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WEDNESDAY 31 |
Rafa offers Gerrard support
Rafa Benitez has offered his full backing to Steven Gerrard
after the Liverpool captain was charged with assault
occasioning actual bodily harm and affray.
The Reds skipper has been released on bail following his
arrest in connection with a brawl at a Southport bar in the
early hours of Monday morning.
Liverpool offered their full backing to their skipper on
Tuesday, and Benitez has since reassured the 28-year-old
that he will support him throughout the investigation.
"Steven is our captain and a key player for us, but more
than this, I know him as a nice person," Benitez told the
club's official website.
"I sat down with him this morning and had a very good talk
with him about the situation and I was also able to speak at
length with our club lawyer.
"Steven explained to me what had happened and I told him he
has my full support and backing, along with everyone else at
the football club.
"He's trained with the other lads this morning after a
couple of days off for the squad and is keen now to focus
solely on his football.
"We've worked very hard to get into the position we're in
going through to the New Year and all of us are determined
to keep that progress going.
"We'll do whatever we can to support Steven in the weeks
ahead, but we're now concentrating on our preparation for
the FA Cup game at Preston this weekend."
(Sky Sports)
Gerrard back in training
after assault charge
England footballer Steven Gerrard returned to training today
with little fanfare.
The 28-year-old – charged with assault and affray after a
nightclub brawl - joined team mates at Liverpool FC’s
Melwood training ground.
The Anfield star arrived at the ground in the suburb of West
Derby in his black Range Rover Sport at 10.05am.
He was greeted by a few fans who turned out despite the
freezing temperatures to see him drive straight through the
waiting open gates.
He has so far remained silent about the controversy and his
wife Alex Curran, 26, last night said they would not be
commenting.
Gerrard was charged with two other men following a fight at
the Lounge Inn, in Southport, Merseyside, in the early hours
of Monday.
The Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) have offered
their help to Gerrard.
PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor said: “We have a watching
brief on this and have offered any help we can.
“I was concerned when I heard about the case as I have known
Steven Gerrard a long time.
“I don’t know the full details but as the players’ union we
would want to be supportive of him.”
(BreakingNews.ie)
Real move is on rocks
Jermaine Pennant’s hopes of securing a dream move to Real
Madrid appear to have been dashed after the Spanish giants
withdrew their £3m offer to Liverpool.
The Reds received a bid from Real for their out of favour
winger two days before Christmas but the proposed deal has
now mysteriously collapsed.
Initially, personal terms were said to be a possible
stumbling block but sources in Spain have indicated that
Real withdrew their offer at the request of manager Juande
Ramos who is said to be unconvinced about Pennant’s ability
to make an impact at the La Liga club.
Pennant has become an increasingly peripheral figure at
Anfield and has not made a single appearance in Rafa
Benitez’s side in more than two months.
The 25-year-old is set to become a free agent in the summer
and Liverpool would have been delighted to receive a £3m fee
for a player who can walk away for nothing in six months
time.
But with Real now looking at alternatives it seems highly
unlikely the deal will be resurrected, despite Pennant
having admitted to being attracted to a move to Spain.
“I cannot imagine playing for another Premier League team
after Liverpool,” Pennant told website guillembalague.com.
(Liverpool Echo)
Hyypia: Confidence the key
Sami Hyypia believes confidence is the key factor behind
Liverpool's superb first half of the Premier League season.
The Reds' emphatic 5-1 success over Newcastle United means
that Rafa Benitez's side top the table for the turn of the
New Year.
Although Liverpool seem to have gone from strength to
strength as the season has progressed, Hyypia does not
believe the team have changed their style of play.
"We are doing things in training and we are trying to play
the same way as we did at the start of the season,"
explained Hyypia.
"But confidence is a big thing and if you are high on
confidence then you can play better, because everyone wants
the ball more and that was clear to see against Newcastle.
"We had had a good result and performance against Bolton two
days earlier and we took our form from that into the
Newcastle game.
"Overall it was a very good performance except for conceding
a goal right before half-time. But that's football and it
was a bit unjustified that they got a goal back when they
did, because we could have been six or seven up.
"The important thing was we didn't let it affect us and we
responded in the right way by getting another goal at the
start of the second half. We are top, so confidence is high
and hopefully that will continue."
(Sky Sports)
Marina Dalglish awarded MBE
The wife of Anfield icon Kenny Dalglish was today awarded an
MBE for services to cancer patients on Merseyside.
Marina Dalglish was named in the New Year honours list five
years after being diagnosed with breast cancer.
The mother-of-four underwent an operation and months of
chemotherapy before beating the disease and launching a
cancer charity in her name.
After three years' of fundraising a new £2m chemotherapy
centre for Merseyside was opened at University Hospital
Aintree.
Mrs Dalglish, who will pick up her award from the Queen
early in 2009, said: "It's amazing how something bad can
turn into something good. Who'd have ever thought that
having cancer would lead to the opening of a new unit.
"I'm absolutely delighted, but this honour is not just for
me, though the charity's in my name; this MBE is for
everyone who's helped over the past four years."
(LFC Official Website) |
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TUESDAY 30 |
Gerrard receives Dalglish backing
Liverpool great Kenny Dalglish believes captain Steven
Gerrard will cope with the scrutiny he will be under
following his arrest after an alleged brawl.
Gerrard, 28, was arrested with five other men near the
Lounge Inn in Southport in the early hours of Monday.
"Liverpool will support him and the Liverpool fans will
support him tremendously well," said Dalglish, who both
played for and managed
the club.
"He's a really strong character and I'm sure it won't affect
his performance."
"At the end of the day, he will wish, like everybody else,
it had never happened, but it has happened. He'll deal with
it superbly well and he'll get fantastic support from
everyone round about him," added Dalglish.
(BBC Sport Online)
Liverpool FC pledge
support for Gerrard
Liverpool today pledged to give Steven Gerrard “all the
support he needs” after the Reds skipper was charged with
assault and affray.
Gerrard will appear in court next month alongside two other
men in connection with an alleged brawl in a Southport bar
in the early hours of Monday morning.
A club spokesman said: “Steven has been an outstanding
servant to Liverpool for the last ten years and the club
will give him all the support he needs at this time.”
The 28-year-old midfielder will appear at North Sefton
Magistrates Court on January 23 and Liverpool have moved
swiftly to give their captain their full backing ahead of
that date.
(Liverpool Echo)
Hammill returns to Reds
Adam Hammill has been recalled by Liverpool following his
successful loan spell at Blackpool.
The 20-year-old is now waiting to see if he will remain at
Liverpool for the second half of the season or go out on
loan again.
The skilful winger is highly regarded by the Liverpool
coaching staff and he was rewarded with a new three-year
deal before he was sent out on loan to Blackpool last
August.
Reds boss Rafa Benitez has been keeping tabs on Hammill's
progress and the Spaniard will now cast an eye over him in
training in the next few weeks before deciding whether to
keep him in the Liverpool squad or allow him to go out on
loan again for regular first-team action.
"I would like to thank everyone at Blackpool and the fans
for their support during my loan spell," Hammill told
skysports.com.
"It's a great club with a good group of players and I really
enjoyed my time there.
"I signed a new contract with Liverpool in the summer and I
will see what they want to do next with me.
"If they wanted to loan me out again I would always be
interested in a return to Bloomfield Road in the future."
(Sky Sports)
Reds stalling as Agger pleads for new deal
Daniel Agger has revealed he wants to commit his long-term
future to Liverpool but The Reds are currently stalling on a
new deal.
Agger was linked with a move to Real Madrid two months ago,
when Martin Skrtel’s excellent form was forcing the Dane to
settle for a place on the bench.
However, Skrtel’s knee injury has seen Agger form solid
partnerships with both Jamie Carragher and Sami Hyypia
during Liverpool’s stay at the top of the table, and the
24-year-old is keen to sign a new deal.
Intriguingly, the Dane reveals that it is now Liverpool who
are slowing up negotiations – although he is unsure why.
“I hope to stay. I don’t know what the hold-up is,” he told
The Guardian.
“I let the club do the talking and I will try and do mine on
the pitch.
“I want to stay if it is possible.”
(Setanta Sports)
Pennant flattered by Real interest
Jermaine Pennent admits he is flattered by interest from
Spanish giants Real Madrid.
New Real coach Juande Ramos has made a new winger one of his
top priorities and it’s believed they are looking at the
out-of-favour Liverpool winger.
“I haven’t spoken to anybody all these weeks because I
wanted to focus on my game, on training hard to convince the
manager he can count on me,” Pennant told Guillem Balague.
“I cannot imagine playing for another Premier League team
after Liverpool.”
“I know real Madrid made an offer for me. Real Madrid is a
great club, so is Liverpool. I am not sure of the situation
now; I am flattered that a club as huge as Real has shown
interest in me, so we will have to see.”
“I just want to play regular football and one of my dreams
is to be able to do it in Spain one day. I love the way
teams like Sevilla, Barcelona, Valencia or Real play. They
keep the ball, they use wingers. The technical ability of
the players is huge.”
“I think my style of football will suit La Liga, a
competition I follow closely on English TV.”
(Kop-TV)
Gerrard charged with
assault and affray
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard was today charged with
assault occasioning actual bodily harm and affray following
an alleged nightclub brawl.
The Liverpool captain was charged along with two other men
who had also been arrested after an alleged altercation
outside a late-night bar in Southport.
They will appear in court next month.
The venue’s DJ, a 34-year-old local man, required hospital
treatment after suffering facial injuries.
Gerrard, 28, was released from Southport police station
early this morning.
In a statement, a Merseyside Police spokesman said:
“Merseyside Police has charged Steven Gerrard, 28 years, of
Formby, Sefton, John Doran, 29, and Ian Smith, 19 years,
both from Huyton, with assault occasioning actual bodily
harm and affray following an incident at Bold Street in
Southport in the early hours of Monday, December 29.
“The three men will be appearing at North Sefton
Magistrates’ Court on January 23.”
(Liverpool Daily Post) |
|
MONDAY 29 |
Gerrard arrested in assault probe
England and Liverpool footballer Steven Gerrard has been
arrested following an alleged assault.
Police were called at about 0230 GMT following a disturbance
at a restaurant in Southport, Merseyside. Six men were
detained later in a nearby street.
The men, four from Huyton, one from Formby and one from
Litherland, remain in police custody.
A 34-year-old man from Southport was taken to hospital with
facial injuries, not thought to be life-threatening.
The incident is alleged to have taken place at the Lounge
Inn, on Bold Street, a restaurant and late night music
venue.
Four men aged 33, 31, 29 and 19, all from Huyton, a
28-year-old from Formby and an 18-year-old from Litherland
were arrested a short time later on nearby Lord Street.
A police spokesman said: "Merseyside Police is investigating
an assault that took place in the early hours of Monday
December 29 on Bold Street in Southport.
"At around 2.30am this morning officers attended a
disturbance at a licensed premises on Bold Street.
"Six men were arrested on suspicion of section 20 assault,
on Lord Street."
The spokesman added all six currently remained in custody.
It is believed no other Liverpool footballers are among
those being held.
Gerrard was born and grew up on Huyton's Bluebell Estate.
Last month the Premier League star was given the freedom of
his home borough of Knowsley in recognition of his
contribution to football.
Liverpool FC said it would not be commenting.
(BBC Sport Online)
Fabregas: Alonso has
called me every day
Cesc Fabregas has revealed that Xabi Alonso has called him
every day since the Liverpool midfielder’s challenge saw him
rupture knee ligaments.
There was no malice in the tackle just before half-time back
on December 21 but it may have cost the Arsenal captain as
much as four months at a crucial stage of the season.
Fortunately Fabregas did not need surgery but he has
returned to Barcelona for the early part of his
recuperation. As a result, it seems his friend and fellow
Euro 2008 winner has created a hotline to ‘Casa Cesc’.
“Since the Liverpool game, Xabi Alonso has called me every
day,” said Fabregas ahead of the Portsmouth game. “He is
very worried but I told him that he had nothing to do with
it – he just tried to win the ball, the same as me, and
these things happen as I say. As a footballer who is lucky
to be able to play and enjoy what I do every week, you
always take the risk that injuries can occur.”
(Arsenal.com)
Laursen tips Reds for glory
Aston Villa defender Martin Laursen believes Liverpool
will win the Premier League after watching Sunday's 5-1
destruction of Newcastle.
Laursen is fully aware of how impressive the win was for
Liverpool as they ended the year three points clear at the
top.
After Liverpool's emphatic win over the weekend, Laursen
feels the Merseyside club are in prime position to end their
18-year-wait for league success.
"Liverpool are great and my favourites to win the title,"
the 31-year-old told Ekstra Bladet.
(Sky Sports)
Torres confident over last eight
Fernando Torres is confident Liverpool can overcome Real
Madrid to reach the last eight of the Champions League.
Old rivalries will provide an extra incentive for the former
Atletico Madrid star - and Torres admits last season's
semi-final heartache against Chelsea will also motivate the
Reds in the knockout stages.
El Nino told his own official website: "Liverpool reached
last year's Champions League semi-final, missing out on a
trip to Moscow in extra-time against Chelsea.
"We all realise that it is going to be a tough tie against
Real Madrid. I don't like talking about a possible
favourite, but I am sure that we are going to qualify for
the next round."
(LFC Official Website)
Gerrard backs Liverpool to win title
Steven Gerrard has hailed the table-topping Liverpool side
as the best he has played in and is backing the Reds to
clinch a first Premier League title.
Captain Gerrard, who scored twice at St James' Park, said:
"We have given ourselves a great chance. We have to remain
consistent, that is
the key.
"We have big players here and we will have a lot of tests
and challenges to come, but if we keep playing like this
then we will be there."
(The Irish Times)
Alan Hansen: I'm beginning
to believe Liverpool can win league
Liverpool legend Alan Hansen is starting to believe his
former club are serious title contenders.
The Reds have not been domestic champions since 1990 but top
the Premier League at the halfway stage with a three-point
lead over second-placed Chelsea.
And Hansen said: “I have been tipping Chelsea for the
championship all along, but the longer the season goes on
the better chance that I think Liverpool have got.”
“Certainly Liverpool have a better chance of winning than
they had least season,” he wrote in his column in The Daily
Telegraph.
“They are more resilient than at the same time last season,
they have more strength in depth and, crucially, they are
able to create impetus and momentum."
(Liverpool Daily Post)
Kinnear: Liverpool FC
will be the champs
Newcastle United manager Joe Kinnear believes Liverpool will
end their long wait for the championship after watching his
team torn apart by the Anfield outfit yesterday.
Liverpool romped to a 5-1 win at St James’ Park yesterday to
extend their lead at the top of the Premier League.
“I think we have just seen the title winners,” said the
Magpies manager. “And I think we’ve seen the best
performance I’ve seen from a single player for a long time
in Gerrard, he was magnificent.
“Without a shadow of doubt they are the best team we’ve
played this season. They were head and shoulders above us.
They are an exceptionally good side.”
(Daily Post)
Kuyt: The hard work starts now
Dirk Kuyt was delighted to see Liverpool finish 2008 three
points clear at the top of the Barclays Premier League but
admitted: "The hard work starts now."
The Dutch striker played a key role as a lone striker in the
Reds' 5-1 demolition of Newcastle United and felt it was the
perfect way to cap an impressive festive period.
"It's great to be top at the end of the year," he told
Liverpoolfc.tv. "But it's just the beginning for us. We need
to step up every week and in every game and try to perform
as well as that in the next match."
(LFC Official Website)
Lindfield returns to Liverpool
Liverpool striker Craig Lindfield has left Dean Court and
returned to the Premier League leaders.
Signed by previous manager Kevin Bond, Lindfield failed to
impress during his near 4 month stint on the South Coast,
starting just one league game and making a total of five
appearances for the Cherries.
The Daily Echo believe the signing of Lindfield cost the
club around £20,000.
(Vital Football) |
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SUNDAY 28 |
Gerrard: We should have won by more
Steven Gerrard reflected on Liverpool's thumping 5-1 victory
at Newcastle and admitted: "We're disappointed we didn't win
by more."
"We've been threatening that sort of scoreline for a while,"
said the skipper after the game. "We've had a lot of chances
in games without being clinical but today we were.
"Having said that, we could have had more and the
disappointing thing at half time was that we hadn't scored
more goals. We could have been three or four up but they
have a world class goalkeeper and full credit to Shay for
some of the saves he made today."
(LFC Official Website)
Lee says Reds have belief
Sammy Lee claims there is a growing sense of belief that
Liverpool can end their long search for Premier League
glory.
The Reds will welcome in the New Year with a three point
lead at the top of the table and were hugely impressive in
disposing of Newcastle
on Sunday.
Lee has experienced winning titles at Liverpool in the 1980s
and he claims the players are determined to work hard in
search of their goals.
“We feel this is a very strong, very focused, very
determined bunch of players, and the joy from my point of
view is that they are all willing to work hard and improve
on their game,” said Lee.
"We have got a belief. It's not an arrogance - hopefully it
doesn't sound conceited, but we prepare to succeed, we don't
prepare to fail."
(Setanta Sports)
Reds enjoy St James' romp
Liverpool will head into 2009 on top of the Premier League
table after an emphatic 5-1 victory over hapless Newcastle
United at St James' Park.
Spirits on Tyneside had been lifted by owner Mike Ashley's
pre-game announcement that the club are no longer for sale,
but that buoyancy quickly evaporated as Liverpool should
have put the game out of sight by half-time.
Poor finishing and inspired goalkeeping from Shay Given kept
the scores level until the 31st minute when Steven Gerrard
crashed his shot in off the post following a neat move
involving Javier Mascherano and
Yossi Benayoun.
Just five minutes later Sami Hyypia, who had already gone
close twice, rose above Fabricio Coloccini to head home a
Gerrard corner.
Newcastle gave themselves hope for the second half when
David Edgar headed home a corner at the near post in
injury-time.
However, the hosts' gameplan was in disarray again five
minutes after the interval when Ryan Babel poked home from
close range after a string of defenders failed to clear a
corner.
Gerrard grabbed his second of the game on 66 minutes when he
darted on to a superb through ball from Lucas before
clipping a delicate shot over Given and the rout was
complete on 77 minutes when Xabi Alonso tucked away a
penalty after substitute David N'Gog had been tripped by
Edgar.
(Sky Sports)
Masch back to face Magpies
Javier Mascherano returns to the starting XI for Liverpool's
final match of 2008 at Newcastle United. Listen live NOW.
The midfielder comes in for Xabi Alonso as the Reds make
three changes from the team that secured a comfortable
Boxing Day triumph over Bolton.
Ryan Babel and Lucas Leiva also start with Robbie Keane and
Albert Riera dropping to the bench.
The Reds have also been boosted by the return from injury of
Martin Skrtel who is named amongst the substitutes.
The Liverpool team in full: Reina, Carragher, Insua, Agger,
Hyypia, Mascherano, Lucas, Gerrard, Kuyt, Babel, Benayoun.
Subs: Cavalieri, Keane, Riera, Alonso, Ngog, El Zhar,
Skrtel.
(LFC Official Website)
Glen Johnson set for Liverpool move?
Portsmouth defender Glen Johnson is allegedly close to a
deal to take him to current Premier League leaders
Liverpool, as Rafael Benitez looks to strengthen his back
four.
The Telegraph have reported that a deal worth around £9
million is the fee that Portsmouth have settled for the
24-year-old right back.
(Goal.com)
Thor Zakariassen
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