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MONDAY 3 |
Forlan does not fear Reds
Atletico Madrid striker Diego Forlan is looking forward to
returning to England to face Liverpool in the UEFA Champions
League.
The Uruguayan spent two years with Manchester United before
moving to Villarreal in 2004.
He joined Atletico last summer and is now relishing the
prospect of taking to the field at Anfield in Tuesday's
Group D clash.
"For me to return to England and to play at Anfield will be
very special," Forlan told skysports.com.
"Liverpool are in form at the moment. They are a hard rival
but in Madrid we dominated in some phases of the match and
that is important ahead of Tuesday's match.
"Atletico go to Anfield with a lot of confidence and without
fear. Now we are level with the Reds in the table and we
have the same chance
to progress."
(Sky Sports)
Rafa: Nando not
hamstrung for good
Rafa Benitez is confident that hamstring problems will
not be a recurring issue for Fernando Torres over the coming
seasons and is liaising with the Spanish national side in
order to restrict the impact of international duty on his
star striker.
Torres has missed the club’s past five games after picking
up the injury when playing for Spain in a World Cup
qualifier against Belgium in October, but could mark his
return to fitness in Tuesday’s Champions League tie with
former club Atletico Madrid.
“No I don’t think that it is a problem,” said Benitez in his
pre-match press conference ahead of the Atleti game.
“He had the problem before, we know that we have to change
things when he goes with the national team and we are in
contact with the Spanish fitness coach.
“So, in the future, it will be more under control and we are
doing prevention and everything so I don’t think it will be
a problem."
(Setanta Sports)
Assuncao: Liverpool a good test
Paulo Assuncao feels a trip to Anfield to face Liverpool in
the Champions League will be a good test of whether they
have turned a corner.
Atletico suffered a dip in form following a bright start to
the campaign, but a draw with Liverpool a fortnight ago has
been followed by a 4-4 draw at Villarreal and 2-0 win over
Mallorca.
The 28-year-old Assuncao feels Atleti are poised to hit top
form and says they will head to Anfield in a positive frame
of mind.
“Of course Liverpool are a tremendous club, with good
footballers managed by an expert, but we are good enough,”
Assuncao told a press conference."
(Setanta Sports)
Torres set for Atletico comeback
Liverpool are optimistic striker Fernando Torres will win
his race to be fit to face former club Atletico Madrid in
the Champions League on Tuesday.
Torres, 24, has not played since suffering a hamstring
injury last month, but manager Rafa Benitez hopes to have
him in his squad
"Hopefully he'll be ready," he said on Monday. "If he cannot
start then he will be on the bench if all is okay."
"I would say he has a 70 per cent chance of featuring in the
game."
(BBC Sport Online)
Kuyt: We must
be more ruthless
Dirk Kuyt today admitted Liverpool need to become more
ruthless in front of goal after the Reds missed a string of
chances in Saturday’s defeat
at Tottenham.
The Dutchman gave Liverpool the lead after just three
minutes but a second half Jamie Carragher own goal and a
last gasp winner from Roman Pavlyuchenko gave Spurs an
unlikely three points.
“We made a good start when we took the lead early on and we
controlled the game from then on,” said Kuyt.
“We should have killed the game in the second half because
we had four big chances but we didn’t do that and then Spurs
got two goals against
the run of play and we lost the game."
(Liverpool Echo)
Rafa: It's time
to show our character
Rafael Benitez today called on his players to follow the
example set by Chelsea and respond positively to their first
setback of the season.
Liverpool's unbeaten run in the Premier League was cruelly
brought to an end at White Hart Lane on Saturday as Spurs
overcame Dirk Kuyt's early strike to run out 2-1 winners
thanks to Roman Pavlychenko's last
minute winner.
Despite the undeserved defeat, the Reds still lie joint top
of the table alongside a Chelsea side who responded to last
weekend's defeat to Liverpool with a 3-0 victory at Hull and
then a 5-0 hammering of Sunderland at Stamford Bridge.
And Benitez now wants to see a similar response from his
players as they prepare for a Champions League clash with
Atletico Madrid tomorrow night and then West Brom in the
Premier League on Saturday.
"Chelsea have shown that they're a good team and we have to
show
the same. We have to show the same character now," said the
manager.
(LFC Official Website)
Gerrard: "I could
never leave Anfield"
To mark his fifth anniversary as Liverpool skipper, Steven
Gerrard has given his personal account of what it takes to
wear the armband in the recently released "Captain's Book”.
Here, in an exclusive extract from
the book, Gerrard tells of the moment he offered to give up
the captain's role he cherishes and how he could never quit
Anfield.
“In my heart, this is my club and I want to bring success
here for
the supporters,” he writes.
“For their sake as well as my own, I never want to go
through the events of July 2005 ever again.
“That was when I told Liverpool I wanted to leave (to go to
Chelsea). But I just didn’t want to let go of what I’ve
worked so hard for and as everyone knows by now, I could
never leave this club."
(Liverpool Echo) |
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SUNDAY 2 |
Carragher wants reaction
Jamie Carragher is looking for Liverpool to bounce back to
winnings ways after suffering defeat at Tottenham.
The Reds slipped of the top of the table after their 2-1
loss at White Hart Lane as Chelsea moved back to the summit.
Carragher - whose own goal levelled matters at Spurs - is
now looking for Liverpool respond in a positive manner.
"Look how Chelsea have reacted since we beat them and how
Manchester United reacted when they lost to us," he said.
"They've been on a great run since. It's how you come back
from your setbacks that counts. This will be a test for us
now.
"If you want to show you're championship contenders it's how
you bounce back that matters."
(Sky Sports)
Dalglish: Reds ready
Kenny Dalglish believes Liverpool have got what it takes
to win the Premier League.
The man who won eight league titles as both a player and
manager at Anfield says Rafa Benitez's side may have been
knocked off top spot by Chelsea, but can still go all the
way this season.
He admits that the Blues superior firepower is something
Liverpool will have to compete with in the transfer window
and that champions Manchester United are a "fantastic side",
but is convinced the current Reds crop have it what it takes
to end an 18-year wait for the league title.
"I would go for Liverpool, but Man United are a fantastic
side," he told Goals on Sunday. "But it doesn't matter what
number title Man United are going for, Liverpool can only
look after themselves."
(Sky Sports)
Rafa wants to resolve Reds future
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is eager to avoid a repeat
of the contract problems that forced him to quit Valencia
for Anfield.
Benitez won a second La Liga title and the UEFA Cup with
Valencia in 2004 and had compiled a list of targets
including the likes of emerging talents Cristiano Ronaldo
and Didier Drogba.
But the Spanish boss walked out on the final year of his
contract to take charge of Liverpool after broken promises
over a new deal.
With 18 months now left on his Liverpool contract, Benitez
does not want to walk away from another work in progress.
The 48-year-old feels Liverpool are on the verge of creating
a dynasty at Anfield and he is eager to commit his long-term
future to the club now that co-owners George Gillett and Tom
Hicks claim to have healed their boardroom rift.
"I spoke with George Gillett in London last week but there
was nothing about a new contract," Benitez added.
"That is OK because I want to concentrate. But if the owners
ask to talk about a new contract that would be good also."
(TEAMtalk) |
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SATURDAY 1 |
Benitez rues missed chances
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez blasted his side’s failure to
finish their chances after they collapsed to a 2-1 defeat to
Tottenham.
Liverpool had a host of chances to put the game to bed, but
failed to find the target to leave Benitez railing.
The Liverpool boss told Setanta Sports: "I can't believe we
lost that game, it's as simple as that.
"We hit the crossbar and had a lot of opportunities. It's
always important
to create chances but it's more important to score."
(Setanta Sports)
Redknapp applauds Spurs' late win
New Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp hailed his side's
character after they came from behind to beat Liverpool.
"We rode our luck at times but the character was fantastic,"
he said after the club's 2-1 win at White Hart Lane.
(BBC Sport Online)
Spurs off bottom
as Reds are beaten
Roman Pavlyuchenko pounced on the stroke of full-time to
lift Tottenham off the foot of Premier League after a 2-1
home win over Liverpool.
Liverpool took the lead with just two minutes on the clock
through a magnificent finish by Dirk Kuyt that saw
blundering Brazilian goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes exposed yet
again.
Jamie Carragher's own goal appeared to have salvaged a point
for Spurs but Harry Redknapp's side had grander ideas.
With injury time approaching, Pavlyuchenko tucked home a
Darren Bent pass to deny the Reds their return to the summit
of the table and end the top flight's last unbeaten record.
(TEAMtalk)
Under-18s thrash Bolton
Promising striker Nathan Ecclestone scored a hat-trick as
Liverpool Under-18s put five past Bolton Wanderers.
Right winger David Amoo and James Ellison, who came on to
replace Ecclestone, got the other goals in the impressive
victory.
Hughie McAuley's side take on table-toppers Manchester City
away on Saturday in their next FA Premier Academy League
clash.
(LFC Official Website)
Keane starts at Spurs
Robbie Keane starts against his former club as Rafael
Benitez makes just one change from the side that faced
Chelsea for this evening's clash with Spurs at White Hart
Lane.
Andrea Dossena is the player who comes into the side in
place of Fabio Aurelio at left-back as the Reds revert back
to a similar line-up to the one that ended Luiz Felipe
Scolari's side's unbeaten home run.
The Liverpool team in full: Reina, Arbeloa, Dossena, Agger,
Carragher, Alonso, Mascherano, Riera, Kuyt, Gerrard, Keane.
Subs: Cavalieri, Hyypia, Benayoun, Aurelio, Babel, Lucas, El
Zhar.
(LFC Official Website)
Benitez reflects
on 'Rafalution'
Rafa Benitez today reflected on the progression of his team
over the last four years as Liverpool travel to the stadium
where he took charge of his first Premier League game.
Of the 11 players who started against Spurs four years ago,
just three are still at Anfield - Jamie Carragher, Steven
Gerrard and Sami Hyypia.
Benitez has allowed 37 senior players to walk through the
Kop exit in an attempt to make the Reds genuine title
contenders – a goal which, thanks to victories over
Manchester United and Chelsea, looks close to being
achieved.
Now, as Liverpool look to maintain their three-point lead at
the top against Tottenham this afternoon, Benitez admits the
so-called Rafalution has taken longer than he initially
expected.
(LFC Official Website)
Fixture changes announced
Three more games have been moved for television.
The away game against Stoke on January 10th has been put
back to
a 5.30pm kick off and will be shown on Setanta.
The home game against Everton has been put back to Monday,
January 19th, kick off 8pm unless the Reds are involved in
the Carling Cup semi-final in which case it will be moved
back to Saturday, January 17th at an as yet unconfirmed kick
off time.
Finally the home game against Chelsea has been put back from
January 31st to Sunday, February 1st, kick off 4pm and will
be shown
on Sky Sports.
(LFC Online)
Thor Zakariassen
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