Liverpool FC

Alberto Aquilani arrived at AC Milan on loan

2011-08-26T18:11:00.000-07:00

Italian powerhouse AC Milan announced that the talented footballer Alberto Aquilani leaves Liverpool and joins their squad on loan with a one-year deal.

Aquilani - who is already training with his new team - is living his third loan transfer in his career. As we know, the player left AS Roma in 2009 to join Liverpool, but he suffered many injury problems and was finally moved to Juventus.

Kenny Dalglish words express the convenience of this transfer: "We think that it's a great move for him. Aquilani's wife and kid are in Italy, so it was very difficult for him here".

Maxi Rodriguez after the 5-0: "It's my best moment at Liverpool"

2011-04-25T03:12:00.000-07:00

Talented player "Maxi" Rodriguez became the new hero of Liverpool after scoring a hat-trick to help his team crush Birmingham 5-0.

The result helps Liverpool keep alive in the Europe zone of the Premier League, right behind Tottenham and Manchester City.

Rodriguez said that he is "really happy, since it's my best moment at Liverpool. It was my first hat-trick, and it was in front of our fans at Anfield".

Liverpool steal a point at the Emirates Stadium

2011-04-17T11:12:00.001-07:00

Arsenal dominated the actions more than 90 minutes and Robin Van Persie scored the opener for the locals two minutes before the end. But the crowd at the Emirates Stadium did not expect Liverpool's equalizer in the last minute.

Referee Andre Marriner pointed at the penalty spot in the last moments of the match, only two minutes after the Gunners' opener, and veteran Dirk Kuyt blasted the equalizer for Liverpool.

Captain Carragher was hit in the head, which forced him to leave the game, but remains stable under medical supervision.

Liverpool remains in the 6th position of the Premier League table with 49 points.

Captain Gerrard to miss the rest of the season after surgery

2011-04-10T01:01:00.000-07:00

Liverpool FC confirmed that their captain Steven Gerrard underwent surgery on his groin, and the recovery time will not be short.

This medical procedure will keep Gerrard from playing for the rest of the Premier League season 2010/2011.

Kenny Dalglish, manager of the club, said that the talented footballer is not having a regular recovery. "Doctors don't know definitively what the problem is... we must wait to get result of some more test. But we know that Gerrard won't be involved again this season" said Dalglish.

Sparta Prague and Liverpool tie 0-0 in Europa League

2011-02-18T08:19:00.000-08:00

Liverpool visited Sparta Prague on Thursday, only to get a 0-0 draw that leaves both teams with the same chances for the second leg.

Dirk Kuyt expressed his frustration for not winning the match. But he is also confident to advance to the next stage: "We always want to get the victory, but it was a tough game. Still, we are in a great position to win the next match at home."

Next week, Sparta will visit Liverpool in England and only a victory would give the red team a ticket for the next stage.

Liverpool after Newcastle's Jose Enrique

2011-02-18T08:02:00.000-08:00

Spanish footballer Jose Enrique, currently playing for Newcastle United, says he is flattered with the interest of important football clubs, specially after Liverpool expressed their interest in the defender.

According to some news, Liverpool would pay 14 million euros for the talented player.

The Anfield club is aware that the left back position is one of the priorities and they believe that Jose Enrique is the solution for that zone.

Albert Riera suspended after criticizing Rafa Benitez

2010-03-19T13:29:00.000-07:00

After his controversial words, player Albert Riera has been suspended by Liverpool today. The footballer has been disciplined by Rafa Benitez and told not to return to the Merseysiders' Melwood training field until Monday.

As we know, the player blasted tough words about Benitez, claiming he did not speak to the footballers: "The dialogue with the players is practically non-existent. There is a lack of tact."

At first, Benitez tried to remain cautious: "The timing was not the best for the squad and we will deal with this issue internally". But today, the club finally took a tough decision.

Riera tried to tone down the situation: "I have no interest in making Rafa my enemy". But he still mantains that the coach has "something personal" against him. His future in Liverpool is not clear now

Gerrard: 4-0 over Madrid was due to fantastic team performance

2009-03-12T01:54:00.000-07:00

Great news in Europe for the English clubs as Liverpool and Chelsea got their Champions League quarter-final tickets after sending Real Madrid and Juventus packing.

The outstanding Liverpool went through in a canter, with captain Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres both on target - the England midfielder netting a brace on his 100th European appearance - while Andrea Dossena added the last goal. The result: 4-0 to crush the so called "best team of the 20th century".

Benitez team wrapped up a 5-0 aggregate win following their 1-0 victory at the Bernabeu.

"I'm so happy to see that the first 30 minutes we were awesome," Gerrard said. "It was a fantastic team performance."

Rafa Benitez showed his deep satisfaction and praised the labor of Kuyt, Gerrard and Torres.

Now, Liverpool begins to dream with the most desired title of the World, and the team is everyday closer to it.

Daniel Agger might play in Italian Calcio: Big clubs after him

2009-02-18T21:50:00.001-08:00

Inter, Juventus and AC Milan are after defender Daniel Agger. The talented defender will go to Italy soon.

Yes, Agger appeared to be heading out of Anfield in January when Milan moved to take him to the San Siro and opened informal talks about a transfer.

Indeed, the defender has grown frustrated under manager Rafael Benitez after being relegated to the substitutes’ bench on returning from a series of injuries this season.

The Spaniard publicly insists that the footballer remains part of his long-term plans, and in despite of that, there is a growing sense of certainty to Agger leaving.

As we know, both Jose Mourinho and Claudio Ranieri, managers of Inter and Juventus respectively, have been alerted to the prospect of signing Agger, a highly rated Danish international, for a relatively modest fee in the summer, according to a report in the Mail.

Agger has little more than a year to run on his current contract at Liverpool and negotiations over a new deal have almost irretrievably stalled.

It’s amazing to notice that should Agger remain on the fringes of Benitez’s side then a summer move is likely, with Liverpool in a weak bargaining position when it comes to the fee.

We must consider that AC Milan remain the favourites to secure his signature and in despite of that, the competition from the two other Serie A giants may make the deal more problematic that it might otherwise have been.

Liverpool needs more soccer players for Champions League

2009-02-06T00:26:00.000-08:00

Liverpool won’t field a full roster at the time the club resumes its Champions League campaign against Real Madrid later this month.

The 2005 European champion failed to replace outgoing players Robbie Keane and Jermaine Pennant on its 25-man roster, a spokesman for UEFA said today. The club may be four short for the Feb. 25 game with captain Steven Gerrard sidelined for three weeks after tearing his left hamstring in last night’s F.A. Cup loss at Everton, and defender Philip Degen already ruled out.

“Liverpool didn’t add any players to the list before the Feb. 1 deadline,” the spokesman said.

Liverpool is just two points behind Manchester United in the chase for the Premier League title, and faces Madrid in the last 16 of the Champions League. The club’s attempt to strengthen its squad failed at the time Tottenham refused to include winger Aaron Lennon in its deal for Keane.

The 28-year-old Ireland captain joined Liverpool for 20.3 million pounds ($29.45 million) in July. U.K. media reports said he may have left for as little as 12 million pounds. Neither club revealed the cost of the transaction.

Liverpool’s loss would have been even bigger had they tried to offload Keane at the end of the season, team boss Rafael Benitez said earlier this week.

Benitez is asking for greater control over the way the club handles player acquisitions before agreeing on a contract extension to 2013. He didn’t meet with the club’s American owners at the time they visited for last weekend’s clash against Chelsea.

Torres' double help Liverpool defeat Chelsea

2009-02-06T00:24:00.000-08:00

Two goals from Liverpool’s Spanish striker Fernando Torres stunned Chelsea 2–0 in the final moments of a snowy clash at Anfield on Sunday.

Liverpool took over sole possession of second place, two points back of Manchester United. United has a game in hand on all its closest pursuers.

The flashpoint in the game came on the hour at the time Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard tackled his counterpart, Xabi Alonso, with his studs up high and was given a red card.

Chelsea would have been content with a draw after Liverpool dominated the play. Now, new hopes will be restored in Liverpool’s title challenge.

Chelsea keeper Petr Cech kept the Blues in the game after chances fell to Alonso and Yossi Benayoun. Defender Alex stifled the Reds attack and was there to thwart the best chance of the game that fell to Torres.

Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari took off Florent Malouda and Nicolas Anelka who were absent from the play and brought on Deco and Didier Drogba, which did have a positive effect.

Torres left it to the last minute of full time to get on the score sheet with a near post header from a Fabio Aurelio cross. Then, in the 94th minute of play, he made it two with an easy side foot tap in after Benayoun’s set up. Chelsea’s defense was very sloppy on the second Torres goal.

Steven Gerrard fit to face Marseille for the UEFA Champions League

2008-11-25T11:11:00.001-08:00

Liverpool super star Steven Gerrard is available to play against Olympique Marseille in their Champions League Group D game after recovering from a groin injury, manager Rafa Benitez said on Tuesday.

Speaking ahead of Wednesday's match at Anfield, Benitez told the club's website: "He (Gerrard) was training and is available. And I think that he could start and I think he could play 90 minutes, but in the end that depends on the player during the game."

The popular Gerrard tore the adductor magnus muscle in his right leg against Bolton Wanderers in the Premier League on November 15.

As we know, the midfielder missed England's 2-1 victory over Germany last week and Liverpool's game at home to Fulham on Saturday.

Liverpool Football Club, who suffered a shock 1-0 home defeat by Marseille at the same stage last season, are second in Group D and victory at Anfield would put them through to the last 16.

Fernando Torres backs Cristiano Ronaldo for World Best Player Award

2008-11-25T11:02:00.000-08:00

According to a famous magazine, Spanish footballer Fernando Torres assured that Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo is the most deserving player of the European and World Player of the Year awards after his amazing performances for the Red Devils in the 2007-08 season.

Indeed, Cristiano Ronaldo scored a magnificent total of 42-goals for the Old Trafford side last season to help them lift the Premier League as well as Champions League title.

Liverpool frontman Torres is also on the 23-man shortlist for the prestigious award, however Torres insisted that the Portuguese International, who has already been named the FIFPro World Player of the Year for 2008 “has class of his own” and should win the award.

"No-one can rival him," Torres expressed. "He is in a class of his own. I have never seen a comparable player.

"I can say that what he did last season is incredible. No-one won this year what he's won: Champions League, Premier League and Golden Boot. Yes, for me he is the best player in the world. A machine. Incomparable" he concluded.

Xavi Alonso seduced by Juventus

2008-06-22T15:40:00.000-07:00

Liverpool's midfielder Xabi Alonso admits he is fascinated by the prospect of joining Juventus.

The Italian Powerhouse are expected to sign the Spanish international for around £16million this summer, and the midfielder admits he has always been fascinated by the prospect of playing in Italy.

"We'll see what will happen with Juventus. It's difficult to say,” said Alonso. "I've spent four fantastic years at Liverpool, but I have to admit that I have always been fascinated by Italian league.

"However, it's too soon to talk about the future. In short - we'll see. Juve are one of the biggest clubs in Europe, perhaps the biggest in Italy. They have many fans, not only in Italy, but all over the world.”

Defeated

2008-05-01T10:27:00.000-07:00

Liverpool had a dream about reaching the glory once again. But this time, it was Chelsea the team that made history, by winning 3 - 2 and reaching the UEFA Champions League final for the first time

Chelsea finally broke the jinx that their Northern rival had held over them in the competition in recent years, despite Yossi Benayoun doing his best to ruin coach Avraham Grant's day.

The Israel captain set up forward star Fernando Torres with a virtuoso display in the second half to level the contest and send it into overtime, after the first leg at Anfield was also tied at 1-1.

But it is was third time lucky for Chelsea. After falling at the same stage twice in the last three years to the Reds, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba scored in front of the Stamford Bridge faithful to pour misery on their bitter rivals.

Indeed, Chelsea was in the ascendency for most of the first half. Didier Drogba looked dangerous, dominating his opponents in the air and on the ground, while Michael Ballack controlled the match in midfield, playing well-timed balls over the top for the Ivorian and the sprightly Salamon Kalou.

Didier Drogba won a corner in the fifth minute and when the ball bobbled out from a scramble in the box, Michael Essein struck it first time from 25 meters, but high over the crossbar.

In the eighth minute, the red team created its best chance of the half when Benayoun hit Chelsea on the counter attack. After Joe Cole was dispossessed on the edge of the Reds' box, the Israeli midfielder played a clever one-two with Steven Gerrard before sliding Fernando Torres through on goal. But the Spaniard could only pummel the ball at keeper Peter Chec and out for a corner.

The african striker continued to threaten Liverpool's nervous defense. First he barged Martin Skrtel over, and Liverpool's January signing had to leave the field, to be substituted by the aging Sammi Hyppia.

Minutes later Drogba, with a point to prove after coming in for criticism by Liverpool coach Benitez in the last couple of days, powered past Jamie Carragher on the left, leaving only goalkeeper Pepe Reina to beat. But the Ivorian slid his left footed shot agonizingly wide of the post.

The breakthrough came in the 31st minute when Salomon Kalou was put clear through on goal and struck a fierce shot from the edge of the box which Pepe Reina did brilliantly to save. But Drogba picked up the rebound and struck an inch-perfect shot past the keepers grasping glove.

Michael Ballack paused over the ball, seemingly allowing the pressure to build on his uneasy opponent. But he could not reproduce the killer touch he showed against Manchester United in the Premier League on Saturday's last game. His free kick swerved inches wide of the post and clattered against the metal framework behind.

Talented Dirk Kuyt almost put Liverpool straight back into the tie three minutes into the second half when he latched onto a Gerrard header only three meters out, but Cech got down to block the ball.

As the weather worsened, Liverpool became ever more bogged down, struggling to create anything coherent outside its own half. We can say that Liverpool needed a moment of inspiration and Benayoun provided in the 63rd. He came in from the right, jinking past three home defenders before playing Torres through on goal. This time Liverpool's top scorer coolly slotted the ball home.

As both teams tired in the final minutes the match went into injury time. Essien scored a pile driver from twenty meters five minutes in, but it was ruled out. Nicolas Anelka was offside and was adjudged by the linesman to have impeded Reina's vision.

However, it was to be an academic sidenote. Hyppia needlessly fouled Ballack on the edge of the box in full view of the referee who did not hesitate to sentence a penalty shot.

The lonely star, Frank Lampard, made no mistake from the spot and celebrated emotionally less than a week after the death of his mother.

For every blue fan happiness, Drogba sealed the time at the end of the first 15 minutes after substitute Nicolas Anelka set him up.

Finally, Ryan Babel scored a stunning goal from over thirty yards with five minutes left on the clock, but Liverpool couldn't capitalize, and Chelsea goes through. Dream over for Benitez' side.

Rafa Benitez wants to stay for a long time

2008-04-18T23:34:00.000-07:00

The popular Spanish coach Rafael Benitez reaffirmed his commitment with the club by making clear his desire to "stay for a long time" ahead of today's visit to Fulham and Tuesday's Champions League semi-final against Chelsea FC.

Indeed, Benitez had cast grave doubts about his long-term future at Anfield last weekend in the row over exactly who attended meetings before Christmas with Jurgen Klinsmann when the manager's job was discussed.

The current Liverpool manager demanded answers from co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, plus chief executive Rick Parry, but speaking yesterday he refused to discuss the ownership battle or any meetings he may have had with his bosses and said instead: "At this moment I have two years of my contract still to go, I am absolutely happy here. And I want to stay. And I want to stay for a long time."

Later, asked if he had spoken to Hicks, Gillett or Parry, the manager assured: "I do not need to talk to them, I need to talk with my staff and my players. We have been training and all I want to talk about is the matches against Fulham and then Chelsea."

Liverpool about to face a vital game against United

2008-03-22T21:11:00.000-07:00

Liverpool FC may be out of contention for the Premiership trophy but coach Rafael Benitez's side could still have a major say in the outcome of the title battle on what could be a decisive Easter weekend.

In fact, having watched his men hit a rich vein of form in recent weeks, Benitez will travel to Old Trafford on Sunday confident they can finally claim the league victory over Manchester United that has eluded the Reds in seven previous attempts since their Spanish boss' arrival at Anfield in 2004.

And with Chelsea facing Arsenal on the same day, such an outcome could have major repercussions for United, who start the weekend as favourites to retain the title after opening up a three-point advantage over the Gunners and five away from Chelsea.

The Anfield team have put together a run of seven straight wins, largely thanks to the sharper cutting edge they have displayed since Steven Gerrard was switched to an attacking role on the heels of forward star Fernando Torres.

It's important to say taht Torres has plundered 27 goals already this season while Gerrard needs one more to hit the 20 mark for only the second time in his career.

"The understanding between our players is always important, especially players up front," Benitez admitted. "The partnership between Torres and captain Gerrard has made a massive difference, it is difficult for teams to stop them both. We are profiting from this."

Benitez' side have also looked more solid defensively of late with Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso both operating as holding players in midfield, but any defensive system is bound to be strained under the pressure generated by a United attack spearheaded by the apparently unstoppable Cristiano Ronaldo. However, everyone in Liverpool feel ready for the challenge.

Gerrard says the press twisted his words

2008-03-05T01:31:00.001-08:00

Last week, the media in England branded it an outburst and even went as far as suggesting that Gerrard's heart is not in the Champions League. Naturally, the England international was keen to alleviate the misconception by defining his real position.

"I think that as captain of the club it's very easy for your words to be twisted into something that doesn't really reflect the interview," Gerrard said.

"The real message I was trying to get across was that we are disappointed with where we are in the league, but that we're going to try to get into the top four and improve our league situation next season. Hopefully while we're going along we can get to another Champions League title. That would be a really great season.

"But the headlines got twisted into 'If we win the Champions League it won't be important' – which is nonsense, and that is not what I meant at all. There won't be anyone happier in Liverpool than me if we do get the Champions League crown again. Istanbul was the best night of my football career and if we go on to achieve that again it will be right up there with that.

"But, because we're at Liverpool FC, even if we do win it, we'll still worry about and try to improve our league form. We are winners and we want to try to win every competition we are in.

Having made the intention behind his comments clear, the popular Steven Gerrard went on to elaborate on his original comment.

"I think that the important thing short-term is to get in that fourth position, then we can re-group in the summer and have another go at winning the league. The players here know we've underachieved in the premier league this year. You go back to before the Aston Villa game and we believed we could still be in the title race. That's disappointing but now we've got to finish as high as possible this year and have another go the next one."

Chelsea beat Liverpool out of the Carling Cup

2007-12-20T14:14:00.000-08:00

Liverpool fans didn't expect this results, but it's over now. The reds are out of the Carling Cup, as Chelsea got a 2-0 win and reached the semis.

It was a tough game, were Peter Crouch was incensed at what he saw as two attempts by Mikel to stud him from the knee down in the moments leading up to his ill-advised two-footed lunge at the Nigerian. Despite minimal contact on Mikel, there was little option for referee Atkinson other than to dismiss Crouch – just as Didier Zokora and Denilson found themselves red-carded on Tuesday night for raising their studs.

In fact, the incident over-shadowed the goals from Frank Lampard and Andrei Shevchenko that gave Chelsea their place in the semi-final especially when Benitez accused the referee of inconsistency. He might have a point when you consider that Steed Malbranque's brutal challenge on Vedran Corluka in Tottenham's win over Manchester City went unpunished, but even Benitez had to concede that Peter Crouch's challenge itself was "maybe" a red card.

"I have watched the replay twice and Mikel was trying to kick Crouch," Benitez admitted. "If the referee had blown his whistle he would have avoided the sending off. He was kicked twice and that was the reason Crouch lost his head. I have seen more dangerous tackles. Sometimes they are yellow cards, sometimes they are nothing. He just needed to stop it before."

According to the people who were close to him, Crouch was furious at what he saw as play-acting from Mikel who, despite playing dead by the touchline, was back on his feet a few minutes later. By then the game was well out of Liverpool's reach. Avram Grant may have been appointed to win the Champions League, but for now it looks like he is happy to settle for Carling Cup.

The Israeli made seven changes from the team that lost to Arsenal on Sunday, but this was still virtually the strongest squad that he could field in the circumstances. Benitez picked the likes of Jamie Carragher and Xabi Alonso but let his imagination run wild with the rest of the formation. He chose a 4-3-3 system that became 4-5-1 for most of the match and left Crouch isolated and frustrated.

With Andriy Voronin on the right wing and Ryan Babel on the left, Liverpool created too little. The Brazilian Lucas Leiva exerted only a sporadic influence from the space behind Crouch. The pick of the half was a flick from Crouch that played in Leiva who missed; and an identical opportunity for Lampard at the other end that he could not lift over Liverpool goalkeeper Charles Itandje.

It was a clash that cried out for a bit of invention and when Joe Cole replaced Scott Sinclair on 56 minutes the Chelsea manager had gambled on virtually his strongest formation.

Before then Itandje had made a brilliant one-handed save from Michael Essien's shot. At the other end an error from Ricardo Carvalho, back for the first time since 11 November, gave Crouch a half-chance to lob Petr Cech which he could not lift over the Chelsea goalkeeper. Then came a goal that proved to Grant he has not used up all his luck just getting the Chelsea job.

Shortly before the hour the controversial Shevchenko knocked down a ball on the edge of the area into the stride of Lampard who got his shot away just as the ubiquitous Carragher lunged across to block. The Liverpool captain was having another one of his giant games, but he will probably wish he had not got a heel to this shot. It bounced down against the turf and looped over Itandje to give Chelsea the lead.

Crouch's sending off followed the goal, the fourth of his career after red cards playing for Queens Park Rangers, Norwich City and Southampton. A blue fan as a child, he was a ball boy at Stamford Bridge in his youth and he has certainly had better nights at the stadium than this. "I think he didn't need to do it," Grant stated. Chelsea are hardly in a position to moralise after the brawl in last season's Carling Cup final saw Mikel sent off.

Grant had asked for protection from referees for his players and he got it last night. Captain Terry had the last word on the challenge that left him with three broken bones in his foot on Sunday. In his programme notes, the Chelsea defender accused Emmanuel Eboue of having "left his studs in" in the crucial challenge that did the damage.

German talent Michael Ballack was given a run-out as a substitute, his first game in eight months out with an ankle injury, and Shevchenko added the second in injury-time. By then, the Carling Cup was starting to look like more trouble than it was worth for Liverpool.

Chelsea (4-1-4-1): Cech; Belletti, Ben Haim, Carvalho, Bridge; Mikel (Ballack, 68); Kalou, Essien, Lampard, Sinclair (Cole, 57); Shevchenko (Sidwell, 90). Substitutes not used: Cudicini (gk), Ferreira.

Liverpool (4-4-1-1): Itandje; Arbeloa, Hobbs, Carragher, Aurelio; Voronin, Alonso (El Zhar, 60), Sissoko, Babel (Benayoun, 73); Leiva; Crouch. Substitutes not used: Martin (gk), Hyypia, Riise.

Liverpool got a bright start in the EPL

2007-08-13T09:51:00.001-07:00

In the Liverpool most important team, the Captain is considered almost a national hero. Even if he hadn't scored in a long time ago. Because when he appears, Liverpool can get important victories, like the last one over Aston Villa, by 2-1.

Indeed, Steven Gerrard took 14 games to score his first league goal last season, by which time Liverpool were floundering in mid-table with Man. U. long over the horizon. This campaign was 87 minutes old, with all the familiar doubts about Liverpool's away form resurfacing, when he won and scored the free-kick which earned the first opening-day win since 2002. That the free-kick was a soft decision only confirmed Steven Gerrard's stature. As Sheffield United found on the opening day last season, referees have a habit of saying "yes" when Gerrard appeals.

Afterwards, confided John Arne Riise, the Super Captain addressed the team in the changing room, driving home the need for the Reds to make a good start. Champions League qualifying means they will miss the midweek round offixtures. Losing to Villa could have sent them into the home game with Chelsea on Saturday six points adrift.

"Finally we have three points from the first league encounter," Dirk Kuyt praised. "That was important for us. It's very important that you don't lose many points at the start of the season. We have been too far behind in the last few seasons. We had a very good second half last season. But that's not good enough if you want to be champions."

The problem, last season, was results like these. Liverpool finished 21 points behind Manchester United. The gap was almost entirely attributable to their away form. On the road United won 42 points, Liverpool 22. And Liverpool scored 18 goals away, fewer than Wigan and less than half United's tally.

"We really need to score goals away, then we will win a lot of games," said coach Rafa Benitez, logically enough.

To that end all his most important new plyers are ofensive: Fernando Torres, who started, Ryan Babel and Andrei Voronin, who both came off the bench, and Yossi Benayoun who was left, with Javier Mascherano and Peter Crouch, in Liverpool with a view to Wednesday's European qualifier in Toulouse.

Spaniard frontman Torres looked sharp. His finishing was wayward but his speed of thought and footwork was impressive. He also showed a goodunderstanding with Kuyt. But the Dutchman is also a haphazard finisher and one wonders who will get the necessary goals.

Kuyt's qualities created the opening goal, but it required of a Villa player to score it. Kuyt's dummy gave Torres the chance to draw the first of many fine saves from Stuart Taylor. The Dutch player, a great chaser of lost causes, then collected Taylor's parry and his cross was inadvertently turned in by Martin Laursen.

Benitez team should have gone on to secure the three points with ease. Some of their interplay was superb, though it helped that Villa's midfield was unbalanced and unsure of their roles. And Aston Villa stayed in the game through Taylor. Lastseason the former under-21 international played five matches and conceded ten goals. On the eve of this he was given the confidence-sapping news that Martin O'Neill, concerned by a hamstring strain to Sorensen, had signed Scott Carson on a season-long loan. WithCarson ineligible, Taylor had 90 minutes to show his ability, and he took it.

So, when Barry converted a late penalty after Jamie Carragher's reflex handball it seemed Taylor's heroics would win a point. Then Mike Riley misjudged Stilian Petrov's tackle on Steven Gerrard and the Englishman curled the free-kick over the wall.

"Gerrard remains the heartbeat of that club," O'Neill expressed. "He drives them. He's a great, great player, and he looks as if he is even improving." If only the Villa manager could inject the same desire into John Carew. He also needs a right-back, which would enable the promising Craig Gardner to move into midfield, and more defensive role. A glossy American-influenced brochure was given to fans before the game. It contained the promise, from chief executive Richard Fitzgerald, that "We aim to play a big role in the Champions League". On this evidence, they remain a long way off and the optimism which filled Villa Park could soon disappear.

TLiverpool, meanwhile, walk on with hope in their hearts and a weight off their shoulders. "We were talking before the game," said Benitez. "We knew it was very important to get the thre points: everybody was talking about the pressure."

Even though coach Benitez says Liverpool are still a long waybehind Manchester United and Chelsea, many supporters and journalists disagree. For them it is time to wrest the title back from the Florida franchise, sorry, Old Trafford.

Goals: Laursen og (31) 0-1; Barry pen (85) 1-1; Gerrard (87) 1-2.

Aston Villa: Taylor; Gardner, Mellberg, Laursen (Cahill, 46), Bouma (Moore, 71); Petrov, Reo-Coker, Barry; Agbonlahor, Carew, Young. Substitutes not used: Harewood, Maloney, Osbourne (gk).

Liverpool: Reina; Finnan, Carragher, Agger, Arbeloa; Pennant (Babel, 74), Gerrard, Alonso, Riise; Torres (Voronin, 79), Kuyt (Sissoko, 90). Substitutes not used: Itandje (gk), Hyypia.

Referee: M Riley (Yorkshire).

Man of the match: Steven Gerrard.

Liverpool is closer to the European Glory as they defeated Chelsea in the semifinals

2007-05-01T23:59:00.000-07:00

The Red fans will never forget the emotions they felt this night. Benitez's team defeated Chelsea 4-1 on penalties to reach the Champions League final match for the second time in three seasons yesterday. And that is remarkable

Indeed, Liverpool got their second leg ended 1-0 after extra time with the only goal scored by from Danish defender Daniel Agger after 22 minutes.

And with the tie ending locked in a 1-1 stalemate after Chelsea's 1-0 victory at Stamford Bridge last week, the stage was set for the first penalty shootout at the semifinal stage since the Champions League replaced the old European Cup in 1992.

It's important to mention that the only goal of a nerve-wracking 120 minutes came following a free-kick from talented captain Steven Gerrard. The midfielder sent a hard-low cross towards the edge of the Chelsea penalty area rather than an expected high ball to the centre of it. Agger played his part perfectly, sweeping in a well-struck shot that swerved just inside the post and into the Chelsea FC net out of the reach of goalkeeper Cech.

Liverpool Spanish manager Rafa Benitez said afterwards: "Every player and every supporter was a real hero tonight. The team all worked very hard - against a very good team. I was confident in the footballers (for the penalties). It's just that they like to practise penalties every day after training."

And Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho admitted: "There is little to say. This is a moment where everyone has to be strong. I think that our players have a lot of reasons to be proud of themselves. We were the best team today, even against a team playing only in the Champions League. Football is like this and we must to be strong to face it."

For the records, Boudewijn Zenden, Xabi Alonso, Gerrard and Dirk Kuyt all converted their penalties for Liverpool while an amazing goalkeeper Pepe Reina saved penalties by Chelsea's Arjen Robben and Geremi to send Liverpool through to the seventh European Cup final in their history against either Manchester United or AC Milan in Athens on May 23.

During the game, the chances were few and far between for both sides with Peter Crouch seeing a header saved by Cech's feet on the line after 55 minutes and Dirk Kuyt heading against the Chelsea crossbar after 59 minutes.

At the other end, African star Didier Drogba drew a fine save from Pepe Reina after 32 minutes. Kuyt had a second goal ruled out for offside in extra time, but scored the final penalty to give Liverpool their 4-1 winning margin.

In fact, Liverpool took the game to Chelsea and made good use of towering striker Peter Crouch and scored from their first scoring with Agger putting them in front in a well-worked move.

Blue midfielder Joe Cole conceded a free kick on the left and Gerrard, instead of lifting the ball high into the area, squared it low for Agger to curve a low first-time shot just inside the post and wide of Cech into the back of the Chelsea net.

And that goal, which looked as if it had come straight from Liverpool's training field, roused Chelsea players from their lethargy and it took a good block by Reds keeper Jose Reina to stop Drogba's angled shot on the run after 32 minutes.

The Anfield fans, which had been belting out their passionate support since kickoff, made sure the atmospere stayed electric as Liverpool FC turned the screw on the English champions.

It's fair to say that Liverpool always looked the hungrier of the two sides, underlined by Boudewijn Zenden's fierce 25-metre shot from the left flank which Cech only gathered at the second attempt. However, there was no breaking the deadlock over two legs, sending the game into extra time and ultimately to the penalty shootout. And then Liverpool just wrote another important page in their history.

Liverpool could share their brand new stadium with Everton

2007-03-28T22:57:00.000-07:00

Indeed, the American businessmen George Gillett and Tom Hicks, who on Monday announced that they had secured the 98.6 per cent of the club's shares they needed to compulsorily purchase the remainder, want to make Liverpool's new Stanley Park stadium even bigger than the planned 60,000-capacity. However, in order to reach that objective, they will need council permission.

Anfield's team have always ruled out sharing with Everton but the city council leader, Warren Bradley, wants them to reconsider.

Bradley expressed: "They have got their guys [Dallas firm HKS] looking at designs, infrastructure and everything.

"Are you telling me a commercial business in America doesn't sweat the asset? They sweat that asset until they can't get any more out of it. I think that if they can consider increasing the stadium size, why can't they consider a shared new stadium?"

And Everton are pondering a move to a site outside Liverpool in Kirby but Bradley - a Blues season-ticket holder - believes Goodison Park could be redeveloped. "I think maybe in a few years' time they'll be playing in a new stadium and I think it will be in Liverpool. I would be happy with a joint stadium, I've got to be honest, even if my gut feeling is probably not."

And he also said: "I don't see any reason why Goodison Park cannot be redeveloped. You could quite easily fit an additional footprint and some commercial activity - a hotel, for example - into a new development."

Liverpool defeat Sheffield United 4-0

2007-02-25T21:20:00.000-08:00

Liverpool didn't have enough with Barcelona. The Reds are in a very productive week, and they proved it by crushing Sheffield United 4-0.

"I think we're better playing now after Champions League matches," Dirk Kuyt admitted. His touch made light of Peter Crouch's early departure with a broken nose and cut requiring 11 stitches. "We showed strength again and we're really progressing."

Sheffield United had a very poor performance, and that was the main reason for Liverpool's victory.

Indeed, in crumpling to a fifth successive away defeat, they conceded one questionable penalty - well, there are going to be two or three every game if Bennett's clampdown on set-piece grappling becomes standard - and a clear-cut one. Twenty-five minutes, 2-0, game over.

Actually, Neil Warnock believes referees need advice from ex-players to humanise a job based on the rule book but his engaging allegation that Steven Gerrard, recipient of an even more contentious award in Sheffield in August, had pulled a gamesmanship trick was less damning than the summary of his own footballer.

"I think we were so negative in the first half," he expressed. "The penalties just knocked the stuffing out of us."

We must mention that there was promise from Javier Mascherano, a debutant whose composure in the midfield sitting role gave Gerrard freedom in his favourite position to cause untold damage.

The captain rounded the slaughter off with a lovely flourish and, on an afternoon when Jerzy Dudek played his first League game of the season and Hyypia scored his first Premier League goal of 2006-07, there were echoes of the more distant past.

What's more, the less prolific Andriy Voronin is being lined up from Bayer Leverkusen and Benitez recognises that a hole is looming. "Robbie is a really good finisher, the best we have," he admitted. "If he's not with us next season, we'll need to look for another like him."

The goal of Anfield side were scored by Fowler ('18 and '25), Hyypia ('71) and the captain Steven Gerrard.

Line-ups:

Liverpool (4-4-2): Dudek; Finnan, Hyypia, Carragher (Agger, 77), Riise; Pennant, Mascherano, Gerrard (Alonso, 74), Gonzalez; Crouch (Kuyt, 21), Fowler. Substitutes not used: Padelli (gk), Sissoko.

Sheffield United (4-5-1): Kenny; Kozluk (Kazim-Richards, 25), Jagielka, Lucketti (Morgan, 32), Armstrong; Geary, Tonge, Montgomery, Fathi, S Quinn (Stead, 66); Hulse. Substitutes not used: Davis, A Quinn.

Preview: Newcastle United vs. Liverpool FC

2007-02-09T14:54:00.000-08:00

Liverpool is about to play an important game against Newcastle United, and both teams are trying to have their best players fit for the match.

Newcastle's defender Celestine Babayaro could return to the starting line-up of his team. Kieron Dyer is fit despite suffering from the after-effects of his exertions for England in midweek, but full-back Stephen Carr could be sidelined for a month with the thigh injury which forced him to withdraw from the Republic of Ireland team.

In the other shore, Liverpool will have captain Steven Gerrard in the squad after he played just 45 minutes for England in midweek due to a 'niggling' injury picked up last weekend in the Merseyside clash with Everton.

What's more, Spanish player Xabi Alonso misses the Barclays Premiership match at St James Park due to a one-match suspension.

SO, manager Rafael Benitez could also call in Mohamed Sissoko, who has been back in full training following a dislocated shoulder sustained at Birmingham in November.

These are the starting teams:

Newcastle United: Harper, Srnicek, Solano, Babayaro, Edgar, Taylor, Bramble, Onyewu, Huntington, Butt, Parker, Milner, Duff, Pattison, Troisi, Gate, Martins, Dyer, Sibierski, Luque, Carroll, LuaLua.

Liverpool FC: Reina, Finnan, Agger, Hyypia, Carragher, Riise, Aurelio, Pennant, Gerrard, Sissoko, Zenden, Bellamy, Crouch, Kuyt, Fowler, Gonzalez, Arbeloa, Dudek.

Rafa Benitez responds to Steve Gibson

2007-02-09T14:50:00.000-08:00

Surprisingly, Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez decided to respond to Middlesbrough chief Steve Gibson about his negative words against his club's contribution to English football.

We mus remember that Gibson defended Steve McClaren by saying that English football is suffering the side-effects of having arguably the most successful league in the world, where teams agendas often conflict with national concerns. In fact, he expressed:"The Liverpools and the Arsenals, what do they contribute at national level?"

So, Rafa Benitez answered: "It is very easy to answer this, I just say Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Peter Crouch, and Jermaine Pennant. They were all in the England team this week.

"And we also have Scott Carson with the England Under-21s. We have more English players than many teams, and we are working to develop English young talent through our Academy and the reserves.

"As you can see, I am trying for a mix of good English and Spanish players, but everybody understands the English market.

"Indeed, we are working hard to bring English players through and I hope we can, but if you want to win things you have to try for the best if they are not available at the right price in England and Europe."

Javier Mascherano joins the team

2007-02-06T23:24:00.000-08:00

Argentinian talent Javier Mascherano has arrived on Merseyside to begin training with the squad as Liverpool await the go-ahead to play the Southamerican.

According to official sources, the move is still being discussed by the Premier League despite FIFA giving the all-clear for the 18-month loan move to be completed.

However, Mascherano was at Liverpool's Melwood training ground on Monday and coach Rafael Benitez believes it will just be a matter of time before he can hand the 22-year-old his debut.

"In fact, Mascherano is here now. We are still waiting for an answer but we think it will be okay for our new player to train with the squad. He needs to be able to train so he can be ready to play when he's needed," Benitez expressed.

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2007-02-06T23:12:00.000-08:00

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Gillet and Hicks to buy Liverpool for $343 million

2007-02-06T07:00:00.000-08:00

Liverpool Football Club agreed to a takeover offer worth 174 million pounds ($343 million) from American sports tycoons George Gillett and Tom Hicks, just five days from Dubai's rejection to English football's most successful club.

In fact, Gillett and Hicks, the founder of leveraged-buyout firm HM Capital Partners LLC, will pay 5,000 pounds a share, Liverpool announced. The pair will also take on debt of 44.8 million pounds and fund a brand new stadium costing 215 million pounds.

"It is just the beginning of a new era," Liverpool Chief Executive Rick Parry said at a press conference. "They are bringing to the table tremendous and relevant experience, a passion for sport, real resources and a strong commitment to Liverpool."

The accord caps a week of acrimony in which Liverpool accused Dubai International Capital LLC of bullying shareholders into backing its offer, 11 percent less than today's tender. In fact, Liverpool, which won the last of its record 18 English league titles in 1990, has been seeking an investor for the past three years and is now poised to become the third elite English club to be bought by owners of U.S. sports franchises.

According to the experts Hicks paid $250 million for Major League Baseball's Texas Rangers in 1998 and owns the National Hockey League's Dallas Stars.

We must mention that Gillett owns ice hockey's Montreal Canadiens and used to run Miami Dolphins of the National Football League and basketball's Harlem Globetrotters. He's also chairman of Booth Creek Ski Holdings Inc., which operates six U.S. ski resorts. He has great experience that will help the Reds.

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2007-02-05T13:42:00.000-08:00

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Liverpool 2006/2007 Squad

2007-02-05T03:34:00.000-08:00

1 - POR - Jerzy Dudek
3 - DEF - Steve Finnan
4 - DEF - Sami Hyypiä
5 - DEF - Daniel Agger
6 - DEF - John Arne Riise
7 - MED - Harry Kewell
8 - MED - Steven Gerrard
9 - DEL - Robbie Fowler
10 - MED - Luis García
11 - MED - Mark González
12 - DEF - Fábio Aurélio
14 - MED - Xabi Alonso
15 - DEL - Peter Crouch
16 - MED - Jermaine Pennant
17 - DEL - Craig Bellamy
18 - DEL - Dirk Kuyt
22 - MED - Mohamed Sissoko
23 - DEF - Jamie Carragher
25 - POR - José Reina
26 - MED - Paul Anderson
28 - DEF - Stephen Warnock
29 - DEF - Gabriel Paletta
32 - MED - Boudewijn Zenden
33 - DEL - Neil Mellor
35 - MED - Danny Guthrie
36 - MED - Adam Hammill
37 - MED - Lee Peltier
38 - DEL - Craig Lindfield
39 - DEF - Stephen Darby

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2007-02-05T02:19:00.000-08:00

Liverpool is closer to the title after brilliant win over West Ham

2007-01-31T20:38:00.000-08:00

It was a unique gift for Peter Crouch. The English forward celebrated his 26th birthday by scoring his team’s winner in a 2-1 win over West Ham United that put his side in the thick of the title race.

Second-half goals from Dutch frontman Dirk Kuyt and Crouch made it nine wins from 10 league games for Liverpool, who have 49 points from 25 matches. Chelsea FC have 51 and leaders Manchester United are on 57, both from 24 games.

It's important to say that West Ham’s Spanish player Kepa Blanco came off the bench to score on his debut in the 77th minute, but the London club remain mired in the drop zone, 18th in the table. Reading moved up to eighth with a 3-2 comeback win over Wigan Athletic, who are just above the relegation places after suffering a club record eighth league defeat in a row.

We must notice that Liverpool had to battle for their FA Cup final triumph over West Ham United last season, and now they were clearly on a roll after beating Chelsea in their last league outing and made a good start.

West Ham was directed by Alan Curbishley, and they soaked up the pressure and finished the stronger of the two sides at the break, creating a couple of chances. Despite that effort, their hopes were dashed right from the restart, when Liverpool kicked off, went straight up the West Ham end and scored after 10 seconds when Kuyt arrowed a shot in off the bar. Crouch rounded off a fine passing move by making it 2-0 with a deft 20-metre sidefoot off a John Arne Riise pass soon afterwards and Liverpool looked good for the points despite Blanco’s late strike.

Rafael Benitez, who raised a few smiles from his players by slipping over on the touchline while trying to control the ball, played down the prospect of becoming champions: “We cannot think about the title,” he admitted.

Excellent win over Bolton

2007-01-03T09:58:00.000-08:00

This time the Reds were really fantastic. Liverpool Football Club crushed Bolton 3-0 to leapfrog its North West rivals and go third in the local tournament.

We msu say that Bolton had only one effort on goal at Anfield and was made to pay with two goals in two minutes midway through the second part of the match from Peter Crouch and Steven Gerrard.

And Dirk Kuyt then struck his seventh goal of the season late on to cap Liverpool's ninth victory in 11 home games this term and stretch its unbeaten home record to 27 league clashes.

It's fair to say that Bolton frustrated Liverpool in the early stages, with Abdoulaye Faye blocking a volley from Kuyt before goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen tipped over a 20-metre strike from Steve Finnan.

But Liverpool kept the pressure on with Xabi Alonso curling an effort wide from just outside the box while midfielder Mark Gonzalez also fired off-target.

Talented striker Crouch, who started in place of the injured Craig Bellamy, headed wide from Finnan's 36th-minute cross but made amends on the hour mark with just his third league goal of the season.

Kuyt and Jermaine Pennant made a good combination on the right before Crouch converted Pennant's cross with an acrobatic volley.

What's more, Kuyt was involved again when Gerrard doubled the lead within 83 seconds, volleying home superbly from the Dutchman's centre.

And Peter Crouch had two great opportunities for a second while Jaaskelainen saved well from Sami Hyypia but Kuyt got his goal with eight minutes remaining, firing home from a Luis Garcia pass.

Blackburn defeated Liverpool 1-0

2006-12-26T22:41:00.000-08:00

Nobody in the Premiership would have predicted it. But an early second-half goal propelled Blackburn Rovers to an incredible 1-0 win over a wasteful Liverpool team.

Indeed, profligate finishing was the reason Liverpool did not score in the first half, Craig Bellamy firing wide and striker Peter Crouch forcing two saves out of Rovers goalkeeper Brad Friedel.

And it's fair to say that those misses would come back to haunt the Reds as Benni McCarthy put the side in front in the 49th minute when he tucked home a cross by Morten Gamst Pedersen after some fine initial work by Tugay.

Keeper Friedel, who had a fine performance against his former club, later saved from substitute Dirk Kuyt, but he was fortunate to see a thunderous shot by Xabi Alonso crash off the goalpost.

We must mention that Alonso then had a late shot saved beautifully by Friedel, preserving the three points for the Ewood Park outfit, helping a bit to ease their fears of relegation.

New date for Liverpool-Arsenal clash

2006-12-20T13:32:00.000-08:00

According to official sources, the Carling Cup quarter-final match between Liverpool and Arsenal will now take place on Tuesday 9th of January.

In fact, the re-arranged clash will kick-off at the usual time of 7:45 (UK time) and it is expected that the match will be televised.

The encounter was originally scheduled to be played last night, but due to intense fog the referee decided that it would be impossible to officiate.

We can confirm that after consulting with his linesmen, the decision to cancel the game was taken.

Both Liverpool coach Rafael Benitez and his counterpart Arsene Wenger were adamant that the game must have been played. It is understood that both managers were concerned about fixture congestion.

Finally, the re-arranged game will be the second time in four days that the two sides will have faced each other, with the small matter of an FA Cup tie taking place three days previously on the 6th of January. The games is one of the most expected ones of the tournament.

Galatasaray beat the Reds in the Champions League

2006-12-06T10:09:00.000-08:00

In an interesting game, Galatasaray came from a goal behind to beat Liverpool 3-2 in their final Group C encounter on Tuesday. We must remember that the English team returned to the scene of their 2005 Champions League final triumph.

In fact, he game had little significance with Liverpool having already won the group. The Turkish side finished fourth despite earning what was the only victory of their campaign.

"I really believe we can be proud of the team because they fought until the last minute," said Galatasaray boss Erik Gerets.

The coach also mentioned that his team failed to advance in the competition because it "lacked some international quality".

Amazingly, there were three goals in a six-minute flurry in the middle of the first half.

Veteran forward Robbie Fowler put the visitors ahead after 22 minutes, knocking the ball into the net from close range after Craig Bellamy picked him out with a cross from the left wing.

Dubai International Capital to invest in Liverpool

2006-12-04T22:26:00.000-08:00

In Anfield, official sources have confirmed that Liverpool have opened talks with a Dubai based consortium over a potential takeover of the Merseyside club.

As we know, DIC is the international investment arm of Dubai Holding, and they have been given the green light to begin negotiations over a £450 million buyout of the Reds, who are historically the most successful club in English football.

A club statement announced: "Liverpool Football Club confirms it has entered into a period of exclusive negotiations with Dubai International Capital about a possible investment in the club."

In fact, no deal has yet been agreed and the detail of any transaction, which may or may not include a formal offer by DIC for Liverpool Football Club, is still to be confirmed."

It's important to say that Liverpool would be joining an ever-growing list of Premiership clubs to be taken over by foreign investors.

Gerrard guides Liverpool to the victory over City

2006-11-26T19:43:00.000-08:00

Captain Steven Gerrard scored his first Premier League goal of the season, but that was enough to bring back the smiles to Anfield. The midfielder guided Liverpool to a 1-0 home win over Manchester City on Saturday.

Steven Gerrard crashed a swerving shot past Nicky Weaver in the 67th minute after Dutchman Dirk Kuyt intercepted Joey Barton's poor pass.

Before that goal, Manchester City had frustrated Liverpool and might have taken the lead themselves had Bernardo Corradi taken a couple of reasonable opportunities.

After the game, coach Rafael Benitez admitted that his team had to work very hard top achieve this result.

"Before the match we had a lot of strikers and defenders but only two central midfielders fit in Steven Gerrard and Bolo Zenden so we had to make some changes tactically and work very hard," said Benitez.

"We didn't find the space we needed in the first half and Manchester City worked hard in defence and were aggressive in midfield, but in the second part we had more space and more possibilities and Steven netted an excellent goal.

"It's very important for Steven to score goals because it gives him more confidence. He is playing well now but I think and he knows he can play much better because he is a player with a lot of quality and is really important for us."

Gerrard speaks before the Middlesbrough vs. Liverpool

2006-11-17T08:01:00.000-08:00

Midfielder Steven Gerrard has finally spoken in public about his role in the squad. After weeks of discussion and debate from pundits and football fans alike he now confirms that he will play a central role in the squad. But why has it taken this long for him to come out and talk about the situation? Kuyt, Carragher, Reina, Rise, Bellamy, Finnan, Benitez and others have all talked about Liverpool's diminished title hopes and about their away form. And captain Steven Gerrard has kept quiet about the whole situation.

Well, now captain Steven Gerrard has revealed he is set to finally be handed a central midfield role.

Gerrard said ahead of the game at Middlesbrough: "I spoke with Benitez and he said I would get a lot more time in the middle now Sissoko is out."

We must remember that Gerrard figured in the centre in England's 1-1 draw against Holland in Amsterdam.

He then took the opportunity to stress his preference for the centre rather than on the right flank, a move by coach Benitez that has been a source of debate as Liverpool have struggled in the Premier League.

Gerrard stated: "I always enjoy it there in the middle. That's where I feel I can get the best out of myself.

"The formation worked and the positive thing is we know we can use another formation now with 4-3-3 as well as 4-4-2.

"In fact, we just need to build on this performance for the next qualifier."

Crouch stands by the "rotation system"

2006-11-03T02:29:00.000-08:00

Talented striker Peter Crouch believes there's no reason why Rafa Benitez should ditch his rotation policy at the squad.

In fact, Benitez had gone 99 games without fielding the same line-up prior to picking his squad for Tuesday's UEFA Champions League victory over Bordeaux.

As we know, his constant changing of the team has been put forward as the reason for Liverpool's lacklustre start in The Premiership this season. Despite those facts, Crouch stands by his manager.

"I'm aware that this is a big thing outside of the dressing room," Crouch expressed to the press.

"But the manager has always had his way of changing players and rotating the squad. In fact, it has worked well wherever he's been. It has worked well at Liverpool and I just don't see a reason to change that."

Benitez: "Bordeaux will not be easy"

2006-10-30T21:33:00.000-08:00

The main voice in Liverpool announces a hard battle in their next Champions League game. Coach Rafael Benitez has warned his Liverpool squad not to take Bordeaux lightly ahead of Tuesday's match at Anfield.

A win against the French side would guarantee the Reds a place in the last 16 with two encounters remaining.

We must remember that Benitez's side scraped past Bordeaux 1-0 a fortnight ago with a second-half goal from Peter Crouch.

The Spaniard coach, who is expected to change the starting line-up for the 100th straight match, insisted Bordeaux are a strong away side.

"Fans and newspapers say this is an easy game, but it very difficult game because you know the other team will play without pressure. They have quality and always it is more difficult to play against teams without pressure," he expressed.

"But I think it is a game where you might think it will be easy because they are at the bottom of the group, but you have to be careful because they have good players with quality."

"If you know the squad; and we have watched them a lot, you will know that they are more comfortable away from home. For me that is the problem."

It's important to mention that Liverpool are joint leaders of Group C with seven points along with PSV Eindhoven, who the Reds face next on November 22nd.

Captain Steven Gerrard and midfielder Mohamed Sissoko are minor doubts with ankle injuries while Craig Bellamy and Fabio Aurelio are also doubtful for the important game.

Liverpool and sports clothes company Reebok in court battle

2006-10-08T00:26:00.000-07:00

According to official sources, Liverpool Football Club will launch their £7m lawsuit against Reebok at the High Court tomorrow.

We must mention that proceedings of Liverpool FC versus Reebok International have been listed for the Royal Courts of Justice, in the Strand, London.

Despite those details, the case is likely to drag on for several months, with tomorrow's date likely to be a preliminary hearing.

In fact, the dispute between the Reds and their former shirt manufacturer began following a delay in the release of the Liverpool away jersey for the start of the 2005/06 season.

This was caused by Liverpool's ongoing shirt sponsorship talks with Carlsberg.

That was the reason why Reebok claimed they lost revenue worth £7m and refused to abide by the terms of the contract.

Liverpool insists the delay of two months didn't cost Reebok revenue, it merely delayed the inevitable vast sale of shirts.

Now the Reds want back what they insist they are entitled to.

Reebok UK were taken over by Adidas last year, who subsequently inherited the terms of the Reds' existing jersey contract.

But Liverpool's dispute remains with the Reebok branch of the company, not their new partners.

Important step in new stadium plans

2006-09-06T13:33:00.000-07:00

According to a close source, Liverpool FC expect a major step forward on Friday in their plans to build a new stadium near to Anfield in Stanley Park. The city council's executive board will recommend leasing a section of the park for the stadium, and if the decision is rubber-stamped, the popular club could start building work early next year, with the first game possible at the beginning of the 2009-10 season.

In fact, Liverpool will have to come up with £180m to build the stadium and they have until the end of the month to satisfy the council that that is possible. That will trigger £240m of public funding for the regeneration of north Liverpool, which would include improving the infrastructure around the new stadium site. A 999-year lease to the institution for the land is being proposed.

We must mention that the Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, has criticised fans who formed FC United in the wake of the takeover by Malcolm Glazer.

"They seem to me to be promoting or projecting themselves a wee bit rather than saying, 'The club have made a decision, we'll stick by them.' It's more about them than us," Sir Alex concluded.

The first victory was against West Ham United

2006-08-29T21:43:00.000-07:00

It was a relly equilibrated match. Liverpool came from behind to record their first league win of the season, beating West Ham United 2-1.

Spanish goalkeeper Jose Reina was badly at fault for West Ham’s goal, misjudging Bobby Zamora’s cross and compounding his error by pushing the ball into the net.

Despite that, Liverpool recovered to go in at the break 2-1 ahead, equalising through defender Daniel Agger’s incredible shot.

Midfielder Steven Gerrard and Luis Garcia then combined to set up a goal for Crouch, while late on Lee Bowyer should have equalised only to hit the post.

The encounter marked the first time the two clubs had met since Liverpool’s thrilling FA Cup win as well as being the day the Kop celebrated its 100th birthday.

In fact, Reina endured a shaky match in May’s final before redeeming himself in the penalty shoot-out and Liverpool’s Spanish goalkeeper badly miscalulated as Zamora prepared to cross.

We can say that Liverpool showed a great football, and the adventurous approach was rewarded.

It remains to be seen if we've seen the first glimpse of the stylish, attacking football which will bring the Premier League title back to Anfield Road.

Liverpool tied 1-1 to join the Champions League first stage

2006-08-23T21:12:00.000-07:00

Liverpool traveled with only one objective in mind: qualify for the Champions League first stage. And after all, the result was the most important thing of the night. Indeed, Benitez' team stumbled into the Champions League group stage after getting a 1-1 draw in Kiev against Maccabi Haifa.

Liverpool FC, despite being the victims of an excellent goalkeeping performance by Nir Davidovitch - particularly in the first half when he denied Luis Garcia a hat-trick - looked anything like a World Class club.

Yes, even when they eventually went ahead in the second half through a Crouch header, they were soon hauled level through Roberto Colautti and found themselves defending for the rest of the match.

In fact, Peter Crouch had been detained for two hours at Kiev Airport on Monday while his passport was found. But, having been asked to lead the attack for the first time in a game that mattered, it was his goal that marked the slender difference between a passage to the easy wealth of the Champions League and a ghastly embarrassment, which would have cast a longer shadow than even Crouch does. Maccabi Haifa may have been denied home advantage, they may have angered Liverpool by the somewhat petty complaints lodged after the first leg and they may have ridden their luck. But for a disallowed goal and a glorious one-handed save from Jose Reina to deny Roberto Colautti, they might have shocked everyone.

It has been anything but easy for Benitez. The delays at both Liverpool and Kiev airports, not to mention the barrage of hostile questions from journalists asking why he was afraid to go to Israel, had been irritating enough. However, having lost Jamie Carragher and John Arne Riise at Sheffield United on Saturday, the Liverpool manager saw first Stephen Warnock limp off and then Momo Sissoko carried off with a knee injury, which forced him to throw on Steven Gerrard, who had been unable to start because of a stomach upset.

Rafa Benitez considered that Liverpool away from home would be far more comfortable than they had been in the stuttering 2-1 first-leg win. This was partly because they would be a fortnight fitter but partly because Haifa had to score to have a hope of progressing and in going forward they would open up gaps his side could exploit.

However, it was Maccabi who used sporadic counter-attacks, mainly through the powerful figure of Yaniv Katan, whose free-kick was bundled over the line in the 21st minute by Alain Masudi. Mostly, however, this was a match Liverpool dominated without being able to finish it off. The way Crouch scored, stooping to head home Jermaine Pennant's 54th-minute cross, was almost predictable, though Luis Garcia should have secured Champions League football before the interval but for some astonishing reaction saves from Nir Davidovitch, whom Benitez reckoned was easily the man of this particular match.

He made three blocks from the Spaniard, each better than the last. If the two-handed push away from close range was exceptional, it was eclipsed by a point-blank save from Garcia's header just one minute before the break.

We must admit that until the moment, just past the hour, that Xavier Anderson bundled through a back four, which badly missed Carragher, and saw his shot pushed into the path of Colautti, who tapped home into an empty net, it did not seem Liverpool would pay for their mistakes. Just as it had been in the first leg, and for Andrei Shevchenko's strike in the Community Shield, the goal came through the heart of Liverpool's back line.

That marked the moment when those who made the expensive journey from Merseyside started fearing that the embarrassment of falling at the qualifying hurdle - suffered by Newcastle and Everton in recent summers - might be inflicted on them. Reina's save, however, only denied Haifa extra-time not victory.

Those who travelled did not watch in an empty arena. Kiev, with its streets swathed in evening gloom because Russia had cut off its gas supplies, might have been expected to regard this fixture with supreme indifference. But the Ukrainian capital has a substantial Jewish population and, at £2 a ticket, Liverpool would have appeared quite a draw to the neutral.

It's good to remember that four minutes after the kick-off they were still filing into the Valeri Lobanovski Stadium, and a couple even sat down on plastic seats by Benitez's dug-out until they were removed. Amid the capacity crowd there was considerable sympathy for the displaced players of Haifa, whose ground had been in range of Hizbollah's rockets and who still felt aggrieved they had been denied the chance to play in their own soil. Mostly, though, they shouted for Dynamo Kiev. But the most important thing is that Liverpool is in.

Liverpool will not play in Israel

2006-08-07T21:46:00.000-07:00

Liverpool FC have been spared a trip to Israel for their Champions League qualifying second leg with Maccabi Haifa which will be played in a neutral place later this month after Uefa decided yesterday that no European matches will be held in Israel during the current conflict.

Indeed, European football's governing body has told the Israeli FA and its clubs to provide alternative venues within another Uefa member association. Liverpool plays Maccabi Haifa at Anfield tomorrow with the return on August 23. The Israeli FA had made strenuous efforts to persuade Uefa to let them stage match in the capital Tel Aviv but to no avail.

"Uefa have today decided in the light of the ongoing armed conflicts in and around Israel, no European competition matches can be played in the country until further notice," Uefa announced.

It's important to say that Thursday's two Uefa Cup second qualifying round first-leg games involving Israeli clubs have been already been rearranged. Hapoel Tel-Aviv will now play their home tie against NK Domzale of Slovenia in the Dutch city of Tilburg while Bnei Yehuda Tel-Aviv and Lokomotiv Sofia will play in Senec, Slovakia.

In fact, Steve McClaren continued his policy as England manager to develop strong relationships with club managers when he visited Rafael Benítez and Liverpool's squad yesterday. It was a chance for McClaren, who has taken over from Sven-Goran Eriksson, to meet up with the England team members Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Peter Crouch and talk to the Anfield manager.

"I see developing strong relationships with club coaches as a central part of my role and I got a very warm welcome from Rafa and the players," McClaren expressed. "I'm very keen to get round training grounds over the coming weeks and see people face to face. Coming from club management, I know what their challenges and priorities are and it's important to have open channels of communication. I'm very grateful for the positive reception and support I have had so far."

Indeed, last week McClaren was at Manchester United's Carrington training ground to see Sir Alex Ferguson and his side before watching his former club in action against Porto in the Amsterdam Tournament. He was also at St James' Park on Saturday to see Newcastle tie 3-3 with Villarreal.

This week he will take in Liverpool's clash against Maccabi and the Tottenham-Real Sociedad friendly on Saturday before watching the Community Shield between Chelsea and Liverpool in Cardiff on Sunday. McClaren chooses his team on Saturday for next week's friendly against Greece at Old Trafford.

Terrible result in friendly game

2006-08-05T19:18:00.000-07:00

It was a really bad day. Liverpool’s preparation for the next season took a major blow as they were demolished 5 – 0 by Bundesliga side, Mainz in front of a capacity crowd at the Bruchweg Stadium. The score at the break was 0 – 0.

IT's important to mention that this setback comes only five days before Liverpool’s opening qualifying match in this season’s Champion’s league against Maccabi Haifa.

As we know, coach Rafa Benitez began the match with a strong line – up that included star England midfielder Steven Gerrard, striker Peter Crouch and their off – season signings in Jermaine Pennant and Craig Bellamy.

There was no score at the break. However, as soon as manager Benitez made wholesale changes to his team so as to rest many of his first squad before Wednesday’s all – important Champions League match as well as Sunday’s Super Cup (Charity Shield) encounter against Premiership champions Chelsea FC, the wheels came off in dramatic style.

In fact, Markus Feulner started the damage for Mainz, scoring in the first minute of the second period and goals from Tobias Damm, Ranisav Jovanovic, Chadli Amri and Fatmir Pupalovic completed an emphatic triumph for the largely unfashionable Bundesliga team.

According to the reports, Benitez said that he thought that they had made too many basic mistakes. They would be analysing why so many things went wrong in the hope of rectifying them before Wednesday when he hoped that they would indeed be far better.

Steven Gerrard's ambitions

2006-07-24T23:13:00.000-07:00

He is a great midfielder and one of the best players in the English football. And Steven Gerrard knows that. That's why he doesn't hide his ambition to be captain of England. In fact, he's happy to put that on hold and win the Premier League title as captain of Liverpool.

With new England coach Steve McClaren expected to choose Chelsea's John Terry to take David Beckham's bracelet as captain, Gerrard won't feel snubbed if it turns out that way.

"I want to say that if John Terry got the England captaincy I'd shake his hand and wish him all the best," Gerrard told reporters. "He's a fantastic captain for Chelsea. There are other candidates out there as well and we'll have to wait and see who Steve McClaren decides to go with."

"I'm really flattered to be involved in it, but I'm not going to use the media to push myself forward for the captaincy. I think it's Steve McClaren's decision. I'd love to captain the country. I've experienced it before and it's an amazing feeling, but my main priority at the moment is being Liverpool captain."

As we know, Gerrard, who scored 20 goals from midfield last season, has a relatively rare combination of talent with inspirational ability.

We must remember that it was Gerrard's header that started Liverpool's rally from a 3-0 deficit in the 2005 European Champions League final against AC Milan, when the team went on to win on penalties and claim the trophy for the fifth time.

It was Gerrard's 30-yard shot at the start of injury time that levelled last season's FA Cup final at 3-3 against West Ham United. And Liverpool also won that match on penalties.

One year ago, however, Liverpool almost lost Gerrard to Chelsea, but he decided to stay at Anfield. Without him, the team would not have finished third in the Premier League and won the cup.

But now his ambition is to win the league and a sixth title for Liverpool in Europe's most prestigious tournament.

"I think we've got a really good chance," he said. "I'm realistic to say that it's going to be difficult to win the league this year. Maybe Chelsea have strengthened again, Manchester United have, so have Arsenal and there's always two or three teams who are knocking on the door for those top four places. But we also need to keep improving on our form last year.

"We must believe and have the confidence that we can go and get involved in the title race. Otherwise it's pointless. We've got to have that belief. Only then we will do it".

Liverpool vs. Chelsea tickets on sale

2006-07-18T16:24:00.000-07:00

One of the greatest derbies in English Football is very close, and the fans don't want to miss it. That's why they need the information about how to get tickets to see the clash between Liverpool and Chelsea.

As we know, Liverpool have received 24527 tickets for the match priced at £40, £30, £20 and £15. The percentage split on the allocation is as follows:-£40 - 20%, £30 - 61%, £20 - 8%, £15 - 11%.

According to the public reports, within the allocation are 53 disabled spaces together with personal assistant tickets and 30 for the visually impaired together with personal assistant tickets. These tickets are priced at £15 with the personal assistants' tickets free.

In fact, concessions at 50% of the face value of the ticket are available to kids under 16 who will be accompanied with an adult and to fans over the age of 65.

Hamann goes to the Premier League

2006-07-11T22:37:00.000-07:00

According to official sources, former German international Dietmar Hamann is leaving Liverpool to sign for Bolton in the English Premier League.

Liverpool said on Tuesday that the 32-year-old midfielder would leave the club after making 283 appearances and scoring 11 goals. Bolton has yet to confirm the transfer.

We must mention that Hamann joined Liverpool from Newcastle in July 1999. He played in the 2005 Champions League final which Liverpool won on penalty kicks against AC Milan, after being 3-0 down at half-time.

According to experts, Hamann also played for Germany in the 2002 World Cup final, which it lost to Brazil, but was not part of Germany's 2006 team.

Sevilla's Alves to come to Anfield

2006-06-22T11:44:00.000-07:00

In one of the most important moves of the season, Liverpool is very close to sign Sevilla's Daniel Alves, according to his agent.

In fact, coach Rafa Benitez is a long-term admirer of the Sevilla wide man from his own time in Spain and it would now appear after a prolonged period of negotiation, an accord is close to being struck.

We must mention that Alves has made no secret of his desire to make the switch to Merseyside but thus far the two teams have been unable to concur on a fee, with Sevilla clearly reluctant to lose one of their main assets for anything less than a top fee.

It does, though, now look likely that Sevilla will agree to Alves' desire for a move to The Premier League, with a figure of £10 million mooted as the price set.

"I can say taht the negotiations are very advanced but it is impossible to close the subject this week," confirmed Alaves' agent, Jose Rodriguez Baster.

"I expect the solution in two ore three days because the difference in money is very little."

It is expected that if, and when, the player Alves puts pen-to-paper on a contract then it will run until 2011.

Morientes moves to Valencia

2006-05-25T21:16:00.000-07:00

In a surprising move, Spanish forward Fernando Morientes has left Liverpool to sign for Valencia. The deal is not official yet, but the Liverpool board has already wished good luck to the player.

It's good to notice that Morientes arrived to Liverpool with the highest of expectations, but scored only 12 goals in more that 60 matches. His bad season reached the worst part when he wasn't called to join Spain World cup team.

Liverpool win in penalty shootout

2006-05-14T16:31:00.000-07:00

In an excelent match, Liverpool won the FA Cup for the seventh time, beating West Ham 3-1 on penalty kicks Saturday after finishing with a 3-3 tie.

It was similar to last year's Champions League final. This time Liverpool was trailing 2-0 and 3-2 until Steven Gerrard struck with a 30-yard half volley in the injury time.

It was amazing to see that Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina tipped a ball by Nigel Reo-Coker onto the post with a minute of overtime left before saving three kicks in the shootouts.

Gerrard lifted the famous trophy, adding it to last season's European title, when Liverpool came from 3-0 down at halftime to tie 3-3 and beat AC Milan on penalty kicks.

Ready to win the FA Cup

2006-05-10T21:22:00.000-07:00

Liverpool should round off a second consecutive season by brandishing a trophy when Rafael Benitez's team face West Ham in Saturday's FA Cup final.

A year after their win over Milan in the Champions League final in Istanbul, Liverpool face a promoted club in Cardiff who have already won a place in Europe next season without kicking a ball.

With Benitez's side in the Champions League qualifiers, the Hammers are guaranteed to get Liverpool's unwanted UEFA Cup slot, a rich reward for an outstanding season under Alan Pardew.

They are unlikely to get any more than that, though, from the Millennium Stadium, where Liverpool were unlucky to go down 3-2 to Chelsea after extra time in last year's League Cup final.

The Reds have much improved over the intervening 15 months, winning 50 percent more Premier League matches than in 2004-05 and giving Manchester United a fright in the race to finish second and claim an automatic Champions League place.

They have also beat Chelsea and United out in their FA Cup run and produced a thrilling comeback at second division Luton Town, rallying from 3-1 down with half an hour left to win 5-3.

Liverpool won the first FA Cup final to be held at the Millennium Stadium, when two late Michael Owen goals gave them victory over Arsenal in 2001. Assuming Wembley is ready next year, they should also earn the last one.

Key players to return against Aston Villa

2006-04-28T09:59:00.000-07:00

Rafael Benitez has some changes in mind to set his team up against Aston Villa on Saturday. Liverpool will face this game with their main players.

One of the good news is Steven Gerrard's return to the team after being rested in midweek in the victory at West Ham.

We must remember that Luis Garcia has been ruled out for the rest of the season after his appeal against a red card at Upton Park was rejected.

Steven Davis is also set to return for Aston Villa after he missed the last two matches with a hamstring strain.

In addition, Lee Hendrie (gashed foot) returns to the squad but long-term casualties, central defender Mark Delaney (knee) and midfielder Patrik Berger (calf) are out for the rest of the season. Delaney had knee surgery on Thursday.

Line-ups:

Aston Villa (from): Sorensen, Taylor, Hughes, Cahill, Mellberg, Ridgewell, Bouma, Samuel, Milner, Davies, Hendrie, McCann, Barry, Baros, Phillips, Angel, Moore, Whittingham, De La Cruz, Gardner, Agbonlahor, Djemba-Djemba.

Liverpool (from): Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Riise, Gerrard, Alonso, Sissoko, Kewell, Crouch, Fowler, Dudek, Cisse, Morientes, Traore, Warnock, Kromkamp, Agger.

They still want the second place

2006-04-16T23:43:00.000-07:00

Liverpool FC got their seventh straight victory in the English Premier League, beating Blackburn 1-0 Sunday on Robbie Fowler's fourth goal in five encounters.

Robbie Fowler scored in the 29th minute when Fernando Morientes kept the ball in play and passed to him, who beat Brad Friedel.

Then we saw Blackburn complaining that the goal should have been disallowed because Djibril Cisse was offside. The referee ruled Cisse was not interfering with play, however.

In fact, Friedel kept Blackburn from falling further behind when he pushed Cisse's shot over the bar in first-half injury time.

Liverpool is in third place in the Premier League with 73 points, three behind second-place Manchester United, which has played one match less. Blackburn is sixth with 54 points, seven points behind fourth-place Tottenham and three points behind Arsenal FC.

Good victory over Bolton

2006-04-09T21:42:00.000-07:00

Striker Robbie Fowler celebrated his 31st birthday scoring the only goal of the game. With this "present" Liverpool beat Bolton Wanderers 1-0 in the Premiership at Anfield.

We can say that neither team dominated in the first-half but Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, returning in place of Momo Sissoko, had a penalty appeal turned down after a dainty passing move with English forward Peter Crouch.

Bolton’s captain Kevin Nolan also had a brace of opportunities to score, with the Liverpool defence looking confused. However, it was Stelios Giannakopoulos who had the Trotter’s chance of the half, though his shot failed to trouble keeper Pepe Reina.

"Happy Birthday!": It was Fowler who made the goal just before the break. Receiving a deft head-down from Peter Crouch, Robbie Fowler rifled a ball into the bottom left-hand corner past the despairing Bolton goalkeeper.

That was why Bolton began the second-half with a three-pronged forward attack in an attempt to get a result.

But after Fowler was replaced by Didi Hamann, Gerrard was given the license to help Crouch in attack, and though they showed more creativity, Liverpool were unable to extend the difference.

Liverpool hopes after 2-0 win over West Bromwich

2006-04-03T10:50:00.000-07:00

Liverpool beat West Bromwich Albion 2-0 and striker Robbie Fowler insisted that his squad could still clinch second spot in the English Premier League.

Indeed, Fowler’s sixth minute opener, followed by Djibril Cisse’s goal seven minutes before half-time, deepened the Baggies’ relegation worries and moved Liverpool to within five points of second-placed Manchester United.

With the matches running out, Liverpool FC face a tough task catching in-form United, but Fowler refused to concede defeat in the battle for the runners-up spot.

“We must worry about ourselves and try to win as many games as we can, but we know it is going to be difficult. If we win our games and the squads above us slip up, then we can take advantage,” said Fowler, now in his second spell with his hometown club.

“Anyway, this was an important wictory for us. We had a good result against Everton last week and we knew we had to do the job here. We made a good start, scored the early goal and deserved the three points at the end of the match.”

The Derby is Hot!

2006-03-24T11:07:00.000-08:00

The whole world knows this is THE derby. The city of Liverpool will feel a temperature raise when Liverpool FC face Everton in the English Premier League.

According to the news, Robbie Fowler scored six Merseyside derby goals in his previous spell at the club, and will be desperate to start the match against the Toffees having started on the bench last weekend at Newcastle.

It's important to notice that Liverpool had Mohamed Sissoko and John Arne Riise both back from injury at Birmingham, while Djimi Traore is struggling with a thigh problem.

Duncan Ferguson is available for Everton after completing a seven-match suspension, but manager David Moyes is unlikely to change his front partnership of James Beattie and James McFadden.

Portuguese full-back Nuno Valente missed last weekend's 4-1 victory over Aston Villa with a thigh injury and could return, although Gary Naysmith did well on his comeback from injury.

Keeper Sander Westerveld has gone back to Portsmouth after his short-term loan while Nigel Martyn is out for the season after a scan on his injured ankle revealed a hairline fracture.

Furthermore, midfielder Mikel Arteta has been a doubt all week with a jarred nerve in his back.

Line-ups:

Liverpool: Reina, Finnan, Kromkamp, Carragher, Agger, Hyypia, Warnock, Riise, Traore, Garcia, Gerrard, Alonso, Hamann, Sissoko, Kewell, Fowler, Morientes, Crouch, Cisse, Dudek.

Everton: Wright, Hibbert, Weir, Stubbs, Yobo, Valente, Naysmith, Osman, Cahill, Neville, Arteta, Carsley, Davies, McFadden, Beattie, Ferguson, Kilbane, Van der Meyde, Turner.

Reina talks after Liverpool defeat at Arsenal 2-1

2006-03-14T09:45:00.000-08:00

Arsenal's victory by 2-1 over Liperpool ahd one main reason: Thierry Henry. The french forward was unstoppable at Highbury on Sunday as he twice beat Reina in the Liverpool goal to claim all three points for his side and the former Villareal 'keeper admits he could only stand and applaud the Arsenal striker's skill on the day.

"Arsenal are one of the strongest squads we've faced since I joined Liverpool," claims Reina. "Henry and Fabregas are great players but for me, Henry was the key to the game. Without doubt he was their best player. He was involved in every incident and when you have these kinds of player in your team, anything can happen. There is always danger.

"He decided the game for them. There aren't many players in the world like him, but I wish we had someone similar. Each moment he had the ball, there was a threat. He caused many problems and in the first half, maybe we were a little afraid of him. In the second half we were better and had some chances, but when you're against Henry you know what can happen."

Despite two defeats in the space of a week, Reina believes the season is far from over for the Reds.

Liverpool is ready to beat Benfica in the Champions League

2006-03-07T23:54:00.000-08:00

The current Champion is ready to face Benfica in a Champions League knockout match Wednesday, trailing 1-0 from last month's first leg. A Benfica shutout at Anfield will put Liverpool out of Europe's most prestigious club competition before the quarterfinals.

Even though the goal it conceded in Lisbon is the only one Liverpool has allowed in six matches, the five-time champion is struggling to score despite having Fowler, Fernando Morientes, Peter Crouch and Djibril Cisse in its squad.

In fact, Fowler hasn't scored in six games but has had two goals disallowed.

"I'd give anything to score the all-important goal on Wednesday," said the striker, one of the fans' all time favorites. "I've been here for five or six games and I don't think I or any of the strikers are getting much luck. I've had two goals taken away in the last minute. After seeing the replay of the one against Charlton on Saturday, it looked a bit harsh."

It's important to know that Liverpool's 0-0 with Charlton means it has scored more than once in one of its past 12 league and cup games, a 2-1 FA Cup victory over ailing Portsmouth. A 1-0 win over the Portuguese champion would a penalty shootout.

As we know, a lifelong Liverpool fan despite stints at Leeds and Manchester City, Fowler attended last season's 1-0 semifinal win over Chelsea. He's hoping for a similar atmosphere Wednesday to scare Benfica.

Liverpool and Charlton didn't harm each other (0-0)

2006-03-04T17:35:00.000-08:00

The match against Charlton ended 0-0. Liverpool hold to the second place, at least until Manchester United play Wigan tomorrow. Despite it, the same old deficiencies continued to undermine their cause.

Still, another shuffle of Rafael Benitez's forwards failed to yield the haul of goals that Liverpool's superiority perhaps merited. They last managed more than one goal in a Premiership encounter more than two months ago and will be aware that they require at least two goals to beat Benfica in Wednesday's Champions League tie.

Thomas Myhre, the Charlton goalkeeper, played his part in Liverpool's exasperation with a series of saves. The rest of Charlton's defence, reinforced from midfield, was resolute throughout.

In fact, the core problem for Liverpool remains their lack of a natural predator, or at any rate one in his prime. Robbie Fowler was woefully ineffectual until the last minute, when he found the net just to be flagged offside. Peter Crouch was scarcely more impressive, squandering the best chance of the game.

It's good to say that Steven Gerrard toiled manfully, but sometimes even his prodigious talent and application are not enough.

A snowstorm before the start left Fernando Morientes expressing bewilderment to his compatriots, but then he was able to snuggle up on the bench. Fowler was restored, alongside Crouch, with Djibril Cisse on the right, liberating Gerrard to play his natural role in central midfield.

Actually Harry Kewell, exerting influence from the left, produced the first threat on either goal. His left foot arrowed the ball just outside the far post. Charlton allowed Fowler within shooting range. Again, the attempt flew just wide.

Myhre was at last forced to make a save by one of his own colleagues. Hermann Hreidarsson intercepted Gerrard's cross and the goalkeeper had to move smartly to his left to keep the deflection out of his goal.

Kewell made Myhre work again with a header from Gerrard's umpteenth set-piece delivery. The England player was involved in most of Liverpool's more menacing play. You suspect he made the half-time tea as well.

We must keep in mind that Charlton barely ventured out of their own territory in the first half but they reached the interval unscathed after Myhre pulled off two athletic saves from Cisse and Crouch was too slow to capitalise on a half-chance.

John Arne Riise replaced Sami Hyypia for the second half and soon lined up one of his familiar long-range blasts, though without the accuracy. Cisse presented Crouch with the clearest opportunity, after 55 minutes, but the England striker cushioned his header back to the goalkeeper.

In the end, Fowler wheeled away in celebration believing he had scored his first goal but he turned to see the linesman's flag.

Charlton vs. Liverpool Preview

2006-03-02T21:44:00.000-08:00

As we know, Charlton caught Liverpool on the back foot when defeating them 2-0 at The Valley last month but expect a different outcome when the Addicks head to Anfield for Saturday's clash with Rafa Benitez's charges.

In fact, the Reds had enjoyed a long unbeaten run before defeats against Man Utd and Chelsea in quick succession took the wind out of their sail and, with all due respect to Alan Curbishley's men, they don't have the strength in depth to cope with a back-to-form Liverpool side, which they will be facing at the weekend.

Liverpool, currently third in the Premiership, have just conceded five goals in their fourteen home matches played in the league this year and, while they don't exactly score goals for fun, they know how to grind out results.

Kewell Scores for Liverpool's Victory

2006-02-27T12:26:00.000-08:00

In a dramatic game, Harry Kewell scored for Liverpool 1-0 win over 10-man Manchester City. The English Premier League match took place yesterday.

Indeed, Liverpool's win pulled it level on points with second-place Manchester United, which won the Carling Cup, its first trophy in two years, with its 4-0 win over Wigan at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.

Liverpool stays third in the Premier League but is eight points clear of fourth-place Tottenham.

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez was frustrated with his team's lack of goals.

"I am not happy with the final scoreline. It was another 1-0 win and another really important three points, but I would like to see us score more goals," Benitez said.

"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."

Kewell scored in the 40th minute, racing on to a cross from Steven Gerrard to score inside the far post.

City went a man down in the 52nd minute when Joey Barton was sent off for a second yellow card.

2005-2006 Squad

2006-02-27T12:21:00.000-08:00

1. Jerzy Dudek
2. Jan Kromkamp
3. Steve Finnan
4. Sami Hyypia
5. Daniel Agger
6. John Arne Riise
7. Harry Kewell
8. Steven Gerrard
9. Djibril Cisse
10. Luis Garcia
11. Robbie Fowler
14. Xabi Alonso
15. Peter Crouch
16. Dietmar Hamann
19. Fernando Morientes
20. Scott Carson
21. Djimi Traore
22. Momo Sissoko
23. Jamie Carragher
25. Pepe Reina
28. Stephen Warnock
30. Boudewijn Zenden
32. Besian Idrizaj
35. Danny Guthrie
36. Antonio Barragan
38. David Mannix

Liverpool FC History

2006-02-27T12:18:00.000-08:00

As we know, Liverpool FC is one of the greatest football clubs in the world and the most successful team in England in trophy-winning terms. The club fans follow the words of the Liverpool anthem: 'Never Walks Alone'.

But tlet's talk about the beginnings: Liverpool FC was founded on March 15, 1892 by John Houlding, the owner of Anfield. Houlding decided to form his own team after Everton left Anfield in an argument over rent. The original name was to be Everton F.C. but was changed to Liverpool F.C. (after the F.A. refused to recognise the team as Everton). Liverpool were elected to the Football League alongside Woolwich Arsenal two years afterwards.

In 1901 Scottish international Alex Raisbeck was the first Liverpool captain to collect the Football League Championship. Liverpool were league champions again in 1906.

On April 25, 1914, Liverpool made their first appearance in the FA Cup final at Crystal Palace but lost 1-0 to Burnley. In 1922, and again in 1923, captained by England full back Ephraim Longworth, Liverpool earned the league. In 1946-7, the very first season after World War 2, Liverpool were surprise league champions. But after that, ten years of mediocrity marked the club's pace.

Bill Shankly became Liverpool coach in 1959 and over the next 15 years he transformed them into one of the finest club sides in Europe. In fact, for his third season as coach they earned the Second Division championship and were promoted to the top flight where they have remained ever since, never finishing below eighth in the league. In 1964, Liverpool lifted the league championship. They failed to retain the championship trophy the following season but compensation came in the form of a first-ever FA Cup. A year later Liverpool regained their championship crown. By now Shankly was one of the most highly rated managers in the game, and his team contained some of the finest players in England - Roger Hunt, Ian St John and Ron Yeats to name but a few. Liverpool made their first impact on the European match in 1973 with a UEFA Cup triumph, as well as winning another league title that season. They earned the FA Cup again a year later, but Shankly stunned the footballing world soon afterwards by announcing his retirement. The club's players andsupporters tried to persuade him to carry on, and a local factory even threatened to go on strike. Shankly ignored these pleas and joined the club'ssupporters on The Kop as a spectator, while he handed over his managerial duties to Bob Paisley.

Bob Paisley was coach of Liverpool F.C from 1974 until 1983, and during those nine years he became one of the greatest managers ever to take charge of an English club. He earned a total of 21 trophies, including three European Cups and three successive league titles, during his spell as coach and ended his career on a high with the league championship and League Cup double. Under Paisley, a new era of stars emerged. They included Graeme Souness, Ian Rush, Alan Hansen and arguably the greatest player to ever wear Liverpool colours, Kenny Dalglish who is also a Celtic legend.

Veteran coach Joe Fagan moved up to the manager's seat on Paisley's retirement, and his first season at the helm saw Liverpool become the first English club to victory three major trophies in a single season - the league title, the League Cup and the European Cup.

Fagan's second season as coach was his last - and it had a traumatic ending. Having lost to neighbours Everton in the race for the league title, Fagan decided to retire and wanted to go out on a high with the European Cup. The Reds had a rare trophyless season as they lost 1-0 to Juventus in the European Cup Final at Heysel Stadium in Brussels. But the disappointment of the defeat was irrelevant, as 39 spectators - nearly all Juventussupporters - were crushed to death during crowd trouble before the kick off. Some Liverpoolsupporters were later convicted on manslaughter charges relating to the tragedy. The sequel of the tragedy was a 5-year ban on English clubs in European football, while Liverpool had to serve an extra year once all other English clubs were readmitted.

Fagan handed over the reins to forward Kenny Dalglish, who had established himself as a world class player and now wanted to prove himself as a top manager. His first season in charge - 1985-86 - could not have been better, as the Reds fought off competition from Everton, West Ham United and Manchester United to victory the league title. They also beat neighbours Everton 3-1 in the F.A Cup final to become only the third team to victory the league championship/F.A Cup double in the 20th century.

1986-87 was trophyless as Dalglish's men finished league runners-up to Everton and lost to Arsenal in the League Cup final. There were fears that Liverpool's glory days were over when forward Ian Rush was sold to Juventus in a £3.2million deal, but his £750,000 successor John Aldridge silenced the critics by topping the club's goalscoring charts in the 1987-88 season and inspiring the Reds to another championship success - this time achieved with just two defeats all season. New winger John Barnes was credited with the Player of the Year Award. The downside of the season was a shock 1-0 defeat at the hands of Wimbledon in the F.A Cup final. The Reds had by this stage been one of England's strongest sides for more than 20 years. Wimbledon, meanwhile, had been First Division members for just two seasons and had only joined the league 11 years earlier.

Liverpool came close to repeating the double once more in 1988-89. They lifted the F.A Cup with another triumph over Everton in the final, but the league title slipped out of their grasp in the last minute of their last match of the season at home to Arsenal. A last minute goal from Arsenal's Michael Thomas (who later joined Liverpool) gave the league title to the visitors because they had a superior goal difference. But the season was overshadowed by the Hillsborough Stadium tragedy which had struck the club in the F.A Cup semi-final. Hundreds of Liverpoolsupporters were trampled on the terraces at Hillsborough. 94supporters died that day and 95th fan died in hospital from his injuries four days later. A 96th fan died nearly four years later having never regained consciousness.

Ian Rush had rejoined Liverpool after one miserable season with Juventus, and scored twice in the 1989 FA Cup final. He helped them victory their 18th league title in 1989-90, but nobody could have guessed at the time that it would be their last championship success to date. Liverpool have had some glorious moments during the years that followed the 1990 title glory, but life at Anfield has never been the same without the championship trophy in the club's boardroom.

Spaniard Rafael Benítez took over from Houllier, but erratic league form put paid to their Premiership title hopes, in which Liverpool eventually finished fifth. However, the season had a glorious ending at the European Cup final in Istanbul. After eliminating big favourites Juventus in the quarter finals and English rivals Chelsea F.C. in the semis, the Reds met Italian side AC Milan in the final. Liverpool, having trailed 0-3 at half time, scored three goals in an exciting second half forcing extra time and then a penalty shoot out, which Liverpool won.

Liverpool vs. Benfica in the Champions League

2006-02-21T10:48:00.000-08:00

Liverpool FC wants to revalidate their European title. That's why the reds are looking forward to win the first leg of their Champions League second round tie against Benfica today.

It's important to notice that the Portuguese outfit arrive at this stage having played a major role in the demise of Manchester United in this year’s competition. Ronald Koeman’s side handed out a 2-1 defeat to United in December, ensuring their own passage to the last 16 but also denying Sir Alex Ferguson’s men a shot at European glory in the process. Now they get set to take on English opposition once more, no doubt hoping for a similar result.

They should overcome one or two problems in the striking department to trouble the solid Liverpool back-line in this one. Both Geovanni and Fabrizio Miccoli will be missing from the starting line-up due to long-term injuries, meaning the main goalscoring threat is likely to come from Nuno Gomes. In fact, the man largely responsible for England’s Euro 2000 exit is still finding the net with reasonable regularity, having notched five goals from his 11 Champions League appearances.

Hoping to be given the opportunity to supply Gomes will be former Newcastle United and Portsmouth winger Laurent Robert. The Frenchman secured a surprise move to the Portuguese champions in January and will be one to watch whether for better or worse.

Rafa Benitez’s team goes in without defenders Daniel Agger and Jan Kromkamp, but otherwise should be at full strength. Agger has picked up a leg injury while Kromkamp is cup-tied after helping serve up his own part of European misery to Manchester United earlier in the season with Villarreal. Midfielder Xabi Alonso has recovered from the thigh problem which forced him out of the FA Cup victory over United at the weekend and is in contention for a central midfield role.

Fixture can cause deterioration in league results

2006-02-08T11:08:00.000-08:00

The fixture congestion that was always likely is about to hit Liverpool FC and the most likely result is that league form will suffer. Already crucial players are suffering niggles and needing 'to rest' inevitably weakening the team. With the title having gone west the question is now going to boil down to whether Rafa Benitez targets fighting for second place place above either the Champions League or the FA Cup.

Usually you would suppose that Rafa Benitez would see a second place finish as being far more important than the FA Cup - but there is a small indication that this is not the case. At the time Pepe Reina was sent off late on against Chelsea, tons of Liverpool fans would have instantly recoiled with horror at the idea that Jerzy Dudek would be in goal for the fifth round FA Cup match against Manchester United.

It's important to keep in mind that Dudek probably has pleasant dreams about playing against Milan interrupted by the thought that even cushioned back-headers can be slippery against that lot.

Fortunately Liverpool had rearranged the fixtures against Charlton and Arsenal FC to fill up the the next two midweeks meaning Reina's suspension will be completed before the FA Cup tie. If Liverpool had appealed against the ban then the hearing would have been heard on Thursday of this week, meaning that the Charlton games would not have been included in the ban. If the three match ban had been upheld then Reina would face missing the cup tie.

Fowler signed up for Liverpool

2006-01-30T15:49:00.000-08:00

Coach Rafael Benitez has revealed the idea to have Robbie Fowler back was hatched in his mind after he celebrated last season's Champions League semi-final triumph over Chelsea with the Kop legend in a Liverpool pub.

So now Benitez, who has confirmed interest in Deportivo La Coruna winger Victor has all but ended, is delighted he has finally captured the player who impressed him so much in a chance pub meeting after the victory over Chelsea FC.

He told us: "I first thought about it after the Chelsea game, he was in a pub - only with a soft drink - with us and we were chatting about football.

"Steve McManaman was also there and you could hear fans claiming ' you should sign Robbie on again' and things like that.

"I am always thinking about my strikers and I always have confidence in them, but the idea was in my mind.

"So, in the last week I analysed Robbie and tried to know what he can give to us. I had a meeting with him and explained my ideas for him at the club.

"I decided to sign him, he was talking to me with his heart. I could see the passion, he was top scorer here and he clearly has great intelligence about the game.

"I know he has all these things as well as passion. You can now see the reaction of the supporters."

We must remember that Benitez has allowed Chilean winger Mark Gonzalez to join Real Sociedad until the end of the season, having failed to get a work permit for the youngster.

The only other departure before the transfer window closes is a possible loan move for Florent Sinama-Pongolle, with Liverpool having three offers for him.

However, Benitez is clearly not going to move on Djibril Cisse, despite plenty of speculation.

Welcome to the Liverpool FC Fans

2006-01-25T12:05:00.000-08:00

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