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THURSDAY 27 |
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Idrizaj at the double as Reds beat Baggies
Austrian player of the year Besian Idrizaj was a double
marksman as he helped Liverpool Reserves to a 4-0 victory
over West Bromwich Albion at Wrexham's Racecourse Ground on
Thursday night.
The 17-year-old Austrian playmaker scored a superb
individual goal for the opener and then hit an opportunist
strike for his second goal. Danny Guthrie and Academy
striker Craig Lindfield scored Liverpool's other goals as
the Reds produced an excellent display on the night.
Liverpool Reserves: Martin, Barragan, Smith, Antwi, Roque,
Peltier (Threlfall 80), Anderson, Idrizaj, Calliste
(Lindfield 70), Guthrie (Flynn 75), Foy.
Subs not used: Hobbs, Lancaster (GK).
(LFC Official Website)
Carra calls for Garcia red to be rescinded
Jamie Carragher today joined Rafael Benitez and Alan Pardew
in calling for Howard Webb to rescind the red cards shown to
Luis Garcia and Haydn Mullins in last night's Premiership
clash at Upton Park.
Garcia and Mullins are set to miss the FA Cup Final after
referee Webb gave them their marching orders eight minutes
from the end of Liverpool's 2-1 win over West Ham.
Both managers immediately sprung to the defence of their
players and appealed for Webb to view the incident again in
a bid to have the automatic three-game suspensions
overturned.
Carragher admits he didn't have the best view of the
unfortunate incident but hopes common sense will prevail and
both players will be cleared to play in the Cardiff
showpiece on May 13.
(LFC Official Website)
Stadium dream still alive
European millions are still available for
Liverpool FC's new stadium dream despite fears funding could
be pulled.
Objective One moneymen today confirmed the promised £9m
investment remains on the table after the city council and
the club gave renewed support to the scheme.
In June it looked like the money would be lost. But the
government today said council moves to appoint a contractor
to renovate Stanley Park showed renewed confidence in the
£160m stadium project.
However, they warned the club it has three months to provide
a cast iron promise that the stadium will be built - or the
cash will be lost.
Cllr Flo Clucas, who chairs the Objective One programme
monitoring committee, said: "We now need the club to assure
us that the stadium will go ahead."
Liverpool Football Club was unavailable for comment today.
(Liverpool Echo)
Liverpool favourites to land Mansion
sponsorship
One very brief snippet from today's Daily Mail
newspaper claims that Liverpool are favourites to attract
internet gambling giants Mansion to Anfield as new shirt
sponsors.
Mansion were hoping to link up with rivals Manchester United
but negotiations collapsed. They offered United £60million
offer to have their name on their shirts for 4 years.
Back on 5th April 2006 KopTalk published details of claims
by football journalist Matthew Dunn who said that Mansion's
Indonesian owner Putera Sampoerna was interested in taking
over at Anfield.
Those suggestions were new to us but we've always believed
that Reds chief executive Rick Parry could be talking to
them about some kind of sponsorship.
(Kop Talk)
Reds to wear Reebok kit in Cardiff
Liverpool Football Club have today moved to dismiss reports
that the club's players will wear next season's new Adidas
strip at Cardiff when they face West Ham in the FA Cup
final.
Ian Cotton, Liverpool Football Club spokesperson, today told
liverpoolfc.tv: "Contrary to a report in one of today's
national newspapers, the team will not unveil the new Adidas
kit at Cardiff on May 13. The players will be wearing the
present Reebok kit."
(LFC Official Website)
Poland set to snub Dudek
Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek looks like
missing out on a place in Poland's World Cup squad.
The 33-year-old has been second choice at Anfield this
season, with Jose Reina starting all but four of The Reds'
Premiership games.
His fears that not playing regular club football could lead
to him being overlooked for his country now appear to have
come true, with Poland's goalkeeping coach effectively
telling him he has no chance of being included.
"Jerzy should act like a man and give up thoughts of being
in the national squad," said Jacek Kazimierski.
Celtic keeper Artur Boruc had moved ahead of Dudek in the
Poland pecking order in recent months, but Dudek would
surely not have expected to miss out altogether.
West Brom shot-stopper Tomasz Kuszczak could now come into
the equation for a place in the squad.
(Sky Sports) |
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WEDNESDAY 26 |
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Rafa to appeal Garcia red
Rafa Benitez was hopeful that Luis Garcia's red card would
be rescinded after the Spaniard was sent off towards the end
of Liverpool's 2-1 victory over West Ham.
Both Garcia and Hayden Mullins were sent off for an ugly
late clash, and now face the possibility of missing out on
the FA Cup final.
But Benitez believes that the incident was not too bad, and
was also impressed by the players' attitude in the aftermath
of the dismissal, apologising to each other and the referee.
"It was difficult," he told Sky Sports. "They were fighting
for the ball. It's a pity.
"It's difficult but I think that the most important thing is
that the players apologized to each other and the referee.
"I think we will try to appeal because it was not a serious
incident."
(Sky Sports)
Two off as Reds shade Cardiff warm-up
Hayden Mullins and Luis Garcia could miss the FA Cup final
after both players were sent off nine minutes from time in
Liverpool's Barclays Premiership victory over West Ham.
Semi-final winner Garcia had only been on the field for two
minutes when he tangled with Mullins in a tackle. Mullins
pushed the Spaniard to the floor and referee Howard Webb
showed both players a straight red card.
It is a more serious blow for West Ham than Liverpool.
Mullins has been an unsung hero alongside Nigel Reo-Coker at
the heart of the Hammers midfield this season.
Liverpool won the game, a dress rehearsal for next month's
Cardiff final, with two expertly-taken goals from Djibril
Cisse either side of Reo-Coker's equaliser.
(PA Sport)
Garcia to miss Final
Liverpool's Luis Garcia is set to miss the FA Cup final
against West Ham after being dismissed during the rehearsal
against the same opponents this evening which Liverpool won
2-1. Having been brought on late to replace Robbie Fowler,
the Spanish forward who scored the winner in the semi-final
against Chelsea was sent off for violent conduct after
elbowing Hayden Mullins. The West Ham player also saw red
after retaliating and he too should face a 3 match ban - the
standard for violent conduct.
Garcia is now set to miss the games against Aston Villa,
Portsmouth and most significantly the last game of the
season, the final at the Millenium Stadium.
(talklfc.com)
West Ham v Liverpool - CONFIRMED TEAM
LIVERPOOL: Dudek, Finnan, Carragher, Traore, Warnock,
Kromkamp, Hamann, Sissoko, Cisse, Fowler, Morientes.
SUBS: Reina, Hyypia, Riise, Garcia, Alonso.
(Kop Talk)
Dalglish hails Rafa revolution
Kenny Dalglish believes Liverpool are making such huge
strides under Rafael Benitez that next season will see them
become title contenders.
The former Liverpool player and manager, who bossed the Reds
to league titles in 1986, 1988 and 1990, attributes much of
his old club's recent success to the former Valencia boss.
"They are definitely moving in the right direction and
although I am not sure whether they will manage to win the
league, Liverpool can certainly compete with anybody on the
pitch.
"I am sure Rafa Benitez will make some more signings in the
summer and that will only make them stronger."
(TEAMtalk)
Big Game Garcia on cloud nine
Luis Garcia is delighted with his wonder goal which helped
Liverpool to the FA Cup final.
The Spaniard has a knack of scoring amazing goals on the big
occasions, despite many frustrating performances this
season.
"I love being the man for the big occasion," he said." I'm
very lucky. I've been selected in our biggest matches and a
lot of the chances have fallen to me.
"When you score an important goal in a big game, you feel
you can do it every time. It's always a good feeling to
score such a good goal.
"I feel a lot of confidence to try things and happily it
worked for us. That was one of the best goals I've ever
scored. It felt particularly good to score on Saturday
because I was thinking of the couple of chances I'd missed
before then.
"Chelsea was a big game, but when we play in the final it
will be even more massive for the players and supporters.
"We have now given ourselves a big opportunity to win a
trophy, which is the target at the start of every season."
(LFC Online)
Momo joy at cup final place
Liverpool midfielder Momo Sissoko is understandably looking
forward to a trip to Cardiff.
Momo's certainly had some ups and downs this season which is
why he's already got one eye on a starting place on Cup
Final day.... pun not intented.
"For me it's very special to be going to my first FA Cup
final with Liverpool," said the player.
"When I was injured there was a time when I never thought it
would be possible. I always hoped, but I wasn't sure.
"But since I've been back there have been no problems and
I'm really happy to have played in such a great team and
great game as Saturday. It will be a very special day for
me, but it will mean more to us if we win.
"It's important to continue to think about the league games,
not just the final," he said.
"The game against West Ham in the league is important too,
and we must continue to play well in all the games."
(Kop Talk)
Parry's earnings revealed
A report out today states that Liverpool chief executive
Rick Parry was paid a tidy £607,000 last year following a
12.6% payrise.
The wedge puts Parry at 6th in a list of the 20 best paid
Board Room members in the country, according to The Guardian
newspaper.
Chelsea's Peter Kenyon tops the list with a massive wage of
£2,684,000.
(Kop Talk)
Rafa keeping Robbie waiting
Rafael Benitez has made his decision on whether or not to
offer Robbie Fowler a new contract at the end of the season.
The Liverpool striker signed a six month deal in January and
is desperately hoping to extend his Anfield career into next
year.
With four goals to his name since his return from Manchester
City, Fowler appears to have done his chances no harm at all
but Benitez is refusing to reveal whether the Kop idol will
still be at the club next season.
"If he can keep scoring it will be easier for me," said
Benitez. "We all know he has a lot of passion for the club.
I know what I want to do but I need to talk to my staff.
"We will continue working with Robbie. When a player is
playing every game he cannot improve a lot in his physical
condition.
"We cannot expect to see the best of him now. Perhaps in
pre-season we will see him progress but we need to decide on
his future first."
(LFC Official Website)
Dean backs FA
Referee Mike Dean insists the Football Association's
decision to replace him as FA Cup final referee is
"sensible".
The FA yesterday announced Alan Wiley will replace Wirral
official Dean as referee for the final between Liverpool and
West Ham on May 13.
Dean said: "The decision that was made was the only sensible
one that could be made, to be honest.
"It's one of those things, it's life but you've got to move
on."
(Daily Post)
Tonight not a cup final rehearsal
Rafael Benitez says tonight's Premiership game between
Liverpool and West Ham will have no influence on next
month's FA Cup final.
The Reds and the Hammers meet in the 125th FA Cup final at
the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff on May 13th but tonight
they play each other in the Premiership. However, Rafa
Benitez says tonight's game won't be any indication of how
the cup final will go.
"It's one of those things which happens sometimes in
football where teams play in a league game just before a Cup
match," said the Liverpool manager.
"It's a game we have to play and we will go there looking to
win, but I don't think the result will give any clues about
the Cup final.
"They will probably rest some players because they are in a
good league position and will want to make sure their best
players are fit for the final.
"West Ham are a good team. They have a good spirit among
them, they play good football and they have deserved their
success this season."
(LFC Online)
Gerrard inspires Arsenal's European win
Steven Gerrard inspired another Champions League semi-final
win last night.
A last-minute penalty save by Jens Lehmann secured the draw
that saw Arsenal past Villar real.
But Arsenal captain Henry was quick to pay tribute to the
Liverpool skipper, saying: "He has been an inspiration for
us."
(Daily Post) |
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TUESDAY 25 |
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Hammers unhappy with Cup tickets
West Ham are unhappy with their 23,500 ticket allocation for
the FA Cup final against Liverpool in Cardiff on 13 May.
The Hammers hope it ensures every club bond-holder and
season-ticket holder can attend but it is unlikely tickets
will be available to club members.
A club statement said: "The size of the allocation is a
major disappointment after the allocation of almost 34,000
for our two recent play-off finals.
"We recognise many of our loyal fans will be unable to
attend."
West Ham's allocation could rise to a maximum of 24,000 and
the combined allocation with Liverpool will be around
48,000. The Millennium Stadium has a capacity of 74,500.
"The ticket allocation is roughly the same for each of the
two finalists and we must accept that, for FA Cup finals,
many of the tickets are sold directly by the FA instead of
through the participating clubs," the club explained.
(BBC Sport Online)
Pardew set for change
West Ham manager Alan Pardew has no new injury problems but
is set to shuffle his pack for tomorrow night’s FA Cup final
rehearsal against Liverpool.
Jimmy Walker could return in goal for Shaka Hislop, who
started Sunday’s semi-final victory over Middlesbrough,
while right-back Lionel Scaloni is set to come back into the
side. Pardew may also rotate his strike-force.
Christian Dailly has returned to training from a calf injury
but is not expected to be involved in the game.
Provisional squad: Hislop, Ferdinand, Gabbidon, Collins,
Konchesky, Benayoun, Reo-Coker, Mullins, Etherington,
Ashton, Harewood, Walker, Scaloni, Clarke, Ward, Newton,
Reid Fletcher, Sheringham, Zamora, Katan.
(Ireland On-Line)
Liverpool FC bid fails
A bid by a consortium of Norwegian businessmen for a major
stake in Liverpool FC appears to have hit the buffers.
Two business tycoons, Oystein Stray Spetalen and Petter
Stordalen, were reported to be preparing a bid, with the
promise of major new investment if successful.
But now they are said to have abandoned the idea after
current Liverpool shareholders refused to relinquish their
shares.
A source involved in the process said that without full
control, the Norwegians were not interested.
(Daily Post)
Benitez will rest cup stars
Rafa Benitez is ready to rest his FA Cup heroes for
tomorrow's Cardiff rehearsal with West Ham.
Although Liverpool could still finish second in the
Premiership, the Spanish boss believes it will be necessary
to give many of his stars a well-earned break.
It's been a physically and emotionally draining few days for
many players, and Benitez doesn't want to take any risks.
Liverpool also have a big enough squad to make several
changes.
Robbie Fowler, Didi Hamann, Steven Warnock, Jan Kromkamp and
Fernando Morientes will all come into contention for a
starting place at Upton Park.
"We know the game tomorrow is not going to be the same as
the one in Cardiff," said Benitez.
"I will decide today whether to rest players. I must see how
the players are, but it will be an idea to give some players
a rest.
(Liverpool Echo)
Liverpool to lose gate receipts cash
Liverpool Football Club will have at least £50,000 deducted
from their share of Saturday's gate receipts after
supporters allegedly trashed Old Trafford.
It is claimed that Liverpool fans were responsible for
smashing up toilets, ripping washbasins off the walls,
breaking and defacing seats and for writing slogans on
walls.
A steward on duty at the Liverpool end of the stadium
secretly took photographs of the damage and sent them to The
Daily Express, a British newspaper.
Slogans such as as 'Munich 58', 'Manc *****', 'Harold
Shipman', 'George Best RIP ha ha' and '5' in reference to
Liverpool's 5 European Cups, were all daubed in various
areas of the stadium but surprisingly there's no photographs
of any Liverpool fans actually doing what they have been
accused of.
Liverpool are entitled to a cut of the £3million gate
receipts but Manchester United are to invoice the Football
Association for the costs of the damages.
Manchester United have so far refused to comment.
(Kop Talk)
No complacency warns Hyypia
Sami Hyypia has warned his team mates not to be complacent
when they face West Ham in the FA Cup final on May 13th.
Liverpool are the favourites to lift the FA Cup after
beating Chelsea in Saturday's semi-final. However, Hyypia
has warned the Reds the job hasn't been completed yet and
they must not underestimate the Hammers.
"We're delighted to get there but we haven't won it yet, we
still have 90 minutes to play if we want to win the trophy,"
said the Finn.
"We're not taking the final lightly, that's for sure. We
have to concentrate in the game, just like we did in the
semi-final. It will be tough and you have to be at your best
to win in a Final.
"It's very important for this club to win a trophy every
season and we have to do everything we can to lift the Cup
again.
"I have good and bad memories of Cardiff and I know which I
prefer! We have been there many times and hopefully after
this final I will more happy memories."
(LFC Online)
Fowler back for Hammers clash
In-form striker Robbie Fowler is available for Liverpool
when they face West Ham at Upton Park on Wednesday night.
Current prizes up for grabs include a golfing break and
tickets to England v Germany: The Legends.
The former Manchester City striker was forced to sit out the
FA Cup semi-final victory against Chelsea at the weekend as
he was cup-tied.
Manager Rafael Benitez may be tempted to freshen the team up
in their attempt to close the gap to three points on
second-placed Manchester United.
Stephen Warnock, Jan Kromkamp and Dietmar Hamann could come
into the equation, while Harry Kewell should be rested after
limping off at Old Trafford.
Liverpool (from): Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Riise,
Warnock, Kromkamp, Gerrard, Alonso, Sissoko, Kewell, Luis
Garcia, Crouch, Fowler, Dudek, Cisse, Hamann, Morientes,
Traore
(TEAMtalk)
Big boys linked with Davies swoop
Arsenal and Liverpool are reportedly set to battle it out
for the signature of £4million-rated West Brom defender
Curtis Davies in the summer.
Davies - a £3million recruit from Luton last August - has
excelled this season for the doomed Baggies, making 33
appearances and scoring three goals.
(Sporting Life)
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Thor Zakariassen
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