Liverpool 1-1 Malaysia XI: Jordon Ibe impresses as Reds held

Jordon Ibe: Equalised for Liverpool in Kuala Lumpur

Jordon Ibe scored the equaliser as Liverpool were held to a 1-1 draw by a Malaysian XI in the final game of their pre-season tour in Kuala Lumpur.

Brendan Rodgers named a strong side for the match but some hesitant defending from centre-back pairing Martin Skrtel and Dejan Lovren allowed the hosts to take the lead through striker Patrick 'Ronaldinho' Wleh.

Ibe scored the equaliser with a powerful left-foot shot just before the half hour mark having cut in from the right. The keeper had little chance as the ball flew into the top corner.

However, despite a number of other opportunities, Liverpool failed to find the net again. Lovren had four presentable opportunities from set-pieces while Divock Origi, James Milner and Adam Lallana might also have scored.

The Malaysian XI had a few chances of their own as the game wore on but were denied by Adam Bogdan as the game ended all square.

Liverpool started the match slowly and struggled for any fluency before Ronaldinho's clinical finish shocked them into action. The Liberian international collected the ball from a knock down and surged past Lovren before stabbing the ball past Bogdan and into the far corner.

There was almost an instant response from Liverpool after Milner and Henderson combined well before the latter flashed a cross across the face of goal, just out of reach of the onrushing Origi.

The equaliser did come soon after though as Ibe picked up the ball on the right wing, jinked inside past his marker and unleashing a fierce, rising drive that flew into the near top corner.

The winger had the beating of his man all game, going past him on the inside or the outside at will.

Liverpool were unchanged at the start of the second half and Origi had a good chance having been played in by Henderson. His shot was smothered by goalkeeper Khalid though.

A well-worked free-kick saw Henderson hang up an inviting cross for Lovren but he could only head over and the Croat missed another chance from a free-kick shortly afterwards, scuffing his volley into the ground and over after Skrtel's knock down.

Milner and Lallana both shot straight at the keeper when well placed as the Reds pushed for a second but it was almost the Malaysian XI who retook the lead after Skrtel's slip let Ronaldinho in.

Lovren got back to avert the danger on that occasion but Alberto Moreno needed to put in a despairing block late on after more confusion at the back for Liverpool while Bogdan was forced to make a smart save in the closing stages.

1-1 it finished though and Liverpool will now return to Merseyside before travelling to Helsinki for their next friendly on August 1.

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Bartra dismisses Barca exit rumours

Marc Bartra: Barcelona defender was linked with Premier League

Barcelona defender Marc Bartra has dismissed speculation he could leave the club this summer despite being linked with Liverpool and Tottenham.

It was reported last month that Bartra, also linked with Arsenal in the past, was wanted by Brendan Rodgers, Mauricio Pochettino and also Napoli, but the 24-year-old insists he has no desire to leave the Nou Camp despite failing to nail down a first-team place.

"Every year people say the same things, but staying at Barca was [and remains] the only thing on my mind," Bartra told Marca.

"I have it all here. Feeling important in a team like this one is special."

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Benteke and Ibe earn team-mate praise

Christian Benteke: Praised by new Liverpool team-mate

Divock Origi believes Christian Benteke is the ultimate all-rounder and is looking forward to learning from his Belgium team-mate at Liverpool.

Benteke completed his £32.5million move to Anfield from Aston Villa earlier in the week, becoming the Reds' seventh signing of the summer in the process.

Origi, who will also be a part of the squad this season after returning from Lille, expects his compatriot to prove himself well worth of the hefty price tag.

"He's a wonderful signing," Origi told the Liverpool Echo.

"I know him from the Belgian national team, he has a lot of ability, a lot of qualities.

"I think everybody knows his strengths. He's very strong, very big, good in the air, he has good feet, he can score.

"He's the modern striker and it's a very good signing."

Origi has scored three times in 13 appearances for Belgium and now hopes the presence of Benteke will enable him to carry on improving in a Red shirt.

"I always happy to play with good players, especially Christian," Origi said.

"Even with the national team he always tries to help.

"He's four years older then me so I'm happy to have experienced players around me so I can progress and also learn from them."

James Milner, meanwhile, has talked up another of Liverpool's promising youngsters, Jordon Ibe, but has warned against placing him under too much expectation amid talk he could be ready to replace Raheem Sterling.

"Jordon handles all the hype surrounding him very well," Milner said.

"I obviously watched him last season and since I joined the club I've seen that great ability he's got.

"But I don't think you want to add pressure by comparing him to other players. The fact is that Raheem is gone and we have to move on.

"Jordon is another young player with real ability. He's still developing and learning.

"With the players he's got around him and this manager - coupled with the ability he's got - everything is there for him to go on and do well for Liverpool.

"With young players like Jordon, Divock Origi and Danny Ings, it's an exciting time for the club."

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Liverpool right choice for 'special' Firmino

Roberto Firmino: Joined Liverpool from Hoffenheim

Roberto Firmino will quickly adapt to the Premier League and made the right choice in joining Liverpool, according to Hoffenheim's chief scout.

Liverpool agreed a deal of around £29million to sign Firmino from Hoffenheim last month, and Lutz Pfannensteil, a former player himself, believes the Brazilian can enjoy just as much success in England as he did in Germany following his move from Figueirense in 2011.

Pfannensteil told Jan Aage Fjortoft in an interview on YouTube: "He came very early to Hoffenheim, when not many people knew him yet, from a second division club in Brazil. He was a kid but he developed very well,"

"He's not the typical Brazilian player that you would imagine - obviously he's fast, he's technically strong, he can score goals but the last three years the work he has put in, not just in the games but on the training field show that he is a special player."

Pfannensteil revealed that a number of 'big clubs from all over the world' were interested in Firmino but feels that Liverpool was the right choice for the 23-year-old.

"In my opinion, going to Liverpool was the right choice," he said. "I think Brendan Rodgers is just the right guy to work with him, he is always successful with younger players and will let him play for one of the biggest teams in the world.

"I think he can become the same star in England that he was in Germany."

Pfannensteil also feels Liverpool's new No.11 will settle quickly on Merseyside quickly having already shown his ability to adapt following his move to Germany.

"The Brazilian guys that come in from Brazil to Europe, it is always a bit of a risk because it is a different culture, it's different weather, different language but Roberto is now more than four years in Germany," Pfannensteil added.

"He learnt the language, he knows the European way of life. It's not such a big cultural shock to go from Germany to England and also the languages are not so different. I think, at the end of the day, he will adjust very fast.

"He's already said in an interview that he really enjoys it there and I can see him being a big fan favourite there. Maybe soon he will play in the Champions League - I think that is what he wants. Liverpool is obviously a team that always can achieve that."

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Liverpool FC: Roof truss being raised over Anfield's new main stand begins

Anfield: Work due to be completed in time for 2016-17 season

Work has begun to erect a 650-tonne roof truss over Anfield’s new main stand as the revelopment prepares to reach a major milestone.

The operation, which began at 6am, will see the new truss raised onto two 28m high towers at either side of the Main Stand. The lift operation is scheduled to take a full day to complete following months of detailed planning.

Ian Ayre, Liverpool's Chief Executive Officer, spoke about the significant development.

"This is an historic milestone in Anfield’s history as the stadium transformation continues to take shape," he said.

"We embarked on this significant expansion project just seven months ago and today we’re lifting the main stand’s new truss and marking another incredible chapter in the club’s history.

"We are proud to be able to call Anfield our spiritual home and this is a redevelopment that gives us a fantastic opportunity to ensure that all the rich history and traditions that make this stadium so special can continue for many years to come."

Anfield's redevelopment has been progressing since the end of the football season. The existing two storey building at the back of the Main Stand has been demolished, to allow the two structures to be connected and a two-storey podium level constructed to provide supporter access into the new stand.

Liverpool FC announced the re-development of Anfield in December 2014 with plans to add around 8,500 seats, taking the Main Stand capacity to over 20,000 and increasing the overall capacity of Anfield to around 54,000.

The Main Stand expansion project is tasked to be complete during 2016/17 season, with the redeveloped stand set to comprise of three tiers and the existing lower tier re-profiled to accommodate a widened player tunnel, new team benches, media platform and wheelchair viewing positions. 

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Jordan Henderson haunted by Liverpool's defeat at Stoke

Steven Gerrard: Liverpool career ended on a low at Stoke

Jordan Henderson has admitted several of Liverpool players did not want to go to Steven Gerrard's leaving do after the 6-1 defeat to Stoke.

Brendan Rodgers' side were routed by the Potters, finding themselves 5-0 down at half-time as Gerrard's Reds career was ended by the heaviest defeat of his professional career.

The two clubs meet again at the same venue when the Premier League kicks off again next month and Henderson concedes that result is still etched in his mind today.

"It will be a day that many of us will never forget," he said.

"The way we played, the result, the goals we conceded, everything, it went from bad to worse.

"At half-time in the dressing room, a few of us tried to say some things to get everyone going and get something back. But then full-time came and it was awful. It was a sickening feeling, really.

"It was embarrassing to go there as a Liverpool player and get beaten like that."

It was hardly the finale that Henderson and his team-mates had planned for Gerrard, who scored Liverpool's goal that afternoon, as the 35-year-old bade farewell to the only club he had ever turned out for.

Hours after the Britannia Stadium drubbing the Liverpool players were on a flight to Dubai in a trip planned as a send-off for their long-serving midfielder.

But Henderson revealed many of Rodgers' squad felt uneasy about boarding the plane given the manner of their thrashing earlier that day.

"A lot of us didn't want to go to be honest," added Henderson, who assumed the armband from his former midfield colleague this summer.

"It had been organised for a number of months and it was especially for Stevie.

"He has been such a huge role model for everyone who has been here and we'd wanted to make sure that we said goodbye to him properly off the field on a more personal level for him.

"If it was just a holiday, we wouldn't have gone. That is natural when that happens. It stays with you but then there comes a point when you have to move on.

"I won't forget that day in a hurry. That game will stick in my mind for a long time."

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Roberto Firmino settling in quickly at Liverpool

Roberto Firmino is already feeling at home at Liverpool

Liverpool new boy Roberto Firmino is confident he will quickly settle in at Anfield and says he can handle the demands of the Premier League.

The 23-year-old Brazilian forward is one of seven new faces at Liverpool after signing from Hoffenheim last month.

He has now started training at Melwood - being absent from the tour of the Far East because he played in the Copa America - and says his time in the Bundesliga has prepared him well for the English game.

"Without a doubt, German football, where I've played for nearly five years, is very similar - maybe just a little less tough than English football. I'm confident I'll be just fine here," Firmino told the club's official website when asked if felt he could adapt to English football.

"It's a unique opportunity. I could say Liverpool is the first big club I will play for. It's a massive chance for me to show what I can do.

"Although it's a young team, there's a lot of experience and quality in it. Each and every one of the players must do their best to have the chance to play and win games as a consequence."

Firmino said his compatriot Philippe Coutinho played his part in persuading him that a move to Merseyside would be a beneficial one.

He said: "He (Coutinho) was very helpful although it was ultimately my decision. I wanted to know more about how it works here and he had some very good things to tell me.

"He's a great character and I hope we can nurture our friendship at Liverpool."

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Felda United 0-7 Liverpool: Danny Ings scores hat-trick

Danny Ings scored a hat-trick for Liverpool against Felda United

Danny Ings scored a hat-trick as Liverpool strolled to a 7-0 pre-season victory over Malaysian side Felda United at Kuala Lumpur's Bukit Jalil National Stadium on Thursday.

In what was initially meant to be an open training session in front of 5,000 supporters, manager Brendan Rodgers made an impromptu request for it to become a match of two 30-minute periods.

Rodgers picked a side including summer signing Ings as well as Lazar Markovic, Mamadou Sakho and Kolo Toure as he attempted to give game time to members of his squad that had yet to be given sufficient minutes on the club's tour of South East Asia and Australia.

Ings, who netted his first goal for the club in the 2-0 victory over Adelaide United on Monday, was the pick of the players on show as he grabbed a second-half hat-trick against the Malaysian Premier League outfit.

Liverpool did not take long to stamp their superiority on the friendly, with youngster Pedro Chirivella opening the scoring after just four minutes following good work between Ings and Joe Maguire.

Markovic doubled their advantage with a superbly taken lob, before academy graduate Sheyi Ojo made it three prior to the half-time interval.

Following the break, Ings scored twice in quick succession as he built on his fine start to pre-season.

Joao Teixeira added his name to the scoresheet with a sensational 40-yard chip, which delighted those fans inside the country's national stadium.

Ings completed his hat-trick with the last kick of the match, as Liverpool maintained their 100 per cent record in pre-season.

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