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WEDNESDAY 12 |
Double doubt for Liverpool
Daniel Agger and Xabi Alonso are both struggling to make the
squad for the clash with Manchester United at the weekend.
Both players had been expected to be a part of the squad for
the Champions League game on Tuesday in Marseille, but
neither made it into the squad despite recently returning to
training.
Their absence on Tuesday means they again may struggle to
get into the squad for the next big match on the horizon
which is the visit of Manchester United on Sunday.
Both players have been suffering with foot problems but
their return to training appeared to herald an immediate
return to the side but that has not yet materialized.
(Clubcall Sports)
Gerrard's wife confronted by burglars
The wife of footballer Steven Gerrard was confronted by four
burglars at the couple’s mansion last night.
Alex Curran, a columnist with the Daily Mirror, was left
shaken but not injured in the incident, which took place as
Gerrard played in a Champions League game against Marseille.
A Merseyside Police spokeswoman said four men entered the
property in Formby, Merseyside, just before 9.30pm and stole
items of jewellery.
She said forensic examination of the property was taking
place today and house to house inquiries have begun.
Ms Curran and another woman were in the house at the time.
A police spokeswoman said: “We are investigating a
confrontational burglary which took place at around 9.30pm
last night.
“Four men, wearing dark clothing, hoods and balaclavas,
entered the property and stole items of jewellery.
“We cannot confirm the nature of the confrontation.
“The female resident, and another woman who was in the house
at the time, were left shaken but uninjured.”
(Evening Echo)
Torres hopes to renew Real rivalry
Having helped inspire Liverpool to blast their way to the
Champions League knockout stages, Fernando Torres has now
set his sights on renewing hostilities with his old
adversaries Real Madrid.
The Spain international – who scored the second goal in the
4-0 win over Marseille that secured Liverpool’s progression
– was an icon at Real’s city rivals Atletico before his
summer move to Anfield.
"I hope that we draw Real Madrid, that would be a great
tie,” said Torres on the club’s official website. “We have a
chance to play a team from Spain or Italy, but playing
Madrid would be really good."
(Setanta Sports)
Credit due for stunning show
When it’s needed most Liverpool have that incredible knack
of producing the performance they require.
Make no mistake about it , the mauling of Marseille ranks as
the best of the season.
The players deserve all the plaudits for their tremendous
show and Rafa Benitez, who I have had a go at in the piece
below, must be congratulated for the way his team went about
their mission.
But I admit to being totally confused.
How can we play that badly on Saturday and then turn it on
last night? How can we pick up one point from the first
three Champions League games, look dead and buried (almost),
and then win our next three and score 16 goals into the
bargain?
One minute you are watching the Reds, as at Reading,
thinking what the hell is going on. The next, you see a
European tie in which they were majestic.
(Tommy Smith - Liverpool Echo)
Carragher hails super Gerrard
Jamie Carragher today saluted record-breaking skipper Steven
Gerrard after Liverpool stormed into the knockout stages of
the Champions League last night.
Gerrard became the Reds’ leading European goalscorer when
his early strike put them on course for an emphatic 4-0
victory in Marseille.
The goal took him beyond Michael Owen’s club record of 22 in
Europe and it was his 10th strike in the Reds’ last 11
games.
Carragher said: “He’s definitely one of the best players in
the world. You look at Kaka and Messi, but they probably
play further forward.
“But for me he’ll go down alongside Kenny Dalglish as one of
the greatest players ever to have played for Liverpool and
at the moment he’s probably in the top four or five players
in the world.”
(Liverpool Echo)
Benayoun: Only Liverpool could have done it
Yossi Benayoun’s belief that there’s only one team that can
win three games in a row and that is Liverpool, has come
true as Rafa Benitez’s side scored an emphatic 4-0 triumph
in Marseille to enter the last 16 in the Champions League on
Tuesday night.
"Honestly, I always believed we could do it," Benayoun told
uefa.com.
"Even at the time, I said that if there's one team that can
win three games in a row, it's Liverpool. This is a club
that's proved over the last few years that it can deal with
big games in this competition. We knew every game would be
like a final and we won three finals."
(Premiership latest)
Benitez salutes confident display
Rafael Benitez hailed Liverpool's ability to produce under
pressure after the 4-0 win in Marseille saw them make
Champions League progress.
Benitez was delighted with the way his men handled the
pressure against Marseille, and said: "They players have
showed character in important games before and they have
showed it again.
"The performance was really good. We played compact as a
unit, played well in attack, had our chances and didn't
concede."
(TEAMtalk)
Early goal was key admits Gerets
Liverpool's early opener was the key to last night's win
says Eric Gerets.
The Marseille boss admitted Steven Gerrard's fourth minute
goal tipped the game the Reds' way and set the tone for the
rest of the match.
"The first goal really hurt us. Right after that, you could
see the players were nervous on the pitch," said Gerets.
"Every time Liverpool went forward, they looked dangerous.
And when you have a player such as Steven Gerrard against
you in midfield, it's hard to play against."
(LFC Online)
Gerrard takes record
Steven Gerrard has become Liverpool's top scorer in European
competition.
Gerrard, already the club's top scorer in the European Cup,
last night scored his 23rd European goal for Liverpool,
taking him one ahead of Michael Owen.
(LFC Online) |
|
TUESDAY 11 |
Carragher: One of the great results
Jamie Carragher was happy after Liverpool's 4-0 win over
Marseille and believes it ranks highly among Liverpool's
best European games.
"We've done well over the last few years in Europe and
that's got to be right up there with some of the great
results we've had," said
the Liverpool defender.
(LFC Online)
Skipper delighted with Liverpool victory
Steven Gerrard was delighted with the team's performance in
Marseille, after beating the French side 4-0 to claim a
place in the last 16 of
the Champions League.
"We know we've got the quality so we're very happy with the
performance.
"The most important word in the team talk was 'cup final'.
when the manager said it was a cup final situation, you know
you've got to give everything you've got. From the
goalkeeper to the front men today, every one of us did our
job."
(LFC Online)
Reds roll over Marseille
Liverpool completed the great escape with a 4-0 win over
Marseille to book their passage to the knockout stages of
the Champions League.
A draw and two defeats from their opening three games left
The Reds’ participation in the competition in the balance,
but they seem to like to do things the hard way as wins in
their last three games earned them second spot in the group.
Liverpool may not have had The Kop to suck the ball in, but
they hardly needed it as Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres
knocked the belief out of Marseille inside 11 minutes.
Gerrard scored after four minutes, ramming home at the
second attempt after his initial penalty had been parried by
Steve Mandanda.
The drive of Gerrard was replaced by the silk of Torres on
11 minutes as the Spaniard slalomed his way past defenders
before stroking home to score the goal which silenced Stade
Velodrome.
Dirk Kuyt may have been overshadowed by Torres, but the
Dutchman produced a fine display in his own right and he
added the third minutes into the second half which enabled
Liverpool to move into cruise control.
And with time running out, Ryan Babel skipped clear to put
some gloss
on a scoreline which did not flatter Liverpool.
(Setanta Sports)
It's Liverpool vs. Luton at Kenilworth Road..again
Luton Town beat Nottingham Forest in tonight's delayed FA
Cup 2nd Round match to earn a spot in the 3rd road against
Liverpool.
Calvin Andrew scored the Hatters' only goal in the 54th
minute to setup
a repeat of the same fixture in Liverpool's Cup Winning year
in 2006.
That game ended in a 5 - 3 thriller with Xabi Alonso scoring
one of his infamous long-range shots from the Liverpool
half.
(Liverpool FC South African Supporters)
Porto pip Reds to top spot
Porto denied Liverpool top spot in Champions League Group A
after beating rock-bottom Besiktas 2-0 to finish a point
ahead of
the Merseysiders.
Lucho Gonzalez and Ricardo Quaresma got the goals for
the Portuguese champions.
(Football 365)
Marseille-Liverpool - confirmed team
Liverpool: Jose Reina, Alvaro Arbeloa, Jamie Carragher, Sami
Hyypia, John Arne Riise, Yossi Benayoun, Steven Gerrard,
Harry Kewell, Javier Mascherano, Dirk Kuyt, Fernando Torres.
Substitutes: Fabio Aurelio, Ryan Babel, Peter Crouch, Steve
Finnan, Jack Hobbs, Charles Itandje, Lucas.
(Webmaster)
Sissoko rages at Rafa's Euro snub
Mohamed Sissoko admits he is "really mad" at being
overlooked for Liverpool's crunch game in Marseille - and
may leave Anfield in January.
Reds boss Rafael Benitez has left Sissoko out of his plans
for their crucial Champions League showdown against
Marseille at the Stade Velodrome on Tuesday night.
The Mali international, who started his career with Auxerre,
has made just one appearance in the Anfield outfit's group
stage fixtures, the 1-0 home defeat by the French side.
Sissoko insists he plans to hold talks with Benitez once the
transfer window opens and wants to be a regular in the
first-team.
He told radio station RMC: "I am really mad. The match is
played in France, all my family is there and wanted to see
me on the pitch.
"I respect that choice, but we will talk in January.
"That is quite a long time for me to ask myself the question
(about leaving). I am not attracted to play one match in
five."
(TEAMtalk)
Kuyt: Benitez is the best
Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt has handed Rafa Benitez his
unequivocal support ahead of the make-or-break Champions
League tie in Marseille during an exclusive interview with
Setanta Sports.
With Benitez coming under increasing pressure following a
fall-out with the club's owners and the disappointing defeat
at Reading, Kuyt is 100 percent behind the Spanish boss.
"I think everybody reads a little bit in the papers but we
just focus on the games," he told Setanta Sports.
"For me, surely, he does a really good job. He is the best
manager I've ever had. Tactically and in training, he is
really, really good.
"I can learn from him every day."
(Setanta Sports)
Gerrard optimistic
Steven Gerrard is confident that Liverpool can win in
Marseille.
Victory would secure a place in the knockout stages of the
Champions League, and the Liverpool skipper believes the
Reds won't slip up.
"If you'd told me five minutes after the final whistle
against Marseille at Anfield we would go into the last game
knowing a win would secure our qualification, I would have
bitten your hand off," he said.
"We're a different side and a lot more confident than the
one which lost
to Marseille at home.
"Everyone remembers Olympiakos, so our experiences in the
past will help. The pressure will be on Marseille as much as
us this time.
"We know we're always expected to go through to the knockout
stage, but after they beat us at Anfield and we lost in
Turkey, we weren't favourites to qualify."
(LFC Online)
Liverpool legend joins Sunderland
Jamaica-born former England international John Barnes will
be conducting scouting and coaching clinics in seven
Caribbean countries for Sunderland it emerged today.
And the region's best young players will earn the chance to
play with the Black Cats under the scouting deal.
Former England, Liverpool and Watfrod winger Barnes, whose
father is Trinidadian, appeared excited as he described the
Caribbean as an untapped market for football talent.
"I'm going to be here for the programme to look at the
talent and try and give opportunities for young players in
the Caribbean," Barnes said.
"We will be in seven of the islands running five-day clinics
with Under-20 teams and choosing the best players to go to
Sunderland for a week to train at the professional club," he
added.
(The Shields Gazette)
How we can qualify in Marseille
Liverpool will qualify for the knockout stages of the
Champions League if:
a) They win by any score in Marseille.
b) If Besiktas win in Porto, a Marseille-Liverpool draw
would also see the Reds progress, along with Besiktas.
Porto, Liverpool and Marseille would all have eight points,
Marseille's head to head is better than Liverpool's, but
Porto's head to head is better than Marseille's - so goal
difference would again come into the equation and Liverpool
have the best goal difference in Group A.
(LFC Official Website)
Benitez calls on Gerrard to inspire Liverpool
Rafa Benitez is backing his captain courageous to win
Liverpool's first ‘cup final’ of the season tonight.
Ever since Benitez controversially substituted Steven
Gerrard in the derby six weeks ago, the Reds skipper has
produced an inspirational series of performances.
He has scored nine goals in 10 games, failed to score only
in the goalless draw at Blackburn, and has directly created
a further eight goals, as well as being involved in several
others.
He will lead the Reds out at the Stade Velodrome tonight –
and just weeks after famously claiming his skipper was
playing with too much passion, boss Benitez said: “If Stevie
is playing well, we normally play better.
“He has been playing well for us in a lot of games now, that
is clear.
“During that time we have been winning games and he has been
scoring and creating goals. He is an important player for
us.”
(Liverpool Echo)
Zenden prepares to face the 'enemy'
Bolo Zenden is hoping to end Liverpool's Champions League
hopes tonight.
The former Liverpool midfielder, now with Marseille, is
determined to make sure the French club go through to the
knockout phase of the tournament.
"Rafa Benitez is an excellent coach, but I want Liverpool to
suffer in Marseille," he said. "Things like this happen in
football.
"I spent many years in England, but I am a Marseille player
and I have to treat my old Liverpool mates as the enemy.
"We have viewed many of their matches and the key is to
break up their rhythm.
"We need to dominate the midfield and make sure Liverpool do
not hit us on the counter-attack."
(LFC Online)
Toshack warning for Reds boss
John Toshack believes it is time for Reds manager Rafael
Benitez to start delivering before he tackles the club's
owners about transfers again.
Benitez had a high-profile disagreement with Americans
George Gillett and Tom Hicks over a perceived lack of
support in his attempts to bring in new players.
However, Toshack has sided with the co-chairmen in their
unflinching stance of wanting success on the field first.
Liverpool's first priority is to beat Marseille tonight to
secure their passage into the knockout stages of the
Champions League.
"The Americans are well within their rights to slam the
brakes on," said the Wales manager.
"This is Rafa's fourth season and I guess he's getting near
to having signed 50 players - many of whom are now not even
with the club.
"There is no question that the unfinished business he and
Liverpool have in front of them is to finally win the
Premier League."
(TEAMtalk) |
|
MONDAY 10 |
No changes for Liverpool in Marseille showdown
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez will have an unchanged squad
at his disposal for tomorrow’s Champions League
qualification decider
against Marseille.
Fernando Torres came off with a knock in the first half of
Saturday’s Barclays Premier League defeat to Reading but
Benitez confirmed the Spain striker was fit to start at the
Stade Velodrome.
Centre-half Daniel Agger is still not ready to make his
comeback after a metatarsal injury, while Xabi Alonso is
another week away from returning to the first team.
Provisional squad: Reina, Arbeloa, Finnan, Carragher,
Hyypia, Hobbs, Riise, Benayoun, Gerrard, Mascherano, Lucas,
Sissoko, Kewell, Babel, Kuyt, Voronin, Crouch, Torres,
Itandje.
(Ireland On-Line)
Reserves' romp seals top spot
Liverpool Reserves surged to the top of the Barclays Premier
Reserve League North after they produced a superb example of
attacking football against high-flying Middlesbrough at the
Halliwell Jones Stadium
on Monday.
Goals from Ronald Huth, Krisztian Nemeth and a double from
Jay Spearing secured a convincing 4-0 win over the
North-East outfit to ensure Gary Ablett's men edged two
points clear of leaders Sunderland going into the Christmas
break.
Liverpool Reserves: Martin, Darby, Insua, San Jose, Huth,
Plessis, Spearing, Crowther (Putterill 65), Brouwer, Nemeth
(Pacheco 72), Leto (Duran 75). Subs not used: Gulacsi, Ayala
(LFC Offical Website)
Royals surrender may haunt Rafa
TEAMtalk wonders if Rafael Benitez has jettisoned
Liverpool's traditions by admitting he had accepted defeat
early in their clash at Reading.
Rarely has Rafael Benitez played a more dangerous game.
In his three-and-a-half years at Anfield the Liverpool
manager has experimented with formations and obsessed about
rotation, so much so that trying to second-guess his
starting 11 is as pointless as howling
at the moon.
But he has never tampered with tradition quite as he did on
Saturday when he hauled off Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard
and Jamie Carragher in the last half-hour of the 3-1 defeat
at Reading and ostensibly accepted defeat.
Yes, accepted defeat. Threw in the towel. Effectively
surrendered. Not phrases Liverpool have been familiar with
down the years. Not a concept supporters of a club built on
the fire and passion of Bill Shankly could readily embrace.
It is why this week is so crucial to the credibility of
Benitez.
(TEAMtalk)
Marseille supremo calls for eruption
Marseille president Pape Diouf hopes the special aura of a
European night at the Stade Velodrome will be a decisive
factor when the Mediterranean side take on Liverpool in
Tuesday's Champions League Group A decider.
Diouf believes Liverpool go into the match as favourites but
he is confident the home crowd can help their team secure
the result they need.
"We all know about Marseille and its attachment to the
European Cup,"
he said.
"We know the Velodrome is going to erupt, and the public
will come with much hope to see their team qualify.
"We are against a European heavyweight, who remain
favourites in
this match."
(Football 365)
Crouch: Belief is still there
Peter Crouch says that confidence at Liverpool is still high
despite the defeat to Reading.
The 3-1 loss at the Madejski was their first league defeat
of the campaign, and was hardly ideal preparation for the
must-win UEFA Champions League game with Marseille on
Tuesday.
"We are not used to losing but we have had many a setback in
our time and we've recovered well from them," the England
international told Liverpool's official website.
"We have got enough characters in the dressing room that we
can bounce back from this and get a great result against
Marseille."
(Sky Sports)
Arbeloa: United will love it if we lose
Alvaro Arbeloa has warned Liverpool’s players the biggest
punishment for losing to Marseille will not be going out of
The Champions League, it will be the abuse they will get
from Manchester United fans
the following Sunday.
Liverpool travel to Stade Velodrome knowing they must beat
Marseille in order to avoid becoming the only English side
not to qualify for the knockout rounds of the competition.
That would arm every travelling United fan with the perfect
weapon to ambush the Anfield faithful on Sunday, and Arbeloa
insists they cannot put Reds fans through such an ordeal.
"It's like a first Champions League final of the season,"
said Arbeloa. "We can not afford to fail.
"With Manchester United coming to Anfield on Sunday, we
cannot afford to slip up - they won't let us forget it if we
don't get through."
(Setanta Sports)
Reina: Defeat would be a disaster
Liverpool keeper Jose Reina has told setantasports.com that
he is extremely confident ahead of The Reds’ make or break
Champions League clash with Marseille on Tuesday.
Reina does not feel Benitez’s job hinges on the result in
France, but is still confident ahead of the trip to the
south of France.
”I have a positive feeling for this match,” Reina told
setantasports.com. “I believe that Liverpool will win in
Marseille and we will reach our objective.
Reina says Liverpool will take the game to Marseille, but
conceded failure to secure victory would be a disaster for
the Anfield giants.
”Nobody believes in anything other than a win in Marseille
because if we fail it will be a huge blow. It will be
painful for the fans and a disaster for the players.”
(Setanta Sports)
Nasri back for Marseille
Samir Nasri returns to the Marseille squad for Tuesday
night's crunch Champions League tie against Liverpool.
The France playmaker missed Saturday's 2-0 victory over
Monaco in Ligue 1 as he was recovering from an ankle injury
suffered during his side's 2-1 defeat to Besiktas in
matchday five.
Defender Ronald Zubar is also back in the squad after
recovering from injury and could start at right-back, but
forward Salim Arrache is missing.
Striker Djibril Cisse and midfielder Boudewijn Zenden, who
both left Anfield last summer to join Marseille, are named
in coach Eric Gerets' 20-man party for the Stade Velodrome
clash.
Marseille (from): Mandanda, Mate, Zubar, Givet, Rodriguez,
Faty, Taiwo, Bonnart, M'Bami, Cheyrou, Cana, Nasri,
Valbuena, Ziani, Zenden, Oruma, Gragnic, Cisse, Niang, Ayew.
(Sporting Life)
Thor Zakariassen
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