Liverpool Football Club in the Media (Linked Articles Only)

Grinners89 · Nov 13, 2007

Original article: http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N157687071113-0723.htm

"Rafael Benitez believes Alvaro Arbeloa's impressive form this season deserves recognition at international level."

Certainly does. Given that Sergio Ramos is the only other RB in the Spanish national squad, he should at least get a call up as a reserve for RB and LB. What do you all think?

CCSC_STRIKER20 · Feb 1, 2008

Dear Liverpool fans,

As soon as I arrived in Liverpool I realised how much this team meant.

Now, after two and a half years I have to say goodbye and I can't hide the great sorrow I feel in leaving one of the best clubs in Europe.

Liverpool FC as a club, its fans, its coaches and my team-mates have together helped me to become a better player and, above all, a better person.

Liverpool FC is one of the greatest. The Liverpool fans never desert their team.

Even in the worst moments you have a strong sense that the fans are with you, supporting you as much as they can, never giving up, those fans make Liverpool even stronger. I really want to thank them for helping me to feel and to understand what football means in its purest form.

I also think Liverpool FC functions this way because of its leaders; Rafael Benitez works from dawn to dusk, and the players know they must fight for the red shirt in every second of every match.

Now I am beginning a new adventure in another big European Club in Juventus. They have also now put their faith in me.

I shall play to my best in every single match, I shall fight hard for my new shirt to the end, but when every match is finished, I know what I'll do first - I shall ask about the results of Liverpool FC.

Everybody knows the legend "You'll Never Walk Alone" and I shall never ever forget the experience and the team.

I want to thank everyone for the opportunity and wish everyone all the best for the future.

With my best regards,
Mohammed Sissoko
Click to expand...

Link

Best wishes to Momo, I really wish he would have worked out for our team.

CCSC_STRIKER20 · Feb 5, 2008

Rafa's Bootroom: Part One

Link

In the first of a series of interviews with Rafa's backroom staff, Liverpoolfc.tv talks to Angel Vales, whose role as head of technical analysis puts him at the forefront of bringing new and innovative ideas to Melwood.
Tell us a bit about your career before Liverpool?

You could say there are two spheres my career has taken. Firstly, I have an academic background in that I was a lecturer in sporting excellence at the University of La Coruna. Then I have worked at various clubs in Spain and Portugal. I was at Tenerife.

How are you finding life in England?

Overall I'm very happy both at work and in my personal life. I'm in a nice, quiet area on the outskirts of Liverpool. It's nice and calm here, and everyone I've met has been friendly. The weather is like La Coruna, so I am used to that. In terms of the work, well if you were to ask anyone back in Spain about English football, the first club that would come to their mind would be Liverpool. It has prestige and there's certain sporting values regarding success and the will to do well which are associated with Liverpool. I am surrounded here by a team of people, a group of players and staff, who are working to maintain that prestige.

How did you come to join Liverpool?

The fundamental person in me coming here last summer was Rafa Benitez. It wasn't the first time he'd shown an interest in me coming here. We go back 20 years both in sport and education – we studied together at university and we've been managers on opposite dugouts throughout our careers. Throughout that we've maintained a personal and professional relationship. I hadn't been able to come here before because of personal circumstances but now the university has legally allowed me to come here for a length of time without prejudicing my opportunity to go back to being a full-time lecturer.

One part of your job title is technical analyst – what's that?

My role is to evaluate how the team plays and how individuals perform. I take a look at videos and really detailed stats after games and see how individuals or the team can improve.

So is most of your work done from behind a desk?

It's a bit of everything. If you want to get the most out of the excellent new technology there is out there you have to spend time at a computer, and that's the less enjoyable part of the job. You want to be out there working with the players, and that's where you have the most impact.

Vales on journalists
Football wouldn't be what it is if it wasn't for journalists. I would go as far as to say that journalists project an image of a club and can help a club grow. Having said that, certainly the way coaches and journalists look at the game is different. Journalists might meet up with a player once every few months, so they don't know players in the detailed manner we do. So, when they make comments on a game, it might be in a vastly different way to the way we see things.

What kind of new technology are you using at Liverpool?

This is probably not the place to go into great detail about everything we're using. What the Liverpool fans are interested in is the end products. But to give you a brush stroke: like a lot of clubs in Spain and Italy we use Amisco and Prozone, who provide a lot of stats for us. But, what we are doing is working with a couple of IT companies to come up with programs, partly designed by ourselves, to get the best analysis of our players. That's something particular to Liverpool that other clubs aren't necessarily doing.

How important is what you do to our pursuit of our first Premier League title?

It's an impossible question to answer! But, if we did win the league, the main people responsible for that would be Rafa Benitez and the players.

How closely do you work with Rafa?

I think, like everyone here, we have a warm relationship and we're in contact every day. One advantage I might have is that I know him from the past and know how he works. I knew how professional he was. One thing about Rafa is that he is very demanding of those he works with. Of all the managers I've worked with I have good memories and I've learnt from them. Everybody knows Rafa is one of the top managers in the world - his achievements speak for themselves.

You're a fitness coach for the reserves too – who's the fittest in the squad?

We shouldn't comment on that. The fans can decide – that's who we all work for. It's all about the finished product and a rounded balance, and that's what the fans will decide on. Some players might be fitter than others, but some might be more skilful. We try to create rounded players.

Is it right you sit in the press box during games – what are you doing up there?

Anywhere in Anfield is a great place to work but the press box has the best view, plus there's TVs so you get immediate replays. I am doing medium and long-term work, but there are occasions when I spot something during a game and go down to the dressing room at half time to talk to Rafa. To be honest though, he usually has all the small details covered – we all know that.

I bet you hear some rubbish talked up there, don't you?

[Laughs] Fortunately, I can't understand what they're saying! But I have to say I have a huge respect for journalists.

Really?

Football wouldn't be what it is if it wasn't for journalists. I would go as far as to say that journalists project an image of a club and can help a club grow. Having said that, certainly the way coaches and journalists look at the game is different. Journalists might meet up with a player once every few months, so they don't know players in the detailed manner we do. So, when they make comments on a game, it might be in a vastly different way to the way we see things. That's not a lack of understanding, it's just we are looking at players from a different stance because we see them every day.

Okay, what's the ultimate ambition for Angel Vales? Do you want to be a manager?

I have no ambitions to be a manager. My immediate ambition is to give my best and improve in every way to help the best club in the world. I see myself here for the long term because I am so happy here. I will keep working and striving to get better at what I do.
Click to expand...

CCSC_STRIKER20 · Feb 5, 2008

Benayoun Escapes Suicide Bomb Attack

Liverpool midfielder Yossi Benayoun escaped a suicide bomb attack in his hometown of Dimona in southern Israel on Monday.

The 27-year-old was visting family members when the attack, which left one woman dead and wounded 38, occurred.

Benayoun, who heard the explosion, escaped unhurt and has declared himself available for Wednesday's friendly international with Romania.

"Everything is OK with me but I'm not important," Benayoun told The Sun.

"Those who really matter are the people of my home town."
Click to expand...

Link

CCSC_STRIKER20 · Feb 5, 2008

Reina Breaks Record - Hailed by Boss

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has paid tribute to Jose Reina after the Spaniard set a new goalkeeping record for the Anfield club.

The Reds manager believes Reina's clean-sheets benchmark is all the more impressive because it eclipses one of the club's true greats, Ray Clemence.

Reina - currently with the Spain squad due to play France - became the fastest keeper in Liverpool's history to make it to 50 clean sheets in the 3-0 Premier League win over Sunderland on Saturday.

The previous best had been set by former England star Clemence who achieved the feat in 95 games.

Clemence is recognised as Anfield's greatest-ever goalkeeper, but Reina's total of 50 shutouts in his first 92 games has overtaken the Kop idol who won 61 England caps between 1973 and 1984.

Benitez said: "I have been talking about how good 'Pepe' is for a very long time.

"For him to keep 50 clean sheets since he joined the club is a terrific performance.

"And it is a goalkeeper of Ray Clemence's quality that he has beaten. Not just any goalkeeper but one of the club's greats in Clemence. That shows how good Reina has had to be.

"But it also underlines the standard of defending. A keeper cannot have 50 clean sheets if the players in front of him are not doing their job.

"Now this is something we must repeat, another 50 cleans sheets from Pepe in the same way would be ideal for us.

"It is much easier for our strikers to score goals if they know we do not have any problems in defence."
Click to expand...

Link

I really think Reina is one of the most underrated keepers by fans. Mainly because if you ask an average soccer fan who the best Premiership keeper, many will say of Cech. If you ask an average soccer fan who the best Spanish keeper is, many will say Casillas. If Reina plays for a different country or Cech doesn't play for Chelsea, he would be considered much higher than he is already.

Twenty26Six · Feb 5, 2008

Post all extraneous articles that appear in ANY e-media outlet.
Post a link.
Post a description.

Articles don't have to be positive or negative.

This is just a dump bin for all random LFC articles we may find of interest.

- 26

CCSC_STRIKER20 · Feb 5, 2008

Twenty26Six said: ↑

Post all extraneous articles that appear in ANY e-media outlet.
Post a link.
Post a description.

Articles don't have to be positive or negative.

This is just a dump bin for all random LFC articles we may find of interest.

- 26
Click to expand...

Gotta spread it around. Good idea. There are some good and bad articles written on Liverpool and everyone should be aware of what is going on with our club.

Twenty26Six · Feb 6, 2008

CCSC_STRIKER20 said: ↑

Gotta spread it around. Good idea. There are some good and bad articles written on Liverpool and everyone should be aware of what is going on with our club.
Click to expand...

I like to see all the articles. Unfortunately, if you don't check the _main_ forum and ALL the news outlets, you miss some. Plus, some articles don't need debate, and they turn into troll-infested off-topic threads.

Here's to hoping this idea worls.

Twenty26Six · Feb 6, 2008

I'm a fan like you. Always have been and always will be. I know how much our history and tradition means to you.
Click to expand...

Notice, he didn't say "me" or "us".

Rick Parry: It's Time To Focus on Football

liverbird · Feb 6, 2008

Twenty26Six said: ↑

Notice, he didn't say "me" or "us".

Rick Parry: It's Time To Focus on Football
Click to expand...

Wanker, Onanist, Tosser, Jerk Off --- by any other name he's still a masturbator

CCSC_STRIKER20 · Feb 6, 2008

LFC Academy Update

A week on from the win over Arsenal in the Youth Cup and the Academy is still high in spirits.

It gave all the players and the staff quite a buzz to get through just like it would for the first-team winning in the FA Cup - but that's where the similarities end.

Rafael Benitez and his side go into their league matches focused on winning every game but at our level the matches are part of a development programme.

We see the games we play like a testing ground, a laboratory for the skills and the work the youngsters have done in the week leading up to it.

All of our teams, whether it be under- nines or the under 18s, go out wanting to win but the need to win is not as great as it is for the first-team.

We do some rotation too and don't necessarily pick the same players every week. It's not an attempt to give them a rest but to get everyone involved and that's what we did against Huddersfield in the league on Saturday. We gave other players who hadn't played for a few games an opportunity to show what they can do.

While the league is about nurturing the players, the Youth Cup offers them a more competitive and pressurised environment.

If you lose a game in the cup you obviously go out, so the feeling among the boys is that they want to win the game so that they can progress.

In the last two years we have been successful in doing that and it has created an extra buzz around the place.

But we should never forget that the main focus of the Academy is to try and get people through to Melwood and into the Reserve team squad.

Hopefully they can then develop and try and push on into the first-team.

It is always nice to have the Youth Cup as an extra and to beat Arsenal was a great achievement for the boys.

But we came back down to earth on Saturday in the league with a 1-0 defeat against Huddersfield. One of the fears you have with our young players is that they must not compare the first teams and think it is the same as Liverpool's senior side taking on Huddersfield's.

It was a harsh lesson for them to learn. Any team in the various age groups in our Academy leagues can beat anybody else.

I don't know whether there was a bit of complacency on the boys' part, in that they thought we would just turn up and beat Huddersfield, but it should not have been the case.

It's probably a similar situation to how our first-team might have looked at the game with Havant and Waterlooville.

But we ended up losing on Saturday and that can so often happen. From the euphoria of a big cup win to the next game and a disappointing defeat against a side you think you can beat.

What we needed to do was enjoy Tuesday night against Arsenal and then forget about it on Wednesday morning and look forward. It didn't happen but, like I said, the boys can learn from that.

So now we have another game on Saturday against Stoke City and that's what Hugh McAuley and the boys will be focused on in the remainder of the week.

That will be their only focus.

It's an important game for us and the one we need to give all of our attention to.

Okay we've got another Youth Cup tie up in Sunderland next week but we will look to that on Sunday and not before.

While the Under 18s suffered disappointment at the weekend, it has been a positive start to the week for one of our players, Nathan Eccleston.

It was great for him to play a few minutes and score a goal in the Reserves' 3-0 win at Bolton on Monday night.

In recent years we've always had an influx of players getting involved with the reserves but this year the reserve team and the first team have got such large squads so it hadn't really happened.

But when some players from the reserve team squad went out on loan and others went away on international duty, it gave Nathan an opportunity to be involved.

It was certainly nice to see him get on and have the confidence to take and score a penalty. We were pleased to see one of our younger players get on and do well, rather than it just be younger players coming from other clubs and going straight to the reserves and Melwood.

I spoke to Nathan yesterday and he was very happy. He was just pleased to be on the bench and so to get on and get involved was a bonus for him. The way the game shaped up allowed Gary Ablett to give him a few minutes and have a look at him.

We are hopeful that sort of thing will continue to happen in the next few weeks too. Some of the players will go down to Melwood from the Academy for a day or two because this a period in which coaching staff at Melwood need to have a look and work with our players.
Then they can decide whether they want them to move down there in the summer on a full-time basis.

One thing for sure, is that it promises to be a busy couple of weeks for us here at the Academy.
Click to expand...

CCSC_STRIKER20 · Feb 6, 2008

Rafa Awarded Honorary Doctorate

Rafael Benitez has been awarded with an Honorary Doctorate from the Miguel Hernandez University (Elche) in Spain.
The Liverpool boss was delighted to welcome a delegation from the Spanish University to Melwood on Sunday morning where an official document of his award was presented to him.

The delegation was made up of representatives from the University and included Jose Maria Gmez Gras, Joaquin Julian Pastor, Jose Antonio Trigueros Piña, Eduardo Cervello Gimero and Gandia Balaguer.

They all attended Saturday's 3-0 victory over Sunderland at Anfield and took time out to visit the Beatles museum in the city centre during their stay.

The official ceremony will take place in Spain on June 4.

"I'm really pleased and proud," said Benitez. "The award is in recognition of a long career in football. It's not easy to spend so long in one career after you leave university and so I am delighted.

"Of course to have a long career you need the support of your family and the other people behind you on your staff. I've had that and been fortunate that everyone has been working really hard with me."
Click to expand...

CCSC_STRIKER20 · Feb 6, 2008

Gerrard Named England Player of the Year

LIVERPOOL captain Steven Gerrard, who will lead his country out at Wembley tonight for new coach Fabio Capello’s first game, has been named Nationwide England Player of the Year.

The 27-year-old midfielder, who has been handed the armband for the friendly match against Switzerland, was delighted to receive the award, which is voted for by supporters of the national team.

He said: “It’s a fantastic honour, coming from the fans makes it very special to me – I’m really proud.

“The fans pay their money and come and watch us play around the world, so to get their support is great.

“There were a number of players who did really well last year.

“Gareth Barry came back into the team and had some great games.

“Micah Richards was really consistent for someone so young particularly playing in defence.

“I know the fans appreciate how well those guys have done so to come out on top is a tremendous feeling.”

Gerrard topped the poll that saw fans voting in their thousands to choose from the 42 eligible candidates.

The Manchester City defender Richards was his closest rival as Gerrard took 22% of the votes.

The Liverpool skipper began the year as captain of his country with Spain the opponents at Old Trafford and played in 11 games for the Three Lions.

Gerrard would captain the side on five occasions during the year, playing in all but one of the matches in 2007 – five of them at the newly-opened Wembley Stadium.

“Being back at Wembley was fantastic, it’s a terrific stadium and a great place to play football.

“I was lucky enough to have made my debut for England at Wembley, so it had been a long wait to play their again.

“The old ground had a lot of history and growing up it was always a place you wanted to play, now we have a modern stadium that a new generation can grow up with and in time there will be a whole new history.”
Click to expand...

el-capitano · Feb 6, 2008

RIISE: I'LL BOUNCE BACK

John Arne Riise has vowed to win his place back in the Liverpool team and insists he would be happy to stay at Anfield for the rest of his career.
The Norwegian international has missed the last two games against West Ham United and Sunderland, but is hopeful he will return to the starting line-up against Chelsea with Fabio Aurelio and Alvaro Arbeloa sidelined.

"It is disappointing not to be playing the last few games," said Riise. "But everyone knows what the boss is thinking.

"He likes to rotate his team and the squad. I don't like not playing, but I understand he likes to rotate.

"He has opted to field Aurelio who has got some matches now. That is no problem with me.

"I want to stay with Liverpool for the rest of my career if possible. I've always said that and I hope it can happen, but I have to play good and keeping playing good for years to come.

"At the moment I am happy and looking forward to the rest of the season because we can do some good stuff."
Click to expand...

Red Bird · Feb 7, 2008

Posted this in the Chlsea thread, too. Hopefully he'll be ready for the Inter clash.Torres out of 'Bridge clash

Rafa Benitez has confirmed Liverpool fans' worst fears by revealing Fernando Torres is very unlikely to feature against Chelsea on Sunday.
The striker lasted just 23 minutes of Spain's 1-0 victory over France on Wednesday after picking up a hamstring injury.

The news comes as a major blow for Benitez, who is already without Daniel Agger, Andriy Voronin, Alvaro Arbeloa, Fabio Aurelio and the suspended Xabi Alonso.

On top of this, Javier Mascherano will not arrive back at Melwood until Friday due to Argentina's friendly clash with Guatemala later today.

Benitez said: "We have lost Torres and Mascherano is not back until tomorrow. I don't think it (the international friendly situation) is fair. I think Mascherano will be okay for Sunday but we will have to see.

"The news we have on Torres is that it is a hamstring injury. I need to talk to the doctor but I think he will miss this game. Normally it is a week when a player goes off like this.

"It is a big problem for us."
Click to expand...

CCSC_STRIKER20 · Feb 7, 2008

Crouch Aims High Ahead of Chelsea Clash

Liverpool's Peter Crouch says the players are determined to improve on their record at Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal.
The Reds travel to Stamford Bridge on Sunday bidding for their first win in West London under Rafa Benitez.

Crouch told BBC Radio Merseyside: "We have the confidence to beat them, because we have done it before.

"There is no doubt the players want to improve our record, but it is a big game for both sides."

The England striker scored in Liverpool's last Premier League game [against Sunderland] and has netted three goals in his last three appearances for the Reds.

He added: "It was great to score against Sunderland and I enjoyed my partnership with Fernando Torres.

"We have not played together too many times, but I felt we worked well, we both scored a goal and I was delighted to get a start."

Liverpool's win against Sunderland was their first in the Premier League since Boxing Day at Derby.

"We were a bit nervy in the first half, but that's understandable because we have not had great results of late," Crouch explained.

"I think you saw that after we scored the first goal we went on to control the game and we scored two more."

Jamie Carragher lined up at right-back for the game against Sunderland and that's a role he could continue in against Chelsea.

Crouch said: "He's got a lot more quality than people give him credit for and he made a great contribution for my goal.

"He doesn't play there very often, but he is more than happy to do a job for the team."
Click to expand...

Here's hoping that the big man has a big game for us against the Blues.

Red Bird · Feb 7, 2008

Note the second sentence.

Mr Hicks' previous form.

The skinny
It is a good thing Dallas Stars owner Tom Hicks is a billionaire. Otherwise, he might not survive the mess he has made of the Dallas franchise. The team, which owns 50% of American Airlines Center, is saddled with $200 million in debt (the team's holding company, Southwest Sports, defaulted on $135 million of debt four years ago), a high payroll, and an under-performing team that can't make it past the first round of the playoffs. The natives have clearly gotten restless, illustrated by sagging ticket sales and waning interest in the Dallas market for the Stars. In the face of this Hicks has actually increased the team's marketing staff to boost ticket sales. What he really needs is a better product.

Major corporate sponsors are Anheuser-Busch (nyse: BUD), TXU (nyse: TXU), Sprint Nextel (nyse: S), United Parcel Service (nyse: UPS). Naming rights sponsor is American Airlines (nyse: AMR).
Click to expand...

CHSsoccer08 · Feb 8, 2008

Ray Kennedy appeal boost after Jamie Carragher's great gesture

PROOF that Jamie Carragher can keep his hands below his chest . . . and get them all the way down into his pockets.

Carra handed over £500 this week, despite WINNING a bet hatched at an airport carousel in Marseille.

Tiring of the ongoing furore surrounding the Goodison derby match penalty which wasn’t, he snapped: “If you can get through to the end of the year without mentioning Clattenburg, I’ll give £500 to charity.

“Actually make that Clattenburg, and the School of Science!”

It sounded more of a certainty than Mike Riley awarding a spot kick at Old Trafford. Except Jamie’s probably seen how good my betting is in the Football Echo.

We got to December 29, then I described Mikel Arteta as: “. . . a sumptuous footballer in the school of science mould.”

D’oh!

Did Jamie take the easy way out?

What do you think?

He ignored the ransom demand for his missing birthday cake and insisted on handing over the cash . . . provided it went to the Ray of Hope Appeal for suffering former Anfield star Ray Kennedy.

Delighted to oblige. And anybody else who wants to contribute can make paypal donations to rayofhopeappeal@hotmail.co.uk, or pay direct contributions to the Ray of Hope Appeal c/o HSBC account 21817299 sort-code 40-03-27. Paying direct or doing a bank transfer will avoid paypal commission.

Since Parkinson’s Disease ravaged his body at the age of 34, Kennedy has had to put his caps and medals up for auction.

He has had no steady income since his 1991 testimonial, is unable to cash in on coaching, media or after-dinner work and his condition has seriously deteriorated.

Goodwill gestures like those from Carragher will be warmly received.l COME on, own up. Who kidnapped Jamie Carragher’s 30th birthday cake? Checking out the waistlines of his Anfield team-mates, my money’s on Andriy Voronin.
Click to expand...

CCSC_STRIKER20 · Feb 8, 2008

Benitez backs Kuyt to get goals

Rafael Benitez has given striker Dirk Kuyt his full support as the troubled Dutchman prepares to be plunged into Sunday's make-or-break clash at Chelsea.

In a week that has seen 27-year-old Kuyt dumped from the Holland squad, with national boss Marco van Basten claiming, 'He is just not good enough at the moment,' the Liverpool star has revealed the personal and professional anguish that has blighted his season.
Benitez is considering recalling Kuyt to his starting line-up following the shattering loss of top scorer Fernando Torres with a hamstring injury sustained playing for Spain on Wednesday.

And in doing so Benitez has gone out of his way to back the £10million front man, who has gone 12 games without a goal.

Benitez said: 'Everybody was saying that Torres and (Peter) Crouch did well last week, but I will have to change that plan now with probably Dirk Kuyt involved. It will not be rotation now, but something I will have to do.

'I have no problems with Kuyt. He is a fantastic professional, a worker, so he does an important job for the team. If Torres or (Steven) Gerrard score goals it is because Kuyt is working so hard.

'He's OK. He would like to score more goals and I would like him to score more but I have every confidence in him.

'There maybe is a problem with confidence, but if we create better chances he will score.

'When strikers score they are happy, they score the winner and everybody is happy and they get man of the match awards, and that is because when you are talking about strikers everybody only talks about goals, not the work they do.'

But everyone at Anfield, players and fans alike, are aware of the personal tragedy that has overwhelmed Kuyt this season following the death in the summer of his father.

Understandably, Kuyt - who has managed only seven goals in 30 games this term -has been hit hard by the loss and he reveals the support he has had from manager, colleagues and fans alike.
He said: 'When my dad passed away during the summer it was the first time I've ever lost someone really close to me.

'I would be lying if I said it hadn't affected me. It obviously has.
'He was my biggest supporter and someone I always turned to for advice. I know if he was here right now he'd help me with the difficulties I've been having on the field.

'Naturally it has had a major impact on my life, but at the same time my performances just haven't been good enough. It is my job to score goals and I haven't done that on a regular basis. Now I have got to keep going and turn the situation around.'

He added: 'Last season nice things were said about me, I was playing a lot of games and scoring a lot of goals.

'This season it is not so good, but that is part of the job. I'm aware how it works, I'm aware how quickly the situation can change.

'I don't need to be told that I haven't scored enough, I'm a striker and it's my job to score and I know when I am not contributing the right amount.

'I know when I do things well and when I've been wrong. I'm just human and I can't do everything right.'

And as he strives to overcome his personal loss, Kuyt says: 'The club and the manager have been great to me, Rafa said he would give me all the support I needed.

'That was hugely important. And even now the manager and the lads have continued to help me.

'I truly believe I am at the right club to help me deal with this problem. And the fans have been great to me, they understand what I am going through.

'It is a special feeling when you are not at your best and they still support you.'

Benitez could play Peter Crouch as a lone striker, or field a partnership of Crouch and Kuyt up front in a game the manager admits will dictate whether they have any chance of catching Chelsea in third spot.
Liverpool will also be without long-term injured players Andriy Voronin, Daniel Agger, Alvaro Arbeloa and Fabio Aurelio and are expected to return Jamie Carragher to a central defence with Steve Finnan returning to the side. Xabi Alonso is suspended.
Click to expand...

I really hope this doesn't mean Kuyt is being recalled, just play Crouch alone up front. Though I wouldn't mind seeing him bring his confidence up by scoring against Chelsea

CCSC_STRIKER20 · Feb 8, 2008

Clemence Hails Reina

ay Clemence today hailed Pepe Reina after the Liverpool goalkeeper became the quickest in the club's history to record 50 clean sheets.
Reina's shut-out against Sunderland last weekend saw him beat the 36 year old record as he racked up his half century of clean sheets three games quicker than Clemence managed.

Despite losing the record, Clemence has spoken of his admiration for a goalkeeper he believes is now among the best in European football.

"I think Pepe is an excellent goalkeeper and his record speaks for itself," said Clemence.

"He is in his third season at Anfield now and he has got better every year he has been there.

"Apart from a short spell at the start of last season when he lost a bit of form and confidence and made a couple of mistakes his performance levels have been remarkably consistent.

"He has done really well for the team and gives the players in front of him great confidence.

"I'm sure Pepe would be the first to acknowledge that he has benefited from having the likes of Jamie Carragher, Daniel Agger, Sami Hyypia, Steve Finnan and John Arne Riise in front of him.

"But as an individual he has many good qualities which deserve highlighting.

"He is extremely quick, has great reflexes, is very brave and is a good kicker of the ball.

"If you put all those qualities together then you have a very good goalkeeper."

He added: "I think Reina and Cech are two of the best around, there is no question about that.

"Cech is one of the main reasons why Chelsea have been as successful as they have in recent years and Reina's contribution to Liverpool has been on a similar scale.

"If you think back to last season's Champions League semi-final Reina was the hero when he did particularly well in the penalty shoot-out.

"But there have been plenty of times when Cech has been Chelsea's hero and it will be good to see the two of them in action again on Sunday."
Click to expand...

CCSC_STRIKER20 · Feb 8, 2008

Rafa on Offside Law and Steven Gerrard

LIVERPOOL manager Rafael Benitez has blasted the offside law as “a mess” and “a disaster”.

The Spaniard launched himself into the debate over the law when asked yesterday whether he understood the new interpretations.

He said: “I understand the offside law is a mess, it is a disaster. That is very clear. I have explained 100 times to people, if they will listen, that we need to go back to the old rule.

“The offside rule is a good one, but the key should still be that if the player is in an offside position, he is offside. Finish.”

Benitez added: “It will be easier for the linesmen and referees. But we have someone in an office who wants to invent something and they have created a mess. Phases of play is confusing. We see things in every game now that people cannot understand.

“So it should be simple again, if someone is offside, that is the end of it.

“When I was a player, a long time ago, it was not difficult to understand. Now it is.

“Then if a player was way out in the corner, then he is not interfering with the game, but now we have players in the middle of the box who are considered not interfering.

“That is nonsense. They are being watched by the goalkeeper, they are being watched by defenders, that is interfering.”
Meanwhile, Benitez believes Steven Gerrard should now be named as the full-time England skipper.

Gerrard was given the armband by Fabio Capello for just the 2-1 win over Switzerland on Wednesday, with a further decision later. But Benitez said: “I would think Steven Gerrard should be England’s captain, he is certainly capable of doing it.

“He has the right mentality and it will be a boost for him for the future. I do not feel it will affect what he does for us. He has ability and experience, he can handle this as well.”
Click to expand...

CCSC_STRIKER20 · Feb 9, 2008

Kuyt On His Personal Anguish and Form

Dirk Kuyt has spoken about his personal anguish following the death of his father in the summer and admitted it is something that still traumatises him today.
The Reds number 18 and his father Gerrit were very close and his death from lung cancer in June hit Kuyt badly.

The player, who was left out of the Holland squad for their friendly with Croatia during the week, readily admits his form for Liverpool has been affected by his grieving.

"My dad was my biggest supporter and I still find it difficult to set my mind and rest and move on," said Kuyt.

"There are still times in games where I look up to where he used to sit and wonder where he is. After a moment I remember, and it all comes back.

"I have got to try and get on with things but I cannot just shrug it aside as if nothing has happened.

"It has been so hard trying to get over it, but there have been other factors as well behind my form not being good enough.

"The club and the manager have been great to me. Rafa said he would give me all the support I needed. That was hugely important. And even now the manager and the lads have continued to help me.

"I truly believe I am at the right club to help me deal with this problem. And the fans have been great to me, they understand what I am going through. It is a special feeling when you are not at your best and they still support you."

Taking the words of encouragement on board, the Dutch international has vowed to recapture his best form in a red shirt but admits he has spoken to Rafael Benitez about his rotation system.

"I have found it difficult coping with the rotation policy," he added. "I want to be playing at least 35 games a season and I went to the manager to tell him that.

"He pointed out that I played that number of games last season and could end up doing the same this time given the number of competitions we are in.

"He said it was about getting the balance right in the team and there would be games where he would need my qualities. I can live with that and I know as well that I have got to do my job to justify my selection. My performances just have not been good enough and I have got to concentrate on improving them."
Click to expand...

liverbird · Feb 9, 2008

What's he complaining about -- given his form that's about 20 too many games already. If we had a better option, or if Rafa trusted Crouch he'd have played hardly at all. I am sorry his Dad passed but he's a grown ass man making millions a year. My Dad passed when I was 15 from the same disease and after a long slog with its effects,I survived. And kids all over the world are left orphaned every day-- they get on with their business and he should too.

CCSC_STRIKER20 · Feb 9, 2008

liverbird said: ↑

What's he complaining about -- given his form that's about 20 too many games already. If we had a better option, or if Rafa trusted Crouch he'd have played hardly at all. I am sorry his Dad passed but he's a grown ass man making millions a year. My Dad passed when I was 15 from the same disease and after a long slog with its effects,I survived. And kids all over the world are left orphaned every day-- they get on with their business and he should too.
Click to expand...

I know he should move on. I was trying to have sympathy for him but then he complained about not getting enough games, and I was like "no". If he plays better then I can see him getting the number of games that he wants. But he really needs to kick it in the ass.

Even though I am sure he just feels like crap right now.

Lost his Holland spot. Lost his Liverpool spot. Lost his father. But he still should be able to percivere (sp). But I am not going to judge people on their ability to handle tragedy and loss.

Twenty26Six · Feb 9, 2008

CCSC_STRIKER20 said: ↑

But I am not going to judge people on their ability to handle tragedy and loss.
Click to expand...

I agree with LB, and I also support Kuyt. But, smart statement there kiddo.

And, it's persevere.