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TUESDAY 9 |
Arbeloa: Reds can cope
Alvaro Arbeloa insists Liverpool can beat Manchester United
without Steven Gerrard or Fernando Torres.
The influential duo look set to miss Saturday's encounter at
Anfield through injury, seriously damaging the Reds'
attacking threat.
"It will be a hard game for us, but it will also be tough
for them. Their defenders have to play against players like
Yossi Benayoun, Dirk Kuyt and Robbie Keane.
"This is really important for us because we have a fantastic
team with great players. I think we can be successful. We
now have people like Robbie Keane, who is a really good
player, and Albert Riera too."
(Sky Sports)
Rafa explains Hyypia Euro omission
Rafael Benitez today explained his thinking behind the
decision to leave Sami Hyypia out of Liverpool’s Champions
League group games
this season.
The long-serving centre-back was the victim of a new rule
implemented by UEFA which states that all clubs taking part
in this season's competition must have at least eight
home-grown players in their squads for all Champions League
matches.
"It was really difficult decision, but we had to do it. With
the rule saying that you need more or less eight British -
or local - players in the squads, we needed to decide which
three centre-backs to have for the Champions League,"
Benitez told Liverpoolfc.tv.
Despite Hyypia's frustration, the Liverpool manager stressed
that each of his defenders will get plenty of first-team
opportunities over the course of the season.
"We now have four centre-backs who are good enough so they
have to compete," said the boss. "And obviously it depends
on the number of games we play and how we progress in the
cup competitions too, so there could be a lot of games for
many of our players."
(LFC Official Website)
Rafa waits on Gerrard and Torres
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez will give Steven Gerrard and
Fernando Torres until the last minute to prove their fitness
for this weekend's clash with Manchester United.
The star pair are battling to be fit for the first big title
showdown of
the season after picking up knocks last month.
Torres is hoping to shake off the hamstring strain he picked
up in
the goalless draw at Aston Villa, while Gerrard is
recovering from
groin surgery.
Gerrard appeared to rule himself out of the Anfield showdown
at United by claiming earlier this week he was unlikely to
be fit.
However, Benitez has refused to count the England midfielder
out of his plans just yet.
(Sporting Life)
Van Marwijk denies Kuyt rift
Holland boss Bert van Marwijk has rubbished talk of a rift
with striker
Dirk Kuyt.
The Liverpool man has been left out of the starting line-up
for Holland's opening World Cup qualifier against Macedonia
on Wednesday.
Kuyt has expressed his disappointment in the media, branding
it 'unacceptable' and insisting that he should be in the
side.
"I have to be on the team," Kuyt told Sportweek magazine.
"I just want to play and think that I should play. I'm going
to make sure I'm going to play.
"I will not be resigned to my fate, and will never accept my
role as 12th man. Being a substitute is unacceptable to me."
Van Marwijk has responded to the outburst by stating that
there is no problem between player and coach.
He can understand Kuyt's frustration and has paid tribute to
the 28-year-old for having the right attitude.
"Those words are really aimed at himself," Van Marwijk told
Voetbal International.
"Dirk just looks in the mirror and wants to get more out of
his career. He demands a starting place from himself, not
from me. That only means that he is a good sportsman."
(Sky Sports)
Babel explains goal celebrations
Liverpool fans may have noticed Ryan Babel's unique
celebration every time he finds the net. Since his transfer
from Ajax for £14million last summer he has performed the
act ten times, and has revealed to Liverpool's official
magazine the origins and meaning behind it.
"The celebration is just something I do because of my
religion. Sometimes you will see other religious players
doing a similar thing. It's just a little sign for God. It
is important for any religious player to know where it all
comes from; a goal, the chance to play football."
(Goal.com)
Keane’s house raided during international week
Robbie Keane has become the seventh Liverpool player in the
space of two years to be the victim of burglary.
The penthouse he was living in was broken into while he was
away in Georgia for international duty. It’s reported that
an expensive watch and jeweleries were stolen from the
house.
Several other Liverpool players have been victims of home
burglary over the recent years and it all happened while
they were on international duty.
Steven Gerrard wife, Alex Curran, was confronted by four
burglars at the couple’s mansion in December while Gerrard
played in his side’s Champions League match in Marseille.
Dirk Kuyt was also burgled while on international duty,
while Jerzy Dudek, Pepe Reina, Daniel Agger and Peter Crouch
have also been targeted
by thieves.
(Kop-TV)
Rush confident
Ian Rush is confident Liverpool can get a result on
Saturday.
The Reds have lost their last five league meetings against
Manchester United and have failed to beat them in the
Premiership since Rafael Benitez took over. However, Ian
Rush believes a win on Saturday would send a message to the
rest of the league.
"We are three points ahead of Man United, and although they
have got
a game in hand if we can beat them we will be six points
ahead,"
said the Reds legend.
"For the first time in a long time they would be playing
catch up to us. It's normally the other way round when we
have to beat United to keep
in contention.
"We've got to be confident because if you aren't then you
won't get
a result. We haven't started the season very well in terms
of performances but we've got seven points on the board.
"If we can put the pressure on them I think we can then
start believing we can do something."
(LFC Online)
Ferguson questions
Liverpool's Keane deal
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has questioned
Liverpool's deal for ex-Tottenham striker Robbie Keane.
When asked if any pre-season transfers impressed him, Fergie
said:
“The big surprise was Liverpool paying £20million for
Keane.”
The striker has yet to score after playing five games since
his move
from Spurs.
(tribalfootball.com)
Alonso’s agent
hints at winter exit
Xabi Alonso’s agent yesterday hinted that the Spanish
midfielder could still leave Anfield during the January
transfer window.
After a barrage of summer speculation surrounding his
future, Alonso looked bound for Juventus but the failure to
capture Gareth Barry meant Alonso still had a future in the
red shirt of Liverpool.
However, his agent Inaki Ibanez told The Times: “We will see
what happens in January, at the moment Xabi is concentrating
on playing well for Liverpool.
“No agreement was reached to sell him, so mentally he is a
Liverpool player. January is a long time away.” he added.
(Kop-TV)
Fergie sets sights on Reds record
While England and Scotland are gripped by World Cup fever,
Sir Alex Ferguson is contemplating overhauling Liverpool as
the most successful side in England.
Liverpool hold the record for league title wins, with 18
trophies to their name. The Anfield’s club’s last league
title came way back in 1990 and as such Manchester United
have whittled away at their lead during a period of Old
Trafford dominance.
Last season’s victory took The Red Devils to 17 titles and a
third successive Premier League crown would bring the great
rivals level.
It would appear Ferguson has mused about the subject as he
has admitted Liverpool are in his sights.
”I’ve been asked the question about levelling Liverpool’s
total quite a lot since we won our last title,” said
Ferguson. “We are on 17 now and Liverpool on 18, so maybe
it’s natural that people will talk about it.
”I haven’t placed a lot of significance on it. The way I see
it is that, at some point, we will win more titles and
hopefully get to the position of being level with, or better
than, Liverpool’s 18.”
(Setanta Sports)
Kuyt spies new Reds deal
Dirk Kuyt has signalled his intention to win a new deal
at Liverpool, despite hinting he would be open to a move to
Hamburg.
The Holland international is a key figure at Anfield, as
Rafa Benitez is a huge admirer of the forward’s work ethic.
Despite retaining the faith of Benitez, Kuyt’s future at
Liverpool was in doubt over the summer as he had been linked
with a move to Hamburg.
Kuyt is a fan of Hamburg coach Martin Jol, but has no plans
to leave Liverpool in the near future.
"Martin Jol is one of the best Dutch coaches, someone who I
want to work with possibly in the future," Kuyt told
Sportweek.
"However, it has never come into my mind to leave Liverpool.
I am
happy here.
"Hamburg is, of course, not a small club, but it cannot be
compared
with Liverpool.
"My contract still has two more years to run, hopefully a
new deal
will follow."
(Setanta Sports) |
|
MONDAY 8 |
Hyypia shocked by Reds' Euro snub
Sami Hyypia has spoken of his disappointment at being
omitted from Liverpool's Champions League squad - but hopes
to play a part
this season.
New regulations dictate that clubs must include at least
eight home-grown players in their 25-man party.
Finnish defender Hyypia has been one of the unlucky imports
to miss out and will be left in England as the Reds get
their European campaign underway against Marseille next
Tuesday.
The veteran centre-half admits he is shocked to have missed
the cut, but still hopes to play a crucial role for the club
this season.
"The manager's decision to leave me out of the squad is a
big disappointment for me," he told the Liverpool Echo.
"I understand it's partly because of the UEFA regulations,
but despite that, the news came as a surprise to me and a
shock too.
"But the club had a 'perfect' timing for this: they didn't
want me to move elsewhere, so that's why I was told the news
of having been left out, just after the transfer window had
closed.
"The club went public to say there had been offers for me,
but turned them down. So perhaps that means I am still part
of the plans for this season."
(TEAMtalk)
Gerrard: Show the bottle
to beat Manchester United
Steven Gerrard has urged Liverpool to show the bottle to
go out and beat Manchester United this weekend - even if he
isn't able to lead
the Reds himself.
Gerrard admits that the eagerly awaited visit of the
champions to Anfield may come just a little too soon for him
after his recent groin op.
But he believes that with a positive attitude the Reds can
score
a significant victory.
“When we play them (United and Chelsea),” he said, “we’ve
got to get the right balance between being organised and
strong defensively, yet having the bottle to go and win.
Going into these games negatively and too defensively, you
can still lose, as we have done."
(Liverpool Echo)
Pellegrino: United rivalry
biggest in world
Mauricio Pellegrino claims Liverpool will contest 'the most
important derby in the world' when they take on Manchester
United on Saturday.
The first-team coach knows how special the occasion is
having made his Reds debut in a 1-0 defeat to United in
January 2005.
Earlier in his career Pellegrino represented Barcelona
against Real Madrid – but the Argentine is in no doubt as to
which encounter has the greater standing in global football.
"Every derby is different but Manchester United versus
Liverpool is
the most important derby in the world," the 36-year-old told
the club's official website.
(LFC Official Website)
Finnan surprised by Anfield exit
Former Liverpool defender Steve Finnan has admitted he was
surprised by his transfer deadline day switch from the
Merseysiders to Espanyol.
The Republic of Ireland international left Anfield for Spain
as a sweetener to push through Albert Riera's move to
Merseyside.
Finnan concedes he never wanted to leave Anfield, but admits
he had no choice other than to go after dropping down the
pecking order in
Rafa Benitez's plans.
"It was totally out of the blue," Finnan told the Liverpool
Post.
"It's exciting to be going to a great club in Spain but I
didn't want to leave.
"But it was obvious that I wasn't going to get a game by
staying so I didn't really have much choice."
(TEAMtalk) |
|
SUNDAY 7 |
Arbeloa rubbishes exit rumours
Spanish defender Alvaro Arbeloa insists he is happy to stay
at Liverpool.
The 25-year-old right-back, who arrived from Deportivo La
Coruna in January 2007, has been linked with a move away
from the Reds at the end of the season.
But not only is the Spain international determined to stay
at Anfield, he is willing to play wherever manager Rafa
Benitez needs him and has started the first three league
games of the season.
"I don't know where all the speculation that I am not happy
has come from but it is miles from the truth," Arbeloa told
the Daily Star Sunday.
"I am at a massive club. I have played in a European Cup
semi-final and
a final too since I came here. I also broke into the
national team through my displays for Liverpool.
"There is competition for places here just the same as there
is at any big club. But I know if I play well, play to a
really high level, then the manager has confidence in me and
will play me in his team.
"I have played anywhere the manager has asked me to play and
I will do the same again this season."
(Sky Sports)
Gerrard unhappy at versatile tag
Liverpool and England star Steven Gerrard has hit out after
a career of being "shunted around" - and feels his game has
suffered as a result.
The 28-year-old midfielder favours a central position but
has frequently been used on the left and right with both
club and country.
Gerrard told the Sunday Times: "I've paid the price for
being able to do
a decent job in other positions.
"Other players don't get shunted around because they can't
do it. I can't go and play on the right or the left and
become Kaka or Robinho, I just go out there, give 100% and
do a steady job.
"I'll work hard, do my bit defensively and help the team.
That's why managers do it to me, but it is affecting me."
(TEAMtalk)
Gerrard will miss United clash
Gerrard will miss England's crunch World Cup qualifying
clash with Croatia on Wednesday after undergoing groin
surgery.
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez was hoping his captain would
be fit to face Manchester United next weekend, but Gerrard
insists that is too soon.
"I've a decent chance for the Champions League game in
Marseille [September 16]," he continued.
"I've spoken to the manager and told him I'd like to do a
certain amount of training before I come back. I don't want
to go into a big game only having had one session with the
boys."
(TEAMtalk)
Carragher admits concern
over ownership of Liverpool
Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has revealed his concern
over the structure of the club.
Carragher believes a lack of footballing knowledge within
the Anfield hierarchy could prove damaging.
The 30-year-old Liverpudlian would like to see American
owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks appoint a figure such as
former manager Kenny Dalglish to a senior role to help with
key decisions.
(Liverpool Daily Post)
Skrtel on the mark as Slovakia win
Martin Skrtel was on the mark as he helped Slovakia get off
to a winning start in Group Three with a 2-1 win over
Northern Ireland in their World Cup qualifier.
The Reds number 37 headed home the opening goal and had an
excellent match at centre half. It was Skrtel's fifth
international goal for his country.
Meanwhile, Yossi Benayoun was also on target as Israel
produced a dramatic comeback to draw 2-2 with Switzerland in
Tel Aviv. The Swiss went 2-0 up before Benayoun reduced the
defecit and the home side then levelled in the 90th minute.
Robbie Keane played the full 90 minutes as the Republic of
Ireland got off to a great start in Group Eight with a 2-1
win in Georgia. The Reds number seven, who also hit the bar,
helped set up the first goal for Kevin Doyle. Glenn Whelan
was also on the mark for Giovanni Trapattoni's side.
Xabi Alonso appeared as a 65th minute substitute to help
Spain to a 1-0 win over Bosnia-Herzegova in Group Five. Pepe
Reina was an unused substitute while David Villa netted the
winner for Spain.
Daniel Agger played the full 90 minutes as Denmark drew 0-0
away to Hungary in Group One.
In Buenos Aires Javier Mascherano played the full 90 minutes
as Argentina drew 1-1 with Paraguay in a fiery South
American World Cup qualifier. The Reds number 20 was booked
and Manchester United's Carlos Tevez was sent-off in the
30th minute for violent conduct. Sergio Agureo, who plays
for Liverpool's Champions League opponents Atletico Madrid,
netted the equaliser for Argentina.
Ryan Babel and Dirk Kuyt both saw action as Holland lost 2-1
to Australia in a friendly international. Babel started the
game and played for 83 minutes while Kuyt appeared as a
second half substitute for the Dutch. Former Red Harry
Kewell was amongst the scorers for the Socceroos when he
netted a penalty.
Meanwhile Andriy Voronin, who is on a season long loan at
Hertha Berlin, was substituted as Ukraine beat Belarus 1-0
in a Group Six World Cup qualifier.
(LFC Official Website)
Thor Zakariassen
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