Liverpool v FC Toronto Betting Odds – July 21st, 2012

Reds open pre season with a visit to FC Toronto

Andy Carroll (Liverpool)
Andy Carroll (Liverpool) © GEPA pictures

New Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers will get a look at his squad as they face off against FC Toronto on Saturday. This is part of the Herbalife World Football Challenge out in North America at the moment. This is the first time during pre-season that Liverpool will have been out in action, and it starts a busy week of action for them. After meeting with Toronto, Liverpool then face off against strong Italian outfit Roma, before playing Tottenham in their final pre-season friendly. That is all in the space of a week, so there will, no doubt, be plenty of squad rotation coming from the Reds. The biggest story coming from Anfield this summer, is the saga over England forward Andy Carroll. Carroll’s former club Newcastle have been trying to get him back on loan, while West Ham and AC Milan have also reportedly been interested in getting him. But the clearest picture, despite Brendan Rodgers saying that Carroll remains a Liverpool player, is that Liverpool don’t really want him. It was revealed that Rodgers may be open to loaning Carroll out under the right circumstances, but now the club have said that they will sell him for £20 million.

The problem for Carroll, is not only that he hasn’t performed or produced the goods for Liverpool, but that his style won’t fit in with Rodgers. Rodgers is the one who got Swansea City playing such attractive football, and that is the ethos which he will want to install at Liverpool as quickly as possible. So he needs players who are comfortable with the ball at their feet and forwards who can create themselves space to run on to passes on the deck. That’s not Carroll’s forte. Still his performances at Euro 2012 will keep enough clubs interested in him, and with Liverpool signing Fabio Borini and actively trying to sign Clint Dempsey from Fulham, there isn’t going to be much room for Carroll at Anfield. So Rodgers will start looking hard at his squad, starting with their fixture in Canada against MLS side FC Toronto as they start their warm ups ahead of the new season.

What kind of challenge can they expect? Well the Canadian side are really nothing to fear for Liverpool. Toronto FC are sitting bottom of the Eastern Conference in the MLS, winning just five of their twenty matches so far. Their defence has not been very good at all this season, and they have been under the guidance of a new coach for just ten matches now. So the Premier League side will be favourites to take the spoils in Liverpool v FC Toronto betting, despite the Canadians having a bit of a resurgence with three wins on the bounce in the MLS. It should be a good physical pre-season work out for Liverpool if nothing else.

Liverpool v FC Toronto Betting Odds at online bookmaker William Hill
Liverpool 2/5, Draw 11/4, Toronto 6/1

Online bookmaker William Hill offer a free £25 bet for new customers registering an account with them. Britain’s biggest bookie will match the first bet placed on a new account up to the maximum value of £25. This is a generous welcome bonus, and along with strong market prices for football betting, William Hill also provide a great live in play betting service to enjoy.