Red News                                            

 


OCTOBER     2009
1 2 3

              

        
 

SATURDAY 3
Carvalho: No sleepless nights
over facing Fernando Torres

Ricardo Carvalho has no worries about facing Fernando Torres today – and has warned the on-fire Spaniard that Chelsea know exactly how to bring him back down to earth.
Carvalho is a great admirer of Liverpool’s star striker, who has been scoring goals for fun in the Premier League this season.
Torres is on a high after a superb hat-trick in last week’s 6-1 thrashing of Hull took his tally to eight in seven league matches.
But Carvalho said: “I’m not having sleepless nights about facing him. I like him, he is a great player. He has good pace, good quality. He is good in the air, he can shoot with his left and with his right and he can dribble. It is good to watch him play.
“But we can stop him scoring. The most important thing is that you don’t give him the space to hurt you."
(Daily Mirror)


Johnson excited
by Chelsea return

Glen Johnson says he is anticipating and exciting game when Liverpool meet his former club Chelsea at Stamford Bridge tomorrow.
Johnson was sold by Chelsea to Portsmouth two years ago for £4million. The Blues then tried to re-sign the England international right-back, but were beaten by Liverpool this summer who paid around £17.5million for his services.
And after a bright start to his career at Anfield, Johnson is looking forward to facing his former teammates when the two sides meet in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.
“It will be massive because you know Chelsea are going to be there or thereabouts at the end of the season and we’d like to think we will be too,” he told Liverpool’s official web site.
(This is Anfield)
 

Carlo ready for Rafa
Carlo Ancelotti and Rafa Benitez are both relishing meeting for the first time since their UEFA Champions League final clashes of 2005 and 2007.
The two face each other for the first time since 2007 when AC Milan claimed revenge for their 2005 defeat by beating Liverpool.
It will also be the first time that Ancelotti has faced a fellow top-four manager since taking charge at Stamford Bridge.
But the Italian is in jovial mood ahead of the SuperSunday clash.
"I don't remember 2005 but I can remember 2007. Rafa only remembers 2005!" joked Ancelotti.
(Sky Sports)
 

Ballack rates Chelsea clash
with Liverpool as six-pointer

Michael Ballack rates Chelsea's clash with Liverpool tomorrow as a six-pointer in the title race.
The Germany midfielder told chelseafc.com: "Mentally it is important because they are three points behind us and we can double the gap. They know this and they want to close the gap, but we have a little bit of an advantage playing at home, and hopefully we can use this.
"The previous matches were exciting, so why not this one? It is a big game and everyone is looking forward to it.
"I said last year I don't think you have to win every game against the top four, you want to do well all season but if you lose one of these six games or eight games against the others you can deal with this in the whole year, it is the same three points you play for against Wigan."
(tribalfootball.com)
FRIDAY 2
Reds ace win Fans' award
Fernando Torres, Marcus Tudgay, Robert Snodgrass and Brett Pitman have won September's PFA Fans' Player of the Month awards.
Liverpool ace Torres claimed the Premier League award with five league goals over the past four weeks.
Torres followed up his brace against West Ham with a blistering hat-trick in The Reds' demolition job of Hull City last weekend.
Rafa Benitez's side won all three of their Premier League games in the month, scoring 13 times and conceding three.
(Sky Sports)

Mascherano and
Agger injury latest

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez hopes to have midfielder Javier Mascherano available for this Sunday’s Premier League showdown with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Mascherano missed Tuesday’s 2-0 defeat to Fiorentina and only made a substitute appearance in last Saturday’s 6-1 thrashing of Hull City at Anfield after picking up a hamstring strain.
But Benitez now hopes the Argentine will be fit enough to start Sunday’s trip to West London.
Meanwhile Benitez added that he has been impressed with Daniel Agger’s progress after suffering from a back injury and hinted the Danish international could be included in the squad this weekend.
(This is Anfield)
 

Benitez relishing Ancelotti showdown
Rafael Benitez has spoken of his admiration for Carlo Ancelotti as he prepares to go head-to head with the new Chelsea boss for the first time since the Champions League final in 2007.
The Reds boss is used to facing the Italian on the big occasion after he led AC Milan in Istanbul and Athens, and admits he would love to lock horns with Ancelotti in another showpiece occasion this season.
"It will be interesting because he is a great manager," Benitez told his pre-match press conference. "We have played in finals, so it will good to see him and hopefully we will meet in another final."
(LFC Official Website)
 

Kuyt shrugs off Chelsea threat
Dirk Kuyt says he is not worried about Carlo Ancelotti’s Chelsea ahead of this Sunday’s Premier League meeting with the Blues at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea had a 100% record in the league this season until Wigan defeated them 3-1 last weekend. That was followed by an uninspiring 1-0 victory away to Cyprus Champions Apoel Nicosa.
And Kuyt is hoping Liverpool can beat Chelsea again, like they did in the league last season.
He said, “Chelsea had a one hundred per cent record until last weekend, but I’m not really worried about them.
“If we play to the level we’re capable of, we can win there again. We beat them home and away last season, so why not this year too?"
(This is Anfield)
 

Legend in a Rush
to laud Fernando

Liverpool's record goalscorer Ian Rush believes Fernando Torres, the man who now wears the number nine shirt, is the best striker in the world.
Torres' hat-trick against Hull last weekend took his tally to eight goals in his last six Premier League matches.
The Spaniard is edging closer to breaking a long-standing club record of being the fastest to 50 league goals and needs just four more in his next 15 games after notching 46 in his first 64 top-flight appearances.
Should he do that he will surpass the mark set by Sam Raybould, who played for the Reds between 1900 and 1907, and Albert Stubbins (1946-52) who both took 80 games to reach the half-century.
In comparison Rush, who scored 346 goals in 660 matches for Liverpool, took 84, Robbie Fowler 88 and Michael Owen 98.
Rush said: "He has been fantastic. He is the Premier League's top scorer this season and the goals he scored against Hull were great, both right foot and left foot.
"With experience I think he will get better. He is only 25 and he is a big plus for Liverpool as he and Steven Gerrard play really well together.
"Without doubt he is the best striker in the world at the moment."
(TEAMtalk)


Rooney could miss
Liverpool game at Anfield

Manchester United star Wayne Rooney could potentially miss the crucial Premier League showdown with Liverpool on October 25th because his wife Coleen, is due to give birth to the couples first child. The former Everton youngster may also miss United’s away trip to CSKA Moscow four days earlier if she goes into labour early.
Rooney told the Daily Mirror: “The baby's due the day we play Liverpool,”
“If Coleen goes in to have it before then, then I won't go to Moscow because I want to be there at the birth.”
“If anything happens around that time then I'm sure I'll stay back.”
“But if everything goes to plan then I'll be playing because that's my job and what I'm paid to do.”
“I haven't spoken to the manager about it yet, but I want to be there for the birth of my child.”
(Sport.co.uk)

Torres a Red for life
Liverpool striker Fernando Torres has revealed he does not envisage ever playing for another Premier League club, especially Manchester United.
Torres has made a stunning impact since joining Liverpool from Atletico Madrid in 2007 and has scored 58 goals in 93 appearances for the club.
He has also enjoyed an impressive start to the new season, netting eight goals to date, including a hat-trick in last week's 6-1 thrashing of Hull City.
Reds boss Rafa Benitez recently admitted that rival Premier League sides had enquired about the Spain ace over the summer, with Manchester City and Chelsea rumoured to have shown an interest.
However, the 25-year-old would not countenance leaving Anfield for another English club, particularly old adversaries United.
"I can understand the feelings between Man Utd and Liverpool," Torres told Sport magazine when asked about the chances of playing for the Premier League champions.
"I'm a foreign player, but I know how the Liverpool fans feel and I remember the welcome I had when I arrived - it was amazing.
"I hope to play a lot of years or maybe even finish my career here.
"I don't know, but Liverpool is my English team and I don't think about playing for another one."
(Football 365)

Babel admits Holland axe scared him
Liverpool winger Ryan Babel says being dropped by Holland coach Bert van Marwijk has kicked him into action this season.
He said: "Not being called up by Holland has definitely scared me into doing something. The situation for me is clear. This has to be the year for me. I am trying to do whatever it takes to get into the team.
"If I give everything and the situation is still difficult, then you have to be honest with yourself. But I'm still confident that I can be a very important player for Liverpool.
"For the first time in 33 games, I wasn't called up for the national team. That was very scary. It's clear I have to play a lot of games for Liverpool to earn a ticket to the World Cup. The Holland coach made a statement that he wants his players playing for their clubs."
(tribalfootball.com)

Man charged with Gerrard robbery
A man has been charged over a robbery at the home of England and Liverpool footballer Steven Gerrard.
Gerrard's wife Alex Curran, 27, was confronted by four masked raiders at the couple's mansion in Formby, Merseyside, in December 2007.
The robbers struck while the midfielder was playing in Liverpool's Champions League tie away to Marseille.
Martin Wilson, 22, of Stockbridge Village has been charged with robbery and burglary.
He is due to appear at North Sefton Magistrates' on 30 October.
During the raid the offenders, who all wore dark clothing, hoods and balaclavas, made off with items of jewellery.
(BBC Sport Online)
THURSDAY 1
Saudi prince put off by club debt
and issues between owners

Prince Faisal bin Fahd bin Abdullah, a member of the ruling family of Saudi Arabia who claimed this week that he was close to agreeing a deal to invest in English soccer club Liverpool, has now spoken out about the ongoing tension between the club's American owners.
Liverpool and members of Fahd bin Abdullah's own company moved swiftly to distance themselves from his claims this week, with the club's owners, George Gillett and Tom Hicks, admitting that they have retained Bank of American Merrill Lynch and Rothschild to advise on possible investments but saying that any talks are in preliminary stages.
"It's clear to everyone that there is some sort of misunderstanding between Gillett and Hicks," Fahd bin Abdullah told Saudi television. "We are not there to pacify between them."
(SportsPro Media)


Stevie G is LFC's new number 13
Reds skipper Steven Gerrard moved up a place to number 13 in the club's all-time table for number of games played in all competitions having turned out at Fiorentina on Tuesday.
This was his 493rd game for Liverpool, although this is 94 behind Jamie Carragher, our most experienced current player who is ranked ninth.
(YNWA)

Aurelio reveals Benitez anger
Rafa Benitez was as angry as he has ever been with Liverpool during their defeat by Fioretina, according to Fabio Aurelio.
The Brazilian full-back has admitted that the normally cool Spaniard blew his top at half-time in Tuscany during their Champions League clash.
Liverpool were 2-0 down at the Artemio Franchi, and Benitez made his feelings clear to his side, although despite a second half improvement the scoreline stayed the same.
"That was the most annoyed we have seen the manager, but we all were," admitted Aurelio.
"We all felt like that after the first half and that's why you saw a better performance in the second.
"But we didn't need harsh words at half-time - we all knew that we were not playing well and that we had to be much better.
"In the second we were a different side and if it had been like that from the start it could have been a different result."
(Sporting Life)

Agger glad to be back
Daniel Agger is glad to be fit again.
The Danish defender came through 68 minutes of reserve football on Tuesday night as he helped John McMahon's side to a 2-0 win over Man City and after the game spoke of his relief in putting his injury problems behind him.
"It is good to be back and it felt good to be back on the pitch again,"
said Agger.
"It is always frustrating when you are out injured and can't play football, so to get back out there again was great.
"I knew in pre-season that my back wasn't right so I had to get the problem sorted. I set myself the target to be back around this time and
so I'm happy.
"I will keep working hard and do everything I can to help the team and get back in the side as soon as possible."
(LFC Online)

Terry ready for Reds showdown
John Terry insists Chelsea will be ready for the visit of Liverpool on Sunday despite an unconvincing win over Apoel Nicosia in
the Champions League.
Nicolas Anelka’s 18th-minute goal earned them victory but the performance did not please coach Carlo Ancelotti.
The Italian had wanted more from his side after their 3-1 defeat at the hands of Wigan on Saturday but they failed to shine in Cyprus.
The victory leaves Chelsea top of the group with two straight wins but they will have to improve to prevent Liverpool notching another win
at Stamford Bridge.
Captain Terry, one of a number of players to criticise the team’s display at Wigan, promised the Blues would be ready for the Merseysiders.
“The confidence wasn’t knocked at Wigan – you can’t afford not to believe in yourselves or your team-mates,” said Terry.
“It was important that we realised we went wrong at Wigan and that we responded well. You don’t get much time to think about it with the games coming thick and fast, and we did a good job here.”
(BreakingNews.ie)

Injury rules out Owen
from Liverpool reunion

Manchester United striker Michael Owen will miss his Liverpool reunion in the coming weeks.
Owen broke down with a groin injury in last night's Champions League victory over Wolfsburg.
The striker is expected to be missing for at least three weeks, which rules him out of United's first clash of the season with Liverpool.
(tribalfootball.com)

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