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MONDAY 12 |
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Alonso begins the final countdown
Spanish ace Xabi Alonso turned up the heat on his European
Cup-winning team-mates saying they must start their group
stage campaign with a win against Champions League debutants
Real Betis.
Liverpool flew into the Andalusian capital to be confronted
with temperatures of nearly 100 degrees heat and Xabi Alonso
knows the heat is on them in more ways than one now they are
the holders.
The midfielder, rested to the bench on Saturday in the draw
at Tottenham, is sure to play a key holding role in this
match, and he said: “We must be careful here, but we are
also confident.
“Considering what happened to us last season in this
competition, anything can happen. Of course we can go to the
final again."
(Evening Echo)
Sissoko can be lucky charm
Liverpool midfielder Momo Sissoko is predicting a fiery
reception for the European champions at Real Betis tomorrow.
Sissoko has enjoyed some good results in Betis' Manuel Luis
De Lopera stadium.
The Mali international featured in the Valencia lineup which
defeated Betis home and away in La Liga during Rafa
Benitez's final year in Spain.
"I've played against Betis a few times and I know how good
their players are," he said.
"Fortunately, I've had some good results and I have happy
memories of facing them. But it's going to be a very
difficult game."
(Liverpool Echo)
Benitez prepared for Betis test
Boss Rafael Benitez insists Liverpool can shrug
off the weight of expectation when they face Real Betis in
Tuesday's Champions League Group G opener.
"We are the defending champions and so maybe there will be
more pressure on us," Benitez told the club website.
"But for me the idea is always the same, to prepare well, to
plan for the game and to win."
(BBC Sport Online)
Owen pleads for help
Former Real Madrid and Liverpool striker Michael Owen says
that Newcastle can’t rely on him alone to turn their season
around.
Newcastle have had a dreadful start to the season and
despite the signing of two quality strikers, Owen says that
the rest of the team need to work harder to get back to
winning ways.
Owen told Sky Sports: "Strikers always rely on the rest of
the team.
"You can't do anything on your own. If the team doesn't play
well then strikers can suffer too.
"One of the big things in football is confidence. And when
we've only got one point from four games going into this
match, you don't expect everyone to be flying."
(Pink Football)
I'm still a Reds fan, insists goal hero
Nunez
Reds reject Antonio Nunez found the perfect cure for his
Mersey homesickness on Saturday - a goal in the Bernabeu and
a 3-2 victory over Real Madrid for La Liga newcomers Celta
Vigo.
Winger Nunez left Anfield for the newly promoted Spanish
club in the summer, but admits Liverpool is never far from
his mind.
"I miss the city of Liverpool even though the food's better
in Vigo," he declared.
"I'm carrying on with my English. I've brought the satellite
dish with me from England and so I'm still watching all
Liverpool's games. I would really like to go back and play
in the Premiership one day.
"I'm still a Liverpool fan. I speak to the Spanish lads a
lot and Liverpool will always be my second home. There will
be a bit of sadness when Liverpool play against Betis. I
know if things had gone differently I would have been
involved."
(Liverpool Echo)
Xabi backs strikers
Xabi Alonso has backed Liverpool's strike force to score
plenty of goals this season.
Alonso is confident that Liverpool's striking power is good
enough to match anyone else in the Premiership.
He said: "Peter Crouch was a particularly good signing and
I'm sure he'll be a big help to us in trying to win all the
competitions this year.
"As everyone knows he is very, very tall and near him I feel
very small. People will talk about Peter Crouch in a
positive way this season and I think he will go on to play
many more games for England.
"But Crouch is not only a target man - he also has very good
quality on the ball. With Fernando Morientes and Crouch we
can have the best attack in the country. They will make life
crazy for opposition defenders this season, along with
Djibril Cisse of course."
(LFC Online)
Liverpool linked with Ferdinand
Liverpool are reportedly monitoring West Ham centre-back
Anton Ferdinand with a view to making a bid for the player's
services.
(Kop Talk)
Xabi comeback at Betis
Xabi Alonso is expected to return to the Liverpool starting
line-up for Tuesday's Group G Champions League clash with
Real Betis in Seville.
The Spanish playmaker was rested on the substitutes' bench
for Saturday's 0-0 draw at Tottenham and he was only
introduced in the second half as a replacement for Stephen
Warnock.
Manager Rafael Benitez must decide whether he is going to
play with just one striker in Peter Crouch or continue the
partnership up front with Djibril Cisse. Fernando Morientes
is still out with a hamstring injury.
Liverpool (from): Reina, Finnan, Josemi, Carragher, Hyypia,
Whitbread, Warnock, Traore, Riise, Luis Garcia, Hamann,
Sissoko, Gerrard, Cisse, Crouch, Sinama-Pongolle, Carson,
Potter, Zenden.
(TEAMtalk)
Carragher rules out Premier League
challenge
Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has ruled the Reds out of
challenging for the Premier League crown.
Carragher believes the likes of Chelsea are simply too
powerful to compete with and that's why he admits the club
is out only to secure Champions League qualification when
people talk about Premier League aspirations.
"It's going to be very difficult for us to win the league
this time when you look at Chelsea's start and the signings
they have made," said the player.
"We are talking about trying to catch a team that lost one
game all season and broke all records in terms of points.
Chelsea have raised the bar and it will be a long process to
get to their level because we don't have their financial
resources.
"We were more than 30 points behind them last time and
that's a huge gap to reduce. So the aim is to get closer to
them and qualify for the Champions League again.
"The chairman has already said that is the minimum target
acceptable to this club, and rightly so."
(Kop Talk)
Crouch confident the goals will start
flowing soon
Peter Crouch believes it is only a matter of time before he
hits the goal trail at Anfield after finding only
frustration at White Hart Lane.
The striker finally made his Premiership debut at Tottenham
and showed glimpses of the kind of threat that Rafael
Benitez had in mind when he paid £7million for the 6ft7in
man in the summer.
"As I get sharper and more fit, there's a lot more to come
from me," he said.. "The manager has brought me in with away
from home in mind in particular.
"Last year we were losing balls quite a bit and my role is
to play higher up the pitch, keep the ball and bring others
into play. Away from home that's a big asset to have.
"We've got players in the team who can score goals, but
first of all we've got to defend well and once we've done
that I'm sure the goals will fly in."
(Daily Post) |
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SUNDAY 11 |
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Fowler denies retirement speculation
Manchester City Football Club striker Robbie Fowler has
rubbished reports he is considering hanging up his boots.
It had been suggested that the 30-year-old former Liverpool
and Leeds United ace was about to announce an early
retirement from the game, yet the striker has denied these
claims.
"To say that I haven't been motivated to play is absolute
nonsense," explained Fowler. "You want people to remember
you as a good player and not one who is slipping down the
ranks.
"I don't want people losing respect for me as a player. I
want to go out in every game and perform to the highest
level. I have no retirement plans. I've had a lot of
injuries but I want to continue playing."
(Fans FC)
Injury problems for Betis
Real Betis have injury problems as they wait to make their
Champions League debut against reigning European Champions
Liverpool on Tuesday.
Although Lorenzo Serra Ferrer's side had a fortunate 1-0 win
over Osasuna on Saturday, the win came at a price.
(TEAMtalk)
Joaquin reveals Reds desire
Real Betis winger Joaquin says that he would love to join
Tuesday's UEFA Champions League opponents Liverpool.
"I know Liverpool are looking for a right winger and I'd
love to play there if they want me," said Joaquin.
"Liverpool are a massive club and Benitez knows what he
wants."
(Planet Football/Sky Sports) |
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SATURDAY 10 |
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Rafa chasing cutting edge
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez admitted his side needed to find
more cutting edge after their goalless draw at Tottenham.
"We have three clean sheets and we are better than last
season in terms of defence but we need to improve in terms
of attack," he stated.
(Sky Sports)
Jol pushes Carrick claims
Tottenham boss Martin Jol heaped praise on midfielder
Michael Carrick after the goalless draw with Liverpool.
"Michael Carrick mastered the whole midfield, he was
outstanding," claimed Jol.
"I think he deserves it [a place in the England side]".
(Sky Sports)
Exciting match ended goalless
Spurs debutant Gregor Rasiak and Liverpool's Peter Crouch
both had goals disallowed as an exciting match at White Hart
Lane ended goalless.
Rasiak's header from a corner was ruled out as the ball had
gone out of play and Crouch had a similar effort disallowed
for the same reason.
Rasiak was also unlucky when his header hit the top of the
crossbar after an Edgar Davids strike had been parried.
John Arne Riise also hit the crossbar with fierce volley
from 20 yards.
(BBC Sport Online)
Tottenham-Liverpool - confirmed team
Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Warnock, Garcia, Gerrard,
Hamann, Riise,
Cisse, Crouch
Subs - Traore, Carson, Josemi, Alonso, Sissoko
(Webmaster)
Benitez backs Crouch
Rafael Benitez says Peter Crouch will help Liverpool earn
more points away from home this season.
"Crouch is okay now. He's played a reserve game, where he
performed really well. He's been training normally and he's
now fit and ready for selection," said Benitez.
"I'm happy to have him back and it's possible he'll play.
He's going to be a good player for us and crucial to our
away form. He's already confirmed the ideas I had when I
tried to sign him. I know I've bought a quality player in
Crouch.
"He's not just good in the air, but strong on the ground.
Everyone who's seen him, even the fans who've come to see us
train, have commented to me how good they think he is on the
ground. If he plays at the level we hope, we know we're
going to improve."
(LFC Online)
Benitez expects hot reception
Rafael Benitez returns to Spain next week with his Champions
League winners expecting an altogether more hostile
reception to that which followed Liverpool's European
triumph.
The former Valencia boss was revered from afar after
achieving the unthinkable in his first season at Liverpool,
with his reputation enhanced across Europe but particularly
in Spain after May's victory over AC Milan in Istanbul.
Benitez takes his team to southern Spain this week for
Tuesday's Champions League first-round game against Real
Betis, and his players are now marked men.
"Fans in Seville are among the most passionate in Spain, and
the atmosphere for the Betis game will tremendous. They will
make it hard for us," said Benitez.
(Sporting Life)
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Thor Zakariassen
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