|
|
|
|
SATURDAY 21 |
Rafa hails Reds wins
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez was delighted with his side's
win over Wigan as they secured a place in next season's UEFA
Champions League.
The Reds ensured a top-four finish with a comfortable 2-0
win over struggling Wigan
at Anfield.
"This was the ideal situation. We wanted a good game, a good
result, to score a few and control the game," beamed
Benitez.
"We wanted to rest some players like Steven Gerrard and we
didn't want any injuries. In the end it was almost perfect."
(Sky Sports)
Kuyt at the double in Reds canter
A brace from Dirk Kuyt gave Liverpool a 2-0 win at Anfield
to cement the Reds' Champions League place and increase
Wigan's relegation fears.
Kuyt scored a goal in each half taking his total for the
season to 13 in what was a cruise in the sunshine.
Wigan, desperate for something to aid their relegation
fight, managed just one serious shot on target and never got
close to bothering the Anfield men.
That surely will have disappointed their manager Paul
Jewell, a former Liverpool player, who saw his side
surrender without a fight and drop closer to the bottom
three.
(TEAMtalk)
Crouch and Kuyt start v Wigan
Peter Crouch and Dirk Kuyt will start up front for Liverpool
in today's Premiership clash with Wigan at Anfield, while
captain Steven Gerrard drops to the substitute's bench.
As expected Rafa has rotated his squad ahead of Wednesday's
Champions League Semi Final first leg against Chelsea and
Gerrard's exclusion means Jamie Carragher will captain the
Reds today.
A Liverpool win today will secure Champions League
qualification for next season.
Liverpool: Reina, Arbeloa, Hyypia, Riise, Gonzalez, Alonso,
Crouch, Pennant, Kuyt, Carragher, Zenden. Subs: Dudek,
Agger, Gerrard, Bellamy, Mascherano.
(LFC Official Website)
Rafa ready to risk row
Rafa Benitez is ready to risk the wrath of Wigan's
relegation rivals by resting Steven Gerrard for Saturday's
Premiership clash at Anfield.
With a UEFA Champions League semi-final clash against
Chelsea just four days away, Benitez is keen to ensure that
his dreams of conquering Europe again are not compromised by
untimely fitness problems.
"We know the teams at the bottom will complain but we will
be ultra-professional and only be thinking of our team,"
said Benitez in The Mirror.
"I will analyse the condition of all the players to see
whether they need rest, and yes, resting Steven is something
I will consider."
(Sky Sports) |
|
FRIDAY 20 |
Rafa happy with Reds regime
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has revealed he is enjoying
working under new owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett.
The American duo agreed a takeover of the English titans in
February and they have had several talks with Benitez about
plans for the future.
"You can talk about new owners [in the Premiership],
Americans in this case," Benitez told Sky Sports News.
"We have the right people in charge now and they want to
improve and want do the right things for the club.
"You can talk about the nationality but the most important
thing for me is they want to do the right things for club.
"It is okay, I am happy with them.
"At this moment it is very positive they are always
supporting us.
"I don't have any pressure, any special pressure
"They just want me to keep working and they are always
supporting us and we had
some meetings."
(Sky Sports)
Time to turn up the heat
Rafa Benitez has warned Wigan his side will not switch off
ahead of next week’s Champions League semi-final.
“We need to keep the players working hard. On Wednesday I
thought we did a good job and while I like to change
players, and sometimes rest some of them, I cannot guarantee
I will do that tomorrow."
(Liverpool Echo)
Benitez: Don't blame Sissoko
Rafa Benitez is ready to take the rap for midfielder Momo
Sissoko’s recent loss of form.
And the Reds boss believes the young African will bounce
back from his travails to become a mainstay of the Liverpool
squad for years to come.
Since returning from a lengthy absence with a dislocated
shoulder, Sissoko has failed to recapture the heights he
scaled during a highly impressive first season in English
football.
Against Middlesbrough on Wednesday night he endured his most
ineffective appearance to date, before he was hauled off
just six minutes after the interval.
“I knew that Momo was having some problems in that position
on Wednesday, but that was more my fault than his fault,”
said Benitez. “I said to him ‘play here and try to do your
best’ because I wanted to play a different system, but he
had problems because the other team was compact and very
narrow.
Benitez revealed that he spoke to Sissoko the morning after
the Middlesbrough match and reassured him.
“He sometimes needs an arm around him because he loses
confidence, but never because he has stopped working,” said
the Reds boss.
“I spoke to him on Thursday and I said ‘I don’t have any
problems. Keep working. I have a lot of confidence in you.’"
(Liverpool Echo)
Jewell: We have to believe
Paul Jewell has told his players to believe they can cause
an upset at Anfield this weekend.
The Wigan boss is well aware his side have lost all 15 games
against the so-called 'big four' since their promotion to
the Premiership, but he insists it's not impossible for them
to change that record tomorrow.
"We're not just going there for a day out," insisted Jewell.
"We know they're a better team than us, but we also know you
can take nothing for granted in football because nobody gave
West Ham a chance at Arsenal, yet they won 1-0.
"So while we go to Anfield knowing we are up against it, we
also go there believing we can get something out of the game
because, if we don't, then we might as well
not turn up."
(LFC Official Website)
Ellis: Gillett held talks with Villa
Former Aston Villa owner Doug Ellis has revealed
he had takeover talks with George Gillett before the
American sports mogul turned his attention to Liverpool.
Ellis, who eventually sold out to another American, Randy
Lerner for £63million, claimed one of the reasons he decided
not to sell to one of several other prospective buyers was
because they "all" wanted to borrow money for the deal and
would have taken a dividend to pay off the interest.
Ellis was speaking to BBC Radio Five Live about the possible
American pursuit of Arsenal, and admitted: "I spoke to
George Gillett and met him and his son Foster.
"I was very impressed with both, particularly Foster who is
now moving here to run Liverpool."
He added: "Randy Lerner used his own money to buy Villa, but
other predators wanted to borrow and take a dividend."
The 83-year-old Villa life president's comments come in the
same week there have been fears that Gillett is considering
selling the Montreal Canadiens ice hockey team.
This has been denied by Donald Beauchamp, the club
vice-president (communications and community relations).
Gillett and fellow US sports tycoon Tom Hicks bought
Liverpool for around £450million.
(PA Sport)
McCulloch doubtful for Wigan
Wigan winger Lee McCulloch is a serious doubt ahead of
tomorrow's Premiership match with Liverpool at Anfield.
McCulloch sustained a foot injury in Sunday's 3-3 draw with
Tottenham and although x-rays confirmed no break, there was
severe bruising.
David Unsworth continues to struggle with a groin strain,
while Antonio Valencia serves the second game of a
three-match ban.
Goalkeeper Chris Kirkland and centre-back Fitz Hall will
miss the rest of the season after shoulder surgery and a
knee injury respectively.
Provisional squad: Filan, Granqvist, Jackson, De Zeeuw,
Camara, Kilbane, Heskey, McCulloch, Johansson, Landzaat,
Aghahowa, Scharner, Skoko, Taylor, Folan, Cywka, Cotterill,
Baines, Boyce, Unsworth, Pollitt.
(Ireland On-Line)
Bellamy keen for quick return
Craig Bellamy is desperate to get back into
action to give himself the chance of facing Chelsea in the
Champions League semi-final first leg.
The Wales striker's knee injury has kept him out of
Liverpool's last two Premiership games, the 0-0 draw at
Manchester City and Wednesday's 2-0 home victory over
Middlesbrough.
Now the 27-year-old has his focus set on being fit to face
Wigan on Saturday at Anfield in a game that, if Liverpool
win, will secure a top-four finish and a Champions League
spot.
Bellamy said: "The injury was the wrong kick in the wrong
place at the wrong time. But it is getting better with each
day that passes and I should be fit before long.
"I hope to be available for the Wigan game to give me a
chance of playing my way into contention for the Chelsea
game next Wednesday."
(TEAMtalk) |
|
THURSDAY 19 |
|
Unlucky Reds lose to United
Liverpool Reserves recent good run was brought to an end as
a young team were desperately unlucky to lose 1-0 to
Manchester United at Wrexham's Racecourse Ground on Thursday
night.
A first half free-kick from Chris Eagles was enough to give
United the points but on the balance of play and chances
created Liverpool deserved at least a point.
Sometimes you just don't get what you deserve in football
and Liverpool certainly had no luck in this match. That was
summed up when Jack Hobbs, who had an excellent match,
headed against the bar in the second half.
Liverpool Reserves: Padelli, Darby, Insua, Paletta, Hobbs,
Spearing, Anderson, Flynn, Lindfield, Brouwer, Threlfall
(Putterill 73). Subs' unused: Huth, Roberts (GK),
Burns, Barnett.
(LFC Official Website)
Pennant enjoying Reds run
Jermaine Pennant believes he is beginning to reach the
standards expected of him by Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez.
The winger has started to force his way into The Reds'
line-up on a regular basis, but insists he is still on the
learning curve.
Pennant's run in the team has brought with it improved
confidence and the 24-year-old
is determined to continue flying.
"I'm in good form at the moment, but that's as part of the
team isn't it?" Pennant told
the Liverpool Echo.
(Sky Sports)
Riise set to make 300 games
John Arne Riise will make his 300th Liverpool appearance on
Saturday if he plays against Wigan Athletic at Anfield.
The Norwegian international was signed for £4m from AS
Monaco in June 2001 after it looked like he would be signing
for Fulham. He made his Liverpool debut in the Community
Shield at Cardiff playing at left-back in the 2-1 win over
Manchester United.
In his previous 299 games, he has started in 260 and come
off the bench 39 times. He has scored 31 goals and 2 more in
penalty shoot outs against Ipswich Town and West Ham United.
Rather surprisingly he has only been cautioned a total of 6
times and has never been sent off in a red shirt, and he
becomes the 55th player to reach 300 games for Liverpool.
(YNWA)
Gerrard eyes CL glory repeat
Steven Gerrard insists Liverpool have "enough left in the
tank" to claim their second Champions League success in the
last three seasons.
Gerrard's two goals against Middlesbrough fired Liverpool to
within one win of clinching Champions League football next
season.
Now he has challenged his colleagues to produce the
performances to win the trophy
this season.
Gerrard said: "I believe there is still more to come from us
this season and we have kept enough in the tanks to bring
success, and a trophy, back to Anfield in May.
"Now everyone is playing for places next week down at
Chelsea, and that is always
a nice situation for the manager to find himself in.
"We've just about got a full squad to chose from and
everybody wants to be involved
in the big games."
(TEAMtalk)
Kirkland and Hall to miss run-in
Wigan keeper Chris Kirkland and centre-back Fitz Hall will
miss their battle to avoid relegation.
Kirkland has undergone surgery for an injury to his right
shoulder after two months out with a damaged thumb.
England international Kirkland last played for the Latics in
a 2-1 defeat at Arsenal
on 11 February.
"He's had an operation on his shoulder, and will hopefully
be fit for the start of next pre-season," said manager Paul
Jewell.
"His thumb injury was taking longer than expected to heal,
and he was always going
to have shoulder surgery in the summer anyway.
"So because the thumb injury was going to keep him out, we
decided to go ahead with
the surgery earlier than we had planned."
(BBC Sport Online)
Euro 2012 euphoria for Dudek and Poland
Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek's role as an ambassador for
Poland's joint bid for Euro 2012 paid off yesterday when the
country were awarded the finals along with
the Ukraine.
Dudek joined Ukrainians including Chelsea striker Andriy
Shevchenko as well as boxer Vitali Klitschko for their
impressive presentation on Tuesday and UEFA president Michel
Platini then revealed that they had pipped favourites Italy,
as well as Croatia-Hungary,
to the finals.
(Liverpool Daily Post)
Cisse unsure on his future plans
Djibril Cisse admits there has been no dialogue between
Liverpool and Marseille about where he will be playing next
season.
He said: "It is necessary that the three parties -
Liverpool, Marseille and myself - get together.
"Nothing has been scheduled for this. There is a date, May
15, by which the purchase option is closed but there is
still no discussion on this subject.
"I saw on Sunday that people were sending me to New York.
The other day, itwas an English club.
"It is really a bit early to be going to New York."
(Liverpool Daily Post)
Rafa eyeing one more Reds victory
Rafael Benitez insisted his Liverpool side must achieve one
more league win ahead of their Champions League semi-final
next week with Chelsea.
The 2-0 home victory over Middlesbrough put the Anfield men
one victory away from ensuring Champions League football
next season.
That, the Liverpool boss hopes, will come when Wigan are the
visitors to Anfield
on Saturday.
Benitez said: "We need that one more win before we play
Chelsea, that will mean we will be able to concentrate fully
on the Champions League semi-final matches."
(TEAMtalk)
Thor Zakariassen
© |
|
