Fernando Torres sealed the win for Liverpool in this Merseyside derby as he scored twice to place Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table. Liverpool played well and controlled most of the game. Once again Rafael Benitez got the better of David Moyes as he masterminded a breathtaking Liverpool victory. 5 matches already played in the PL now, Liverpool are really starting to look strong. The football looks more fluid and the new boy, Riera, is starting to gel well with the entire team. After a lack of form in the recent matches, Torres has showed to all doubters that he's there to hit the back of the net.
I am very happy with the current display on the pitch by the redmen. Crucial as this match has been, the victory tastes sweet. It is these types of matches that we have to keep on winning. This victory certainly underlines Liverpool's serious bid for the title. We looked strong, composed and classy. Even without Masch around, we managed to get the ball as soon as Everton tried to build. More encouraging was the fact that we were being able to create space. Gerrard was again outstanding, throwing passes, defending at times and shooting when he got the opportunity.
In all, this had been a great day for all LFC supporters around the world. Another 3 points in the bag, we will be heading full of confidence to our next match against PSV Eindhoven at Anfield on Wednesday night. Yet another win in the Champions League would see Liverpool with 6 points and certainly with more things to gain than to lose. So lads, let me remind you again: the full time score at Goodison Park here, it's Everton 0-2 Liverpool. Let's keep them wins coming....
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Can we witness a bright future at Liverpool FC?
The season, in my opinion has started brightly for Liverpool FC. Though, poor performances Liverpool have managed to grind out results, which, a season back, had been a lacking in Benitez's side. Some had even called this as winning ugly. Some matches under their belt, Liverpool FC have started to progress slowly, confirming their will to make a serious challenge after beating Man U at Anfield. Undoubtedly, this had been a great day for all Reds fans around the globe. The euphoria of triumphing over Man U at Anfield was finally found and people were already talking about winning the League.
Forward one week after the Man U game and you'll be frustrated to see a boring 0-0 full time score at Anfield against Stoke City. Now people were talking about sacking Benitez and Liverpool's lack of firepower. How come minds change like that? This does not apply to all LFC fans but a handful ones, whom I agree have lost the patience. It is understandable. Every Liverpool supporter want the EPL to come back home. Even, I sometimes lose patience, but i keep saying, Rafa is the man. He certainly knows what he's doing.
If you cast a glance back in time, you would see how Rafa has improved the squad. We now have Torres, Babel, Agger, Skrtel, Aurelio, Benayoun, Mascherano, Keane, Reina, Riera, etc compared to Smicer, Cheyrou, Pongolle, Biscan, Traore, Heskey, etc. Clearly the team Rafa has now assembled and organised is a more capable one. The breed of youngsters that he's brought speak for themselves. Champions of the Reserve League North twice in a row does not happen by fluke. The emergence of some really promising talents such as Pachecho, Bruna, El Zhar, Plessis and Nemeth among many others will certainly be ready for full team action after they gain more maturity.
I for one, can see a bright future at Anfield in the coming years. We will be producing our own talents regardless of the fact that we can or cannot compete against the likes of Man U, Chelsea and the new born giant Manchester City in the transfer market. On the other hand, I really do hope that someone with good intentions for Liverpool FC, unlike the Yanks, will come forth with an interesting bid to buy our beloved club. More years ahead, the face of football would have already changed and I fear that we struggle to shrug off competition to capture the players we want.
Forward one week after the Man U game and you'll be frustrated to see a boring 0-0 full time score at Anfield against Stoke City. Now people were talking about sacking Benitez and Liverpool's lack of firepower. How come minds change like that? This does not apply to all LFC fans but a handful ones, whom I agree have lost the patience. It is understandable. Every Liverpool supporter want the EPL to come back home. Even, I sometimes lose patience, but i keep saying, Rafa is the man. He certainly knows what he's doing.
If you cast a glance back in time, you would see how Rafa has improved the squad. We now have Torres, Babel, Agger, Skrtel, Aurelio, Benayoun, Mascherano, Keane, Reina, Riera, etc compared to Smicer, Cheyrou, Pongolle, Biscan, Traore, Heskey, etc. Clearly the team Rafa has now assembled and organised is a more capable one. The breed of youngsters that he's brought speak for themselves. Champions of the Reserve League North twice in a row does not happen by fluke. The emergence of some really promising talents such as Pachecho, Bruna, El Zhar, Plessis and Nemeth among many others will certainly be ready for full team action after they gain more maturity.
I for one, can see a bright future at Anfield in the coming years. We will be producing our own talents regardless of the fact that we can or cannot compete against the likes of Man U, Chelsea and the new born giant Manchester City in the transfer market. On the other hand, I really do hope that someone with good intentions for Liverpool FC, unlike the Yanks, will come forth with an interesting bid to buy our beloved club. More years ahead, the face of football would have already changed and I fear that we struggle to shrug off competition to capture the players we want.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Liverpool 2-1 Crewe Alexandra- the ticket to 4th round
The Carling Cup is vital to blood youngsters. Such has been the case with Rafael Benitez as a host of youngsters made the starting line up for this crucial match. Daniel Agger was handed his debut for the reds and reserve goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri was also given first team action. Daniel Agger's free kick gave Liverpool the lead on the 15 minutes mark. It was a low drive that hit the back of the net past keeper Steve Collis. The equaliser came 10 minutes later from O'Connor who made no mistake to score from close range. The lead was restored on the 58th minute after a brilliant display by Pennant on the flank who served Lucas well to beat Crewe keeper Collis with a header. Later on Torres was introduced, and his lack of form was again clear. He failed to seal the game and score the third Liverpool goal by blasting the shot straight at the keeper.
The win seemed to be a hard fought one for Liverpool. The full time score read in favour of the reds but Liverpool need more accuracy to kill off such games. Even Benitez admitted on Setanta Sports News: "As always in these kinds of games, if you don't score the third goal and finish the game, then things can get a bit nervous". Round 3 is now clear for the reds. Next up is Everton at Goodison Park.
The win seemed to be a hard fought one for Liverpool. The full time score read in favour of the reds but Liverpool need more accuracy to kill off such games. Even Benitez admitted on Setanta Sports News: "As always in these kinds of games, if you don't score the third goal and finish the game, then things can get a bit nervous". Round 3 is now clear for the reds. Next up is Everton at Goodison Park.
Liverpool 0-0 Stoke, a frustrating game for reds fans
Liverpool vs Stoke City had undoubtedly been the most frustrating match for reds supporters around the globe. I for one still cannot understand why Steven Gerrard's goal was refused. As from 2 minutes into the game I started to celebrate but my joy wasn't going to last. The goal was cruelly refused and the scoreboard sadly read 0-0. From start to finish, Liverpool dominated the game but it wasn't going to be. Inaccurate crosses mixed with shots going begging into the crowd, Liverpool had close to 30 occasions to score but simply couldn't. It was evident that Fernando Torres hasn't hit his form yet. Stoke were defending all the way until the last minute and created only a couple of chances throughout the game. Liverpool tried really hard, but on this day, it seemed to me that it was impossible to score.
After beating Man U, Liverpool had to build on this game and gather points by bagging the so called 'small matches'. It was a bad result for us and it certainly seemed like a victory for Stoke. Full credit to them, they defended well. Nonetheless, we are still in a good position in the league with Man U already playing catch up. Man U's 1-1 draw with Chelsea could not have been better placed. We now stand 3rd in the table behind Chelsea and Arsenal after 5 matches played and 11 points in hand. Not bad, really, but we should have been clearly on top with 13 points.
Liverpool have to concentrate on winning. Beating the less important teams will bear its fruit at the end of the season. Do I have to mention the significance of beating the other big 3? With enough points gathered by beating the small teams, Liverpool could be on for the holy grail after 18 years of abstinence.
After beating Man U, Liverpool had to build on this game and gather points by bagging the so called 'small matches'. It was a bad result for us and it certainly seemed like a victory for Stoke. Full credit to them, they defended well. Nonetheless, we are still in a good position in the league with Man U already playing catch up. Man U's 1-1 draw with Chelsea could not have been better placed. We now stand 3rd in the table behind Chelsea and Arsenal after 5 matches played and 11 points in hand. Not bad, really, but we should have been clearly on top with 13 points.
Liverpool have to concentrate on winning. Beating the less important teams will bear its fruit at the end of the season. Do I have to mention the significance of beating the other big 3? With enough points gathered by beating the small teams, Liverpool could be on for the holy grail after 18 years of abstinence.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Marseille 1-2 Liverpool FC- a sweet start to the Champions League campaign
After the fantastic win over Manchester Utd during the week-end, Liverpool were prepared to kick off their Champions League campaign full of confidence. Olympic de Marseille were hosting Liverpool at Stade Velodrome. Marseille started the game brilliantly, winning the ball and passing it all over the park. On the other hand, Liverpool FC rarely struggled and even created some chances which were missed. In fact, the better chances were created by Liverpool but Marseille dominated the game. Marseille's domination was rewarded after midfielder Benoit Cheyrou set up Loric Cana with a great overhead ball which saw him beat Pepe Reina from close range.
Liverpool immediately reacted after the goal creating some occasions until Steven Gerrard hit a thunderbolt from around 25 yards which the Marseille keeper could do nothing about. Liverpool continued to press and again Ryan Bael performed a piece of magic. He was fouled in the Marseille's box after a brilliant display on the ball. The referee pointed to the penalty spot which Gerrard made no mistake to convert into goal after his first attempt was disallowed. At half time, the scoreboard read an impressive 2-1 in favour of Liverpool.
The second half saw Marseille attack with venom. Liverpool got few chances, the best ones seeing Ryan Babel failing to beat the keeper from close range. Most of the second period was dominated by Marseille whom, you could sense, were trying hard to get a result out of this match. Liverpool's defence was working hard, trying to send the ball as far as possible down the pitch. Near the end of the match, Liverpool's defence looked weak as they were troubled when Marseille nearly got the equaliser after a wonderful effort from Niang. The match ended in a Liverpool win.
Once again Pepe Reina demonstrated his abilities and proved why he's actually the best keeper in the Premier League, and certainly among the top ones in the world. It was not such a convincing display by Liverpool FC but the result is what counts at the end of the day. With 3 points already in the bag, Liverpool FC are now looking to seal another couple of wins to ascertain their qualification in the last 16th.
Liverpool immediately reacted after the goal creating some occasions until Steven Gerrard hit a thunderbolt from around 25 yards which the Marseille keeper could do nothing about. Liverpool continued to press and again Ryan Bael performed a piece of magic. He was fouled in the Marseille's box after a brilliant display on the ball. The referee pointed to the penalty spot which Gerrard made no mistake to convert into goal after his first attempt was disallowed. At half time, the scoreboard read an impressive 2-1 in favour of Liverpool.
The second half saw Marseille attack with venom. Liverpool got few chances, the best ones seeing Ryan Babel failing to beat the keeper from close range. Most of the second period was dominated by Marseille whom, you could sense, were trying hard to get a result out of this match. Liverpool's defence was working hard, trying to send the ball as far as possible down the pitch. Near the end of the match, Liverpool's defence looked weak as they were troubled when Marseille nearly got the equaliser after a wonderful effort from Niang. The match ended in a Liverpool win.
Once again Pepe Reina demonstrated his abilities and proved why he's actually the best keeper in the Premier League, and certainly among the top ones in the world. It was not such a convincing display by Liverpool FC but the result is what counts at the end of the day. With 3 points already in the bag, Liverpool FC are now looking to seal another couple of wins to ascertain their qualification in the last 16th.
Liverpool 2-1 Manchester Utd- an unforgettable triumph on home soil
It's Saturday 13th of September 2008. Liverpool FC supporters all around the world have been waiting for this day since the start of the season. After a slow start to the season, and victories coming after unconvincing displays, Liverpool stood with 7 points in the table after 3 matches. Liverpool fans had been waiting for the sweet victory over their fierce rivals Manchester Utd in the league since 4 years. The clock was slowly ticking and the pressure of the match was slowly starting to rise. It became more and more apparent that it would soon be kick off time at Anfield.
12:45, the match finally gets under way. Liverpool FC fans, including myself were confident that today could be our day. But our hearts sank as the opening goal came from Man U only after 4 mins in the game. On this day, Liverpool handed the debut to the Spanish winger, Albert Riera. Soon after the goal, Liverpool upped the tempo of the game, flooding Man U's box. Crosses were coming from the flanks and the new kid was making an impressive debut. Liverpool's effort was paid in goal when Alonoso's deflected shot caused an own goal by defender Wes Brown after Albert Riera had put sufficient pressure on him.
Upon the start of the second half, everyone witnessed a completely changed Liverpool. We were all over Man U, winning the ball as soon as they started to build. Liverpool FC played Man U off the park once again. Crosses were coming right and left but the stalemate still remained. I was starting to believe that Utd would escape once again from our claws. But the subsitution of Ryan Babel brought all the positives that Liverpool FC could produce. In my heart i said: "perform your piece of magic". After a great display by Mascherano and Kuyt laying off the ball sweetly to Ryan Babel, the lad made no mistake to slot the ball comfortably at the back of the net. Anfield immediately went ablaze. We could sense this victory coming after so many years.
The final whistle saw Liverpool come from behind and win the match 2-1. This had undoubtedly been Liverpool's greatest match of the year. Building on this result can make us, Liverpool fans, believe that this could indeed be our season.
12:45, the match finally gets under way. Liverpool FC fans, including myself were confident that today could be our day. But our hearts sank as the opening goal came from Man U only after 4 mins in the game. On this day, Liverpool handed the debut to the Spanish winger, Albert Riera. Soon after the goal, Liverpool upped the tempo of the game, flooding Man U's box. Crosses were coming from the flanks and the new kid was making an impressive debut. Liverpool's effort was paid in goal when Alonoso's deflected shot caused an own goal by defender Wes Brown after Albert Riera had put sufficient pressure on him.
Upon the start of the second half, everyone witnessed a completely changed Liverpool. We were all over Man U, winning the ball as soon as they started to build. Liverpool FC played Man U off the park once again. Crosses were coming right and left but the stalemate still remained. I was starting to believe that Utd would escape once again from our claws. But the subsitution of Ryan Babel brought all the positives that Liverpool FC could produce. In my heart i said: "perform your piece of magic". After a great display by Mascherano and Kuyt laying off the ball sweetly to Ryan Babel, the lad made no mistake to slot the ball comfortably at the back of the net. Anfield immediately went ablaze. We could sense this victory coming after so many years.
The final whistle saw Liverpool come from behind and win the match 2-1. This had undoubtedly been Liverpool's greatest match of the year. Building on this result can make us, Liverpool fans, believe that this could indeed be our season.
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