|
|
|
|
FRIDAY 9 |
Gerrard still upbeat about Reds` chances
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard insists the club's quest
for the Premier League title is still on track while
claiming leaders Arsenal will crack under the pressures of
the campaign.
Gerrard, who first captained the Reds five years ago this
week, is defiant in the wake of the midweek mauling of
Besiktas in the Champions League and the re-established
confidence of his team.
Gerrard, with four goals in his last five games going into
Saturday's game with Fulham, also considers he is back to
his best form after an accepted difficult spell.
"We are keeping pace at the top and we are not at our best
yet, while few would argue that Arsenal are playing to their
full potential at the moment.
"They're on fire and playing out of their skin. But they
have not had the problems that us, Chelsea and Manchester
United have had with injuries to key players.
"It will be interesting to see how well they perform when
they lose a few key players and face more tricky matches."
(Football 365)
Home rule next target for Benitez
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is hoping that his side can
take their midweek Champions League form into the Premier
League and start turning their home draws into victories.
Although Liverpool remain along with Arsenal one of only two
clubs unbeaten so far during the Premier League campaign,
they have only won of their five league games to date.
Benitez said: “The key is to be as good as before at Anfield
because last season we were really good at Anfield so we
must try and do the same – hopefully the last game (8-0
against Besiktas) will help because people will have more
confidence and will know that we can score goals.
“We cannot continue drawing games at home we need to start
winning right now that is clear because we want to be as
close as possible to the top of the table so we need to win
at home and away, starting
against Fulham.”
(Liverpool Daily Post)
Rafa hopes for Masch signing
Rafael Benitez wants to sign Javier Mascherano on a
permanent deal.
The Argentinian midfielder is currently on an 18 month loan
deal at Anfield, a loan deal that expires at the end of the
season. Rafa Benitez wants to make the transfer a permanent
one.
"Mascherano wants to stay, he is very happy here," said
the Liverpool boss.
"He is a key player for us and I have been talking with him
and he is really pleased to be at Liverpool.
"His family are settled here and his wife is learning
English and he is very comfortable here.
"Javier also knows that the supporters like him and I think
if everything is okay he will stay with us.
"We are happy with him so it would be good for everyone if
he stayed
at Liverpool."
(LFC Online)
Torres hoping to tackle Cottagers
Fernando Torres could figure in only his second Premier
League match in more than a month against Fulham at Anfield
on Saturday (5.15pm KO).
The £20million striker, an unused substitute in the 8-0
midweek win over Besiktas, is now pushing for a place up
front, with boss Rafael Benitez admitting he has a difficult
choice to make.
Harry Kewell, substitute in the last two games after a
season sidelined through injury, is also in contention.
Daniel Agger is expected back in three weeks, Xabi Alonso in
a month, while Jermaine Pennant is out until the new year.
Reds (from): Reina, Finnan, Arbeloa, Carragher, Hyypia,
Hobbs, Aurelio, Riise, Babel, Benayoun, Gerrard, Mascherano,
Sissoko, Kewell, Voronin, Kuyt, Crouch, Torres, Martin,
Lucas.
(TEAMtalk)
Three Reds named in England squad
Three Liverpool players have been included in Steve
McClaren's England squad ahead of the Euro 2008 qualifier
against Croatia.
Steven Gerrard, Peter Crouch and on loan goalkeeper Scott
Carson have been named in the squad for the friendly in
Austria on Friday, November 16th, and the Euro 2008
qualifier against Croatia at Wembley on Wednesday, November
21st.
(LFC Official Website)
Cardiff star Fowler may need op
Cardiff City star and former Liverpool FC favourite Robbie
Fowler may face a long absence from action if he is told by
specialists that he needs an operation on a hip complaint.
Fowler has been suffering from the troublesome niggle as he
fights to prove himself at this level. His performances and
partnership with fellow veteran Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink have
been called into question.
If Fowler does require surgery, the operation will be
carried out during the forthcoming International break to
minimise the striker's absence from the team. However, it
does mean the veteran is available for selection for
tomorrow's clash at Charlton Athletic.
(Vital Football - Cardiff City)
Bocanegra back for Anfield trip
Fulham defender Carlos Bocanegra returns from suspension for
Saturday's Premier League clash at Liverpool, but Elliott
Omozusi
is banned.
Omozusi is ruled out after his sending off last week against
Reading.
Chris Baird is fit and will return to the Cottagers'
starting line-up, but youngster Nathan Ashton has picked up
a thigh injury and misses out.
Shefki Kuqi could be handed his full debut in attack, and
Alexey Smertin will be considered if Sanchez opts for a
five-man midfield at Anfield.
Moritz Volz (shoulder and groin), Phillipe Christanval
(knee), Kasey Keller (bicep), Lee Cook (knee), Ian Pearce
(ankle), Brian McBride (knee) and Jimmy Bullard (knee) are
all still sidelined. Paul Konchesky serves the final match
of a three-game ban.
Fulham (from): Niemi, Warner, Stefanovic, Hughes, Bocanegra,
Baird, Leijer, Davis, Smertin, Murphy, Seol, Davies, Healy,
Dempsey, Kamara, Kuqi.
(TEAMtalk)
Curbs dismisses Pako link
West Ham United manager Alan Curbishley has dismissed
reports that the club are set to appoint former Liverpool
coach Pako Ayesteran as their new technical director.
The Spaniard - who left Anfield earlier this season - was
strongly linked with the position this week; however
Curbishley is adamant that they are yet to contact anyone
about the role.
The Hammers boss explained that they are keen to fill the
position, and insists that whoever takes the job will have
no influence on first-team matters.
"We've discussed the situation and we're coming up with a
brief for what the job entails," Curbishley said.
"No-one has been in the frame, or even talked about. We're
hoping to push on with a new stadium and training ground,
and we need someone who can deal with it."
(Sky Sports)
Voronin: I'll do it for you, son
Andriy Voronin admits he was gutted at not bagging a goal
during the 8-0 mauling of Besiktas.
The Ukraine striker wanted to hit the net for his new son,
born on Merseyside last Saturday.
He's now desperate to make amends against Fulham on
Saturday.
"The labour went well and both the mother and child are fit
and healthy," the father of two told Liverpoolfc.tv. "I am
delighted and I hope to dedicate a goal to him this
weekend."
(LFC Official Website) |
|
THURSDAY 8 |
Carragher demands Reds improvement
Jamie Carragher has demanded that every one of his Liverpool
colleagues must improve if they are to have any chance of
hanging on to the coat tails of the title leaders.
The tough talking defender was reacting amid the euphoria of
Liverpool's stunning 8-0 Champions League mauling of Turkish
side Besiktas - the biggest victory margin in the revamped
competition's 15-year history.
But Carragher only has eyes for the next task at home to
Fulham on Saturday and the need to claw back the six-point
lead the leaders have built up over the Anfield men.
"The whole team has got to try to improve. Even if you think
you're playing well you've got to do more, that's what
football is all about."
(Football 365)
Rafa: Torres fit but may not start
Rafa Benitez has revealed he expects Fernando Torres to be
fit to start Saturday's Premier League clash with Fulham,
but he hinted he is likely to stick with the men who
trounced Besiktas 8-0.
Torres was on the bench for emergencies only against the
Turks on Tuesday but, barring injuries, he will be available
for selection this weekend.
Benitez will find it hard to shuffle a strike force of Peter
Crouch and Andriy Voronin though, which yielded two goals
and two assists between them
at Anfield.
“We need to wait. Maybe I would say ‘yes, I want to keep the
same team’ and then we could have injury problems. So we
need to wait,” said
the Spaniard.
(Setanta Sports)
Sanchez plots Kuqi surprise
Fulham manager Lawrie Sanchez admits he is considering
giving striker Shefki Kuqi a surprise full debut against
Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday after the 'forgotten'
Finn's impressive work as a substitute.
The former Stockport, Sheffield Wednesday, Ipswich and
Blackburn forward has been on loan at Fulham since the end
of August after miserable spell with Coca-Cola Championship
side Crystal Palace, who paid Blackburn £2.5million for him.
Sanchez, who took the 31-year-old Kuqi from Palace as cover
for injured Fulham captain Brian McBride, said: "We have a
lot of good forwards here and it's very hard to get into our
front line.
"To be fair, Shefki was down the pecking order. As a loan
player coming in from a Championship club he was always
going to be 'just in case'.
"But he came in last week and did an excellent job for half
an hour. The test now will be if I start him, can he do it
for 90 minutes?"
(ITV Football)
Arbeloa: An incredible game
Liverpool right back Alvaro Arbeloa has expressed his joy to
setantasports.com following The Reds’ record 8-0 victory
against Besiktas in The Champions League at Anfield.
“The game was incredible,” Arbeloa told setantasports.com.
“I never played and won a European game with such a score. I
think we could even have scored more goals.
“Besiktas are not a bad opponent, besides they won against
us in Istanbul, but at Anfield we didn’t let them breathe
and we scored an early goal. It was the key to the game.
“It’s a big boost for the team after spending weeks drawing
without scoring a lot of goals. The qualification for the
next round is not out of our
hands yet.
“We will make it if we win the two last games, and I think
that we will succeed.
“The team is focused in The European Cup, to win those three
games like if they were finals.
“We now have to play Porto at home and we’ll have to show
the same spirit as we did this week.”
(Setanta Sports)
Crouch calls on Yossi
Liverpool's Peter Crouch hopes that Yossi Benayoun can
replicate his current club form on the international stage.
With England's hopes of qualifying for Euro 2008 no longer
in their hands, the country finds themselves relying on
Israel picking up a result when they take on Russia later
this month.
And Crouch is hoping that Benayoun can assist England in
securing a place in next summer's finals in Austria and
Switzerland.
The Israeli winger scored a hat-trick in The Reds' 8-0 UEFA
Champions League thumping of Besiktas, and Crouch admits
that he and Steven Gerrard are keeping their fingers crossed
that he carries his excellent form into the clash on 17th
November.
"Of course now it would be great to see him make himself a
hero to the England fans as well as the Liverpool ones," he
said.
"Me and Stevie Gerrard have been getting into him; don't
worry about that, trying to keep him fresh for the Israel
game. We certainly need him to help Israel play well too.
Hopefully he will do us a job against Russia.
"I was delighted for Yossi because he's a great lad. It was
fantastic to see him getting the hat-trick against Besiktas
and he was involved in
almost everything."
(Sky Sports) |
|
WEDNESDAY 7 |
Reds starlet eyes Hatters move
James Smith is hoping for a permanent move to Stockport
after he returned to his parent club Liverpool after his
loan spell came to an end.
The defender joined the Hatters on an initial one-month deal
before the Reds then allowed an extension of 93 days - the
maximum for a emergency loan player - in which Smith made 10
league starts.
He told the club's official website: "It's been brilliant,
I've loved my time here, I'm just a bit gutted it's been cut
short.
"I thought I was here until January myself but when I went
to sign the extension it could only go to 93 days.
"I'll just get my head down until January and see what
happens from there.
"I'm looking for a permanent move and I've loved my time
here so I don't see why not if I can come to an agreement."
(TEAMtalk)
Parry: Reds' ground will be bigger
Liverpool’s new stadium will have a capacity greater than
60,000 at its opening in 2011, according to Reds chief
executive Rick Parry.
Liverpool city council approved the building of the
60,000-seater arena on Stanley Park but Parry believes The
Reds will be able to gain new permission for an even bigger
venue.
"I don't think we will open with a 60,000 capacity," said
Parry.
"We will assess what we want in terms of numbers and go away
and get a fresh planning application.
"But this first approval was a big step and a very important
hurdle to overcome.
"We will probably start work on the stadium next spring and
realistically we are looking at 2011 for an opening date.
"The final capacity is yet to be determined, but I think it
will be significantly more than 60,000 when we open."
(Setanta Sports)
Aldridge hoping for Ireland's call
Former Liverpool striker John Aldridge is keen to get back
involved with the Republic of Ireland set-up in some
capacity, but will not be applying for the manager's job
after being rebuffed twice before.
The 49-year-old, who earned 69 caps for Ireland, was in
charge of Tranmere Rovers for five years in his only foray
into management
thus far.
That lack of experience is likely to exclude him from
replacing Steve Staunton, but the Liverpudlian would be open
to discussing a role on the coaching staff.
"Obviously as a coach you've got to be interested in
managing your country," Aldridge said on Sky Sports News.
"Being able to work for your country in any capacity would
be interesting."
"I was interested the last couple of times when I put my
name in the hat," he added. "It wasn't to be so third time
lucky... you never know."
(Ireland.com)
Aurelio: League is our focus
In the wake of Liverpool’s record-breaking 8-0 Champions
League win over Besiktas on Tuesday evening, Reds defender
Fabio Aurelio has warned his team-mates not to get carried
away and stay focused on
domestic matters.
The Brazilian is urging his Anfield counterparts to switch
their attentions to Saturday’s visit of Fulham as Rafa
Benitez’s men seek to improve their current standing of
seventh in The Premier League.
"We know this was a good step for the Champions League but
now we need to think about The Premier League again,” said
the 28-year-old.
"We have an important game against Fulham on Saturday and we
need to keep winning, especially at home.
"Winning 8-0 against Besiktas gives us confidence and we
need to take that on. We knew we needed to improve after
recent results and we still need to improve. We must still
work really hard - starting on Saturday. We must keep
pushing ourselves."
(Setanta Sports)
Crouch: It could have been more
Peter Crouch believes he and his teammates could have been
even more ruthless in front of goal during the 8-0 massacre
of Besiktas.
The Liverpool number 15 bagged a brace to add to Yossi
Benayoun's hat-trick, a Ryan Babel double and a superb team
goal finished by skipper Steven Gerrard.
Crouch admits the Reds felt under pressure before kick-off,
but despite being proud of the response, he claims they
could have been greedier.
"It could have been more than 8-0. I think it's perhaps the
best we've played for a long time – you don't get many 8-0
results in
the Champions League.
"People have said we're in crisis but we're our own worst
critics. We haven't been as good as we would have liked
lately but hopefully we have put that to bed here."
(LFC Official Website)
Record rout eases pressure on Rafa
Liverpool not only set a new winning margin in the Champions
League on Tuesday, but they re-established themselves as a
force at home.
Liverpool and their under-fire manager Rafael Benitez have
taken merciless criticism for their European form this
season, and many came to Anfield to write their European
obituary on Tuesday.
But after the 8-0 destruction of Besiktas, a side that beat
Liverpool in Istanbul last month to create a crisis for the
Anfield club, Benitez knows he has a team now to be feared.
Benitez restored Peter Crouch to the front line and the
England striker scored twice, and there was no need to
remove Fernando Torres from
the bench.
The Spaniard had recovered enough from a thigh injury to be
named in the squad, but Benitez said: "He was fit, but he
will be 100% fit.
"When we play Fulham here on Saturday then he may well start
the game."
(TEAMtalk)
Cotterill warning for Reds
Liverpool have been warned that they will have to up the
ante if they are
to prise John Cofie away from Burnley.
The 15-year-old is viewed as one of the brightest prospects
in the English game and has been catching admiring glances
for some time.
Liverpool are rumoured to be keen on pushing through a deal
for the teenager, but Clarets boss Steve Cotterill has
insisted the reported £250,000 does not match Burnley’s
valuation of the player.
“There’s been nothing agreed between us and Liverpool,”
Cotterill told
The Sun.
“If they think they can nick him for £250,000 they’ve no
chance.”
(Setanta Sports)
Thor Zakariassen
© |
|
