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SUNDAY 24 |
Rafa to check on key Reds pair
Rafael Benitez will check on minor leg injuries to Steven
Gerrard and Craig Bellamy before finalising his side to face
Blackburn on Boxing Day.
But both are expected to be fit to play as Liverpool bid to
extend their unbeaten league record to eight matches
following Saturday's 2-0 home win over Watford.
Benitez will want to rotate his squad with four matches over
the holiday period with Peter Crouch and Mark Gonzalez
pressing for a starting role after being substitutes on
Saturday. Mohamed Sissoko, Bolo Zenden and Harry Kewell are
all still injured.
Reds (from): Reina, Finnan, Agger, Hyypia, Carragher, Riise,
Pennant, Gonzalez, Gerrard, Alonso, Luis Garcia, Aurelio,
Bellamy, Kuyt, Crouch, Fowler, Dudek, Warnock.
(TEAMtalk)
Bellamy targets former club
Craig Bellamy will go back to face former club
Blackburn on Boxing Day with the seal of approval from his
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez.
Bellamy, who moved to Anfield from Rovers in the summer for
£6million, has finally started to hit the sort of form that
Benitez bought him for.
His opening goal in the victory over Watford at Anfield on
Saturday was his fourth in five games, helping Liverpool to
a seventh Barclays Premiership match undefeated and to
reinforce their top-three position.
It is a far cry from the frustrated, worried Bellamy of
earlier in the season.
Now he is terrorising defenders with his pace and playing in
an identical role to the one he was utilised in last term by
Blackburn, where his goals secured a place in Europe.
Benitez said: "We are now seeing the Craig Bellamy I wanted
when we signed him. He has quality and pace and can get
behind defenders, and he is doing all that now."
(PA Sport) |
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SATURDAY 23 |
Rafa: It was a difficult game
Rafael Benitez admitted his Liverpool side had
been forced to work hard for their 2-0 home win over lowly
Watford.
"We deserved to win, but it was a difficult game," Benitez
commented.
"We desperately needed that second goal to clinch the
points, and it took a long time to get it.
"Watford were physical, and we expected that. And they were
dangerous from set pieces.
"But we were able to hit them on the break and although the
second goal was a long time coming, we deserved the points."
(Sky Sports)
Boothroyd: We can bounce back
Adrian Boothroyd bemoaned too many missed chances after
Watford slipped to a 2-0 defeat away at Liverpool.
"We competed well, but we are not taking our chances,"
Boothroyd admitted.
"The goals were both mistakes by us that could have been
avoided."
(Sky Sports)
Bellamy and Xabi sting Hornets
Liverpool made hard work of beating Watford 2-0 at Anfield,
where goals from Craig Bellamy and Xabi Alonso wrapped up
the points.
Liverpool made it 26 home league games without defeat as
they overcame the Hornets - equalling a run last
accomplished under Kenny Dalglish in 1991.
Rafael Benitez's men may not quite be up to that vintage,
but they are on the sort of run now - with four straight
league wins - that at least should secure them another
season in the Champions League.
Watford made them work hard. It was not until Bellamy broke
the deadlock 62 seconds into the second period with a neat
chip - his fourth goal in five games - that the Anfield men
started to look comfortable.
Adrian Boothroyd's side are resilient, fit, organised and
full of powerful players, but depend on set-pieces to carry
their threat.
Liverpool were forced to concentrate against such a barrage,
and it took them until two minutes from time for Alonso seal
it with a fine 25-yarder.
(TEAMtalk)
Two changes for Reds v Watford
Rafael Benitez has made two changes to the Liverpool
starting line-up for this afternoon's Premiership clash at
home to Watford.
Back into the side come Luis Garcia and Daniel Agger for
Mark Gonzalez and Sami Hyypia, respectively.
Team in full: Reina, Finnan, Riise, Carragher, Agger,
Gerrard, Alonso, Garcia, Pennant, Bellamy, Kuyt. Subs:
Dudek, Hyypia, Gonzalez, Crouch, Aurelio.
(LFC Official Website)
Spurs to face winner of rearranged tie
Liverpool will face Spurs in the semi-final of
the Carling Cup if they beat Arsenal at Anfield on January
9.
Spurs host the first leg at White Hart Lane on January 17
before traveling to Anfield or the Emirates Stadium a week
later.
This afternoon's draw pitted Wycombe against Chelsea in the
other semi.
(LFC Official Website)
Kewell desperate to return
Harry Kewell admits he is frustrated by life on the
sidelines but is still some way off making his Liverpool
comeback.
The Australian winger has not played since the World Cup in
the summer due to foot and groin problems and is not
expected back again before the end of February.
The 28-year-old is now back in England after undergoing
surgery in Australia and is anxious to get back on the
field.
Kewell told the club's website, liverpoolfc.tv: "At this
stage I'd just love to play against anyone.
"I'd go out there and play by myself at the moment because I
miss football that much. I just want to play. I can't kick a
ball right now.
"You've just got to work hard to get back on the pitch. You
do get down but it's not
a girls' game.
"I've had some great times in football but now I'm going
through a rougher time. I'd played a few games and maybe my
body was just telling me I needed a rest."
(BreakingNews.ie) |
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FRIDAY 22 |
Cisse scores in Marseille win
Djibril Cisse scored his first goal of the season for loan
club Marseille in their 2-1 win over St Etienne.
The former Auxerre striker, on loan from Liverpool, crowned
his return to full fitness by giving l'OM the lead after
nine minutes at Stade Velodrome.
Les Verts then equalised through Czech midfielder Marek
Heinz just before half-time, slotting home after Marseille
goalkeeper Cedric Carasso had initially blocked Frederic
Piquionne's shot.
The home side made sure they moved to within a point of
their Friday evening opponents when Mickael Pagis struck
Marseille's winner on 64 minutes.
The result takes Marseille up to fifth in Ligue 1, while St
Etienne remain third in the table.
(Sky Sports)
Carra: Rafa will end our wait
Jamie Carragher has publicly backed Rafael Benitez to end
Liverpool's agonizing wait to win their first league title
since 1990.
The centre-back believes only Chelsea can match the Reds'
record over the past two-and-a-half-seasons – and that's
with far superior spending power.
"Of course I think he can do it. He's a proven title winner
because of what he did with Valencia where he beat Real
Madrid and Barcelona twice," said Carra.
"That's quite similar to here with Manchester United and
Chelsea, who are above us at the moment. Hopefully we can
bring some players in during the summer and we can change
that and take it to the next level.
"Rafa is the man to do that and you only have to look at the
job he's done in two-and-a-half years - he's won the
Champions League, the FA Cup, the European Super Cup and the
Community Shield.
(LFC Official Website)
Chambers missing for Anfield test
Watford will be without defender James Chambers for the trip
to Anfield to face Liverpool on Saturday.
The former West Brom player faces up to six weeks on the
sidelines with a gashed ankle following a challenge with
Obafemi Martins in last weekend's 2-1 defeat at Newcastle.
On-loan Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster is unlikely
to recover from a knee injury in time to play, while
defender Clarke Carlisle (thigh) and forward Marlon King
(knee) remain long-term casualties.
Watford (from): Lee, Chamberlain, Doyley, Shittu, DeMerit,
Stewart, Powell, Mackay, Mariappa, Smith, Mahon, Bangura,
Bouazza, Spring, McNamee, Francis, Jarrett, Henderson,
Young, Priskin.
(TEAMtalk)
Team form key to Pennant winning over Reds
fans
The jury may still be out on Jermaine Pennant, but he's
succeeded in swinging the majority view back in his favour
in recent weeks.
Rafa Benitez rallied around his beleaguered player, but
advised Pennant to work harder to establish his reputation
on Merseyside.
Now Benitez believes Pennant has started to win over an
Anfield public which, in fairness, is usually one of the
most patient in the country - on the condition they see the
sweat pouring from their players' shirts.
That's why Benitez feels the 23-year-old is now receiving a
more favourable response, particularly after starring roles
in victories over Fulham and Charlton.
"I made it clear to Pennant after the Portsmouth game that
the only way he and other players would change their
situation was by working harder and trying things on the
pitch," says Benitez.
"When you have the ability as he does, you always know you
can change things. It's because of this he may be winning
more support from the fans."
(Liverpool Echo)
Liverpool could be unchanged
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez could name an unchanged
line-up for the visit of Barclays Premiership bottom side
Watford tomorrow.
The midweek postponement of Liverpool’s Carling Cup
quarter-final against Arsenal meant all Benitez’s players
have had an unexpected but welcome rest.
Left-sided duo Fabio Aurelio and Stephen Warnock both played
for the reserves on Wednesday and could come into contention
as Benitez looks to spread the load over a busy festive
period.
Provisional squad: Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Agger,
Riise, Luis Garcia, Gerrard, Alonso, Pennant, Fowler,
Crouch, Bellamy, Kuyt, Gonzalez, Guthrie, Dudek, Paletta,
Aurelio, Warnock.
(Ireland On-Line)
Crouch "not for sale"
Liverpool team pageLiverpool boss Rafa Benitez has
categorically denied that England striker Peter Crouch is
for sale. After being largely ignored this season despite
impressing for England, Crouch had been tipped for a January
move to Newcastle or Merseyside rivals Everton.
And while Dirk Kuyt and Craig Bellamy appear to be Benitez'
first-choice strike partnership, the Spanish tactician has
insisted that beanpole former QPR, Aston Villa, Norwich and
Southampton target-man is still a part of his plans.
"We don't want to sell Peter," Benitez told reporters. "It
was a surprise when I read it. We are not thinking about
this.
"I am happy with the strikers. We are always looking for
good players but that area is not a priority."
(Eurosport)
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Thor Zakariassen
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