What did I miss?

In short, a lot. While I was visiting family and attending the Olympics, Anfield witnessed the Reds progress to the Europa League play-off round on Thursday and the return of a Liverpool legend on Sunday, while boss Brendan Rodgers was also busy buying and selling in the summer transfer market, as he continues to build his squad ahead of the start of the Premier League at the Hawthorns on Saturday.

To earn a place in the Europa League play-off round versus Scottish side Hearts Liverpool had to overcome FC Gomel, and they did so in style, securing a 4-0 aggregate victory thanks to goals from Borini, Gerrard and Johnson after Stewart Downing's strike in the first leg gave the Reds a slender lead to take back to Merseyside.

Lucas Leiva started alongside Gerrard and Shelvey in the centre of midfield, as his recovery from injury picks up pace. The Brazilian international performed excellently, keeping possession well and interacting with skipper Steven Gerrard encouragingly.

It was the flourishing partnership between forwards Fabio Borini and Luis Suarez that proved the most fruitful early on, though, as the pair combined on 21 minutes to open the scoring. Lucas slid the ball through to Suarez, who danced his way down the Anfield Road touchline and shot at goal. The rebound fell to new signing Borini, who took advantage of the goal scoring opportunity and hammered home.

Suarez, who was full of confidence after recently signing a new long-term contract despite Uruguay's early exit from the Olympics, was also involved in the Reds' second goal five minutes before the break. He dribbled through the heart of the defence and tapped the ball past the advancing Bushma to allow Gerrard the simplest of tap-ins from close range to net his 150th goal for the Reds.

The number eight went close to doubling his tally after the interval, as his shot rattled the woodwork, before Borini released Suarez down the right wing and he arrowed narrowly wide. Liverpool's complete dominance, reflected in the fact that they enjoyed 67% of possession, was rewarded with a stunning third goal from Glen Johnson twenty minutes from time. The ball bobbled up into the England international's path and he controlled with his knee before firing an unstoppable volley past Bushma and into the net from 30 yards out.

It was a goal, and overall performance, that new £15 million signing Joe Allen would have enjoyed watching as he sat in the Directors' Box. There's little doubt that the 22-year old was keeping a close eye on the performances of Shelvey, Gerrard and Lucas in the centre, as they will be both his teammates and competitors for a place in what is likely to be a three-man midfield, in which Allen could fit quite comfortably.

His possession football and fluid style of play could complement Lucas, in particular. When I saw him play for Team GB against South Korea he reminded me of Scott Parker because he intervened with several good tackles while also keeping the midfield ticking over. The Welshman's display was one of few positives to take from a disappointing performance from the hosts, who crashed out at the quarter-final stages, inevitably on penalties.

Having spent two years under his guidance at Swansea, Allen will appreciate the style of play Rodgers' intends to implement at Anfield and could prove a vital signing in introducing the Northern Irish manager's philosophy, just as the arrival of Xabi Alonso helped to spark the Spanish revolution under Rafael Benitez.

While Allen swapped Wales for Merseyside, Craig Bellamy went in the opposite direction on the same day, returning to boyhood team Cardiff City for an undisclosed fee. Thankfully, during his second stay at Anfield Bellamy was't involved in off-field controversy and focused on his football, producing several striking performances from the substitutes' bench. He could have done a job for Liverpool next season, but considering his injuries, age and wage it was probably the right time to allow him to return to the Championship club for family reasons.

In other transfer news, Daniel Agger seems destined to remain at Anfield despite interest, and reported offers in the range of £20-25 million, from Champions Manchester City. The Dane recently indicated his intention to remain at the club in a typically spectacular manner: by tattooing "YNWA" on his knuckles!

Although a sizeable offer from City must have been tempting, Agger's quality makes him effectively irreplaceable and ending his central defensive partnership with Skrtel so close to the start of the season would have been risky.

While transfer activity is crucial in the short run, the long-term plan has always been to increase the number of Academy graduates reaching and making an impact in the first team. That's why it was so pleasing to see 17-year old Raheem Sterling score a sensational opening goal only three minutes into Liverpool's final friendly at home to Sami Hyypia's Bayer Leverkusen. Enrique's incisive pass found Sterling, who cut inside, beat two defenders and then curled right footed into the bottom corner.

That stunning strike was followed by a far simpler goal from Lucas on the half hour mark, as he tapped into an unguarded net from close range. Half-way through the second half Carroll's strike from the edge of the box tripled the Reds' lead, as the tall Geordie demonstrated his potential. It was a pleasing afternoon all round, despite Sidney Sam beating Reina with an impressive shot 15 minutes from time to bag a consolation for Hyypia's side.

Most importantly, the match on Sunday was a chance for Kopites to express their gratitude for Hyypia's ten years of sterling service to the club. He is a true Liverpool legend who will never be forgotten.


You'll Never Walk Alone, Sami