On the Kop

Gerrard Does It Again!

2006-05-15T05:52:00.000+12:00

Yes, no arguments from me, I've been guilty of neglecting this blog. That's been down to one major reason - I've recently moved from my home country of 12 years (New Zealand) to the hallowed home of the beautiful game (England). In New Zealand, where rugby is the mass' religion, I felt a compulsion to bring football to the public eye through this site. However, in England, faced with a glut of footballing news wherever I turned, I questioned the impact of just another footballing blog, resulting in abandonment. Until now that is.

The events that unfolded yesterday in the Millenium Stadium jolted me, quite violently, out of my blogging slumber. It reminded me again of why I love this team and why I feel the need to share this love. I humbly beg for forgiveness. I should have shown more of the never-say-die, beat-all-odds attitude that has come to be the Liverpool way. Yesterday was Istanbul all over again! Could that even be possible? Almost a year to the day from the remarkable Champions League victory of 2005 and Liverpool have somehow, again, come through on the winning side of a penalty shootout in a major cup final after a 3-3 draw in fulltime. Unbelievable! Astonishing! There aren't enough adjectives to describe what is one of the greatest cup finals the English game has ever seen. Hollywood could not have scripted it any better!

It had some freaky parallels with the Champions League final too. Kewell limps off injured, only to be subbed with Didi Hamann. 3-3 in fulltime leaves the Liverpool players completely drained, both mentally and physically, hoping for penalties because there was just nothing left in the tank. The Liverpool keeper (Dudek last year, Reina this year) makes a world class save at the end of extra time to keep his team in the game and goes on to save crucial penalties. It's just not in our blood to win finals in a simple, straightforward manner! It really isn't good for the heart.

Take nothing away from them, West Ham were worthy opponents, and they were 3 minutes away from claiming the cup. And then there was Gerrard. Is there anything this man cannot do? After coming within hours of bringing him to London, I'll bet Chelsea and Mourinho were sighing with dissapointment yesterday, watching Gerrard perform heroics in red and not in blue. It says something of Benitez as well. He never let the issue go and tried his hardest to keep Gerrard at Anfield, knowing full well that he's capable of matches like yesterday's. Captain Fantastic wrote his name into the FA Cup and Liverpool history books (yet again) when, suffering from cramp, he unleashed THAT 30-yard piledriver in injury time to equalize the score. It capped off a superhuman effort from the captain, which included setting up the first goal, scoring the next 2 goals and converting a penalty in the shootout. No doubt, they'll be calling it "pulling a Gerrard" from now on. He might not have the obvious leadership of an Alan Hansen, or the mesmerizing effect of a Kevin Keegan, but Stevie G is starting to eclipse the Liverpool greats with his heroicism, his tenacity and his lead-by-example style of captaincy.

Let's not forget the other hero from yesterday - Reina. From his dissapointing performance in normal time, when he was at fault for 2 of the goals, to pulling off the save of the game in extra time and saving 3 penalties in the shootout. He was the first to admit that he was lucky in the shootout, but I reckon he showed character when it was easier to drop his head after his miserable performance earlier.

So, here we are. An amazing end to an amazing season. We have the European Super Cup and the FA Cup in the cabinet (2 more trophies than Man Utd have!) and we're only 9 points off the Premiership top spot. The Rafalution rumbles on! I wish 2006/2007 started next week! What am I going to do with myself for the next 3 months? I guess I'll have to settle for watching the World Cup. Not bad that.

Liverpool 0 - 0 Chelsea: Close

2005-09-30T00:26:00.000+12:00

If I was still groggy and not fully awake as I switched the TV on early this morning (kickoff was at 2.45AM here), the teamsheet woke me up right away. 4-4-2? Really? Not quite...although we started with Crouch and Cisse, Djibs was placed out on the right wing. Still, it was an attacking lineup, and who am I to argue with Rafa's unbeaten 4-5-1 (or 4-3-3 depending on how you look at it). Best thing about this formation is that we can fit Didi, Stevie and Xabi all in the first team.

Liverpool made most of the early running without creating any clear-cut chances. Chelsea were the first to threaten, Lampard's free kick well pushed aside by Pepe Reina. It may have been going wide anyway but Reina didn't take any chances. Alonso then dwelled on the ball and was caught out by Essien, who had a very good game and will probably go on to be a superb player for Chelsea, I am very sad to say. Early booking for Xabi.

Gerrard then had a little bit of space about 25m out, but he rushed his shot and it went way over. Hyypia then chased a cross from Finnan - he didn't connect with a header but replays show that he was impeded by Drogba. Ref didn't spot it though.

Hamann then showed great close control to evade several Chelsea defenders on the left-hand edge of the area, but frustratingly his good low ball across didn't find a team-mate. Robben then had a rising drive palmed over by Reina after cutting inside Hyypia. HT 0-0.

Second half started brightly, with two penalty appeals turned down by the ref. First Garcia was tugged back slightly by Ferreira as he chased a bouncing ball into the box. OK - that was a 50-50. But later Carragher made a great run to meet Gerrard's corner and bullet a header towards goal which struck the arm of Gallas. Looked a clear penalty, Gallas had his arm up, shepherding a Liverpool player (Traore I think). But we're used to not getting penalties against Chelsea aren't we?

Xabi had a couple of speculative shots, but they failed to trouble Cech. Cisse made way for Pongolle who caused problems down the right - one foray forward took him past Lampard into the box but his low ball wasn't converted. Crespo and SWP came on for Chelsea but they were well contained, although SWP managed to win a few headers against Traore, which was a little bit worrying. Anyway, FT 0-0.

Positives - Crouch was a handful throughout. The ball either stuck or he laid it off to a team-mate. Or he got fouled by Carvalho (which happened again and again with no booking). Didi was great too, getting forward and delivering some nice passes. Xabi's defensive work was superb, but his normally razor-sharp passing was off today, as it has been thus far this season.

Negatives - obviously, no goals. Although maybe it's not such a big thing since we won't come up against defences like Chelsea's every week. I am worried though, Garcia and Gerrard seem to be the only likely goalscorers we have. Maybe Rafa should try playing Cisse off Crouch instead of out on the wing.

All in all, a very good performance, but we could have won this. Let's put things right this Sunday!

Liverpool 0 - 0 Manchester United : Dissapointing

2005-09-19T10:56:00.000+12:00

What promised to be a firestarter of a game ended up being a lifeless affair in desperate need of some spark. Liverpool fans expectations were high, with Liverpool being the current European champions. Liverpool started with a 4-4-2 formation with regulars Warnock, Finnan and Gerrard reinstated to the team following the Betis experiment. Benitez opted for Crouch upfront, with Garcia playing just behind the big man in the "hole" between forward and midfield. United came out in a 4-5-1 formation with Keane and Smith sitting in midfield just in front of the defence.

Both sets of players looked up for it in what is one of the most eagerly anticipated fixtures of the season, with Gerrard putting in two crunching tackles in the opening 3 minutes to make sure United understood where they were. Liverpool looked keen on overturning recent results, having lost 4 of their last 5 encounters. However, the game proved to be more of a midfield arm-wrestle than the free-flowing attacking play that the fans had hoped for, proven by the fact that Liverpool's first shot on target only came in the 40th minute. The first half saw Liverpool come out brightly, wanting to bring the game to United, but not leave too many holes in defence, especially with their dangerous speedster Ronaldo lurking. Gerrard was almost set through by Garcia in the opening 10 minutes but Van der Sar was quick off his line to clear the danger, something the Dutchman continued to do effectively throughout the game. Liverpool's tactic seemed to be to pump the ball long to Crouch, with the hopes of a few knockdowns setting another player through on goal. Crouch did his part, winning every single aerial battle against the helpless Ferdinand and Silvestre, however, dissapointingly, his headers could only find teammates on a few occasions. The first half finished with United getting hold of the midfield and almost scoring in the 44th minute when Van Nistelrooy was set free on goal by Ferdinand's throughball. The normally prolific striker however, tried to chip the advancing Reina and only managed to drop the ball on to the roof of the goal.

No substitutes were made at the break and both teams continued more of the same in the second half. Crouch continued to be the target man although he was visibly tiring. Possession was too readily lost by both sides resulting in very choppy play, with neither team able to string together more than 4 or 5 passes. Garcia was the repeat offender for Liverpool, having given away possession much too cheaply on too many occasions. He looked lost as to what to do with the ball and frequently passed it back to United or was robbed of it. To Garcia's credit though, he never once shirked away from the ball or hung his head in dismay, continuing to run and tackle. On the hour mark, Benitez surprisingly introduced Sissoko for Sinama-Pongolle instead of Garcia. Pongolle had been tricky and industrious up to that point and had given Kieran Richardson a stern test. With Sissoko on, Gerrard was able to roam forward and he tried hard to take control of the game. Within the space of 10 minutes, he unleashed a 20-yard drive that Van der Sar could only beat away, pushed a header over the bar and setup two chances for Garcia, both of which were off target. With 15 minutes to go, Cisse was brought on for Crouch as the game deflated. Sir Alex Ferguson made 3 very late substitutes, bringing Giggs, Fletcher and Park on to the field but there was hardly any time for them to have an impact.

Positives

Crouch had a very useful game, proving to be the bane of Ferdinand's and Silvestre's existence. The two defenders had no answer to his aerial efforts and if Liverpool had had more support play, we might have seen a goal or two produced from it.
Keane limped off with 10 minutes to go with what was apparently a broken foot.
Rooney was kept under wraps the whole game, which is a credit to our defence. He is capable of so much, proven by the winner he scored here in the corresponding fixture last season.
Another clean sheet with Reina only having to put down the book he was reading to catch the ball 3 or 4 times.

Negatives

A dissapointing overall performance. Both teams looked nervous and wary of making mistakes and as a result, produced a dour affair, with goalmouth action at a premium.
Cisse's attitude.. again. He appears more intent on arguing with referees and teammates than chasing down the ball and running hard. At this rate, it won't be surprising to see him leave the club in the January transfer window, should a replacement become available.
This may sound like a broken record, but once again, we're unable to score a goal. As Benitez says, "You can't win if you don't score."
Chelsea have the last laugh as two of their supposed title challengers play out a goalless draw, leaving the Blues to widen their gap at the top even further.

Real Betis 1 - 2 Liverpool : Jekyll and Hyde

2005-09-14T10:44:00.000+12:00

Yes, we can still score goals! Liverpool produced a mesmerizing first half performance to go 2 goals up, only to almost lose that advantage in the 2nd half as Real Betis showed why they finished fourth in La Liga last season. Inspired by Joaquin, Xisco and Dani, the Spanish underdogs pulled a goal back early in the 2nd half and pounded the defiant Liverpool defence but found keeper Pepe Reina in fine form as he pulled off a handful of crucial saves to give Liverpool the perfect start in their bid to become the first team ever to defend a Champions League crown.

It was a very unfamiliar Liverpool side that started the first half with Zenden, Sinama-Pongolle, Josemi and Traore all given the nod ahead of the likes of Riise, Cisse, Warnock and skipper Gerrard. Captained by Carragher, they came out of the blocks at full speed, scoring within 2 minutes of the start. Pongolle looked a veritable livewire in the opening exchanges and his industry was rewarded with a brilliantly taken goal. Carragher launched a long ball toward Betis' penalty box, and with Crouch causing all sorts of confusion among the 2 central defenders, Pongolle controlled the ball perfectly on the edge of the box and showed great composure to lob the keeper with his 2nd touch. As soon as the goal was scored, Pongolle seemed to move over to the right wing with Garcia coming into the middle with Liverpool seemingly switching to a 4-4-1-1 formation. Betis looked completely overawed in what was their debut in the Champions League and struggled to shrug off that opening setback. However, they still almost managed to produce a reply with Fernando almost through on goal, but Traore's last ditch tackle saved Liverpool's blushes. With only their second attack of the match in the 14th minute, Liverpool struck gold again. Crouch performed brilliantly to hold up the ball on the left side, faked a cross and laid it on to Zenden who pulled it across goal for Garcia to steal in with a fine finish. Liverpool were cruising at this point with Sissoko and Alonso pulling all the strings in midfield, breaking up any type of flow that Betis tried to produce. Reina was, however, still forced to make saves on 3 separate occasions with Betis showing glimpses of what could be.

The 2nd half proved to be completely different as Betis came out determined to stamp their authority on the game. Joaquin, who was completely anonymous in the 1st half, started to influence the game from the right wing as he took on Traore and Hyppia, exposing their lack of mobility. Xisco's introduction in the 2nd half also gave Josemi a torrid time as Betis had all the possession, pressing slowly but surely. Less than 10mins after halftime, Dani slotted a through ball right down the middle, which Hyppia lunged at desperately, to Arzu who made no mistake, pushing the ball between Reina's legs. At this point, the Betis midfield grew in stature as Sissoko and Alonso wilted, and in Joaquin and Xisco, they had the width, with Zenden and Pongolle not doing enough to help the wingbacks on the flanks. Josemi was caught out numerous times and had to foul on several occasions to halt the Betis flow. Benitez then made a few substitutions, with Cisse coming on for the impressive Crouch, and Riise on for Zenden. Liverpool were now clearly playing Cisse alone upfront in a 4-5-1 formation as they tried to consolidate on their lead. Reina was extremely busy as shots rained on the Liverpool goal. Gerrard finally entered the fray in the 70th minute, in an effort to provide more bite in midfield and only then did Liverpool start steadying the ship. In the last 15 minutes, Cisse's and Garcia's miscommunication conspired to waste a glorious chance to put the game beyond Betis. With 5 minutes of stoppage time having gone by, it was appropriate that the game ended with the ball in Reina's hands as Betis' last attack of the game failed to produce the goal they arguably deserved.

So, all in all, a magical 1st half from Liverpool that had me out of my seat on more than one occasion, and a steady, albeit nervy, defensive performance in the 2nd, resulting in an excellent win against the dark horse of the group. This performance will bring confidence to the team ahead of the massive game with Manchester United. Bring on the Mancs!

Euro Strip

2005-09-12T11:36:00.000+12:00

The club have just released the new European strip for this season and, overall, it looks pretty good. I'm just not so sure about the glossy diagonal stripes. The gold trim does look classy though, and who can argue over the addition of the 5 stars over the chest emblem!

The strip will be available for purchase from the Liverpoolfc.tv online store from November 10th onwards.

The squad will be wearing this for the first time this season when we take on Real Betis in a couple of days time.

Tottenham 0 - 0 Liverpool : Everything But Goals

2005-09-11T03:58:00.000+12:00

Liverpool and Tottenham were forced to share the spoils today in a highly entertaining game lacking only goals. Spurs were fielding 5 new signings with Liverpool surprisingly opting for a 4-4-2 formation instead of Rafa's preferred 4-5-1. Crouch, returning from injury to feature in his first Premiership game for the Reds, partnered Cisse upfront, while Hamann was given the nod ahead of Alonso and Sissoko to play alongside Gerrard in midfield.

Most of the invention in the first half came from a rejuvenated Spurs side. New Korean leftback, Lee Young-Pyo, signed from PSV Eindhoven, was especially dangerous, linking up well with Davids down the left midfield and regularly beating Finnan to the byline. Liverpool hardly had a shot on target. Their gameplay seemed to revolved around feeding crosses into Crouch as often as possible. Crouch came close on one occasion with a header in the penalty box, but it went wide. By halftime, Liverpool had still not forced Paul Robinson into making a save. Spurs looked the likelier to score. Reina was unable to hold on to a fierce Davids' freekick and when the ball spun back into play, Rasiak hit the crossbar with a clever header. Reina was again caught out as a cross was whipped into the penalty area from the left and Warnock had to clear before the ball could bounce into goal. Liverpool looked unable to hold on to possession and all in all, it was a disjointed performance from the Reds in the first half. Changes looked likely for the second half.

Sissoko entered the fray at halftime, replacing Hamann, and immediately, Liverpool looked all the better for it. I think it was no coincidence that the Reds started controlling play with Sissoko on the park. He hustled hard, looked hungry for the ball and physically stood up to Davids. Sissoko's instructions appeared to be to cover Lee when he pushed forward and he effectively nullified the Korean flyer in the second half. Riise, Cisse, Garcia and Crouch all came close to scoring - Riise with a left-footed thunderbolt (what else) of a volley that came back off the bar, Cisse with a similar volley that forced Robinson into a fingertip save, Garcia with a placed left foot shot that was blocked by Gardner and Crouch with a disallowed goal off a header. Spurs also had several gilt-edged chances, including a disallowed goal of their own, with Rasiak's header being disallowed for the ball having gone out of play from the earlier corner. After exploding into life in the second half, the game effectively went into neutral with 15mins to go, with Rafa making a defensive substitution, bringing on Traore for Crouch, signalling that he was happy to settle for a draw. At the final whistle, a draw seemed fair to both clubs.

Positives

Another clean sheet. Whilst we did experience several nerve jangling moments, our defence was mostly solid and played as a unit, catching Spurs offside on multiple occasions. Reina had a couple of anxious moments but in most situations, he marshalled the defence well and authoritatively laid claim to the ball.
Rafa's starting 4-4-2 formation, indicating that we're happy to go for goals away from home as well.
An open entertaining game from a neutral point of view.
Getting a point from a fixture that we haven't won in 7 years.

Minuses

Cisse looked quite distracted today. Whether it's due to all the transfer hype surrounding him, I can't be sure, but he definitely did not seem to be playing with the confidence that he had at the end of last season.
We're sorely lacking an in-form goalscorer. 1 goal scored in 3 Premiership games so far this season, and even that came from a midfielder, direct from a freekick.
Garcia's touch really let him down today. He seems completely unable to hang on to possession and I dare say that the only thing keeping him in the starting lineup at the moment is the lack of other options on the right of midfield.
We're already 10 points behind leaders Chelsea, although admittedly, we have 2 games in hand.

I must also add that Carrick and Defoe did not do their cases for England any harm on their performances today. Carrick marshalled the midfield very well and displayed a vast array of passes. Defoe's speed and control make him a very unpredictable player and he gave Hyppia a torrid time.

United also drew with City in their Manchester derby today leaving them hungry for a win for their visit to Anfield next week. My only worry is that we're coming off a Champions League fixture next weekend and we all know how that worked out for us last season. Hopefully, this season proves different.

A Crazy Month

2005-09-08T14:21:00.000+12:00

Just for those of you who don't realize yet, Liverpool are coming up on a crazy month after Tottenham this weekend, fixture wise. Whilst this won't be a season defining month, it could very well provide an indication as to how we can expect this season to go.

Sat 10 Sept: Away at Tottenham (Premiership)
Tue 13 Sept: Away at Real Betis (Champions League)
Sun 18 Sept: Home to Manchester United (Premiership)
Wed 28 Sept: Home to Chelsea (Champions League)
Sun 2 Oct: Home to Chelsea (Premiership)

How's that for a pressurized month. Good luck you RedMen and YNWA!

Can we strike?

2005-09-07T17:36:00.000+12:00

Well, here we are now, in the club football void that always coincides with World Cup qualifying games (interestingly, all of Liverpool's first XI are involved with their respective international teams). After the hustle and bustle of the close of the transfer window, things seem to have died down a little on the club fronts and all LFC fans are hoping and praying for a safe injury-free return for all our international stars.

With the recent fuss about missing out on Owen still fresh in our minds (and for a lack of anything more interesting to talk about), I thought I'd have a look at the strikers we're left with for the long haul ahead. So, firstly, some stats:

Peter Crouch
Only played in 2 Liverpool games this season due to injury but last season, scored 16 goals in 33 appearances for Southampton for an average of a goal every 2 games.

Djibril Cisse
Made 34 Liverpool first team appearances so far (almost half of those as a substitute), scoring 11 goals, for an average of a goal every 3 games. Most of his goals have been Premiership goals.

Fernando Morientes
Scored 3 goals in 13 games for the Reds and so far this year, has scored 2 goals in 5 games, for an average of a goal every 3.6 games.

Neil Mellor
22 appearances, scoring 6 goals (one of which was THAT one against Arsenal), for an average of a goal every 3.7 games.

Florent Sinama Pongolle
Made a total of 50 appearances (33 as sub) scoring 6 goals for average of a goal every 8.3 games.

So, whilst looking at statistics alone isn't necessarily the way to go, I do think that's what our striking pecking order should be (admittedly with Crouch in a Red jersey still being a bit of a mystery to me). Interestingly, if Milan Baros were to be included in that list, he would come out close to the top, with an average of a goal every 3.4 games.

We desperately need the return of Crouch for without him, our striking options look severely (and depressingly) limited. With Crouch, we are capable of playing a traditional big striker-small striker attack with either Cisse or Pongolle as his speedy partner. The Crouch-Cisse combination is one that could potentially be a real hit and I, for one, am really looking forward to seeing them get some games together in the hopes of forging a partnership. With Pongolle seemingly being groomed for the right wing position, this combination appears to be the one that Benitez is betting the house on.

Whilst there is no doubting his goalscoring pedigree in the past, Morientes just hasn't seemed to be able to reproduce that form in the Premiership. One could argue all night as to the reasons why - the Premiership is too physical for him, he's lost his pace, he's just not as motivated anymore - but with each scoreless game he plays in, he's proving to be a somewhat of a luxury that Liverpool just cannot afford. No doubt, now is not the time to sell, with our lack of options upfront, but unless he dramatically turns around his performances, I don't see him making the squad next season, or even after January.

Mellor appears to be a squad player at best. While I really like this guy and I hope he hits some good form for the club, I don't think he's ever seriously going to challenge our main strikers, unless we're hit with an injury crisis again like last year. Having said that, there have been reports that suggest he's been struggling with tendonitis in his joints and that recent surgery should put this right. If so, then we might not have seen the best of him yet.

So, will missing out on Owen come back to bite LFC where it hurts? Only time will tell but you can safely bet that Newcastle are quietly (and sometimes not so quietly) optimistic.

End Of The Transfer Madness

2005-09-01T17:32:00.000+12:00

With the end of the transfer window a few hours ago, thus ends yet another hectic period of player movements. How did it all pan out for Rafa and Liverpool? Let's first look at the players who left the club this summer.

Bruno Cheyrou to Bordeaux on loan
Good move. Cheyrou was highly rated by Houllier before his much anticipated arrival at Anfield but never lived up to expectations. This Houllier transfer bomb will be better off playing first team football elsewhere.

Mauricio Pellegrino released on free transfer
The experienced Argentinian arrived as cover for Hyppia and Carragher but exhibited an alarming lack of pace and positional play for the Premiership.

El-Hadji Diouf to Bolton (fee undisclosed)
Again, a good move on Liverpool's part. Diouf, although skillful, never quite fit into Liverpool's style of play and had a curious affinity for releasing saliva on unsuspecting fans and players alike.

Igor Biscan to Panathinaikos on free transfer
Most fans, including myself, will tell you that they were sad to see Igor leave. He improved leaps and bounds last season and turned into a formidable midfielder, but obviously did not fit into Rafa's plans.

Chris Kirkland to West Brom on loan
Good move again, allowing Kirkland to still enjoy Premiership first team football. Tipped to be a future England regular, it may yet pay to keep him on Liverpool's books.

Milan Baros to Aston Villa for £6.5 million
I have my doubts about this move, although admittedly, his lone ranger style of play does not fit well. Baros was still our joint top scorer last season, and selling him to a fellow Premiership contender does not seem wise.

In addition to those, the following players were also released from the club. Alou Diarra and Antonio Nunez were sold and Robbie Foy, John Welsh, Carl Medjani and Anthony Le Tallec sent to various clubs on loan deals.

Now, let's look at the players that Rafa has brought in.

Mohamed Sissoko from Valencia for £5.5 million
Turning out to be Rafa's buy of the season. The tough tackling midfielder looks set to become an Anfield favourite.

Jose Reina from Villareal (undisclosed sum)
This Spanish international keeper looks to be a strong, confident player with a whopper of a punch. Great replacement for Dudek.

Boudewijn Zenden from Middlesbrough on a free transfer
Signed as cover for Kewell and Riise on the left side of the park. Hasn't lit up Anfield as yet with his performances but the season is young.

Peter Crouch from Southampton for £7 million
Currently out injured, Crouch provides a different dimension to our attack. £7 million might seem a bit steep for a player with such little goalscoring history, but all will be forgotten if he performs for us the way he did for Southampton last season.

In addition to these, the following young players were also signed to the club. In particular, Barragan and Hobbs are capable of challenging for first-16 places in the squad this season.

Bezian Indrizaj from Linzer ASK
Ramon Calliste
Antonio Barragan from FC Sevilla
Jack Hobbs from Lincoln City
Godwin Antwi from Real Zaragoza
Miquel Roque from Lleida.

So, obviously Rafa has been pretty busy on the transfer front, but the one everyone is talking about is the one that got away. Michael Owen appeared set to make his Liverpool return but circumstances with Real Madrid meant that we lost out to Newcastle for his signature. Owen seemed set for a Merseyside move, stating he would prefer to move to Liverpool instead of Newcastle, but Liverpool were unable to match Newcastle's bid of £16 million for him. I wholeheartedly agree with the decision made here. Rafa has continuously indicated that his first priorities are to get a right winger and a centreback and Owen doesn't fall into this. To sign Owen for double the price that we sold him for only a season ago would be madness, leaving the club with significantly less in the transfer kitty for players in positions were truly need.

Besides Owen, Liverpool were linked to a whole host of "almost there" transfers over the summer. Luis Figo, Mark Gonzalez and most recently, the Benfica captain, Simao Sabrosa, all appeared set to don Liverpool jerseys this season until their moves were thwarted at the eleventh hour by a whole host of reasons. Figo, Sabrosa and Owen all shared a common reason - unmatched transfer fees - proving that Rafa and Liverpool were determined to stick to their guns when it came to player valuations. Gonzalez still appears likely to complete his move in January, having had his original work permit application rejected by the Home Office.

So, after a frantic last few days in this transfer window, Liverpool are still left without a reliable right winger and centreback. All is not lost however, as Rafa appears to be grooming Florent Sinama Pongolle for the right wing position (he's played him in 2 reserve games now in that position) and Josemi is, possibly, turning out to be adequate cover at centreback (he performed admirably in the CSKA Sofia and Moscow games in that position). If, come January, we're still competing in all competitions, then this would have been a well made gamble.

No doubt, the loss of Owen (for the 2nd time in as many seasons) will be the talk of the town for a few days yet but I, for one, am looking forward to leaving the transfer scene and getting on with the business of playing games again. Bring on Tottenham!

The Defence Begins Close To Home

2005-08-28T01:02:00.000+12:00

The Champions League group draws were made on Friday in Monaco and I thought I'd give a quick rundown here on how the draw went for Liverpool. Liverpool were placed among the top seeds in the draw, ensuring that they had protection against the likes of Manchester United, AC Milan and Juventus. One top seed (8 in total) was drawn into each group and the rest of the group teams were drawn from the rest of the teams. As is well known by now, Chelsea were drawn with Liverpool into group G. Anderlecht and Real Betis make up the rest of the group, making it the toughest group by far (note: Arsenal have arguably the "softest" group, with Ajax, Sparta Prague and FC Thun). Here's a rundown of our group G competitors:

Chelsea
I'm sure no introduction is necessary here. English Premiership champions, Champions League semi-finalists and English League Cup winners last season, Jose Mourinho's band of stars will be our toughest opposition by far. They have strengthened even more in the off season by acquiring the English international, Shaun Wright Phillips. Chelsea will be out for revenge for last season's dramatic semi-final aggregate loss to Liverpool (especially due to "that" goal that most Chelsea fans will still swear did not cross the line). If the upcoming games against Chelsea are anything like the semi-finals from last season, we're in for a mouthwatering treat.
Fixtures: 28 Sept 2005 at Anfield and 6 Dec 2005 at Stamford Bridge.

Anderlecht
The Belgian league winners from last season are still searching for the form that made them a force in Europe in the 70's and 80's, winning the Cup Winners' cup twice and the UEFA Cup once. Their domestic dominance is impressive, having won the Belgian title a record 27 times, but they have not appeared in the Champions League since 2001. The are still however, a team not to be underestimated, and could produce a shock result or two.
Fixtures: 19 Oct 2005 at Constant Vanden Stock Stadium and 1 Nov 2005 at Anfield.

Real Betis
Betis could prove to be the dark horse of the group. Last season, they finished 4th in La Liga and also won the Copa Del Rey (King's Cup). This will be their debut season in the Champions League and they achieved it in style, knocking out the 2004 losing finalist, Monaco. However, their lack of experience at this level could be their shortcoming.
Fixtures: 13 Sept 2005 at Estadio Manuel Ruiz de Lopera and 23 Nov 2005 at Anfield.

With the Champions League format being changed this year, eliminating the second group stage, the group positions could be extremely important in determining the draw for the knockout stages. My predictions for the group are that Chelsea will win with Liverpool finishing second, followed by Real Betis and Anderlecht. Finishing 2nd and drawing a group winner in the knockout stages will not be a disaster, as Liverpool seem to produce their best form against quality opposition.

The players have reacted very well to the draw, with Gerrard relishing "two more great games against Chelsea" and Dudek echoing his sentiments. Favourable results against Chelsea could be even sweeter for Gerrard, especially after an off season filled with the speculation surrounding his seemingly imminent move to the Premiership champions. Mourinho's words of "Gerrard is making a mistake" could come back to haunt him.

CSKA 1-0 Liverpool: Qualification Achieved

2005-08-24T09:40:00.000+12:00

It was more of the same from Liverpool tonight, putting in a less than ideal performance, but coming away with the "big picture" result that mattered. With first team regulars Alonso, Carragher, Garcia and Gerrard left out due to injury or rest, it was an unfamiliar Liverpool side that took to the field, with Darren Potter on the right wing and Josemi playing at centreback. They played a 4-4-2 system with Morientes partnering Cisse up front.

Liverpool started brightly having all the ball possession with Sissoko doing especially well. The best chance of the half came in the opening 10 minutes when Cisse was put through brilliantly with only the keeper to beat but Maksic rushed out and closed the angle very well, leaving Cisse's shot with nowhere to go but into his body. This was one of many saves that the impressive Maksic pulled off on the night. After 15 minutes of one way Liverpool traffic, the Reds were hit by a shock CSKA goal. It originated from a freekick out on the right due to a very suspect call from referee Wolfgang Stark for a foul by Sissoko. The ball was pulled back to the top of the penalty area and Iliev ran on to it unmarked in a well rehearsed move. He hit a well placed right foot shot into the top left corner, leaving Carson diving helplessly. Liverpool looked stunned by the goal and it took a while for them to regain their composure. This seemed to be a continuation of their opening two Premiership games with Liverpool having most of the possession but unable to convert them into clearcut chances, only looking dangerous from freekicks. Cisse, in particular, hit a brilliant freekick with power and swerve, but again, Maksic was able to get his body behind the ball.

Warnock was industrious at leftback but was again caught out of position defensively a few times. He seems to like roving forward and Riise did not cover particularly well. Hamann and Sissoko looked to be defending too high in midfield leaving CSKA with lots of space to exploit behind them. CSKA defended for most of the first half but they defended stoutly and compactly, leaving Liverpool frustrated with 8 strikes, most of them not even requiring a save from the keeper. Everytime CSKA counterattacked, it was anxious times, because they looked good with their simple one touch passes, easily floating through the Liverpool ranks. The Reds had to make too many last ditch tackles for my liking. 1-0 to CSKA at halftime. I expected Benitez to bring some of the regulars back into the team if not at half time, then at least at the 60min mark. One more goal for CSKA and this could become way too close for comfort.

The second half started with Liverpool looking energized, hungry for the equalizer. But it was to be more of the same with Liverpool having the lion's share of the possession and territory, but unable to crack open the tight CSKA defence. Garcia was brought on at halftime in place of Darren Potter. Potter didn't perform badly, but with CSKA putting up more of a fight than expected, this was not the time to experiment with new players, especially with much needed Champions League revenue possibly in jeapordy. Zenden followed Garcia on to the pitch after 60mins, in place of Warnock, with the hopes of providing more penetration. And they did go forward with more impetus, looking much more willing to run hard. A shot from Riise that looked to be going well wide dipped and curved surprisingly almost catching Maksic out before he managed to pull it in. It was a rare attack from CSKA that almost brought the next goal of the game. Sissoko fouled again about 10 yards out from the penalty area and the resulting freekick was a cracker, only inches wide of the left hand post with Carson diving much too late. That seemed to rattle Liverpool's confidence a little and it took a while before they again started passing with confidence. Morientes was provided with a glorious chance to get the elusive equaliser when two CSKA defenders fell over themselves, presenting the ball to him with only the keeper to beat. He pulled it left and prodded it at goal, but defenders were able to clear in time. With 10mins to go Benitez threw on Florent Sinama-Pongolle for Cisse, making his first senior appearance in months since his injury. The best chance of the match fell right on 90mins. Sissoko powered towards the CSKA goal beating one defender and unleashing a right-footed drive that crashed on to the crossbar but it was unable to prevent Liverpool losing their 9-match unbeaten run.

In the end, the result on the night was a dissapointment and Liverpool again looked to be sorely lacking a proven goalscorer, but it was a case of job done, qualifying for the lucrative group stages of the Champions League, where they will defend their crown as the top seed. Watch for the group stage draw, which happens on Friday in Monaco.

On the plus side, Sissoko put in yet another impressive box-to-box performance. Easily my man of the match. He has a hunger for the ball and is a strong and tough customer, providing lots of defensive bite and even pushing forward well. I can easily see him becoming an Anfield favourite if he continues in the same vein as he has done in the last 3 matches. With more experience and game time, Benitez's prediction of "the next Vieira" could very well come true.

Frustrating, Frustrating, Frustrating (Pool 1 Sunderland 0)

2005-08-21T04:16:00.000+12:00

First home match of the season against supposedly no-hopers Sunderland was supposed to be an opportunity for us to knock a few goals in and get the confidence up. Unfortunately...

Could have scored a couple in the first few minutes. Stevie cross-cum-shot hit the post and from the corner Nando really should have done better with a totally open header which flew wide. And then Cisse had pretty much an open goal from (I think) Zenden's cross from the left which was fluffed.

Nothing much happened in the next 10 or 15 minutes until Xabi blasted in his free kick which was well worth the wait! Keeper got a hand to it but it was too powerful. I really don't think we score enough from free kicks so this was a welcome change. Nice to see Xabi getting on the scoresheet too.

Rest of the first half was uneventful, however what was worrying was that Sunderland began to get more and more possession in midfield and in wide areas, without really threatening Reina's goal. I got very nervous when this happened because we seem to be very shaky when defending crosses. Anyway, 1-0 HT.

Second half was similar to the first, Sunderland getting more of the possession and us unable to really get anything going attacking-wise. Sunderland were able to go forward right through the middle of the park which is something Rafa needs to sort out. Cisse had a goal ruled out for offside, although having seen the replay I'm sure the linesman got it wrong. Also a volley that he smashed wide and an angled one-on-one (that he created himself, to be fair) that he hit over. Then one of their players got sent off in the 75th minute for a (supposed) punch or "raised arm" against Little Luis, which was total nonsense. At most, a booking. But even with 11 against 10, we were unable to really threaten. 1-0 FT.

Scary moments: (1) A corner that got past everyone and dropped into our 6-yard box. Luckily they were unable to get a foot onto it, otherwise an almost certain goal. (2) A low cross into our 6-yard box that Finnan had to scramble clear. (3) How their forwards were able to consistently retain possession when the ball was pinged in to them, and how ours were not.

All in, a pretty shaky performance. Let's hope everyone improves in time for CSKA Sofia, otherwise we're in trouble.

Ratings Time!

Reina - 6: Nothing to do

Finnan - 6: Not as steady as usual, let the Sunderland winger get past him a couple of times. Improved as the match went on though

Carragher & Hyypia - 6: Typical performance, although Sami lost a couple of headers that he shouldn't have

Warnock - 6: Steady, although his poor positioning let in Sunderland down our left more than once

Cisse - 4: Bad bad performance from Djibs, missed a couple of chances and generally was off the pace

Gerrard - 7: Was the dynamo again, strange that he came off so early

Alonso - 6: Below his normally very high standards. Passing was off today

Sissoko - 7: Very mobile and obviously loves getting forward. Left the defence exposed a couple of times though

Zenden - 6: Put in some nice crosses and could have scored himself from Carra's cross-field ball early in the first half

Morientes - 4: Missed a very good chance and didn't really do much else. Was pushed off the ball too easily for my liking. Time is running out Nando!

Subs:

Garcia - 6: Couple of nice tricks and flicks, but lost the ball too often

Baros - 6: No time to really have an impact

Riise - 6: Ditto

The Return of St Mike?

2005-08-17T13:29:00.000+12:00

While Soccernet reports of Milan Baros' likely move to Aston Villa, it's the rumours surrounding another prominent striker, who may be returning to Liverpool, that is on the minds of most fans. Homegrown hero Michael Owen, has now, reportedly, been put on Liverpool's transfer target list, provoking mixed reactions from fans. Let's take a look at some of the pros and cons of the possible return of St. Mike.

No one can doubt, for a minute, the goalscoring record and prowess of Owen. He's scored 158 goals in 298 appearances for Liverpool prior to moving to Real, where he also had an impressive record of 14 goals from 22 starts. Like all strikers, he's gone through patches of bad form before, but has always come out with a season goal haul of at least double digits, which is more than I can say for some of our current strikers. A pacy, proven finisher, in his prime, he will be, almost, a guaranteed 15-20 goals a season striker. Definitely a plus on this front.

Owen has been a Liverpudlian all his life, having come through the youth ranks and into the senior squad. In interviews, he's also stated that he still holds the club close to his heart. His wife and daughter are currently living with him in Madrid, but the rest of his family are still in Liverpool. He has also publicly stated that he misses having family and friends around and being in his own house, so a move back to Liverpool could be ideal for him personally.

Some of the concerns against the move is that he will not fit in with Liverpool's current style of play. I don't believe it's true that the team will suffer and I think he'll fit in nicely, playing alongside Crouch or Morientes, who play well with their backs to goal. Even alongside Cisse, I think the partnership will work well. Cisse is big, strong and able to take the ball from midfield up to opposition goals, taking on players, leaving gaps for Owen to exploit. With Owen, we also have the added ability of playing a single striker effectively, as he's the master of exploiting limited oppurtunities to the fullest (check back to the FA Cup final against Arsenal). With Rafa's preference for 4-5-1 at away games, Owen could be a useful option.

My concerns for the move would be the financial strains that it might place on the club. There have been no figures put on the table as yet, but someone of Owen's stature does not come cheap, especially from Real. If we could get him for £8-11mil, then I think it's a deal well worth it, with Baros' potential transfer money able to cover most of it. Most of the talk has been about a loan deal, which would be ideal for the club, as long as there's a decent option to buy at the end. With a loan deal, potential revenue from the Champions League this year could cover a purchase next season. The top priorities that Rafa has at the moment, is to buy a centreback and a right winger. As long as the Owen deal does not jeapordize this, then I'm all for it.

So, will he or won't he? He's English, he's a local hero, he's a top striker and a classy professional. Rafa has not ruled out the possibility and neither can we. Is it likely? Well, the ingredients are there. It's World Cup season, and Owen needs game time at a top club, no matter what Sven Goran Eriksson says. He's not going to be getting much at Real, with the signings of Julio Baptista and Robinho. So, here's hoping he finds his way home.

Middlesbrough 0 - 0 Liverpool

2005-08-14T18:35:00.000+12:00

First game of the new season. New signings, new impetus, new hope, but it ended in very familiar fashion to how the previous season ended. We gave up 2 points we shouldn't have.
The game started in an extremely lethargic fashion, with both teams appearing to be still on summer break. Much of the first half was played at half tempo. There was only one chance of note in the whole first half, falling to Stevie G. The header down from Morientes was inch perfect, Gerrard ran on to it, and you expect him to clinically put away chances like that, but he skied it.

Second half was played at a much higher pace, with both sides seemingly jolted out of their slumber. With Ugo Ehiogu sent off with 20mins to go for fouling Gerrard as the last man, the Reds piled forward and Boro were pretty much camped out in their own half, willing to happily take the draw. All the chances fell to Liverpool, and in fact, all to Stevie G. Instead of a hattrick, all Gerrard had to show for it were two headers, one inches wide, another saved by Schwarzer, and a missed long range shot.

Overall, we played a good second half. Dominated Boro, carved out a few chances, and all we were lacking was finishing. Let's look at the new boys. Pepe Reina made a hash of one Middlesbrough cross, but all in all, he performed well. He looks like a decisive goalie, with enough presence to command his defence, which I think it something we've always lacked in goalkeeper. The most impressive performance, besides Gerrard, was Momo Sissoko. My predictions about him in my previous post seem to be coming true. He was strong on the ball, hard into every tackle and generally commanded the middle of the field. Impressive for a 20 year old, making his debut in the EPL. I hope to see more good things from him. There were some very dissapointing performances. Garcia and Morientes were pedestrian at best. Unable to hold on to the ball for long, they were substituted in the second half and their replacements, Cisse and Baros, performed better. Zenden also did not make an impression.

Well, 2 points dropped against 10 men. Steve McLaren was a happy man. Rafa has claimed he is satisfied with the performance, but I'm sure he was steaming on the inside with the lost oppurtunities. On the plus side, the performance was good and if Gerrard had finished better, we'd have won 3 or 4 nil. Bring on Sunderland.

The Rafalution Part III

2005-08-14T18:25:00.000+12:00

Here now is the third and final part of my take on the Anfield Rafalution of 2004/2005, where I look at the team achievements and at the man himself.

Who can doubt the success of 2004/2005? European champions in the most dramatic fashion generally qualifies the season as a roaring success and our historic Champions League exploits have been well documented in numerous publications. So, let's look at our other achievements.

Premiership
5th place, 37 points behind champions Chelsea. Finished behind Everton for the first time in years. Our Premiership form, especially away, was desperately ordinary. Lost away games to opposition that had no right taking any points from the game. I think we lacked the killer instinct to put teams away. No doubt, we have grown into a big game team, with everyone stepping up to the challenge (eg. home against Arsenal, home against Chelsea, home against Everton etc.).
But successful Premiership campaigns also require points to be taken from "ordinary" games, against the mid-table likes of Spurs, Newcastle and Blackburn. They set themselves a target of at least 4th place at the beginning of the season and did not achieve it.

FA Cup
Dismal. Knocked out in the 3rd round to Burnley, with Traore scoring a shocking own goal. The press critisized Rafa for showing disrespect to the FA Cup by fielding a second string squad. One thing's for sure, Rafa will have learnt his lesson and I see him taking this cup more seriously this season. A failure in 04/05.

League Cup
Fielding a youth squad for most of the cup run, the youngsters admirably brought the team to the semifinals before Rafa started with the senior squad. I think the League Cup run was an exercise that brought much gain. The youth players got much needed playing time against first class opposition and in return, Rafa discovered some real gems for the future. We ended up losing to Chelsea in the finals after extra time, but I would still deem the campaign a success.

The Premiership campaign was the most dissapointing aspect of an otherwise successful season. With Everton's late season disintegration, the door was wide open for the Reds to make 4th place their own, but failed on numerous occassions, drawing when they should have won. From Rafa's comments and transfer activity, he seems to have taken steps to solve the dissapointing away form, signing players like Crouch specifically with away games in mind.

All said and done, Rafa is capable of bringing the glory days back to Anfield. No one can doubt his knowledge of the European game, so markedly displayed in their varying domestic and European forms. His knowledge of the English game is also slowly improving, much like his grasp of the English language. One thing I really like about him is his quiet confidence, and I think it has rubbed off on the team. Where Mourinho will say things like "Gerrard is making a huge mistake (by staying with Liverpool)", Rafa just responds by saying "If they're talking about us, then they're worried about us". Happy to let his team's game and results do the talking for him. Now let's see that confidence transformed into a winning Premiership campaign!

The Rafalution Part II

2005-08-12T10:52:00.000+12:00

Yesterday, I looked at the player transfers that Rafa brought about in his first season with the Reds. Here, I'm gonna look at some of the players he inherited and how they changed under his tutelage.

Steven Gerrard
Let's start with Captain Fantastic. No doubt, he has grown in leaps and bounds in the last year. He was already a critical part of Liverpool prior to the arrival of Rafa, but I think in the last season, Stevie G has shown even more drive and determination (if that's possible) to drag the club, sometimes singlehandedly, to glory. He has shown more responsibility and matured in his role as club captain, pulling off amazing performances, whilst still keeping the big picture in mind. I think having a calm, calculated gaffer around, like Rafa, has been the catalyst for this. This is illustrated beautifully in a Gerrard interview that I saw, where he was asked about what he thought of THAT goal against Olympiakos. His response was that the important thing was the whole team played 100% and pulled off the result, and reminded the interviewer that Pongolle and Mellor had scored massive goals earlier to bring them to the brink. "It's about the team, not the individual".

Jamie Carragher
If Stevie G had not seen the light and ran off to Chelsea, then this man here would be handed the club captaincy, hands down. At one point in the last 4 or 5 seasons, he was only in the team until the manager inevitably brought in a new player. Now, his is the first name on the team sheet every week. Played the most number of games last season of any other Red, and has been a titan in defence alongside Hyppia. He lives, breathes and eats Red. Go back a few months to the Champions League final, when in extra time, he lunges at the ball to keep it away from Shevchenko, cramps his groin muscle, is taken off for treatment, comes on and lunges heroically again, and you know this is a man who will die for the club. Under Rafa, he is now comfortable on the ball, shows composure in desperate situations and is a model to everyone around with his performances and his words. I used to cringe whenever he had the ball with strikers closing in, but no more. Liverpool's Player of the Season 2004/2005, and probably should have been at least nominated for PFA Player of the Season.

Along with those 2, players like Neil Mellor, Florent Sinama-Pongolle, Stephen Warnock and Djimi Traore have all improved in leaps and bounds under Rafa. Mellor looks to be the natural, traditional English striker. Pongolle, the wily, quick, skillful player in the mould of Luis Garcia. Warnock's proving to be a more than useful left sided player (when he's not injured) and Traore showed signs of becoming the dependable defender, after a less than memorable first half of the season. Rafa realizes that the future of the club lies with the youth squad, of which these 4 played a major part in. And how they delivered, bringing the club to the semi-finals in the League Cup. More games under the belt will help their confidence, and with age on their side, I think the omens look good.

Under Rafa, Liverpool are also now playing a brand of football that their fans have always expected. Goals like Mellor's against Arsenal, Garcia's against Juventus and Gerrard's against Olympiakos have lit the Anfield crowd, and the general football world, with excitement. Liverpool FC has a history of being a super-club. Not only are they expected to win games, but to win in style and with poise and Rafa seems to understand this culture. This season sees more of his signings take the field and this year, it will truly be Rafa's team and hopefully we see the success of last season built upon.

Check back tomorrow, on the eve of 2005/2006, for the final bit in the series where I look at the club's achievements under Rafa, and at the man himself.

The Rafalution Part I

2005-08-10T11:25:00.000+12:00

As we're only a couple of days away from the opening game of 2005/2006, I thought it'd be a good time to reflect on how Rafa Benitez's tenure as manager has gone so far. This is the first of three parts and here I'll look at the player transfers that have been made so far by Rafa.

Luis Garcia
Brought in from Barcelona in August 2004, Garcia has most definitely been a hit. Garcia's stylish play and penchant for the spectacular in important games has lit up Liverpool games. Able to play on the left or right wings, behind the strikers or as a main striker, Garcia has versatility and the ability to make teams pay from almost anywhere on the field.

Xabi Alonso
Is proving to be the buy of the season. His cultured, calm demeanor and ability to hit long passes with pinpoint accuracy is the perfect foil to Steven Gerrard's all-action play. Came back from a broken ankle last season to feature prominently in the Reds' run to Euro glory.

Fernando Morientes
The jury is still out on Nando. He is, undoubtedly, football royalty, having a glorious goalscoring history with Real Madrid and Monaco. Nando is still learning to adapt to Premiership life, although he did show glimpses of what he is capable of last season.

Scott Carson
Young keeper with potential. Will gain more confidence to command his defence as he gets more games under his belt.

Josemi
A miss. Josemi was not impressive last season as a right back. He prefers to attack and seems to lack the pace to recover in time defensively.

Antonio Nunez
A miss. Nunez arrived from Real Madrid to play on the right wing and immediately experienced injury. Did not have the skills or flair necessary to terrorize defences. Has since departed the club for Spain.

Bolo Zenden, Momo Sissoko, Jose Reina, Peter Crouch, Antonio Barragan
All arrived at Anfield in this off-season. Zenden and Crouch have Premiership experience behind them and should settle in quickly, but the rest arrive from La Liga, requiring a bit of a bedding in period.

Tribalfootball.com also reports that Owen now appears to be on Benitez's list of players to bring in, in replacement of Milan Baros. No doubt Owen would be a brilliant addition to the squad again. He's a proven Premiership performer, he's a Liverpudlian, he would bring pace to the front men, adding yet another striking option. As long as Liverpool do not have to pay more than the £8mil that they received for him last season, I'd welcome him back with open arms.

One player that has been ommitted here is Djibril Cisse. Cisse would most definitely have been a bigger impact if he had not suffered that horrific broken leg last season. He has the pace, the strength and the hunger for goals. Cisse was signed from Houllier's time as manager.

All in all, I'd say Rafa's transfers have been effective. In Garcia and Alonso, we have the brightest Spanish talents in all the Premiership and they should be a solid base on which to build for the next 5 years.

Check back tomorrow for part two, where I look at the player improvements that Rafa has brought about.

Quietly Momo

2005-08-05T12:14:00.000+12:00

As the pre-season draws to a close, and with little over a week to go until the start of the new season, I wanted to bring attention to the much unheralded arrival of Momo Sissoko. While most of the Liverpool transfer news headlines have been dominated by the arrival of striker Peter Crouch, the most astute piece of transfer business Rafa has done in this pre-season could very well be the signing of Sissoko from Valencia. Sissoko has the potential to play a big part for Liverpool in the future, under Benitez.

Here's 10 things you probably didn't know about Momo Sissoko:

He's only 20 years old.
He was born in France but chose instead to play for the country of his parents, Mali.
He's already a regular for Mali (along with fellow Red, Djimi Traore) and he played in the Athens 2004 Olympics, losing in the quarterfinals to Italy.
He snubbed advances from Everton and Chelsea to join Liverpool.
Rafa Benitez has compared the tough tackler to being the next Patrick Vieira.
He was voted the fans' star man in the Champions League qualifier against FBK Kaunas last week.
Rafa brought Sissoko to Valencia from Auxerre, when he was manager at the Spanish club, and has been tracking him ever since.
Liverpool paid £5.5million for Sissoko.
He plays in a defensive midfield or wide right position and is likely to be Dietmar Hamann's successor at Liverpool.
He has won La Liga and UEFA Cup medals with Benitez and Valencia, prior to joining Liverpool.

Free Shields

2005-08-01T16:50:00.000+12:00

The win in Istanbul in May has got to be one of, if not THE most glorious moment in Liverpool FC's distinguished 107-year history. I'm still amazed that I was able to witness such a spectacle live (although on TV) in my lifetime. Now, as we're 3 games into the defence of our European champions title, spare a thought for Michael Shields(right), the 18-year old Liverpool supporter, who, while holidaying in Varna, Bulgaria, on his way back to England after watching Liverpool's historic win, was accused of attempting to murder a local waiter.

Shields has been accused of slamming a paving slab on Martin Georgiev's head, causing him to suffer a fractured skull and possible brain damage. Shields protested his innocence, claiming he was asleep in his hotel room, but Bulgarian authorities locked him up anyway, after an identity parade, and he's remained in custody for the last 2 months. The real perpetrator, electrician Graham Sankey, came forth last week and confessed to the crime through his solicitor but refused to return to Bulgaria for sentencing. Bulgarian authorities have dismissed this new evidence and last week sentenced the innocent Shields to 15 years in prison. Calls of racism have also been directed at Bulgarian authorities for refusing to recognize Sankey's signed confession.

Did he really do it? It seems there's no real evidence either way, except for Sankey's confession. Forensic evidence was never taken off the paving slab in the attack. Georgiev confirmed that Shields is the one who attacked him, but this man is suffering from brain damage (he had a 3 inch hole in the side of his head and part of his brain was exposed). How much of the events from that night can he accurately remember?

Support for Shields is strong within the Liverpool squad. Rafa Benitez, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher have all publicly pledged support to his case, with Carragher even dedicating his first goal in six years to Shields. Pressure is now being exerted on PM Tony Blair and Foreign Secretary Jack Straw with Liverpool Riverside MP Louise Ellman, writing to Blair, urging him to at least break his silence on the case. With the current terrorist activity and bombings in London being the number one priority within the government, Shields' case is in danger of being left on the wayside, leaving an innocent teenage Liverpool fan languishing in a foreign jail cell until he's 33 years of age.

If you want to show support for Michael Shields, visit http://www.petitiononline.com/shields1 and sign the online petition. You'll be asked for your name and email address. Close to 10,000 signatures have already been collected. Michael, you'll never walk alone.

Reds strike it hot

2005-07-27T17:04:00.000+12:00

As I read the match report this morning on Liverpool’s first-leg 3-1 away win over the Lithuanian side, FBK Kaunas, I couldn’t help but feel a tinge of excitement. With all due respect to FBK Kaunas, who put up a gallant fight, even managing to hold a lead until the half hour mark, it was still an expected victory over a lesser European side.What got the heart pumping was the fact that the current Liverpool strikeforce is looking extremely formidable! Crouch and Zenden are the 2 new additions to a strikeforce that already boasts names like Cisse, Morientes, Baros and Garcia.

Crouch’s(right) unlikely combination of good aerial ability, footwork and ball control have won massive praise from Benitez, and brings a different dimension to the Liverpool attack. His drive to be successful at Liverpool (he was recently quoted as saying he can be better than the legendary Liverpool strikers of the past) will provide healthy competition for the other strikers. With another new face, Bolo Zenden, marauding down the left wing and the all-action John Arne Riise backing him up defensively from the left-back position, Liverpool are also looking very potent on the left.

Zenden and Crouch scored a collective 24 goals last season, with Crouch scoring 16 of his goals from just 24 starts. Coincidentally, both players scored for their former clubs in their respective matches against Liverpool last season. In addition to the new signings, the Liverpool faithful will also get to see the best of Fernando Morientes this season, now that he’s had some time to acclimatize to the Premiership and to get his fitness and match sharpness up to scratch. With "Nando" not being cup-tied this season, Benitez will have a full complement of strikers to choose from for all the matches of what is going to be one of the longest seasons for Liverpool FC ever.

All this good striking news is well received, in contrast to the injury debacle of last season (at one point having just one fit striker) and in light of the now increasingly likely transfer of Milan Baros. Baros was left on the bench against Kaunas to protect his valuation, indicating an imminent transfer. It's a shame, in my opinion, because up to the end of 2004, Baros was looking very lively and was on track to finishing with 25 goals at least. Instead, enduring a barren run in 2005, he ended up with only 13 goals (incidentally, still the club's joint top scorer). Hopefully, Baros remains a Red and finds his form, for if he does, it'll be great news for the club.

With last year’s Liverpool Player of the Season, Jamie Carragher, even managing to get on the scoresheet for his first goal in six years, it does look likely to be a much more attack potent Liverpool side that will take to the pitch to kick off the season against Middlesbrough on August 13. Bring on 2005/2006!