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Thursday 30 August 2007
Wednesday 29 August 2007
LIVERPOOL 4 - 0 TOULOUSE
Reds enjoy Anfield romp
Last updated: 28th August 2007
Liverpool cruised into the group stages of the Champions League after a commanding 4-0 victory against Toulouse at Anfield secured a 5-0 aggregate win.
Peter Crouch grabbed the early breakthrough and Rafa Benitez's men dominated from there on and skipper Sami Hyypia added a second before Dirk Kuyt hit a late brace to add further gloss to the scoreline.
Last year's beaten finalists held a slender 1-0 lead from the first leg and had to complete the job without mainstays Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher, but in truth they would never be needed as a tame French side provided little resistance throughout.
After Crouch stuck out a leg to score in the 19th minute, Liverpool were in cruise control and the score could have been much more as they romped to a 50th European Cup win at Anfield in style.
On the 800th anniversary of the city, Liverpool's stroll earned themselves a £12million bonus and ensured they were in Thursday's draw.
Liverpool shuffled their pack again and still produced a side that played fluent, quick-passing football that Toulouse never matched.
Crouch, left out of the last two matches, returned to score while captain for the night Hyypia made light of a broken nose to head home the second just after the break, before Kuyt's hard work was rewarded with the third after 87 minutes, drilling a shot in off the far post, and a fourth in injury time.
Hyypia captained the side as Javier Mascherano and Mohamed Sissoko were paired in central midfield with Argentinian winger Sebastian Leto making his debut on the left.
Crouch and Yossi Benayoun also both returned to the starting line-up to good effect.
Tribute
Before the match moving tributes were paid to murdered 11-year-old Rhys Jones, with his parents standing on the touchline as both Everton and Liverpool's theme tunes - Z Cars and You'll Never Walk Alone - were played.
However, last season's beaten finalists had to put all the emotion aside as they went about their job of trying to finish the tie and they set about the French with quick passing and movement.
Benayoun's enthusiasm, pace and skill was at the centre of most of Liverpool's attacks and the opening goal came after Benayoun worked to get Kuyt into space on the right and his far-post cross was turned in by Crouch's outstretched right leg.
The French side started to make chances and Andre Gignac got through on the right when only a fine block from Alvaro Arbeloa halted the surge.
Crouch should have scored again two minutes later when Benayoun popped up on the left and lifted in a cross that the tall striker rose to meet from six yards but planted his header over the crossbar.
Benayoun again was the creator for Kuyt, setting up the Dutchman for a low drive that flashed inches wide of a post. Toulouse responded with a header from Pantxi Sirieix that dropped a yard wide.
Crouch continued his wasteful ways when Arbeloa swung over another cross, again heading over, while Kuyt was next to miss with a header from another Benayoun cross.
Hyypia header
Mascherano's powerful run to win a corner on the right set up Liverpool for their second after 49 minutes.
And it came from Hyypia's head as he stood unmarked eight yards out to power home a Benayoun corner.
Toulouse looked disheartened by now but they sent on striker Bryan Bergougnoux for Gignac after 54 minutes but up to that point the French side had barely offered a serious threat and were being thoroughly outplayed.
After 68 minutes Benitez sent on another of his South American imports, youngster Lucas Leiva for his debut, with the £5million Brazilian replacing Sissoko.
Kuyt saw one header bounce wide before almost adding a third after 74 minutes. He drove in from the right and saw his shot hit Mauro Cetto and deflect onto the crossbar and over. A minute Later Ryan Babel replaced Leto.
Toulouse then took off Achille Emana, sending on Fabio Felix, but Liverpool were all but home by now.
Crouch, with some clever juggling from a John Arne Riise cross, lifted another chance just over the top.
Steve Finnan took over from Daniel Agger for the final minutes, while Moussa Sissoko replaced the injured Jeremy Mathieu.
Kuyt gained his reward for a night of constant running by drilling home the third off the far post after 87 minutes, and then forcing in his second in injury time after more good work from Benayoun through the middle.
Liverpool Team Statistics Toulouse
4 Goals 0
1 1st Half Goals 0
6 Shots on Target 2
19 Shots off Target 3
2 Blocked Shots 1
8 Corners 2
5 Fouls 10
2 Offsides 0
0 Yellow Cards 0
0 Red Cards 0
83 Passing Success 66.4
34 Tackles 26
85.3 Tackles Success 76.9
67.4 Possession 32.6
55.4 Territorial Advantage 44.6
Video
http://rapidshare.com/files/51927977/v_tou_1_crouch.mpg
http://rapidshare.com/files/51928815/v_tou_2_hyypia.mpg
http://rapidshare.com/files/51930668/v_tou_3_kuyt.mpg
http://rapidshare.com/files/51931390/v_tou_4_kuyt.mpg
Last updated: 28th August 2007
Liverpool cruised into the group stages of the Champions League after a commanding 4-0 victory against Toulouse at Anfield secured a 5-0 aggregate win.
Peter Crouch grabbed the early breakthrough and Rafa Benitez's men dominated from there on and skipper Sami Hyypia added a second before Dirk Kuyt hit a late brace to add further gloss to the scoreline.
Last year's beaten finalists held a slender 1-0 lead from the first leg and had to complete the job without mainstays Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher, but in truth they would never be needed as a tame French side provided little resistance throughout.
After Crouch stuck out a leg to score in the 19th minute, Liverpool were in cruise control and the score could have been much more as they romped to a 50th European Cup win at Anfield in style.
On the 800th anniversary of the city, Liverpool's stroll earned themselves a £12million bonus and ensured they were in Thursday's draw.
Liverpool shuffled their pack again and still produced a side that played fluent, quick-passing football that Toulouse never matched.
Crouch, left out of the last two matches, returned to score while captain for the night Hyypia made light of a broken nose to head home the second just after the break, before Kuyt's hard work was rewarded with the third after 87 minutes, drilling a shot in off the far post, and a fourth in injury time.
Hyypia captained the side as Javier Mascherano and Mohamed Sissoko were paired in central midfield with Argentinian winger Sebastian Leto making his debut on the left.
Crouch and Yossi Benayoun also both returned to the starting line-up to good effect.
Tribute
Before the match moving tributes were paid to murdered 11-year-old Rhys Jones, with his parents standing on the touchline as both Everton and Liverpool's theme tunes - Z Cars and You'll Never Walk Alone - were played.
However, last season's beaten finalists had to put all the emotion aside as they went about their job of trying to finish the tie and they set about the French with quick passing and movement.
Benayoun's enthusiasm, pace and skill was at the centre of most of Liverpool's attacks and the opening goal came after Benayoun worked to get Kuyt into space on the right and his far-post cross was turned in by Crouch's outstretched right leg.
The French side started to make chances and Andre Gignac got through on the right when only a fine block from Alvaro Arbeloa halted the surge.
Crouch should have scored again two minutes later when Benayoun popped up on the left and lifted in a cross that the tall striker rose to meet from six yards but planted his header over the crossbar.
Benayoun again was the creator for Kuyt, setting up the Dutchman for a low drive that flashed inches wide of a post. Toulouse responded with a header from Pantxi Sirieix that dropped a yard wide.
Crouch continued his wasteful ways when Arbeloa swung over another cross, again heading over, while Kuyt was next to miss with a header from another Benayoun cross.
Hyypia header
Mascherano's powerful run to win a corner on the right set up Liverpool for their second after 49 minutes.
And it came from Hyypia's head as he stood unmarked eight yards out to power home a Benayoun corner.
Toulouse looked disheartened by now but they sent on striker Bryan Bergougnoux for Gignac after 54 minutes but up to that point the French side had barely offered a serious threat and were being thoroughly outplayed.
After 68 minutes Benitez sent on another of his South American imports, youngster Lucas Leiva for his debut, with the £5million Brazilian replacing Sissoko.
Kuyt saw one header bounce wide before almost adding a third after 74 minutes. He drove in from the right and saw his shot hit Mauro Cetto and deflect onto the crossbar and over. A minute Later Ryan Babel replaced Leto.
Toulouse then took off Achille Emana, sending on Fabio Felix, but Liverpool were all but home by now.
Crouch, with some clever juggling from a John Arne Riise cross, lifted another chance just over the top.
Steve Finnan took over from Daniel Agger for the final minutes, while Moussa Sissoko replaced the injured Jeremy Mathieu.
Kuyt gained his reward for a night of constant running by drilling home the third off the far post after 87 minutes, and then forcing in his second in injury time after more good work from Benayoun through the middle.
Liverpool Team Statistics Toulouse
4 Goals 0
1 1st Half Goals 0
6 Shots on Target 2
19 Shots off Target 3
2 Blocked Shots 1
8 Corners 2
5 Fouls 10
2 Offsides 0
0 Yellow Cards 0
0 Red Cards 0
83 Passing Success 66.4
34 Tackles 26
85.3 Tackles Success 76.9
67.4 Possession 32.6
55.4 Territorial Advantage 44.6
Video
http://rapidshare.com/files
http://rapidshare.com/files
http://rapidshare.com/files
http://rapidshare.com/files
Monday 27 August 2007
SUNDERLAND 0 - 2 LIVERPOOL
Sunderland 0 - 2 Liverpool
Aug 25 2007
Mohamed Sissoko drilled his first Liverpool goal to claim the half-time advantage for his side against Roy Keane’s Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
Sissoko fired a low shot past Craig Gordon in the 37th minute after a largely frustrating half which the visitors dominated and had come close to leading through Andriy Voronin after just 25 seconds.
The Ukrainian made amends for not finishing off his early chance by scoring late in the second half.
Sunderland had a chance to take the lead prior to Sissoko’s strike when substitute Anthony Stokes shot under Jose Reina but saw his effort cleared by Daniel Agger.
Steven Gerrard was sidelined for and Rafael Benitez made four changes to the side which drew with Chelsea last week.
Sissoko replaced the England star in central midfield while there were also recalls for Sami Hyypia, Ryan Babel and striker Voronin.
There was no place for new boy Andy Cole in the Sunderland line-up as boss Roy Keane made only one change to the side beaten by Wigan last week, Liam Miller replacing Anthony Stokes.
The home side did not make the best of starts, with Greg Halford's dreadful backpass giving Liverpool a golden chance to take the lead after just 25 seconds.
Voronin shrugged off the attentions of Paul McShane and fired a shot which squeezed under Gordon, who got enough of a touch to see the ball dribble just wide.
Hyypia’s volley from the resulting corner was blocked.
Hyypia required two spells on the sidelines for treatment to a nosebleed and in his absence the home side got forward but failed to take advantage of their first corner.
Xabi Alonso screwed a rising shot just wide in the 14th minute after Ryan Babel had cleverly laid off a Steve Finnan right-wing cross, before the injured Hyypia was replaced by Daniel Agger.
Liverpool continued to look more threatening going over the half-way line but clear chances remained at a premium for both sides.
Finally Liverpool took the lead in the 37th minute when Voronin laid the ball back to Sissoko on the edge of the box and the midfielder drilled a low right-foot shot past Gordon into the corner of the net.
McShane had to get in with a fine interception to prevent Fernando Torres getting a clear header onto Voronin’s 41st-minute cross, before the Spaniard also flashed a header wide from the resulting corner.
Liverpool almost went further ahead in first half injury time when Jermaine Pennant crossed for Torres whose diving header was gathered by Gordon at the second attempt.
While Liverpool continued to dominate in the second half, the main talking point was the substitution of Jamie Carragher, who left the pitch clutching his rib cage, prior to Voronin's goal.
Voronin drilled a right-footed shot from the edge of the penalty area, after picking up Torres's cross from the left.
A mistake by Greg Halford let in Torres, but he sent his late shot wide. Dirk Kuyt was an 88th minute substitute.
Clips :
1. Sunderland 0-1 Liverpool (Momo)
- http://rapidshare.com/files
- http://www.mediafire.com/
2. Sunderland 0-2 Liverpool (Voronin)
- http://rapidshare.com/files
- http://www.mediafire.com/
Wednesday 22 August 2007
GABRIEL HEINZE LOSES BATTLE TO JOIN LIVERPOOL
Article is taken from Liverpool Echo Newspaper, Aug 21 2007 written by James Pearce
GABRIEL HEINZE has lost his battle to force Manchester United to sell him to Liverpool.
A two-day Premier League inquiry in London has ruled against the Argentina international but that is unlikely to be the end of the matter with the defender now set to appeal against the verdict.
The arbitration panel decided that a letter, signed by chief executive David Gill confirming a sum of £6.8million at which United would be willing to sell, did not constitute a definitive undertaking from the Old Trafford outfit to offload the player.
United said they made it clear to Heinze both orally and by letter that he would not be permitted to join one of their Premiership title rivals.
Heinze had insisted that once Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez had matched the figure stated, he should be allowed to become the first player to move from United to Anfield since Phil Chisnall in 1964.
“The Premier League Board appointed panel have heard submissions of evidence from both parties and has ruled to dismiss the player’s case,” said a Premier League statement.
The panel had gone into overtime over their decision to decide whether Heinze should be allowed to join Liverpool.
A verdict was expected yesterday but shortly after 6.30pm it became clear that nothing would be forthcoming until today.
Before the tribunal Heinze made one last plea to his current employers.
“My idea has not changed and my objective is to go to Liverpool,” he said. “I will always be grateful to United, but now I hope they allow me to get my wish.”
GABRIEL HEINZE has lost his battle to force Manchester United to sell him to Liverpool.
A two-day Premier League inquiry in London has ruled against the Argentina international but that is unlikely to be the end of the matter with the defender now set to appeal against the verdict.
The arbitration panel decided that a letter, signed by chief executive David Gill confirming a sum of £6.8million at which United would be willing to sell, did not constitute a definitive undertaking from the Old Trafford outfit to offload the player.
United said they made it clear to Heinze both orally and by letter that he would not be permitted to join one of their Premiership title rivals.
Heinze had insisted that once Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez had matched the figure stated, he should be allowed to become the first player to move from United to Anfield since Phil Chisnall in 1964.
“The Premier League Board appointed panel have heard submissions of evidence from both parties and has ruled to dismiss the player’s case,” said a Premier League statement.
The panel had gone into overtime over their decision to decide whether Heinze should be allowed to join Liverpool.
A verdict was expected yesterday but shortly after 6.30pm it became clear that nothing would be forthcoming until today.
Before the tribunal Heinze made one last plea to his current employers.
“My idea has not changed and my objective is to go to Liverpool,” he said. “I will always be grateful to United, but now I hope they allow me to get my wish.”
Monday 20 August 2007
STEVIE G ON CHELSEA
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard accused referee Rob Styles of cracking under pressure from Chelsea players when he awarded a highly-controversial penalty which saw the visitors earn a draw at Anfield.
Fernando Torres netted with a fine side-footed effort after just 16 minutes, and Liverpool looked to be on course to repeat last season's league victory over the then-champions at Anfield.
But in the second period Frank Lampard belted home a penalty, controversially given for a challenge by Steve Finnan on Florent Malouda.
Asked if his side deserved to win, Gerrard said: 'I think so. I think a very, very unfair decision has got Chelsea a point today. But I think we proved today we are capable of challenging.
'I felt the referee didn't play well today. There was a lot of pressure from the Chelsea players and I thought he eventually cracked.'
Asked about his slim chances of overcoming a broken toe to play in England's friendly against Germany on Wednesday, Gerrard said: 'I looked fit today because I had a painkilling injection to play. I need to rest to be ready for the England qualifiers.
'I've spoken to Steve McClaren a couple of times and I'll speak to him tomorrow I suppose.
'The sensible thing is to make sure you are ready for big games.
'If the x-ray tomorrow shows the crack has healed, I'll be playing for England. But I can't see it because three days ago I had an x-ray and I'd broken a toe.'An irate Rafael Benitez described Styles' decision as 'unbelievable'. 'I think it was a mistake.
'Unbelievable. How can you change a game like this?'
Asked if he challenged Styles about the decision after the match, the Spaniard said: 'No. It is clear, he can watch the video. He may understand why we are so disappointed. Unbelievable.'
Benitez took positives from his side's performance, however.
'We had some chances against a very good team. The game was under control but this kind of decision, you cannot explain.
'Maybe he was under pressure all the time. I prefer not to say too much.'
Benitez's Chelsea counterpart Jose Mourinho insisted Styles had 'a positive game'.
However, the Portuguese reserved judgement on the penalty decision in his side's favour. He said: 'I don't know. But so many times you are unfortunate, especially in this stadium with referees' decisions, I don't know. I think it is a difficult game for referees.
'Not every player on the pitch was trying to help the referee. A couple of them, maybe because of their different culture, didn't help the referee. But two big teams at Anfield is not easy.
'Overall Mr Styles had a positive game.'
Mourinho talked of his adventurous team selection and formation but admitted he was happy to play for a point in the last five minutes.
'I think it is difficult to play here because they are a good team and it is a positive result for us, especially because we were losing.'
Snipped from : soccernet.com
Fernando Torres netted with a fine side-footed effort after just 16 minutes, and Liverpool looked to be on course to repeat last season's league victory over the then-champions at Anfield.
But in the second period Frank Lampard belted home a penalty, controversially given for a challenge by Steve Finnan on Florent Malouda.
Asked if his side deserved to win, Gerrard said: 'I think so. I think a very, very unfair decision has got Chelsea a point today. But I think we proved today we are capable of challenging.
'I felt the referee didn't play well today. There was a lot of pressure from the Chelsea players and I thought he eventually cracked.'
Asked about his slim chances of overcoming a broken toe to play in England's friendly against Germany on Wednesday, Gerrard said: 'I looked fit today because I had a painkilling injection to play. I need to rest to be ready for the England qualifiers.
'I've spoken to Steve McClaren a couple of times and I'll speak to him tomorrow I suppose.
'The sensible thing is to make sure you are ready for big games.
'If the x-ray tomorrow shows the crack has healed, I'll be playing for England. But I can't see it because three days ago I had an x-ray and I'd broken a toe.'An irate Rafael Benitez described Styles' decision as 'unbelievable'. 'I think it was a mistake.
'Unbelievable. How can you change a game like this?'
Asked if he challenged Styles about the decision after the match, the Spaniard said: 'No. It is clear, he can watch the video. He may understand why we are so disappointed. Unbelievable.'
Benitez took positives from his side's performance, however.
'We had some chances against a very good team. The game was under control but this kind of decision, you cannot explain.
'Maybe he was under pressure all the time. I prefer not to say too much.'
Benitez's Chelsea counterpart Jose Mourinho insisted Styles had 'a positive game'.
However, the Portuguese reserved judgement on the penalty decision in his side's favour. He said: 'I don't know. But so many times you are unfortunate, especially in this stadium with referees' decisions, I don't know. I think it is a difficult game for referees.
'Not every player on the pitch was trying to help the referee. A couple of them, maybe because of their different culture, didn't help the referee. But two big teams at Anfield is not easy.
'Overall Mr Styles had a positive game.'
Mourinho talked of his adventurous team selection and formation but admitted he was happy to play for a point in the last five minutes.
'I think it is difficult to play here because they are a good team and it is a positive result for us, especially because we were losing.'
Snipped from : soccernet.com
LIVERPOOL 1 CHELSEA 1
I'm giving it 5 stars to Rob Styles : for being the worst referee so far.
Liverpool and Chelsea played out a 1-1 draw which suggested the Barclays Premier League season could be a war of attrition right to the end.
Fernando Torres' excellent first goal for Liverpool was all but forgotten as the yellow cards were waved, five for Chelsea and four for Liverpool. Captains Steven Gerrard and John Terry were among the bookings.
• Benitez laments 'unbelievable' decision
Chelsea battled away after going behind and were rewarded with a controversial penalty that Frank Lampard drove past Jose Reina.
Steve Finnan was adjudged to have brought down Florent Malouda, but the incident looked more like the Frenchman jumping between Finnan and Jamie Carragher before crashing to the ground.
The incident set the tone for the rest of a fractious match in which Styles almost lost control. In the latter stages he appeared to book Michael Essien for a second time without sending off the Ghanaian only for the fourth official reveal the booking had been issued to Terry.
Broken toe or not, Gerrard was there to skipper Liverpool against a Chelsea side who had their own captain Terry back from injury.
It was never a cordial meeting between international skipper and his deputy, the pair involved in frequent verbal exchanges during an increasingly feisty clash.
Chelsea included Essien in their defence, who was pressed into service despite a groin injury because Jose Mourinho was without defenders Ricardo Carvalho and Paulo Ferreira.
Chelsea used Essien at right-back and John Obi Mikel as a holding midfielder, with Salomon Kalou trying to push on from midfield to aid Didier Drogba.
Malouda, who chose Chelsea ahead of Liverpool when he moved from Lyon in the summer, and Shaun Wright-Phillips were also quick to attack in a brave Mourinho system.
Liverpool went for a straight-forward 4-4-2 with Riise keen to exploit any unfamiliarity to right-back from Essien.
And the threat was demonstrated when Riise appeared in yards of space to take a Steve Finnan cross-field ball only for Petr Cech to come flying off his line to avert the danger.
Essien was booked for sending Alvaro Arbeloa flying on the touchline, then Chelsea's vulnerability on their right flank saw them a goal behind on 16 minutes.
Gerrard played the ball with the outside of his right foot, finding Torres heading into the area.
The Spain international took on Tal Ben-Haim, leaving the ex-Bolton man in just a couple of yards before squeezing a clever side-foot shot just inside Cech's far post.
Anfield went wild and the £20million man was an instant hero as he was mobbed by his delirious colleagues.
Chelsea responded with a Drogba free-kick that was deflected wide and Kalou saw a six-yard box chance disappear as he failed to shoot quickly.
Gerrard mopped up with a ferocious challenge on Drogba to clear.
The match got more heated and Dirk Kuyt was booked for a trip on Lampard.
The atmosphere deteriorated further after Chelsea complaints to referee Rob Styles over challenges on Malouda and Terry, the latter involved in an exchange of words with the perpetrator, Torres.
Pennant was then booked for dissent after being penalised for a foul.
Gerrard was next into the book for a foul on Mikel, the half ending with Torres limping away after a heavy challenge and plenty of exchanges between England colleagues on both sides.
Chelsea brought on Claudio Pizarro for Kalou at the break, to provide better support for Drogba. And the Peruvian made an instant impact.
First he nodded on a Lampard corner for Terry to head just over, and then he stretched at the far post to head wide himself.
Much of Liverpool's play in the opening half was geared to containment, but they were more adventurous attacking the Kop end and Gerrard and Xabi Alonso both saw chances go wide while a Riise free-kick was charged down.
But on 61 minutes, Chelsea were level from the penalty spot. It was a controversial decision by referee Styles to penalise Steve Finnan for a challenge on Malouda.
It looked as if Malouda had jumped between Finnan and Carragher before tumbling and Carragher was booked for arguing before Lampard drove the spot-kick home.
The bookings continued and Ben-Haim's for dissent soon after was the third caution in four minutes.
On 67 minutes, Ryan Babel replaced Pennant, who had just set up Riise for a power drive just wide.
Lampard was soon booked for dissent, with Terry following, Chelsea fuming at what they perceived as a Torres dive looking for a free-kick.
There was more argument involving Essien before the free-kick went Liverpool's way. The Ghanian appeared to be booked for a second time but Styles later confirmed that only Terry had been yellow-carded.
What was certain was that the game had deteriorated into a nasty, spiteful battle.
Cech did well to keep out a close-range Riise effort as Liverpool pressed again. Crouch taking over from Riise with seven minutes left.
Kuyt's flicked header just cleared the bar before Alex came on for his Chelsea debut in place of Malouda.
Chelsea were now intent on the point, which they achieved after Babel skimmed a late effort inches wide.
THE GREAT JOHN ALDRDGE ON FERNANDO TORRES
Anfield goalscoring great John Aldridge has spoken of his admiration for Fernando Torres and said the Spanish striker will prove to be a big hit at Anfield.
The former Liverpool ace believes Torres has got a lot of attributes in his game that will quickly endear himself to the Anfield crowd.
"As a former striker I was watching Fernando Torres' performance very closely at Aston Villa last week and I liked what I saw," enthused Aldridge.
"His all-round attributes were excellent. In fact I saw similarities in his performance to that of one of his opponents tomorrow, Didier Drogba.
"A key part of Chelsea's success has been their ability to play balls to the front men and seem them make something out of nothing. Torres did this on several occasions last weekend.
"He could have taken a few chances but he had no right to have them in the first place because he made the most of those opportunities for himself.
"I liked the way he held the ball up, put himself about, chased down defenders and wanted to get on the end of everything.
"The link-up play with Dirk Kuyt was also excellent. There are already signs of a flourishing partnership which is something Liverpool have lacked for years.
"I see Peter Crouch and Torres working just as well together. While Kuyt can play as a foil for Torres, the Reds number nine would play a different role alongside Crouch and probably help Peter play further up the park.
"It's still early days but there are so many options available for Rafa now, it bodes well for the rest of the season."
The former Liverpool ace believes Torres has got a lot of attributes in his game that will quickly endear himself to the Anfield crowd.
"As a former striker I was watching Fernando Torres' performance very closely at Aston Villa last week and I liked what I saw," enthused Aldridge.
"His all-round attributes were excellent. In fact I saw similarities in his performance to that of one of his opponents tomorrow, Didier Drogba.
"A key part of Chelsea's success has been their ability to play balls to the front men and seem them make something out of nothing. Torres did this on several occasions last weekend.
"He could have taken a few chances but he had no right to have them in the first place because he made the most of those opportunities for himself.
"I liked the way he held the ball up, put himself about, chased down defenders and wanted to get on the end of everything.
"The link-up play with Dirk Kuyt was also excellent. There are already signs of a flourishing partnership which is something Liverpool have lacked for years.
"I see Peter Crouch and Torres working just as well together. While Kuyt can play as a foil for Torres, the Reds number nine would play a different role alongside Crouch and probably help Peter play further up the park.
"It's still early days but there are so many options available for Rafa now, it bodes well for the rest of the season."
THREE REDS NAMED In ENGLAND SQUAD
Three Liverpool players have been included in Steve McClaren's England squad for the friendly against Germany at Wembley on Wednesday night.
Peter Crouch, Steven Gerrard and on loan goalkeeper Scott Carson have been named in the squad.
Gerrard is a likely non-starter at Wembley because he is suffering from a hairline fracture in his toe.
The full squad is:
Paul Robinson (Tottenham Hotspur), David James (Portsmouth), Scott Carson (Aston Villa on loan), Micah Richards (Manchester City), Wes Brown (Manchester United), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), John Terry (Chelsea), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Sol Campbell (Portsmouth), Steven Taylor (Newcastle United), Phil Neville (Everton), Nicky Shorey (Reading), David Beckham (LA Galaxy), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Joe Cole (Chelsea), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Chelsea), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Gareth Barry (Aston Villa), Stewart Downing (Middlesbrough), Kieron Dyer (West Ham United), Owen Hargreaves (Manchester United), Alan Smith (Newcastle United), Michael Owen (Newcastle United), Peter Crouch (Liverpool), Darren Bent (Tottenham Hotspur), Andrew Johnson (Everton), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur).
Peter Crouch, Steven Gerrard and on loan goalkeeper Scott Carson have been named in the squad.
Gerrard is a likely non-starter at Wembley because he is suffering from a hairline fracture in his toe.
The full squad is:
Paul Robinson (Tottenham Hotspur), David James (Portsmouth), Scott Carson (Aston Villa on loan), Micah Richards (Manchester City), Wes Brown (Manchester United), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), John Terry (Chelsea), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Sol Campbell (Portsmouth), Steven Taylor (Newcastle United), Phil Neville (Everton), Nicky Shorey (Reading), David Beckham (LA Galaxy), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Joe Cole (Chelsea), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Chelsea), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Gareth Barry (Aston Villa), Stewart Downing (Middlesbrough), Kieron Dyer (West Ham United), Owen Hargreaves (Manchester United), Alan Smith (Newcastle United), Michael Owen (Newcastle United), Peter Crouch (Liverpool), Darren Bent (Tottenham Hotspur), Andrew Johnson (Everton), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur).
RAFA BLAST AT MOANrihno
Rafael Benitez insists he 'does not enjoy' his war of words with Jose Mourinho but the Liverpool boss could not resist responding to his Chelsea counterpart's jibes ahead of the first major showdown of the season.
The pair resume their fierce rivalry on Sunday when Mourinho brings his team to Anfield.
The colourful Portuguese did not even wait for the season to start before declaring the pressure was really on Benitez to deliver following the Spaniards' £40million summer spending spree.
But the Reds' boss retorted: 'I thought Jose had said he wouldn't be talking about other clubs this season. Maybe he's already forgotten that.'
Benitez insists one summer of increased activity has not changed a thing.
He said: 'You only have to look at who are the clubs who have spent most over the last five seasons, and there are two, Chelsea and Manchester United, and they have won most of the trophies.
'If you analyse who finished top of the table last season, who have spent more money in those years, it is clear and simple there are two teams ahead of the others in terms of money, spending and also titles won.
'And I always say that (Chelsea owner Roman) Abramovich has done a really a good job, that is the key!'
Benitez is expected to field skipper Steven Gerrard tomorrow, despite his talismanic captain suffering a hairline fracture of the big toe on his right foot.
And the Liverpool manager feels under no more pressure now than before he spent big this summer.
He said: 'I do not feel more pressure because I have bought players, and I would rather it was not about me and Jose all the time, I would prefer it to be about Gerrard, (Chelsea captain John) Terry and the other players - they are more important than us.
'I do not really enjoy the exchanges that have gone on between me and Jose, I would prefer there to be none. He has a fine squad with great players, and I think we will be okay together this season.
'We are both professionals and we have our responsibilities. But it is better if we do not talk too much about each other.
'I really don't enjoy it and want to concentrate on my team, I do not like talking about other managers every day.'
What Benitez does want is a level of consistency this season, rather than the occasional stunning performance against big opponents.
Last term Liverpool beat Chelsea in the league and the Champions League semi-finals, but were 15 points behind them and 21 behind champions Manchester United.
Benitez said: 'If we show the same quality against every side in the league as I believe we will against Chelsea, at the end of the season we will be up there.
'Chelsea may be an important game now, but next week's game against Sunderland will be just as important.
'Every three points we play for will mean something at the end of the season, so all the players must be ready every week.
'I want each game in the Premier League to be seen in the same way rather than hear people talking about how a game like Chelsea may be more important than others.'
He added: 'We know when you are playing against a top side you must do well if you want to be a contender, but to be ready against all the teams is the only way to compete in the Premier League.
'I know against the top sides how much everyone wants to play and show their quality and I know they can do it.'
Article Snipped from : soccernet.com
The pair resume their fierce rivalry on Sunday when Mourinho brings his team to Anfield.
The colourful Portuguese did not even wait for the season to start before declaring the pressure was really on Benitez to deliver following the Spaniards' £40million summer spending spree.
But the Reds' boss retorted: 'I thought Jose had said he wouldn't be talking about other clubs this season. Maybe he's already forgotten that.'
Benitez insists one summer of increased activity has not changed a thing.
He said: 'You only have to look at who are the clubs who have spent most over the last five seasons, and there are two, Chelsea and Manchester United, and they have won most of the trophies.
'If you analyse who finished top of the table last season, who have spent more money in those years, it is clear and simple there are two teams ahead of the others in terms of money, spending and also titles won.
'And I always say that (Chelsea owner Roman) Abramovich has done a really a good job, that is the key!'
Benitez is expected to field skipper Steven Gerrard tomorrow, despite his talismanic captain suffering a hairline fracture of the big toe on his right foot.
And the Liverpool manager feels under no more pressure now than before he spent big this summer.
He said: 'I do not feel more pressure because I have bought players, and I would rather it was not about me and Jose all the time, I would prefer it to be about Gerrard, (Chelsea captain John) Terry and the other players - they are more important than us.
'I do not really enjoy the exchanges that have gone on between me and Jose, I would prefer there to be none. He has a fine squad with great players, and I think we will be okay together this season.
'We are both professionals and we have our responsibilities. But it is better if we do not talk too much about each other.
'I really don't enjoy it and want to concentrate on my team, I do not like talking about other managers every day.'
What Benitez does want is a level of consistency this season, rather than the occasional stunning performance against big opponents.
Last term Liverpool beat Chelsea in the league and the Champions League semi-finals, but were 15 points behind them and 21 behind champions Manchester United.
Benitez said: 'If we show the same quality against every side in the league as I believe we will against Chelsea, at the end of the season we will be up there.
'Chelsea may be an important game now, but next week's game against Sunderland will be just as important.
'Every three points we play for will mean something at the end of the season, so all the players must be ready every week.
'I want each game in the Premier League to be seen in the same way rather than hear people talking about how a game like Chelsea may be more important than others.'
He added: 'We know when you are playing against a top side you must do well if you want to be a contender, but to be ready against all the teams is the only way to compete in the Premier League.
'I know against the top sides how much everyone wants to play and show their quality and I know they can do it.'
Article Snipped from : soccernet.com
LIVERPOOL VS CHELSEA
Benitez is praying his players have recovered from the match that was played in sweltering conditions, approaching 90 degrees, which sapped even the strongest in his squad.
Benitez is hoping there will be no adverse reaction as he prepares for a match that has a crucial impact on the title race even this early in the campaign.
He said: 'I think we will have enough time to recover for the Chelsea match. But we must control the recuperation of the players, and it does not help that it is Chelsea next. If we were playing another team maybe it would be easier for the players to cope.
'But against Chelsea you need everyone giving 100% of their ability all the time, so we must monitor the players.
'We will need a couple of training sessions to see how each one of them has recovered. Only then will I be able to see who starts the match against Chelsea.''
Benitez will rotate his squad again and the likes of Xabi Alonso, Daniel Agger and Dirk Kuyt, who did not play in Toulouse, are likely to be involved.
The Liverpool boss may try to play down the significance of the game, suggesting it is too early to make judgements, but defender Steve Finnan makes it clear how important the clash is.
He said: 'Of course Sunday is massive. Everyone has been talking about getting a good start, and yes, we have got one league win under our belts, but one win alone does not make a good start. We need to get as many points as we can in the first half a dozen games or so.
'As well as that, Chelsea are one of our main rivals, we want to finish above them this season because they are a good team.
'We can take a lot of confidence from the fact we beat them in the same fixture last year, and we have got more options all over the pitch now. We're at home, so we will try to attack them and win the game.''
He added: 'There is a lot of rivalry between the players, that is only natural, especially when we've played them as much as we have over recent seasons. But it is no different to when we play the likes of Manchester United or Everton.''
Football Channel ( 27 )
Kick Off : 2255hrs ( Singapore Time )
Benitez is hoping there will be no adverse reaction as he prepares for a match that has a crucial impact on the title race even this early in the campaign.
He said: 'I think we will have enough time to recover for the Chelsea match. But we must control the recuperation of the players, and it does not help that it is Chelsea next. If we were playing another team maybe it would be easier for the players to cope.
'But against Chelsea you need everyone giving 100% of their ability all the time, so we must monitor the players.
'We will need a couple of training sessions to see how each one of them has recovered. Only then will I be able to see who starts the match against Chelsea.''
Benitez will rotate his squad again and the likes of Xabi Alonso, Daniel Agger and Dirk Kuyt, who did not play in Toulouse, are likely to be involved.
The Liverpool boss may try to play down the significance of the game, suggesting it is too early to make judgements, but defender Steve Finnan makes it clear how important the clash is.
He said: 'Of course Sunday is massive. Everyone has been talking about getting a good start, and yes, we have got one league win under our belts, but one win alone does not make a good start. We need to get as many points as we can in the first half a dozen games or so.
'As well as that, Chelsea are one of our main rivals, we want to finish above them this season because they are a good team.
'We can take a lot of confidence from the fact we beat them in the same fixture last year, and we have got more options all over the pitch now. We're at home, so we will try to attack them and win the game.''
He added: 'There is a lot of rivalry between the players, that is only natural, especially when we've played them as much as we have over recent seasons. But it is no different to when we play the likes of Manchester United or Everton.''
Football Channel ( 27 )
Kick Off : 2255hrs ( Singapore Time )
Fernando Torres Reveals Liverpool Title Aspirations
New arrival Fernando Torres has revealed that his Liverpool team-mates have focussed their attention on reclaiming the title after 17 years, rather than repeating their more recent Champions League heroics.
The club's record signing is expected to make his Anfield debut against Chelsea tomorrow in a match which has the potential to set the tone for the Reds' Barclays Premier League campaign.
And the Spain striker has admitted that after two Champions League finals in three years, including one win, Rafael Benitez's men are now ready to dedicate themselves fully to domestic success.
'It's strange - I arrived thinking about the Champions League but, in the team, everyone is thinking about the Premier League,' Torres said in The Sun.
'That's because a lot of them won in Istanbul but haven't won a title. Of course, neither have I.
'The club has gone 17 years without doing it and everyone believes this year could be the one.'
Torres, a £21million signing from Atletico Madrid earlier this summer, admits the clash with Jose Mourinho's Blues has been playing on his mind since he knew he would be swapping Madrid for Merseyside.
He added: 'The match against Chelsea at Anfield is the game that I've been most excited about playing in since I signed for Liverpool.
'It looks like the Champions League matches at Anfield and the big ones in the league like facing Chelsea will be indescribable.'
Article snipped from : soccernet.com
The club's record signing is expected to make his Anfield debut against Chelsea tomorrow in a match which has the potential to set the tone for the Reds' Barclays Premier League campaign.
And the Spain striker has admitted that after two Champions League finals in three years, including one win, Rafael Benitez's men are now ready to dedicate themselves fully to domestic success.
'It's strange - I arrived thinking about the Champions League but, in the team, everyone is thinking about the Premier League,' Torres said in The Sun.
'That's because a lot of them won in Istanbul but haven't won a title. Of course, neither have I.
'The club has gone 17 years without doing it and everyone believes this year could be the one.'
Torres, a £21million signing from Atletico Madrid earlier this summer, admits the clash with Jose Mourinho's Blues has been playing on his mind since he knew he would be swapping Madrid for Merseyside.
He added: 'The match against Chelsea at Anfield is the game that I've been most excited about playing in since I signed for Liverpool.
'It looks like the Champions League matches at Anfield and the big ones in the league like facing Chelsea will be indescribable.'
Article snipped from : soccernet.com
Monday 6 August 2007
MIGHT TORRES END UP ON THE BENCH?
In the space of several months we have gotten for ourselves, in summary:
- Fernando Torres on a 21m pound move from Atletico Madrid, while Luis Garcia has gone the other direction;
- Andriy Voronin on a free transfer from Bayer Leverkusen;
- Yossi Benayoun on a 5m move from West Ham which saw Craig Bellamy moving to the Hammers;
- Ryan Babel on a 12m move from Ajax;
- Lucas Leiva, the Brazil U-20 captain;
- Sebastian Leto, an exciting young Argentinian according to Benitez;
- And Nikolay Mihailov, who is according to a friend an exciting young goalkeeper all the way from Bulgaria.
This means that our squad now have an abundance of attacking talent. If you had fun last season trying to guess the number of ways Rafa could assemble his first XI, you would have an even greater headache this time round.
Currently, Torres, Voronin, Crouch, Kuyt, and Babel can be squeezed into a first team with two or three strikers.
Rafa looks likely to employ either a 4-4-2 or a 4-3-3 formation that is reminiscent of Chelsea. Which means he probably has these options:
- Voronin and Crouch: We have seen in recent games that Voronin is much more than a makeweight - indeed, he is the top scorer for this pre-season. A finisher, Crouch can be a perfect complement to knock down high balls for him to score, a la a John Toshack-Kevin Keegan combination.
- Kuyt and Torres: Kuyt makes up for his lack in finishing with a superb work rate. Torres doesn't run as much, but with Kuyt running defences ragged, Torres can sneak in to finish.
- Babel and Crouch: Babel, young and energetic, can take the burden off the less pacey but much taller Robo, and this can probably help Crouch with off-the-ball movement.
There are of course many more combinations that are possible, but all of them will leave you wondering: Does Torres really fit into a system with two or three strikers?
Over at Atletico he was El Nino, the one-and-only Kid, the undisputed King of the territory. Over at Liverpool, to expect him to share the limelight with another striker seems strange, even improbable.
Torres has qualities many strikers will envy, but can these qualities be useful in partnerships? While Andriy Voronin looks like he can slip comfortably into any partnership with the Liverpool strikers, I feel that Torres may feel stifled if the final third is congested with another Liverpool striker.
That is why I predict that he may end up on the bench for the majority of the games next season. He is a player whose appearance, no doubt, can change the complexion of the game, but to expect him to work according to the team plan from the start might seem a little harder for him because of the freedom he was given at Atletico.
Of course, this is only a prediction: while last pre-season I was imagining that Mark Gonzalez was going to run Gary Neville ragged (but the opposite happened), things may well change beyond our imagination.
Perhaps the 17-year wait for the title is about to end - without Torres playing as many first-team starts as his transfer fee might suggest.
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