Month: February 2006

Liverpool’s left-footed Norwegian John Arne Riise says that Liverpool need to start banging the goals in just in case the battle for second place goes down to goal difference. Liverpool are level with Manchester United on points, but are behind on goal difference. Riise said: “It could go right to the wire and that’s why we’d like to score goals to put more pressure on them. We’ll see if United slip up or not or whether we score more in the remaining games. It’s going to be an exciting finish for second.”

Liverpool have played one game more than United and are behind by nine goals so it’s going to need some better scorelines than the recent run of 1-0 wins: “You can see defensively we’re very strong. There are clean sheets nearly every game. As soon as we start scoring more we’ll be on fire. We’ll take 1-0 wins and three points. You never know at 1-0. It only needs a set-piece or lack of concentration and the ball’s in your own net. But we proved defensively we’re very strong. We’re not conceding many goals. We’d just like to score more to kill off games.”

Continue reading Riise: We need more goals to keep up the pressure

The decision by Florentino Perez to resign as president of Real Madrid means Liverpool fans are almost certainly going to have to endure more headlines about the future of boss Rafael Benitez. Perez will be replaced in the short-term by vice-president Fernando Martin but no doubt there will be manoeuvres to replace him with another name. Any potential candidates will want to use whatever promises they can to help them get in. This is where Liverpool come in.

Rafael Benitez is a big name in Spain, his success with Valencia added to even more after the European Cup win with Liverpool. Real are going to try and tempt him one way or another, and as he’s a former Real man anyway he might just be persuaded. At least that’s how the speculation will pan out. Rafa has been enjoying the freedom to choose his own players at Anfield so much that the last thing he would seem to want is to move to a club where players are bought regardless of need and are expected to be found a place in the side. Michael Owen is the one exception to that rule, he was rarely played as much as he could have been – but Raul’s relationship with Perez was as much to blame for that as anything else.

Continue reading Real lose Perez but won’t gain Benitez

Sven-Goran Eriksson says he’s already made his mind up about the
biggest part of his England squad for this summer’s World Cup –
injuries excepted. The manager of the English national team is to leave
his post at the end of the tournament, and so is perhaps a little more
keen than previously to see his squad do well in Germany. Eriksson was
at Anfield yesterday for the Liverpool v Manchester City game, where he
must surely have been impressed by Peter Crouch. Jamie Carragher was
suspended for that game, but Steven Gerrard played in the centre of
midfield, a rarity this season.

Eriksson explained: “The door is open to everyone but if everyone is
fit then I am quite sure of 19 or 20 at least.” Eriksson himself has a
role to play in ensuring everyone is kept fit. Rafael Benitez asked
Eriksson to be careful and considerate over the Reds captain – Gerrard
has been involved in virtually every game of Liverpool elongated
season, one that started on July 13th. Eriksson already knows he’s
going to be taking Gerrard to Germany – but if Gerrard isn’t fit he’ll
lose out. Rafa would like to see Stevie given a rest for the England
friendly at Anfield on Wednesday, but Eriksson has yet to say what
he’ll do about Stevie.
Continue reading Eriksson has a few England places still open

Harry Kewell scored Liverpool’s winner against Manchester City at Anfield yesterday, but admits that their opponents could so easily have got at least a point from a game Liverpool just couldn’t kill off. Scouser Joey Barton was sent off for two bookable offences, his other notable contribution being to clash heads accidentally with Xabi Alonso, leading to the withdrawal of the Spaniard with blurred vision.

Kewell scored the winner five minutes before half-time but says that City played better once they went down to ten men: “It was hard for us. We were ahead but when they had a man sent off it boosted them. City stepped up their game a couple of notches after the sending off. They looked like they had 12 men, not 10. They were unlucky not to get something; they had a few good chances.”

It’s been 1-0 scorelines all round domestically recently for Liverpool, and Kewell says that it’s tough for the Reds to get that second goal: “Teams are coming here and working hard. We’re creating chances but we can’t get the second goal – but we’re doing enough. On another day they would all have gone in.”

Continue reading Kewell says second goals will come

Liverpool’s manager Rafael Benítez once again saw his side come out victorious by the narrowest of margins for the third domestic game in succession. According to Benítez, these 1-0 wins are not something he finds too comfortable, because as long as the scoreline is so close the lead can be so easily caught up to.  The Reds win over Manchester City sees them catch up to Manchester United on points, but not goal difference. Behind the Reds is a gap of eight points now as Tottenham sit in fourth spot.

The 1-0 win came courtesy of a Harry Kewell goal in the first half, against a City team that played better when they went down to ten men early in the second half. Peter Crouch came close to scoring more than once, but Rafa just wants to see his side finish opponents off: “I am not happy with the final scoreline, it was another 1-0 win and another very important three points but I would like to see us score more goals. We certainly need to be able to finish games off when we do go ahead. At the moment when it is only one goal you put yourselves under too much pressure.”

Barton was sent off for two yellow cards and that seemed to spur City on, as Rafa acknowledged: “When teams go down to 10 men against us it is always difficult, because they defend in a different way. We became nervous and they had chances, we were controlling the game better with 11 men than with 10.”

Continue reading Rafa wants Reds to kill teams off

FA Premiership – Result

Liverpool 1 – 0 Manchester City
Kewell 40

Liverpool: J Reina, S Finnan, D Agger, S Hyypia, J Riise, J Kromkamp, S Gerrard, X Alonso (Sub: D Hamann, 31), H Kewell (Sub: D Traore, 85) , P Crouch (Sub: Luis Garcia, 75) , F Morientes
Unused subs: J Dudek, D Cisse

Man City: D James, D Mills, R Dunne, S Distin, S Jordan, T Sinclair (Sub: S
Ireland, 67) , J Barton, K Musampa, A Riera (Sub: L Croft, 78) , G Samaras, A
Sibierski (B Wright-Phillips, 45)
Unused subs: N Weaver, D Sommeil
Bookings: J Barton 30, G Samaras 90
Sent off: J Barton 52

Referee: D Gallagher
Attendance: 44121

26th February 2006
Continue reading Premiership Result: Liverpool 1 Man City 0

FA Premiership – Half-time

Liverpool 1 – 0 Manchester City
Kewell 40

Liverpool: J Reina, S Finnan, D Agger, S Hyypia, J Riise, J Kromkamp, S Gerrard, X Alonso (Sub: D Hamann, 31), H Kewell, P Crouch, F Morientes
Subs: J Dudek, D Cisse, S Luis Garcia, D Traore

Man City: D James, D Mills, R Dunne, S Distin, S Jordan, T Sinclair, J Barton, K Musampa, A Riera, G Samaras, A Sibierski
Subs: N Weaver, D Sommeil, S Ireland, L Croft, B Wright-Phillips
Bookings: J Barton 30

Referee: D Gallagher

26th February 2006
Continue reading Premiership Half-time: Liverpool 1 Man City 0

FA Premiership

Liverpool v Manchester City
26th February 2006

Rafa Benitez is forced to make changes to his line-up, with Momo Sissoko out after suffering that eye injury, Jamie Carragher suspended and Fowler not to play as part of a gentleman’s agreement with City. As a result Daniel Agger comes in at centre-back in place of Carra, Jan Kromkamp takes up the right-midfield role in place of Gerrard who moves to the centre of midfield and up-front there’s a start for Peter Crouch alongside Fernando Morientes. Other than that it’s pretty much as expected for the Reds.

Ex-red David James is in goal for Manchester City and Gerrard will be up against his fellow-scouser and friend Joey Barton in midfield.

Liverpool: J Reina, S Finnan, D Agger, S Hyypia, J Riise, J Kromkamp, S Gerrard, X Alonso, H Kewell, P Crouch, F Morientes
Subs: J Dudek, D Cisse, S Luis Garcia, D Hamann, D Traore

Man City: D James, D Mills, R Dunne, S Distin, S Jordan, T Sinclair, J Barton, K Musampa, A Riera, G Samaras, A Sibierski
Subs: N Weaver, D Sommeil, S Ireland, L Croft, B Wright-Phillips

Ref: D Gallagher
Continue reading Premiership Teams: Liverpool v Man City

Steven Gerrard is fit and ready for Liverpool’s continued battle for second place, and could well find himself back in his preferred role at the heart of the Reds’ midfield. Momo Sissoko now seems set to be able to return again for Liverpool as his eye injury now looks less serious than at first feared, but Rafa isn’t expecting to see him in action again this season. Bolo Zenden is still out with his own long term injury, meaning that Gerrard, Xabi Alonso and Didi Hamann are the only players really available for the role. Gerrard has been sacrificed into playing a wide-right role for much of this season, but now Rafa is looking to move him back to the middle.

Gerrard was forced to miss most of Tuesday night’s Champions League defeat due to a dead leg, but despite rumours it was something more serious, Rafa says his captain is back and ready to go: “Gerrard is fit, is training well and it’s really good news for us. Gerrard is a very important player for us. With Momo Sissoko injured we have different options in Gerrard, Dietmar Hamann and Xabi Alonso. Losing Sissoko means the options for central midfield now involve Gerrard. Xabi Alonso and Dietmar Hamann can play in the middle but maybe it is time to start using someone else on the right side. Momo was working for everyone, a fantastic player with so much energy right across midfield. Gerrard is a different type of player but he has more quality and he can change games. He prefers to play as a centre midfielder and now he will have more options.”

Continue reading Stevie back to his favourite place

Rick Parry today tried to bring some perspective to Momo Sissoko’s injury situation. Sissoko sustained damage to the retina in his right eye during the Champions League tie against Benfica on Tuesday, prompting reports that the Malian midfielder could be forced to quit the game and could lose the sight in the eye. What Parry, Liverpool’s chief executive tried to explain was that at this stage there was no way of being sure exactly what the long-term situation was, and so it was better to be optimistic that he’d make a full recovery: “We don’t want to sound too pessimistic because it’s too early to tell. What Momo needs right now is our support and the best care he can get.”

According to Parry, the inflammation and swelling around the injured eye mean that medical staff haven’t really been able to get to the eye to find out how bad it is: “His right eye is closed down and it’s been difficult to assess the damage because of the swelling and bleeding.” Momo had a CT scan in Portugal in an attempt to try and see the extent of the injury. Parry says that talk of Momo’s career being over is premature: “It’s too early to jump to conclusions. Obviously this is a very traumatic time for Momo and the club is in constant contact with his family and representatives. It’s a very nasty injury.”

Momo was instantly missed by the Liverpool side as soon as he left the pitch on Tuesday, a testament to just how well the player – still only 21 – has settled into his role. Liverpool obviously want to see the player back on the field again as soon as possible, but more important is the welfare of the player himself. He needs the best treatment available to him, and as expected, Liverpool have ensured that Sissoko is being seen by the best, as Parry explained: “He’s now in London being treated by the best specialists in the country.”

Continue reading Parry: Momo is with the best doctors