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SATURDAY 6 |
Report: Benitez turns
down new Liverpool deal
Press reports in England suggest that Rafa Benitez has
rejected Liverpool's opening offer as negotiations for his
new contract begin.
Rafa Benitez has said no to Liverpool's initial £12 million
offer in negotiations for his new contract, reports the News
of the World. The Spaniard is holding out for improved terms
after the Anfield hierarchy put forward a two-year extension
to the manager.
(Goal.com)
Benitez: We have
proven ourselves
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez was bullish about his
side’s prospects after their 3-1 victory over Blackburn at
Ewood Park.
After successive goalless draws against Fulham and West Ham,
Benitez has had to endure scepticism about his side’s
ability to handle the pressure of being at the top of the
Premier League table.
Following strikes from Xabi Alonso, Yossi Benayoun and
Steven Gerrard, The Reds cemented their place at the top of
the table, and Benitez believes his side’s credentials have
now been proven.
"We can manage the pressure," Benitez insisted to the club’s
official website.
"We have shown we can manage the pressure. When you have a
game like this, you know you might have problems.
"But we were more clinical than other days and that is
important with the Christmas programme coming up."
(Setanta Sports)
Ince boosted by
Blackburn display
Under-pressure Blackburn boss Paul Ince says his side's
display in
the 3-1 loss to Liverpool shows that the players are fully
behind him
as manager.
The result condemned Rovers to their fifth straight league
defeat and leaves them second from bottom in the table.
"People can question whether the players are playing for
their manager but you have seen that today in abundance,"
Ince told BBC Sport.
"If we can perform like that week in week out then we will
be fine."
(BBC Sport Online)
Reds smash goal drought
to stay top of the pile
Xabi Alonso broke Liverpool’s crippling goal drought as he
and Steven Gerrard inspired The Reds to a 3-1 victory over
Blackburn to stay at the top of The Premier League.
With 69 minutes on the clock, Liverpool looked to be heading
for a third consecutive goalless draw for the first time in
their history. They were fortunate to be on level terms too
after Jose Reina made arguably the save of the season to
deny Morten Gamst Pedersen’s first half thunderbolt.
Liverpool needed inspiration at the other end, Gerrard
probed all afternoon as Robbie Keane watched from the bench,
but it was Alonso who strode onto a loose spinning ball to
calmly stroke The Reds on their way to three huge huge
points.
Yossi Benayoun then hit Blackburn on the counter for a
rapier-like second, before Liverpool were forced to cling on
for a nervy final five minutes after Roque Santa Cruz halved
the deficit late on.
The last word was left to the man-of-the-match Gerrard, who
once again drove his team to a vital three points to keep
their title challenge bang on course.
(Setanta Sports)
Keane relegated to Liverpool bench
Liverpool striker Robbie Keane has been named on the
subs' bench for today's game with Blackburn despite Fernando
Torres missing out
through injury.
Despite Fernando Torres being ruled out with a hamstring
injury, Benitez recently said that he cannot guarantee Keane
a first-team place.
Although Dirk Kuyt is the only natural replacement in attack
for the Reds, it appears that Keane's failure to add to his
two league goals against West Brom has left Benitez
searching for other options.
When Keane has started he has regularly been substituted,
such as during the goalless draw with West Ham on Monday
night, much to the Irish international's frustration.
Liverpool Team v Blackburn: Reina, Arbeloa, Carragher,
Hyypia, Insua, Benayoun, Mascherano, Alonso, Babel, Gerrard,
Kuyt.
Subs: Cavalieri, Keane, Dossena, Agger, Riera, Lucas, El
Zhar.
(Goal.com)
Rafa lauds under-fire Lucas
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has backed Lucas Leiva to have a
prosperous future at the club despite recent criticism.
The Brazilian midfielder will again be looking to force his
way into Liverpool's starting XI for Saturday's trip to
Blackburn as the Reds look to maintain their lead at the top
of the Premier League.
But even if Lucas has to settle for a place on the bench in
the Ewood Park fixture, the 21-year-old can do so with words
of encouragement from his manager.
"Lucas is a fantastic player and a fantastic professional.
He was the captain of his team when he was 19 years old, he
has caps with Brazil, not with any other country - Brazil,"
Benitez told the club's official website.
"When you talk about Brazilian players, OK you can say they
are maybe skilful players with ability, but Lucas is a
worker, he has quality and has a very good approach for each
game.
"He can tackle, he can win the ball in the air and he can
pass well.
"If you analyse how Lucas was playing before, and how he is
playing now, he was working so hard in the last few matches
but people were disappointed with him.
"He is the kind of player who has a very good character and
I'm sure he will be a very good player for us in the
future."
(Sky Sports)
Benitez backs under-pressure Ince
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez hopes a win for his side at
Ewood Park on Saturday will not result in Blackburn boss
Paul Ince getting the sack.
Ince is under pressure following four league defeats in a
row, but the former Manchester United midfielder has won the
backing of his
Spanish rival.
"Hopefully we can win and Paul Ince will stay at the club,"
said Benitez.
"He is young and can become very good with experience. It is
part of the game to learn how to manage under pressure."
(BBC Sport Online) |
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FRIDAY 5 |
Benitez dismisses Agger exit talk
Liverpool defender Daniel Agger is determined to remain at
Anfield according to manager Rafael Benitez.
The Reds boss also denied contract talks had stalled with
the Danish 23-year-old because of wage demands.
Agger has only played six Premier League games this season,
but Benitez said: "He is very happy here. He is not playing
badly, but he can do better.
"He knows he has not been playing at the same level he
achieved last season, but I am still pleased with him."
Agger joined Liverpool in January 2006 and impressed in his
first season, but missed much of last season through injury.
In the current campaign he has struggled to make the
starting line-up with Martin Skrtel and Jamie Carragher
impressing at the back. 606: DEBATE
Why We Won't Win The League Under Benitez
Despite reports that Agger's representatives were looking to
double his current salary, as well as speculation over a
possible move to AC Milan, Benitez insisted the player was
committed to the club.
"His new deal is not a problem. He has an agent (to deal
with that) and Daniel can concentrate on football," the
Spaniard added.
"He is very competitive, and his only concern is how he can
improve. His commitment to the club is 100% and he does not
want to leave."
(BBC Sport Online)
Carra pays tribute to Rovers boss
Jamie Carragher admits he looked up to Liverpool's former
captain Paul Ince when he was beginning his Anfield
first-team career.
But on Saturday, Carragher will be aiming to heap more woe
on the Blackburn boss when Liverpool visit Ewood Park intent
on maintaining their slender hold on the Premier League
summit.
Carragher made his Liverpool debut a few months before Ince
joined the club from Inter Milan in 1997.
He said: "Paul was one of the players in the team when I
first started and he was a great help to me.
"He gave me a lot of advice and he was someone I looked up
to when I started to become a footballer. Hopefully he does
really well, after Saturday."
(TEAMtalk)
Hyypia wins award
Sami Hyypia has been named Finland's Player of the Year.
It is the seventh time the Liverpool defender has won the
award, all coming during his time with the Reds. Hyypia's
previous successes came in 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005 and
2006.
(LFC Online)
Agger: I'm getting back to my best
Liverpool defender Daniel Agger believes he is on the verge
of recovering his peak form.
Since his long-term absence with a metatarsal injury, the
23-year-old Denmark international has struggled to live up
to his early performances for the club.
However, he is convinced he is improving week on week and
has told the fans it will not be long before he is back to
his best.
“It’s difficult to compare to how I was before, and I know
there are some things that I need to improve, but I can feel
myself getting better and better with every game," he said
in The Daily Mirror.
“Maybe I am not there yet, but I will be soon.
“Of course, sometimes it’s difficult but you have to keep
working hard to improve yourself and that’s what I am trying
to do.
“It has been difficult with the injury last year, but that’s
the past.
“Hopefully I’ll be back to 100 percent soon.”
(Setanta Sports) |
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THURSDAY 4 |
Benayoun’s agent
rubbishes speculation
Yossi Benayoun’s agent has strongly dismissed reports
linking him with a move to Spartak Moscow as baseless.
There has been speculations that the Israeli international
could move on in the New Year, in search of regular
first-team football.
But, his agent laughed at the rumours and said his client
was more than happy to stay at Liverpool.
“I don’t understand where they’re getting this from,” Ronen
Katsav told Sovetsky Sport.
“Yossi is happy at Liverpool, he played the full 90 minutes
on Monday against West Ham.
“Benayoun wants to remain in the best league in the world,
with Liverpool, to continue to battle for the title, which
this year the club is closer than ever to winning.”
(Kop-TV)
Reserves pay the penalty in Rovers defeat
Liverpool Reserves slumped to their fifth defeat of the
season after going down 1-0 at home to Blackburn Rovers.
Gary Ablett's men had hoped to build on their recent upturn
in form against the Lancashire outfit but struggled to break
down the visitors' stubborn rearguard and were beaten by
Alan Judge's first-half spot-kick.
Liverpool Reserves: Peter Gulacsi, Emmanuel Gomis Mendy,
Stephen Darby (Steven Irwin 46), Mikel San Jose Dominguez,
Ronald Huth, Damien Plessis, Gerardo Bruna (Jordy Brouwer
75), Jay Spearing, Krisztian Nemeth, Daniel Pacheco, Vincent
Weijl (Ryan Crowther 60).
Unused subs: Martin Hansen, Daniel Ayala.
(LFC Official Website)
Benitez: Liverpool team-
mates must help Keane
Rafa Benitez has urged Robbie Keane’s team-mates to help him
end his barren spell.
The £20m signing has hit just two League goals since his
move from Spurs. And he looked frustrated at being
substituted – for the 15th time in 18 starts – once again on
Monday night.
But the Reds boss has stood by him and asked his team-mates
to create more chances for him.
“Robbie is a better player than the one we are seeing now,”
said Benitez.
“We know what kind of player Robbie Keane is. He needs
people around him to pass the ball well.
“I believe he will be okay, he will score more if we create
chances for him. But if that does not happen we have to use
players with different qualities to open up the game.”
Keane is set to continue at Blackburn on Saturday, but
Danish defender Daniel Agger must fight for a return to the
starting line-up after Sami Hyypia’s impressive performance
on Monday.
(Liverpool Daily Post)
Torres out until next year
Liverpool striker Fernando Torres is not expected back until
the New Year, according to reports this morning.
The striker suffered a recurrence of a hamstring strain in
the Champions League win over Marseille last week and was
initially thought to be sidelined for three weeks.
It is now believed that the Spaniard will miss the next five
league games in a bid to ensure a full recovery from an
injury that has hampered much of his season.
Torres scored 34 goals for the Merseysiders last season.
(The Irish Times)
Torres ready to fight
for Liverpool FC title push
Fernando Torres believes finishing third in the Ballon D’Or
can spur him towards returning to help Liverpool’s fight for
the Premier League crown.
But the Anfield outfit fear the striker may not play again
this year after visiting a specialist in Spain in an attempt
to find a cure for his recurring hamstring problems.
“The award is an important recognition,” he said. “It comes
at a time when I am recovering from injury, and the accolade
will spur me on. The injury is a bit worrying because it has
happened to me before.
“Now the only thing to do is to get on with the
rehabilitation and make sure that I come back when I am
ready and not too soon. This prize is a massive reward that
obliges me to keep on working on my recovery."
(Liverpool Daily Post)
Thor Zakariassen
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