Delivering English football’s most famous trophy back to Anfield would have gone some way to appeasing Kopites who’ve witnessed the club take 10 steps back in the goal of Champions League qualification this season. Unfortunately the domestic double wasn’t to be, although I’m sure most Liverpool fans would have been happy (had they been asked at the start of the season) to have landed at least one piece of silverware this year. The hard work and rebuild for Liverpool, in terms of being competitive in the league, starts now and Kenny Dalglish will undoubtedly working tirelesslythroughout the summer to make the Reds once again contenders for a top four finish.

This week on FFC the jury is out on who is responsible for Liverpool’s underwhelming campaign and Dalglish gives an indication in respect to his summer transfer targets.

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Best of FFC

The Finger of blame at Anfield?

The transfer dilemma facing Kenny Dalglish

The 12 Premier League clubs stung by this ‘transfer premium’

One of the best decisions Kenny Dalglish’s can make as Liverpool manager?

Deep rooted personnel – how would they ever leave their clubs?

Liverpool chief drops transfer hint

Liverpool join the £12m transfer race

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Best of WEB

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Time To Stand Up and Be Counted – Live 4 Liverpool

Hansen warns: ‘Poor’ LFC must beat Chelsea or this season is a failure. Agree…? – Liverpool Kop

The scale of Fenway’s challenge at Liverpool becomes clear – This is Anfield

Dalglish, Transfers and Looking Ahead – The Tomkins Times

Do Any Summer Signings Depend on Sales? – Live 4 Liverpool

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The transition from digression to progression – This is Anfield

Why Dalglish Is Wasting Valuable Time Scouting Belhanda – Transfer Tavern

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Quote of the Week

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“People will judge us after Saturday. People will say ‘you haven’t done well in the league’ but we can say ‘yes, but we have won two cups’. I think that’s a fair argument.

“We will assess the season after the weekend. If we can look back and say we have won two cups, then we will be happy. But we need to address the problem of our league position. We are all aware we have underachieved in the league and the squad of players is certainly better than where we are.” Ahead of the FA Cup final Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard insists Liverpool will be happy with their season if they end up with two trophies

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Match Highlights

Didier Drogba has revealed that he is yet to make a decision over where he will play his football next term, but will make up his mind in the near future.

The African hitman has left Stamford Bridge after his Chelsea contract expired, departing after helping the Blues to FA Cup and Champions League glory in 2011-12.

The Ivory Coast international has been linked with a move to a raft of clubs, with a big-money switch to join former Chelsea team-mate Nicolas Anelka at Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua thought to be on the cards.

Drogba has not dropped any hints of where he will play in 2012-13, but has stated that an announcement will be made in the near future.

“The next step is interesting,” Drogba told reporters, published by Sky Sports.

“I will announce it soon. But as of now, you will just have to wait.

“Chelsea were very good for me. I shared a special relationship with the club.

“It was a difficult decision to leave them,” he concluded.

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By Gareth McKnight

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Earlier this week, Jay Rodriguez finally made the switch to Southampton.

Talk of a transfer had been rife since the end of the season, and there were even conspiracy theories surrounding the reasons for his absence in the final games of the campaign.

The official word was that he was struggling with a groin injury, but many believed manager Eddie Howe was protecting him; wary of the fact that a serious injury in the final weeks could scupper a transfer and a potentially large fee.

I would like to take this opportunity to quash those rumours here and now, having been inside the training facility myself in April and seen Rodriguez on the physio’s table receiving treatment for the injury. If it were a phantom complaint, it seems an awful lot of trouble to go to on the club’s part to keep up the charade.

The seemingly inevitable transfer has now been agreed of course, and I feel we have come out on the better side of it. The fee, thought to be around £6-7m, is a big one for a player without a single minute of Premier League experience. The club; having brought Rodriguez through the centre of excellence; has made a healthy profit and should look to spend the money wisely on replacing him.

Rodriguez has the potential to be a top class striker. Tall, quick, strong in the air and with the ability to score goals from anywhere, he provided an extra edge to our attack; something quite different from the likes of goal poacher Charlie Austin or the workmanlike Martin Paterson.

At 22, he is still young and only has two full seasons of professional football under his belt, but the improvement we have seen in him over those two years has been marked. He has developed from a waif-like youngster restricted to a few minutes of action from the bench, into the side’s spearhead and main attacking threat.

Like all Burnley fans, I have only fond memories of his time at the club. Coming off the bench to score the winner in the 120th minute against Fulham, he was the one who sparked off the incredible run to the Carling Cup semi finals in 2009, and it was his goal against Spurs which sent that semi final into extra time. I’ve been going to Turf Moor for 18 years and I can’t recall a goal ever being celebrated quite like that one.

Highlights from the most recent campaign include a marvellous headed double at the City Ground in January, bettered by a solo effort in the next game at home to Peterborough which more than merited the Goal of the Season award.

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Burnley born, the fans immediately took to him and you could tell that he absolutely loved playing for the club. I believe that given enough game time, he will thrive at Premiership level alongside the likes of Ricky Lambert. The two have similar qualities (although Lambert has honed his over a longer career) and it will be interesting to see if Nigel Adkins plays them together. Whatever happens, Rodriguez certainly has the potential to establish himself as a Premiership striker.

All Burnley fans thank him for all his goals and everything he did for the club, and wish him well at Southampton. We identified with him. As the song goes…Jay Rodriguez: He’s One Of Our Own.

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Just prior to the Euro 2012 final, Jordi Alba completed his move from Valencia to Barcelona; marking the occasion with an outstanding effort in front of goal against Italy. The left-sided attacker joins Barcelona as the most recent La Masia graduate who got away, only to return to the nest a number of years later. It’s no doubt an expensive (and perhaps frustrating) exercise for Barcelona to undertake, but their signings have been smart and important for the future successes of the club.

Gerard Pique returned home following a quiet spell in England: A talented centre-back who maybe struggled with a combination of limited playing time and the demands of the Premier League. At the time, it was the weighing up of whether Pique or Manchester United’s other young centre-back Jonny Evans would remain at the club. Likely with a degree of regret (certainly in hindsight) Alex Ferguson allowed Pique to rejoin Barcelona for a small fee.

Pique’s lack of matches in England was of little concern to new manager Pep Guardiola. The youngster combined exceptionally well with veteran centre-back Carles Puyol and formed the bedrock of a stubborn but hugely gifted defensive line. His participation in Barcelona’s rise to world dominance has been greatly important due to his footballing education in the club’s La Masia academy. Not only was Pique blossoming into one of Europe’s leading defenders, he also possessed the technique and composure to involve himself in Barcelona’s passing game. His late goal against Inter Milan in the 2010 Champions League semifinal was an excellent display of his ability in unfamiliar territory.

In much the same way, Jordi Alba will add significantly to Barcelona’s game for many years. His game is much more similar to that of right-sided attacker Dani Alves: A quick, wonderfully talented attacker who sometimes doubles up as a full-back. Former Valencia manager Unai Emery’s decision to rotate the left-back and left-wing spot between Jeremy Matieu and Jordi Alba allowed Barcelona’s new signing to play a significant role in Valencia’s attack, while still having the insurance of the Frenchman in defence.

Alba’s performances for Spain this summer is no great surprise; he’s been producing them on a consistent basis with Valencia. But again, his education and ability to slip so effortlessly into Spain’s first XI would have been a significant bonus in bringing him back to the Nou Camp. His contract at Valencia would have expired next season, but Barcelona were clearly motivated to act quickly ahead of a chasing pack with much more financial power.

Although the Catalans are playing this expensive game after many of their players find admirers around Europe, the issue of buying back their former graduates is not exclusive to them. Real Madrid have also gone about similar business over the years in re-acquiring Alvaro Negredo and Esteban Granero, among others. But Real Madrid and Barcelona noticeably carry out a different transfer policy, one which suits their club’s philosophy on the pitch.

A superstar is never unwelcome at the Nou Camp, but for the most part in recent years, Barcelona genuinely have created their own superstars. The purchase of Zlatan Ibrahimovic to enhance the club’s attack turned out to be a failed attempt. The Swedish international simply could not integrate into a team where there is no single defined star. Arguably Lionel Messi holds that position, but his numbers are the only thing that separates him from the rest of his team mates.

Much like their business to ensure former players and people familiar with the club take up roles in the hierarchy, Barcelona go about their transfer dealings in a similar way. It allows the club to remain successful over the long term without sacrificing the playing philosophy that was introduced by Johan Cruyff.

In the same way that Cesc Fabregas so effortlessly made himself a part of Barcelona’s game on the pitch, Jordi Alba will undoubtedly have a similar impact. Fabregas, who has had to adapt to different roles in the Barcelona team, instantly rediscovered the on-field connection with Lionel Messi that the two had in their La Masia days. His performances dropped off later in the season, as did the rest of the team’s, but his flurry of goals in his first few months proved that Barcelona bringing in Pique a few season’s earlier was no one hit wonder.

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The way Jordi Alba found himself so far up the field and receiving a perfect pass from Xavi seemed the best way to mark his transfer to Barcelona. An expensive transfer considering his origins with the club, but absolutely a necessary one.

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In Great Britain the Olympic football tournament is hardly seen as a big deal. Yet for many countries, particularly Uruguay and Brazil, it is the showpiece of the games.

The Uruguayans return to the tournament for the first time in 84 years and possess a fearsome squad with the likes of Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez to lead the line as they search for their third gold medal in three attempts. Conversely, Brazil will be looking to take home the ultimate prize for the first time in their footballing history. The pressure is on Mano Menezes’ extremely talented squad to deliver due to the lack of competitive fixtures they have in the build-up to the World Cup. Elsewhere, Spain have grouped together a fantastic looking squad that includes players from Barcelona, Chelsea, Manchester United and Benfica.

Since allowing professionals to participate in the Olympic football the quality has risen dramatically and it is considered by many to be an extremely prestigious competition. Some of European football’s best young talents will be on show, along with more seasoned players who will make up each team’s limit of three players over the age of 23. With 16 teams on display the stage is set for a memorable competition, but who could be the star individuals to take the Games by storm?

Click on Oscar to unveil the 10

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After the capture of Robin van Persie, Manchester United are still on the lookout for more talent and will sign Angelo Henriquez this week according to his club.

The 18-year-old Chilean forward will apparently cost the Red Devils just £3.5million and is undergoing a medical right now. Henriquez rumours will no doubt fuel more transfer speculation regarding both Javier Hernandez and Dimitar Berbatov, despite Sir Alex Ferguson claiming the pair still have future at Old Trafford.

Henriquez’ club Universidad de Chile, released a statement yesterday which read: “Angelo Henriquez will join Manchester United

 this month.

“The player is physically and mentally prepared to take this determining step in his career.”

Universidad president Jose Yuraszcek said: “Manchester United’s representatives told us that it was fundamental for them to take him now.”

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It seems to be an all too familiar story with young players never reaching their expected potential.

Jaime Peters joined Ipswich in 2005 and before he left he was the clubs longest serving player. Many may be surprised to hear that in total he made 99 appearances for Ipswich. A lot of these appearances were from the bench so his appearances don’t really represent how much game time he actually had though.

When he was first linked the Tractor Boys it didn’t seem like we had much chance of signing him as both Chelsea and Manchester United showed an interest in the youngster. However, Peters chose to join Ipswich as he wanted to play as much first team football as he possible could to help him develop as a player.

The young Canadian was an instant fans favourite and has always been a very popular figure amongst the fans. He wasn’t popular just because he was exiting to watch but the fact that he turned down both Manchester United and Chelsea in order to get game time was very respectable.

He was still a teenager when he joined Ipswich and everyone was exited by the prospect of seeing Peters in a Town shirt. Being only 5ft 7in Peters had a distinctive style of play to compensate for his short stature. He used his height as an advantage and by having a low centre of gravity he was able to terrorise opposition defenders with quick tricks and turns. Without a doubt he was an exiting player to watch and although his game was far from complete he offered the team something they didn’t have.

After every season Ipswich hoped that Peters would develop and become a key player in the team. The potential was there but we never really saw much progression from him after each season.

He never commanded a place in the team and was never consistently good enough to become a key player. Both Magilton and Keane would often use Peters as an impact sub and this probably was the most useful role he could play at Championship level.

The real reason why Peters never developed into the player we all dreamed he could be was because he never had a complete game. His dribbling, agility and speed was at times amazing but he never perfected the art of crossing and being so small meant he struggled with the physical aspects of the game.

However, despite his downfalls every fan will have fond memories of Peters.

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He always worked hard, always wanted to be in the first team and most importantly always cared about the club. The highlight of his Ipswich career came in the League Cup semi-final first leg against Arsenal where he performed so well at right back that Andrei Arshavin had to be subbed off as he couldn’t get anything past Peters.

He was a great servant to the club and a player who will always be welcome at Portman Road. In the modern game it is rare to find a player who is both loyal and just wants to play as much football as possible so we were lucky to have Peters at the club. It looks like Peters will drop down to League One but whoever he plays for next will have a great player with a great personality.

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Queens Park Rangers forward Djibril Cisse has declared that Rangers’ derby with Chelsea is tame compared to what he has witnessed over the past few years of his career.

Cisse, who has featured in table topping local derbies in countries such as Greece and Italy, is relaxed going into Saturday’s clash with Chelsea as he has seen and heard a lot worse than this.

“Do not get me wrong, the rivalry between QPR and Chelsea is very strong. They are our local rivals.

“It’s a derby and it’s a big game for us — bigger than most. It is without doubt one of the most important games of the season, for players and fans.” Cisse told The Sun.

“But all the clubs I have played for have had big local derbies and, when it comes to bad behaviour on and off the pitch, this is not the worst.”

He added “The derbies between Panathinaikos and Olympiakos were just so intense.

“In the week building up to the game the fans would come to our training ground, hold meetings with players and tell us what the game meant to them and why we had to win.

“The pressure on the players was huge and the atmosphere was incredible. That derby had much more tension.

“I’m not saying QPR-Chelsea is a nothing game, it’s a huge game and a big derby.

“But Panathinaikos-Olympiakos is on another level — it’s pure hatred.

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“The players get called everything, including racist abuse. There are no boundaries and it is not nice.”

Keith Downing believes West Brom boss Steve Clarke has provided a seamless transition from the Roy Hodgson era as the Baggies prepare to tackle Capital One Cup holders Liverpool.

Assistant head coach Downing believes Clarke has combined the defensive solidity of current England boss Hodgson with a more attacking approach. Albion are fourth in the Premier League and will be looking to complete a quick-fire double over Liverpool after their 3-0 opening-day win at the Hawthorns. Downing told Sky Sports:

“The manager (Clarke) takes a lot of credit because he stepped into some big shoes in terms of Roy’s work previously. Steve is a very quiet man, he doesn’t take the plaudits too much and he does his work in the background. But the transition has been seamless. He has come in and put his own slant on it. He has worked off Roy’s principles but put his own mark to it.”

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When asked to compare the qualities of the duo, Downing said: “They are very similar, very organised, structured, know exactly what we are doing on the pitch. In general terms, Steve has added a bit in terms of ideas going forward on the offensive side. But there are a lot of principles in terms of what Roy has done in terms of structure and team ethic and he has carried that on. The sensible thing is Steve has realised what is good and added the things he feels need improving and has done that really well.”

England manager Roy Hodgson has stated that Arsenal defender Carl Jenkinson is likely to get his England debut in the side’s next friendly fixture.

The full-back has had an impressive start to the 2012-13 campaign, and was touted as an outside chance for the upcoming Three Lions squad to take on San Marino and Poland in World Cup qualifiers.

Despite Jenkinson being left out of the squad for October’s games, Hodgson has confessed that the Gunners’ prospect will be involved against Sweden in the next friendly game. In November

“We kept Jenkinson up our sleeves on this occasion, but he’ll be in our thoughts for the next friendly,” Hodgson is quoted as saying by The Sun.

Jenkinson also qualifies to represent Finland, but is thought to have decided to play for England internationally.

Another player of dual nationality is Raheem Sterling, and it is also believed that the Liverpool youngster will play in the fixture against Sweden to prevent him representing the country of his birth, Jamaica.

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