|
|
|
SUNDAY 18 |
Owen expects red-hot reception
Michael Owen is under no illusions that he will receive a
hostile reception at Anfield when he returns to Liverpool
next weekend.
Former Liverpool hero Owen returns to Anfield for the first
time with Manchester United next Sunday since his surprise
switch to Old Trafford.
Owen has been warned by former Reds team-mate Jamie
Carragher that he could be the subject of discontent from
Liverpool fans for joining
their arch-rivals.
The 29-year-old is fully expecting to receive jeers from the
Liverpool faithful and he insists the reception will not
bother him
Owen told the Mail on Sunday Magazine: "I'm human. I'd
prefer people to sit down and recognise what you did for
them and for the team in years gone past but I'm pretty
realistic as well and now that I'm playing for their arch
rivals... I'm not holding my breath, put it that way."
(Sky Sports)
Rafa praying key men are OK
Rafael Benitez is praying he will have Steven Gerrard and
Fernando Torres in full flow for Liverpool's critical
Champions League showdown with Lyon.
The Reds face the Group E leaders at Anfield on Tuesday
knowing they dare not lose, with Fiorentina, who beat them
in Florence last month, having much easier back-to-back
clashes with Hungarian outsiders Debrecen to negotiate.
Liverpool meet Lyon home and away in a fortnight knowing
Fiorentina could have two more wins under their belt in that
time.
Gerrard and Torres are having intensive treatment to get
them fit to face Lyon, and for the following weekend's visit
of Manchester United.
If they are still not recovered on Tuesday, Liverpool will
really be up against it as they battle to qualify for the
last 16.
Benitez said: "I can only pray that Gerrard and Torres will
be fit by then, they are very important to us. I hope they
will be available for Tuesday, but it is too soon to make a
judgement yet."
(PA Sport)
Hysen: Carra crucial to Reds success
Former Liverpool defender Glenn Hysen has paid tribute to
Jamie Carragher as the Reds stalwart hones in on his 600th
appearance
for the club.
The vice-captain featured for the 589th time at Sunderland
on Saturday and the Swede reckons the impending landmark is
proof that he will go down as one of the club's finest
defenders ever.
"I love watching Jamie play," Hysen told Liverpoolfc.tv. "He
is such
a fighter.
"Maybe he hasn't been at his very best this season, but he's
so important to Liverpool and he'll be crucial in any
success they have this season.
"Skrtel and Agger are both good players, but I see it as
Carragher plus one of them. They are both young and have
time to progress, but I still think Jamie is number one.
"I'd love to see him cap his Liverpool career with the
title. It would be a disaster if both he and Gerrard don't
win the league with Liverpool. They are both such good
players."
(LFC Official Website)
Carragher seeking Reds response
Jamie Carragher has vowed Liverpool will stick together as
they prepare for a crucial period that could decide their
season.
The Reds saw their title hopes suffer a further blow on
Saturday after going down 1-0 to Sunderland, thanks to a
fortuitous goal from
Darren Bent.
It was Liverpool's fourth defeat in the Premier League and
their third in a row in all competitions as they prepare to
tackle Lyon in the Champions League before league leaders
Manchester United make the trip to Anfield next weekend.
Carragher, who captained Liverpool at the Stadium of Light,
is confident Rafa Benitez's men can bounce back from their
latest setback
against Lyon.
"It was frustrating for us but Chelsea also lost so there is
still a long way to go," said Carragher.
"Now is not the time to talk about the title. We are looking
to
the next game."
(TEAMtalk)
Ex-ref Winters: Sunderland winner
should not have stood
Former Premier League referee Jeff Winter felt Sunderland's
goal against Liverpool should not have stood due to the
involvement of a beach ball.
The Black Cats won courtesy of Darren Bent's eighth goal of
the season, which flew past Reds goalkeeper Jose Reina after
hitting a beach ball which had been thrown on to the pitch
from the Liverpool fans.
"It's an outside interference, the game has to be stopped
and restarted with a drop ball, a drop ball where both teams
actually compete for the ball," Winter told Sky Sports News.
(tribalfootball.com) |
|
SATURDAY 17 |
Bruce: Forget about the fluke
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce was delighted with his side's
display against Liverpool and does not want the fluke nature
of the winner to detract from that.
Sunderland claimed a 1-0 win at the Stadium of Light which
came courtesy of Darren Bent after five minutes.
However, replays showed that Bent's shot deflected off a
beach ball and it was that which sent it past Jose Reina.
Rules state that the goal should have been disallowed and a
drop ball should have been given, but Bruce maintains that
would have been truly harsh on his side.
"I thought it was a deflection off a player and I have just
seen it, but if anyone knew the rule that it should have
been a drop ball then you are a real saddo!" he quipped.
(Sky Sports)
Rafa: We can't blame freak goal
Rafa Benitez refused to blame the manner of Darren Bent's
bizarre winner for Liverpool's fourth defeat of the season -
and admitted his side need to improve to keep their title
dream alive.
Bent sealed a 1-0 win for Sunderland after his fifth-minute
strike deflected off an inflatable ball thrown on to the
pitch by a supporter.
But Benitez said: "It was a special situation but we didn't
play well. The goal changed the game but we didn't play
well, made some mistakes and gave the ball away. After this
they played well on the counter-attack. They had some
chances and when we had our chances we didn't take them.
"These things can happen in a lot of games. It's a bad
situation for us that the (inflatable) ball was in the
middle and was influential but again I will say we didn't
play well - that's the main thing for me."
(LFC Official Website)
Life's a beach for Benitez
Darren Bent staked a further claim for a place in England’s
World Cup squad as Sunderland heaped further misery on
Liverpool. However, he did so in controversial circumstances
as the visitors were left fuming over the fifth-minute
strike.
Bent’s eighth goal of the season came when his shot was
deflected past goalkeeper Pepe Reina by a red beach ball
which had been thrown onto the pitch, although referee Mike
Jones had little option but to award
the goal.
But if the visitors felt aggrieved at the manner in which
their third successive defeat in all competitions was
sealed, they could have few complaints about the result in
front of a crowd of 47,327 at
the Stadium of Light.
With the injured Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres missing,
they were a shadow of the side which pushed Manchester
United so close last season as they slipped to their fourth
league defeat of the campaign despite a late, late rally.
(The Irish Times)
Spearing starts in Sunderland
Jay Spearing will start his first Barclays Premier League
game in Sunderland today as Rafa Benitez shuffles his
formation in the absence of his two most influential
players.
With Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres injured, the gaffer
has selected a 5-4-1 formation, with Dirk Kuyt up front
supported by Ryan Babel and Yossi Benayoun.
Daniel Agger, Martin Skrtel and Jamie Carragher all start.
The Reds XI in full is: Reina, Johnson, Aurelio, Carragher,
Skrtel, Agger, Lucas, Spearing, Benayoun, Babel, Kuyt.
Subs: Cavalieri, Voronin, Riera, Mascherano, Insua, Ngog,
Kelly.
(LFC Official Website)
Saudi firm says Liverpool
stake talks on hold
Private Saudi sports investment firm F6 said on Saturday
that talks with George Gillett, the American co-owner of
English football club Liverpool, to buy a stake in the club
are on hold.
Gillett arrived earlier this week to Riyadh sparking
speculation that the visit will push towards the conclusion
a deal with F6 owners, who include Saudi Prince Faisal bin
Fahd bin Abdullah and Saudi businessman
Majed al-Hugail.
"The purchase of a stake in Liverpool has not been discussed
throughout Gillett's visit, not for even five minutes," F6
Deputy Managing Director Gassim Hamidaddin told Reuters.
"The discussions are now on hold. The idea of buying a stake
in Liverpool was put on the table in September but since
then nothing happened,"
he added.
(Reuters) |
|
FRIDAY 16 |
Gerrard and Torres out
- Kyrgiakos boost
Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres were today ruled out of
this weekend's trip to Sunderland - though Rafael Benitez
has received better news on the injury to Sotirios
Kyrgiakos.
Both Gerrard (groin) and Torres (muscle) have failed to
recover from knocks sustained on international duty, but
both may return for our midweek Champions League clash with
Lyon.
Kyrgiakos, meanwhile, limped out of Greece's World Cup
qualifier in midweek, and initial press reports suggested he
could be out for several months. However, Benitez expects
the centre back to be available within a week to ten days.
(LFC Official Website)
Rovers swoop for Reds keeper
Tranmere Rovers have eased their goalkeeping concerns by
signing David Martin from Liverpool on a month's loan.
Caretaker manager Les Parry had been looking to bring in a
new keeper ahead of Saturday's game against Brighton due to
regular No.1 Luke Daniels being suspended.
Parry was keen not to put any pressure on teenager Joe
Collister and has secured a deal for Martin, who spent last
season on loan
at Leicester City.
Martin will start against Brighton at Prenton Park and Parry
is happy to have brought in a keeper who impressed in League
One last season.
"I'm really pleased to be able to bring a goalkeeper of
David's quality in," Parry told the club's official website.
(Sky Sports)
Lee relishing Reds' visit
to Stadium of Fright
Sunderland are making their home into the Stadium of Fright
for opponents, says Lee Cattermole.
And the tigerish midfielder says the Black Cats' strong
start to the season means they have nothing to fear when
Liverpool arrive on Wearside tomorrow.
Sunderland have not beaten one of the Premier League's top
four since a late Michael Proctor goal conquered Liverpool
in December 2002.
They went so close in their last outing at Manchester
United, and Cattermole would love to end the hoodoo.
He told the Gazette: "We have proven that the Stadium of
Light is not an easy place to come again. A lot of teams are
going to fear it.
"Liverpool will know they're in for a game. They're a top
side, and it will be one of the hardest games of the season
for us."
(The Shields Gazette)
Carragher: I can bounce back
Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher insists he has no problem
with being criticised and is adamant his age has not
contributed to his poor form
this season.
Carragher has slipped below his usual high standard for the
Reds this term, prompting some to suggest the 31-year-old's
career is in decline.
However, the long-serving centre-half is confident he can
recapture his best form for Rafa Benitez's side and is not
troubled by the questions being raised over his future.
"What will happen with me now is that every time I have a
bad game, people will mention my age, whereas before it was
just a case of me having a bad game," said Carragher.
"I'm not playing well at the moment, I know that. It's up to
me to turn that around. I've got the strength of character
to put it right.
"The reason I've been here so long is because I can deal
with it and have the character to do that."
(Football 365)
Zenden pens contract with Black
Cats
Sunderland have signed midfielder Boudewijn Zenden until the
end of the season and he could make his debut against former
club Liverpool.
Zenden impressed Black Cats boss Steve Bruce while training
on Wearside.
The 33-year-old Dutchman has been signed as a free agent
after leaving Marseille during the summer.
(TEAMtalk)
Confusion reigns over Gillett
and Hicks investment quest
Confusion continues to reign in the quest of Liverpool
co-owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks to attract new
investment.
Gillett has now dismissed claims Prince Faisal bin Fahd bin
Abdullah is close to buying a significant stake at Anfield.
(Liverpool Daily Post)
Thor Zakariassen
© |
|
|
|
