Sox can be emulated at Anfield.

“We are not going to make any promises but we are going to listen and consider,” he added in the Liverpool Echo.

“There were big financial issues but in the end we made a decision we really wanted to compete at this level.

“I don’t have ‘Sheikh’ in front of my name but we look at revenues in sports as being the ability to send out a strong team on the field.

“When we arrived at the Red Sox, the New York Yankees were a juggernaut and it wasn’t that much of rivalry.

“I believe we turned it into a rivalry where we have gone toe to toe with the Yankees even though they have got a much higher revenue.

“They keep going up but we have gone up faster. When we looked at Liverpool, the first thing that struck us was there are opportunities here to really build a winner.”

Liverpool’s revival on the pitch cannot come quickly enough following a shocking start that was compounded by the derby defeat on Sunday, but they have a Europa League clash next up on Thursday when they go to Italy to face Napoli (Liverpool 10/1 – Europa League Outright).

Under-pressure boss Roy Hodgson has yet to lose in Europe this term but the Reds’ dismal Premier League form so far has left his side second bottom of the table, ahead of West Ham but only on goal difference.

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