LFC 2 - 1 Man. Utd.

I just need to take a moment to smile, and maybe gloat a little. The Mighty Reds have finally beaten Manchester United - and without Torres or Gerrard! Could this be the year for a genuine title challenge? This was a big step, but the real litmus test will come against Stoke - just days after an away trip in the Champion's League. On paper, this should be no problem, but past experience has shown this type of situation to be very tricky. If the Reds can take care of business against a limited but scrappy side, after playing in Europe, then I'll really be excited.

Robbie Keane a Red (Updated)

Liverpool have made their first major signing of the summer with the capture of lifelong LFC fan Robbie Keane from Tottenham Hotspur! I've been reading about the possibility of this move for several weeks, and I must say I'm very excited about the prospect of a Keane and Torres strike partnership. The diminutive Irish international has been a goalscoring machine throughout his career, and I can't wait to see him in the famous Red jersey.

Tottenham's chairman Daniel Levy is not *happy* with the way the transfer reportedly went down.

'I have already made my opinion clear on the nature of this transaction. I don't regard it as a transfer deal - that is something which happens between two clubs when they both agree to trade - this is very much an enforced sale, for which we have agreed a sum of £19million as compensation plus a potential further £1.3million in additional compensation.'

Apparently, once Robbie heard Liverpool were interested, he turned in his transfer request straight away. It's a pretty high fee, but he's also a proven goalscorer with a great deal of experience in the Premier League, and he's obviously passionate about playing for the Reds. He finished last season with 19 goals in all competitions for Tottenham, and became the first Spurs player to achieve double digits in the league for 6 consecutive seasons.

He's also captain of the Ireland national team, and Ireland's all-time leading scorer with 33 international goals in 81 games. Good on ya Rafa!

He's Big, He's Red, His Feet Stick Out the Bed!

The latest news from across the pond is that Liverpool's towering striker is leaving the north of England for Pompey's sunny south coast. The 6'-7" tall Crouch was a player I always admired. He had a knack for scoring some spectacular goals (as in the photo), and a pretty decent strike rate for England as well. He could be frustrating to watch at times - I never understood how such a tall player could be so lacking in ability to head the ball - and he certainly wasn't the speediest fella on the pitch. But he had very good ball skills for such a gangly frame, and could hold the ball up as well as anyone on the team at the time.

It sounds like Rafa offered to extend his contract, but Crouchie is understandably not thrilled at the prospect of another season playing second fiddle to the boy wonder Fernando Torres. The system Rafa now seems to favor would again limit his playing time, and you can't fault him for seeking out a regular place in a starting eleven. Good luck, Crouchinho!

Superlambananas!...?

For those of you who have been longing for serious expressions of artistic genious...I give you a Liverpool original - Superlambananas!

I've been a fan of Liverpool Football Club for several years now, and I've become pretty much obsessed with English Premier League football. The internet and new media have made it so easy for me to follow my team, even though they play across the Atlantic, and I spend a fair amount of time learning about the unique culture of the residents of Merseyside.

The Scouse are a unique lot, and the city of Liverpool has been named the European Capital of Culture for 2008. Apparently, superlambananas like the one bearing the likeness of LFC manager Rafa Benitez above, have become quite popular in Liverpool.