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FRIDAY 15 |
Mourinho wants to end feud with Benitez
Jose Mourinho has said he is ready to bury the hatchet with
Rafael Benitez.
The Chelsea head coach has been embroiled in a war of words
with his Liverpool counterpart over the last two seasons as
their clubs' rivalry intensified.
The pair have snubbed the normal post-match sporting
courtesy of shaking hands in their last two meetings,
putting their relationship under scrutiny.
But after clashing regularly with Arsenal's Arsene Wenger,
Mourinho no longer wants to row with Benitez.
The Spaniard this week offered to start afresh and Chelsea's
manager will accept the hand of peace when they face each
other at Stamford Bridge on Sunday if he feels it's genuine.
Mourinho said: "I don't care what people think or say. I
don't care about the image, I care about human feelings.
"If the feeling is not negative and we realise that in the
past some comments should not have been made, then I am more
than ready for that. Before the game or after the game I am
happy and I think we should not be worried about the
picture.
"We have no problems, we never had a personal confrontation.
Some words, interviews and comments were not nice, but I
think we will shake hands in private on Sunday. But I agree
with Benitez completely that shaking hands is not important.
The important thing is the game and not Mourinho and
Benitez."
(The Daily Mail)
Robben's back in Blues squad
Arjen Robben is back in the squad for Chelsea’s clash with
Liverpool.
Robben has missed four games with a calf injury which he
suffered in the warm-up at Middlesbrough.
Joe Cole is out because his knee injury flared up after
coming on for the last 10 minutes of Tuesday’s Champions
League tie against Werder Bremen.
It is a setback for England midfielder Cole who has not
started a game since he injured his knee in pre-season.
Provisional squad: Cech, Boulahrouz, Ferreira, Carvalho,
Terry, Bridge, A Cole, Geremi, Makelele, Essien, Lampard,
Ballack, Mikel, Kalou, Wright-Phillips, Robben, Shevchenko,
Drogba, Cudicini.
(Ireland On-Line)
This is not our title decider
Rafa Benitez has dismissed claims Liverpool's hopes of a
title challenge depend on a result against Chelsea this
weekend.
With one defeat in their first three league games, Benitez
is well aware of the importance of a positive outcome at
Stamford Bridge.
"I'm surprised so many people are saying if we lose, the
title will be impossible," said Benitez. "Last year we won
one of the first six league games but finished the season
with 82 points and came third. This time,I wouldn't be
surprised if a team with 75 points
finished first."
(Liverpool Echo)
Further approval for stadium project
Liverpool FC's projected new 60,000-capacity stadium has
cleared another hurdle.
Members of the city council's regeneration committee
yesterday unanimously approved the ambitious scheme, a week
after councillors agreed to rent out about one-third of
Stanley Park so the club can build a 60,000-seater ground
next to Anfield.
(Daily Post)
Benitez ready for showdown
Rafael Benitez believes Liverpool are "ready" for another
showdown with Chelsea which could reveal whether his summer
spending spree has begun to bridge the gap with the
champions.
The Reds may well have won their last two games against Jose
Mourinho's men, in the Community Shield and last season's FA
Cup semi-final, but the Blues boss would dismiss those
defeats as merely cup action.
This will be the 12th time the clubs have clashed in the
Mourinho-Benitez era and Benitez is prepared for the latest
instalment.
"We are ready now for Chelsea," he said. "You can never be
sure because Chelsea are a very good team but we feel ready
and we are planning to go there and win."
(ITV Football)
Blues lose Cole for Reds clash
Joe Cole has been ruled out of Chelsea's weekend clash with
Liverpool following a fresh setback in his recovery from a
knee injury.
Things looked good for the England international midfielder
after he came off the bench in The Blues' 2-0 midweek UEFA
Champions League win over Werder Bremen.
Cole was even targeting a return to the England set-up in a
month's time, however, the 24-year-old is now likely to need
a further two weeks on the sidelines.
The former West Ham winger suffered a reaction while making
his comeback and is frustrated at being forced out of their
weekend clash at Stamford Bridge, live on Sky Sports 1.
"I am devastated that the injury has flared up again," Cole
said.
"Unfortunately the injury is not healing as I would like and
I need to get 100 percent right.
"I need to take a few steps back for that to happen and it
is unlikely I will be ready for the Liverpool game, which is
a big blow for me.
"I am desperate to play and the Liverpool game is a big one
to miss out on, but I know I need to get this right."
(Sky Sports)
Terry targets Sunday best
John Terry is hoping Chelsea can "set the tone" for another
championship-winning season by seeing off Liverpool at
Stamford Bridge this weekend.
Victory would put Jose Mourinho's side eight points clear of
Liverpool on Sunday - when fellow heavyweights Manchester
United and Arsenal also clash.
Chelsea, beaten by the Reds in last month's Community
Shield, believe Liverpool may still be vulnerable after last
weekend's surprise 3-0 derby defeat by Everton.
With United riding high at the top of the table, defender
Terry is well aware of how many observers are already
viewing the 2006/07 campaign.
"I can see why people might be saying the title race is down
to us and United if we can both win on Sunday," he told The
Sun.
"If you can win a big one early it can be a massive
statement."
(PA Sport)
Benitez concern over Diao's lack of
playing time
Rafael Benitez has expressed his concern that Salif Diao
will be difficult to sell when the transfer window re-opens
in January.
Diao is facing more than three months out of action
following his failure to secure a move to a new club in the
summer - something which could drastically reduce his market
value.
The Senegal midfielder is not in Benitez's first team plans,
and the Liverpool manager would rather see a reserve team
centred on young players trying to make the grade.
Diao is in the final year of his contract and despite there
being little prospect of him playing football while he stays
at Anfield, he is still in full training and staying in
shape.
Benitez is frustrated that the difficulty in offloading Diao
will only increase in the winter - as well as him taking up
valuable space on the wage bill.
He said: "Sometimes it depends on the people around the
players, and if they have good advice or bad advice or bad
advisors.
"In this case, I think that as a player the most important
thing is to play. If you don't play, you cannot show other
people what you can do.
"He is fit, he is training normally, and it is not a
problem. He is a very good professional and is training
every day without a problem.
"But without games, other teams cannot see this. We will see
how we can use Salif, and it's a possibility he can play for
the reserves.
"But we have young players in the reserves, and if it's a
choice between using young players and senior players, I
would say to Gary (Ablett) to use the young players."
(Daily Post) |
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THURSDAY 14 |
'Siesta' time for the Reds
Liverpool FC's footballing stars have been caught napping.
But instead of being fooled on the football pitch the team
have been having snoozy Spanish-style siestas at the club's
Melwood training ground.
Reds boss Rafa Benitez is believed to have ordered a respite
area to be built at the West Derby ground after introducing
double workout sessions at the start of the season.
The area has a number of comfortable beds which allow
players to "chill out" between the morning and afternoon
sessions. It is aimed primarily at players who live in
outlying areas.
Liverpool FC declined to comment.
(Liverpool Echo)
Molby: Agger may be in for good
Jan Molby believes fellow Dane Daniel Agger is ready to
cement his place in Liverpool's back four, breaking up the
traditional pairing of Jamie Carragher and Sami Hyypia.
Molby says the 21-year-old's performances this season prove
why he's got the potential to become one of Europe's hottest
defensive talents. And Anfield's first Great Dane believes
manager Rafa Benitez will keep faith in the youngster for
this weekend's trip to Stamford Bridge.
"He is definitely threatening to break up the partnership of
Carra and Sami now," said Molby.
"His strength is his maturity and ability to handle any
situation he faces.
"It doesn't matter how big the game is, nothing fazes him.
That's been shown for his club and at international level
ever since he made his debut for Brondby."
(Liverpool Echo)
Kromkamp impressed by Reds
PSV defender Jan Kromkamp has praised the performance of his
former Liverpool team-mates on Tuesday night and admitted
that a point was the 'absolute maximum' his new club
deserved in the opening game of the Champions League group
stage.
Having moved to PSV on transfer deadline day, the Dutch
international knew all about what to expect from this
Liverpool side and considered the 0-0 draw a great result.
"We just could not break them down," revealed Kromkamp.
"Liverpool played a very clever game. They seemed happy for
us to have most of the possession but always had players
closing down the space and making it difficult for us.
"It was the Liverpool of old in Europe. They defended really
well. Once Kone's shot clipped the bar, it became
increasingly apparent we didn't have the power or guile to
open Liverpool up.
"We only had two decent chances in the 90 minutes, and it's
a fact that they created more as the game went on. That was
partly my fault. I was so eager to do well against my old
club, I kept getting forward at every opportunity.
(LFC Official Website)
Kuyt lauds Bellamy
Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt says his partnership with fellow
summer signing Craig Bellamy will get better and better.
The duo looked excellent against PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday
night in the Champions League, with the Dutchman acting as
the perfect foil for the energetic Bellamy.
"I thought the partnership with Craig Bellamy looked good,"
said the 26-year-old.
"He is so quick, it unnerves defenders, and I felt he was
too quick even for the linesman at times, because there was
at least one offside decision, when he was racing through,
that should not have been given.
"For my part, I just want to put as much effort in as I can,
and it meant a lot to hear my team-mates praising me
afterwards.
"They said I had worked really hard and done well for the
team, and it was great
to hear that.
"My one big frustration at Feyenoord was that I never got a
chance in the Champions' League. It has always been my
ambition to play at this level, and it was all I hoped it
would be."
(Clubcall Sports)
Let's give peace a chance, Benitez urges
Mourinho
Make love, not war, was the message from Rafael Benitez to
Jose Mourinho last night as the Liverpool manager appealed
to his Chelsea counterpart to bury their personal enmity
when they meet again at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Just 24 hours after railing against the conspirators he
believes are behind Frank Lampard's loss of confidence and
Chelsea's disciplinary record in Europe, the Portuguese
coach received an olive branch from a most unlikely source
when Benitez, with whom he has turned from friend to foe in
recent seasons, made an unexpected plea for a public
reconciliation ahead of their next Premiership encounter.
Whether he is currently in the mood for cordiality remains
to be seen.
(The Independent) |
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WEDNESDAY 13 |
Paletta enjoying Reds life
Gabriel Paletta has revealed he is settling in well at
Liverpool.
The 20-year-old arrived at Liverpool from Argentine side
Banfield earlier in the summer.
Paletta has yet to feature in the first team this season,
but he is tipped as one for the future.
"I was surprised in the way we did training during the
pre-season," said Paletta.
"Nearly all what we did was to work with the ball and then
some physical exercises but most of all playing with the
ball.
"Another thing that surprised me was when (Steven) Gerrard
returned from the World Cup he came to where I was and
presented himself.
"Everyone is patient with me and try to explain to me the
things I don't stand in the language.
"Even the Spanish players talk to me in English. I am full
time with my English lessons."
Paletta is ready to wait for his chance in the first team
and is ready to follow the example of compatriot Gabriel
Heinze who quickly adapted to the rigours of English
football at Manchester United.
"I know that I also have to be patient before playing
regularly but Heinze is fine at Manchester United and that
surely is because he worked hard and won himself that
respect. So I will have to do the same," added Paletta.
"I want to get adapted in the best way as possible and take
advantage of every single chance I have."
(Sky Sports)
Koeman surprised by Benitez's tinkering
PSV Eindhoven coach Ronald Koeman said he was surprised by
Liverpool's starting line-up for their Champions League
Group C opener on Tuesday.
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez made drastic changes to the
side that was beaten 3-0 by Everton in the Mersey derby on
Saturday, including leaving England midfielder Steven
Gerrard and striker Peter Crouch on the bench.
"We knew that Benitez makes changes but starting without
Crouch, (Sami) Hyypia and Gerrard, was an enormous surprise
for us," Koeman told reporters after
the 0-0 stalemate."
(Reuters)
Clean sheet peps up Pepe
Pepe Reina insists his confidence never wavered after his
Goodison hell, as he recovered to keep a morale boosting
clean sheet in Holland last night.
The Liverpool keeper was well protected during the dour 0-0
draw with PSV Eindhoven.
But after a traumatic weekend, Reina recognised the
importance of securing the club's first shut-out of the
campaign.
"It meant a lot to us last night," said the Spanish
international. "We defended well and I think we may even
have deserved a victory in the end.
"We played a lot better than on Saturday. We'd have
preferred to win, but a point is enough.
"It was important not just for me to keep a clean sheet, but
the whole team. It's better news for us."
(Liverpool Echo)
Traore blow for Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic Football Club defender Djimi Traore has
broken his leg.
The summer signing from Liverpool was forced out of the 2-1
defeat at Chelsea just after half-time on Saturday, and the
full extent of the injury has now been revealed.
Traore now faces at least two months on the sidelines, which
will add to the Addicks’ worries with fellow summer arrivals
Andy Reid and Souleymane Diawara both out for a month with
hamstring injuries.
Charlton have lost three of their four opening Premiership
games this season, with just a 2-0 win over Bolton Wanderers
at The Valley giving them points on the board.
(Fans FC)
Finnan: Confidence has been restored
Steve Finnan believes Liverpool's battered confidence has
been restored following the creditable Champions League draw
in Holland on Tuesday night.
“It was good to get that weekend derby defeat our system and
I think confidence has now been restored, which is important
seeing as we’ve got a big game at Chelsea to come next,”
says Finnan.
(LFC Official Website)
Ex-Red scores hat-trick
Former Liverpool player Fernando Morientes scored a
hat-trick for Valencia last night.
Morientes, who struggled for goals during his time at
Anfield, scored a hat-trick as Valencia beat Olympiakos 4-2
in Greece in their Champions League opener last night.
(LFC Online)
Kuyt disappointed not to win
Dirk Kuyt was disappointed Liverpool didn't take all three
points from their Champions League group stage game with PSV
Eindhoven.
The Reds started their Champions League campaign with a 0-0
draw away at PSV. Dirk Kuyt was disappointed Liverpool
didn't score a winner but admits a draw is a pretty good
result.
"I think we had a good chance. We had very good
organisation, we didn't give many chances to them but we
didn't score," said the Dutch striker.
"I think it's a good result. The main thing is you don't
want to lose here and 0-0 is a good result.
"I think we are good enough to have many clean sheets. It's
a good thing so from this clean sheet we go on to the next
one."
(LFC Online)
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Thor Zakariassen
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