OCTOBER 18
Sami:
We're on our way
Liverpool Echo
Sami Hyypia believes banishing one of the most
unwanted records in Anfield history will transform
Liverpool's season.
By overturning a 2-0 deficit at Fulham on Saturday,
Liverpool ended a 13-year run during which they have
failed to win away from home when trailing at half-time.
The sequence included 84 games in all competitions, 71
defeats and 13 draws, totalling 7,560 minutes.
It was September 7, 1991 when Mark Walters converted an
88th minute penalty to give Graeme Souness' Liverpool a
2-1 win over Notts County, having been 1-0 down at
half-time.
Neither Roy Evans nor Gerard Houllier achieved the feat.
Earlier this season, Rafa Benitez ended a similar record
at Anfield.
When Liverpool beat Manchester City in August, it was
the first time in five years they had trailed at Anfield
at half-time and still won.
Stand-in skipper Hyypia admits there were strong words
in the dressing room during the break at Craven Cottage.
"Yes, there were some comments made at half-time,"
revealed Hyypia. "It was mainly that we had to start
showing more pride in the fact we were playing for
Liverpool Football Club.
"In the second half, I think everyone showed that.
"I think this win could be a turning point for us for
the rest of the season. At half-time, we knew it was a
bad game for us. We tried to be more aggressive at the
start of the match but it wasn't working and we were
very sloppy on the ball.
"We lost a lot of possession. But at half-time we knew
we still had 45 minutes to turn it around and we did
it."
Hyypia had no doubt who inspired the comeback.
"When Xabi came on he was amazing for us," said Hyypia.
"He's a quality player who's capable of performances
like that. As a team we knew we had to show far more
than we did in the first half and Xabi helped us to do
that.
"We were all delighted at the end as you could see on
the pitch, but we still have to be patient. We're
learning all the time about what the manager wants, but
it won't happen over-night.
"If we can continue playing as we did in the second half
we'll win more than we lose."
OCTOBER 16
Benitez praise for Alonso
ITV Football
Rafael Benitez walked off the Craven Cottage pitch in
animated discussion with Liverpool comeback hero Xabi
Alonso - but he was serenity itself, explaining his
team's stunning revival from 2-0 down to a 4-2 victory
at Fulham.
"We had a stronger mentality and much more confidence -
that was all," said the Spaniard following their first
Premiership win away from home this season.
But it was £10million signing Alonso, relegated to
substitute for the first half, who was the catalyst for
the dynamic recovery after the break.
He steadied a rocky ship in midfield, set up the
equaliser with a superb cross and then made it 3-2 with
a stunning 25-yard free-kick, just three minutes after
Liverpool had been reduced to 10 men by full-back
Josemi's second yellow card.
It saved Benitez more blushes after consecutive defeats
on the road at Bolton, Manchester United, Olympiakos and
Chelsea.
But he said: "All I told them at half-time was that if
we got an early goal we still had a chance to win the
game. We just had to be a bit more aggressive.
"I thought we controlled the first 20 minutes but then
we lost two balls and conceded two goals. I cannot think
exactly when but I've been involved in games like this a
few times before.
"Xabi is a good player and made a big difference, but we
have other players who can win games. I had to pick a
team remembering that many of our players had travelled
a lot during the week and were tired after international
matches.
"We also had to consider a very important match against
Deportivo in the Champions League on Tuesday.
"But winning away now is going to be very important to
our season. When you play well at home - as this team
does - and then you win away it tells you you can win in
any stadium."
Milan Baros and a Zat Knight own goal put Liverpool back
in the game after Luis Boa Morte's two brilliant
first-half strikes.
Substitute Igor Biscan's stoppage-time strike made it an
appropriate 4-2 scoreline, bearing in mind Fulham have
not beaten Liverpool at Craven Cottage since 1966.
Cottagers boss Chris Coleman said: "We need to wake
up and smell the coffee and we have to learn to be at
the races.
"Sure, Liverpool got two lucky goals to put them back in
the match - but you can't make that an excuse. We never
seem to get lucky goals, only difficult ones.
"I'm very disappointed. You shouldn't lose any match if
you are 2-0 up at half-time. But signs of panic set in
after they got their first off Zat's backside.
"We were still in it at 2-2 when Josemi was sent off. It
is not good enough to say we were unlucky. Our heads
went down, and that's a shame because largely they are
all good honest pros.
"I'm still convinced our system is right and I am going
to stick with it. I won't make excuses about suspensions
or injuries."
OCTOBER 16
Reds comeback stuns Fulham
By Peter ORourke - Planet Football/Sky Sports
Liverpool came from two goals down to beat Fulham 4-2
at Craven Cottage to record their first Premiership away
win of the season.
Fulham looked set to inflict another away day defeat on
Liverpool after two first half goals from Luis Boa
Morte, but the visitors roared back in the second half
to claim an unlikely victory with Xabi Alonso the
catalyst for the comeback.
After a quiet start from both sides Fulham created the
first real chance of the game on 21 minutes with Mark
Pembridge flashing a well-worked free kick from the edge
of the area just wide of the post.
Fulham broke the deadlock three minutes later with Boa
Morte netting from close-range.
Salif Diao needlessly gave the ball away in midfield to
Steed Malbranque who sent Brian McBride racing clear
down the left and he fired the ball across the box for
Boa Morte to tap home at the back post.
Liverpool came within inches of drawing level on 28
minutes with John Arne Riise out-jumping Moritz Volz to
Josemi's cross and he was unlucky to see his powerful
header fly just wide of the target.
Fulham doubled their lead two minutes later with Boa
Morte netting his second of the game after another
Liverpool mistake.
Luis Garcia was guilty of losing possession to
Malbranque and the Frenchman capitalised on the mistake
by sending Boa Morte racing clear on goal and the
Portuguese international kept his cool to slot the ball
through the legs of Chris Kirkland.
Liverpool huffed and puffed in a bid to get back into
before half time, but failed to create any real
goalscoring opportunities.
Liverpool gave themselves hope pulling a goal back five
minutes after the restart with an unfortunate own goal
from Zat Knight.
Milan Baros picked up the ball and fired in a shot from
the edge of the area which took a wicked deflection off
Knight and looped over Edwin van der Sar into the net.
Boa Morte almost got through on goal from Malbranque's
incisive pass on 58 minutes, but Jamie Carragher got
across quickly to snuff out the danger for Liverpool.
Djibril Cisse had a half chance for Liverpool on 66
minutes when he arrived to meet Baros' corner at the
front post, but he could not direct his volley on
target.
Liverpool drew level on 71 minutes with Baros reacting
quickest to score from close-range.
Second half substitute Alonso sent over an inviting
cross for Garcia who saw his header brilliantly saved by
van der Sar, but Baros was on hand to fire home the
rebound.
Liverpool suffered a blow on 76 minutes when Josemi was
sent off for his second bookable offence for a foul on
Boa Morte.
The visitors made light of their numerical disadvantage
three minutes later with Alonso seeing his free kick
from the edge of the area taking a slight deflection of
Papa Bouba Diop before flying into the net.
Diop came close to grabbing an equaliser for Fulham two
minutes from time when he ghosted into the box to get on
the end of a long ball, but he could not get enough
power in his shot to trouble Kirkland.
Alonso should have put the game beyond doubt a minute
later with Cisse picking the Spaniard out six yards out,
but with the goal at his mercy he somehow blazed his
shot over the top.
Liverpool did make sure in the dying seconds grabbing
the fourth goal from substitute Igor Biscan grabbing his
first Premiership goal for the club.
The Reds caught Fulham on the break and substitute
Stephen Warnock laid the ball into the path for Biscan
on the edge of the box who fired his shot past van der
Sar with his second touch of the game.
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