Month: October 2007

Liverpool defender Sami Hyypia is full of respect for former team-mate Djibril Cissé. The Finnish defender is getting an extended run in the side at the moment with Daniel Agger missing due to a broken metatarsal, and the French striker is making a return to Anfield tonight with his new club Marseille.

Hyypia recalls how they would have some minor tussles on the Melwood training ground, but says that both of them will obviously be playing in a slightly more competitive way against each other tonight: “In training we had some good battles, but of course in training you can’t play as you would in a game. For ninety minutes tomorrow we will forget the friendship and both of us will try to do our best for our teams – I think we know each other quite well, but I can’t say it’s a good thing that I know his game, because he knows mine as well!” Continue reading Hyypia looking forward to Cissé reunion

Liverpool striker Fernando Torres may already know if he’s to get a starting role against Marseille tonight, but nobody outside the club will know until just before kick-off. Torres has been left out of the eleven for some games of late with Rafa saying he didn’t feel the £18m buy could be as effective against a deep-lying defence, such as that employed by Birmingham in the recent 0-0 at Anfield.

Torres is fully able to accept his role at the club, and is willing to sit out some games. He said: “We players have to adapt to systems, rather than systems being adapted to suit the players. The manager will decide who plays depending on what he needs in each game. The players who do best are the ones who win a place.”

The Spaniard was made captain at Atletico at a tender age and says he was prepared for the challenge of playing for the Reds: “I’m playing with pressure and responsibility. I’m used to it.” Continue reading Rafa wants strikers ready when he needs them