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[Lanky134]

Dear Liverpool fan,

We had to work hard for our victory against West Brom but I was pleased that we kept going and kept pressing for the breakthrough.

It was always going to be difficult when they had their goalkeeper sent off because it's hard to play against ten men. It was important that we kept moving the ball around quickly and looking for space to make the extra man count. We were patient and eventually we got our reward.

We showed better maturity and didn't panic. We knew what we had to do and even after we scored the first goal I was surprised they kept defending. We're getting in the habit of scoring in the last minute which I quite like!

I was pleased with the way we played. We are getting forward and creating chances. Attack is the best form of defence and I told the boys to just carry on attacking and keep scoring goals.

It was unfortunate for Michael that he wasn't on the scoresheet today. He was a bit unlucky because he missed a penalty and then only missed another chance by inches. He was creating chances and set up the second goal for John Arne Riise. He could be top scorer in the league by now.

Now we are looking forward to our Champions League game against FC Basel on Wednesday night.

Regards,

Gerard Houllier
Liverpool Manager

[Lanky134]

Dear Liverpool fan,

It was obviously very disappointing for us all that we couldn't beat Basel last night because I thought we thoroughly deserved the three points.

This was the type of game in which you feel extremely frustrated and disappointed for the players. They gave everything out there, they tried everything and played some fantastic stuff. We created at least eight chances if not more and no-one would have complained if we had won because we deserved to win.

At this stage last season we had two points and now we have one. It is still very open but the next two games will be extremely decisive. I'm confident especially if we play like we did tonight, and maybe next week we will have less chances but win the game.

At half time we should have been 3-1 up and their keeper made some very good saves. I just said to the boys at the end that they were brilliant and that if they keep playing like that the goals will come.

Once again Michael was unlucky not to be on the scoresheet, but we had plenty of chances during the match to score more goals. He missed chances because he was in a position to score. His work rate and skill is still there. Maybe at the moment he lacks confidence so he thinks too much about a chance. He had a volley he should have scored with which was typical of a striker going through a
drought period. I was pleased with his movement and he continues to create chances.

Regards,

Gerard Houllier
Liverpool Manager

[Lanky134]

Dear Liverpool fan,

Beating Manchester City at Maine Road is a good result for us because I don't think many teams will win here.

I can't find the words to describe my players after this game because they were all superb. They gave everything they had and came away with a great result.

Even when City put us under pressure we had the mental strength to cope with that and to resist them.

Michael's goals lifted the whole team and everyone was shaking his hand and congratulating him. Michael knew he had the 100 per cent support of everyone at this club. His game awareness is better and he is sharp. His first goal showed he
is back and he came to the bench and gave me a signal, and it showed he knew I believed in him.

The good thing is Michael Owen is extremely strong mentally and can take a lot. You do go through difficult periods as a striker. If he had scored in our
earlier games he probably would have been flying by now but he has no point to prove to anyone. It's a good sign to have your main striker scoring three goals before the match with Spartak Moscow on Wednesday!

Nobody wins the title in September. We have only lost one league game in our last 25 and it's early in the season. Chelsea and Manchester United are up there. Arsenal seem to be flying, but we will be flying as well. We have a young team and the talent is there.

Regards,

Gerard Houllier
Liverpool Manager

[Lanky134]

Dear Liverpool fan,

We scored five goals against Spartak but it could have been more! We hit the post twice, and the movement between Michael Owen and Emile Heskey in attack was very good.

Michael was unlucky not to score and he was very unselfish at the end when he passed it to Emile to score. I think it's a good performance as we made them look very ordinary because of our movement. We had width, we were good off the ball and we created chances. The tempo of our play was very good.

It's always a bit tricky when you play teams like Spartak Moscow and Dynamo Kiev because they are very good at breaking and probing around the edge of the box. So that's why I'm pleased we kept a clean sheet.

It was the right time to put Emile Heskey back up front. He scored twice and made a goal for Salif Diao. Emile played very well against Manchester City and I knew it was the right time to put him back up front with Michael. He showed his strength, his power and offensive skills.

The group now is wide open. I still don't know how we didn't beat Basel last week as we had so many chances in that game. I actually thought we played better against Basel last week than we did tonight.

When we lost in Valencia people said we are not good enough. Well we are doing our best and we know there is still a lot of work to do. For various reasons we have a point to prove, either in Basel or here against Valencia.

Regards,

Gerard Houllier
Liverpool Manager

[Lanky134]

Pinocchio writes today's letter...


Date: Mon, 7 Oct 2002 13:36:00 +0100 (BST)
To: "Liverpool FC Fan List" <fanlist@liverpoolfc.tv>
Subject: Great result v Chelsea
From: p.thompson@liverpoolfc.tv | This is Spam | Add to Address Book




Dear Liverpool fan,

It wasn't our best display of the season against Chelsea on Sunday, but there's no doubting the attitude and character of the lads for going out and getting the three points.

I thought we looked a little bit tired in certain areas and we told the players before the match that it could be similar to last season's game, where chances were at a premium.

Our play wasn't very fluid at all and Chelsea did have a lot of the ball, but we stayed strong at the back and didn't really allow them to create anything.

We had the better of what few chances there were and for that reason I think we probably did deserve to win.

Michael never misses from six inches! I thought Emile's shot was going in, then I thought it was going wide. I was right behind it all the way and it was great to see Michael put the ball into the net.

The disappointing thing to come out of the afternoon was an injury to Stephane. He'll be missing for up to five weeks because he needs a calf operation. That's a blow for us because he is a very influential member of our team, but I have every confidence that Djimi Traore will come in and do a great job in his place.

Regards,

Phil Thompson
Assistant Manager

[Matt Clark]

This is not strictly speaking ontopic for this thread, but it's an update on the Anfield move

From the Echo/Post website: "Liverpool Football Club will today be given the green light to leave its Anfield home for a new stadium in Stanley Park. A report is expected to reveal that the public of Anfield have backed an option for the club to move to the new 55,000-seater stadium.

The Daily Post understands that around 58pc of residents in the Anfield and Breckfield area have indicated their support for the club building a new ground at the car park end of Stanley Park. The results of a consultation exercise with 19,000 local residents will go before the city council's executive board this morning .

It is also expected to reveal strong support for a major housing demolition and regeneration programme and improvements to the area's transport system. As reported in May, a draft report was put together by Manchester-based consultants GVA Grimley on behalf of Liverpool City Council.

The company examined the two options being considered by the club - to expand on the current site or build a new stadium on Stanley Park. Both options have proved controversial. If the Anfield ground was developed, houses nearby would have to be demolished, while a move to Stanley Park will infuriate environ-mentalists and many community groups.

The Grimley report was put out to public consultation, the results of which will be revealed today. It was hoped more than 6,000 local people would respond - a goal it is understood has been met.

Yesterday, Coun Richard Kemp, executive member for housing and community safety, said: "We have listened to what local people have said in a three-year consultation process. We have not taken everyone on board with us but we never do. I think there is a consistent majority for us now to continue. We have got to act to ensure that the deterioration of the area does not continue."

"The housing work will hopefully start next summer. We recognise the legitimate rights of the community and the legitimate rights of the football club, both of which are equally important."

But Anfield ward councillor Joe Kenny believes the consultation was flawed. He said: "The consultation was not independent and we knew it was designed specifically with one result in mind. There should have been an independent referendum with every resident receiving a postal vote."

But one theme on which there is agreement is that the Anfield and Breckfield area is in need of regeneration. Anfield ward councillor Kiron Reid said: "I would say that the consultation about regeneration is about a lot more than Liverpool Football Club. It has always been made clear by the Government that there is no regeneration money unless there are also private partners - but we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that the club is only a part of it."

Breckfield ward councillor Frank Prendergast, a Labour stalwart and former council leader, agreed. He said: "I do believe the majority of people want Liverpool Football Club to stay in the area, but a smaller quantity would say expand on Stanley Park. But this is not just about Liverpool Football Club's relocation. There are so many other issues to consider including transport, housing, shopping and the environment, and there have to be job opportunities".

Peter Bevington, of Anfield and Breckfield Community Steering Group, is one of those eagerly waiting for the publication of the report. He said: "I am hoping to see has been a good take-up rate so there is a good sample represented. I am also hoping that marily people are going to support the regeneration"

Liverpool Football Club declined to comment last night.

If the public does back the move to Stanley Park, it is thought a move in time for the 2006/7 season is most likely.

[Lanky134]

Matt,

Do you think maybe we should split this off into a separate thread? I wasn't on this board when the news about the stadium was first announced, so I don't know how much it's been debated.

Dave

[Matt Clark]

Ummm. I dunno. We have debated this issue to quite some extent, hence my decision to just dump this update in here, rather than start a separate thread. But I can split it into a new thread if people think we've still got some mileage in the topic.

Opinions, people?

[kopiteinkc]

I would think that as new info comes along it just gets posted in a new thread and I don't think it needs to be a sticky.

As the new info comes along we debate it, the thread dies, then new info comes along and another thread is started. Just my opinion.

[Lanky134]

I'm sorry. I accidentally deleted GH's e-mail from the Leeds match. If anybody has it, can they post it here. Do you still have it, LB?

[Lanky134]

Dear Liverpool fan,

It's very nice to make history by becoming the first British team to ever win here. I thought this match was a demonstration of the character that is about us at the moment. Spartak started very strong, they had nothing to lose. Even though we had chances in the first half I felt they deserved their first goal. We never let our heads go down and the second half was much better. We took the chances and showed a great professional attitude.

They were a tricky team to play because they are skilful and keep the ball well. They wanted to prove something. We were a bit surprised by their physical committment but we waited for the chances to come and they came. I don't think Jerzy Dudek had a save to make in the second half, which tells you how good we played in the second half.

Michael deserves special credit with his hat-trick. Remember only a month ago he was getting stick for not scoring. I rested Michael at Leeds because he had played on a very heavy pitch in Bratislava for England and had played seven games on the bounce. Michael scores important goals for Liverpool.

We count on ourselves only and are not bothered about what other teams do. We dominated the Basel game at home and it was very frustrating because we had so many chances in that game which we didn't take. I said to the players that the standard had to be raised and ever since the Basel game we have been winning.

Regards,

Gerard Houllier
Liverpool manager

[Lanky134]

Back to the topic at hand:

Dear Liverpool fan,

I am very happy with this result. We have the yellow jacket now we have got to keep it! I always tell my players to keep focused and they did against a very good Tottenham side.

People may say we were fortunate to win this game but we were very unfortunate to share the points with Newcastle. In the second half, besides their goal, Tottenham only had the one chance which was a very good save by Dudek and we had one great chance with Michael.

I'm pleased for Michael as he showed a lot of strength and character and took the penalty well. He is only 22 but it was not an easy penalty. There was pressure to put us 2-1 in front and he had just been fouled, but he showed his strength and character.

The competition is very open and it's still early days in the Premiership. We have stepped up the pace and we will try to keep that position. The press write about us say we can't win the league, so just keep writing that.

I don't know whether we can go through the season unbeaten and I don't have a lack of respect for other sides to say we will beat everyone. But I know we have resilience and spirit and that we will do our best.

Regards,

Gerard Houllier
Liverpool Manager

[Lanky134]

Dear Liverpool fan,

It was disappointing to lose against Valencia but this defeat does not change anything. We knew it would depend on what happened in Basel and we know we have to get something out of our game there.

We are confident we can beat any team. Basel were a bit lucky when they played here so we hope to have that luck at their ground.

When you lose to a good team you've got to hold your hands up and say well done. Once they took the lead I knew it would be difficult because of their quality of passing and pressing. We had four good chances and Steven Gerrard and Michael Owen could have scored, but that's football. When you play a good team you have to take your chances and if you don't you pay the price. We lacked the finishing touch, they were lucky with the goal which was deflected.

We deserved an equaliser but it didn't happen. Time will teach us about flow and composure. The team is developing and learning and I can't fault their effort. We had chances, but didn't take them and lost to a very good side.

The thing which disappointed me the most was our first half performance. We gave them too much respect and had no support for the strikers. Some of our players were nervous, we didn't keep hold of the ball enough especially up front and we could have done better.

The first goal was very important. We contained them before that but it changed the game and affected our players, but we are young. A draw would have been a fair result but you wouldn't say their victory was undeserved. Some of their players have played in two Champions League finals and this game will help us for the future.

Regards,

Gerard Houllier
Liverpool Manager

[liverbird]

Dear Liverpool fan,

I thought we produced some good football against West Ham and deserved to win. David James kept them in the game at times and Michael scored two very good goals.

For me the team was Man of the Match as we played as a team, we were very compact and we defended well. We had some great movement up front. I was pleased with this performance, particularly on the back of a defeat by Valencia. We have great mental strength and the response was brilliant.

Michael's goals were excellent, his first was a great effort in terms of individual brilliance. David James denied Michael the match ball with some great saves. I think Michael will have a tremendous season. Physically he is stronger and I was stunned by his physical commitment. He works so hard for the team, he drops back to get the ball and creates chances. Something always happens when he gets the ball.

The conditions were not the best on a slippy surface but we coped very well. The unselfishness of the team impressed me. I told the players I wanted them to get forward more and they did just that. It was proved when Jamie Carragher nearly scored. I said to my players thank you and well done at the end of the match.

Regards,

Gerard Houllier
Liverpool Manager

[RedKnight]

Dear Liverpool supporter,

I thought a draw would have been a fair result but we knew at some stage we would lose a game. It's done and let's show our mental strength by bouncing back.

We were not as good as we could be today. We had some good spells in the game but they were too rare in my view. We had some good chances with Michael. I thought we could have had a penalty when Michael was tripped in their box. We have to admit that on the day we weren't as good as usual.

I have no complaints about their goal. There was no foul, I have seen it on the television and it was a fair goal. Jerzy has saved us in many game and will do so again. He will learn from that. Middlesbrough are a very physical side but our team by our standards must produce better football than we showed today.

It's early days. We've only lost one in thirteen and we've another 25 to play. I'm frustrated because we can give a lot more and we will!

On Tuesday night the players will react.

Regards

Gerard Houllier
Manager

[Lanky134]

Dear Liverpool supporter,

I'm pleased with the effort and heart we showed in the second half against Basel. The players gave a great response and that pleases me. It will stand us in good stead for the future and don't forget this team is still very young.

I thought we were unfortunate to be three down at the break. It was a harsh scoreline because they only had three chances and scored three goals. Their third goal could have been avoided and I think our focus went a bit after we let a goal in so early.

When Michael scored I thought there was only going to be one winner. It's a shame because this could have been a great night for us.

If I had any doubts about the character of my players they proved in the second half that there are none.

I have mixed feelings about what has happened. We were awful in the first half and yet showed so much spirit in the second half.

We have failed to qualify because of our results at Anfield, where we took four points out of nine.

We will be back next year. I know it, and we shall be better next time.

I feel sorry for the players and I feel sorry for the fans. I know how much it means to you all for us to be in the Champions League, but we will learn from this and come back stronger.

Regards,

Gerard Houllier
Liverpool Manager

[Lanky134]

Dear Liverpool fan,

The outcome of this game against Sunderland is as frustrating as when we played Basel here. Today we had 21 shots on goal, they had none and no corners. Our passing and movement was absolutely brilliant, especially in the first half and I'm so disappointed for the players on the back of a disappointing match in Basel.

They rode their luck. I'm disappointed for the fans and their keeper made some great saves. We did everything but score. We had shots, headers and I'm pleased and proud of their efforts. When people say Liverpool are boring they should look at this game today.

It's reassuring that we created chances. It's when you don't create chances that there's a problem. We have players who score goals and it will come. We deserved to win today. We tried everything and did everything but score. I was pleased with the strength and mental character of the side.

Their goalkeeper was man of the match and that says everything. I understand why Sunderland played like that. They need points and their defenders were heroic at times.

If you look just at the results then you could say we've had a bad week, but there isn't a lot wrong with the way we are playing at the moment.

Regards,

Gerard Houllier
Liverpool Manager

[SuperElf]

Dear Liverpool supporter,
We should have won the game at Sunderland and I can't believe we are leaving without at least a draw. I'm astonished. We had more than enough chances to win the match. At 1-1 I thought there was only going to be one winner. Their goalkeeper made some great saves. I can't blame my players for their effort or the amount of chances they created.

When you lose games like this then you either accept it and tell yourself things will change or you work harder and look for solutions. We will be looking for the solutions to our problems. The players are short of confidence at the moment and are a little bit uptight. We just don't know how we've lost this game today.

But if you look at the five games we have lost you can see all of the defeats could have been avoided. It's not wrong to say we could have drawn all five games and look where we would be in the table now with five extra points.

I am concerned now, of course I am. This is the worst period I have with this team but I am confident we will get through this spell. Milan could have come away with the match ball today and other players could have scored more goals. When you have so many chances away from home you have to take more of them. I repeat again, I can't believe we haven't got anything from this match and I feel so sorry for the players and for the fans.

We will overcome our problems, don't worry about that.

Regards,

Gerard Houllier
Liverpool Manager

[Lanky134]

Dear Liverpool supporter,

We deserved to beat Aston Villa last night and we are in a period where a win can bring a lot of confidence to the players.

It is always telling when you score a winner like that right at the end because it shows you have the hunger, the desire and the fight.

I enjoyed the game a lot. It doesn't matter if you concede the first goal in a cup tie, provided you have the character. We deserved the equaliser and deserved to be in front. Maybe we relaxed too much towards the end and allowed them to have too much of the ball, but away from home that is understandable.

We didn't want extra time in view of what is waiting for us at the weekend and I was reassured by how we kept going for it.

I thought Steven Gerrard was fantastic. It was his best all-round display of the season. He was brilliant and his energy transmitted itself to the rest of the team.

The delay at the start of the game was difficult for both teams. We tried to relax in the dressing room and joke about it. It was frustrating, but security must come first. At least the game was worth waiting for - imagine a dull 0-0 draw after that!

We now look forward to a certain match at the weekend.

Regards,

Gerard Houllier
Liverpool Manager

[Lanky134]

Dear Liverpool supporter,

It was a typical derby game yesterday, not a lot of good football and very demanding full of physical commitment. There were too many fouls from my point of view but we expected that. In terms of the defending and character I was pleased with the boys. We lacked a little freshness at times with the game at Aston Villa taking its toll. Sometimes we played too many long balls and there was little football played.

Steven Gerrard's tackle looks bad, I'll admit that, but I spoke to Steven and he said to me 'I didn't want to hurt anybody.' At the time the linesman was only yards away and didn't see it, the referee didn't see it and I didn't see it but you get that sort of thing in derbies.

He might get a fine but there was no foul given and as I said the linesman and referee were only yards away. The player told me he didn't mean to hurt anyone and I accept that.

We stopped the pattern of defeats, we kept a clean sheet and we stood up to the physical challenge, but didn't play much football.

For Salif Diao and Milan Baros it was the first derby, and our derbies are not like anywhere else. It's not been a bad week for us. It plays in the mind of the players when you lose four games in a row, that's only natural. It was never going to be a 3-0 or 4-0 game and a draw isn't too bad.

Wishing you a very Happy Christmas.

Gerard Houllier
Liverpool Manager