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MONDAY 24 |
Mascherano: I don't know why ref saw red
Javier Mascherano today admitted he remains at a loss as to
why he was sent off against Manchester United during
Liverpool's 3-0 defeat
at Old Trafford.
Mascherano was left distraught by the controversial
dismissal which left Liverpool with ten men for 46 minutes
and he today apologised to his team-mates.
He said: "I do not know why I was sent off.
"I asked the referee what was happening. I did not swear, I
was not aggressive and I did not confront him.
"All I did was ask him what was happening, nothing else.
"So when he showed me the second yellow card and sent me off
I could not believe it."
(Liverpool Echo)
Riise defends Mascherano
Liverpool defender John Arne Riise has defended
team-mate Javier Mascherano following his controversial
sending off in the defeat to Manchester United.
Mascherano was handed a second yellow card for dissent by
referee Steve Bennett after questioning the official's
decision to caution team-mate Fernando Torres.
Riise, who came on as a late substitute at Old Trafford, has
backed Mascherano to learn from the experience, but feels
Bennett should have enlisted the help of Reds skipper Steven
Gerrard when dealing with the South American.
"I don't know what was said (between Mascherano and Bennett)
but I feel that the referee should have called Steven
Gerrard to him before this," Riise told Dagbladet.no.
"He (Mascherano) boiled over, but he will learn from this.
"Mascherano is an intense player who loves the club and
loves to win, therefore he probably got a little too hot in
that situation."
Riise conceded United deserved to win the game even though
he admits he hates losing to their bitter rivals.
"I hate losing to Manchester United, but they deserved their
victory, but I felt that we had something going in the
second period when we were only one behind," concluded
Riise.
(Sky Sports)
Mascherano must take responsibility for his actions
Rafael Benitez needn’t have worried about comparisons to Roy
Keane going to Javier Mascherano’s head.
But it was when they went to his mouth that the problems
deepened for the Liverpool manager yesterday.
What disappointed Benitez most is that it wasn’t exactly a
Keane-style rant that led to the demise of his midfield
enforcer.
This wasn’t the vein-bulging, eye- popping intimidation that
Andy D’Urso had thrust in his face at this ground eight
years ago – an incident even serial referee sympathiser Sir
Alex Ferguson admitted he was ashamed of in the build-up to
yesterday’s game.
Mascherano might share many traits with Keane but no-one can
do ‘angry’ quite as well as the former Old Trafford skipper.
Yet the Argentinian does have to take responsibility for his
own actions.
(Liverpool Daily Post)
Aragones wants rested Torres
Spain manager Luis Aragones hopes Liverpool star Fernando
Torres will have the chance to recharge his batteries ahead
of Euro 2008.
The Reds striker is enjoying a terrific first season in The
Premier League and he has certainly impressed Aragones.
But the tactician does not want his star to be jaded in
Austria and Switzerland and hopes he will be rested before
the competition kicks off.
“I rarely saw him as good as he is today,” Aragones told
L’Equipe.
“Fernando can do everything but he has improved his
technique, I tend
to think.
“I would be delighted to see him in the same form during
Euro.
“I hope he will have the time to rest.”
(Setanta Sports)
Nemeth double secures Dallas Cup glory for Liverpool
A brace from Hungarian striker Krisztian Nemeth helped
Liverpool to a comfortable 3-0 win over Mexican outfit
Tigres in the final of
the Dallas Cup on Sunday.
Nemeth, who moved to Anfield from homeland club MTK Hungária
last summer, struck either side of of the break as the Reds
capped a memorable tournament with some much-deserved
silverware.
Gary Ablett's side went into the game having scored an
incredible 23 goals in four games and it took just 10
minutes for Nemeth to break
the deadlock.
Having thumped Tigres 5-1 in the group stages the Reds knew
they had the beating of their opponents and duly doubled
their lead through defender Martin Kelly 16 minutes later.
Liverpool went on to dominate the game and Nemeth rounded
off a fine victory by adding a third in the dying seconds.
(Liverpool Pies) |
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SUNDAY 23 |
Benitez: Javier knows his mistake
Rafa Benitez admitted Javier Mascherano was naïve during
Sunday's 3-0 defeat to Man Utd but claimed the Argentine was
dismissed simply for asking the referee a question.
Steve Bennett showed the midfielder a second yellow on the
stroke of half time after his enquiry as to why Fernando
Torres was booked.
Lively protests followed before Benitez eventually calmed
Mascherano down.
The Liverpool boss said: "It's clear Mascherano made a
mistake but he was only asking the referee a question. Ryan
Babel was there and saw that he was just asking.
"I do not think that to ask is a big problem in the end.
Maybe Javier does not know the referees.
"If you want to win you must have passion in a big game, and
sometimes you make mistakes, but he was only asking the
referee about a bad tackle.
"I have talked to him and he knows it was a mistake."
(LFC Official Website)
Fergie hails mature display
Sir Alex Ferguson paid tribute to the performance of his
Manchester United side following the 3-0 victory over
Liverpool.
Ferguson was delighted with United's display and felt it
demonstrated how his side had improved in recent months.
"It was a really good performance - a performance of
maturity," the United boss told Sky Sports.
"We've seen a team mature over the last six months and today
they hit their high peak.
"We've beaten a strong Liverpool side playing good
football."
(Sky Sports)
United slam sorry Reds
Though headlines may go to Javier Mascherano's controversial
first-half sending off, Manchester United outclassed
Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday and were full value for
their 3-0 victory to push them closer
to their 17th league title.
Two Jose Reina howlers either side of half time put United
comfortably in front, with Wes Brown and Cristiano Ronaldo
benefiting from him missing crosses and substitute Nani put
the gloss on the victory with a third.
Having been in their best form of the season coming into the
game Liverpool would have been confident of getting
something from their trip down the M62 but instead they were
well beaten in all departments and were heading for defeat
even before Mascherano's sending off for
a second yellow card.
(Setanta Sports)
Reds unchanged for United clash
Fernando Torres will spearhead a four-man attack as an
unchanged Reds side looks for a first win at Old Trafford
since April 2004.
Rafa Benitez sticks with the 4-2-3-1 formation which has
helped Liverpool record seven straight wins.
The Reds XI is: Reina, Aurelio, Carragher, Skrtel, Arbeloa,
Mascherano, Alonso, Gerrard, Babel, Kuyt, Torres. Subs:
Itandje, Hyypia, Riise, Benayoun, Crouch.
(LFC Official Website) |
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SATURDAY 22 |
Fergie ready for red-hot derby
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is relishing the
prospect of another ferocious battle with Liverpool on
Sunday.
Ferguson's side, three points clear at the top of the
Barclays Premier League, face a stern test of their title
ambitions as their great rivals visit Old Trafford on the
back of seven straight wins.
No love is ever lost between the two teams and this time,
with just eight matches remaining, the stakes are high for
both clubs.
"We have got a big game, a massive game - I enjoy the
madness of it.
I love the Liverpool games and the players do," he said.
"They'll be anticipating a really difficult game, but they
are the games you want to be playing in."
(PA Sport)
Skrtel has learnt his lesson
Martin Skrtel feels his own goal during Liverpool’s FA Cup
clash with Havant & Waterlooville provided him with the
perfect introduction to life
in England.
The £6.5 million signing made his full debut against the
non-league outfit, but got off on the wrong foot as he
deflected an Alfie Potter shot into his own net after just
31 minutes.
A debut against non-league opposition cannot compare to a
trip to Old Trafford, which faces Skrtel on Sunday, but the
Slovakian feels the outing proved a real eye-opener.
”In some respects I think that game helped me a lot," the
defender told The Guardian. "When I look back now the team
was a non-league team and my mistakes in that game I looked
at and I worked on. I have tried hard not to make the same
mistakes again. I have learnt from
that experience.
”We conceded two goals to a non-league team, one because of
my mistake, so I was not happy with myself first of all, but
I knew I would get another opportunity to prove to the
supporters that I am and will be a better player than that
first full game."
Skrtel has not looked back since and he feels the English
games suits him well.
”I am a physical player and so I think the English game
suits me,”
he stressed.
(Setanta Sports)
Rafa coping without Agger
Daniel Agger's absence from the Liverpool side has been a
blow for the Reds, but Rafael Benitez is happy with the
players he has available.
"We have had to play Carragher and Hyypia in virtually every
game but now Skrtel has arrived and given me the chance to
rest either one of them," said the Liverpool boss.
"It is good there is competition in the central defensive
positions and he has settled in very well.
"He is an aggressive player and now he is fit he is showing
his value. It is also easier for his style of player to
settle down in the Premier League quickly.
"Agger has come through his operation and will be fit for
the beginning of next season and maybe even for the final
few games of this campaign."
(LFC Online)
Reserves through to Dallas final
Liverpool are into the final of the Dr Pepper Dallas Cup
after beating a tricky Benfica side by a 2-1 scoreline at
the Pizza Hut Stadium
on Friday night.
Goals from Andras Simon and Ryan Flynn did the damage for
Gary Ablett's men who will now face Mexican outfit Tigres in
the final on Sunday evening, a side they beat 5-1 in the
Group stage.
(LFC Official Website)
Hicks’ odds on to quit Anfield
Given the amount of speculation doing the rounds, it was
always going to be only a matter of time before the bookies
offered odds on who Liverpool's owners will be in the
future.
Paddy Power is the first to spot the gap in the market with
a series of special bets now available for anyone who
fancies a punt on whether Tom Hicks and George Gillett will
still be in charge or DIC will see them off.
The odds on Hicks leaving Liverpool are:
l 2/1 Before the end of the season
l 9/4 During the summer
l 9/2 During the start of next season and the end of 2008
l 5/1 Between the start of 2009 and the end of the 2008/09
season
Liverpool are also 13/2 to win the Premiership in 2009 under
DIC and it is 6/1 for them to break the world transfer
record under DIC in 2008/09.
Paddy Power spokesman Darren Haines said: "We have had a lot
of interest from our customers in the onwership situation at
Liverpool so in response to this demand we have decided to
open a book.
"Our hunch is that Hicks will eventually quit Liverpool and
the only question is when, so the book reflects that."
No doubt, Paddy Power will be refusing any large wagers from
backers in Texas and Dubai.
(Liverpool Echo)
Thor Zakariassen
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