News, Roundup, Preview

Well finally we are at the end of the International break and our league campaign continues this Saturday at 3pm when we take on West Brom away from home. If there is one welcome aspect of being out of Europe it is the return to the traditional league fixture time of Saturday 3pm which is not possible when you have played a game on the Thursday previous. While we have had recent disappointments like the afore mentioned European exit, we went into the international break in decent league form where only a defeat against the much improved West Ham punctuates our improving record. Our form over the last 7 games reads as follows W W W D L W W, our last 2 league wins were delivered with style and left us with a promise of more to come. It was said by many that the international break could only halt our progress but hopefully with some players returning to fitness, while others were in need of a rest it could serve to help us as we hit the run in. Andy Carroll has shown in recent games that he is short on match fitness so his run out, and goal, for England should help him as he acclimatises to life at Anfield while Dirk Kuyt has continued his impressive goal scoring form or recent weeks by bagging 3 for Holland over 2 games. Gerrard and Suarez were not available for International duty due to injuries of varying severity but the break means they haven’t missed any extra games for the reds. Lucas was quite impressive for Brazil in their friendly against Scotland where it seemed that a lot of their play goes through him. He even received one or two compliments from the match commentators which was a surprise! Danny Wilson also got some minutes in this game. Skrtel, Agger, Johnson, Poulson and Meireles also appeared for their national sides and each of them came through their encounters unscathed.

There has also been some news over the week, such as Ian Ayre being given the Managing Directors job at the club. Ian has been nothing but a success since being installed as Commercial Director and he was the one trust worthy voice at the club under the previous regime. He is a true red and is a local lad, Liverpool fans should be happy to have someone trusted in such an important position in the club, it brings a stability and is the final piece of the backroom picture. Once Kenny’s contract is agreed and official we will be 100% stable it seems that everything is now in place to make this summer one of heavy action! One player who won’t be involved in any summer transfer activity is Lucas Leiva who today agreed a new contract. Lucas took a while to convince most of his merits but he has finally been getting deserved recognition. Many are still to be convinced by him, I think this is mostly due to a prejudicial view of how Brazilians should play, but to me this is great news. At 24 his best years are ahead of him and i am glad to say his best days will be played in red! The only other news really is that it seems Juventus will not be able to afford the pre-agreed transfer fee to make Alberto Aquilani’s loan deal permanent. I would love to see Aqua return as i am sure he can be a success in the premiership if he is injury free and given a decent chance. His time at Juve has been a big success so i am keeping my fingers crossed on this one.

So back to Saturday and the game against West Brom at the Hawthorns. This game is of course also significant as it is Roy Hodgson’s first return to Liverpool since he was sacked in January. I don’t think i need to mark out my feelings about Roy another time, suffice to say I wish him well at his new club. In fact i will go so far as to say that i am sure he will do a decent job at West Brom, a club which is at a perfect level to match Roy’s skill set. Steven Gerrard has confirmed he is back in contention for this game, so that leaves us with a pretty strong panel to select from with only Martin Kelly and Jonjo Shelvey unavailable.

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Liverpool 1 - 0 Sparta Prague (Important Points)

Well it wasn’t the most entertaining of games, up until the last 20 minutes or so anyway, but a 1-0 victory over 2 Legs versus Sparta Prague means Liverpool are in the last 16 of the Europa League.

In the first leg Liverpool were effective at best, but offered no real attacking threat which left a lot of people expecting a much more cavalier approach to the home fixture. This was not forthcoming however as Liverpool were kept in check by a very well organised and very determined Sparta side. The game opened up a bit more though in the last 20 minutes and Liverpool had looked increasingly likely to score as the game drew to a close and finally did so in the 86th minute when Dirk Kuyt knodded home from a Raul Meireles corner. It was a move which Kuyt revealed, after the game, was a planned set piece saying, “We are trying to put some more attention to our set pieces and it worked quite well tonight”

While we were never particularly impressive there were enough positives to keep us happy and ticking over until West Ham on Sunday.

IMPORTANT POINTS

Joe Cole’s Performance: Joe’s Liverpool career hasn’t gotten off to the start he would have wanted, that’s plainly obvious. Between the sending off in his debut, the niggling injuries and the lack of form things just haven’t worked out. His performance in this game wasn’t exactly reminiscent of his West Ham and Chelsea vintage but there was enough on show to help us believe that he will still turn things around. He moved well and showed a confidence on the ball which had recently seemed non-existent. Three times in the game he carried the ball forward intently before making space to get a shot away, twice calling the keeper into action, the other time the ball was inexplicably robbed off his foot by David Ngog. If Joe can kick on he can really help Kenny in reviving Liverpool. I don’t think there is a natural place in our first 11 for him at the moment, due to Meireles’ form and of course Stevie G’s stature but one of the things we have been screaming out for this year is options and an in form Joe Cole is an option that would be the envy of any top club, be that in England or Europe.

Danny Wilson’s performance: As hard as this is to believe I recently heard Danny Wilson written off as a flop due to his £5 million pound price tag. Yes, Danny Wilson. The 18 year old centre half who was an ever present in the second half of last season with Rangers and who won their young player of the year award . The fact is we only actually paid £2 million up front, the rest of the fee is payable based on his, and the team’s performance. Anyway, he is by no means a flop. At 19 he is simply too young to be put into the heart of defence while other, more experienced players are available so he has had to show as much as he can at Left Back. Its not his natural position but even there he has excelled. He is very comfortable on the ball, he’s no Glen Johnson, in so far as he is not a tricky attacking player but he is comfortable enough to pick good passes and not just lash the ball clear. He is quick though, and can use his pace to go past players, and when in possession in advanced areas he can deliver excellent crosses, something which will become more important when Andy Carroll takes to the field in a red shirt. The Scots man is also tenacious in the tackle , even if hios inexperience does get him into trouble at times he has the pace to recover. Kenny Dalglish seems intent on bringing this young lad through the old Liverpool way, by having him serve an apprenticeship and not let expectations build. That is paying dividends so far and if his progress continues in the same vein we are looking at a future Liverpool leg end when watching Wilson. We’ll just have to forgive him for his days as a hun.

Were into the last 16: There is no doubt every Liverpool supporter was broken hearted by last season’s performance, a performance which meant we only qualified for European completion’s ugly younger sister. The early rounds were painful to watch, firstly because of the calibre of completion then of course the standard of opposition, our performances were also severely lacking. We are now at the business end and things are starting to heat up. Supporter interest is growing too as evidenced by a sell out crowd at Anfield for a 6pm kick off on a Thursday night. Its very easy for the media to write off this competition, and any team we face as second best, but as King Kenny himself said in the build up to this game Liverpool fans are an educated lot. We know this competition can do more for our club than simply provide an exciting run, or a trophy. It can excite the players and fans. It can act as a reminder and spring board for the future. There are still big teams left in this competition and each round we progress through is an achievement. The only problems I have with the Europa League (UEFA Cup) are media driven. There is a type of “you’re damned if you do, you’re damned if you don’t” mentality, which was shown last year when we were knocked out in the semi finals and instead of being painted as an achievement it was used as a stick with which to further beat Rafa Benitez. Funnily, Roy Hodgson’s achievement of getting to the final was his major qualification for getting the Liverpool Job, where Rafa’s disappointing performance in “only” getting to the Semi-Final was grounds enough for his dismissal. Anyway, as I was from the beginning, I am excited about this completion and of course the prospect of watching my beloved club fighting for a trophy in my home town. We don’t want to start thinking that far ahead yet though, we are playing FC Braga next with the second leg away from home. Braga are a good side and will be determined to take the scalp of a truly legendary club with regard to European competition.

Steven Gerrard’s Celebrations: Without even being on the pitch Stevie manages to excite the fans. I have been one of Stevie’s harshest critics over the last year or so. I was hurt by his allegiances’ under the previous regime. I don’t think it’s any secret that he positioned himself beside the directors with regard to his support when times got tough. People have said his lack of support for the manager was instrumental in the decision to axe Rafa in the summer. Under Roy Hodgson too his performances seemed purely self serving and not to the benefit of the club. I can however admit that I was wrong. Not wrong with regard to his actions, they were what they were, but wrong in his reasoning. I am right now totally confident in saying Stevie was never acting in a self serving manner, he was doing what he thought was best for the club. In his recent comments and actions it is clear he loves the club dearly. If there was one positive from the transfer of our former Spanish hero, it was the reminder to us all of how lucky we were to have the players who truly love the club such as Gerrard, Carra and Reina . We should enjoy them while we have them. Anyway the shots of his delirious excitement after Dirk’s goal showed a man who was absolutely in tune with the fans. Enjoy his celebrations again by clicking HERE

Just one point before I sign off. A lot of people have been asking me why Luis Suarez is cup tied for Liverpool in the UEFA Cup, while a certain Spaniard is eligible to play for his London Club in the Champions League. It made me think but its pretty straight forward once considered. The Spaniard can play because Liverpool haven’t featured in the Champions League. Suarez cannot play because although Ajax started off in the CL they are now in the UEFA Cup and as the rules states you cannot play for 2 different clubs in the same cup completion in the same season. I hope this clears up the question for you, if there are any further questions please use the comments section below and i’ll be sure to answer. Also don’t forget to answer the new poll in the top right hand corner of this page.

Two Results, One News Story, And a Fixture.

Well I've not been able to write much at all this week. I still haven't been able to watch all 90 minutes of the West Ham game, although I saw highlights it wouldnt really be fair to write a Positives & Negatives piece based on that. I think it is fair to say though that the performance was an improvement. I base this on the stats (Increased possesion, more chances and less chances given away) as well as some match reports from trusted sources like the Echo website. I think its also fair to say that by using the same sources its easy to gather that West Ham didnt exactly put up the strongest of challenges. Regardless of that though, on the back of a few poor performances it was important for us to improve and we did that. It would have been nice to have finished 1 or 2 more in the second half to give our goal difference some respectability but I think prior to the game, and baring in mind we were missing Steven Gerrard, most Liverpool fans would have taken a 3-0 victory. Something which shouldnt be forgotten, amidst all my talk of poor performances, is that over the last 6 games we are currently second in the form table!

Link to Dominic King's review in the Echo

During the week there has not been much major news. Glen Johnson seems to have put his recent troubles with the manager behind him (publicly at least) by admitting that he is aware that he has not been in the best form this season. Glen stated that he had held clear the air talks with Hodgson, but made it clear that he is his own worst critic and did not need to be told he wasnt playing at his best level "I didn't need to hear it from the boss to know that I hadn't been playing at my best, I'm an honest man and I know how well I can play".

The reserves played out a 1-1 draw in the mini-derby against Everton with Dani Pacheco netting a goal which he will hope helps him reclaim his place in the squad for the upcoming European games.

Link to Review of the Reserves 1-1 draw with Everton

On Sunday at 4pm Liverpool play Tottenham at White Hart Lane in a match-up which has grown in signifigence due to Spurs emergance and Liverpool's decline over the last view years, which of course resulted in Spurs qualifying for the Champions League this year.

Its hard to believe that even after our well known dificulties this season we could go level on points with Spurs, who currently lie in 6th place, if we win on Sunday. Although to put that into context it is also worth remembering that we are only 5 points ahead of Wigan who currently lie in 18th.

Spurs have had some famous victories this season, notibly Arsenal last week and Inter Milan earlier in the season, but they have not been in sparkling form either. Of course they have been juggling Champions League and Domestic competitions for the 1st time in their history which is difficult for any club. This is reflected in the recent form guide (which I mentioned earlier), from the last 18 points available Liverpool have taken 13 whereas Spurs have only taken 8.

Team News: Liverpool will definitely have to take on Spurs without the efforts of Steven Gerrard, Jay Spearing and Daniel Agger. Joe Cole is back in contention but may not be ready yet to start a full game.

A Roundup of the Weeks Happenings at L.F.C

Damien Comolli

Well, following on from our 1-0 win over Bolton Wanderers this has been a fiarly eventful week at Anfield. Damien Commolli has been confirmed as the clubs new Director of Football Strategy, this seems to be the first step of NESV's new vision for Liverpool FC. NESV had spoken about implementing a new transfer policy, based more on the example set by Arsenal i.e. buying young and allowing players to grow with the club, this would be in direct contrast to the clubs transfer business this summer in which we bought Cole - 28, Poulson - 30, Jovanovic - 29 and Konchesky - 29. The problem with buying players in this age range is that there is little or no resell value attached to them, whatever money is spent will not be recouped and so it may not be seen as the most sensible way to extract the best value from a limited transfer kitty. It seems Comolli's immediate remit will be to overhaul our scouting network and ensure the required changes are implemented. Liverpool have been too long working with a short term vision, Comolli will be bringing the long term vision that the club has been desperate for Comolli is vastly experienced and hugely respected within football. He was employed at Arsenal as their European scout  between 1996 and 2003, He was also Director of football at Spurs from 2005 to 2008 where he is credited with signing players such as  Gareth Bale, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Younes Kaboul , Luka Modrić, Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Heurelho Gomes, Roman Pavlyuchenko, as well as Dimitar Berbatov amongst others. His record also includes some flops (i think a 50% success rate for anybody in the transfer market is the most that can be expected) but overall his record is impressive. He has also worked with AS Monaco and AS Saint-Étienne in France. This is yet another example of the new ownership situation being a case of so far so good.

John W. Henry

John W. Henry has also been busy engaging with fans in different ways. He met with Liverpool Supporters Union - Spirit of Shankly, details of this meeting can be read here:

http://www.spiritofshankly.com/news/Meeting-with-NESV-Representatives.html

He also took time out to answer some questions directly from Liverpool fans on Fan Forum Red and White Kop (RAWK) the questions and answers can be found here:

http://www.redandwhitekop.com/forum/index.php?topic=265701.0

John W.Henry also took a leaf out Rafa's book by taking time to meet with Liverpools most famous and popular blogger Paul Tomkins. Paul's website is generally subscription based but the article regarding this meeting has been made free to view along with some other excellent pieces. The details of the meeting can be found here:

http://tomkinstimes.com/2010/11/my-lunch-with-the-quiet-american/

Mr Henry seems to be engaging with fans to guage their opinions on club matters and this is very promising for the future, for who knows the issue's better than the fans themselves. This is obviously a direct contrast to the previous administration and that has to be good!

This week Liverpools current manager had another poor week for his press dealings. 

He attempted to deflect focus from our poor start to the season away from himself and onto the previous manager by having a few jabs at Rafa Benitez. This was yet another example of Roy's poor performances when dealing with the media. Rafa then came out and defended himself (which he has every right to do of course) and it all seemed pretty embarradding for Roy when it was plain to everybody that he was completely and utterly in the wrong (details of the spat can be found here and it is DEFINITELY worth a read: http://www.anfieldroad.com/news/201011014198/rafa-tells-roy-to-quit-talking-and-concentrate-on-coaching.html/ ) However Roy deserves respect for realising his mistake and offering a fairly complete apology and looking to end the matter.

Liverpool also have a game this week at home against Napoli. The redmen will be aiming to win following our goalless draw in Naples two  weeks ago. Roy has said he will be fielding a strong team so hopefully our winning run can continue and we can cement our position at the top of the group. Injury wise we are missing Ryan Babel and Daniel Agger. Dirk Kuyt and Fabio Aurelio are returning to fitness but this one may come too early for them to be considered starters. Kyriagos will have a fitness test prior to the game.