Red News                    

      
JANUARY 2006
7  8  9

MONDAY 9
Reds draw Portsmouth away
After the drama of a stunning four-goal second-half comeback against Luton on Saturday evening, Liverpool have been handed an away draw against Portsmouth in the 4th Round of the FA Cup.
Liverpool were knocked out of the FA Cup by Harry Redknapp's Portsmouth side in 2004 when Richard Hughes scored the only goal of the game after Michael Owen had missed a penalty.

The FA Cup 4th Round Draw in full
Stoke City/Tamworth v Barnsley/Walsall
Cheltenham Town/Chester City v Newcastle United
Coventry v Nuneaton Borough/Middlesbrough
West Brom/Reading v Torquay/Birmingham
Portsmouth v Liverpool
Leicester v Southampton
Bolton v Arsenal
Aston Villa v Port Vale
Brentford v Sunderland
Manchester City v Wigan/Leeds
Millwall/Everton v Chelsea
Preston v Crystal Palace
West Ham v Blackburn
Colchester v Derby
Charlton v Leyton Orient
Wolves v Burton/Manchester United
(LFC Official Website)

Wolves keen on Reds' Mellor
Wolves boss Glenn Hoddle has turned his attention to Liverpool striker Neil Mellor after missing out on MK Dons striker Izale McLeod.
The Molineux outfit dropped their interest McLeod after having a £600,000 bid turned down and reports suggest they are now chasing Mellor.
Hoddle has around £2million to spend to strengthen his side's promotion push and has made signing a striker a priority.
Mellor has been tracked by a number of Championship sides including Sheffield United and Stoke and is rated in the £1million bracket by Liverpool.
He has made 21 first-team appearances for the Reds, scoring six goals in the process. However, he was forced to undergo surgery on both knees last March and has not appeared for the Premiership side since.
(TEAMtalk)

Simao cool on Reds rumours
Portugal winger Simao Sabrosa has rejected suggestions he may have played his last game for Benfica.
The 26-year-old has been linked with a January transfer window move to Manchester United and Liverpool and many observers felt the 2-0 win against Pacos on Sunday would be his last appearance for the Lisbon club.
However, Simao said: "Is this my last game with Benfica? I don't see why.
"I am professional and I have a contract until June 2010.
"Everyone is aware of the situation but it's Benfica that has to decide.
"For the time being there is nothing."
Liverpool tried to bring Simao to the Premiership in the summer but Benfica rejected a bid reported to be £10.2million.
(TEAMtalk)

Brondby: Liverpool rivals in for Agger
Brondby have claimed Liverpool face competition from a number of other Premiership clubs for the signature of Daniel Agger.
The 21-year-old centre-back is the top of Rafael Benitez's January wishlist as he attempts to bolster his defensive options.
Reports in Denmark yesterday suggested Brondby have slapped a £7million price tag on the player.
Liverpool are unwilling to go above £5.5m for the player and, with other transfer options available, Benitez's patience will not last forever.
However, it is unlikely Brondby would reject Liverpool's offer for a player who is out of contract in 18 months.
Brondby chief executive Per Bjerregaard expects Agger to be training with his current club this week and has dismissed the suggestion personal terms with Liverpool have already been agreed by the player.
And he said last night: "It is 100% rubbish and is not true that personal terms have been agreed. It is true that Liverpool are one of the clubs that are interested but there are also other Premier League clubs interested in him."
(Daily Post)

Carra's delight at double fans honour
Jamie Carragher has spoken of his pride and delight after receiving a double honour from the Merseyside branch of the official Liverpool supporters club.
Carragher, the Reds' undisputed player of last season, walked away with the player of 2005 award and the inaugural Emlyn Hughes Award.
The latter, which was presented by members of Emlyn's family, is given to the player who plays the game in the best spirit of our former double European Cup winning captain.
In the player of the year poll Carragher beat off competition from Xabi Alonso (second) and Luis Garcia (third).
"An award like this means even more to me because it's voted for by the fans," says the Reds inspirational number 23.
"I'm also proud to have been handed an award in honour of Emlyn Hughes, who's one of the greatest defenders to ever play for Liverpool. If I can win as many league titles and European Cups as he did at Anfield, I'll be even happier."
(LFC Official Website)

Cup hero Sinama keen to stay in picture
Florent Sinama-Pongolle is willing to turn down a loan move this month and fight for his place at Liverpool.
The 21-year-old was on target twice after coming on as a second-half substitute as Rafael Benitez's side came from 3-1 down to win 5-3 at Luton Town in the FA Cup third round on Saturday.
"I haven't played as much as I would have liked so far this season, so it's understandable that I am a little bit disappointed with how things have gone up to now," said Sinama-Pongolle.
"But I'm happy at Liverpool. I love the club and I am still very much enjoying myself here. Being at this club is a great footballing experience for me."
(Daily Post)    

Under 18's win
Liverpool's under 18's side returned to action after the Winter break with a 5-3 win over West Brom.
Hours before the senior side beat Luton by the same score, the under 18's overcame West Brom 5-3 at the Academy.
Charlie Barnett opened the scoring for the Reds in the first five minutes but quickly found themselves 2-1 down, albeit against the run of play.
Liverpool were soon back on level terms however, with Paul Barrett scoring the equaliser before captain Stephen Darby put the Reds 3-2 up.
James Frayne then put the Reds 4-2 up before West Brom pulled a goal back to make it 4-3. All this before half-time!
Things tightened up in the second half and there was only one more goal; Conal Platt wrapping things up midway through the second half with Liverpool's fifth in
an entertaining game.
(LFC Online)
SUNDAY 8
Newell: Scott deserved red
Mike Newell claims Liverpool goalkeeper Scott Carson should have been sent off by Mark Clattenburg in Saturday's FA Cup thriller.
The referee adjudged Carson to have brought down Rowan Vine for Luton's penalty in their 5-3 FA Cup defeat, even though television replays poured doubt on the decision.
"I'm not advocating that goalkeepers get sent off but the rules say he should have been sent off," said Newell.
"I can't fault my team's honesty. It's no consolation to have performed so well. At the end of the day we have been beaten.
"I never thought the game was over. If Liverpool can do what they did against Milan then they can do it against Luton.
"At half-time I told my players they deserved to be in front. We had played the better football. But I can't knock them. They are an honest bunch. We're a good footballing side and we showed great character. I won't criticise them."
(TEAMtalk)

Whitehead shrugs off Reds link
Sunderland midfielder Dean Whitehead has insisted that speculation linking him with a move to Liverpool will not affect his game.
The 23-year-old is flattered by the reported interest of Rafa Benitez, but is totally focused on saving The Black Cats from relegation.
"Of course, it's nice to be playing so well that you get linked with a club like Liverpool, the champions of Europe at the moment," he remarked.
"But none of that is bothering me at all. It hasn't made a difference to me at all.
"I'm still focused on doing everything I can to help Sunderland get up the Premiership table somehow - there's nothing else on my mind.''
(Sky Sports)

Xabi relieved at recovery
Two-goal Xabi Alonso reflected on Liverpool's latest cup great escape and admitted: "We've had another comeback."
Liverpool, who fought back from 3-0 down against AC Milan to win the Champions League final, dug deep again to beat Luton 5-3 in the FA Cup third round after trailing 3-1 in the second half at Kenilworth Road on Saturday evening.
"At 3-1 down, things were pretty tough but we've had another comeback,"
Alonso told BBC1.
"We'd prefer to do the job from the beginning but we're still glad to get through."
(TEAMtalk)  
SATURDAY 7

Liverpool target athlete of the year 2005 in Denmark
Daniel Agger danish national defender who are linked with Liverpool, where today elected as the best athlete of the year 2005 in Denmark by several danish media.
Agger are at the moment on holiday at Gran Canarie with his Brondby manager.
According to several danish newspapers, will Agger`s future be official next week, and it looks like his first training will be at Anfield.
(Liverpool4Ever)  
  
Benitez accuses 'complacent' Reds

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez accused his players of complacency after their incredible 5-3 FA Cup third round victory away at Luton.
Benitez said: "The problem was we scored too early and we thought the game was going to be easy.
"When we woke up the score was 3-1 to them. We got back into it and kept going forward, but you cannot afford to wait until the second half to play.
"I was not happy with the performance. We gifted them so many chances."
(BBC Sport Online)  

Reds fight back to win thriller
Liverpool emerged from a truly memorable FA Cup tie at Luton with an amazing 5-3 victory in a third round battle that had everything.
A pulsating game saw Steven Gerrard put Liverpool ahead early on before Luton started to dominate the European champions and goals from Steve Howard and Steve Robinson deservedly put Mike Newell's men ahead at half time.
The game was far from over and the second half was spellbinding stuff as Djibril Cisse missed a penalty before Kevin Nicholls scored from the spot for Luton just minutes later to put them 3-1 ahead.
Liverpool then staged another miraculous comeback with substitute Florent Sinama-Pongolle the catalyst as he scored the first and third of three goals in 12 minutes to somehow put The Reds ahead, either side of Xabi Alonso's dipping 35-yard effort.
The Spanish midfielder then capped an amazing night's action by adding a fifth for Liverpool in stoppage time from inside his own half, with goalkeeper Marlon Beresford stranded after coming up for a corner.
(Sky Sports)  

Red hot Robbie scores a hat-trick
Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler scored a hat trick for Manchester City today to keep their FA Cup hopes alive.
City had gone a goal down to Scunthorpe United after just 17 minutes but a trio of goals - the 3rd a penalty - saw Fowler put City into the fourth round.
It was Fowler's first hat trick in 5-years following a miserable spell since leaving Anfield.
Sources close to the player insist he's never recovered since he was bombed out of Anfield by former boss Gerard Houllier and chief executive Rick Parry.
He dreams of finishing his career as a Red again - put simply, Liverpool are the only team he's ever cared about.
The 30-year-old former England international is out of contract in the summer.
(Kop Talk)

Luton Town v Liverpool - confirmed teams
LUTON TOWN: Beresford, Foley, Coyne, Heikkinen, Underwood, Edwards, Nicholls, Robinson, Brkovic, Howard, Vine.
SUBS: Feeney, Showunmi, Morgan, Brill, Barnett.

LIVERPOOL: Carson, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Riise, Sissoko, Alonso, Kewell, Gerrard, Crouch, Cisse.
SUBS: Reina, Pongolle, Kromkamp, Warnock, Hamann.
(Kop Talk)

Anderson delighted with dream move
Liverpool youngster Paul Anderson has described his move to Anfield as a "dream come true".
Anderson, 17, had been training with the Reds for most of the season and his permanent move from Hull was completed this week, with John Welsh moving in the opposite direction.
And the winger told the club's official website: "It was a brilliant feeling to sign for Liverpool permanently. It is the realisation of a dream for me.
"I won't confess to being a boyhood Liverpool fan, because I wasn't, but to sign for the European champions is the stuff dreams are made of and one I couldn't turn down.
"My main objective now is to settle down fully and try and improve as much as I can, while looking further ahead, my ultimate goal has to be to play for and establish myself in the first team."
(TEAMtalk)

Crouch hits Anfield heights
Peter Crouch is relishing his time at Liverpool after finally ending his goal drought.
The giant England striker featured in 21 games this season without scoring before he finally ended his duck with a brace against Wigan at the beginning of December.
Now Crouch says he is lapping up the fans' adulation, revealing that he finds a Kop chant particularly endearing.
"There's a song they sing about me at Liverpool," he told the Daily Mail. "He's big, he's red, his feet stick out the bed...
"That's funny. It's sung with affection as well. People who said I couldn't play three months ago have now totally changed their tune."
Crouch came in for some heavy criticism during his early days at Anfield, although the manner in which he handled the pressure also won him many admirers.
"I am quite proud of it, yeah," he continued. "Maybe I took a bit of a battering from certain people but not those around me. Not the England manager, all the England players - who were top class - the manager here, team-mates, fans.
"The people who know me and the ones I care about were all top class. There were people who gave me a bit but that's all part of football.
"As much as people build you up, they knock you down. You just have to carry on and now I'm feeling the benefit of it."
(Sky Sports)


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