Liverpool FC Forum

[The_Rock]

http://itv-football.co.uk/Teams/Liverpool/story_138960.shtml


Benitez: Result was unfair

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez bemoaned the result after seeing his side lose 1-0 to Chelsea at Anfield on Saturday.

The Reds dominated for the majority of the game, only for Joe Cole to come off the bench and steal the three points.

But it was referee Mike Riley's decision not to award the home side a penalty when Tiago clearly handled in the area that upset Benitez.

He said: "The result was unfair - we played very well in the first half and controlled the game.

"Two things changed the game, first the injury to Xabi Alonso and then the decision not to award us a penalty for the handball by Tiago.

"I have not talked to the referee, I do not like to do that. But after seeing the TV replays there is no doubt in my mind.

"Losing Alonso meant we had to change several players' positions, from then on their goalkeeper was the best player. Only near the end did they have clear opportunities.

"We have lost Xabi for five or six weeks. It seems that we lose an important player every week, it is very difficult. I have not seen the tackle yet, I will want to see it on video.

"But you all know better than me how you play in England, you need to understand and to learn from it."

Benitez was clearly unwilling to point the finger at Lampard, but the Kop had no reservations and abused him for the rest of the game.

Liverpool are now 18 points behind Chelsea and intent on grabbing a top-four spot as their only possible spoils from the season.

[The_Rock]

http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=afp-fblengprspaliverpoolalonso&prov=afp&type=lgns


New Reds blow as Alonso breaks ankle

LIVERPOOL, England (AFP) - Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso suffered a broken ankle in the Premiership clash with Chelsea, dealing another severe blow to the Reds in what has been an injury-plagued season.

The Spanish international limped off midway through the first half after a tackle by Frank Lampard and the club doctor confirmed at half-time that his ankle was broken.

Alonso, who has been an influential player for Liverpool since his 10.5-million-pound August move from Real Sociedad, is likely to miss most of the rest of the season.

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Liverpool were already without their leading striker Djibril Cisse, who is not expected to return until next season after breaking his leg in October.

Manager Rafael Benitez has also been deprived of the services of Harry Kewell, who is ruled out until the end of this month with a groin injury, and Czech striker Milan Baros, who is currently sidelined by a hamstring problem.

[anfieldadorer]

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Liverpool were already without their leading striker Djibril Cisse, who is not expected to return until next season after breaking his leg in October.

Manager Rafael Benitez has also been deprived of the services of Harry Kewell, who is ruled out until the end of this month with a groin injury, and Czech striker Milan Baros, who is currently sidelined by a hamstring problem.

i'd love to know who is the advertiser thinking this news is unpopular 

[The_Rock]

time for a good, bad & ugly.

1) Good -

Hamann
Gerrard
Finnan
Carra
Risse

2) Bad -

Garcia - His finishing is awful.

3)Ugly -
MIKE FCUKING RILEY.

[The_Rock]

an angry fan......

http://www.bootroom.org/forum/portal.php?topic_id=3861

All the worst things conceivable converged at Anfield, as we bested the Blues the whole game but lost to a lucky deflection of an erstwhile-forgotten Joe Cole strike. The unlucky break aside, we had an unfortunate break of the worse kind, with Xabi Alonso's season probably over as he went off with what was later diagnosed as a broken ankle, no thanks to a late Lampard tap on his left ankle.

Martin Tyler and Andy Gray were going on about destiny - that it was perhaps a sign that Chelsea were headed for the crown this season. Given the exhibition of the classic Mike Riley refereeing display and their lucky goal despite being outplayed by our Reds (sans up to 4 key players), it would be hard to deny that.

After a tense first ten minutes when both teams seemed to be skating on thin ice, things opened up, as both teams had and wasted great scoring opportunities. Robben timed his run to perfection and made use of the modern offside rules, to zip past Carra and get into a one-on-one with Dudek, only to fire straight at the keeper. Immediately on the other end, a fast break resulting from that Dudek save ended with a cross from the left that nobody failed to get to in the box. It was an open goal that just needed a tap-in.

As the match got on, each of Hyppia, Carra and Traore made mistakes that we were lucky not to be punished for, while on the opposite end, Traore started and ended a remarkable sequence, first losing the ball in the opponent's half at central midfield, then recovering to win it back, pass to Pongolle, and strike at goal after receiving the return pass. It was a defender's strike straight at the keeper, though Cech had to be alert to save it.

Cech was the busier of the two keepers, as we kept up the pressure - Nunez blocked and nearly deflected an attempted clearance into the net, and Cech made a remarkable reflex save to keep it out. The keeper then was kept on his toes, as a Carra turn and shot at the close of the first half looped just over the bar.

The first half was most significant though, for two of its worst moments for Liverpool fans. First, a late tackle by Lampard saw his foot go into Xabi's left ankle. It was a bad, mistimed tackle, but it didn't look like it was bad enough to cause any serious concerns. After some treatment and attempts to run off the injury, Xabi was pulled off for Nunez. The dreaded news broke in the second half, as it was revealed that he had an ankle fracture. Someone certainly has to make an excellent case to me to prove to me we're not the most injury-jinxed team these 2 seasons.

The second incident involved dodgy Mike Riley, certainly an Anfield favourite. Really, after how he'd done us in at Old Trafford previously, how could folks be blamed if they wanted to burn his effigy after another horrendous call led to us missing out on a golden penalty opportunity? Off a Gerrard freekick, Antonio Nunez rose to meet it, only for Tiago to clearly fist it away. Even Andy Gray was yelling blue murder, claiming that Mike Riley had his whistle in his mouth and was ready to blow for the offence, but seemed to change his mind. This referee is a disgrace. End of.

At the end of the half, it was clear we had the upper hand. Lampard was quiet, and though Duff and Robben presented problems at times, there weren't really tricky ones other than that Robben one-on-one against Dudek. On the other hand, Glen Johnson must really hate Anfield, as he had another nightmare here , being murdered by Riise in this game, while Diouf ate him and spit him out (hmmm) in the corresponding fixture last season. The 4-4-1-1 seemed to work out well for us, as far as keeping Chelsea in check was concerned. However, with Pongolle the lone forward, he was always going to have problems against the big and pacy Chelsea centrebacks.

We were slow off the blocks in the 2nd half, as Chelsea woke up and applied pressure in the first 10 minutes, while the centreback pairing of Carra and Hyppia seemed to have left their boots in the dressing room. Credit to the lads, we recovered though, and for much of the half, still held Chelsea at bay and actually posed a bigger threat, but for some wayward finishing or the lack of someone attacking the cross into the box.

It seemed to me that if anyone was to get a goal, it'd probably be someone in red, but that was not to be. Off a Chelsea corner which we defended very well against in the box, we were slow to move out, and Joe Cole had the time and space to get a clean strike on the ball, sending it straight down. Dudek got down ans seemed to have it all covered, until an unfortunate deflection off the inside of Carra's leg sent the ball bending to Dudek's left and catching him off. Luis Garcia tried in vain to keep the ball out, and the forgotten kid in blue wheeled off celebrating yet another goal against us this season.

Our lads never let their heads down though, and Chelsea had to keep their nerves as we got forward in search of the equalizer. Cech made several smart saves to keep them ahead, and as the final whistle went off, I felt we'd been thorougly cheated by the ref and by fate.

Tactically, I think 4-4-1-1 worked for us, as it did for Arsenal. Unfortunately, for all his trickery and pace, Pongolle was unable to get the better of Terry, who was a rock for Chelsea. Perhaps a little more size would've helped. As we were chasing the game, I was hoping for Mellor to be introduced for Luis Garcia, who was having largely a stinker. Mellor did eventually come in, but it was for a highly-effective but injured Riise. Personally, I think we dominated the 2nd half, and Chelsea were not a threat outside the first 10 minutes. Would have preferred to see Mellor get in earlier to get some height in the box, and to lose Garcia's wasteful ways.

Terrible result, terrible loss, but good effort by the lads.

Individual Observations:

Dudek - Kept us in the game with 2 smart saves, had 1 or 2 hairy moments with questionable clearances, but did very well overall. Started breaks from deep very well as well.

Traore - Good game by the lad again, though he had a "Traore/Biscan moment" again in the first half (but then again, so did Hyppia and Carra). Supported attacks very well, and put in a couple of teasing crosses.

Finnan - Going from strength to strength, and turned up for work with a positive performance again. Came up against Robben in the first half, and did a good job keeping him honest.

Carra / Hyppia - Held their own, but had hairy moments in the first half when they miscommunicated, or got careless with the ball. The first 10 minutes of the 2nd half were hair-raising, as they seemed at sixes and sevens, but they held on to turn in a good performance for the larger parts of the game.

Riise - Another excellent performance from the lad. Seems to have gotten back to near his debut season form, as he just outran and outfoxed Glen Johnson at will. Linked in very well with Traore. Crossing was generally okay, though he still got caught in situations a couple of times where he lost the ball due to his inability to use his other foot.

Garcia - Disappointing performance. I thought he was our worst player today, as he tried to be too cute/fancy, and also still loves the Hollywood finishing strike. He did get in a few nice plays, but I'd rather he kept his game simple and not lost the ball at the blink of the eye each time. Had a few opportunities to score, but wayward finishing meant they either went over or straight to the keeper. The good news is that: (1) he gets into scoring positions, and (2) he did better when he played at LM while we were chasing the game, getitng crosses in from wide left. Now, someone explain to him that's the same job we need him to do at RM.

Gerrard - Had another solid game, though not as explosive as the past 2 games. Initial final balls from good runs were wasteful, but got better as the game got on. Got in a few nice deadballs or crosses, and together with Hamann, outshone Chelsea's central midfield pairing. Much has been made about the comparisons between Lampard and Stevie G, but it was clear who was the better player for the day.

Hamann - Simply OUTSTANDING. His form has been a bit inconsistent this season - perhaps a sign of him having to adjust to how Rafa wants to play, but he brought his A+ game today and was breaking up attacks left, right and centre. Also held and distributed the ball very well. Losing Xabi was a great blow today, but seeing the Hamann we know was a delight.

Pongolle - Very active, and controlled the ball well. Livewire act couldn't result in goals, as Terry more than held his own. Thought in a 4-4-1-1 setup, he's better played in the withdrawn striker role, with Mellor up front instead. He's a flashy one, and brings a touch of unpredictability of the positive kind to our game.

Nunez - Came in for Xabi and went to the right, with Luis Garcia subsequently pushed to play the withdrawn striker role behind Pongolle. Got into good scoring positions to threaten twice (one - the Tiago handball fiasco, and the other - the block that Cech saved). Stayed out right (which is great) but didn't really get too many crosses in, as we were attacking most of the time down our left, with Riise and Traore combining well to exploit Glen Johnson.

Mellor - Too short a cameo to be judged.

I'm too gutted to think of anymore things to say. Suffice to say we didn't deserve to lose, and I hope Xabi heals soon.

Happy New Year to you all!

[The_Rock]

This is my ratings.


Dudek  (6.5) -  Made a few good saves. The goal was not his fault as it took a deflection. Good to see dudek slowly getting back his form.

Traore (6.5) - I do not think he will make a good left back. He will almost certainly make a horrible left winger. Had a chance to score and he hit a tame shot. Maybe rafa should concerntrate on traore being a centreback. All the other top teams have leftbacks who have a good 1st touch, can cross the ball 1st time..etc. With traore, we don't have that. But had an OK game

Finnan (7) - 2 years ago, voted the best right back in the league. He is finally showing why this season. Kept Robben quiet. And even managed to attack. I hope rafa is not selling finnan. if he had to, i suggest he sell him for 7 to 8 million pounds.

Carra (7) - Steady average game. Nuff said

Hyppia (7) - Still slow. Does not track back often to help carrra. But had a solid game.

Riise (7.5) - worked very hard. But for me, risse is a left back. He does not have the technical ability to take on defenders.  But he was our most dangerous player today. A good deputy for the left wing until kewell comes abck (or rafa buy vicente )

Garcia (6) - Being very lenient with the rating. He gets into good position (1st part done). But whats with the finishing. I mean the finishing is really nationwide league standard. I feel he should have taken on more players during the last few minutes (what baros would have done), instead of keep passing to traore (who proceeds to put in a 1/2 a$$ cross).

Gerrard (7) - solid game. Not a great performance though because if he had given a great performance, we would have deffo win the game. That is how high gerrard performs nowadays. As for the comparison with lampard, lets say on his best day, lampard can't lace gerrard's laces...

Hamann (8) - MOM for liverpool. The reason why hyppia had a solid game. Happy he got a 2 yr contract.

Pongolle (6.5) - Looked good in the 1st half, but faded in the 2nd. He couldn't do much against terry & gallas when he did not have enuff support. He would have done much better if Mellor had played (and rafa uses 4-4-2).

Nunez (6) - Lookes lively in the 1st half, but was totally missing in the 2nd half. Can't blame him though as all our attack was focued on the left flank (to optimise glen johnson's inexperience). But it would have been better if we switched plays more often.

Mellor - Mellor should have come in ealier (in the 60 min or something for garcia). I don' t think rafa rates mellor (for whatever reason).

[mrcool2003]

sorry m8, but i like traore out on the left, cause he is not good enough for us and too unsteady to be a centre half, sooner he leaves the better, honestly, biscan, diao, and traore aren't good enough, only a matter of time i say before they're all off, im hoping

its disappointing the result, cause we def deserved a draw but we were mugged by that flukey goal and the poor decision by the referee, thats the only reason y we lost, can't fault the players, but i hear some of you going on about how we lack up front, well to b honest, anyone missing 2 of their best strikers is going to struggle aren't they? thats y its not a fair reflection to mention that if we doint score

we've got norwich on monday, i expect us to win comfortably but i doubt we'll win 5-0 again, i would say 2-0 or 2-1 to us, but we need to win that match, cause then its the match against man utd, which will be a tough match, but i think baros will be bck for that, thank god for that, so im looking forward to it, but at least we've been shown on sky quite alot lately usually we get ignored

anyway chin up everyone, new year and its the january transfer window, just sit back and enjoy the signings

[Ade]

i can't say that i'm surprised with the result. chelsea seem destined to win the league. they've been sh#te in their last 3 games but still won all of them and kept clean sheets. when you're at the top and things are going for you, those deflected goals always go in your favour.

we can harp on about the blatant penalty that wasn't given all we want but it happens. it just reaffirms to me that we need video technology in football sooner rather than later because referees seem to be getting more wrong than they get right these days.

the fact is, despite our domination in terms of territory and possession of the ball, i think cech had to make one save of note in the entire match. we still flatter to deceive in the last third of the pitch. garcia has to be the most frustrating footballer i've seen for a while. he shows some great touches but his basic ball retention is woeful. the need for a top class target man and goalscorer is also evident.

on the plus side, i thought hamann was immense and proved why he deserves a new contract at the club. riise, gerrard and carragher were also very good. however, until we find that cutting edge we are always going to be that little bit short.

You've written my post for me there mate.

hard to think of a shot on target in the second half. Think Rafa got his tactics mostly right, but not in the second half - one man upfront, especially a non-natural striker like Pongolle, just won't work against the meanest defence in the league. Mellor should've replaced Garcia after half-time.

For me, Garcia just isn't good enough. he'll get goals against lesser sides, but he's out of his depth against top defences. Contrast him with Litmanen, similar build, similar player, but Jari was in a different league: he always took the right decisions, and was far more direct. I can't see Garcia cutting it here. And before poeple start sayin he's just dropped out of form, I've not rated him since day one. And as for Nunez, the guy is about as mobile as a sideboard.

More than ever we need Morientes ASAP. We've been shafted by officials this season and by injuries. But no doubt about it, we're going in the right direction, and every week I get more confident that Stevie must sense that with even an average amount of luck going our way, we can challenge next year.

As for Mike Riley, some players are big game players, some refs are big-team refs. He always favours the favourites. Total ******.

[A.B.]

Baros will  be fit by Monday

[Ade]

sorry m8, but i like traore out on the left, cause he is not good enough for us and too unsteady to be a centre half, sooner he leaves the better, honestly, biscan, diao, and traore aren't good enough, only a matter of time i say before they're all off, im hoping

its disappointing the result, cause we def deserved a draw but we were mugged by that flukey goal and the poor decision by the referee, thats the only reason y we lost, can't fault the players, but i hear some of you going on about how we lack up front, well to b honest, anyone missing 2 of their best strikers is going to struggle aren't they? thats y its not a fair reflection to mention that if we doint score

we've got norwich on monday, i expect us to win comfortably but i doubt we'll win 5-0 again, i would say 2-0 or 2-1 to us, but we need to win that match, cause then its the match against man utd, which will be a tough match, but i think baros will be bck for that, thank god for that, so im looking forward to it, but at least we've been shown on sky quite alot lately usually we get ignored

anyway chin up everyone, new year and its the january transfer window, just sit back and enjoy the signings

Yep, we've been on Sky an unbelievable amount this past six weeks. There was an article in the Guardian before Christmas saying that Liverpool's Sky run was almost unprecedented at this time in a season, and that it has earned us something around 3.5m quid.

[fivecups]

Just rewatched the game. Missed the intent in Garcia's tackle on Makelele first time round. Probably should have been a straight red. Interested to hear what you think.

Site wont let me post the clip

[fivecups]

Garcia foul

Try that.

[Alanay]

WE should have won the game. That Riley really sucks. He should be the fourth official only. I think Garcia is degrading. Need proven strikers up front.

[ssss]

Garcia won't be 'degrading' if he plays in his proper position!!

[The_Rock]

Garcia foul

Try that.

would say that is was a late tackle...