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SUNDAY 18 |
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Man Utd hit by Keane injury blow
Manchester United skipper Roy Keane is likely to be out for
two months after breaking a metatarsal in his left foot.
Keane suffered the injury to his third metatarsal in
United's 0-0 draw with Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.
(BBC Sport Online)
Rafa: The goals will come
Rafael Benitez firmly believes the goals will soon start to
fly in for Liverpool and said he was happy with the
performance of his team against Manchester United in the
goalless draw at Anfield.
Benitez said: "I prefer to look at the positives. We have
kept four clean sheets in a row and that is a positive
thing. Okay we need to score goals but that will come.
(LFC Official Website)
Fergie fears glimpse of future
Sir Alex Ferguson believes the intense rivalry between
Manchester United and Liverpool is in danger of producing
more dour stalemates.
Ferguson said: "There was nothing wrong with the atmosphere
between the players but maybe these games are too intense
and too important now. You could see 0-0 written all over it
from very early on.
"Maybe it makes it difficult for players to relax,
particularly the forwards."
(TEAMtalk)
Gerrard: We showed too much respect
Steven Gerrard has acknowledged Liverpool gave Manchester
United too much space to play in the first half of Sunday's
Premiership stalemate.
Gerrard said afterwards: "Maybe we showed them a little bit
too much respect in the first half.
"But if you take too many chances and push men forward they
(United) are that good on the counter-attack they can nick
it 1-0.
"I think they will be happy to come to Anfield and get a
point."
(TEAMtalk)
Old rivals in scoreless stalemate
Liverpool and Manchester United lost further ground on
Premiership leaders Chelsea after an abysmal 0-0 draw at
Anfield.
The history between these two clubs always makes for an
intriguing contest but there was little in the way of
spectacle to excite a vociferous crowd.
It was a game neither team deserved to win, or were ever in
danger of losing, and it is to be hoped that this is not a
vision for the future of Premiership football.
(Sky Sports)
Liverpool v Manchester United - confirmed
teams
LIVERPOOL: Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Warnock,
Garcia, Alonso, Gerrard, Riise, Pongolle, Crouch.
SUBS: Carson, Cisse, Josemi, Traore, Sissoko.
SCUM: Van Der Sar, O'Shea, Ferdinand, Silvestre, Richardson,
Smith, Keane, Scholes, Ronaldo, Rooney, Van Nistelrooy.
SUBS: Howard, Giggs, Park, Fletcher, Bardsley.
(Kop Talk)
Giggs: How LFC ruined my summer
Manchester United veteran Ryan Giggs has spoken for the
first time about Liverpool's amazing Champions League
victory and revealed that even now he can't bear to think of
what happened on the night of May 25.
Giggs has proved himself one of United's greatest players
ever over the last decade but the sight of Liverpool being
given the trophy he lifted himself in 1999 to actually keep
was just too much for him.
"I didn't buy a paper for a week," sighed Giggs, when asked
about Liverpool's glorious comeback against AC Milan. "I
didn't watch the TV or buy a paper. It was unbelievable. You
don't like to say it, but you have to give them credit for
coming back from 3-0 down. To be honest, I don't like to
think about it."
(LFC Official Website) |
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SATURDAY 17 |
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Rio ready for Reds rumble
Rio Ferdinand believes one look round Anfield on Sunday will
tell anyone the rivalry between Liverpool and United is as
intense as ever.
The emergence of Arsenal and Chelsea as Premiership forces
and Liverpool's failure to win a league title since 1990 has
led some to suggest the bitter feuding between the two
north-west giants has been diluted.
Not for Sir Alex Ferguson, though, who regards the short
trip down the East Lancs Road as the highlight of any
season. And not for Ferdinand either.
"Because of our rivalry with Chelsea and Arsenal, people do
ask whether the one with Liverpool has waned," said the
defender.
"Anyone who goes anywhere near the ground on Sunday will
find out it hasn't.
"The fans of both sides will be up for it and there is no
doubt in my mind the players will be up for it as well."
(TEAMtalk)
Gerrard's Kop rage
Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard says he's sick to the back
teeth of hearing about the Premier League's "top three".
Chelsea this, Arsenal that, Man United this... but what
about the European Champions Liverpool? Ignored as usual.
Okay we're probably not the most in form team at the moment
but after collecting our fifth European Cup, surely the Reds
should be talked about a little more? Yes says the skipper.
Gerrard said: "We have won the Champions League but at home
people only ever speak about the top three teams...and I am
sick of hearing all that.
"We had a great season in Europe but the Premiership was
very disappointing. We are desperate now to show people that
Liverpool are improving and we are desperate to get talked
about when it comes to the title race.
"We want to hear our name mentioned, we want to be in there
with the other three. When people talk about the title it is
always those three and we are always overlooked. The time
has come for us to start getting mentioned."
(Kop Talk)
Hyypia trusts Rafa
Liverpool defender Sami Hyypia has backed Rafa Benitez to
turn the club into serious title contenders.
The Finn believes Liverpool are making progress under
Benitez, despite finishing in fifth spot in The Premiership
last term.
"I have trust in him," Hyypia told the Guardian. "When we
came back from summer holiday on the first day he took me
into his office and said: 'We are looking for a
centre-half.' I said: 'Fine, competition is good.' Come
January, I bet someone comes in. But I look at it
positively.
"I feel Rafael Benitez brings good days, a lot of trophies."
"It will take time for the manager to get the squad that he
wants.
"This season we have Zenden, Crouch, Sissoko and Reina, new
faces.
"We will be more ready for the task because the manager has
four new players he rates very highly."
(Sky Sports)
Carragher salutes Sissoko
Jamie Carragher has been impressed with Mohamed Sissoko's
form and believes the Mali international is making it
impossible for Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez to leave him
out.
Carragher has watched Sissoko's introduction into the team
from his place in the heart of defence, and has been
impressed.
"He's one of the first names on the team-sheet at the
moment," said Carragher. "Our four central midfielders are
as strong as any club in Europe now so the manager has a lot
of options, but the way Sissoko is playing he's making it
virtually impossible for the manager to leave him out.
"Momo's been superb. If he can continue to turn in the kind
of performances he has been so far then I think we have a
real player on our hands.
"People have compared him to Patrick Vieira and I can see
that. I normally don't like to compare players because you
can end up with egg on your face but he is very similar to
Vieira.
"The way he runs is the same, and the way he gets tackles in
with his long legs when he looks like he can't get to the
ball is similar to Vieira as well."
(TEAMtalk) |
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FRIDAY 16 |
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Gerrard set for Reds return
Rafael Benitez is expected to bring captain Steven Gerrard
back into Liverpool's starting line-up to face Manchester
United at 12pm on Sunday.
Benitez rested Gerrard, Steve Finnan, Djibril Cisse, Stephen
Warnock and Dietmar Hamann to the bench for Tuesday's
Champions League win away to Real Betis, but only Gerrard
can expect to go straight back into the first team.
Benitez still has Fernando Morientes out with a hamstring
injury, while Harry Kewell and Neil Mellor are long-term
injury victims.
Liverpool (from): Reina, Josemi, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia,
Warnock, Traore, Luis Garcia, Hamann, Gerrard, Xabi Alonso,
Sissoko, Sinama-Pongolle, Crouch, Cisse, Riise, Zenden,
Carson.
(TEAMtalk)
Fergie's praise is testament to how far
Reds have moved on
Rafa Benitez's growing reputation as a master tactician is
supported by the legend he is facing this Sunday.
Sir Alex Ferguson joined the Benitez fan club following
Liverpool's European Cup success.
The pair have become friends during the Anfield chief's
impressive introduction to English football, with Benitez
particularly touched by the warm tribute he received from
the United boss last May.
A Liverpool win on Sunday is unlikely to warrant a letter of
congratulations from Sir Alex this time.
But a simple handshake and 'well done' will leave Benitez
feeling equally content.
(Liverpool Echo)
Garcia says he will improve
Luis Garcia has told Liverpool fans they will see the best
of him this season.
Garcia had a successful first season with Liverpool, ending
up as joint top scorer with 13 goals and winning the
European Cup but the Spaniard says he will play even better
this season now he has adapted to the English game.
Garcia told the official site: "I think this is going to be
a good season for me because this is my second one. In my
first season in England I was learning about the English
football in a new team with new team-mates.
"I have to always do my best and try and do much better than
last year. I know what I have to do and I have changed some
things to my game. I think this season will be much better
for me.
"I know I scored 13 goals last season which wasn't bad but
but I think I can do a lot better this season. Everyone can
be better and this season I will try to be better and
I will do it."
(LFC Online)
Carra: Reds are in title race
Jamie Carragher insists Liverpool's aim this
season is to win the Premiership after refuting claims he
has written off their title hopes.
Words of defeatism are not the sort that come tumbling out
of Bootle-born Carragher's mouth easily - certainly not with
a game against Manchester United coming up.
In the build-up for Sunday's Anfield clash with United,
Liverpool's tough defender sought to put the record
straight.
He said proudly: "We are Liverpool, the most successful side
in the country in terms of winning the league and that's
always our aim at the start of the season."
(TEAMtalk)
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Thor Zakariassen
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