The Sun reckon Feyenoord winger Brett Emerton has his heart set on a move to Liverpool in the close-season.

They report that Emerton has indicated to Liverpool that he will choose them over rivals Leeds and Newcastle when the season ends next month.

Reds boss Gerard Houllier has been tracking the Australian international since last year's Confederations Cup and is ready to splash out £8 million to get his man.

Here we go on the transfer merry-go-round!

-- Anonymous, April 25, 2002

Answers

If he doesn't want to play for us, he can s*d right off. We need to sign players who want to be a part of our team, not those who merely settle for us until they can find something better.

-- Anonymous, April 25, 2002

I reckon this story is possibly true...liverpool have gotten rid/let go of Gary McAllister and Jamie Redknapp in the last couple of weeks so perhaps they're making space in their squad for a midfielder...

-- Anonymous, April 25, 2002

I expect Rob Lee to be looking for a new job pretty soon.

-- Anonymous, April 25, 2002

What about Stefan Effenberg going to MC. He would have been an asset to the Toon and the fans would love him..so much committment and energy...KK's working his magic again.

-- Anonymous, April 25, 2002

The lates re Effenberg is that he snubbed Man City. Still out there..

-- Anonymous, April 25, 2002

When I last heard Effenburg had taken the mad Grocer Fyad's cash and wouldsoon be cattaging.

-- Anonymous, April 25, 2002

Cottaging, not cattaging

-- Anonymous, April 25, 2002

Views on Emerton expressed here in recent weeks/months have been mixed, ditto the fee, so frankly it doesn't bother me one jot. Can't say I was waiting with baited breath for his arrival. Seems like the sort of glory hunting fan who would support Manure, having been born and bred 300 miles away. He can sod right off. Now Stam on the other hand......

-- Anonymous, April 25, 2002

But do we really want Effenberg? I know he is a heck of a player, but he's 33 and not always easy to handle on his bad days......

-- Anonymous, April 25, 2002

We don't need Effenberg, we need an Effen-Ice Berg to sit in defence.

-- Anonymous, April 25, 2002

shouldn't you be at college today paul?

-- Anonymous, April 25, 2002

At the risk of sounding like Swift....

A mate at work's missus is a fitness coach/doctor for the FA and reckons that she's checked out two players for NUFC:

both from Holland: one a young lad who plays for Ghent and another, unidentified player...

-- Anonymous, April 25, 2002

Sorry that reminds me of something entirely off topic here. Radio 4's Book of the Week last week was about a school inspector in the Yorks Dales (written by a Gervais Thin - I think). Anyway, the writer spoke of a time when he was called in to deal with a difficult little boy who was going through a troubled time at home and used lots of bad language in school. The story was quite heartwarming about the teacher's efforts to solve the problem. Some months later, Gervais is visiting the school and the boy is speaking in class and seems to have got over his problem of bad language when he speaks of a farm auction and mentions that 2 Aberdeen Angus were sold and "2 f**kers". "Now you don't use that word anymore do you?" said the exasperated teacher. "That's what THEY said miss - well actually they said 2 'effers but I knew what they were on about". :-)

-- Anonymous, April 25, 2002

Swift, I posted that message at about 6pm, I'm not THAT dedicated.

-- Anonymous, April 25, 2002

5Live reckoned that Man City had terminated discussions with Effenburg because of his excessive wage demands. Barge pole job, methinks!

Min's Ghenk connection could be this Wesley Sonck blerk that several sites have us "close to signing". Indeed they have us after both Sonck and his strike partner who's name escapes me - African, I think.

Ref Emerton, I share the general antipathy. I suspect he's a very good player, but if he really wants to play for 'Pool in preference to us then screw him. His loss.

-- Anonymous, April 25, 2002

the thought of an arrogant German to battle with our arogant Frenchman doesn't bear thinking about

-- Anonymous, April 25, 2002

If the paper talk is right, Hamann could be off on his mercenary ways to double his wages at Real Madrid in the summer. So, Pool buy Emerton? Are they the same kind of player?

-- Anonymous, April 26, 2002

Emerton is a very different of player to Hamman: plays wide right, prefers RM to RB where Feyenoord use him, is quick and likes to get forward a lot.

-- Anonymous, April 26, 2002

Liverpool could well go for Rangers captain, Barry Ferguson, to replace Hamman. Spurs are reported to already be in for him for ca. £10m, as incredibly Rangers apparently have financial problems and Ferguson is seen as being their most saleable asset.

-- Anonymous, April 26, 2002