tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-274856472024-03-13T02:23:28.705+02:00.Thoughts on the revival of Liverpool Football Club, the most successful football team in British history, and other football stories.One Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12741054548446327440noreply@blogger.comBlogger137125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27485647.post-42456430099878345292012-06-17T18:27:00.002+03:002012-06-17T19:35:39.941+03:00Last chance saloon for Liverpool<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vMAIW9RHeD8/T94HS2jBo-I/AAAAAAAAAlQ/NMfOq-tCxDw/s1600/Brendan-Rodgers-Liverpool-YNWA-scarf_2774527.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 212px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vMAIW9RHeD8/T94HS2jBo-I/AAAAAAAAAlQ/NMfOq-tCxDw/s400/Brendan-Rodgers-Liverpool-YNWA-scarf_2774527.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5755045394287535074" /></a><br /><br />The Reality<br />Its time for all Liverpool supporters to relies exactly where this famous club actually are when it comes to who are the powerhouses of English football, while winning cups may paper over the cracks the league sorts the men from the boys and sadly Liverpool are a way off.<br />Eighth place and 37 points off the winners Man City, thats over 12 wins in a season that has only 38 games says it all, Queens parks rangers just avoided relegation on 37 points so we would need all their points to challenge for the league, that is the reality.<br />Early on Alex Ferguson said that he would knock Liverpool off there perch, and the sad painful truth is he has. Liverpool cannot compete in the transfer market with the likes of Man Utd, Chelsea,Man City and even Tottenham in recent years and this is not going to change, the money is simply not there so Liverpool have to find other ways to bridge the gap.<br />When Kenny Dalglish was sacked i was saddened that such a great servant to this club ended in such a bad way and as a kid growing up idolized him as a player and a manager.I know what he means to every Liverpool fan. He helped stabilize Liverpool at a very bad moment in our history but i really think he could not take us to the next level.<br />FSG had to make a very brave and unpopular move and they did have to take it no matter what the fans reactions were, we cant live on history and fairy tales anymore.<br /><br />The Hope<br />When Brenden Rodgers name was put forward on the list i had a little bit of football snobbery, i thought Brenden who? I, like all faithful Liverpool fans still think as Liverpool as a major European force so if it was not Pepe from Barca or Jose from Madrid they would not be good enough. But as the list got shorter and shorter curiosity got the better of me and i started to check out the managers on this shortlist. I already knew a good bit about Martinez but knew nothing about this Rodgers fella, who had been mentioned at the beginning but had straight away turned the job down. I listened to one of his interviews and i was sold.We cannot compete with the rich clubs so we have to do things differently. Fsg believe in the Moneyball system and Liverpools only chance of reclaiming the old glory days is to follow something like this and to do so we need a manager who is open to these ideas. Rodgers ideas and the moneyball system are not so apart. His philosophy is to buy players for his system and these are players who will not cost a huge amount of money. But what will be a big shock at Anfield is who does not fit into the Rodgers system.<br />There maybe major exits at Liverpool this summer and this season as Rodgers finds out who suits the new playing style and who does not.I am a big fan of Andy Carroll and i would love to see him fit into Rodgers plans but i just cant see him playing the type of football we need to start playing and this goes for other Livbrpool players too.<br /><br />Brenden Rodgers in my opinion the best thing to happen to Liverpool fc in a long long time but it will take time for him to build a team that can play the way he wants at the level that we want.<br />Liverpool fans need to be realistic, we are on the verge of oblivion as a global club and we dont have the money to buy our way out, so the Rodgers way is the only real way we have to stay relevant, dont expect miracles overnight, but i believe if we give our support like normal and dont expect so much so quick, Champions League football is probably even out of our reach next year, thats how much we have fallen.<br />But if we back Rodgers looking at it as a long time project he will turn things around but it is a long long project, but probably the most important in the history of Liverpool Football Club<br />Everyday Brenden Rodgers looks up up from his office table and sees pictures of Shanks and Paisley looking down on him....he knows what is expected of him and he looks like he is up to the challenge, just give him time.One Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12741054548446327440noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27485647.post-5146300897375073132010-10-16T23:09:00.011+03:002010-10-17T21:09:08.435+03:00LIVERPOOL FC...A NEW START<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/TLoMktgWj9I/AAAAAAAAAh0/TokBgr-SWew/s1600/billshankly3-1.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 257px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/TLoMktgWj9I/AAAAAAAAAh0/TokBgr-SWew/s400/billshankly3-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528745317380820946" /></a><br /><blockquote> <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />My idea was to build Liverpool into a bastion of invincibility. Had Napoleon had that idea he would have conquered the bloody world. I wanted Liverpool to be untouchable. My idea was to build Liverpool up and up until eventually everyone would have to submit and give in</blockquote><br /><br />These words were spoken by the late great Bill Shankly many many moons ago, but they now once again ring true. Shankly started something at Liverpool that did indeed make every other team submit,but like all great empires eventually it was surpassed and in Liverpool's case crumbled to nothing and that is where Liverpool football club find themselves right now, we are in the relegation zone, with a very lightweight squad of unmotivated players and a manager who has made us the new Fulham, ie a team who will use the second half of the season to drag ourselves up the table and may even shoot for the stars and get ourselves a uefa spot next season.<br /><br />How Liverpool Fc came to this point has been a nightmare for all Liverpool fans. Under David Moores we have seen Manchester United surpass us on and off the field in the 90`s, and then when Moores did eventually sell us he made the worst decision of his life in selling us to messrs Hicks and Gillet. How badly we were run under Moores and Parry was illustrated by the fact that even Hicks and Gillet off field merchandise sales trebled and they managed to get 80 million pounds for our shirt deal which was more than double the earlier deals negotiated by Parry. There is huge worldwide interest in Liverpool Football Club but it has never been fully maximised.<br /><br />So now New England Sports Ventures have after a long protracted battle won the right to buy Liverpool Fc. I for one am very happy with our new owners but i have spoken to some Liverpool faithful who would have preferred non-Americans or Man City- Chelsea type sugar daddy owners, but i really believe John W Henry is the perfect fit for Liverpool. During Liverpool's nightmare years i have looked at other clubs financial situation with envy and one in particular, and this club is not Chelsea with Romans Rubles or Man City with there oil rich patron, but the club i look at with envy is Arsenal. Super stadium, soon to be paid off and will be able to invest in players for years to come on there own without having to rely on the whim of a rich sugar daddy whose sports interest may change to synchronised swiming in the morning.<br /><br />That is real financial security is and it is what Liverpool need to aspire to and that is what i hope NESV will bring to Anfield. Their track record is amazing and i love that in the initial interviews there was no outlandish promises made and that they are looking at every option, because that needs to be done.Whether we build a new stadium or refurbish Anfield getting more people in to watch Liverpool play is a priority and is the cornerstone of a bright future for Liverpool Fc. I have to confess that in the past i have been a stadium snob whenever a ground share idea with Everton was mentioned i always thought that we would be helping them too much, but after fully realising how bad Liverpool finances are its all about surviving and thriving now and playing catch up and any bad medicine that John Henry says we must take to catch up to the rest of the pack then so be it, i accept because i have had enough of disappointment and really want to enjoy watching Liverppol Fc again because it has been not easy being a Liverpool fan for a long time now, but i do believe we now have the right owners in place to once again make Liverpool a true superpower in not just English football but one of the elite of Europe.<br /><br />On the field i think nobody will disagree that our squad is threadbare, David Ngog sums up the Liverpool of today for me. He is the only out and out striker behind Fernando Torres. Most clubs have 4 strikers and none of the top clubs would include Ngog in that four but we are been forced to use him sometimes as our first striker when Torres is injured. Every Liverpool supporter knew we were desperately short of striking options in the summer so it raises the question, why did our manager Roy Hodgson spend our limited funds on a few central midfielders and defenders.<br />There is a great tradition at Liverpool for always sticking by our managers when things get tough, but i have to break from that tradition. Roy Hodgson was a good manager at Fulham but that's what he is, a manager that can get good results by playing all out defence against teams and soaks up attacks and playing on the counter attack but that will not get us into the top four, all that will do is make us the new Fulham. I hope NESV relise this and somehow find us a forward thinking positive good manager soon. This January transfer window is going to be NESV`s first opportunity to show us what they can give us and i really don't want Hogdson to be the one deciding who we buy with that money, one Poulsen is enough for any team. <br /><br />So please John Henry give all hard suffering Liverpool fans a great xmas and go out and find the greatest semi retired football manager out there and convince Guus Hiddink to come and be the new Shankly and maybe he will one day be revered and shown the loyalty that Liverpool fans show all great Liverpool managers.<br /><br />Finally light at the end of the tunnel and maybe just maybe we can stop the great Bill Shankly turning in his grave, we at least owe him that.One Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12741054548446327440noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27485647.post-5972553280563759842009-07-04T08:19:00.005+03:002009-07-04T10:00:23.796+03:00MICHAEL OWEN....JUDAS<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/Sk76aQKcCnI/AAAAAAAAAg4/P983fRRFpEM/s1600-h/owen.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 326px; height: 197px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/Sk76aQKcCnI/AAAAAAAAAg4/P983fRRFpEM/s400/owen.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354492335912389234" /></a><br />Michael Owens crossing of the great divide will sadden many Liverpool fans who once worshipped him.<br />As a Liverpool supporter i rarely want recent Manchester United signings to do well for the club, but with the signing of Michael Owen it has brought my ill feelings towards a player to an all new high level.<br /><br />I wish unspeakable bad injuries and bad luck to befall the former Liverpool goal machine, i know its very bad form to wish injury on any player but its honestly how i feel and i honestly believe the little Judas deserves all that i wish upon him.<br />People will say that he had to take Alex Fergusons offer as his best chance of resurrecting his World cup dream in Fabio Capello`s England, but the truth is he will most likely be a bit part player for the red devils and so he would have been much better served by signing for one of the lower teams in the league that he was talking to when the Man Utd`s offer came in.At a team like Hull he would have played every injury free minute and would have had a chance to really prove if he still has what it takes to cut it at the top level instead of coming on in the 80th minutes to give Rooney and Co a bit of a rest.<br />When i see the picture of Owen grinning holding the Man Utd scarf above his head and wearing the Manchester red bull rugby league jersey it shows just how low the little fella has fallen from his heyday as an Anfield idol. And some may say that he never really was an Anfield idol as he never really was as close to the fans as his predecessor`s Robbie Fowler or Ian Rush and that is true to a point but he was revered by the Liverpool faithful in the early days, there was many great moments and some great goals, but that was all soured when he forced the then new manager Rafa Benitez to sell him for a knock down price to Real Madrid in 2004 and he has soured that relationship with the Liverpool fans to new depths upon agreeing to join our arch enemies, remember this is not some foreigner like Heinz or Tevez but he is a player who came up through the Liverpool youth set up so he knows exactly what it means to the Liverpool faithful to cross the divide.<br />But there is one ray of shining light in all this, its a fact that without bad luck Michael Owen would have no luck at all, he left Liverpool for sunny Madrid to play regularly in the Champions League, the very same year that Liverpool lifted the cup on that glorious night in Istanbul in a game that most players can only dream about playing in, plus we can all see where his latest bout of luck has left Newcastle Utd.<br /><br />So lets all hope that his lucky streak continues with Manchester United, Relegation might be hoping for a little too much though.One Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12741054548446327440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27485647.post-38677000408576346562008-08-04T22:35:00.021+03:002008-08-06T00:49:44.503+03:00BENITEZ ABOUT TO END TO LIVERPOOL TITLE DROUGHT?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/SJjF_PtA8fI/AAAAAAAAAWE/tYPgKuj1Fdc/s1600-h/robbie_keane_liv_782685c.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/SJjF_PtA8fI/AAAAAAAAAWE/tYPgKuj1Fdc/s400/robbie_keane_liv_782685c.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231148657528599026" /></a><br />As it looks like Rafa Benitez will finally get his man and end the long drawn out transfer saga, Gareth Barry`s arrival will at last turn Liverpool into credible title contenders.<br /><br />In order to capture Barry`s signiture Benitez has had to be at his most ruthless. Xabi Alonso will have to make way for Barry, he will have to be sold to recoup the money spent on his replacement. It looks like Alonso does not want to go but it would seem it is more to do with the fact that no high profile club have valued him as highly as the Anfield clubs price tag, than the desire the player has to stay and fight for his place. Perhaps these clubs are relishing what many Liverpool supporters have known for a while now, that Alonso is simply overrated. While many supporters still rate him, in my opinion he has not produced the goods for a season or two now, and when he does play Liverpool are not a better team and for those fans who still rate him do you really see him as an integral part of the Liverpool team that will finally bring the the league title back to Liverpool. Even though Benitez will not relish selling his Spanish compatriot, after all it was Benitez who convinced Alonso to join his Liverpool revolution right from the start and now for the good of the team Benitez will make the decision to end Alonso`s Anfield career whether the player himself wants it or not. <br /><br /><br />Steven Gerrard and Barry may be great mates off the field and there is little doubt that their friendship played a part in Barry holding out for a chance to join Liverpool instead of other possible suitors. But Barry`s arrival at Anfield may mean that Gerrard may have to return to the right side of midfield something that he may not be too happy about after getting a taste of his preferred role playing behind Torres in the centre. It would be one of the most talented midfields in the world if Rafa opted something along the lines of Ryan Babel on the left Barry and Mascherano in the centre and Gerrard on the right and i think that in a lot of the big games he may opt for something like this, but i do not think that Gerrard will be saying goodbye to central midfield for good.<br />Benitez`s signings this summer could be a viewed as a masterstroke in years to come. In signing Robbie Keane and Barry, Benitez has not just signed a striker and a central midfielder he has bought himself a huge amount of options in shuffling his playing pack around. Keane will normally play behind Torres but when the Spanish striker is rested, Keane can play up front with Gerrard behind him or Keane on the right when Gerrard is needed elsewhere. With Barry he will mainly play in central midfield but he can easily fill in on the left where Gerrard has had to do on a number of occasions and showed that out left is one position that the Liverpool skipper cannot really play and his talent was wasted there so hopefully Barry`s arrival puts an end to that madness.<br />People may say that Benitez has always had plenty of options in team selection and the amount of rotation he has done proves them right, but the difference now is that he can exchange top quality players for top quality, but also in the big games injuries permitting he can field the strongest starting eleven that Liverpool Football Club have had in many many years.<br /><br />All the top teams will of course be strengthening this summer and of the top four Liverpool had the most ground to make up, but when Barry finally signs, Benitez will have got all his summer wishes granted and i believe he will have taken Liverpool a huge step forward and maybe just maybe he has done enough to finally end the title drought on Merseyside.One Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12741054548446327440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27485647.post-1306413814353957122008-03-22T16:03:00.013+02:002008-03-22T17:07:05.807+02:00THE REFEREE`S SAVIOUR, SIR ALEX FERGUSONSir Alex Ferguson is back to his very best ahead of the Man Utd clash on Sunday. He has been shocked recently how badly referee`s are been treated. This is due mainly to Ashley Coles total disrespect in the recent game against Spurs.<br /> <br />Ole red nose said "The haranguing of referees is ridiculous, we know that," he said."We are talking about introducing this into the grass-roots level, respect for the referee. It is absolutely correct." <br /><br />Wow it sounds like he really cares about referee`s and the respect they should be shown, and as we all know he has always kept his own players on a very tight leash and made sure that at all time they showed nothing but 100% respect for the officials decision`s and that contesting that final decision was futile and only served to smear his beloved club`s reputation. Why cant everybody just follow his clubs lead, surly all match officials would have a much easier life.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/R-UX5inJh-I/AAAAAAAAAVU/nuPH06VhdXY/s1600-h/a_353300a.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/R-UX5inJh-I/AAAAAAAAAVU/nuPH06VhdXY/s400/a_353300a.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5180573223670613986" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/R-UX5ynJh_I/AAAAAAAAAVc/tSz55f3dsS8/s1600-h/_625893_man_utd_ref300.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/R-UX5ynJh_I/AAAAAAAAAVc/tSz55f3dsS8/s400/_625893_man_utd_ref300.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5180573227965581298" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/R-UX5ynJiAI/AAAAAAAAAVk/kKwDi_l87Zk/s1600-h/_884708_footie_300.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/R-UX5ynJiAI/AAAAAAAAAVk/kKwDi_l87Zk/s400/_884708_footie_300.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5180573227965581314" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/R-UX6SnJiBI/AAAAAAAAAVs/UxwG6aOUS3U/s1600-h/72576216.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/R-UX6SnJiBI/AAAAAAAAAVs/UxwG6aOUS3U/s400/72576216.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5180573236555515922" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/R-UX6SnJiCI/AAAAAAAAAV0/GzY-Cene6ng/s1600-h/durso_manu_203x152.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/R-UX6SnJiCI/AAAAAAAAAV0/GzY-Cene6ng/s400/durso_manu_203x152.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5180573236555515938" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Yep, you tell em Sir Alex that that sort of behavior is totally unacceptable, because the fact that other teams are now doing exactly what you have sent your cronies out to do for years it is now a suddenly a big no no , but as normal you like the majority of fans that follow your club will somehow find a way to justify your teams actions over the years and chastise the teams that follow in similar paths nowadays.<br />Nothing quiet like Man Utd double standards.One Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12741054548446327440noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27485647.post-48028147253040323552008-03-16T12:48:00.007+02:002008-03-16T17:12:47.539+02:00WHY RAFA THE ROTATOR MUST STAY<a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/R90uD304POI/AAAAAAAAAUk/fIHOKRQco4E/s1600-h/rafa-benitez.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/R90uD304POI/AAAAAAAAAUk/fIHOKRQco4E/s400/rafa-benitez.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178345790606163170" /></a><br />Rafa Benitez has his fair share of critics,and no manager has ever given the Liverpool faithful so many `What the f*** is he doing´ moments, but despite this he is still the right man to lead Liverpool in that ever elusive hunt for the League Title.<br /><br />Rafa Benitez has had a roller coaster of a season with the lows sadly outnumbering the highs, he has at times had Liverpool supporters pulling hair from their heads wondering why certain players have been rested and at some of his rather strange substitutional decisions. We cannot be 100% sure that if he had not rested some of our better players early on in the season would the points tally be different, but Torres would have put much more fear into the so called lesser teams than Voronin or even the ever hard working but totally enept ability to find the back of the net player, that is Dirk Kuyt.<br /><br />Looking now at the table shows that if we had won two or three of our eleven drawn games that we would still be right amongst the challengers for the title. But also if Torres had played all the early games would he have been as settled as he is now when we had the very bad run in January.<br /> <br />These are all if`s and but`s, but i think most will agree that Benitez`s decisions have cost the club some very valuable points. Some may say that Liverpools recent great form has been in some way due to Benitez`s resting of players early in the season, but to them i would say that the points dropped earlier in the season are as valuable as the points we are winning now, and it seems a bad gamble risking our season so early on.<br /><br />So taking all this into account it would be quiet reasonable for the Liverpool faithful to be calling for the Spaniards head by now, but it is not so, on the contrary as shown in the very public, very un Liverpool like battle between the American owners and Benitez, the fans made it very clear that they overwhelmingly came down on the side of Benitez. I think this is because that despite his mistakes most fans relise that he is a top class manager as he often proves with his exploits in Europe and that given time and resources he will bring the title back to Liverpool.<br /><br />There are also other reasons why he should remain at the helm at Liverpool, the first is that he is finally learning from his mistakes. He now seems to be rotating less, maybe he has come to the conclusion that the Premiership is not the same as La Liga. At Valencia he rotated his players just as he did here and the formula worked winning La Liga twice in three years, so it is easy to see why he stuck to his rotation policy, but perhaps in Spain he could rest key players against weaker teams and still win, but in England every year the so called weaker teams are getting stronger with improved finances from TV money and foreign owners investments. It must be very difficult to let go of his beloved rotation system that seen his Valencia overcome the big guns of Real Madrid and Barcelona twice.<br /><br />The third and final reason for backing Benitez is that we all seem to have short memories, before Benitez the truely great players were not interested in joining Liverpool. The very best players like Fernando Torres are wanted by all the big clubs and they will all make big money offers, so these players pick the clubs that they can win medals and develop as players.<br />And of this i am sure, if Rafa Benitez was not our manager when Torres became available, he would not be a Liverpool player today, and the other players of Torres caliber that Benitez will sign in the future, will simply decide to ply their trades in other footballing Mecca`s in Europe, good players want to play for good managers.<br /><br />With Rafa Benitez as manager it has been a rollercoaster journey, but he is taking our team in the right direction and not winning the league this year will not be the end of the world, perhaps expectations were too high, we are improving but so are the other top teams so it makes playing catch up just a little harder and takes a little bit longer time.<br /><br />So maybe we have to learn something from our biggest foes and give Rafa Benitez the time that Man Utd gave Alex Ferguson after his very shaky start. It has not worked out so bad for them, so maybe we can afford to be a little bit more patient with our Spanish enigma.One Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12741054548446327440noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27485647.post-64987516007380884822007-12-22T10:12:00.000+02:002007-12-22T15:57:26.349+02:00WHY RAFA MUST GAMBLE<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/R20XMBSi8dI/AAAAAAAAAT0/D3ie0qX8i4I/s1600-h/20070710195813!Kuyt_Alonso_Liverpool.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/R20XMBSi8dI/AAAAAAAAAT0/D3ie0qX8i4I/s400/20070710195813!Kuyt_Alonso_Liverpool.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146795444426437074" /></a><br />Rafa Benitez has to show his ruthless side, and for the good of the team sell Xabi Alonso and others, it is a gamble as he will leave the team light on cover, but it is a gamble he simply has to take.<br /><br />It is becoming increasingly clear that the new American owners simply do not have the cash to inject into the club that will give Benitez the same spending power as his counterparts at Manchester United and Chelsea, and to improve his squad and it does need improving to truly compete at the very top, then it looks like he will be forced to sell to bring in the players that are needed. <br />Some money may be given for new players, but it was clear to see against the game against Man Utd that Liverpool have still got a fair way to overhauling the Champions.<br />Up front Liverpool have a world class striker in Fernando Torres, but sadly he is the only striker that looks like he could turn a game on his own and that other teams really fear. Crouch if given a decent run of games alongside the Spaniard looks the most likely to form a formidable partnership with Torres, as he also has that eye for goal but maybe more than he can offer is needed to turn Liverpool into genuine title contenders, Ryan Babel could be good up front but for the moment as he develops he seems more like cover for the wings and possibly up front.<br />Kuyt and Voronin are very similar players, both very hard working and although its great to see strikers tracking back and helping out their teammates, their first priority is to score goals and both these players sadly lack that killer instinct and that confidence that all the great strikers have that allows them to be selfish and go for goal at any opportunity. Players like Kuyt and Voronin can be useful in some games if Benitez feels that more cover is needed for midfield but in most games the strikers should have confidence that the midfield can do their job and should just concentrate on doing their job which is to score goals, its as simple as that. Liverpool do not need two players like this and selling Kuyt is the better option as more money would be recouped from his sale.<br />Another striker of Torres caliber is required because he cannot catapult Liverpool to the league title on his own and Liverpool are already to reliant on him and if he gets injured points will be lost so another top class striker is needed to really threaten opposition defences and to cover in the event of injury.<br /><br />In central midfield Liverpool are blessed with three world class players in Gerrard, Mascherano and Alonso. They also have Sissoko and the young Brazilian Lucas who many predict will be in that world class bracket sooner rather than later.<br />Gerrard has cemented his central berth so the other four players are fighting it out to play alongside him and although cover is needed, Liverpool have invested far too much of their resource's in this position when the money could be used for strenghtening other positions which would benefit the teams progress much more. Money is needed to permanently sign Mascherano, Xabi Alonso should be sold to pay for this. Alonso is a great player with vision and incisive passing he is one of the very best, but Mascherano is better for the team, his non-stop snapping at the heels and break up of play takes pressure off the defence and allows Gerrard to attack more. Lucas and for now Sissoko will have to be enough cover.<br />It would be great to keep all these great players, but the simple truth is Liverpool cannot afford to.<br />Whatever money the owners put in, if any, and the funds raised by the sales of any other players should be spent on a long term, first class partner for Torres up front and the money from Alonso`s sale should be used to secure the long term future of Mascherano at the club. Other players such as Riise and even Crouch should be considered for sale if we need to raise the money for a second world class striker, it is that crucial to the further development of the team. Two top strikers will convert a lot more of the possession that Liverpool get into points and also make the opposing teams think more about defending the Liverpool threat taking pressure off the Liverpool defence.<br /><br />Liverpool need to take a gamble, they may leave themselves light in cover in some positions but its a gamble that they need to take because at the moment the current squad is just short of what is required to make a serious title challenge and Benitez should concentrate on getting his first eleven right and then think about building cover for them.<br /><br />Its a risk but its something that has to be done unless a huge amount of cash is released by the American owners, or Liverpool will once again at the end of the season be at best a top four team and that is simply not good enough for Liverpool football club.One Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12741054548446327440noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27485647.post-65982284270753147822007-12-17T21:00:00.000+02:002007-12-17T23:16:49.808+02:00IN RAFA WE STILL TRUST<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/R2blnhSi8cI/AAAAAAAAATs/0ekxTOIGrWQ/s1600-h/_44304253_gerrard3_getty416.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/R2blnhSi8cI/AAAAAAAAATs/0ekxTOIGrWQ/s400/_44304253_gerrard3_getty416.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5145052091431186882" /></a><br />Liverpool fans were brought back to earth by Man Utd`s victory at Anfield, but many fans, myself included were expecting too much too early from a team still being rebuilt after nearly two decades of neglect.<br />Much has been said recently about Rafa Benitez`s future at Liverpool, but let me lay my cards on the table now, i believe if we let the canny Spaniard leave Anfield for any reason it will set us back another two decades in our hunt for that ever elusive Premiership title.<br />I have not agreed with a lot of his decisions, i believe he over-rotates our players ,and as good as Dirk Kuyt is and we always hear how hard working he is, most of his hard work is defensive although we have the most formidable central midfield in not just England but in Europe so why does one of our strikers spend so much time and energy following players all the way to our penalty box and then leaving Torres all alone up front when the break does come, please have a little more faith in our defence. Torres works hard and defends from the front but he knows that his main job is to score goals and anything else is just a bonus for the team but defending from the front seems to be Kuyt`s main occupation, Crouch has his problems but he realises that his first priority is goals and he really should be playing more.Rafa does need to be more adventurous because our defence is good and we will score more goals than we concede.<br />Some of Rafa`s signings have been questionable, but he has always showed his ruthless side and quickly got rid of his mistake signatures at the first opportunity.<br />But what Rafa does give us is a clear plan. He has swelled the youth ranks from the finest that could be found from all over Europe and beyond, building up the most enviable list of young talent that can be found in England, which also signals that, given his choice he is in this for the long haul.<br /> <br />Despite the recent loss to the fiercest enemy of all Man Utd, Liverpool under Benitez are heading in the right direction and are improving all the time under his stewardship and will only get better and better when the new players signed in the summer get more settled. Football changed the day Roman injected his Rubles into the game, now there are no quick fixes to winning the Premiership, Liverpool are basically outgunned by the financial muscle of Chelsea and Man Utd so we have to follow Arsenals`s blueprint for success in buying young players and letting them come through the ranks and then spending our money on top quality to get a blend of players that makes us true competitors once again.<br />For a team to win the Prem for a consistent period of time a winning mentality is built up in that squad and as players get older that mentality is passed on to the younger players so at the beginning of the season they actually believe that they will win the league and only by some mishap they wont. Man utd have that mentality, Liverpool were their fore bearers, but when Graham Souness sold the spine of the Liverpool team, he also sold that winning mentality and we have never been able to recover it.<br /><br />Given time Rafa will accomplish that `WE WILL WIN´thinking into the Liverpool camp but he needs time, he is at an disadvantage because of the other clubs financial clout, but he has not held up his hands and said that its too much of an uphill battle, instead he has staked his reputation on transforming every level at the club, starting with the youth to provide a decent chance of producing our own gems and maybe just maybe by buying a few of the best and mixing them with our own prospects we may just get that winning mentality back again, and once again bring the league back home but it will not be easy and patience is needed, but without patience we may just lose the one man that can go against all the odds and money that the other clubs have and lose the chance to once again put Liverpool Football Club at the pinnacle of English football.One Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12741054548446327440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27485647.post-35977675720101118552007-10-21T14:22:00.000+03:002007-10-21T18:14:28.023+03:00EVERTON 1 LIVERPOOL 2<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/RxtsrwpsxAI/AAAAAAAAATE/O-9cLnDfTsw/s1600-h/_44188274_kuyt416.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/RxtsrwpsxAI/AAAAAAAAATE/O-9cLnDfTsw/s400/_44188274_kuyt416.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5123808500114048002" /></a><br />The Merseyside Derby has as normal with a little help from man in black created enough controversy, to keep the banter going between the red and blue of the city until their next meeting and ensures that the fierce rivalry between these two old clubs will continue.<br /><br />As always with football and even more so in tight derby battles luck has a part to play and both teams had the good and bad type today. Liverpool probably deserved to get the result as they created more chances and were handed a bombshell of bad luck when the usually so reliable Sami Hyypia skewed the ball into his own net, but Everton will feel let down by some very dubious decisions by the referee, Mark Clattenburg.<br />When Hibbert was sent off for fouling Gerrard for the first penalty it was clear that the referee was about to show the yellow card, even though i believe it deserved to be a red it was not good to see that a quick word from Gerrard could change the ref`s mind so easily and award a red, it had too much resemblance of the old days when it was a weekly event to see Roy Keane and his snarling Manchester United teammates bullying referee`s into submitting to their demands.<br />The Kuyt tackle could easily have been a red card and the Carragher pull down on Lescott in the dying moments would normally have resulted in a penalty. Everton fans will complain about the injustice like Liverpool did after the Chelsea debacle earlier in the season and both claims are valid but as everyone know`s luck has a major part to play in all sport and especially in the world of football, that lags behind the rest of sport by not introducing video technology that would solve nearly all of the injustices that happen every week in all the top leagues in Europe, so maybe we should not be blaming the refs, but instead ask why the overpaid people that run football do not actually do their jobs and bring technology into top flight football.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/RxtssApsxBI/AAAAAAAAATM/2B0HiGlPL7U/s1600-h/_44188314_neville416.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/RxtssApsxBI/AAAAAAAAATM/2B0HiGlPL7U/s400/_44188314_neville416.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5123808504409015314" /></a><br />Benitez took one of the gambles of his Liverpool career by taking off Gerrard with 20 minutes to go, it paid off when Lucas took the decisive shot that Phil Neville saved with an outstretched arm with reactions that any goalkeeper in the world would be happy with, but if Liverpool had not won yesterdays game serious questions would once again be asked of Benitez`s team selection and substitutions. Yesterday Benitez started with Sissoko and Masherano in the middle and Gerrard on the wing and it was only when Gerrard in the second half started to play a more central role did he look anywhere near his best, and he actually for the first time in a long time was starting to have a major influence on the game even though his final ball and finishing were still miles away from what Liverpool fans have come to expect from their talisman.<br /><br />The gamble paid off and maybe just maybe it may have the desired effect on Gerrard and as he said himself in his autobiography, he hates being taken off during a game and see`s it as a personal attack on himself, and this being the Merseyside Derby the feeling will have been ten-fold. Maybe this may shake him out of his current bad form because nothing else seems to be working, and despite all Liverpools big money big name signings, Liverpool still need an in-form Steven Gerrard to truly compete for that ever elusive Premiership crown.<br />Fair play to Benitez after the game he could easily have said that he took Gerrard off to rest him for the midweek game, but his honest answer was directed as much at Gerrard as it was to the media, he said "In this game, sometimes you need to play with the brain and we were playing with heart. We needed to keep the ball and pass the ball." which he was in no doubt referring to Gerrard, and now we must just wait and see how the Liverpool captain reacts to this new pressure from his manager.<br /><br />As for the Liverpool display as a whole it is still nowhere near the standards that are needed to bring the title back to Merseyside, but as in all Derbies, it is not a normal game and it is hard to judge a teams form on a derby performance because both sides are fired up, but the important thing for Liverpool is that they take this confidence from the win, build on it and pray that their captain is returning to form and that their manager has realised that there is such a thing as over-rotation and Liverpool should be playing their best team and let the weaker teams adjust to Liverpool`s style of play instead of vice-versa and then maybe just maybe we will start to see the best of this exciting bunch of players that Benitez has assembled.One Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12741054548446327440noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27485647.post-15607037751967120032007-09-16T16:40:00.000+03:002007-09-16T18:12:16.534+03:00BENITEZ GAMBLE DOES NOT PAY OFF<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/Ru1Hong26ZI/AAAAAAAAASE/kSdxrsIG6JQ/s1600-h/_44118473_footy7.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/Ru1Hong26ZI/AAAAAAAAASE/kSdxrsIG6JQ/s400/_44118473_footy7.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5110819915262519698" /></a><br /><br />If what Rafa Benitez says is true and the Premiership is the main focus this year for Liverpool Fc, then the team he sent out to face Portsmouth on Saturday was very poor judgement by the Liverpool boss.<br /><br />This was the first real test of Benitez`s resolution of where his priority`s really lie, the league or the Champions league, and he seems to have been willing to risk the Premiership points in order to have a fresh team for the Champions league game against Porto. <br />I understand that in nowadays game, due to the amount of games the top teams will play in a season, rotation is a must to save players from burnout later in the season, but Benitez went totally over the top in last Saturdays game at Fratton Park. Too many first choice players were not started, Steven Gerrard, Dirk Kuyt, Fernando Torres and John Arne Riise are probably at the moment first choice starters in midfield and attack and having four of your six normal starters in midfield and attack being rested at the same time is just to big of a change in the team and weaken`s the team too much, and especially if you think about the opposition, Harry Redknapp`s team`s are always well organised and this Portsmouth team is one of his best, and i believe Benitez did not recognise what a threat Portsmouth actually are and thought that sending out a second string team would be enough to see them off. How very wrong he was, believe me Liverpool were incredibly lucky to leave Fratton park with a point. Pepe Reina saved a penalty and how Portsmouth missed two gaping goal chances must have given Harry Redknapp nightmares.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/Ru1Hong26aI/AAAAAAAAASM/CZmyk-rSRT0/s1600-h/_44118420_footy4.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/Ru1Hong26aI/AAAAAAAAASM/CZmyk-rSRT0/s400/_44118420_footy4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5110819915262519714" /></a><br />I hope Rafa has learned something from this, that with the new influx of huge tv money all established Premiership teams have strenghtened and now there are very few easy games in the Premiership , and as good as the Liverpool squad is now, Liverpool will lose a lot of points this season if we see more of this overkill on rotation.<br /><br />All Liverpool fans agree that the Premiership has to be the priority this season and i believe if Gerrard and Torres had started this game then we would still be on the top of the table right now as when they came on we suddenly became the best team on the pitch, but instead we have been overtaken by Arsenal, and are on the same points as Manchester United and Chelsea.<br />I know most of you will say not to worry as its so early in the season, but this truly is an opportunity lost to consolidate our place at the top of the table but instead we find ourselves in the familiar position of looking up at some other team at the peak of the table. <br />Some may say that i am being over critical of Rafa Benitez, but i firmly believe that three premiership points are more important than beating Porto in the Champions league, and i just wished that Rafa Benitez felt the same, because if he had we would surely be still at the pinnacle of the League today.<br /><br />I have been pretty critical of Benitez in this article because i think he has lost Liverpool two points with his team selection, but i still believe he is the best chance of Liverpool once again reclaiming that very elusive league title, as long as he realises if he has to gamble in future, please play the best possible team for the Premiership game, and take that gamble to Europe.One Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12741054548446327440noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27485647.post-64731202800425560692007-09-02T15:20:00.000+03:002007-09-02T18:09:47.104+03:00RUTHLESS REDS SHOW THEY MEAN BUSINESS<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/RtrRidRpiDI/AAAAAAAAARs/A0JnJFJeQbM/s1600-h/_44091359_babel_getty300.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/RtrRidRpiDI/AAAAAAAAARs/A0JnJFJeQbM/s400/_44091359_babel_getty300.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5105623517482289202" /></a><br /><br />Rafa Benitez may be trying to pour cold water on Liverpools title ambitions but try telling that to any Kopites that witnessed Saturday`s 6-0 mauling of Derby, which was just one of the great performances that have got Liverpool of to that ever elusive flying start.<br /><br />Make no mistake Saturdays destruction of Derby is a sign of things to come, despite the Ram`s being a very poor team, Liverpool teams of the past would have won but probably struggled to do so but this new look, hungry squad of players that Benitez has assembled is capable of not just putting Derby to the sword but any team that plays below par, and this result added with how Liverpool have played in all their opening games must send a shudder of fear through all Premiership teams, and those unlucky enough to meet the Merseysiders in Europe. Simply put, a message of intent has been sent out by Rafa Benitez and his men.<br /><br />And even more impressive, Saturdays result was achieved without the two stalwarts of Liverpool Fc, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher, how they must have looked down on the Anfield pitch and wished they were involved, but more importantly they got a birds eye view of the all new Liverpool, a team that can demolish teams in the fashion that they did, and now for the first time in a long time, the two scousers that are the heartbeat of the team know that their new teammates are up to their standards and are very capable of thrusting Liverpool to the pinnacle of English football once again.<br /><br />Of the new faces that Benitez has imported Fernando Torres, Ryan Babel, Andriy Voronin and Yossi Benayoun, are the players for me that will have a big impact this season, he has signed many more but i think those are for the future. Babel is a superstar just waiting to happen, his goal against Derby had all the hallmarks of a master and in every game he has shown glimpses of what he can become.......a true worldwide superstar. Voronin looks like he was born to play in the Premiership, and seems to score at every opportunity no matter how small his cameo appearance may be.<br />Benayoun is that bit of creativity that we have been missing for years and over time it will be hard for Benitez to leave him out of the team, but fitting him in will not be easy either. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/RtrRiNRpiCI/AAAAAAAAARk/sXmcFCKsS1U/s1600-h/_44091400_torres_getty220.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/RtrRiNRpiCI/AAAAAAAAARk/sXmcFCKsS1U/s400/_44091400_torres_getty220.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5105623513187321890" /></a> <br />But Torres is the main man, in his previous games he has shown that he is good, but with every game he plays it becomes more obvious why the Athletico Madrid faithful idolised him, and his clinical finishing against Derby shows that he will in all likely hood be idolized in the same way at Anfield...the boy is just pure class.<br /><<br />The players that were with Liverpool last year, two players have improved vastly, Jermaine Pennant and Momo Sissoko. Over the last year i have been one of Sissoko`s biggest critics his inability to complete a pass has had me pulling my hair out but in the last few games he seems to have totally solved the problem and when he plays like that is one of the best central midfielders in Europe, if only he can keep that standard of passing and tackling up he will become a main contender to start alongside Gerrard.<br />Pennant is finally starting to show the potential he had as a youngster, Benitez`s faith that he showed and the added pressure on his place in the team from the new signing`s really is bringing out the best of Pennant and he must be by now pushing for a starting place for England if like Momo he can keep this new level of talent up.<br /><br />Rafa Benitez is right in saying that it is so early in the season that it is premature to dream about winning the Premiership, but if Liverpool keep playing the way they are right now then they are going to be very hard to beat, and we must remember that with so many new players, when they finally gel they are going to be an even better team than we have seen over the opening weeks.<br /><br />Benitez has every managers dream of a headache in team selection, every week he has to disappoint some players but it does not seem to matter who he puts out, competition is so fierce that all players know they have to give it their all just to have a chance of starting the next game.......great problem to have.<br /><br />Liverpool fans have endured more false dawns over the years than any other team, but believe me this is no false dawn, this new look, ruthless, hungry Liverpool is the real deal and will take some serious stopping in their quest to bring the league back home where it belongs after a long long barren spell.One Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12741054548446327440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27485647.post-65750737265619528392007-08-19T20:53:00.000+03:002007-08-19T22:09:53.026+03:00LUCKY CHELSEA SALVAGE A POINT AGAINST LIVERPOOL.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/RsiVWdRpiAI/AAAAAAAAARU/JyF7bt5dzl0/s1600-h/_44067452_chel.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/RsiVWdRpiAI/AAAAAAAAARU/JyF7bt5dzl0/s400/_44067452_chel.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100490791045400578" /></a><br />Make no mistake, Chelsea have one more point today because of a shocking bad refereeing decision and nothing more. Liverpool proved what a new force they are by controlling Abromoviches millions and were so so unlucky not to walk away with all three points.<br /><br />Fernando Torres got of the mark in great style, scoring a great goal on his Anfield debut, against the team that looks most likely the team that must be overcome this season if Liverpool Fc are to win the Premiership. He picked up an injury just before half time that seemed to affect his second half performance but what we seen in the first half shows why Benitez shelled out the big bucks for him. His goal came from a Steven Gerrard pass, but it was the way that he rounded the defender and clinically beat Peter Cech, one of the best keepers in the world, was magical and can only give the player confidence for the future, because if he can make the Chelsea defence look so ordinary then he should have no problem with the rest of the Prem.<br /><br />The game itself was a little bad tempered but i think fans from both sides would agree that it did not warrant eight yellow cards and a penalty that clearly never was, but this is football and as unjust as Rob Styles decision was against Liverpool you have to take the good with the bad, but it really was very bad judgement and cost the team that played far better on the day victory, and more important the full three points.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/RsiVWtRpiBI/AAAAAAAAARc/uYpHOfZc4RM/s1600-h/_44067531_chel3.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/RsiVWtRpiBI/AAAAAAAAARc/uYpHOfZc4RM/s400/_44067531_chel3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100490795340367890" /></a><br />From both managers points of view, Rafa Benitez will be the happier man because he knows that only a poor referee decision cost him the full three points and he still has players to come into the team, as he is slowly integrating his new signings into the team. Ryan Babel looks like a mouth watering proposition, in his few cameo appearances he really has looked the real deal and when Benitez feels that he is accustomed enough to his new club and begins to actually start games it will really increase Liverpools attack, and there are others, Yossi Benayoun has not really featured yet but his creativity will be a huge improvement on the current attack. Rafa has others like Kewell, Leto, Lucas and Andriy Voronin to unleash on the Premiership. I expect the preferred starting line-up in the big games to be similar to today with maybe Mascherano included, but when the new players establish themselves look out for Babel and Benayoun, i really think these two players are the ones to take us to the next level.<br /><br />It was disappointing that we did not beat Chelsea, but what we can take away from it is the confidence that we are the better team, we can only control how we play not the way a bad ref thinks, and also we must think how Chelsea and their self pro-claimed special one feels after this game, that their manager or the players are not so special anymore because at Anfield they were shown to be the second best team on the day.<br /><br />If Benitez can instill in his players the belief that they really are the best team in the Premiership and that they fear no team and can produce displays like they did against Chelsea, then no amount of silly refereeing will stop them from winning the Premiership crown.One Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12741054548446327440noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27485647.post-32902496842815137862007-08-15T21:13:00.000+03:002007-08-15T22:58:06.009+03:00ARE SPURS THE NEXT LEEDS?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/RsNasdEk17I/AAAAAAAAAQ8/LIeXouR_Y78/s1600-h/_42098034_jol416.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/RsNasdEk17I/AAAAAAAAAQ8/LIeXouR_Y78/s400/_42098034_jol416.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5099018922878097330" /></a><br />All summer i have read how Spurs are the up an coming team, how they will force Arsenal down to fifth place, and up until two weeks ago i swallowed the whole thing, but then i did my fantasy football team, and i was shocked with what i saw.<br /><br />As i was picking my team i was running out of money so i started to look down the different squads to try and find a bargain or two, but when i clicked on Spurs i got more than i bargained for, it amazed me that this team that had been so hyped up was so top heavy, make no mistake Spurs have the best front line selection in the country, Berbatov, Keane, Bent and Defoe is a strike force nearly all top teams would envy, but as i tried to find a good value midfielder and defender, they just were not there,and as i studied it more not only could i not find value , but i could not see any true Premiership class players, Tottenham simply have nothing behind the front line. They bought all these expensive strikers but never really thought about how to give them the ball and create chances. The whole thing has to be the work of an idiot........step forward Martin Jol and the board that blindly backed you, you just may have sent Tottenhan Hotspur on the road down the leagues of no return.<br /><br /><br />Spurs are so similar to Leeds a couple of years ago its a little bit scary, Leeds invested everything that they did not have on a manager that had no real pedigree but gave his youngsters in the team a chance and they did ok, so Leeds then threw money at David O Leary like it was going out of fashion, but we all know how that story finished up.<br />Spurs are much the same they have spent nearly 100 million over the last couple of seasons seasons with only Berbatov being good value for money. Now i know its early in the season and i would not usually comment like this, but Spurs under Martin Jol are so shocking underachievers that it has to be said they are the most likely to become the next Leeds.<br /><br />Its early in the season but the Spurs team is so top heavy with strikers that they have to buy midfielders and defenders again before the deadline, and if Jol does what he has consistently done and buys the wrong players, then relegation is a real threat because his team has been so poor so far and has already been beaten by two of its relegation competitors.<br /><br />I would be sad to see Spurs go the same way as Leeds as they have always played good entertaining football, but they really need big changes to survive, and the biggest change they need, is finding someone that can buy players that give the team a balance, as good a defence and midfield to go with an attack that a team like Spurs can afford, not the all out attack house of cards that Jol has built, so maybe if Spurs act now and get a manager who understands that a team is built from defence, midfield and attack they may just salvage something from this season.One Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12741054548446327440noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27485647.post-79207876539967819262007-08-11T21:57:00.000+03:002007-08-11T23:50:57.799+03:00ASTON VILLA 1 LIVERPOOL 2<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/Rr4eYNEk16I/AAAAAAAAAQ0/8foYev6WUTA/s1600-h/_44053236_gerrard2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/Rr4eYNEk16I/AAAAAAAAAQ0/8foYev6WUTA/s400/_44053236_gerrard2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5097545229404526498" /></a><br />Liverpool FC won this encounter but it was more about luck than skill, and if the team selection by Rafa Benitez is a sign of things to come then it is going to be another disappointing season for Liverpool.<br /><br />What amazed and then shocked me by the team selection when i first seen it that even though we had spent nearly 50 million in the summer on players, mainly attacking players the only new player on show was Torres, the player from the new bunch that cost the most, but has also shown in pre-season that not only does he need time to gel with his new teammates, but also adjust to the pace and physical aspect of the Premiership, where was Yossi Benayoun, he looked like our biggest improvement during our pre-season and looked like a player that might finally solve some of our creativity problems and he knows the Premiership, but instead of his creativity Benitez opted for basically the same team that failed so badly and finished so many points away from the top two last season.<br /><br />I have never really questioned Rafa Benitez`s managerial skills as he came with a great reputation and lead us to win the Champions league and FA cup. But one has to wonder about his latest team selection, he has gone on all summer about how important a good start to the season is, and then he ignores most of the signings we made this Summer in our first game, and believe me Liverpool were lucky to win against Aston Villa, only for Gerrard once again saving us it was two points lost, this is not how teams with title aspirations work, relying on one man to save them in every game.<br /><br />I really hope that this team he deployed today was some sort of tactical ploy because if he thinks that to solve our problems he can play last years team and add in a striker with a good reputation then we have bigger problems.<br />His defense selection was good but i would have put Riise as a the left back and used a more natural left winger and as i said before Benayoun should have started on the right. Up front he made the right decision, but if Liverpool are to truely take a step forward this year we are going to have to employ a more attacking style of football and Benitez seems to have realised this, but at the first hurdle against Villa he seems to have backed away and a gone for the same old system of defence first which has caused so many disappointing seasons for the Anfield faithful.<br /><br />If Liverpool Football Club really have aspirations of winning the league then they need to start to play a lot braver football, and not let the other teams dictate their team selection or way of playing, because as sure as shit when Man Utd and Chelsea arrive at Villa park their team selection will have nothing to do with Villa, they just pick the team and let Villa try and deal with it.One Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12741054548446327440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27485647.post-37700442589969565332007-08-08T21:16:00.000+03:002007-08-09T16:00:35.219+03:00A SELFISH GREEDY TORRES IS WHAT LIVERPOOL NEED!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/RrsNhdEk15I/AAAAAAAAAQs/9-PXj51JmWc/s1600-h/350736_2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/RrsNhdEk15I/AAAAAAAAAQs/9-PXj51JmWc/s400/350736_2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5096682271690512274" /></a><br />Fernando Torres has arrived at Anfield with the burden of a huge price tag around his neck but even bigger expectations from the Liverpool faithful. Despite what Anfield says there is immense pressure on Torres to score the goals that can catapult Liverpool into genuine title contenders.<br /><br />Torres has scored on average 15 goals a season for the last five seasons at Atlético Madrid, while Liverpool will expect more it has to be remembered that he was the best player at Madrid and spent a lot of time playing deeper trying to create chances. But at Liverpool he will have a different role, his job will be goals, goals and more goals. His most likely strike partner, Dirk Kuyt found himself in a similar position last year playing deeper and trying to create chances, he too i hope will be asked to concentrate more on scoring and give the midfield more of a responsibility to link and create chances.<br /><br />Liverpool's midfield is where the biggest changes will come, no longer will we see Gerrard wasting his talents on the right wing, the central position his most natural and where he can influence a game most and that is where he will play this year, who his partner in the centre will be is anyones guess, Alonso and Mascherano are the leading contenders and although Mascherano was the better of the two at the end of last season an on form Alonso would be very hard to ignore. <br />On the right of midfield Yossi Benayoun and Jermaine Pennant will fight it out, and as much as Pennant has and still is improving, Benayoun seems a class act and although he is more used to playing behind the front two, he seems to have adjusted very well to the wing and showed how creative he is when setting up Torre`s goal with a sublime pass in the game against Feyenoord. On the left wing its a way more complicated, the options are Babel, Kewell, Leto, Riise and maybe even Vorornin or El Zhar. I think because of Kewells experience he may start the season there, but because of Babel`physical presence and some glimpses he has shown in pre-season of what he is capable off he may adjust to life in the Premiership sooner than a lot of people think. But this left position we may see Rafa doing a lot of changes to try and find his best option.<br /><br />In defence it should be the same as last year with Finnan and Arbeloa fighting it out for the right back position, or if media reports are correct and Liverpool are after the Brazilian, Cicinho then perhaps Arbeloa may put pressure on Riise for the left back position which would hopefully end the Gabriel Heinze saga, 6.8 million just seems too much for a 29 year old who does not seem to be the same player that he was before his injury.<br /><br />Liverpool should be playing a more attacking brand of football this year and this will inevitably mean that we will be taking more chances at the back and may concede more goals, but it is what has to be done to make us genuine title contenders, now im not saying that we are heading for the crazy Kevin Keegan Newcastle days, when their motto seemed to be `don't worry if they score three, there is a good chance we will score four´, but we have to give the defence more responsibility and have more faith in them. And that added pressure on the defence is nothing compared to what is expected from new boy Torres, but if Torres can live up to the dreams and expectations of his newly acquired Kop following , he will be revered as much or even more at Anfield than he was at his previous home Atlético, its a lot to ask of 'El Niño' but if he can get those goals we have been sorely missing then the holy grail that is the Premiership could finally be finding its way home to Anfield.One Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12741054548446327440noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27485647.post-70793019235710624132007-08-08T21:03:00.000+03:002007-08-08T21:14:41.371+03:00THE NEW MAN UTD<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/RroFs9Ek14I/AAAAAAAAAQk/fj6y8pvb2Hg/s1600-h/10810.image.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/RroFs9Ek14I/AAAAAAAAAQk/fj6y8pvb2Hg/s400/10810.image.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5096392198189275010" /></a<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I think its love at first sight, guess who gets to wear the skirt. Yes your right its the ladyboy.One Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12741054548446327440noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27485647.post-72949943469478939172007-08-02T15:25:00.001+03:002007-08-02T18:17:28.127+03:00HEINZE MEANZ TROUBLE<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/RrH1ddEk13I/AAAAAAAAAQc/tINdAm1ky38/s1600-h/heinze.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/RrH1ddEk13I/AAAAAAAAAQc/tINdAm1ky38/s400/heinze.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094122539901572978" /></a><br />Rafa Benitez and supporters of Liverpool have enjoyed the unrest that has been caused to Manchester United since Benitez launched his audacious bid to bring Gabriel Heinze to Anfield, but Heinze is most definitely not what is needed at Anfield.<br /><br />Benitez has always claimed that he wants to sign players who really want to play for the club, and Heinze most certainly fills that criteria because of his eagerness to make the short nightmare of a trip down the East Lancs Road, because of the hatred that would be shown to the player from the Manchester United faithful, but do we really want a man that has shown how low on his list of attributes loyalty is.<br /><br />Heinze won the fan`s Player of the Year award in his first year at Old Trafford, so he has had the backing of the fans, and he is not a young immature player and has been at Old Trafford long enough to know the rivalry between these clubs and the trouble a move like this would cause. They backed him when he missed nearly a full season through injury, and was even made captain of the team for the final two games of the 2006/07 season, so this show`s that United have not treated him badly and have shown faith in him.<br /><br />With his yearnings to pull on the famous red Jersey of Liverpool he has to know the hurt it causes the Old Trafford faithful and as a Liverpool supporter i would normally have no problem with that, but it has to be in the back of your mind when is he going to shaft the Liverpool faithful such is his low standards of loyalty to any cause.<br /><br />Benitez has worked hard at building a squad which has respect and loyalty for the club and that he can trust and i would be shocked if he really did go through with this deal and brought in someone that could show such disloyalty, even if it was to our fiercest enemies. And it has to be remembered we are not Chelski, we are not so flush with money that we can waste it to annoy or stop other teams from getting those players.<br /><br />I think all Liverpool supporters have had a little fun over this saga including myself, but the question is, is Heinze the best value for money we can get, 6.8 million for a 29 year old seems quiet a lot and if you add in the fact that he seems to be not the same player he was before his injury it seems too much money. There are other options out there, Leighton Baines seems a much better option despite being a life long Everton supporter, but that has never got in the way before.<br /><br />At the beginning i think Rafa put the bid in as a distraction for Man Utd, but now its achieved what was intended, its time to move on and spend the money where it will bring back the most returns, and i really don't think Heinze is where that is. Juventus have shown they are willing to sign the player and if the player has brains he should grab that opportunity with both hands but somehow i think Heinze really is out to annoy Sir Alex at all costs after been told by the club who he could or could not sign for after having some sort of an agreement.<br /><br />It all seems like another case of a pampered spoilt footballer not getting his own way, and do we really want that kind of attitude at Anfield.One Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12741054548446327440noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27485647.post-85809903223794023742007-07-24T22:11:00.003+03:002007-08-02T12:09:58.064+03:00LIVERPOOL OUTWIT MAN UTD<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/RrGfXdEk12I/AAAAAAAAAQU/dvnM777KUAc/s1600-h/capt.0500efa8dd024b209a7bc73210000d16.venezuela_soccer_copa_america_xrm128.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/RrGfXdEk12I/AAAAAAAAAQU/dvnM777KUAc/s400/capt.0500efa8dd024b209a7bc73210000d16.venezuela_soccer_copa_america_xrm128.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094027878822369122" /></a><br />Rafa Benitez`s decision to try and sign Gabriel Heinze is a masterstroke from the canny Spaniard, it is a total win-win situation for Liverpool Fc and has left Alex Ferguson with one more off-field distraction to deal with.<br /><br />Benitez normally does not get involved with the off-field mind games that is all too common in today's world of football between opposing managers, but in Liverpool and Chelsea`s Champions league encounter last season, Benitez showed that he is more than capable of competing in this arena of battle with the very best and this was the first sign that he was willing to enter these war of words. But this attempt to sign Heinz from Liverpool's arch enemies Man Utd has all the hallmarks of a true chess grandmaster. In one simple move he has backed Sir Alex into a corner with his audacious and some may say cheeky bid which would make Heinz the first man since Phil Chisnall who made the same move in 1964.<br /><br />I have no doubt that Benitez would really like to sign Heinz but i also believe that when he first made his move for the Argentinian that he thought that it would have very little chance of success and was just trying to stir up a little trouble in the Utd camp, but because of Man Utd`s amateurish handling of the situation they have actually made the move which would be a nightmare for the club and their fans become a real possibility.<br />Sir Alex telling the media that under no circumstances would Heinz play for Liverpool was a mistake. Heinz was on holiday after playing in the Copa America and they had told the player months earlier that if a club came in with a bid of £6.8m he would be free to move there. I'm sure if Sir Alex had not panicked when the Liverpool bid came in and actually explained the problems that this transfer would cause that Heinz would wait for something else, but Heinz like all Premiership player's lead a pampered life and are not used to being told no, so it must have really riled Heinz that he was being told who or who not he could sign for after the earlier agreement between club and player.<br /><br />Man Utd have backed themselves into a corner in this situation and may find themselves in court twice this summer with the drawn out Tevez affair and these are all distractions that a team just does not need.<br /><br />One indication of how much Benitez is enjoying this little battle was with his latest little tongue in cheek statement that "I don't know what the problem is." Somehow i think he knows how it would hurt all Manchester fans around the globe if Gabriel Heinze moved to Liverpool and even worse if he became a success at Anfield.One Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12741054548446327440noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27485647.post-22878431302737834552007-07-15T15:37:00.001+03:002007-07-15T23:45:56.298+03:00THE TOP FOUR, IN AND OUTS<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/RpqB5N8kd8I/AAAAAAAAAQA/-pm1Adp4E3E/s1600-h/normal_LIVERPOOL_FC.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/RpqB5N8kd8I/AAAAAAAAAQA/-pm1Adp4E3E/s400/normal_LIVERPOOL_FC.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087521549064632258" /></a><br />Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Man Utd have all delved into the transfer market this summer but some clubs have had a lot more success than others, this is a look at the teams on the move and those been left behind.<br /><br />Of the four teams its obvious that Man Utd and Liverpool are the teams with the deepest pockets this year but will that improvement on the financial investment side translate into better fortunes on the pitch. A run down of the top fours transfers in and out may give an indication of who will improve next year but as always money does not always return league points....just ask any Newcastle fan.<br />First of is Arsenal, who finished a disappointing fourth last year by there standards and thier closed season activity so far has given very little optimism that they can improve on that.<br /><br />Arsenal<br />In: Bakari Sagna Eduardo da Silva and Lukasz Fabianski<br /><br />Out: Matthew Connolly, Arturo Lupoli, Thierry Henry,<br />Jeremie Aliadiere and Mart Poom.<br />Now this team is probably the biggest talking point of the close season, their lack of funds in the transfer season makes it clear that the cost of the new stadium will take a long time to absorb, but in having Wenger as the manager makes this possible as he is the master at picking up young bargains and turning them into either Arsenal legends or making a decent profit on them but his choices this year seem a little bit out of character, Da Silva is no spring chicken so if he does turn into a superstar it would be one of his better coups but its unlikely.<br />Unless something major happens at Arsenal between now and the start of the season Arsenal will be a much lesser team and could be actually overtaken by their free spending neighbours Spurs.<br /><br />Chelsea<br />In: Florent Malouda Steve Sidwell Tal Ben Haim and Claudio Pizarro<br />Out; Khalid Boulahrouz, Geremi and Yves Ma Kalambay <br />The Blues are by far the biggest free spending club in the history of football but surprisingly quite this year...could Roman be finally be becoming bored of his play thing, Florent Malouda is the major signing but is only a replacement for Robben and the only other notable addition is Claudio Pizarro who arrived on a free transfer. Chelsea seem more like a team in sleep mode, surly if Roman was still interested this is the one year that he would have invested heavily to bring the title back to Stamford but instead it seems he is happy to let it all coast along till he becomes interested again or perhaps the manager he really wants is not available yet.<br /><br />Man United<br />In; Anderson,Owen Hargreaves and Luis Nani<br />Out; Phil Marsh, Floribert Ngalula,and Daniel Rose<br />The biggest spenders and the money seems like a lot of it has been spent wisely, Anderson and Nani are investments in the future there to replace Scholes and Giggs,this is not an improvement its maintenance to replace their aging stars, Hargreaves and Carrick will compete to replace Keane but they will have a hard job, these two players are good but not good enough to give Utd that all important controlling midfield and when they play the top teams like Liverpool this year expect the other teams to be able to convert their dominance into points, but if Man Utd can complete the transfer of Teves then Man Utd can make up for this loss in midfield and would be an improved team by being able to take their chances, they may not have the best defense but if Teves joins their ranks then they will score more goals than most teams in Europe and must be favourites to at least clinch the Premiership title once again and if they get lucky and that dodgy defence holds up could improve on their European record, but they really need to sign Tevez to improve on last years team.<br /><br />Liverpool<br />In;Ryan Babel,Yossi Benayoun, Ryan Crowther, Andrei Voronin, Fernando Torres, Krisztian Nemeth and Andras Simon.<br />Out; Jerzy Dudek , Craig Bellamy, Luis García and Boudewijn Zenden.<br />I have left this to last because this is the team with the biggest changes and the biggest challenges in most likely hood the most improved team of the top four, they have always had the best defence but this year its been an all out assault on attacking options, of course its easy to improve when you are so far behind compared to Man Utd and Chelsea but Liverpool have definitely spent the money where it was needed most and that is in in attack. Liverpool have always had a great defence but putting the ball away has been the problem for the last two managers which is why Rafa Benitez has gone all out this year by buying all attacking players. Liverpool have strenghtened all attacking options but for Liverpool to become a true threat to Man utd then a couple of positions still have to to be filled, first of all we still need a right winger or else Gerrard may waste his talents there again for another season, and with all our great new attacking options it mean our defence is going to be more busy than ever now that we are not playing defensive football and that means we must plug up our one Achilles heel, the left back position, Riise is a great player going forward but in defence he leaves a lot to be desired.<br />So this is how i see the season unfolding, Arsenal will be lucky to be in the top four, Chelsea will always compete for the title with Roman`s millions, Man Utd will be very hard to overcome if they do sign Tevez which is very likely and Liverpool are a very unknown prospect just because so much rebuilding has gone on, but if Rafa can <br />get his team to gel quickly in the season and still be in contention by Christmas then i think it is more than likely that Liverpool will add to their massive league title haul.One Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12741054548446327440noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27485647.post-10440292902190327792007-07-13T22:53:00.000+03:002007-07-14T00:51:48.252+03:00LIVERPOOL, BACK WITH THE BIG BOYS<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/Rpfx6N8kd5I/AAAAAAAAAPo/UQyVXjPbzRw/s1600-h/babel0901_319x450.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/Rpfx6N8kd5I/AAAAAAAAAPo/UQyVXjPbzRw/s400/babel0901_319x450.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5086800286616680338" /></a><br />For years Liverpool Fc have had to spend their money miserly, often on players that were second rate that may have a chance of improving, but those days are gone. Now its all about getting the very best to end our league title drought.<br /><br />Fernando Torres signaled Liverpools intention by shattering the clubs old record transfer fee and this has been just followed up by paying 11.5 million for Ryan Babel the 20 year old prospect from Holland, it shows the confidence that the new owners have in Rafa Benitez and that they believe that he is truly the man to end the clubs recent barren spell of league titles.<br /><br />With the recent arrivals of Yossi Benayoun and Andrei Voronin Liverpool fans may be left scratching their heads at Benitez`s selection, because the players he has signed are so versatile. Torres is an out and out striker but Voronin can play up front or on the wing, Benayoun can play anywhere behind the front two while Babel can play up front or on either wing, so this season its going to be even more of a guessing game of who starts and where, this versatility is a great advantage that Benitez will use to great effect, its so so long since Liverpool had the option of putting out a purely attacking team, one that can kill off the lesser teams and gain us the three points, the same points that we get if its Man Utd or Reading, now Rafa has the ammunition he needs to deal with teams putting 11 men behind the ball, something that has caused us nightmares in previous seasons simply because we did not have enough attacking flair to break down these defences......but that is the past<br /><br />Many people may say that Man utd are miles ahead with their early purchase of Nani and Anderson, but people must remember these are young players to replace the aging Scoles and Giggs so its not improvement its maintenance, and Hargreaves is another attempt to replicate Keane but as most people know the closest you can get to Keane in today's world football, plays for their arch rivals and is a better player than Keane could ever hope to be.<br />So the next season should be very interesting Rafa has shocked us in the past with his team selections but with the choices he now has your more likely to win Lotto than pick his starting 11 in their positions.<br /><br />It has been a long long time coming but at last we have the players and manager to mount a serious title challenge so roll on the new season.One Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12741054548446327440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27485647.post-7928627311986681452007-07-08T17:36:00.001+03:002007-07-08T19:41:31.885+03:00KUYT AND CROUCH WATCH OUT, VORONIN IS THE REAL DEAL!As the media fanfare made its way from Anfield after seeing Torres arrive, it was almost like Andriy Voronin sneaked in the back door such was the difference in the media coverage of both events, but Voronin is here to do more than merely make up the numbers and he could be the surprise package in this years Premiership.<br />This is a must see clip of our new striker in action.<br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ua9RCnpqfLI"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ua9RCnpqfLI" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />Now i know a lot of people will say that You Tube videos should not be taken very seriously as it it is not too hard to manage to make a players career to fit into three minutes and make him look good, but there really are some impressive goals there and what makes them impressive is some of these bullet shot goals of his are taken by his right and left foot, and also just by his physical presence he looks like he really is suited to the Premiership. <br />A lot of his play is very similar to the role Dirk Kuyt played at Anfield last year, he can score goals but is better known for his hard work and setting up his strike partner and is a strong player, so he seems like the perfect cover for Kuyt, if Kuyt ever does become tired, but i think Vorinon will not be happy waiting for Kuyt to become tired to play, this guy is here to win his place alongside Liverpools record signing Fernando Torres and if his style of play is any indication, a little old thing like Kuyt standing in his way will only be a short lived obstacle.<br />Now i don't believe that Kuyt will be displaced so easy, but if this Ukrainian can succeed where his fellow country men have so spectacularly failed in the past great strikers such as Rebrov and Shevchencko that after arriving in the Premiership with great reputations soon relies that reputations are worth nothing in the toughest league in the world, but i just have this feeling that Andriy Voronin is different and he has found the league that suits his style of play, so Crouch and Kuyt watch out he really is here to play first team football so take nothing for granted.One Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12741054548446327440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27485647.post-22964270854434873682007-06-24T15:28:00.001+03:002007-06-24T21:48:05.964+03:00HENRY WHO ?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/Rn612tm-8GI/AAAAAAAAAPY/3CObsBr2a2w/s1600-h/pic267.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/Rn612tm-8GI/AAAAAAAAAPY/3CObsBr2a2w/s400/pic267.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079697381281165410" /></a><br />Allowing Thierry Henry`s departure to Barcelona could prove to be one of Arsene Wengers best managerial decisions, as Henry seems to have gone stale at Arsenal and this move could benefit all parties involved.<br /><br />Henry will be a success in Spain but Arsenal are doing a great bit of buisness by getting 16 million pounds for a player that will be 30 in less than two months time, a large part of his game is reliant on speed and that i think has already started to wane, but he probably has one or two more seasons at the top, but at Barca he will have to fight for his place from day one.<br />Wenger is a true master in the transfer market and as hard as it is to replace Henry, who would bet against Wenger using the 16 million to bring in a new young striker that may have us saying in a few years, Henry who?<br /><br />Media reports suggest that Arsenal may actually be after 2 strikers one young and one experienced. Many names have cropped up as Henry`s replacement but Anelkas is by far the most interesting, could it be possible that Wenger has the confidence that he could turn around the career of the incredible sulk. Remember the potential that Anelka once had when he was under Wenger`s stewardship before, he had the talent to become as good or even better than Henry but bad advice and a shocking attitude have meant that his talent has been wasted and although we have seen glimpses of what could have been, he is in reality a mediocre striker now, but Wenger may feel that Anelka may have matured and if Wenger was to take him on again Anelka will know that this his his last chance to become the player he should already be. At the moment this is all media speculation, but Wenger has the potential to surprise all and i think there is little doubt that Anelka would jump at the chance to let Wenger rekindle his career.<br /><br />There is also talk of Wenger leaving Arsenal but i cant see that happening, some say that Henry leaving may be a sign that Wenger may join him in Spain, but the simple fact is Wenger has always cashed in on his major stars when the time was right, think back to Marc Overmars, Emmanuel Petit, Patrick Viera and now you can add Thierry Henry to that list of players that Wenger thinks have offered all that can be offered to the club. I believe Wenger is looking to the future by selling Henry, with the cash he can improve his squad, he already has a squad of young talent that if supplemented with a bit of experience in midfield and attack we could see a very different Arsenal next year that does not only want to play pretty football but also wants to win games even if its that means that results become more important than playing the game beautifully.<br />This is going to be one of the most interesting transfer seasons at Arsenal for years, it is a out with the old and in with the new, but the big question is can Wenger pull off another transfer miracle and will the new be as good as the old that has served the Arsenal faithful so well.One Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12741054548446327440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27485647.post-35148609239071982902007-06-23T23:13:00.000+03:002007-06-24T11:34:12.238+03:00IS HE WORTH 27 MILLION?Fernando Torres seems the most likely to join our ranks , he is not my first choice but he is young and Rafa can improve him and improve his goal per game ratio which is the all important key for the new Liverpol striker, we already have Kuyt and Crouch to set up the chances all we need now is someone to put it in back of the net and that's where we need to spend big, but i am really not sure that Torres is the answer to our goalscoring problems, but here he is anyway...............you decide is he the answer to our problems.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SmC1C9fb9KA"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SmC1C9fb9KA" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>One Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12741054548446327440noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27485647.post-90135177768713947622007-06-10T14:24:00.001+03:002007-06-10T16:16:21.002+03:00LIVERPOOL CRISIS?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/Rmv5itm-8EI/AAAAAAAAAPI/Pr-ByydiTf8/s1600-h/_41852338_malouda416.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/Rmv5itm-8EI/AAAAAAAAAPI/Pr-ByydiTf8/s400/_41852338_malouda416.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5074423779916968002" /></a><br />A lot of promises have been made by the new owners of Liverpool football club, but so far we have seen little in the way of results, is it now time to start to worry?<br /><br />Rafa Benitez has already voiced his concerns over the inaction of the clubs new owners Tom Hicks and George Gillet, and to be honest a week ago i already wanted to write this story but i thought for sure we would see some new big name arrivals at Anfield this week, but it now seems even with new owners very little seems to have changed in the way Liverpool Football Club conducts its transfer dealings, we still seem to drag our heels at every given opportunity.<br /><br />It is no secret that our two major priorities this close season are a striker and two wingers of a higher caliber than we have had in the past. Eto`o and Tevez are names that keep cropping up for the striker role, but because of our time wasting other teams have now joined the hunt for these players with Inter Milan now willing to pay 40 million for Eto`o effectively pricing us out of the race for his signature and now Man Utd seems to be interested in Tevez, but Tevez could still be bought his friendship with Mascherano is a major plus and we also have Bellamy as bait, but this can also show us how much the new owners are willing to invest in Liverpool. There is one more option to solve our striker problem and it is a lot cheaper, If media reports can be believed Newcastle are interested in Bellamy and are very unsure whether Michael Owen wants to stay at St James, so the scenario for Owen to return to Anfield seems to be opening up, it would be close to a straight swap deal with maybe a little money going Newcastles way. But it is not a good deal for Liverpool, Owen is undoubtedly a better player than Bellamy but he is no good to us if he is on the treatment table half the time, we need a striker that will score for us week in week out and because of Owens injury plagued past, we just cant rely on him, but it will be interesting to see if the Americans go for the cheap option.<br /><br />Trying to sign the wingers has really shown where our go slow approach is just not good enough in the world of todays football, Daniel Alves is now one of the most sought out right sided players in Europe today but he could and should have been at Anfield a long time ago but the most glaring mistake so far in this close seasons dealings has been the handling of the Florent Malouda transfer, this is a player that could have easily been signed within a few days of the start of close season with his media statements which were nearly as good as saying come and get me, but no we waited and waited until Chelsea sorted themselves out and now it has opened up into a two horse race, so now because of our snail`s pace we will have to compete with the Chelsea`s billions. <br /><br />This transfer season was supposed to be all about catapulting Liverpool into serious title contenders, Man Utd won the League last year so they are the benchmark, now not only do we have to improve to beat the standards they set last season but we now have to contend with the signings that they made in the first few days of the close season, Nani, Anderson and Hargreavs will improve their team and if we are to overcome them we have to sign top class players soon.<br /><br />Now i know some will say that it is early days and a lot of time is left to sign players, and we have resigned our major players on extended contracts but as time goes on other clubs will become interested in the players that Benitez really wants to sign and we must remember Rafa Benitez is one of the most sought after managers in world football today, so if the new owners don't deliver the big names that he needs to do his job maybe we will lose a lot more than big name signings.One Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12741054548446327440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27485647.post-27247852623963612842007-06-04T17:45:00.000+03:002007-06-04T20:20:48.139+03:00THE DISGRACE THAT IS UEFA<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/RmRJ5gqggBI/AAAAAAAAAO4/9cW_93Mb4x0/s1600-h/38133.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ZpK-VboPpsA/RmRJ5gqggBI/AAAAAAAAAO4/9cW_93Mb4x0/s400/38133.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072260332695617554" /></a><br />Uefa`s shameful handling of the Champions League final in Athens this year and then its cowardly attempt to blame the Liverpool supporters for the fiasco shows that major changes are needed to make Uefa accountable for its actions.<br /><br />Athens was a complete shambles, but Uefa`s shame was in the fact that they had been warned well before the final of exactly what would happen, but because they know best they totally ignored all advice and instead pretended that it would be all right on the night. <br />As with all clubs there is a tiny percentage of fans that are looking for trouble and the bigger the club the bigger the fan base is, those numbers go up, but there would have been no trouble in Athens if Uefa had listened to the advice and warnings that they were given. The problems started when Uefa gave only a paltry 17,000 tickets to each club in a stadium that holds 63,000. Uefa gave 20,000 of the tickets to the 'Uefa family' and a further 9,000 via a ballot. So Uefa actually gave nearly half the tickets to non fans of either club, this is madness and it highlights how this organisation has no regard for the clubs or their fans that it is supposed to represent.<br />They were also pre-warned that there was forgeries on the open market but decided that the best course of action to take was no action at all and this is what caused the biggest problems. Fans with forged tickets entered the ground, many who thought their tickets were legitimate and left many standing outside with real tickets only to be told that the stadium was full.<br />The whole affair was a complete mess and as i said before it could have been totally avoided if Uefa had not thought that they know best.<br /><br />But the claims made by Uefa spokesman William Gaillard that `Liverpool supporters are the worst behaved in Europe´ beggars belief, this is the very same man that just before the final said that Liverpool supporters 'have a tradition of good behaviour'.<br />So which version from the same man only a couple of weeks apart do we believe. The first version or the second one that was made after the Athens debacle, the debacle that Mr Gaillard and his partner in stupidity Mr Platini caused because they believe that they always know best and never let the facts interfere with there beliefs.<br /> <br />English football has had its problems in the past and was without doubt the worst villain in Europe in the 80`s, but if we look at the 3 top leagues in Europe now The Premiership comes out head and shoulders against the rest. It is a league where Racism has for the most part been removed unlike in Spain and Italy where the ignorant masses are rampant and can still give shout their monkey chants and other racist remarks at certain players and face little or no consequences whatsoever. In Rome, Man Utd were warned beforehand of the deadly hooligan Roma fans, but like Spurs in Spain no one warned them of the hooligan type police, that battered all before them. In Italy you could see why police would be wary of fans because in the horrible old days of English hooliganism fans wanted to beat up opposing fans but in Italy they have taken it to a whole new level by throwing explosives at police trying to kill them and have been successful. But despite this, idiots at Uefa have decided that to cover-up their own mistakes Liverpool Football Club must carry the banner of the worst fans in Europe.<br /><br />This all reminds me of Will Carlings famous description of the Rugby Football Union Committee as "57 old farts". Now i don't know how many old farts there are in Uefa but this latest Uefa show of `We answer to no one´ really should open up the debate would football be better served if the G14 had more influence and i really hope the G14 is expanded to nearly all clubs not just the rich, to show that there really is an alternative to this out of date, dying dinosaur of an organisation led by people who seem to value there own importance above the people that makes the very existence of their very precious organisation possible, the players and the fans of the clubs that they seem to have little or no respect for.One Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12741054548446327440noreply@blogger.com1