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MONDAY 6 |
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Reds decide against Reina appeal
Liverpool have decided not to appeal against Jose Reina's
red card in the 2-0 defeat at Chelsea on Sunday.
The Spanish goalkeeper was sent off following an altercation
with Chelsea's Arjen Robben, during which he placed a hand
on the Dutch player's face.
But the Football Association received no appeal before their
noon deadline.
Reina will serve a three-game ban, meaning he will miss
Wednesday's trip to Charlton, the visit to Wigan and the
home game with Arsenal on 14 February.
(BBC Sport Online)
Fowler ready for Reds' capital call
Robbie Fowler will be thrust straight back into contention
for Liverpool's return to London this week, as Rafa Benitez
seeks a remedy for his side's recent goal drought.
Fowler remained on Merseyside as the Reds suffered at the
hands of Chelsea for the second time this season, ending
remote title hopes.
Rafa Benitez's striking options are looking increasingly
stretched due to the form of outof-favour duo Djibril Cisse
and Fernando Morientes.
The last Liverpool striker to score was Florent
Sinama-Pongolle against Luton Town, and he's now at
Blackburn.
The Liverpool manager had an eye on forthcoming fixtures
against Charlton, Wigan and Arsenal when making the
decision, explaining today why Fowler wasn't in
yesterday's squad.
(Liverpool Echo)
Zenden making progress
Boudewijn Zenden has issued an upbeat bulletin on his
fitness, having dispensed with his crutches, but is still a
long way from making a return to action for Liverpool.
The Dutch winger is currently sidelined after damaging a
cruciate knee ligament against Real Betis last November.
Zenden is most unlikely to play again this season, although
he feels he could be fit for the UEFA Champions League final
should The Reds go all the way.
The former Barcelona man says he is making steady progress
and is looking to the future in a positive frame of mind.
"I am still quite far away," Zenden told Sky Sports in his
role as a summariser for the Super Sunday clash between
Liverpool and Chelsea.
"I have got rid of the crutches, got rid of my brace and am
a bit more mobile.
"Walking is going a bit better now and I am going forward."
(Sky Sports)
Redknapp's Robben rage
Former Liverpool skipper Jamie Redknapp has joined Reds boss
Rafael Benitez in accusing Arjen Robben of play-acting in
the incident which saw Jose Reina sent off during Sunday's
2-0 loss at Chelsea.
Benitez accused Chelsea's Dutch winger of making the most of
Reina's push and the club plans to appeal against the
decision.
Redknapp, speaking on Sky Sports, sympathised with that view
and said: "For something so silly, I think I'd have booked
Arjen Robben, to be honest.
"For me that's nothing. To go down like that is wrong and
I'm sure he'll be embarrassed when he sees it. He'll be
embarrassed by his behaviour.
"At times he illuminates the match and does some great
things, that's what we want to see from Arjen Robben because
he's a lovely player to watch.
"Certainly that isn't what I want to see."
(TEAMtalk) |
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SUNDAY 5 |
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Gonzalez on target for Real Sociedad
Loaned out Liverpool midfielder Mark Gonzalez came off the
bench to score the winner for Real Sociedad in La Liga
today.
Gonzalez slid in at the far post to score the winner in the
84th minute, 20 minutes after coming on, to secure Sociedad
a 2-1 victory over bottom club Real Mallorca.
Manager Rafael Benitez has loaned the player out until the
summer due to work permit problems which will be resolved in
time for next season.
(Kop Talk)
Mourinho avoids war of words
Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho refused to become embroiled in a
war of words with Rafael Benitez after the Liverpool manager
accused Dutch winger Arjen Robben of deliberately diving to
get goalkeeper Jose Reina sent off.
"I am not interested in what Benitez has said," declared
Mourinho.
"I have just finished a big game, a game that we won and
played very well. A game that we should have won three or
four to zero."
(TEAMtalk)
Rafa: Is Robben in hospital?
Rafael Benitez has launched a scathing attack on the
theatrics of Chelsea winger Arjen Robben for the incident
that saw Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina sent-off during the
Reds' 2-0 defeat at Chelsea.
Benitez did not condone Reina's reaction when he touched
Robben, but felt Chelsea's Dutch international made a meal
out of the situation.
"I'm in a hurry and I must go to the hospital to see how
Robben is, he could be in hospital for a week," commented
Benitez.
(LFC Official Website)
Gallas and Crespo see off Liverpool
Chelsea's quality of finishing proved the difference as they
beat rivals Liverpool to move 15 points clear at the top of
the Premiership.
William Gallas put Chelsea ahead when he diverted in a close
range shot after Ricardo Carvalho's brave header.
Liverpool created some promising openings but failed to take
them.
Hernan Crespo drove in an angled shot to seal Chelsea's win
before Reds keeper Jose Reina was red-carded for shoving
Arjen Robben in the face.
(BBC Sport Online)
Chelsea v Liverpool - CONFIRMED TEAMS
CHELSEA: Cech, Gallas, Carvalho, Terry, Del Horno, Makelele,
Essien, Lampard, J Cole, Robben, Crespo.
SUBS: Cudicini, Duff, Diarra, Gudjohnsen, Huth.
LIVERPOOL: Reina, Finnan, Hyypia, Carragher, Warnock,
Gerrard, Alonso, Sissoko, Riise, Kewell, Crouch.
SUBS: Dudek, Traore, Garcia, Morientes, Cisse.
(Kop Talk)
Agger: I'm not fit
Liverpool's Daniel Agger has admitted that he's
not fit and that's he's feeling the strain in the
Premiership.
The former Brondby player is working on his fitness levels
and is trying to toughen himself up for the English game.
Agger said: "My physique is not as good as I'd like it to be
and I'll continue to work at it.
"The play is so fast and there's no time for a break or to
rest."
(Kop Talk)
Crespo: Fated for Liverpool to win
Chelsea striker Hernan Crespo believes that it was written
in the skies that Liverpool would go and lift the European
Champions League trophy last season. The player still cannot
quite believe the events of that fateful night in Istanbul.
"I think it was fate," the Argentine said.
"Because there's no other justifications for it. When a team
loses three goals in 6 minutes. I don't think this happens
even in training for a team to lose three goals that way."
"We couldn't react and they took their chances."
(talklfc.com)
Fowler switch shocked Lamps
Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard admits he was
shocked by Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler's switch back to
Anfield.
Fowler returned to the Reds from Manchester City during the
January transfer window.
"I was surprised, I think everyone was," said Lampard. "It
wasn't a move I saw coming but I think those sort of moves
are good for football.
"It's great to see someone who was such a hero at the club
and such a fantastic player, go back. You can see the
happiness he had in going back and the happiness of the fans
when he ran onto the pitch. It's a great thing for football.
"Robbie is a natural goalscorer who will score wherever he
plays. He will probably be scoring when he is 50 years old
and playing with his mates, he's a natural and you can't
take that away from people.
"You can see how much he loves the club and it will give him
an extra lift going back there. He's always been one to
watch whether he's been with Leeds, Man City or Liverpool.
He is a dangerous player."
(TEAMtalk)
Rafa: Money not the answer
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez says his side do not need
financial might in order to compete with Chelsea.
The Spaniard takes his Anfield squad to Stamford Bridge for
a Super Sunday clash with Jose Mourinho's Blues, with the
European Cup holders standing 18 points behind the
Premiership champions.
"I'm convinced it's possible to close the gap on Chelsea by
being smarter," Benitez said. "It was the same in Spain with
Valencia.
"It was impossible to compete financially with Real Madrid
and Barca (Barcelona), but we won two leagues and a Uefa
Cup. It is the same here at Anfield.
"It is only my second season, but we are getting closer.
"It isn't always necessary to have the very best players.
I'd rather have the right player come in and do the job."
(Sky Sports) |
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SATURDAY 4 |
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Chimbonda suspended for Liverpool
Wigan Athletic right-back Pascal Chimbonda will be suspended
for the televised game against Liverpool at the JJB Stadium
on the 11th of February.
He picked up his 5th yellow card of the season in the game
against Bolton Wanderers.
(Vital Football)
This is a better side says Fowler
Robbie Fowler believes the current Liverpool team is better
than the one he left in 2002.
Fowler has only played 30 minutes with Rafael Benitez' Reds
but he says he can tell already that is the best Liverpool
side he's played in.
"No disrespect to the team that was here last time but I
think this team winning the Champions League has given
everyone more confidence," said the player who the fans
refer to as 'God'.
"Then the run they went on this season without conceding has
been phenomenal so this is as good a team as I've seen in a
long time at Liverpool.
"The obvious target for me is just to do well for the team
and if I score any amount of goals then great. If I can help
this team to be successful then even better. That is the
main aim, for Liverpool to be successful. I'm confident in
what I can do and I think with this team anything is
possible."
(LFC Online)
Sissoko still wants the ball
Mohamed Sissoko accounts for around a third of Liverpool's
yellow cards this season and is preparing to march back into
the European champions' midfield for Sunday's showdown with
Chelsea.
Sissoko is the only player Liverpool have had sent off this
term, and there are 10 cautions for the Mali international -
the rest of his colleagues have amassed just 27 between
them.
There is little doubt the sparks will be flying from
midfield at Stamford Bridge, the area which produced the
flashpoint of the clubs' last meeting when Michael Essien
ended up being banned by UEFA for the horror tackle on
Dietmar Hamann.
Hamann has made only one 90-minute appearance since -
Wednesday's draw with Birmingham - but is unlikely to be in
the starting line-up this time around, and neither will the
injured Essien.
But the level of commitment when these two sides meet will
be mirrored in everything Sissoko does, even if boss Rafael
Benitez has seen fit to have a quiet work in the
21-year-old's ear.
But Sissoko says: "I'm not really worried. I've not
committed any really serious tackles, I've not injured any
players.
"I don't see that they would particularly label me,
especially if you look at other games and other players in
the past who have done things that are a lot more serious.
"I have been punished for my exuberance and my enthusiasm.
My aim is to get the ball and that is the role of a
midfielder."
(PA Sport)
Benitez hopes to strike it lucky
Rafael Benitez is concerned about his strikers' barren spell
ahead of the clash at Chelsea.
And the Liverpool manager must decide whether to risk using
Robbie Fowler, the new signing he admits is short of
fitness, in a showpiece clash with the champions.
But he knows he must do something, with Djibril Cisse and
Peter Crouch both having failed to score in their last six
matches, while Fernando Morientes is without a goal in seven
games.
Steven Gerrard is Liverpool's top scorer with 17, and
Benitez said: "I would prefer to see the strikers as well as
midfielders scoring goals, but the strikers are doing other
things for the team and working really hard.
"But we did bring Fowler in to give us that something extra
around the box and to take the chances we have been making."
(PA Sport)
Young Reds keeper gets international call
Young Liverpool goalkeeper Paul Willis has been named in the
Northern Ireland under-21 squad for two games in Israel next
week.
Belfast-born Willis has been a frequent member of the Reds
reserve squad this season after coming through the club's
Academy system.
He has won previous international caps at youth level but is
yet to appear for
the under-21s.
The Nothern Ireland youngsters are in action Monday and
Wednesday.
(LFC Official Website)
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Thor Zakariassen
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