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TUESDAY 18 |
Kuyt feels for Pennant
Goalscorer Dirk Kuyt sympathised with Jermaine Pennant after
the winger was sent off in Liverpool’s nail-biting 1-1 draw
at Porto.
Kuyt levelled with a close-range header before Pennant was
sent off for two yellow cards early in the second period –
the second for a pointless challenge near the touchline.
But the Dutch striker told ITV1 afterwards: “He was unlucky.
He tried to do his best and maybe it was a bit too much.”
“The first half we had problems passing. We tried to do it
better second half and we worked really hard. With a bit of
luck we could have won."
(Ireland On-Line)
A fortunate draw and too many mistakes
Liverpool escaped with a fortunate draw after a poor display
against Porto in this Champions League Group A match.
Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina gave away a penalty and was
beaten by Lucho Gonzalez's spot-kick on eight minutes.
Despite their error-strewn first-half performance, Dirk Kuyt
pulled Liverpool level with a close-range header.
But Liverpool had to play with 10 men for over 30 minutes of
the second half after Jermaine Pennant was sent off after
picking up a second
yellow card.
If Liverpool are to reach their third Champions League final
in four years they will have to cut out the mistakes that
littered their play in
the first half.
Too many Liverpool players were too ponderous and too often
the visitors conceded possession too easily.
(BBC Sport Online)
Gerrard, Torres and Hyypia return in Porto
Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and Sami Hyypia return to
the Liverpool team for tonight's Champions League opener in
Porto.
The influential trio – who were rested at Pompey on Saturday
– are back as Rafa Benitez looks to get off to a winning
start in Group A.
The Spaniard makes six changes from the stalemate at Fratton
Park.
His team in full is: Reina, Arbeloa, Finnan, Hyypia,
Carragher, Babel, Pennant, Mascherano, Gerrard, Torres,
Kuyt. Subs: Itandje, Agger, Lucas, Crouch, Voronin, Aurelio,
Benayoun.
(LFC Official Website)
Reds have quality for title and Euro attack
Tonight’s clash against Porto is the chance to write the
first chapter in what will hopefully prove to be another
great European adventure for
the Reds.
A lot has been said and written about how the Premier League
must be Liverpool’s top priority this season.
Of course we’re all desperate for the Reds to end the long
wait for the title but I honestly believe Rafa Benitez now
has a squad good enough to last the pace both domestically
and on the continent.
(Ian Rush - Liverpool Echo)
Gerrard rallies Reds
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has called on the side to
prove they are capable of challenging for honours on all
fronts this season.
The Reds, who begin their UEFA Champions League campaign
away to Porto on Tuesday, have made an encouraging start to
the new season by going unbeaten so far.
Liverpool were one of the biggest spenders in pre-season and
Gerrard believes everything at the club is geared for
success.
England international Gerrard singled out Reds boss Rafa
Benitez for special praise describing the Spaniard as the
best manager around.
Speaking exclusively in October's Sky Sports magazine,
Gerrard says: "At Anfield we've got the new owners who will
carry on the good work of David Moores, a new stadium in the
pipeline and one of - if not the - best manager in the game.
"We've got the ingredients for real success, but we've got
to prove it on the pitch rather than just talking a good
game."
Gerrard has been impressed by Liverpool's summer spending
and he believes they can only benefit from having
competition for places in
the side.
"This is the first time in my career that I see genuine
competition for every place in the team," continued Gerrard.
(Sky Sports)
Gonzalez ready for tough Liverpool test
Porto midfielder Lucho Gonzalez is expecting a tough
Champions League clash with Liverpool on Tuesday - but
insists his side will go for a win.
Porto have an impressive record at home against English
sides, but Liverpool have proved themselves to be a
formidable force on the European stage in recent seasons.
Gonzalez is wary of the threat Rafa Benitez's side pose but
he is not thinking about anything less than three points.
"I expect a hard and intense match," the Argentine told Sky
Sports. "It is an important match even though it is the
first day of
the Champions League."
"To get to the next round we must win at home. The match
against The Reds is a battle for three points."
(TEAMtalk)
Aldridge slams Allardyce after Benitez attack
Anfield legend John Aldridge jumped to the defence of
Reds boss Rafael Benitez today, after Newcastle manager Sam
Allardyce claimed he was “lucky to be still in a job.”
The outspoken Toon boss, who saw his side beaten 1-0 at
Derby last night, claimed: “Rafa would be very lucky to be
in a job if he hadn’t got to two Champions League finals,
because they've had some very poor finishes in the Premier
League.
“While they are a very good Champions League team, they’re
not a Premier League winning side. They don’t have the
mentality
to win that yet.
“Being a foreigner, Rafa doesn’t understand it’s supposed to
be Premier League first and Champions League second.”
His comments appeared in Zoo magazine, but Aldridge, who had
a number of high profile run-ins with Allardyce during his
time as Tranmere boss, the former Liverpool striker and he
said today: “You ask Alex Ferguson how difficult it is to
get to two Champions League finals. Should he be sacked?
“Rafa has done a marvellous job at Liverpool and had a
massive task to overhaul a very poor squad when he first
arrived.
“But there has been a lot of dead wood to clear out, which
he has done, as well as winning the FA Cup and the Champions
League along the way.
“Of course, Liverpool still have to win the Premier League,
but Rafa will have at least another two or three years to
try and achieve that.
“Sam should really focus on his own job. He knows the Press
will highlight any comments and he shouldn’t put himself
into that situation."
(Liverpool Echo)
Ferreira fires Reds warning
Porto manager Jesualdo Ferreira believes his team are
capable of beating anyone as they prepare to face Liverpool
in the Champions League
on Tuesday.
Porto are veterans of the European circuit and even lifted
the trophy in 2004 during the Estadio do Dragao tenure of
Jose Mourinho.
Standards have slipped slightly since, but Ferreira insists
Porto are still a force to be reckoned with and has tipped
his team to come out on top against the 2005 tournament
winners Liverpool.
"There are no favourites but Porto are capable of beating
any team,” said Ferreira. “The true objective is to reach
the next phase.”
Porto have never lost at home to English opposition in nine
previous meetings in European competition, though Chelsea
claimed a draw prior to seeing off the Portuguese at
Stamford Bridge in last season’s knockout round.
"It is a very different type of game in the group phase from
in the knockout stages," Ferreira said. "But I can say that
Porto will show the same stamina as last year."
(Setanta Sports)
Rafa: Pepe's one of the best
Rafael Benitez will send his side out into Champions League
action tonight boasting he has one of the world's best
goalkeepers between
the posts.
Pepe Reina has made an impressive start to the new campaign,
conceding goals only from the penalty spot against Aston
Villa and Chelsea.
He's the only goalkeeper in the top flight not to have let a
goal in from open play, and was the Reds' hero at the
weekend when he kept out Kanu's penalty at Portsmouth to
save a point for his side.
"If you watch Reina in training every day, you'll see that
he is a fantastic worker, he has a very good mentality and a
lot of confidence in himself,” says Benitez.
"For us, he is very important. He is more mature, he's
learning every day and his team-mates know that he is
really, really important and is one of the best two or three
goalkeepers in the world.
"People say Pepe has problems in certain areas of his game,
but I think he's fantastic. He has adapted well to the
English style, he knows when to catch and when to punch.
Petr Cech and Buffon are some of other best goalkeepers in
the world, and maybe there are two or three as good as Reina
but not many."
(LFC Official Website)
Alonso out of Porto clash
Xabi Alonso has played havoc with Rafa Benitez’s selection
plans by limping out of last night’s final training session
in Porto.
The Spanish playmaker aggravated a foot injury sustained
against Portsmouth on Saturday making it highly unlikely he
will feature in Portugal tonight.
Benitez was pondering pairing Alonso and Javier Mascherano
in central midfield, with skipper Steven Gerrard possibly
moving to the right to counter the threat of Porto dangerman
Ricardo Quaresma.
But with Momo Sissoko left on Merseyside for family reasons,
Gerrard and rookie Lucas are the remaining central
midfielders in the 19-man squad vying to join Mascherano.
That’s sure to force the Anfield boss into a tactical
rethink, with the captain now likely to partner the
Argentinian in his more favoured central midfield role.
Despite the setback of possibly losing Alonso, Benitez is
confident his side heads back into Europe having fully
recovered from their demoralising defeat in Athens last May.
(Liverpool Echo)
Kuyt wants success
Dirk Kuyt wants to win the European Cup with Liverpool.
Kuyt is desperate to make up for losing last season's
European Cup final and he believes this team can do just
that with success in the league and the Champions League.
"We [would] prefer to win them both! I think we have a good
enough squad for this but it's too early to say. We just
have to win games,"
said the striker.
"It was really disappointing not to win in the final last
time but this is a new season. We have a better squad and we
know we can do well.
"I think it will be difficult to be in the final again but
not impossible. We just have to work hard, win the games and
see what happens.
"It's a very important game. Porto have a really good team.
We saw them in the Rotterdam Tournament in pre-season. They
won that, so we know they are good. We must play well."
(LFC Online) |
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MONDAY 17 |
Benitez wants early qualification
Rafa Benitez wants Liverpool to qualify for the knock-out
stages of the Champions League long before the end of their
group matches.
The Anfield chief has already admitted he sees the Premier
League as his priority for this season, a statement made
well ahead of their opening Champions League Group A match
in Porto on Tuesday.
He said: "It is clear that the perfect situation is to get
to the last game and already be qualified for the next
stage. Last season we achieved that and by the time we went
to Galatasaray for the last group match, we had already
qualified.
"This is something we must achieve regularly. The way to do
that is to win from the very first match in the group, if
you do that it is easier to manage the rest of the Champions
League games and to be able to concentrate on the Premier
League as well."
(TEAMtalk)
Agger aims to mend Athens misery
Daniel Agger is determined to banish memories of his worst
feeling in football as Liverpool kick off their Champions
League group in Oporto tomorrow.
The classy Dane admits he’s still haunted by his experience
in last season’s final against AC Milan, and wants to make
amends with an impressive run in this year’s tournament.
Agger, who has started the season in the same formidable
form he showed throughout the last campaign, is itching to
return to the biggest European stage.
"It was a big experience playing in a Champions League final
and everyone is ready to repeat this," says Agger. "To be so
close to winning it last season was hard, and ever since
then I’ve been trying to forget the game. I don’t like to
even think about it."
(Liverpool Echo)
Riise out for Reds
John Arne Riise has been ruled out of Liverpool's UEFA
Champions League clash with Porto.
The Norwegian picked up a groin injury on international duty
last week and was forced to miss the goalless draw at
Portsmouth on Saturday.
He has not travelled as part of the squad to Portugal and is
already doubtful for this weekend's game against Birmingham.
Rafa Benitez has been boosted by the return to fitness of
Fabio Aurelio, who has been sidelined with a ruptured
Achilles tendon since the end of last season but could now
fill in for Riise at left-back.
Porto coach Jesualdo Ferreira has been dealt a blow with the
news that Brazilian goalkeeper Helton will not be fit to
play.
Scans have confirmed that Helton's leg muscle injury will
not have recovered in time for him to line up against The
Reds.
Jose Bosingwa is also doubtful with a knee problem, although
he hopes to take his place in defence.
"I am optimistic. This match is very important and I want to
help the team on the field," Bosingwa told the Portuguese
press.
(Sky Sports)
Voro impressed by Rafa
Andriy Voronin has been quickly impressed by Rafael Benitez.
The free transfer from Bayer Leverkusen has quickly settled
into life at Anfield and says he has been impressed with the
tactical nous of
the manager.
"I am certain Benitez is one of the best coaches in Europe,"
said Voronin.
"He is an extraordinarily shrewd strategist and tactician. A
lot of exercises in training have a tactical direction.
"Everything is worked out down to the tiniest detail.
"Benitez may be the only coach on the continent who can
change three, four or five players after the team has won by
a distance.
"I don't think you will see that at Chelsea, Real Madrid or
Barcelona. Our manager doesn't get stuck on 11 players."
(LFC Online)
Rafa set to make changes
Rafael Benitez is set to make changes to his team for
Liverpool's Champions League Group A opener in Porto on
Tuesday night.
The Liverpool manager welcomes back the likes of Dirk Kuyt
and Javier Mascherano to his squad for a game Benitez
believes will be a tough test for his players.
"After an international break it's always a problem because
you can't train properly with the players," commented
Benitez. Mentally the players are ready but physically they
are not so I will be changing some players for this game."
(LFC Official Website)
Redknapp: Rafa's rotation all wrong
Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp believes Rafael Benitez got
it wrong in resting a number of key Liverpool players at
Fratton Park.
The Reds chief opted to leave the likes of Steven Gerrard
and Fernando Torres on the bench for Saturday's Premier
League showdown.
The pair came on too late against Redknapp's side and
although they made an impression, they were unable to stop
Liverpool from being held to a goalless draw - in which Pepe
Reina saved a Kanu penalty.
Redknapp has stated he would always field his strongest side
in order to limit the risk of dropping points.
"We're all different," Redknapp told The Guardian. "(Rafa's)
a clever man and it's his decision to do it how he wants to
do it.
"Personally, I would field my best team. But that's me. I'm
not saying I'm right and he's wrong but that's me.
"I'd never feel confident enough to go and rest players. I
think you take a big chance, but it's worked for Rafa in the
past."
(TEAMtalk) |
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SUNDAY 16 |
Rafa raids Sevilla for defender
Rafa Benitez has exercised his Spanish connections once more
to sign Sevilla starlet Daniel Sanchez Ayala for Liverpool.
The teenager has turned down the offer of a new contract in
Andalucia and will now link up with The Reds’ youth ranks
after Liverpool pay a compensation figure to Sevilla.
Benitez also plucked another defender in Antonio Barragan
from the Spanish club in 2005 and Sevilla are none too
impressed with the Merseysiders' latest coup.
“Sevilla cannot prevent the departure of Ayala, promising
youth team player, to Liverpool,” read a statement on the
club’s official website.
“The defender, 17 years old, goes to England with a simple
change of residence since he does not have a professional
contract.
“So the club of Nervion is forced to do the international
transfer with Liverpool, who years ago used the same
strategy with Barragan who later joined Deportivo.”
(Setanta Sports)
Rafa aims swipe at Fergie
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez says he is not worried about Sir
Alex Ferguson's criticism of him.
Ferguson and Benitez have been at loggerheads this season
over the transfer saga involving Gabriel Heinze.
Benitez cannot understand why Ferguson is getting involved
in Liverpool's business and believes maybe the Scot is
scared of the threat posed by Liverpool this season.
"I want to be clear. I have a lot of respect for Sir Alex
Ferguson, because he is a great manager," Benitez told the
Sunday Mirror.
"But I have to think about my club and maybe now we have a
better squad he knows we can become contenders.
"It is good people are talking about Liverpool as an option
for the title this year. At this moment, I think we have a
squad big enough and good enough to compete in every
competition.
"I don't know what Ferguson is thinking when he speaks about
us.
"The only thing I know is that Gabriel Heinze is not here
and we need to manage with the situation we have."
(Sky Sports)
Crouch sees improvement in draw
Peter Crouch claims the goalless draw at Pompey provided yet
another example of how Liverpool have improved this year.
He explained to the club's official website: "A lot of teams
will find it very difficult coming to Portsmouth. They are a
strong side physically – probably the strongest in the
league.
"But we matched them in that way and maybe a year or two ago
we would have lost that game."
(LFC Official Website)
Benitez: Reds can go for both
Rafael Benitez insists Liverpool's squad is strong enough to
cope with a double assault on the Champions League and the
Premier League.
Winning both in an English domestic season has only been
done once, by Manchester United in 1999.
The difference now for Liverpool, compared to recent seasons
when they went all the way to the Champions League final
despite indifferent domestic league form, will be the
emphasis Benitez puts on Europe's greatest prize.
With Benitez is clearly more concerned about the Premier
League title now he has an expensively assembled squad.
And it will be interesting to see how Liverpool approach not
only the group matches - which start on Tuesday in Porto -
but the knock-out games after Christmas should the Anfield
men get that far.
Benitez said recently: "If you asked me what my priority is
this season then it has to be the Premier League title."
That means that the side fielded at Portsmouth will bare
little resemblance to the one that takes the field at the
Estadio do Drago next week.
(TEAMtalk)
Thor Zakariassen
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