RE: Anfield Forever - the Scouse corner
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RE: Anfield Forever - the Scouse corner - 1/8/2007 5:34:35 AM
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azinorum
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BILL SHANKLY
'You'll like it, it's by the seaside,' said Bill Shankly to his wife, trying to convince her of the merits of a move to Liverpool. She believed him, though she probably realised the grey shores of the Mersey were a long way removed from the beaches of the Costa Del Sol, and on 1 December, 1959, the directors of Liverpool Football Club announced that they had appointed a new manager. They thought they were appointing a canny coach with a firm grasp of tactics and on-pitch priorities. In fact, they were unleashing a whirlwind of change that was to take the club higher than the stevedore cranes that towered above the docks of the 'seaside' city.
In the years leading up to his appointment at Anfield, Shankly had made his mark. He was known as a tough player who became an even tougher manager, a man who could galvanise his teams with pithy team talks and astute analysis of the game. He was, in short, exactly the kind of man Liverpool needed. Although huge crowds flocked to Anfield, there was an agonising hunger for success. The League championship had been won in 1947 but now, 12 years later, the memory of that success was shrouded in the Mersey mists. Liverpool had been relegated to Division Two in 1954 and had not escaped. So poor was the Liverpool side of the era, they even lost to non-league Worcester City in the third round of the FA Cup in January 1959. Liverpool needed a soccer Messiah and that is exactly what they got.
Shankly was born in Glenbuck, a mining village in Ayrshire which has long since disappeared, although traces of it can still be seen and a plaque in memory of him has become something of a shrine for football fans, particularly Liverpool fans. Bill (or Willie, as he was known as a boy) had four older brothers who all became professional footballers. Two of his uncles, Bob and Billy Blyth, were also professional players, so it is hardly surprising young Bill also entered the game. Shankly did not become a footballer immediately. Before his talent was spotted he had already joined most of the male population of Glenbuck working down the mines.
'Something I learnt from my mining days was the need to have a joke,' Shankly remembered later. 'It was hard work, very hard work and a tough life. Sometimes the only thing that kept people going was the ability to laugh. That is why I like to have a joke in the dressing room before a game. It takes away the tension and adds a spirit of togetherness. If you laugh together you will work harder together.' In August 1932 Shankly, then 19 years old, was able to say farewell to the mines. Carlisle wrote to him, asking if he'd care to come to Cumberland for a trial. Of course, Shankly went, accompanied by his brother. The trial was a success and Carlisle landed themselves a new right-half who was going to cost £4 a week.
The club was having a miserable season and manager Billy Hampson decided young Shankly might make a difference. He gave him his first-team debut against Rochdale on New Year's Eve 1932 and Carlisle got a point from a 2-2 draw. Shankly kept his place for the rest of the season.
That was just the start. Shankly went on to join Preston and helped them to promotion at the first attempt. It was for Preston that Shankly scored his first professional goal in February 1938 - against Liverpool. A few months later he picked up an FA Cup winner's medal, playing in the Preston side that beat Huddersfield. International recognition beckoned, and Shankly made five appearances for Scotland before World War Two intervened. Shankly's final playing appearance was on 19 March, 1949, when he lined up for Preston in a 3-1 defeat by Sunderland. It was an ignominious end: not only did Preston lose, but Shankly was in dispute with the club. They wanted him to continue as player-coach for the reserves and offered him a testimonial game as an incentive.
Shankly thought he deserved the testimonial for having been at Deepdale for 16 years, not as an incentive to stay longer. While this was going on, Carlisle were waiting in the wings to lure Shankly as player-manager. Preston refused to hand over his playing registration, so Shankly announced his retirement and joined Carlisle as boss for £14 per week. 'When I went into management for the first time I had a lot to draw upon,' Shankly later explained. 'You have to learn from life and your experiences. Remember them and use them to improve yourself.' By the time he became Liverpool manager a decade later, Shankly had added a whole new dimension to his experiences. Within days of joining Carlisle, a run-down club, Shankly was holding a trophy: the Cumberland cup, secured with a 2-1 win over Workington. It might not sound like much, but to a man like Shankly winning an egg cup was worthy of a lap of honour.
During the following decade Shankly made a speciality of joining ailing clubs and changing their course. He did not win any actual trophies before he joined Liverpool, but he won many accolades and a great deal of respect. It was not just that he could turn a club around, but that he did it with a style that was exciting and inspiring.
He turned ordinary players into worldbeaters, notably a pair he had at Huddersfield - Denis Law and Ray Wilson, who went into the Shankly orbit as youngsters and went on to become legends.
Shankly's career progressed through the lower divisions, from Carlisle to Grimsby to Workington and then to Huddersfield. But the best was yet to come. Huddersfield had just lost 1-0 to Cardiff when two men approached Shankly and asked him, 'How would you like to be manager of the best club in the country?'
'Why? Is Matt Busby packing it in?' Shankly replied. The two strangers shared the joke and introduced themselves as Tom Williams, Liverpool's chairman, and Harry Latham, a director of the club. They explained that their existing manager, Phil Taylor, had a health problem and had to retire (Liverpool had, in fact, just lost 5-4 to Swansea and the board may well have looked for a new manager regardless of Taylor's health).
For once Shankly bit his tongue. He could have told them that he had been turned down when he applied for the job back in 1951, but these were different directors and he knew there was nothing to be gained from the jibe. He wanted the job and the negotiations that followed during the next couple of weeks were really just a jostling for agreement. His wife, Nessie, also knew he wanted the job. She did not want to leave Huddersfield and she was not really taken in by her husband's attempt to make Liverpool sound like a seaside resort but she supported him, as ever, and began packing. The Huddersfield board were not happy at losing their principal asset and held up the move as long as they could (Huddersfield actually beat Liverpool 1-0 while all this was going on). Shankly eventually lost patience and resigned, to be appointed Liverpool manager.
'Candidly, the place was a shambles when I came,' Shankly admitted. 'I knew Liverpool had the best supporters in the world. I knew their potential was tremendous - those are the only reasons I joined the club. I had seen Liverpool slump to a position in which they were going nowhere. 'In one game at Huddersfield we beat them 5-0 and we only had ten men. That saddened me to see such a great club in trouble. When I joined them I knew I had a battle on my hands. It wasn't just battles on the field but battles in the boardroom as well. I was going to have to get them to see things my way.'
That was how it all started. For a short time he doubted he had taken the right decision in taking the job with Liverpool. He said as much to Nessie as they strolled round the training ground one afternoon. She told him that if he really wanted to be the manager of a First Division club this was his best chance. He needed no further encouragement. He did need money, though, and it came in the shape of a man named Eric Sawyer. 'I had been at Anfield for about 18 months and things had improved a little but not enough,' said Shankly. 'I kept saying that we had to spend some money and they kept telling me that they didn't have any. Then Eric Sawyer joined the board. He was in the accountancy section of Littlewoods Pools and he was as sick as I was of seeing Liverpool struggle. He is the man that turned them around.
'I said at a board meeting that I had heard Ian St John was for sale. I knew that if we were going to get anywhere he was the kind of player we needed. Someone on the board said we couldn't afford to have him. Then Eric Sawyer spoke and said that we couldn't afford not to have him. That was music to my ears. That man, Mr Sawyer, was the real start of Liverpool. He told me that if I could find the players he would find the money. 'Within a week we had signed Ian St John. He made his debut against Everton in a Liverpool Cup match. They beat us 4-3 but he scored a hat-trick and set the place on fire. It was the end of the season and during the summer I was able to buy Ron Yeats for £30,000. 'Now I knew things were starting to take shape. Yeats was in the centre of the defence and looked after that department, St John was centre of the attack and took care of scoring.'
After a period of gradual rebuilding (24 players were sold and some promising youngsters - including Roger Hunt and Ian Callaghan - were blooded), the new-look Liverpool was launched at the start of the 1961/62 season. It was now up to the team to prove that Shankly had been right to launch his revolution.
When Shankly arrived at Anfield there were already some famous faces in place but he organised them into a winning combination. One of his most celebrated moves was to establish the now legendary Boot Room.
'It was a little room by the manager's office,' said Shankly. 'It was only small but we had a table-top football pitch permanently set up to help with our discussions. Everyone piled in there to discuss the game coming up or look back on the previous one. Everyone had said their piece and we had some really useful meetings in that little room.'
Joining Shankly in the Boot Room was his coaching staff of Bob Paisley, Joe ****an and Reuben Bennett. His captain was Ronnie Moran, who would later graduate to the Boot Room, too. The training ground at Melwood was also given an overhaul. Shankly believed that if players were given poor facilities they would feel poor and play badly. He added a touch of class to the place, at the start with just a coat of paint. Even that little effort made a difference to the players. There were other displays of player psychology. Before a game he would watch the opposition arrive and rush to his own team's dressing room and tell them that certain key opponents were limping or looked ill.
He would assure them they were playing a side doomed for relegation or who had hit a bad patch of form. After a game, victory gained, he would tell them that they had just beaten the second best team in the world. Amazingly, his players believed every word, every time. 'He was an incredible man,' said Ian St John. 'When I first met him he had come up to see me play for Motherwell. He struck me as a caricature of James Cagney. He asked me about joining Liverpool but I wasn't keen. He ignored my answer and arranged for us to meet the next day. 'My wife was with me and before we knew it we were sitting in a Rolls Royce bound for Liverpool. I'm sure if I hadn't agreed to sign he would have kidnapped me. The following night I found myself playing for Liverpool and scoring a hat-trick. Time never stood still for Bill Shankly.'
Ron Yeats tells a similar story. 'Bill Shankly just turned up on my doorstep one day and told me that Liverpool were going to be going up the following season and he was going to build the team round myself in defence and Ian St John in attack. There I was, expecting to have an average career in the game when suddenly you hear something like that.
'Imagine how my confidence soared. That was how he was. He made any player feel like a great player. If you feel like one, you'll play like one. Even when we lost, he would prove that it had all been a mistake - the winning goal was offside, one of our blokes was fouled and so on. 'Having said that, he would not tolerate any lax attitudes, no matter who you were. We didn't have any stars, everyone was treated the same. It was embarrassing if you were ever injured and couldn't play. He reacted as if you'd let him down personally and sometimes he would walk straight past injured players without even acknowledging them.'
The new season began with a line-up including Bert Slater and Jim Furnell sharing goalkeeping duties and an outfield selection of Alan A'Court, Gerry Byrne, Ian Callaghan, Roger Hunt, Tommy Leishman, Kevin Lewis, Jimmy Melia, Ronnie Moran, Dick White, Ian St John and Ron Yeats. Team spirit was high. Shankly had convinced his players this was going to be their year and the supporters were caught up the mood of optimism and determination.
What had always been a noisy crowd suddenly transformed into the Kop of popular legend, the twelfth man on the Liverpool team. 'There must be a better word than fantastic to describe the Anfield spectators,' said Shankly. 'I think it's more than fanaticism, it's a religion with them. The thousands who come here do so to worship. It's a sort of shrine, not just a football ground. These people are not simply fans, they are more like members of a tremendous family.'
Those fans cheered themselves hoarse as Liverpool took scalp after scalp during the 1961/62 season. The Reds won 18 and drew three of their 21 home games, scoring 68 goals. Away from home they were beaten seven times, each defeat dismissed by Shankly as bad refereeing, luck or a terrible pitch. The Liverpool machine found the net 99 times and Roger Hunt's tally of 41 goals is still a club record for one season.
With two weeks left of the season Liverpool were crowned Second Division champions, and the party began. There was Shankly with arms outstretched saluting the Kop, knowing Liverpool were back in the top division. He had given the club a heart transplant and it was glowing with health and vitality.
There was more work and new challenges ahead, but for that moment the Second Division Championship was as good as the World Cup to Shankly.
As they sang, Shankly joined in with the words that were soon to soundtrack an unprecedented period of domination of English football: 'Liv-er-pool, Liv-er-pool, Liv-er-pool.'
Words: Bernard Bale
< Message edited by azinorum -- 1/8/2007 5:51:26 AM >
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RE: Anfield Forever - the Scouse corner - 1/8/2007 5:43:26 AM
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azinorum
Posts: 1823
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Joined: 8/25/2006
From: Baghdad Iraq
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BOOK REVIEW
Steven Gerrard: For Club And Country
Phil Thompson, Tempus Publishing
The title of this biography may vex non-Liverpool fans. There are those who say that the indefatigable, essential performances Steven Gerrard produces for Liverpool have rarely been repeated for England; that he has failed to make the impact on the world stage that his talent deserves.
For Club And Country examines the development of the small, skinny boy from Huyton and how he came to be one of England's top players of his generation. The physical transformation amazed some - "When I saw him again 18 months later, I couldn't believe it: the bambi that had left the youth academy had changed into a bison," said his former Liverpool Schoolboys coach Tim Johnson - and author Phil Thompson (sadly, not the former Liverpool coach) contextualises how Gerrard's massive growth spurt at the age of 16 was to cause problems for him in later life.
Indeed, the book doesn't shirk Gerrard's early proneness to injury: the prodigy seemed to miss as many England games as he started, and missed the 2002 World Cup with a groin injury. Also here are the disastrous back-pass against France at Euro 2004 and the two consecutive summers of indecision over moving to Chelsea. But there is obviously much good to look back on, too, from being named Man of the Match on his full debut (in the UEFA Cup!) through scoring in England's 5-1 win in Germany to that night in Istanbul, when he almost single-handedly pushed Liverpool to European glory.
Annoyingly for the book's publishers, World Cup 2006 is not covered far beyond a prophetic quote about hoping his partnership with Frank Lampard will work. But for readers, the main problem is that you get no sense of the real Steven Gerrard. Thompson offers few genuine moments of insight, save for some comments about Gerrard being wary of meeting Liverpool fans ever since someone reported him to Sven-Göran Eriksson for drinking out late with his girlfriend before a World Cup 2002 qualifier. There's some attempt to analyse his friendship with Frank Lampard, but overall it's a fairly dry book.
That's fine if you're looking for a straight summary of the key moments in Gerrard's career, but if it's insight into the thoughts of a private and shy character you want, you may be better off waiting for his soon-to-be-published autobiography.
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RE: Anfield Forever - the Scouse corner - 1/8/2007 5:53:59 AM
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azinorum
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Alonso hits back at cheating accusation
Jan 8 2007
By Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post
XABI ALONSO is adamant he is not a cheat after the diving controversy during Liverpool's FA Cup defeat to ****nal on Saturday.
The Spaniard was booked for simulation by referee Steve Bennett when he went to ground in the penalty area under a challenge from Gilberto Silva midway through the first half.
Replays showed Alonso had been caught by the Brazilian midfielder and Liverpool should have been awarded a spot-kick with the scoreline goalless.
Instead, ****nal went on to knock the holders out of the competition in the third round with a 3-1 win at Anfield in the first game this week's cup double header between the clubs.
And of the penalty incident, Alonso said: "I felt the contact, that's for sure, and people who have seen the incident on television have told me it was a clear penalty. I felt that on the pitch.
"I spoke to the referee and to Gilberto and told them that there had been contact and that I didn't cheat.
"I was trying to play with the ball and I fell down because of that contact, I was not cheating," he said.
Czech Republic international midfielder Tomas Rosicky scored a first-half brace and although Dirk Kuyt gave Liverpool hope with a 71st-minute header, a late Thierry Henry goal gave the Gunners victory.
****nal scored their three goals from only four shots on target, and Spanish midfielder Alonso admitted the ruthlessness of ****ne Wenger's side proved the difference.
"We were expecting a good run in the FA Cup but we knew it was a tough tie," added Alonso.
"Even being at home against ****nal, you know it is going to be difficult, and as soon as they got their chances to score they took them.
"They only had three chances during the game, which shows they were very effective.
"The first 30 minutes we pushed really hard and tried to get a goal, but towards the end of the half they went down our end and scored from situations that weren't even chances, really.
"In the second half we got a goal back, but as soon as they got the third it was always going to be really difficult for us.
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RE: Anfield Forever - the Scouse corner - 1/8/2007 5:58:32 AM
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azinorum
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Lagging behind the league's best
Jan 8 2007
View from the Stands by Chris Wellman Liverpool supporter, Liverpool Daily Post
SATURDAY'S tame surrendering of our crown, once again is a reality check for all fans, that we are so close but yet so far in our quest to be a regular contender for the title of premier team in the land.
There is always a reluctance among the Anfield fraternity to truly criticise both the team and manager when things do not go according to plan, but in truth Saturday's abject showing will only fuel the opinion of those doubters that we just aren't consistent enough when we play the `big three'.
This is a fair point, no one will deny the commitment, it is just individual failings blighting us at certain stages and we are duly punished.
Credit has to go Wenger's side as they approached the game resolutely, defending stoutly amidst unavailability of key personnel.
This indeed should have been the impetus Liverpool needed, sadly this was never the case. We had started promisingly, but lacked that clinical edge. The opening goal was a shock to the system while the second compounded the frustration around Anfield.
The second half was a carbon copy of the first, Liverpool masters of possession but not able to penetrate. Garcia and Pennant were ineffectual and the alarming form of Riise is cause for concern. Crouch laboured and it was perplexing Bellamy was not unleashed.
On a day the Kop were in full voice for those who lost their lives at Hillsborough, many who streamed out into the night sky may have afforded themselves a thought of that period when we were the dominate force and yearned for the glory days to come again.
We live in hope.
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RE: Anfield Forever - the Scouse corner - 1/8/2007 6:04:31 AM
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azinorum
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Angry fans demand justice
Jan 8 2007
By Sam Lister, Liverpool Daily Post Staff
AS MORE than 40,000 football fans joined together in one of the most heartfelt protests in the game's history, one mother sat alone and sobbed.
For six minutes at the start of Liverpool FC's FA Cup tie against ****nal, chants of "justice for the 96" filled the stadium.
Angered by the BBC's decision to hire former Sun editor Kelvin MacKenzie, despite the Daily Post's revelations last month that he stood by the paper's infamous coverage of the Hillsborough disaster, they made sure the channel that was screening the match was in no doubt about their feelings.
Watching the scenes on her television at home was Jenni Hicks, who lost daughters, Sarah, 15, and Vicki, 19, in the tragedy.
She told the Daily Post: "It moved me to tears. To see that so many people still care after 17½ years was wonderful.
"I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to all the fans and the club, not just from me, but on behalf of my daughters, Sarah and Vicki, who lost their lives in the tragedy.
"I just sat and cried."
Last month, the Daily Post revealed how Mr MacKenzie told a crowd of businessmen: "I was not sorry then and I'm not sorry now" over the paper's infamous coverage of the Hillsborough disaster.
He insisted The Sun had only been reporting "the truth" when it accused Liverpool fans of stealing from and urinating on the dead, despite Lord Justice Taylor's official report completely discrediting such reports.On Saturday, the infamous headline was reproduced in a giant mosaic covering the Kop by fans holding up cards, paid for by LFC. Others waved banners daubed "MacKenzie Sun Scum".
< Message edited by azinorum -- 1/8/2007 6:06:58 AM >
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RE: Anfield Forever - the Scouse corner - 1/8/2007 6:09:05 AM
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azinorum
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Joined: 8/25/2006
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We deserved more from cup tie – Kuyt
Jan 8 2007
By Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post
DIRK KUYT believes Liverpool should still be in the FA Cup after their defeat to ****nal on Saturday.
Despite the Dutchman's eighth goal of the season, Rafael Benitez's side fell 3-1 at home to the Gunners.
And Kuyt said: "I'd have preferred not to have scored a goal and us won the game. We played well as a team and we deserved more. Now we just have to keep on going in the Premiership, the Champions League and the Carling Cup.
"It's disappointing that we are out. For the first 30 minutes we controlled the game, but they scored a really good goal. In the whole game, they only had three clear chances and scored three goals, and that is the big difference between us and them.
"****nal have very fast players up front and that makes it more difficult when they score the first goal. We showed in the second half that we could make it difficult for them, and we still had a chance at 2-1."
It was Kuyt's first game in the competition since moving to Liverpool in the summer, and he added: "I loved my first experience of the FA Cup, so it's a shame it's just for the one game. The FA Cup is very famous in Holland, and I'm already looking forward to playing in the competition again next season."
Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard agreed with Kuyt's assessment, and said: "For the first 30 minutes we played well and looked like the team who would score the first goal but I think unfortunately their goals came from our mistakes.
"****nal are a very good side with some fantastic players and they defended well in the second half but from our point of view we are very disappointed to go out of the FA Cup."
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RE: Anfield Forever - the Scouse corner - 1/8/2007 4:25:38 PM
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azinorum
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REDS ACE SIGNS NEW CONTRACT
Steve Hunter 08 January 2007
Liverpool midfielder Danny Guthrie has signed a new contract with the club keeping him at Anfield until June 2009.
The central midfielder made his first team debut this season in the 4-3 Carling Cup win over Reading at Anfield and is a product of the Academy.
The Shrewsbury born player moved to Melwood from the Academy in the summer of 2005 and has played five games for the first team so far.
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RE: Anfield Forever - the Scouse corner - 1/8/2007 4:31:35 PM
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azinorum
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RAFA: TUESDAY WILL BE DIFFERENT
Jimmy Rice 08 January 2007
Rafa Benitez claims he is not dwelling on the FA Cup defeat against ****nal and insists: "Tuesday will be different".
Liverpool are preparing to face ****nal for the second time in four days, this time in the Carling Cup quarter-final.
"Tuesday will be a different game. Maybe I will make a few changes to the team I originally had in my head for the match," said Benitez.
"We will have to see how the players are before picking the team, but it is more important to stay in the Carling Cup now."
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RE: Anfield Forever - the Scouse corner - 1/8/2007 4:33:26 PM
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azinorum
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CARLING CUP BETTING PREVIEW
Liverpoolfc.tv 08 January 2007
Carling Cup betting odds
4/7 Chelsea.
4/1 Liverpool.
4/1 Spurs.
8/1 ****nal.
50/1 Wycombe.
Liverpool v ****nal
4/5 Liverpool.
12/5 Draw.
11/4 ****nal.
To qualify for semi-final
4/9 Liverpool.
13/8 ****nal.
12/1 ****nal to score three goals.
7/1 Liverpool to win in extra-time.
14/1 ****nal to win in extra-time.
9/1 Liverpool to win on penalties.
9/1 ****nal to win on penalties.
Correct Score (90 mins)
5/1 Liverpool 1-0.
15/2 Liverpool 2-0.
7/1 Liverpool 2-1.
16/1 Liverpool 3-0.
14/1 Liverpool 3-1.
25/1 Liverpool 3-2.
8/1 Draw 0-0.
9/2 Draw 1-1.
12/1 Draw 2-2.
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RE: Anfield Forever - the Scouse corner - 1/9/2007 1:40:56 PM
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azinorum
Posts: 1823
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Joined: 8/25/2006
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Liverpool v ****nal
Tuesday, 09 January 2007
Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek will keep his place for his side's rearranged Carling Cup quarter-final.
Craig Bellamy could return up front while defenders Sami Hyypia and Fabio Aurelio are also pushing for a recall.
****nal welcome back Cesc Fabregas, who was suspended for Saturday's FA Cup win against Liverpool at Anfield, and Abou Diaby returns after eight months out.
William Gallas could return after a thigh injury but Emmanuel Adebayor and Freddie Ljungberg are out.
****nal (from): Almunia, Eboue, Poom, Lehmann, Hoyte, Toure, Senderos, Clichy, Hleb, Silva, Flamini, Rosicky, Henry, Walcott, Van Persie, Baptista, Djourou, Diaby, Fabregas.
****nal's Tomas Rosicky:
"In almost every game we have created so many chances and not taken them. Compare that to the game on Saturday when we were very productive.
"For example, I don't feel I played a good game even though I scored twice
"This is a very good team but we have to be smarter. We have to avoid mistakes and take our chances."
Liverpool's Dirk Kuyt:
"We deserved more than we got on Saturday but ****nal are one of the better teams in the Premier League so we know it will be tough," he said.
"I hope that first defeat gives us an extra boost.
"Players always want to win trophies. There are a few more to fight for and the Carling Cup is one of them."
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RE: Anfield Forever - the Scouse corner - 1/9/2007 4:57:59 PM
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azinorum
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Liverpool 3-6 ****nal  
I can only hope this result won't destroy the rest of our season. Report to follow later
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RE: Anfield Forever - the Scouse corner - 1/9/2007 5:03:36 PM
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azinorum
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Liverpool 3-6 ****nal
Julio Baptista notched four as ****nal routed Liverpool to seal a Carling Cup semi-final clash with rivals Tottenham.
Jeremie Aliadiere ran onto Kolo Toure's pass to open the scoring, before Robbie Fowler flicked in neatly to level. However, a Baptista free-kick and tap in either side of Alex Song Billong's smart finish made it 4-1 at half time. Two more from Baptista, the first from 20 yards, sealed it after he had missed a penalty, though Steven Gerrard and Sami Hyypia notched late consolations.
It was a remarkable contest and one that few would have predicted when, against expectations, it was revealed before kick off that Rafael Benitez had opted for a weakened starting XI. Despite the Reds' weekend FA Cup exit, only Gerrard and Jerzy Dudek survived from the team that lost 3-1 to ****nal on Saturday, and the selection proved key to the hosts' downfall, with Lee Peltier and Gabriel Paletta in particular exposed in defence.
The hosts' cause was not helped by the fourth-minute withdrawal of winger Mark Gonzalez, who sustained a serious shin injury in an innocuous challenge on Theo Walcott.
And, despite the early threat of Craig Bellamy, the writing was on the wall from the moment Aliadiere tapped home the opener, finishing at the second attempt after showing fine skill to pull down Toure's long pass.
Liverpool were level minutes later, Fowler clipping home his 31st League Cup goal behind his legs from Luis Garcia's cross-shot, but ****nal's youthful pace and endeavour continued to cause the Reds all sorts of problems and the game was beyond doubt before half time.
Firstly, Baptista curled home a free-kick from 25 yards for only his second ****nal goal, and then in injury time the Londoners scored two in quick succession to stun the hosts. Song Billong made it 3-1 from close range after benefiting from a ricochet off Sami Hyypia and then Aliadiere was controversially ruled onside before pulling back to Baptista, who slid into an empty net to cap a remarkable end to the half. A resolute start to the second half from the hosts lasted just 10 minutes as ****nal continued their rampant display, and the Gunners could even afford Dudek's penalty save from Baptista after Hyypia had clearly hauled down Aliadiere.
No sooner had the Anfield crowd found their voice again, that Aliadiere cut back to Baptista from the left and the Brazilian drilled into the corner from 20 yards to complete his hat-trick. Gerrard interrupted ****nal's goal-fest with a stunning volley from 20 yards from Paletta's knock-back, but a disastrous evening for the hosts got even worse on 70 minutes when Garcia became the second player to be stretchered off with a serious-looking injury. Still the goals continued to roll in though, and Hyypia further reduced the deficit with a near-post header.
Liverpool's mini-revival was halted five minutes from time when Baptista tapped in another cross from the equally-impressive Aliadiere - the first time since 1914 that Liverpool had conceded six goals at Anfield.
There was still time for Hyypia to see an effort ruled out for offside and Jamie Carragher's drilled effort was kept out smartly by Manuel Almunia as an extraordinary encounter continued into the latter stages. But, despite the choruses of "You'll Never Walk Alone" from the home fans, it was the visiting support that were cheering at the end as ****nal sealed their first League Cup win at Anfield in stunning fashion.
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RE: Anfield Forever - the Scouse corner - 1/9/2007 7:38:13 PM
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azinorum
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WARNOCK IN CLEAR BUT DUO FACE SCAN
Paul Eaton 09 January 2007
Luis Garcia and Mark Gonzalez will undergo scans on Wednesday to determine the extent of the injuries they sustained against ****nal - but there's better news for Stephen Warnock who has been given the all-clear after also leaving the field injured.
Gonzalez was stretchered off with a shin injury in the first half and was replaced by Garcia who also left the field on a stretcher with a knee injury after 70 minutes.
Full back Warnock suffered bruised ribs during the second period but an x-ray after the game has confirmed no damage.
Stay tuned to Liverpoolfc.tv for the up to date injury news on Wednesday.
Benitez, meanwhile, was left to reflect on Liverpool's second Cup defeat to ****nal in the space of four days as ****ne Wenger's men ran out 6-3 winners.
He said: "It's a bad night for us and all we can say is sorry to the supporters.
"Now isn't the time to point the finger or look to blame people. We win together and we lose together.
"The problem was conceding four goals in the first half. When you are faced with a scoreline like that it is very difficult to manage the game.
"We needed an early goal in the second half but couldn't find it. When we did score ****nal had the quality to keep the ball and make it difficult for us.
"We need to forget about tonight as soon as possible and look ahead to Watford in the Premiership on Saturday and also the Champions League."
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RE: Anfield Forever - the Scouse corner - 1/9/2007 7:43:42 PM
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azinorum
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Benitez left baffled while Wenger hails 'future of the club'
By Phil Shaw - The Independent
Arsène Wenger hailed his youthful ****nal side after they stormed into the semi-finals of the Carling Cup last night - and admitted he was likely to field a similarly raw line-up against Tottenham Hotspur over two legs in the semi-finals. A team sprinkled with teenage understudies and spearheaded by the four-goal Julio Baptista trounced an under-strength Liverpool in their rearranged quarter-final at Anfield. The manner and the margin of the victory - the first time Liverpool had conceded six at home since Sunderland's spree in 1930 - prompted Wenger to suggest they deserved to take on Spurs for a place in the final.
"I'm highly tempted to keep the same team," the Frenchman said after the 6-3 triumph. "These players have earned the right after beating Everton, West Bromwich and now Liverpool. We feel that the future of the club is very promising."
Asked whether the quality of the players who came in had taken him by surprise, Wenger said: "No. I believed we had a chance to win, but I didn't expect to score six. I was very pleased with the fluency of our game and the way we just continued to play after they had made it 1-1."
After ****nal's 3-1 FA Cup win at Liverpool 72 hours earlier, Rafael Benitez argued that ****nal had greater spending power. His comments were rightly derided, but this sequel proved that ****nal do boast a vastly superior youth-scouting system. Cesc Fabregas, 19, is a familiar face, but his excellence was matched by prodigies such as Alexandre Song, 19, a Cameroonian midfielder who was as combative as he was composed, and Johan Djourou, also 19, an imposing Swiss central defender. Ironically, the biggest name, Theo Walcott, was the most peripheral of the junior Gunners. "And we still have some good players away on loan," Wenger added.
Baptista, a veteran of 25, deservedly received his manager's plaudits after becoming the first visitor to score four at Anfield since Wolves' Dennis Westcott 50 years ago last month. "I always believed he could deliver," Wenger said of the much-maligned Brazilian. "I'm impressed with his mental strength and team attitude."
He also made a point of mentioning the contribution of Jérémie Aliadière, whose career at ****nal seemed to have stalled after loan spells at Celtic, West Ham and Wolves. "He was also outstanding," Wenger said of the 23-year-old Frenchman. Benitez appeared understandably perplexed, ****nal having managed to score nine times from 11 goal attempts over the two ties. "I thought we were working really hard," the Spaniard said. "Every time we conceded a goal it was really difficult to explain. It was the same in the FA Cup."
Injuries to Mark Gonzalez, Stephen Warnock and Luis Garcia had played their part in Liverpool's downfall, but Benitez refused to criticise Jerzy Dudek, who contrived to put in an even more error-prone goalkeeping performance than on Saturday. "We win together and we lose together," he said.
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RE: Anfield Forever - the Scouse corner - 1/10/2007 4:05:17 AM
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azinorum
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British footballs rich list 2007
THE TOP 10
1. Roman Abramovich Chelsea £10.8bn
2. Joe Lewis Tottenham Hotspur £2.1bn
3. Dermot Desmond Glasgow Celtic £1.25bn
4. Malcolm Glazer Man Utd £1.05bn
5. Trevor Hemmings Charlton and Preston NE £900m
6. Sir Alan Sugar Tottenham Hotspur £790m
7. Randy Lerner Aston Villa £789m
8. David Murray Glasgow Rangers £650m
9. Simon Keswick Cheltenham Town £644m
10. David Sullivan Birmingham City £595m
THE TOP 10 PLAYERS
1. David Beckham Real Madrid £87m
2. Michael Owen Newcastle United £32m
3. Robbie Fowler Liverpool £28m
4. Sol Campbell Portsmouth £27m
5. Rio Ferdinand Man United £22m
6. Ryan Giggs Man United £22m
7. Andriy Shevchenko Chelsea £22m
8. Thierry Henry ****nal £21m
9. Wayne Rooney Man United £20m
10. Michael Ballack Chelsea £18m
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RE: Anfield Forever - the Scouse corner - 1/10/2007 5:51:23 AM
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azinorum
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NEXT GAME (hopefully LFC can recover some pride).
Saturday, 13 January 2007
Barclays Premiership
Watford v Liverpool 12:45pm BST
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RE: Anfield Forever - the Scouse corner - 1/11/2007 3:55:19 AM
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azinorum
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Garcia will miss rest of season Liverpool midfielder Luis Garcia has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a serious knee injury. The 28-year-old Spaniard ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during Tuesday's 6-3 Carling Cup defeat by ****nal.
Liverpool head of press Ian Cotton said: "Unfortunately we expect to be without Luis for six months."
Meanwhile, Chilean midfielder Mark Gonzalez faces up to three weeks out with a shin injury.
An X-ray confirmed there was no fracture, but a scan has revealed severe soft tissue bruising and bruising to the bone of his right shin.
Garcia's injury means he will miss Liverpool's return to his former club Barcelona in the last 16 of the Champions League in February.
He was injured after coming on as a substitute against the Gunners, falling awkwardly after an aerial challenge and being carried off on a stretcher.
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RE: Anfield Forever - the Scouse corner - 1/11/2007 4:04:15 AM
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azinorum
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Rafa takes wrong turn By Mark Lawrenson
BBC Sport football expert
Liverpool conceded six goals at home for the first time in 77 years as ****nal inflicted a humiliating 6-3 defeat on Rafael Benitez's side in the Carling Cup quarter-final.
The result sent shockwaves around Anfield, with Benitez coming in for fierce criticism for fielding an under-strength side that was outclassed by ****nal's own shadow squad.
It completed a devastating double blow inflicted on Liverpool by ****nal after ****ne Wenger's side sent them out of the FA Cup third round, also at Anfield, on Saturday.
What was behind Liverpool's crushing defeat? And what are the ramifications for Liverpool's season and under-fire boss Benitez?
TEAM SELECTION
Benitez got it wrong. Pure and simple. The team he put out was just too weak.
I would not have any problem resting one or two players, but the more youngsters you play the more difficult it is to improve.
It is a similar situation to when England make six changes at half-time in a friendly. How can you bed in these players?
Liverpool lost in the FA Cup on Saturday, so they needed a good run in the Carling Cup.
I would have made the spine strong. I would have chosen two from Jamie Carragher, Sami Hyypia and Daniel Agger in central defence and paired Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso in midfield.
The two strikers, Robbie Fowler and Craig Bellamy, had plenty of experience but I might have had Dirk Kuyt on the bench as an insurance policy.
I would have blooded a couple of inexperienced players in wide areas but there were just too many in the side and that heaped even more pressure on the likes of Gerrard.
The consequences were dire. Keeper Jerzy Dudek and the central defenders Gabriel Paletta and Hyypia were all over the place.
Some of the defending had to be seen to be 'disbelieved' and they were cut apart by an ****nal team that is fantastic on the counter-attack.
LIVERPOOL’S BIG PICTURE
I can understand Benitez looking down the road to matches against Chelsea, Barcelona and Manchester United - but I just do not buy into the theory of resting players with future games in mind.
I do not go with the suggestion that the players are tired. I just don't understand it.
If you are playing 60 games a season, it probably means you are playing in a successful team and when you are winning you are not tired.
I would not want the manager tapping me on the shoulder and telling me to take a rest when we are winning.
Liverpool had Jamie Carragher and Alonso stripped and ready on the bench and I reckon their mindset would have been: "I'm stripped. I might as well play."
The object was defeated anyway because they both ended up playing and Luis Garcia came on as a sub and then ended up going off with what looks like a serious injury.
If players are tired, why not give them more time off in the week? Tell them to go and put their feet up for a few days - they are super-fit anyway.
LIVERPOOL’S REACTION TO HUMILIATION
I do not think this will be a problem. They will field a different team at Watford on Saturday.
Pepe Reina will return in goal, Steve Finnan and John Arne Riise will be back, there will be an experienced central defensive pairing and Alonso and Gerrard will start in midfield. Kuyt will be back up front, so this will be a different team.
Disappointing as the result was, this is not a crisis. I still fully expect them to finish in the qualifying places to reach the Champions League and they still have the opportunity to have a run in Europe's elite competition this season.
All is not lost, despite a severe beating at the hands of ****nal.
LIVERPOOL FAN’S REACTION
Liverpool fans were huffing and puffing as they left Anfield after this - seeing their side concede six goals will be a once-in-a-lifetime nightmare for them.
They won't be happy about going out of two cup competitions in less than a week. And don't tell them the Carling Cup doesn't mean much - it was good enough for Manchester United to win last season.
And they will wonder what they are protecting them for because their record against Manchester United, Chelsea - in league combat anyway - and ****nal is awful anyway.
They will be disappointed, desperately, but I think they still have faith in Benitez.
I don't believe they accept the idea of players resting either.
PRESUURE MOUNTING ON RAFAEL BENITEZ?
Benitez is absolutely fine. He will be under no pressure and I can see what he is trying to do with the bigger picture at Liverpool.
My only problem with him is the resting of players and playing a weakened team. He has won the Champions League and the FA Cup after all.
The players coming through from the academy are not ready yet and he is now trying to buy young players from around the world.
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RE: Anfield Forever - the Scouse corner - 1/11/2007 4:12:12 AM
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azinorum
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Liverpool to take Padelli on loan
Sampdoria keeper Daniele Padelli will join Liverpool on a six-month loan deal on Wednesday, according to his agent.
The Italy Under-21 international, 21, is expected to undergo a medical before completing the switch.
Silvano Martina said: "The clubs have agreed on a six-month loan deal and the player is excited at the prospect of playing for Liverpool."
Padelli joined Serie B side Crotone on loan in the summer but has struggled for first-team opportunities.
He has managed just one appearance for the club as he has merely served as an understudy to Salvatore Soviero.
He has managed just one appearance for the club as he has merely served as an understudy to Salvatore Soviero.
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RE: Anfield Forever - the Scouse corner - 1/11/2007 1:00:57 PM
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azinorum
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SAMI TOWERS INTO TOP 25
Jimmy Rice 11 January 2007 (LFCTV)
Sami Hyypia has climbed into the top 25 in the club's all-time appearances table after featuring in the Carling Cup defeat against ****nal.
The centre-back has played 393 games for the Reds since arriving from Willem II in 1999, putting him level with club legend Ray Kennedy.
Hyypia still has a long way to go to catch Ian Callaghan, who tops the appearance table having represented the club 857 times in all competitions.
The only current player in front of the Finn is Jamie Carragher, who has featured in 448 Liverpool matches.
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RE: Anfield Forever - the Scouse corner - 1/11/2007 1:02:51 PM
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azinorum
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RAFA: OUR SEASON IS STILL ALIVE
Paul Eaton 11 January 2007
Rafael Benitez today declared Liverpool's season is still alive, despite the recent Cup disappointments against ****nal.
The Reds are preparing for this weekend's visit to Watford on the back of two defeats which have led some people to suggest the club has no chance of winning any silverware this season.
Benitez is remaining upbeat, however, and insists there's still much to play for with Premiership points to be won and a two legged tie with Barcelona to come in the Champions League next month.
"I am sure when we play teams like Manchester United, Chelsea and ****nal later in the season, it can be a different result," said Benitez.
"If we have all our players available, and have no more bad luck with injuries, I know how strong our first team can be.
"People are talking about how strong ****nal were in the last two games, so maybe this shows how well we've done to finish above them in the Premiership last season and to be third at this stage now.
"Last season I remember Manchester United losing early in the Champions League and losing to us in the FA Cup. People were saying things about them, but now they are at the top of the table.
"We are sure we can progress from here in a similar way, and remember we are still fighting in two competitions."
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