Liverpool FC Forum

by **A.B.** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 6:59 pm

Rafa-I need to spend in January
Rafael Benitez has said he needs to spend and add more quality to his squad in the January transfer window if the Reds are to get at least fourth place and qualify for the Champions League.
With Xabi Alonso becoming the latest injury victim during the match against Chelsea and out for six weeks with a broken ankle, Benitez said reinforcements have to be brought in.

The manager has said he wants to concentrate fully on Monday's game at Norwich City and then he will try and sign some players.

Benitez said: "It is important to increase the level of competition in the squad. I'm very happy with the players, but if we have new faces all the players think we need to work harder because they want to play.

"If we do that we have a better possibility of being in the top four. That means more money and more possibilities to be successful. It's like a chain.

"We need to know the finances and try and do the best for the team and club but for us it is important to be in the top four.

"We need to do some things and I am sure the board and chairman have the same idea."

Lady Luck deserted Liverpool
Never has the case to bring in video evidence to help referee's been so evident at New Year's Day at Anfield when Liverpool were denied two blatant penalties in the 1-0 defeat by Premiership leaders Chelsea.
To win Premiership titles you need a slice of luck along the way to match the class and Chelsea had plenty of lady luck at Anfield. They didn't play well and even their manager Jose Mourinho admitted Liverpool were unlucky, yet they still won and took another massive stride towards winning their first top flight crown since the 1950's.

Now to everyone's favourite subject and that is the discussion about referee's and big decisions turning matches. The previous manager Gerard Houllier in his final season as Anfield boss took that to the extreme and mounted excuse after excuse. It is to Rafa Benitez's credit that he refuses to publically condemn the officials and just give his honest opinion.

The fact is that this season some terrible decisions have gone against Liverpool. The wrongly disallowed Luis Garcia goals against Bolton and Middlesbrough would have turned defeats into at least draws, the blatant handball by Muzzy Izzett against Birmingham at Anfield when no penalty was awarded and he got away scott free. The two goals scored by Manchester United during the 2-1 defeat with the free-kick and corners that never were. People say these decisions are evened up throughout the course of a season but are they?

Mike Riley has given Manchester United eight successive penalties in matches he has officiated at Old Trafford, and the question that has to be asked is would he have turned down the two against Chelsea had they been in Manchester and not Liverpool.

How on earth he didn't give a penalty for a most blatant handball by Tiago remains something of a mystery.

Reds defender Jamie Carragher said: "The referee knew he had made a mistake because in the next five minutes he gave us everything.

"He even had the whistle to his lips as though he was going to blow and then gave us nothing. It was very hard to take."

Riley's explanation that he was going to give a penalty but change his mind because he thought a Liverpool player was going to be fouled shortly afterwards wasa ridiculous assessment and even Sky TV's Andy Gray admitted he was totally bemused by the official's comments.

Players are given suspensions for trial by TV after the event so why does that not apply to referee's as well?

The second incident saw Florent Sinama-Pongolle clearly manhandled in the penalty area by Claude Makelele but that was turned down much to the crowd's disbelief.

The fact that Xabi Alonso left the field with a broken ankle was a bitter pill to swallow also and Liverpool will badly miss the playmaker who has brought so much class to Rafa's Liverpool team.

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard, who was booked, later apologised for the challenge and even though that is fair enough it doesn't make things easier.

Going into 2005 Rafael Benitez has not had any luck at all with the bad decisions and to cap it all players entering the Melwood treatment room on an all too frequent basis.

Before a ball was kicked Michael Owen stunned Benitez by flying off to Spain to join Real Madrid meaning he didn't have time to get in a replacement. Two months later the club's record signing, not a Benitez capture it must be added, Djibril Cisse's season was over.

Vladimir Smicer hasn't kicked a ball since pre-season, Antonio Nunez was out for two months after being injured in his first training session, then injuries followed to Steven Gerrard, Luis Garcia, Harry Kewell, Chris Kirkland, Milan Baros and now Xabi Alonso have followed suit.

The fact that Liverpool are still in a strong position and came so close to beating potential champions Chelsea speaks volumes for Benitez. The fact that Liverpool more than matches Chelsea has to be taken as a good sign. Liverpool were genuinely unlucky against Chelsea and but for a late goal from substitute Joe Cole, would have got at least a deserved point.

You could make a case that in the second half strikers Luis Garcia and Florent Sinama-Pongolle were too lightweight and got nothing out of the rock solid defenders John Terry and William Gallas. Maybe Neil Mellor, an old fashioned British centre forward, would have been a better bet to give Pongolle some much needed support in the second half and by the time he got on six minutes is not enough time to make an impression.

Liverpool can still make fourth place at the end of the season but having lost seven Premiership games already it is going to take a great deal of effort from the whole squad and the hope that potential new signings can settle quickly and make their mark.

Lampard Sorry
Lampard was booked for the challenge which puts Alonso out of action for six weeks.

Lampard said: "I'm disappointed because Alonso broke his ankle which is just horrible. I didn't mean to do that at all and I apologise to the player and hope he will back soon."

by **zarababe** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 7:08 pm

Yeh Yeh Lamp.. "ard" bl**dy woos... :angry:

by **116-1104673748** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 7:09 pm

Forgivable.Alonso was already half-injured anyway.He was brought in to face The Scourge/The Burning Legion(anyone plays Warcraft?) aka Chelsea before he fully recovered.Then again,he could win an Oscar if he was acting.

by **supersub** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 7:12 pm

half injured ? acting?

by **A.B.** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 7:15 pm

Milan Baros looks doubtful to play against Norwich as he has not fully recovered meanwhile nothing has been said about J.A. Riise meaning that he probably will be fit for tomorrows game.

by **L-type** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 7:18 pm

Yeah it really wasn't that bad of a challenge, didn't look to dangerous. He probably would have escaped a card if Alonso hadn't stayed down. I've also heard people connecting this to our key players getting injured against the top teams aka Steven Gerrard against Man U, but Stevie broke his foot by smashing it into the ground NO FOUL PLAY!!! And although Alonso is still injured and nothiung Lampard can say will fix that, at least he apologised.

by **77-1099054247** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 7:27 pm

A.B. wrote:Lampard said: "I'm disappointed because Alonso broke his ankle which is just horrible. I didn't mean to do that at all and I apologise to the player and hope he will back soon." [/i]

I can understand why you lot are upset but when Lampard said that yesterday, did look genuinely sorry and sound like he meant it.

by **yckatbjywtbiastkamb** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 7:33 pm

he never went in two footed or anything and to be fair to frank he`s not that type of player.
some players wouldnt even bother to appologise.
just bad luck thats all........

by **L-type** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 9:29 pm

yeah just like i said. sometimes this ****** can't be avoided. When Cisse had his leg snapped in half no one started screaming at Blackburn.

by **Paul C** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 10:32 pm

The same happened when Baros broke his ankle, it's just bad luck

by **Leonmc0708** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 10:41 pm

L-type wrote:Yeah it really wasn't that bad of a challenge, didn't look to dangerous. He probably would have escaped a card if Alonso hadn't stayed down.

I know what was Xabi thinking off staying on the floor with little more than a broken ankle !!

by **The Canadian Red Army** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 11:12 pm

not a bad tackle, lampard went in knees first

by **A.B.** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 11:21 pm

So because Lampard isn't the type of player who would make rash tackles such as the one on Alonso he should be execused and forgiven? He was outclassed by Alonso and Gerrard and his frustrations now have our player sidelined for six weeks. ****** ******

by **The Canadian Red Army** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 11:27 pm

A.B. wrote:So because Lampard isn't the type of player who would make rash tackles such as the one on Alonso he should be execused and forgiven? He was outclassed by Alonso and Gerrard and his frustrations now have our player sidelined for six weeks. ****** ******

carragher made some nice tackles out of fraustration, but still it was a stupid thing for lampard to do. fraustration or not he should have the sportsmanship to not try to make a tackle out of anger.

by **Mikz** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 11:35 pm

To me it seemed like -welcome to English football-Whack! :angry:

How the hell he was able to stand up after that never mind walk or run is beyond me

cringe

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Rafa ready to buy, bad luck,lampard sorry

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