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SUNDAY 3 |
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Baggies do Reds a favour
Liverpool's chances of qualifying for next season's
Champions League were given a boost today when rivals
Everton were beaten 1-0 by West Brom.
Zolten Gera scored the winner for relegation threatened West
Brom to put Everton under real pressure as the race for
fourth goes to the wire.
After Everton's derby victory back in December Alan Stubbs
said the Blues were looking at catching Chelsea rather than
worrying about Liverpool. The Reds are now just one point
behind Everton and are favourites for the last Champions
League spot.
(LFC Online)
Valencia confirm interest in Liverpool
striker
Spanish outfit Valencia have confirmed that they are
interested in signing Liverpool striker Milan Baros.
With Rafael Benitez keen to offload the Czech international
he will certainly be interested to hear what his former club
have to say but there's no way the player will be allowed to
leave for next to nothing as the boss has a direct
replacement lined up and that obviously needs funding.
Valencia director Eduardo Macia confirmed they were looking
at the possibility of recruiting the player. He said: "We
are looking at possible signings and we are interested in
Baros."
Caretaker manager Antonio Lopez also chipped in.
He added: "Baros can add some force to our attack. He's just
the kind of player we're looking for."
(Kop Talk)
Boss confident Dudek will face Juve
Rafael Benitez is confident Jerzy Dudek will be fit enough
to play in Tuesday's Champions League tie against Juventus
after the big Pole missed Saturday's 1-0 home defeat of
Bolton.
Dudek was on bench as Scott Carson kept a clean sheet on his
Anfield debut against the Trotters.
Benitez revealed that the Reds number one was being rested
after sustaining an injury while on international duty with
Poland in midweek but believes he should be okay to face
Juve.
"Jerzy picked up a problem when he was with his national
team and we decided to protect him because we cannot afford
to lose him for a run of games at this stage of the season,"
said the boss.
"He has had some problems kicking the ball so we decided to
protect him. I will talk to him and the medical staff before
Tuesday but I am confident he will be fit to play."
(LFC Official Website)
Gerrard ready to front up
Steven Gerrard may have to play up front against Juventus
this week to help Rafael Benitez over the injury crisis
which is threatening Liverpool's Champions League dream.
With Fernando Morientes cup-tied and Djibril Cisse out
injured, Kop boss Benitez has only Milan Baros as a
recognised front-line striker.
"We are short all over at the moment and there may be a
chance I have to play up front," said Gerrard. "I will speak
to Rafa about it, but I don't mind."
(The People)
Igor modest after Reds win
Liverpool midfielder Igor Biscan refused to get carried away
after his winner against Bolton, admitting: "I'm just
pleased we won."
The Croatian midfielder's barnstorming style and
never-say-die attitude has made him a firm fans' favourite
at Anfield and he repaid that adulation in style on Saturday
with the winning goal four minutes from time.
(TEAMtalk) |
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SATURDAY 2 |
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Allardyce blasts Bennett
Bolton boss Sam Allardyce was unhappy with the
performance of referee Steve Bennett following his side's
1-0 defeat to Liverpool.
Allardyce was unhappy with the performance of Bennett and
felt he had been influenced by Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez's
call for a strong refereeing performance.
"I think Steve Bennett was put off by what Rafa Benitez said
because it was 19 fouls against us and only five against
them," said Allardyce.
"That wasn't a fair reflection of how that game was played -
no question about that - so I think he might have read the
remarks."
(Planet Football/Sky Sports)
Rafa hails hard-fought win
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez was delighted to see his team
maintain their UEFA Champions League push with a 1-0 win
over Bolton.
"I am very happy. It was a difficult game as we knew Bolton
would work very hard and fight for all the balls," explained
the Spaniard.
"It was a good result considering all the injuries we have."
(Planet Football/Sky Sports)
Last-gasp Biscan sinks Bolton
Igor Biscan's late goal earned Liverpool a
priceless 1-0 win over Bolton at Anfield to boost their UEFA
Champions League hopes.
The Croatian ace popped up four minutes from time to sink
battling Bolton and lift Liverpool to within one point of
Everton in the race for a Champions League place.
(Planet Football/Sky Sports)
Liverpool v Bolton - confirmed team
LIVERPOOL: Carson, Finnan, Carragher, Traore,
Pellegrino, Gerrard, Welsh, Garcia, Riise, Nunez, Biscan.
SUBS: Dudek, Hyypia, Smicer, Le Tallec, Morientes.
(Kop Talk)
Baros has debt to repay in Europe
Rafael Benitez may ultimately decide he does not
require Milan Baros to be part of his Liverpool future but
he certainly needs the unpredictable Czech striker for the
Champions League clashes with Juventus.
Baros has hardly endeared himself to the Anfield hierarchy
this season with erratic form, complaints about not being in
the Carling Cup final starting line-up as well as his crazy
red card in the Merseyside derby win over Everton a
fortnight ago.
That wild lunge at Alan Stubbs means Baros is suspended for
three domestic matches - a ban which did not start until
this weekend because of the break for internationals.
Baros will not be able to play in the Premiership until
April 20 at Portsmouth, leaving him just five league matches
left this season.
But with the Champions League quarter-final against Juventus
on Tuesday, and the return in Turin a week later, Baros will
be an automatic choice because former Real Madrid striker
Fernando Morientes is cup-tied and Benitez has an injury
crisis among his other forwards.
(Sporting Life)
Rafa has full confidence in Pellegrino
Rafael Benitez has praised the form of Mauricio
Pellegrino who has settled into the team nicely at the heart
of the Liverpool defence alongside Jamie Carragher.
Pellegrino has taken the place of Sami Hyypia in the team at
the moment and the Liverpool manager says that is justified.
Benitez said: "I always say he is a winner and he works hard
in every training session. He is in the team on merit and
playing well now. He has the respect of his team-mates which
is very important.
"Hyypia hasn't played in the last two games but he is a good
professional. We have a lot of games coming up and
Pellegrino can't play in the Champions League so all of the
players will get games."
With his contract up at the end of the season the player has
said he would like to extend that and stay at Anfield and
the manager says he will talk to Pellegrino.
Benitez said: "Pellegrino knows that I will talk with him at
the end of the season about this but not yet."
(LFC Official Website) |
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FRIDAY 1 |
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Hierro ready for Morientes
Bolton veteran Fernando Hierro is relishing a Real Madrid
reunion on Saturday against Liverpool at Anfield.
The 37-year-old midfielder will face former Bernabeu
team-mate Fernando Morientes, who has shaken off a thigh
injury and is set to lead the hosts' attack.
The former Spain international believes Benitez made a
shrewd signing by bringing Morientes to Liverpool.
Hierro said: "As far as I am concerned he is probably one of
the best centre forwards in the world.
"He is extremely strong in aerial play and I am certain that
when he has a little more experience behind him in the
Premiership he will be triumphant and very successful.
"We have been very good friends for some time and when we
were discussing the notion of moving to England to play we
talked a lot then and we have remained very
good friends."
"The other aspect to Rafa, apart from the friendliness that
everyone refers to, is his work-rate. He is an extremely
hard-working man who thinks about football and football
issues 24 hours a day."
(TEAMtalk)
Benitez ready for Bolton battle
On Saturday Rafael Benitez will come up against the side
which taught him all he needed to know about Premiership
football as Liverpool continue their Champions League push.
The Anfield chief remembers well his first run-in with Sam
Allardyce's tough side, when Liverpool were edged out 1-0 in
a tight encounter at the Reebok Stadium in August.
That was just Benitez's third Barclays Premiership match in
charge and the Spaniard admitted he had not forgotten the
lessons of that day.
"I learned there are different rules in England more there
than elsewhere!" he said
(Sporting Life)
Sam seeks Champions League security
Sam Allardyce believes a top-four finish would
consolidate Bolton as a Premiership club for the next 10
years.
Wanderers head into the final eight games of the season,
beginning with tomorrow's trip to Anfield, with realistic
ambitions of claiming the final Champions League place.
"If we finish in the Champions League spot we are going to
make this football club secure as a Premier-ship outfit for
the next decade and that would be hugely important,"
said Allardyce.
(Liverpool Echo)
Trio set to return for Reds
Liverpool hope Luis Garcia, Djimi Traore and Stephen Warnock
will be fit to be included in the squad for the crucial game
at home to Bolton.
All suffered knocks in the derby victory over Everton a
fortnight ago, along with Fernando Morientes and Dietmar
Hamann. Morientes has an outside chance of playing following
a thigh injury but Hamann is out for around another three
weeks with a twisted knee while Milan Baros starts a
three-game ban.
Luis Garcia played a friendly for Spain against China to
prove his fitness after an ankle injury but was not selected
for the World Cup qualifier in Serbia. Traore came through
45 minutes of a reserve match to test his injured ankle,
while Warnock has seemingly shaken off a similar injury.
Liverpool (from): Dudek, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Traore,
Warnock, Nunez, Luis Garcia, Gerrard, Biscan, Riise, Smicer,
Morientes, Carson, Le Tallec, Potter, Welsh.
(TEAMtalk)
Morientes wants Gerrard stay
Fernando Morientes has added his voice to the clamour for
Steven Gerrard to stay at Liverpool, after revealing his
former Real Madrid team-mates always ask about the Reds
skipper.
Spanish striker Morientes has been impressed with Gerrard
since he moved to Anfield during the January transfer
window.
"I speak a great deal with my old team-mates and the
interest in how the Spanish players are doing at Liverpool
isn't the only thing they ask about," said Morientes.
"They are always asking about Gerrard and how good he is.
Whenever Liverpool are on television in Spain, players and
fans alike can see just how important a player he is.
"I get calls from people like Raul. He asks about Gerrard
every time he telephones me or I telephone him.
"Like everyone else, he knows that he is a very good player
and sees him every week on television.
"That's why it is so vital that he stays with us. We know
that if we do well, he will stay as a Liverpool player and
that is what we all want.
"Gerrard is the most important player in the Liverpool side.
It is difficult to imagine a Liverpool without Gerrard."
(Planet Football/Sky Sports)
Hyypia: Our experience can win the race
Sami Hyypia is hoping Liverpool's experience of fighting for
a Champions League place will help them beat Everton in this
season's race for fourth.
The two Merseyside clubs are in action again this weekend as
Liverpool entertain Bolton while Everton visit West Brom,
and Hyypia is remaining confident the Reds will eventually
overtake their city rivals as the pressure increases in the
battle to claim the final Champions League place.
He told LFC Magazine: "Our experience can help us, but if
you are not doing things as a team then experience counts
for nothing. It is about pulling together as a team at this
stage.
"We have usually had a decent finish while I've been here
and hopefully this year won't be any different.
"Every game is important between now and the end of the
season. We must try and get three points from every one of
them. If we don't, then we don't, but it is one thing to
focus and another to gain confidence, which comes with
winning games."
(LFC Official Website)
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Thor Zakariassen
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