Agger and Rafa

[Rafael Benítez Maudes]

Liverpool is where my heart belongs

says Daniel Agger

Liverpool's Daniel Agger has said his heart belongs to Anfield despite the uncertainty of his future with the club

The Dane, who will be out of contract at the end of the 2009/10 campaign, has endured a frustrating season dogged by injury and has failed to hold down a starting spot.

Having scored in Liverpool's 4-0 hammering of Blackburn over the weekend the 24-year-old said contract talks were happening but conceded the outcome was far from certain.

I am at the stage of my career where I need to play - and want to play - but that situation has nothing to do with the contract talks," he said.

"It is nice to hear the manager wants to keep me, but the most important thing is what he tells me when I look him in the eyes.

"It's not what he says in the papers, it is what he says behind closed doors. I keep talks with the club confidential, so I cannot tell you what has been said. I don't know when things will be decided. I don't have a clue. In my heart, I hope I will be here next season. But, really, I don't know.

"I know there have been some reports in Denmark that my agent has spoken to clubs in Italy, but they were wrong."

Agger joined Liverpool in 2006 for £5.6 million and is now valued at around £15m.

With both Juventus and Inter Milan said to be monitoring his situation, the defender says attention from other clubs can be off putting to doing the job at hand. And regardless of the lack of clarity coming from Liverpool, he is optimistic about the future.

"Sometimes I can laugh at it [speculation] and sometimes it s just annoying - but you can't do anything about it," he said.

"To be straight I have confidence in myself, I am a confident player. I know what I can do.

"I will look on these contract talks with positive eyes and see what happens."

[Rafael Benítez Maudes]

he should be signed up asap long term
give him a 10 year contract if possible

[lickedlollipop]

+4 or even 5 yrs, please !!!

[lickedlollipop]

He can go. But for 20mio €.

[Craig_H]

He can go. But for 20mio €.

With his contract running down, i dont think we'll be in a position to demand big money.

[gaz01]

I think we really need to get him signed, carra is great but is getting on a bit. Agger is great for the long term

[Norbs]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/spo...cle6078750.ece


It's a worry the situation with Agger, and he seems to be insinuating issues with rafa, that he won't come completely clean with.

I'd be worried what the issues are, and that he'd see them as unresolvable and do a owen on us, run down contract etc.

Or do people think the only issue is that, upto yesterday, he hadn't played, perhaps these quotes are from before the blackburn game?

Think we seen one of the things he offers yesterday; bringing ball forward with poise and confidence and ability to score cracking goals and pick out passes.

Long term, I think he's better than skrtel, but could see them as our duo when carra moves on.

Owen went for £10million plus Nunez, didn't he?

[saj]

Owen went for £10million plus Nunez, didn't he?

£8m. At the time he was worth at least 3 times that.

[liverpoolrat]

Agger doesn't feel wanted, probably is half-thinking of a move, is sending signals out to every club in Europe that he is open to offer...

be gutted to see him go, but there seems to be a breakdown there- whether it be his fault, Benitez's or a bit of both...

or he has finally noticed that when he sends his £20k a week back to Denmark he can only just afford to buy two lagers and a jazz mag.

[-V-]

Agger never said anything to suggest that he doesn't like the manager.

Basically the manager has been picking Carra and Skrtle as the main combo and Aggers unhappy that he's not 1st choice. Simple really

[Joe King]

Its Carragher and another. Personally, I would play Agger when teams will grant a lot of space in our half and play with one striker; Carragher and full back are more than adequate of taking care of the covering. This would allow Agger to join the midfield in building a quicker tempo and hopefully unveiling gaps in the opposing defence thus allowing penetrating runs or passes for goalscoring opportunities. What it also allow is Alonso to be pushed much more further up the pitch, just behind Gerrard, giving wingers an option to cross or pass the ball to.

Skrtel, on the other hand, doesn't have those attacking competencies that Agger has however has more aggression defensively to nullify opposing strikers if there is a two pronged attack. This is possibly one of a few differences between Skrtel and Agger. The other, IMO being the lack of awareness on behalf of Agger. Whilst Skrtel may seem very rushed a la Carragher, he makes sure he takes no risks and does a defenders job, which is to defend. He might be clumsy along the way but hopefully that will get eradicated the more experienced he becomes.

Conversely, Agger seems rather lackadaisical in his approach which possibly has peed off Benitez, and possibly his defensive team mates. A few examples could be seen in the game against Blackburn, either this is due to a lack of communication or game rust, however it does show why Benitez has gone for Skrtel in recent times ahead of Agger.

[rezaeos]

Rafa will not let Danny boy take LFC for a ride like the Owen and Macca did.

[liverpoolrat]

Agger never said anything to suggest that he doesn't like the manager.

Basically the manager has been picking Carra and Skrtle as the main combo and Aggers unhappy that he's not 1st choice. Simple really

The comments he makes show there is a communication breakdown, and he doesn't seem to want to gamble on staying only to find Benitez doesn't give him a run of games.

Been a lot of statements about how Agger has said its all well and good that Benitez says nice statements in the press about him, but he needs to see that in his manager's eyes, face to face.

Also been statements such as the "I'll tell you later" etc etc

It's a communication and trust issue

[Vermilion]

Credit crunch... for a football player...

http://www.clickliverpool.com/news/local-news/123814-credit-crunch-hits-liverpool-fcs-daniel-agger-.html

Credit Crunch hits Liverpool FC's Daniel Agger
by Angela Johnson. Published Mon 13 Apr 2009 11:11, Last updated: 13 Apr 2009

Mega-rich footballer Daniel Agger is feeling the credit crunch - after pulling out of two restaurants in Liverpool.

The cultured Danish international, who scored the third goal in the Reds' 4-0 mauling of Blackburn Rovers on Saturday, bought the Mexican and Italian eateries in the trendy Lark Lane area of the city.

But after less than two years, £35,000-a-week Agger has sold his stakes in the businesses.

Agger, who signed for Liverpool from Brodby for £5m in 2006, already co-owns a pub in Hvidovre, Copenhagen, where he and his family have been regulars for years.

During holidays from his duties with Liverpool, the Danish International was even spotted waiting tables and doing guest appearances behind the bar.

At the time of purchasing Agger said: "A lot of people probably already know that I like the restaurant environment because my pub in Hvidovre means an awful lot to me.

"I think it is really exciting to get into projects like these, but at the moment I only do it in my spare time. I don't want it to overshadow my football."

Now, the footballer has admitted owning the restaurants was "too much" and he became tired with the responsibilities.

But insiders in the Liverpool restaurant world say the credit crunch has him hard - and many restaurants are feeling the pinch.

Agger bought Mexican restaurant Que Pasa and also 52 Lark Lane - which he helped transform into a trendy Italian called Tirano.

But in a recent interview back in his native Denmark, the 24-year-old revealed: "I've pulled out if it.

"I no longer own the two restaurants but I still go there. It just got too much and I got a little tired.

"I'm only quitting the places in Liverpool, not the one back in Copenhagen because back there I've got family and friends around me while I had to take care of everything in Liverpool.

"So it was a completely different matter. It was just too much."

One restaurant owner in Liverpool said; "After the city became Capital of Culture last year, a large number of new restaurants opened.

"That was great at first but when the credit crunch hit, people simply stopped going out and more and more having been losing business or even closing.

"Daniel is right, the restaurant game does make you tired, especially when he's got to juggle life as a professional footballer as well."

Lark Lane is known as Liverpool's Bohemian Quarter and has a number of successful, established bars and restaurants.

Colourful centre-half Agger is currently trying to negotiate a new deal with Liverpool and is known for his numerous tattoos.

Among others, he has a Viking on his upper right arm with the quote "Memento mori" which means "Remember you will die".

He also has the quote "mors certa hora incerta" on his back, which means "Death is certain, but the hour is uncertain."