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FRIDAY 21 |
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Liverpool bid not on agenda yet says Robson
West Brom boss Bryan Robson says he hasn't thought about
trying to make Chris Kirkland's loan deal permanent.
Kirkland has been in great form at The Hawthorns this season
which has seen him earn his place back in the England
set-up. For now though West Brom aren't thinking about
making a firm offer for the 'keeper.
Robson said: "We haven't even looked that far ahead. Not
even up to Christmas yet. All I want Chris to do is keep
performing like he has done.
"He can get even get better by commanding his box but I want
my team in front of him to not give people as many shots on
goal as what Arsenal had.
"If we all work together like that then it will be good for
West Brom and good for Kirkland."
(Kop Talk)
Coleman: Let's win for Haynes
Fulham boss Chris Coleman is bracing himself for an
emotional day at Craven Cottage on Saturday and has called
on his players to say farewell to the legendary Johnny
Haynes in the best way possible - with a memorable victory
over Liverpool.
Haynes died this week aged 71 and Cottagers fans have been
urged to arrive in their seats early to pay their respects
in a minute silence before kick-off.
Haynes became the first £100-a-week player at a time when
the average annual salary was just £1,000. He was the
original Brylcreem boy, the David Beckham of his day.
"It will be an emotional day. Johnny Haynes was Fulham's
best player and our fans love him to pieces," said Coleman.
"It's fitting we have the European Champions coming to the
Cottage. It would be fantastic if we could win and hopefully
Johnny will be looking down on us and smiling at ten to
five."
(Football.co.uk)
Fury over Reds fans held in Belgium
Police in Brussels are under fire for locking up of dozens
of Liverpool fans who travelled to Wednesday's Champions
League match without tickets.
Seventy-four fans were arrested for being within a five-mile
exclusion zone of a football ground in the runup to the
Reds' game against Anderlecht.
Home Office officials are demanding an explanation from the
Belgian government as to why the British supporters were
held.
Bootle MP Joe Benton is demanding a full inquiry into the
incident, and the behaviour of the police was criticised by
fans groups in Liverpool.
Richie Pedder from the LFC supporters club said: "This is no
way to treat people.
"You can't stop people travelling to matches and if they
don't have tickets you just let them watch the game in pubs
nearby.
"That's the way to handle situations like this."
(Liverpool Echo)
Rafa eager to see Gonzalez deal done
Rafael Benitez believes that Mark Gonzalez will be a hit at
Liverpool, when his transfer finally goes through.
"He is a player we want to be able to use as soon as
possible but the situation as it stands is that we are still
awaiting a work permit for him," said the Liverpool boss.
"Ideally, we would like to have him here in January but if
that's not possible then we will have to wait until next
season for him, when he will have a European passport.
"He has had an injury but he's close to finishing his
recuperation now and should be ready to start playing again
in the next month."
(LFC Online)
Rafa's Reds ready to climb
Rafael Benitez insists Liverpool are in a false position in
the league but knows the Reds must win their games in hand -
starting at Fulham.
Liverpool embark on a run of fixtures starting at Craven
Cottage which could see them win every league match from now
until Boxing Day.
It should be as simple as that to change the course of
Liverpool's season in a spell of seven matches which would
get them flying along nicely until they have a visit to
Eastlands to play Manchester City.
Fresh from victory over Anderlecht in Brussels, the Reds are
unbeaten now in eight away matches and Benitez will have
seen the opportunity to significantly improve their league
position, as well as securing a place in the knock-out
stages of Europe's
top competition.
(TEAMtalk)
Fulham to hold silence for legend
Liverpool fans travelling to Fulham on Saturday are being
asked to arrive at Craven Cottage on time as the club will
be holding a minute's silence for the late Johnny Haynes.
Haynes was one of Fulham's most decorated and favourite
players and his death this week is a great sadness for
everyone connected with the club.
The minute's silence for Johnny Haynes will take place
shortly before kick-off at 3pm.
(LFC Official Website) |
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THURSDAY 20 |
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Why Liverpool have a good deal
In waiting for Mark Gonzalez to recover from a serious knee
injury and overcome work permit problems Liverpool have
shown great faith in their new signing.
The young Chilean can fill any position down the left flank,
from full-back to winger, though his gifts are best suited
to an attacking midfield role.
He has an electric burst of pace and an excellent left foot,
which means he is very effective on the counter-attack.
Everything Mark Gonzalez has done so far would seem to
indicate that he is up
to the challenge.
(BBC Sport Online)
Finnan to miss Fulham clash
Liverpool will be without Irish international right-back
Steve Finnan when they take on his former club Fulham at
Craven Cottage in the Premiership on Saturday.
Finnan picked up a groin injury whilst preparing for the
Champions League clash with Anderlecht last night and is
expected to be out for around 8 to 10 days.
He will miss the League Cup tie with Crystal Palace next
week, but should be available for the league fixture with
West Ham United at Anfield the following Saturday.
(Shankly Gates)
Cisse admits hitting boy on head
A Liverpool footballer has admitted hitting a 15-year-old
boy and accepted a police caution for assault.
The teenager told police he was struck on the head by
Frenchman Djibril Cisse, 24, at a park in the Docklands area
of east London, on 30 September.
It is understood Cisse was filming an advert featuring a
mock-up of a match between France and England when the boy
appeared to try to shake hands.
Instead, the boy put his thumb to his nose and wiggled his
fingers.
A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said the caution was for
common assault and no further action would be taken.
Cisse joined the European Champions in 2004 for £14m.
(BBC Sport Online)
Gerrard back for Fulham
Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard will return to the squad
for the trip to Fulham.
Gerrard has shaken off the shin muscle strain that he
sustained during England's 1-0 win over Austria.
Initially it was feared that Gerrard could be out for up to
three weeks but he always had his eye on returning for this
match and he is available for selection if the manager
chooses to bring him back.
(Kop Talk)
Cisse: This is a new start for me
Djibril Cisse believes his triumphant week signals the
turning point of his Liverpool career.
The £14m striker grabbed his second winner in four days to
put the Reds on the brink of qualification from Group G
after their 1-0 over Anderlecht.
"Maybe this week is like a new starting point for me and my
Liverpool career," admitted the striker.
"I feel a lot happier now. That's normal because you're
always happier when you're playing. I also feel a lot more
relaxed about the situation."
(Liverpool Echo)
Reds confirm Gonzalez progress
Liverpool have confirmed that they are close to bringing in
winger Mark Gonzalez.
Chief Scout Paco Herrera says only a few minor details need
to be ironed out to enable the Albacete player to become a
Red.
He said: "Mark Gonzalez is a footballer that has interested
us for some time. Today, we could initiate the necessary
procedures to agree to buy him. No longer do we speak of a
loan, but of the final purchase of the player."
(Kop Talk)
Vercauteren warns Reds
Anderlecht boss Frank Vercauteren has told European
champions Liverpool that Chelsea are ready to take their
crown.
The two English sides sit on top of Champions League Group G
and are firm favourites to advance to the last 16.
But that is about as far as Vercauteren thinks Liverpool -
who won the trophy in an amazing final in Istanbul last
season - will get this time around.
After watching his side fight back but to no avail as
Liverpool won 1-0 with a Djibril Cisse goal in Brussels,
Vercauteren said: "Liverpool are not stronger than last
season, I don't think so.
"The season is long and they can improve, but at the moment
Chelsea are better.
"We must see whether Chelsea can keep this level, and if
they can they will be favourites to win the trophy.
"Liverpool will need to be much better to retain it."
(Sporting Life) |
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WEDNESDAY 19 |
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Benitez happy to have Cisse 'option'
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez was pleased to see striker
Djibril Cisse get on the scoresheet again in Wednesday's
Champions League win over Anderlecht.
Benitez told Sky Sports: "It is good for me as a manager to
have options now. It is good for him and us."
Cisse told Sky Sports: "I think to win today was really
important to stay in contention with Chelsea.
"I don't think it is finished, we have to win more games. It
is too early to say we
have qualified."
(Football 365)
Cisse stunner wins it for Reds
Djibril Cisse proved to be Liverpool's match winner for the
second consecutive game as The Reds secured a 1-0 win at
Anderlecht.
The Frenchman followed up his goal against Blackburn on
Saturday with a stunning strike in the opening 45 minutes to
send the Belgian side stumbling to a record 10th straight
defeat in the UEFA Champions League
All the talk before the game had centred on manager Rafa
Benitez's team selection, with the Spaniard surprising many
by picking Cisse as a lone front-man and leaving Peter
Crouch and Fernando Morientes on the bench.
It appeared a somewhat cautious team named on paper, but it
proved to be much more attacking on the pitch as the
reigning champions survived some scary moments at the back
to claim all three points and move a step closer to reaching
the knockout stages.
(Sky Sports)
Anderlecht v Liverpool - confirmed team
LIVERPOOL: Reina, Josemi, Carragher, Hyypia, Traore, Riise,
Sissoko, Alonso, Hamann, Garcia, Cisse.
SUBS: Carson, Finnan, Kewell, Crouch, Morientes, Warnock,
Zenden.
(Kop Talk)
Smicer's father dies
The father of former Red Vladimir Smicer died
this morning.
On behalf of My Liverpool FC and all the readers we wish to
send our deepest condolences.
You'll never walk alone, Vlad.
(Webmaster)
Alonso is a key player says Rafa
Rafael Benitez has defended Xabi Alonso from some criticism
of his early season form.
Alonso has come in for some criticism with people claiming
the Basque has not reached the standards he set last season.
However, his manager was quick to leap to his defence.
Rafael Benitez said: "The problem with Xabi is that people
think he's not playing on the same level as last season, but
he was on such a high level season. I think it's okay.
"His attitude's really good and he's always looking to
improve with every training session, so I think it's fine.
He is improving from a good level. He can play much better
because he has such quality, but he also needs to have those
options in wide areas. He can spread the play better if he
has options around him but it's difficult because people are
marking him tightly now. They are putting pressure on him.
"Xabi has the ability to play well even when he's tightly
marked, especially when he has Steven Gerrard next to him in
the middle of midfield.
"If you have two or three options, that's the difference
between the big teams and others. If all our squad are fit,
we have those options with Gerrard, Hamann, Xabi, Sissoko."
(LFC Online)
Liverpool deny transfer reports
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez says reports that suggest he
is trying to cash in on Fernando Morientes are not true.
The Spanish striker was linked with Real Betis recently but
Rafa claims to know nothing about such reports and insists
he wants to keep Morientes at Anfield.
Rafa said: "I don't know where these stories about Betis
have come from, but I do know they are not true.
"I have spoken with Nando about it, we've had several chats.
I made it clear to him he is going nowhere.
"It is not true about Betis, and I told him I want him to
stay here and play for Liverpool. He knows that, and is
happy.
(Kop Talk)
Sevilla set sights on Josemi
Reports in Spain claim that Sevilla are hoping to lure
Liverpool defender Josemi back to La Liga.
The 26-year-old joined The Reds at the start of last season
but has struggled to cement a first-team berth at Anfield.
Sevilla boss Juande Ramos is keen to strengthen his side's
defence after a somewhat shaky start to the campaign and
wants extra cover at right back where Daniel Alves,
ironically a target for Liverpool, is his only real option.
Ramos is a big fan of Josemi, having worked with the player
when the two were at Malaga together.
(Sky Sports)
Baby joy for Cisse
Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse and his Welsh wife Jude are
expecting a spring baby.
The couple married in June in a lavish £100,000 ceremony at
Bodelwyddan Castle.
Djibril said yesterday: "We are both really excited at the
news. We can't wait for the new addition to our family."
The pair met in a Liverpool nightclub last year shortly
after French star Cisse's £14m transfer from French club
Auxerre.
Both Cisse, 24, and hairdresser Jude, 30, have children from
previous relationships.
The footballer has a four-year-old daughter Ilona while Jude
has a son Liam, aged 11.
Earlier this year they moved into a sprawling £2m estate in
Frodsham, Cheshire, where £60,000-a-week Cisse is Lord of
the Manor, the title coming with the deeds of their home.
(Daily Post)
Ivan rubbishes Reds rumour
Ivan Helguera has denied signing a pre-contract with
Liverpool for next season.
The Real Madrid man has been the subject of speculation in
some quarters that he is heading for Anfield after
reportedly agreeing a deal with Rafa Benitez.
A number of English clubs are keen on the centre back, who
can also operate in midfield, but Helguera has flatly denied
speaking with the UEFA Champions League winners.
"This is not true," he told the Spanish press.
"I do not have any accord with The Reds and I have not
spoken with Rafa Benitez on this subject.
"But new contacts for renewing my contract do not exist.
"This is what is true. The decision depends on Real Madrid."
Helguera's present contract expires next June so he is free
to discuss terms with foreign clubs in January.
(Sky Sports)
Anderlecht chief rates Reds with Blues
Anderlecht coach Frank Vercauteren believes tonight’s
Champions League opponents Liverpool are “not much different
to Chelsea”.
The 49-year-old, who won 63 caps for Belgium and saw his
side lose just 1-0 at Stamford Bridge in the opening game in
their Champions League group, knows Anderlecht must beat the
European champions to have any realistic chance of staying
in the competition.
But having assessed both the English teams in the group,
Vercauteren said: “Chelsea and Liverpool are nearly the
same.
“Maybe Chelsea are a little better at the moment, I have to
say that after the league game between the clubs recently!
But people must not forget that Liverpool drew with Chelsea
in their group match.
“Chelsea are outstanding and people say Liverpool are not,
but I do not see it like that.
“There was a big points gap last season and a growing one
this time in the Premiership, but I believe the clubs are
very close. We will certainly expect as hard a game as we
had against Chelsea.”
(BreakingNews.ie)
Dudek on the comeback trail
Liverpool's Champions League hero Jerzy Dudek made his
comeback from injury on Tuesday night as the reserves won
2-0 at Wigan.
The Polish keeper has not played a competitive game for the
Reds since his astonishing display in Istanbul after picking
up an elbow injury in pre-season training, but he played the
full 90 minutes against the Latics.
Zak Whitbread and highly-rated Wales striker Ramon Calliste
got the goals in a fine display from Liverpool's young guns.
Dudek now faces a fight on his hands to win his place back
at both club and international level, with Jose Reina and
Scott Carson blocking his path at Anfield and Celtic star
Artur Boruc in possession of the Poland number one shirt.
(TEAMtalk)
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Thor Zakariassen
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