"We looked tired
and we looked
drained at times."

AUGUST 3
Houllier: Sendings-off harsh

LFC Official Website

Gerard Houllier said he felt the double sendings-off of second half substitutes Steven Gerrard and Neil Mellor were harsh in the 2-1 defeat by Galatasary in the Amsterdam tournament.

Mellor was given a straight red card for a late tackle and Gerrard was sent-off for dissent, having already been booked.                                                     Gerrard saw red in Amsterdam.

Houllier said: "I thought the Mellor sending-off was very harsh. Regarding Steven's dismissal Hakan Sukur grabbed him and pushed him. Steven reacted to it but what Sukur did was very bad. It's never the provocation though in football and it's always the reaction.

"Stevie is a leader of the team and maybe he was frustrated seeing young Mellor get sent-off. He was sent-off for dissent but he never used foul and abusive language, the referee told me he didn't. There will be no suspension."

Regarding the match Houllier admitted the Reds were way below par.

The Reds boss said: "I don't think we played particularly well. We looked tired and we looked drained at times. We weren't quick enough going forward. We made an error that cost the goal which was their first chance of the game."

AUGUST 3
Reds see red in Amsterdam

By Gary Purvis - LFC Online

Liverpool have been beaten 2-1 by Galatasaray, in a game which turned nasty and ended with Neil Mellor and Steven Gerrard being sent off.

Batista put the Turkish side ahead on 20 minutes with a right-footed shot to the far post after a good pass from Sukur.

Smicer came close for Liverpool eight minutes later, twisting and turning away from three defenders before shooting wide across the face of the goal.

Chris Kirkland made a wonderful stop from Fabio to prevent Gala going further ahead on 32 minutes.

Three minutes later Vladimir Smicer crossed from the left for Emile Heskey to head past the keeper for the equaliser.

But Galatasaray came right back with a 20-yard curling free kick from Prates, beating Kirkland to go 2-1 ahead.

Smicer injured his right knee in a challenge for the ball on the hour mark and had to be replaced by Anthony Le Tallec.

Steve Fiinan then made his debut in a Liverpool shirt, coming on for Markus Babbel at right-back.

Liverpool then had a fantastic chance to equalise. Steven Gerrard played a great ball into the path of Pongolle but the French youngster shot wide under pressure from a Gala defender.

Somebody forgot to tell the Galatasaray players it was a friendly. A Biscan challenge cumlinated in a scuffle between the two sides with Unsal getting involved with Gerrard.

Once the referee calmed everyone down he booked Biscan.

The game continued to deteriorate with wild challenges from both sides. Soon after the referee warned both captains Heskey picked up a booking for dissent.

Neil Mellor was only on the field for four minutes when he was given a red card for a late tackle. Steven Gerrard followed him a minute later after picking up a second yellow card for dissent.

The game ended 2-1 to Galatasaray but it was clear that the Liverpool entourage were unhappy both with the conduct of the Turkish side and also with the late decisions by the referee.