TORONTO - Liverpools bid to erase memories of a mediocre 2011-12 season starts this weekend in Toronto, with a new manager and a roster under construction. The Reds finished eighth in the Premier League last season with a 14-14-10 record. Perhaps more worrying, Liverpool finished four points behind seventh-place city rival Everton. On the positive front, the Reds won the League Cup to secure a berth in the Europa League. New manager Brendan Rodgers and his 30-plus squad were slated to leave Liverpools John Lennon Airport on Monday for a North American tour that features games against Toronto FC on Saturday at the Rogers Centre, AS Roma at Bostons Fenway Park on July 25 and Tottenham at Baltimores M&T Bank Stadium on July 28. Liverpool will be based at Harvard in Cambridge, Mass. Boston is home to the clubs owners, the Fenway Sports Group. The Liverpool tour squad includes new signing Fabio Borini, an Italian international forward. Striker Andy Carroll, whose 35-million-pound (C$55.5 million) price-tag has produced 11 goals in 56 games, is reportedly set to join the team on July 23 -- assuming he is still in the picture. Carroll has been linked to a variety of clubs in recent days. The tall England international with the ponytail reportedly earns 80,000 pounds (C$126,950) a week. In contrast, Torontos highest-paid player -- captain Torsten Frings -- makes about C$47,000 a week according to the MLS Players Union website. Frings is the exception rather than the MLS rule, however. Sixteen TFC players make less in a year than Carroll does in a week. Toronto goalie Milos Kocic, for example, has an annual salary listed at US$44,100. British reports say Rogers was given 30 million pounds (C$47.6 million) plus whatever he makes from players sales to bring in new talent. The 39-year-old manager, who won kudos for his work with Swansea City, succeeds Kenny Dalglish, who was fired in May. Those on the plane have plenty of incentive, according to Liverpool legend Ian Rush. "Everyone will be fighting for a place under the new manager," the former star striker and current Liverpool ambassador told The Canadian Press in a recent interview. Liverpools first trip to North America since 2004 is more than just a training camp. Its a chance to further promote the worldwide brand of a storied franchise whose trophy case includes 18 league championships, five European Cups, three UEFA Cups, seven FA Cups and eight League Cups. While the last European Cup came in 2004-05, Liverpool has not won the league since 1989-90. Still, the team remains a favourite around the globe. "For me, the world is not a big place anymore -- its a small place," Rush said. "When you realize the history of Liverpool football club, that is something you cannot buy. Youve got the famous Kop (stand at Anfield) and the famous song Youll Never Walk Alone. This is the history of Liverpool football club." Rush believes it is even more important these days for Liverpool to travel the world and go to its fans. "Theyve stuck with the club when times have not been as good as they would have liked them to have been. And for me that makes it even more successful, because when youre winning its very easy. Its when youre not winning, that for me is when you stick together even tighter and you work harder. I think thats what the supporters have been worldwide." Now its up to the players to entertain the fans, says Rush who has seen Liverpool shirts from Africa to India. Rush believes the Reds are the best supported club in the world. But he realizes that trophies are needed to keep the fan base growing. "We need to get a different generation, a younger generation (of fans)." A younger generation of player, meanwhile, is learning the responsibility of pulling on a Liverpool sweater, said Rush. "Youve got to play well ever game for Liverpool. You cant play three out of six games well because then you become a normal club." People demand instant success these days whether they are fans or owners, said Rush. "Look at (Manchester Uniteds) Alex Ferguson, probably the most successful manager," Rush said. "It was five years before he won anything. Todays world, that will never ever happen. They want instant success and thats what its all about now ... Sometimes you have to be patient. And if you see things going the right way, then you have to be patient with them. "Its no good chopping and changing all the time." Its advice that Toronto FC has perhaps learned the hard way, with seven managers in six MLS seasons and no playoff berth to show for it. Rush, 50, never visited North America during his playing days, missing a Wales tour of the Canada in the early 80s due to injury. Signed from Chester in 1980 for 300,000 pounds (C$476,100) -- then a British record for a teenager -- Rush went on to score a club-record 346 goals in 660 appearances for Liverpool. The Welsh star had two stints at Anfield, from 1980 to 1987 and 1988 to 1996, sandwiched around a brief time at Italys Juventus. He also played for Leeds, Newcastle, Sheffield United, Wrexham and Australias Sydney Olympic before retiring in 2000. Rush scored 28 goals in 73 appearances for Wales. wholesale nfl jerseys . And this time, the left-hander got a victory for his complete effort. For the second time in his last four starts, Cecil went the distance against one of the American Leagues top teams, limiting the AL West-leading Texas Rangers to four singles in a 3-0 victory Sunday night for his first career shutout. cheap jerseys . -- Julio Jones may be on the verge of returning from his latest hamstring injury. http://www.wholesalejerseychinastore.com/ . Then, Boston refused to take it easy on Detroits relievers. Jacoby Ellsbury hit a three-run homer off Max Scherzer in a five-run second inning, and hot-hitting Boston went on to rout the Tigers 14-1 in an eight-inning, rain-shortened game Thursday. wholesale jerseys . He had great success against them during his days in the NL. And he really enjoys Wrigley Field. cheap nfl jerseys . According to the Vancouver Province, members of the CFLs competition committee have had discussions on allowing teams to sign players to option years and opening a window for them to test the waters in the NFL, if they so desired. DALLAS -- Jaromir Jagr scored two goals and assisted on the game-winner in his Dallas debut, and the Stars opened the shortened season with a 4-3 victory against the Phoenix Coyotes on Saturday night. Jagr, the NHLs active leader in goals, assists and points, had a hand in all four goals for Dallas. Ray Whitney, Phoenixs leading scorer last season, scored a goal in the first game against his former team. Loui Eriksson broke a 3-all tie when he took a pass from Jagr in the slot and beat Mike Smith. The sequence started with a turnover by Phoenixs Martin Hanzal, and Jagr grabbed the rebound in the corner after a hard shot by Derek Roy. Radim Vrbata scored twice for the Coyotes, who went to the Western Conference finals last year after the franchise had never won more than one playoff series in a history dating to 1979 in Winnipeg. Whitney gave Dallas a 3-2 lead early in the third period with a power-play goal on a feed from Jagr. The Coyotes answered quickly with Vrbatas second goal on a breakaway after Jordie Benn gave away the puck at centre ice. The Stars spent 10 of the first 15 minutes of the second period killing penalties and it cost them a 1-0 lead. Dallas killed a four-minute power play after a high stick by Philip Larsen drew blood from David Moss and led to a brief delay for a cleanup on the ice. The Stars couldnt get through a regular two-minute penalty a short time later. Matthew Lombardis pass across the ice to Vrbata drew Kari Lehtonens attention, and Vrbata flipped the puck to Lauri Korpikoski for an easy shot into an open net. The Coyotes went ahead 2-1 after Brenden Morrow was called for high sticking. Vrbata drove a shot with Hanzal shielding Lehtoneen, and the puck bounced over the goalie and into the net.dddddddddddd Hanzal originally got credit for the goal before a scoring change. Jagr tied it at 2 late in the second with his second goal and the 667th of his career when a shot by Stephane Robidas was blocked, but Jagr found the puck first in the slot and shot it past Smith. Jagr scored the first Dallas goal of the season late in the first period after a pass from Eriksson left him alone with the puck in front of Smith. The goal was one of the few smooth plays in an otherwise rough opening period that showed signs of the long layoff and short training camp. Stars newcomer Derek Roy badly misplayed a puck at one blue line and fell down at the other, a sequence that eventually led to Vrbata having a clean shot that Lehtonen stuffed from close range. Jagr had another good scoring chance from the same spot before his first-period goal, but didnt get enough of the puck. That was the only good opportunity on the first power play of the season for Dallas, which was the worst team in the league with the extra man last season. Derek Morris had the best scoring chance for Phoenix in the first period when his shot slipped past Lehtonen and hit the post before Brenden Dillon swept it away. NOTES: Coyotes winger Raffi Torres missed the opener as the first of eight games remaining from a suspension imposed during last seasons playoffs. Torres originally was suspended 25 games for a hit on Chicagos Marian Hossa in the first round. The suspension was later reduced to 21 games. ... Texas Rangers left-hander Derek Holland, a self-professed hockey nut and vocal fan of all Dallas-Fort Worth pro teams, attended the opener in a Jagr No. 68 Dallas jersey. cheap nfl jerseys wholesale jerseys ' ' '