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Bolanos heading for Liverpool
Costa Rica winger Christian Bolanos is making arrangements
to fly to England to undergo a trial with Liverpool.
The 21-year-old Deportivo Saprissa player impressed
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez during the FIFA Club World
Championship in Japan and was subsequently offered a trial.
Bolanos - who's due at Melwood in January - scored a
cracking goal against Sydney during the tournament and broke
down in tears during his celebration.
(Kop Talk)
Liverpool wary of Everton backlash
Liverpool face a distraught Everton in the 202nd Merseyside
derby intent on setting a new club record for successive
league clean sheets dating back to March 1923.
With Everton in the midst of a horrific run that sees them
welcoming Liverpool to Goodison Park after successive 4-0
defeats - their third such reverse in seven matches - the
European champions should be red-hot favourites.
Benitez believes the hugely impressive demolition of
Newcastle on Boxing Day Liverpool's eighth successive league
victory - keeps their confidence high.
He said: "We go into the derby with a lot of confidence. The
derby is different to any other game but we are looking
forward to it and we will do our best.
"We know if we win it will be important for us and the
supporters but the most important thing is three points. We
have got three points from Newcastle and I want three points
against Everton."
(Sporting Life)
Everton need to toughen up
David Moyes has admitted Everton are looking "very fragile"
as they aim to bounce back from another four-goal mauling in
Wednesday's Merseyside derby with on-song Liverpool at
Goodison Park.
Moyes saw his side follow up the 4-0 home reversal by Bolton
with defeat by the same scoreline at Aston Villa, who tasted
victory on Boxing Day for the first time in six years.
"We have got the derby now and we definitely need to come
out of it with more credit than we are achieving at the
moment. Bits of the football are not bad but we have a soft
centre at the moment.
"We are not being tough enough to make sure teams do not
score."
(Sporting Life)
Crouch: It was my goal
Peter Crouch couldn't hide his delight at scoring his fifth
goal of the season in Liverpool's 2-0 win over Newcastle
United and said he was definitely claiming the goal.
Some media organisations have tried to say it was an own
goal from Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given but Crouch for one
is definitely claiming it.
"Are people trying to take all my goals away from me?"
responded Crouch. "There's no way it wasn't my goal," added
the England striker.
"As soon as I saw it I thought it was over the line. It gave
us the chance to settle down."
Crouch is in line for a Merseyside derby debut against
Everton on Wednesday and it is a match he personally can't
wait to experience.
"I'm really looking forward to the derby and can't wait and
we go there with a lot of confidence," added Crouch.
(LFC Official Website)
Momo back in Reds frame
Midfielder Mohamed Sissoko returns to the Liverpool squad
for the Merseyside derby at Everton after completing a
one-match suspension.
The Anfield club also expect to have Dietmar Hamann back
after his struggle to overcome the knee problems caused by
Michael Essien's tackle in the Champions League game at
Chelsea on 7 December. The German star has not played since.
Liverpool have won their last eight Premiership matches on
the trot without conceding a goal.
Liverpool (from): Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Riise,
Kewell, Gerrard, Alonso, Sissoko, Hamann, Luis Garcia,
Crouch, Cisse, Morientes, Sinama-Pongolle, Carson, Josemi,
Warnock.
(TEAMtalk)
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Souness: Bowyer risked red card
Graeme Souness refused to defend midfielder Lee Bowyer after
the former England international was sent off in Newcastle's
2-0 defeat at Liverpool.
Bowyer was sent off in the second half for a bad foul on
Xabi Alonso, and after referee Mark Halsey had calmed down a
melee of players, he sent off Bowyer and only booked
Liverpool's Peter Crouch who had shoved the Newcastle man to
the floor.
Souness said: "I am not ducking the issue because I have not
really seen everything that went on.
"But I am being told by others who have seen it that there
should have been more than one red card in that incident.
"My only thought is that when you raise both your feet off
the ground these days in a tackle, then you are facing
trouble."
(Sporting Life)
Benitez satisfied with victory
Rafael Benitez declared himself very satisfied with the
performance of Liverpool in their
2-0 win over Newcastle and said the team is playing with a
lot of confidence.
Benitez said: "I thought we played really well in the first
half and created a lot of chances and we didn't give a
chance to the opposition.
"I am happy with the performance of the team but we should
have scored more goals and their goalkeeper played very
well. I told the players at half-time to finish the game off
but we couldn't get the third goal."
(LFC Official Website)
Gerrard very disappointed with fans who
jeered Owen
Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard says he was upset to see
Michael Owen given stick by some of the home faithful today.
The majority of supporters at today's game gave Michael a
warm welcome but some sections - probably the same numpties
that hang out on some of the smaller Liverpool fans sites
bitching about out of towners - let the side down by jeering
his every touch.
Speaking after today's match, Gerrard said: "He got a bit of
a mixed reception today which is very disappointing. He's a
legend here and always will be but good luck to Michael with
the rest of his career, whatever he decides to do.
"Michael Owen deserves a standing ovation here for all the
goals he scored for this football club."
(Kop Talk)
Reds make it magic eight
Liverpool made it eight wins in a row in The Premiership
with a 2-0 victory over Newcastle, who ended the match with
ten men at Anfield following Lee Bowyer's dismissal.
Steven Gerrard and Peter Crouch ensured The Reds suffered no
ill-effects from their World Club Championship trip to
Japan, with goals in the 14th and 43rd minutes earning
Liverpool their 250th win in The Premiership, and also
maintaining a run of eight
clean sheets.
(Sky Sports)
Liverpool v Newcastle - confirmed teams
LIVERPOOL: Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Riise, Gerrard,
Alonso, Garcia, Kewell, Crouch, Morientes.
SUBS: Carson, Warnock, Josemi, Cisse, Pongolle.
NEWCASTLE: Given, Ramage, Boumsong, Taylor, Babayaro,
Bowyer, N'Zogbia, Faye, Luque, Shearer, Owen.
SUBS: Harper, Bramble, Solano, Ameobi, Elliott.
(Kop Talk)
Shearer: Gerrard best midfielder in
Premier League
Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer says Steven Gerrard is
the best midfielder in the country.
The former England international will run out at Anfield
this afternoon knowing that the Liverpool skipper is the man
to stop if Newcastle are to try and get some points and he
isn't afraid to admit that.
Shearer said: "Stevie is right at the top of our
midfielders, you can't have any doubt about that. He is a
great player, a big cog in the Liverpool wheel.
"He is now a regular goalscorer, he probably plays more
forward now than he ever has. But he is a top quality player
who has such a massive influence on his team.
"He has got to be tamed if we are to go to Anfield and get
something - I have no doubt about that."
(Kop Talk)
Carra can't wait to face Owen
Jamie Carragher comes up face to face for the first time
with his best mate Michael Owen as the former Liverpool goal
machine returns to Anfield with Newcastle United and the
Reds defender believes it will be his toughest test of the
season.
Carragher said: "I'm happy for him because he's a mate and
you always want your mates to do well, but that won't be the
case when we face each other. It will be a great contest and
I'm actually looking forward to playing against him.
"Although we are close, we will both being going out there
to get the better of each other, and it will be a hell of a
battle, I would say.
"I've spoken to him about it. We ring each other all the
time. He rang me after he scored a hat-trick the other day,
and told me I'd better watch out. I have joked with him
about me kicking him up and down the pitch. It's obviously a
special battle for me, but it's one of many on the day. It's
not all about him and me."
(LFC Official Website)
Shepherd unhappy with Benitez
Newcastle United chairman Freddy Shepherd has rubbished
Liverpool's claims that they pulled out all the stops for
Michael Owen.
Benitez insists the European champions did all they could to
try to bring Owen back to the club and refused to rule out a
bid for the hit-man in the future.
But Magpies chairman Shepherd has cast doubt on Benitez's
claims and feels Liverpool did not make a concerted effort
to land Owen.
"Does Rafa Benitez really think that the British public do
not know the facts and are stupid?" Shepherd told the Daily
Mirror.
"We have a club that had just won the Champions League and
was looking round Europe for a top striker.
"Now they want us to believe that they tried their best for
Michael.
"It was Newcastle United who did everything they could to
sign Michael Owen.
"We are happy with what we have bought and Michael is more
than happy to be here.
"I do not understand the motives of putting out this story
before the two teams meet."
(Sky Sports)
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