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MONDAY 30 |
Mourinho: Crouch selection 'obvious'
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho believes it is "obvious"
Liverpool will hurl giant striker Peter Crouch into
Tuesday's Champions League semi-final.
The Blues manager is without key defender Ricardo Carvalho -
although opposite number Rafael Benitez insists he will
"wait to see the team sheet first" before believing that -
and Mourinho expects to see Crouch leading the Reds attack.
The England man was left on the bench last week in the first
leg, when Chelsea won 1-0, but Liverpool's performance
improved considerably when he came on for Craig Bellamy.
The Portuguese coach said: "Rafa is a good manager. In Peter
Crouch he has a player who is two metres tall and Ricardo
Carvalho is not playing. I think he is intelligent if he
plays the direct game to Crouch, that is normal, obvious."
(TEAMtalk)
Shevchenko ruled out for Chelsea
Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko has been ruled out of
tomorrow's Champions League semi-final second leg at
Liverpool.
The injured Ukraine international has not travelled with the
squad and joins Ricardo Carvalho and Michael Ballack on the
sidelines.
(Ireland.com)
Finnan fit for Blues showdown
Liverpool expect to have full-back Steve Finnan back
following a neck injury for their Champions League
semi-final second leg with Chelsea.
Finnan has missed the last four matches, although on
Saturday at Portsmouth he was officially rested as boss
Rafael Benitez made seven changes from the side which lost
at Stamford Bridge in the first leg.
Those seven - Jose Reina, Daniel Agger, Jamie Carragher,
Steven Gerrard, Javier Mascherano, Dirk Kuyt and John Arne
Riise - all look certain to start, while Benitez will also
consider using Peter Crouch in the starting XI.
Liverpool (from): Reina, Finnan, Arbeloa, Carragher, Hyypia,
Agger, Riise, Gerrard, Alonso, Sissoko, Pennant, Zenden,
Bellamy, Kuyt, Mascherano, Crouch, Dudek, Gonzalez.
(TEAMtalk)
Essien available for Anfield test
Michael Essien will be available after a one-match European
ban for the Champions League semi-final second leg against
Liverpool on Tuesday.
Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho is ruled out with a knee
problem, which could see Essien partnering John Terry at
centre-back, while Michael Ballack has had an ankle
operation which will rule him out for at least 10 days.
Didier Drogba is one yellow card away from missing a
potential final in Athens if Chelsea can hold onto their 1-0
first-leg lead, while it is expected that Khalid Boulahrouz
could come into defence.
Chelsea (from): Cech, A Cole, Makelele, Terry, Essien,
Ferreira, Boulahrouz, Shevchenko, Lampard, J Cole, Drogba,
Mikel, Geremi, Bridge, Wright-Phillips, Diarra, Kalou,
Cudicini.
(TEAMtalk)
Lee lands Bolton job
Bolton Wanderers have named former Liverpool midfielder
Sammy Lee as their new manager in the wake of Sam
Allardyce's shock resignation on Sunday.
Allardyce had earlier said that he had hoped to leave the
Reebok Stadium post at the end of the season, but newspaper
reports on Saturday linking him with an exit had hastened
his departure.
Lee said of his appointment: "I'm delighted about the
prospect of being Bolton manager. It's a great legacy that
Sam has left and it's my job now to carry that forward.
"It took me one second to decide to accept the job after it
was offered to me.
"I am very proud to be sat here in front of everybody as the
new manager of
Bolton Wanderers."
(Football UK)
Carra relishing crunch clash
Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher is confident the Reds can
replicate their Champions League victory against Chelsea in
2005 when the two teams meet at Anfield in this season's
semi-final second leg encounter on Tuesday.
"If someone had said at the start of the season, you're
losing the Champions League semi-final 1-0, with the second
leg to come at Anfield - we'd have bit someone's hand off
for that," the England international told Liverpool's
official website.
"We've still got a very good chance."
(Football UK)
Benitez picks out fans as key to win
Rafael Benitez feels Chelsea could have blown their best
chance to finish off his side in their Champions League
semi-final.
The Liverpool manager leads his team into tomorrow night’s
second leg facing a 1-0 deficit – but given Liverpool’s
sluggish start to last week’s first leg it could have been
much worse.
“The positive thing for me is that we played badly but only
conceded one goal at Stamford Bridge,” said Benitez.
“Our supporters will be a key player for us. When they hear
our supporters, the players run faster. I have confidence in
this.
“The only thing is if we can control the anxiety and try to
do the right things in the game."
(Liverpool Daily Post)
Rafa: Pressure on Blues
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez believes the pressure is firmly
on Chelsea when the sides clash in the UEFA Champions League
on Tuesday.
Despite The Blues holding a 1-0 advantage from their first
leg tie at Stamford Bridge, they fell five points behind
Manchester United in the title race at the weekend.
"I don't want to analyse what Chelsea say or do," Benitez
said in the Daily Express.
"All I know is that they have spent millions and millions
and they need to win trophies."
(Sky Sports)
Carson wins award
Scott Carson has been named as Charlton Athletic's Player of
the Year.
Liverpool goalkeeper Carson, currently on a season long loan
at the Valley, won the fans' vote for player of the year. He
is the first loan player to win the award.
(LFC Online)
Hyypia keen to prolong his Anfield career
Sami Hyypia revealed that his determination to continue
being a Liverpool player was the motivation behind his
performance at Fratton Park in Saturday.
The Finn’s 400th game in English football since joining
Liverpool in 1999 ended in a 2-1 defeat but Hyypia marked
the occasion with what turned out to be his side’s
consolation goal.
And it was his desire to make the most of what this season
has become an increasingly rare first-team opportunity that
lifted the 33-year-old’s game to a level few of his
team-mates could match in a game that quickly pales into
significance ahead of the Champions League semi-final
decider against Chelsea tomorrow.
“I was very fired up,” said Hyypia. “I have not been in the
team regularly, so it was a chance for me to show I still
belong in the club."
(Liverpool Daily Post) |
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SUNDAY 29 |
Benitez eyes on Chelsea challenge
Rafael Benitez shrugged off his Liverpool shadow squad's
defeat at Portsmouth and vowed to confine the embarrassment
of Fratton Park to a mere footnote by punching another big
hole in Chelsea's season at Anfield in the Champions League
on Tuesday.
Benitez rested seven of the players who started the 1-0
first leg defeat in the European semi-final at Stamford
Bridge.
The Reds made the trek to the south coast without the likes
of Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Peter Crouch and Jose
Reina.
And he saw a team of apparent misfits gunned down by two
Pompey goals in the first 32 minutes from Benjani Mwaruwari
and outstanding substitute Niko Kranjcar and still left
Dutch striker Dirk Kuyt on the bench all afternoon.
But within seconds of the final whistle Benitez was fully
focused - and may have been already - on Tuesday's epic
return encounter against Jose Mourinho's Blues.
(PA Sport)
Prem interest in Cisse
Djibril Cisse is keen to return to Liverpool, but says he
has also been attracting interest from other clubs in the
Premiership.
The forward's loan spell at Marseille is drawing to a close
and the French side have so far failed to give any
indication as to whether they will look to make his move
permanent.
Cisse, who has found form again after returning to fitness
following a broken leg, is keen to forge a career at
Liverpool.
However, he is aware that he may no longer figure in Reds
boss Rafa Benitez's plans and may be better served heading
for a fresh challenge.
"I've had a good season at Marseille and 10 goals since
January proves I am back to full fitness and top form after
my leg break," Cisse is quoted as saying in
the News of the World.
"I'd love to be back playing for Liverpool, but four other
Premiership clubs have enquired about me."
(Sky Sports)
Istanbul final referee set for Liverpool
game
Spanish referee Manuel Enrique Mejuto Gonzalez
has been appointed to handle Tuesday's Champions League
semi-final second-leg match between Liverpool and Chelsea at
Anfield.
Mejuto Gonzalez, 42, officiated in the 2005 final in
Istanbul when Liverpool came from three goals down to beat
AC Milan on penalties.
UEFA have also clarified that the winners of the all-English
semi-final will be considered the away team in the Athens
final on May 23 against the victors of the other last-four
clash between Milan and Manchester United.
(Evening Echo)
Rafa warning to stars
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has warned a host of his stars
that their futures are on
the line.
Benitez has revealed that he launched an uncharacteristic
attack on his own players following their UEFA Champions
League semi-final first leg defeat to Chelsea earlier
this week.
The 2005 European champions went down 1-0 at Stamford Bridge
and Benitez was furious with the display he witnessed and he
told a number of players they are playing for their futures
at the club.
"Yes I was very angry after the first game. I was angry with
myself, my staff and my players because we had not
performed," Benitez told the Sunday Mirror.
(Sky Sports)
Bellamy denies Rafa rift
Liverpool striker Craig Bellamy has angrily denied
suggestions he has no working relationship with Rafael
Benitez and branded the BBC story as 'complete garbage.'
"A journalist working for BBC Radio Wales has told people I
have problems with Rafa and haven't even got a working
relationship with him. That's complete garbage", said
Bellamy
"I have gone on record recently and I will say it again now
that I have learnt more from Rafael Benitez than any other
coach I have worked with.
"I am a much better player for the time I've spent working
with him and if I do go on to manage at some point in the
future he's the model I'll use in my career. I can't make my
respect for him any clearer than that.
"I am even more disappointed that we are approaching a
massive game on Tuesday against Chelsea and I am having to
waste time responding to this nonsense."
(Vital Football - Liverpool) |
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SATURDAY 28 |
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Double injury blow for Blues
Chelsea have been rocked by the double loss of defender
Ricardo Carvalho and midfielder Michael Ballack ahead of
their Champions League semi-final return leg at Anfield on
Tuesday night.
Chelsea have confirmed that Germany international Ballack
underwent surgery on the ankle he damaged in the goalless
draw at Newcastle last week and Carvalho is out after
injuring his knee in the 2-2 draw with Bolton.
Ballack was forced out of action in the first half against
Newcastle and the operation, thought to have been carried
out to repair ligament damage, almost certainly puts him out
of action for the rest of the season.
(PA Sport)
Redknapp: Reds team a boost
Harry Redknapp was delighted to see Rafa Benitez field a
weakened Liverpool team at Portsmouth, as Pompey kept up
their European charge with a 2-1 win.
"Of course I was pleased to see the side Liverpool put out,"
said Redknapp.
"You are pleased not to be facing the likes of Gerrard and
Carragher and Kuyt but he (Benitez) has finished with
Pennant and Sissoko wide, Alonso and Zenden in the centre
and Sami Hyypia is still a very good centre half."
(Sky Sports)
Rafa bemoans mistakes
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez blamed two mistakes for his
side's 2-1 defeat to Portsmouth.
First-half goals from Benjani Mwaruwari and substitute Niko
Kranjcar gave Portsmouth a commanding lead.
Jerzy Dudek was to blame for Benjani's opening goal, while
the Liverpool defence was all at sea as Kranjcar was
afforded too much time and space to score
"The first half performance was very disappointing," said
Benitez. "We were controlling things in the first 20 minutes
and we had chances on the counter attack, but we conceded
two stupid goals from two big mistakes."
"The first goal was unbelievable. It was just a long goal
kick forward and we have to analyze what went wrong. In the
second half we showed a lot more character and desire and we
were much better."
(Sky Sports)
Pompey punish rotated Reds
Goals from Benjani Mwaruwari and Niko Kranjcar gave
Portsmouth a 2-1 victory over Liverpool in Saturday's
Premiership clash at Fratton Park.
Although Sami Hyypia netted for Liverpool, manager Rafael
Benitez's decision to rest seven stars did not help their
cause.
Harry Redknapp's team boosted their own European ambitions
with this win over Benitez's men, who play the second leg of
their Champions League semi-final against Chelsea on
Tuesday.
Pompey are up to seventh place in the league - and if they
finish there, they will earn a UEFA Cup place next season.
Benitez's men are in danger of being overhauled for third
place by Arsenal - as he turns his attentions to Europe and
hopes his first-choice team can come from behind against
Jose Mourinho's men at Anfield.
(TEAMtalk)
Insua starts as Rafa rings the changes
Argentinan defender Emiliano Insua will make his
Liverpool debut at left back for this afternoon's
Premiership clash at Portsmouth.
With boss Rafael Benitez having more than one eye on Tuesday
night's Champions League clash with Chelsea, he's opted to
leave out most of his first team regulars with Pepe Reina,
Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard omitted from his plans
altogether.
The Liverpool team for today's game is:
Dudek, Insua, Hyypia, Paletta, Arbeloa, Zenden, Alonso,
Sissoko, Gonzalez, Bellamy, Fowler.
Subs: Padelli, Pennant, Kuyt, El Zhar, Hobbs.
(LFC Official Website)
Thor Zakariassen
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