TUESDAY 9
	Hodgson: Lucas a key player for Reds Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson has backed his much-criticised summer signings to come good - and outlined Lucas a key performer for the Reds. The Brazil international was one of the club's most derided players of recent seasons after suffering a couple of years of unfair criticism. However Lucas, still only 23, has grown in stature in a difficult campaign and put in a man-of-the-match performance in Sunday's 2-0 victory over Premier League leaders Chelsea. "Lucas is a young player and I have to keep being reminded he is not that old and does not have that much experience," said the Reds boss. (TEAMtalk) Roy shrugs off Reina reassessment Roy Hodgson claims he has no problems with Jose Reina suggesting he will reassess his position at Liverpool at the end of the season. Reports emerged today which suggested the Spain international had said he was staying at the club "until at least the end of the season". But Reds gaffer Hodgson was not worried by those reported comments. "That is fair enough, what's wrong with that?" he said. "There is always spin put on these things but as far as I am concerned we are very happy to have Pepe Reina and I hope he will stay a lot longer than that. "If at the end of the season he doesn't want to play for Liverpool any more then we'd have to deal with that situation when we come to it. "But I don't understand why, seven or eight months from the date I'm being asked to give my opinion on it. "He is an excellent goalkeeper and I hope he plays for Liverpool for years and years to come. "If he doesn't want to play for years and years to come we'll deal with the situation when it occurs." Hodgson added of the goalkeeper who signed a new long-term contract at the end of last season: "Pepe Reina is one of the most committed players at the club. "He is one I don't ever have any doubts about his desire to get on the field and do his best and win the game. "That is the most important thing and I don't see why it is necessary for me or him to discuss a year ahead." (TEAMtalk) Soto & Cole ruled out of Wigan trip Liverpool’s Sotirios Kyrgiakos and Joe Cole have been ruled out of their trip to Wigan on Wednesday evening. The Greek defender, in impressive form in recent weeks, fell ill with tonsillitis on the morning of the Chelsea game. Cole suffered a hamstring injury in the 1-0 win at Bolton, keeping him out of the Napoli and Chelsea games last week. Kyrgiakos’ absence means Martin Skrtel and Jamie Carragher will continue at the centre of defence, with Daniel Agger sidelined long-term with a calf problem. Meanwhile, full back Glen Johnson is available after a slight adductor strain kept him out of the Chelsea game. Manager Roy Hodgson must decide whether to recall the England international in place of youngster Martin Kelly. Also available is left-back Fabio Aurelio, who is yet to make a league appearance sign re-signing for the club in the summer. (This is Anfield) Amoo strikes in Leeds draw David Amoo was on target as a young Liverpool reserve team fought back to secure a 2-2 draw with Leeds United at the Academy on Tuesday afternoon. The Reds went in at the interval trailing to two quick-fire goals after initially struggling to combat the pace and power of an experienced opposition. However, they reduced the arrears on 53 minutes through Amoo's cool finish before substitute Adam Morgan cracked home the equaliser with a stunning shot from the edge of the box. Liverpool Reserves: Bouzanis, Mendy, Robinson, Sama (McGiveron 46), Regan (Flanagan 46), Coady (Roddan 46), Irwin, Bruna (Morgan 30), Silva (Kohlert 46), Suso, Amoo. (LFC Official Website) Reds open talks with duo Liverpool have apparently opened preliminary contract talks with Pepe Reina and Fernando Torres. According to today's Independent NESV are concerned about the release clause in both players' contracts and so want to negotiate new deals for the pair with such a clause removed. There is no indication either player wants to leave and NESV are hopeful of doing a deal as the release clauses were only put into Reina and Torres's contracts as both players were sick of the lies George Gillette and Tom Hicks kept coming out with. With those liars gone, Liverpool's future looks much brighter and remaining at Anfield is a lot more appealing to players. (LFC Online) Liverpool ready to deliver Kelly new contract Liverpool are ready to hand defender Martin Kelly a new contract. The Daily Mail says the Reds are to reward young defender Kelly with a new three year deal. The 20-year-old has made a big impression at Anfield and started at right back against Chelsea on Sunday. Kelly was highly praised for his performance in the 2-0 win after helping shackle the likes of free-scoring Florent Malouda and Nicolas Anelka. (tribalfootball.com) I believe Steven Gerrard is Liverpool FC’s greatest ever player It's been a typical kind of week for Steven Gerrard. He led his side to a hugely influential victory at Bolton, came off the bench and scored a hat-trick against the fourth best team in Serie A, then produced another outstanding display against the league leaders. But then I wouldn’t expect anything less from Stevie, because like Jamie Carragher I believe Steven Gerrard is the greatest player to have ever pulled on the red shirt. Now you’d expect Jamie to say that. He’s Stevie’s team-mate and pal after all. But I had the good fortune to play alongside the phenomenal Kenny Dalglish, and I believe Stevie has probably surpassed even King Kenny. What gives Stevie the edge is that Kenny actually played in a team with 10 other great players. Stevie has probably only played in a Liverpool team with four or five great players, maximum. (John Aldridge - Liverpool Echo)
	MONDAY 8
	Hodgson warning to in-form Reds Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson has urged his players not to take their return to form for granted as the team enters a key period in the season. The impressive 2-0 victory over Premier League leaders Chelsea rightly earned huge credit from all quarters. Liverpool travel to Wigan on Wednesday and Stoke on Saturday with the fixture list then giving them games against West Ham, Tottenham, Aston Villa, Newcastle, Fulham, Blackpool, Wolves, Bolton and Blackburn before the home Merseyside derby on January 16. A good run during that spell will put them in prime position for a top-four finish and so Hodgson is keen for his side to maintain their momentum. "We have to be very careful. We have to get our feet back on the ground very quickly after the Chelsea victory," said the Liverpool manager. (TEAMtalk)   Martinez eyes Latics resolve Wigan manager Roberto Martinez is hoping to bounce back from the disappointing defeat at Blackburn when Liverpool visit the DW Stadium. (Sky Sports)   Lucas hopes win will be pivotal Liverpool midfielder Lucas hopes yesterday's stunning victory over Chelsea can prove a turning point in more ways than one. The much-maligned 23-year-old Brazilian produced one of the best performances of his three years at Anfield with a bustling all-round display. Lucas said: "That will give us a really good mood and we will try to keep the same levels of performance. "I think we believed in our team, that was the main thing. "We played with intensity, everyone could see how intense all the team played. "I am getting older and I think I am getting better. When you get more experienced you feel important and you want to do more." (TEAMtalk)   Liverpool ace could make 'sensational Anfield exit' in January Christian Poulsen is being tipped to sensationally leave Liverpool in January - just five months after joining the club. The Dane moved to Anfield from Juventus for £4.5 million in the summer and represented one of Roy Hodgson's first major signings after taking over the reigns at Liverpool. (GiveMeFootball)   St Etienne rule out January Liverpool move for Payet St Etienne have dismissed talk of losing star youngster Dmitri Payet to Liverpool. The midfielder has been linked with Liverpool since their appointment of former Les Verts sports chief Damien Comolli as new Reds football director. “Liverpool we have not solicited us,” St Etienne co-president Roland Romeyer told France Football. “We have built a roster for the season. There will be no departures during the winter transfer window. Should there be any movement, it would be the other way. Depending on injuries, for example, we could sign a player. But this is only a hypothesis.” (tribalfootball.com) Kuyt delighted for Torres Dirk Kuyt insists the whole Liverpool squad had confidence Fernando Torres would regain his top form after his starring role in the win over Chelsea. Torres showed signs of returning to his best with a superb first-half double to condemn league leaders Chelsea to a 2-0 defeat at Anfield. Kuyt believes Liverpool's improved form has helped bring the best out of Torres after a difficult start to the campaign. "We always had the confidence in Fernando, no doubt about that," Kuyt told the club's official website. "You can see the team playing better now every week and in every game, and Fernando is also getting better and better. "He finished his goals in a brilliant way." (Sky Sports) Barnes skipped birth of son to see Liverpool shock Chelsea John Barnes missed the birth of his son to see Liverpool shock Chelsea yesterday. The Mirror says as a Sky Sports pundit, the former Liverpool winger watched the Reds race in to a 2-0 lead at half time against league leaders Chelsea, despite knowing that wife Andrea had gone into labour. When he was told she had given birth to his seventh child, a son, Sky offered him the chance to leave early. But he declined and decided to stay to watch the second half rather than leave, saying it was “Liverpool 2 Chelsea 0 - Torres 2 Barnes 1.” (tribalfootball.com) Ancelotti finds positives in Chelsea loss Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti remained upbeat despite his side's second defeat of the season against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday. "Obviously the result is not good but the performance in the second half was really better and I am happy to see my team play like they played in the second half," he said. (TEAMtalk)   Dirk Kuyt's work ethic defines Liverpool's impressive win over Chelsea Roy Hodgson got his formation right for Liverpool against Chelsea, enabling Dirk Kuyt to be their most effective performer It is only in retrospect that a possible defining moment emerges. But the changes that Roy Hodgson made, whether by accident or design due to injury (Glen Johnson) and availability (Dirk Kuyt), gave Liverpool the opportunity to play with a system that showed Steven Gerrard and Lucas Leiva in the best light. Fernando Torres, too, enjoyed the day. Kuyt was the most important figure in this hardworking display, particularly in the second half when they had to quell the tide of sharp passing attacks from Chelsea. When possession changed hands the Dutchman quickly moved into a position where he could help to stifle the influence of Mikel John Obi in the centre of Chelsea's midfield. He appeared to have three lungs as he worked and challenged, always putting team before self. (David Pleat - The Guardian)
	SUNDAY 7
	Hodgson: Agger's injury is long-term Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson is resigned to being without Daniel Agger for the "long-term" after the defender was ordered to rest a calf injury. The 25-year-old Denmark international has not played since September 25 when he came on as a substitute in the 2-2 draw at home to Sunderland. He visited a specialist in London on Wednesday to assess the problem and has been told not to train to allow the problem to rectify itself. "Agger is long-term. They can't put a date on it," said Hodgson. "At the moment he can't train, he has just got to rest and wait for the next time he goes to see the specialist again. "They are very anxious that bone doesn't form. It is a calcification issue and training would certainly accelerate the calcification. "Now they have to wait and hope the body breaks down the calcifying elements before he can even think about training again. "So it could be very long term." (TEAMtalk) Roy: He deserves headlines Roy Hodgson heaped praise on Fernando Torres after his awesome double sank Chelsea on Sunday - but warned against any complacency heading into a critical week in our season. Speaking to reporters after the game, Hodgson shared his delight that Torres proved to be the headline maker after a tough start to the campaign - and now he wants to see more of the same against Wigan and Stoke. "I'm pleased with the all-round performance and I'm also pleased that Fernando Torres will get a lot of the plaudits," said the boss. (LFC Official Website)       Torres wants Reds momentum Fernando Torres called on Liverpool to keep on winning after starring in their 2-0 success against Chelsea. Torres, who scored two excellent goals in Sunday's encounter, has been pleased with the team's recent improvement. "Now we have to show against the teams in the middle of the table, or teams who are not as good as Chelsea, we can play this way - with this intensity and quality. "We have to keep winning. We have won three games in seven days but we have to forget that now and keep getting points." (Sky Sports)     Blues torn apart by Torres Liverpool continued their recent resurgence as Fernando Torres scored both goals in a 2-0 victory over leaders Chelsea at Anfield. The Blues had conceded just three times in their opening 10 Premier League matches but were powerless against the class of Torres as Roy Hodgson's side rocketed into the top half of the table. The breakthrough came after just 11 minutes as Dirk Kuyt picked out Torres with a diagonal pass and the Spaniard controlled perfectly before slotting past Petr Cech. Torres then doubled Liverpool's advantage on the stroke of half-time with a magnificent curled finish from the left-hand side of the area into the far corner. Chelsea laid siege to the Reds goal after the interval but were unable to reduce their arrears as Florent Malouda was denied by an instinctive Pepe Reina save from point-blank range and Nicolas Anelka hit the crossbar. (Sky Sports)   Kuyt returns Dirk Kuyt returns from injury to start today's mouth-watering clash with Chelsea. Listen live online from 3.55pm GMT. Sotirios Kyrgiakos is out with tonsillitis and Glen Johnson missed out with a minor adductor injury. The Reds team is: Reina, Konchesky, Kelly, Carragher, Skrtel, Lucas, Gerrard, Rodriguez, Kuyt, Meireles, Torres. Subs: Hansen, Wilson, Spearing, Poulsen, Shelvey, Ngog, Jovanovic. (LFC Official Website) Gerrard has no regrets over Chelsea snub Steven Gerrard insists he has no regrets about snubbing a move to Chelsea and is still hopeful of fulfilling his dreams at Liverpool. Gerrard, 30, considered moving to Chelsea in 2004 and 2005 but eventually committed his future to Liverpool. He has yet to win a Premier League title and, given Liverpool's slump over the last 15 months, the prospect of doing so appears more distant than ever. Ahead of Chelsea's visit to Anfield on Sunday, though, Gerrard said he is still determined to finish his career on a high with the Reds. "I don't think sacrifice is the right word to stay at Liverpool," he said. "Playing for Liverpool and being the captain, I wouldn't call that a sacrifice - I would call that living a dream. "Of course there have been opportunities in the past to move on - Chelsea and other times as well - but I love this club. I want to stay and be successful because, when that day comes, I know it will mean an awful lot more to me." (ESPN Soccernet) Werner: Liverpool fans passion convinced NESV The passion of Liverpool fans was key to convincing NESV to buy the club, says new chairman Tom Werner. Werner and John W Henry had another close-hand experience of the fervour at Anfield in the win over Napoli and will be back in directors box harness against Chelsea today. Werner said: “The passion of the fans at Liverpool is so palpable, not just at Anfield but round the world. “Part of the reason we took on this challenge was we wanted to reward those fans for the loyalty they have shown to one of the great clubs in sport. “We understand the impatience of fans. Our intention is to build a great club from the foundations up, to find the very best people in football and on the revenue side. “It would be crazy to promise too much, too soon. But I hope our track record is a guide that we are successful operators and we will deliver. We went to the Anfield Museum and our intention is to increase the amount of silverware there.” (tribalfootball.com) NESV unimpressed by Hodgson summer signings Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson is unsure if he will be able to spend in the January market. The Sunday Mirror says New England Sports Ventures were unimpressed with Hodgson’s dealings in the transfer market in the summer. Wing wizard Joe Cole was brought in on a free transfer from champions Chelsea, but on wages of £120,000-a-week, while Milan Jovanovic was also recruited as a free agent. Another £20million was spent on Raul Meireles, Christian Poulsen and Paul Konchesky. At 27, Meireles is the youngest of Liverpool’s new boys. That prompted Henry to appoint Damien Comolli as director of football this week without Hodgson’s knowledge. Hodgson said ahead of this afternoon’s big game with Chelsea: “I wasn’t involved in the appointment because that would defeat the object of it. “The object for them is to put a team together that they want, not for me to populate the club with my friends.” Comolli will be tasked with identifying and recruiting new players, with Liverpool’s new owners ready to risk the friction that may cause. (tribalfootball.com) Keegan not surprised by Liverpool woes Kevin Keegan isn't surprised by the demise of former club Liverpool. He was saddened, but not shocked, by the crisis that enveloped Liverpool in the summer. Keegan told the Sunday Herald: “You could see it coming. This was the club that once won the league, then were reduced to qualifying for the Champions League as an ambition and then were dropping out of the top four. It was a gradual decline. I am delighted with the takeover, but Liverpool will continue to struggle in the short term. “In the Premier League, you just cannot have two good players. [Fernando] Torres and [Steven] Gerrard are top class but you need much more than that for a team to prosper in England. Roy Hodgson has a lot of work to do. There is no quick fix for Liverpool.” (tribalfootball.com) Thor Zakariassen ©