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SATURDAY 21 |
U18s thrashed at City
The reds u18 side have lost 4-0 away at Manchester City this
morning.
They trailed 1-0 at half time after a fairly even 45
minutes, but two quick goals in the 2nd half killed the game
and they went on to concede a fourth.
John Owens' side had been boosted by the inclusion of three
of the Melwood based lads, Darby, Threlfall and Flynn, but
despite their presence the lads were well beaten and are
still looking for their first win of the season.
There was better news for Dave Shannon's u16 side however,
who won 1-0 and also had a good goal controversially
disallowed. The 2nd half performance will have pleased
Shannon, and the win comes off the back of an impressive 3-0
success last weekend.
(The Liverpool Way)
Cisse still mad at Benitez
Marseille's on-loan star Djibril Cisse has blasted Rafa
Benitez and says he still holds a grudge against the
Liverpool manager.
The 25-year-old is currently on the road to recovery after
breaking his leg playing for France in a pre-World Cup clash
with China.
He was loaned out to the French club during the summer after
seemingly become surplus to requirements at Anfield.
Benitez's rotation policy meant that Cisse spent a number of
games on the bench and was also played out of position for
many of the games in which he featured.
It seems unlikely that the striker will ever play for the
Merseyside outfit again after his latest comments, despite
the fact that he enjoyed his time with the Reds.
(Clubcall Sports)
"United must shackle Gerrard"
Michael Carrick has a simple message for his
Manchester United team-mates if they want to beat Liverpool
on Sunday - stop Steven Gerrard.
The Reds captain missed his club's Champions League win over
Bordeaux in midweek with a hamstring injury but has been
declared fit for the Old Trafford encounter by coach Rafael
Benitez.
"Steven Gerrard is a great player," he told MUTV.
"Without doubt, he is one of the best in the world.
"He is Liverpool's leader and their main man. When he plays
well Liverpool play well and tend to win their games."
(ITV Football)
We can't lose warns Reina
Liverpool can't afford to lose at Old Trafford tomorrow
warns Pepe Reina.
Liverpool travel to Old Trafford tomorrow knowing a defeat
will leave them eleven points behind United and all but out
of the title race. Reina admits the Reds can't afford to
fall any further behind the Premiership leaders.
"We know we're losing ground. We're already eight points
behind Manchester United," pointed out the Reds' goalkeeper.
"That's too many points at this stage - and we dropped
another two points against Blackburn in our last Premiership
match.
"We have to keep going and fighting for everything. But if
they win on Sunday, it'll be 11 points between us and that
could be too much.
"We have to go there and win. We know it won't be easy. But
we have to react in the right way to our recent results in
the Premiership and win this very important game."
(LFC Online) |
FRIDAY 20 |
Rafa: Gerrard form returning
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez believes Old Trafford will be
the perfect stage for skipper Steven Gerrard to return to
form.
Gerrard is scheduled to play his 350th game for the Anfield
club in Sunday's showdown at bitter rivals Manchester
United.
The Reds chief said: "Stevie knows he is a key player for us
and now I see every training session with him in really good
form. He's fantastic in this sort of mood.
"This is maybe the right time for him. His form is
returning, we know he can score goals and we certainly need
them from him.
"We will see the very best of Stevie very, very soon. He
knows his form has not been the same but it is not difficult
to see why when you consider what he is being compared
with."
(ITV Football)
Ferguson not writing off Reds
Sir Alex Ferguson has insisted that Liverpool are not out of
the title race.
Liverpool have made a stuttering start to The Premiership
and are currently eight points behind United and Chelsea.
Ferguson accepts that Chelsea remain favourites to claim a
third successive title, and believes his side will have to
collect about 90 points over the course of the season to
challenge them.
However, he is refusing to dismiss Liverpool's chances this
early in the campaign,
"People were writing off Arsenal some weeks ago and they are
writing off Liverpool, and it's crazy," he said on Sky
Sports News.
(Sky Sports)
LFC mourn former Red Joe
Liverpool Football Club is saddened to hear that former
player Joe Maloney passed away earlier this week.
Maloney represented the club in the early 1950s. He came
through the junior ranks at Anfield and took the place of
Bob Paisley when making his first team debut in a goalless
draw at home to Bolton Wanderers in March 1953.
The Liverpool-born defender made a total of 12 appearances
for the Reds and was part of the squad that toured America
during the close-season of 1953.
He left for Shrewsbury Town in July 1954, for whom he made
237 league appearances. After leaving the Shropshire club he
had brief spells at Port Vale, Crewe and Winsford before
hanging up his boots.
(LFC Official Website)
Cisse trains with Marseille for first time
France striker Djibril Cisse trained with Olympique
Marseille for the first time on Friday after recovering from
a broken leg, the Ligue 1 club said.
The forward trained for around an hour but hardly touched
the ball and the club said he still needed time before
making a playing return.
The 25-year-old Cisse broke his leg during France's last
warm-up game for the World Cup finals against China on June
7.
He joined Marseille on a season-long loan from Liverpool in
July.
(Reuters)
Reds trio make Hall of Fame
Liverpool greats Roger Hunt, Alan Hansen and Ian Rush have
been inducted into the National Football Museum’s Hall of
Fame.
The trio join clubmates Bill Shankly, Kenny Dalglish, John
Barnes, Kevin Keegan and Bob Paisley on the list of legends.
They were guests of honour at a glitzy induction ceremony
held at Liverpool’s Crowne Plaza Hotel last night.
(LFC Official Website)
Mellor suffers setback
Preston North End striker Neil Mellor looks set to be out of
action for another four weeks after being told he needs to
have a small operation on his troublesome knee injury.
The 23-year-old has yet to make his debut for Paul Simpson's
side following his summer switch from Liverpool and suffered
a setback in his comeback plans when he picked up a knock on
his knee in last month's behind-closed-doors friendly
against Bolton Wanderers.
Mellor scored two goals in 12 Premiership appearances for
Liverpool and spent extended loan spells with West Ham
United and Wigan Athletic before moving to Deepdale
in August.
(Football UK)
Reds' bid to stand United
Liverpool and Manchester United have launched a
joint bid to prevent a repeat of the unsavoury incidents
which have marred recent fixtures at Anfield and Old
Trafford.
Chief executives Rick Parry and David Gill have agreed a
series of initiatives which they hope will enforce improved
standards of behaviour between both sets of fans.
United will implement measures this weekend, with
significant steps taken to monitor and ensure the safety of
visiting fans.
(Liverpool Echo)
Liverpool eye Nigerian starlet
Liverpool are reportedly chasing Nigerian starlet Stephen
'Sunny' Sunday.
The 18-year-old, who currently plays for Poli Ejido, is also
a target for Real Madrid, although Liverpool are interested
in midfielder.
(Clubcall Sports)
Goals not enough for Benitez
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has warned striker Peter Crouch
that goals alone will not keep him in the side.
The 25-year-old has netted 11 times for club and country
this term but continues to find himself regularly warming
the bench for The Reds.
Crouch scored the winner in the UEFA Champions League clash
in Bordeaux and will have been hoping his goal would be
enough to keep him in the side for the trip to Old Trafford
on Sunday.
However, Benitez has insisted that no number of goals will
guarantee a starting place and has urged Crouch to improve
his overall play.
"I don't think about it if somebody scores, you have to
analyze how well they are playing for the team. It's not
just about scoring a goal. That's not enough," he told the
Daily Express.
"If you score and play well, then you will score even more
goals.
"I was really happy with Crouch last season when he was not
scoring goals and I was really happy with Craig Bellamy this
season when he was not scoring. They weren't scoring, but we
were using them because they were playing well for the team.
"Sometimes people only talk about strikers when they are
scoring, but for me the most important thing is to see them
working hard and playing for the team."
(Sky Sports)
United's Smith thankful for help at
Anfield
Alan Smith will not allow the mindless acts of a few
supporters to affect the gratitude he feels towards
Liverpool for their compassion and swift action in dealing
with his horrific injury.
Manchester United's Premiership meeting with Liverpool at
Old Trafford on Sunday provides Smith with his first
opportunity to express personal thanks for the treatment he
received at Anfield last February.
Left in agony as he crumpled trying to charge down a John
Arne Riise free-kick, the United striker knows the swift
action of Liverpool's medical staff prevented the damage he
suffered being even worse and, for a few minutes at least,
bitter North West rivalries were put on hold as home players
rushed to his aid.
(Daily Post)
Another keeper blow for Reds as crisis
looms
A goalkeeping crisis is lurking for Liverpool as a second
consecutive reserve match ended with the Reds using a
different keeper to the one they started with.
Last week Jerzy Dudek was sent off against Everton to be
replaced by David Martin. This week David Martin started,
but had to leave the pitch early after suffering a hip
injury and some concussion. Last year’s FA Youth Cup winning
goalkeeper David Roberts had to come on in his place on the
hour mark.
Jerzy’s red card would attract a three-match automatic ban
on its own if upheld by the FA, but the governing body also
added a potential two extra matches with charges over
Dudek’s refusal to leave the field. This was already
considered a worry, because David Martin is very much
considered to be one for the future. Now even Martin looks
set to be out, although at this stage it’s not clear for how
long exactly.
Martin had come out of his area to clear a ball, but his
Middlesbrough opponent caught him high and sent him flying.
Liverpool lost the game 3-2.
Two other Reds goalkeepers, Scott Carson and Chris Kirkland,
would be idea cover in this crisis – but their loan deals
don’t allow them to be recalled before January. Liverpool
may now need to request an emergency loan of a keeper from
another club to get through this problem.
(Anfield Road.com) |
THURSDAY 19 |
Agger and Gerrard back in contention
Rafa Benitez has declared Steven Gerrard and Daniel Agger
fit ahead of Sunday’s trip to Old Trafford.
The pair played no part in the midweek fixture in Bordeaux,
with the Liverpool boss opting to leave his skipper on
Merseyside to recover from a slight hamstring strain.
“He couldn’t improve in two or three days and it would have
been a risk to use him,” said Rafa.
“The idea was to keep him training here and working. I think
he’s ok. He was training today.”
Agger has not been selected since returning from
international duty with his hand in plaster.
However, the Dane is now back in contention alongside Momo
Sissoko and Dirk Kuyt, both of whom returned as substitutes
on Wednesday after spells in the treatment room.
Benitez said: “All of them will be fit. We have time but we
need to see during the week and in the training sessions.
For now we have to be positive.”
(LFC Official Website)
Carragher: We've been average
For Liverpool, and in particular their hardman defender
Jamie Carragher, a week of soul searching is not over yet.
But the stand-in skipper believes things are moving in the
right direction, after it was revealed he sought out boss
Rafael Benitez to discuss his own doubts about personal and
team form during a disjointed start to the campaign.
Carragher said: "The boss has talked to us about our
performances this season, and I have been saying the same
thing myself - a lot of the players, including myself, have
not been performing as well as we have the last few seasons.
"We have been average, at best, and we are not even halfway
towards our true form. We are probably only a quarter of the
way there at the moment."
(PA Sport)
Rafa angry at FA charge
Rafael Benitez has reacted angrily to the FA's decision to
charge Liverpool and Jerzy Dudek for an incident during last
week's reserve game at Everton.
The Reds - along with Everton - have been charged with
failing to control their players while Dudek faces a
separate charge of improper conduct for his actions during
the incident which was sparked by a dreadful challenge from
Blues' striker Victor Anichebe.
"It's a crazy situation," said Benitez today. "I have
watched the video and am amazed with the tackle he received.
"Sometimes you can understand the reaction of your players
when they lose control. I know the FA have rules but
sometimes they need to analyse why something has happened.
Goalkeepers need to be protected otherwise we'll be talking
about more incidents like what happened to Petr Cech.
"In that game there were two tackles on our two goalkeepers
Jerzy Dudek and David Martin which were crazy."
With Scott Carson and Chris Kirkland out on loan, youngster
David Martin will act as Liverpool's reserve goalkeeper
during Dudek's spell on the sidelines.
"We have confidence in David," added Benitez. "He is a good
young goalkeeper who is playing well for the reserves and I
have no problem with him being on the bench."
(LFC Official Website)
Fergie: Rotation fine with me
Sir Alex Ferguson has defended Rafael Benitez's rotation
policy, insisting changes in team selection are an
inevitable consequence of the modern game.
Premiership leaders Manchester United host Liverpool at Old
Trafford on Sunday, with Benitez set to tinker with his
starting line-up for the 96th time on the trot.
Although the Spaniard has won the Champions League and FA
Cup in previous seasons, his selection policy has not met
with total approval.
"I have been doing it (squad rotation) for a long time but
maybe not as detailed as Rafa has done," Ferguson told
www.leaguemanagers.com
"What Rafa is maybe doing is going into the detail of it. He
has struck on a formula he used at Valencia of changing
every game and mentally the (Liverpool) players are starting
to adjust to that, so there's a system there.
"I don't have a particular system but you have to make the
changes, there is no question about that."
(PA Sport)
Now bring on United
Sami Hyypia hailed Liverpool's 'back-to-basics' performance
in Bordeaux as the Reds moved to the brink of qualification
into the Champions League knockout stages.
The Reds can now begin the build-up to the visit to Old
Trafford, fully awarea defeat would effectively end
increasingly slim hopes of a Premiership challenge.
Hyypia is determined to remain positive.
"We know it's a big game and how important it is for the
fans," he said. "We're a long way from the top, so it's even
more important, but you never want to take extra pressure
into a game like this."
(Liverpool Echo)
Crouch sets sights on success
For the second UEFA Champions League match
running, Peter Crouch was the decisive factor for Liverpool
FC.
Scorer of the game's only goal against FC Girondins de
Bordeaux on Wednesday, his contribution was once again
instrumental in keeping the five-time European Champion
Clubs' Cup winners on course for another serious attempt at
scaling the pinnacle of continental club football.
"Of course we believe we can go all the way again," the
England striker told uefa.com. "I think we have more
strength in depth than when we won it last time, and with a
little bit of luck I'm sure we can be serious contenders."
(uefa.com)
Gomes: We couldn't break Liverpool down
Bordeaux boss Ricardo Gomes praised Liverpool's defensive
resilience as he watched his side's chances of qualifiying
for the next stage of the Champions League all but disappear
last night.
"We did things really well for long spells, but we just
could not get through Liverpool's defence," he said.
(LFC Official Website)
Kromkamp keeps up the pressure for PSV
Jan Kromkamp helped to keep the heat on Liverpool at the top
of Group C as he scored in PSV Eindhoven's win at
Galatasaray last night.
The Dutch defender, who left Liverpool for his homeland's
champions after just seven months at the end of August, was
on target as PSV came from behind in Turkey to stay level
with the Reds on seven points, trailing them on goal
difference.
But with the Turks and Bordeaux stuck on one point each,
both Liverpool and PSV have put themselves in pole position
to qualify for the knock-out stages with the six-point gap
they have opened up.
(Daily Post)
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Thor Zakariassen
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