“Faced with their toughest opponent for a generation, Europe’s leading football clubs have been forced to adopt a new tactic: frugality. Creditors have caught up with the beautiful game in recent weeks, raising fears that spiraling wages and reckless spending could put the future of some of the world’s most iconic teams at risk.” (WSJ)
“Sometimes you wonder why you’ve been wasting all your bloody time every day for the past three years writing and linking to pieces about issues of club ownership, club identity (versus club brand) and the difference between being a supporter and being a fan. As we’ve haphazardly been doing here since 2007.” (Pitch Invasion)
“SimonK… Liverpool seemed to play a little rubbish during the beginning of the game though great game. And of course, MotM should go to Reina. Saved the day!” (footytube)
“Liverpool striker Fernando Torres marked his first start since January 13 by scoring the winner in an ill-tempered 2-1 victory over Blackburn at Anfield. The Spain international hit his 13th goal in 17 Premier League appearances just before half-time, having missed five weeks at the start of the year after a knee operation. Liverpool had gone ahead midway through the half through Steven Gerrard only for Jamie Carragher’s handball to allow Keith Andrews to equalise from the penalty spot five minutes before the interval.” (ESPN)
Benitez fires volley at Allardyce as Reds win
“On the final whistle, they shook hands with the briefest of touches and then hostilities between Rafael Benitez and Sam Allardyce resumed. It had been a close enough contest for there to be no danger of the Liverpool manager crossing his hands to indicate the match was over after 33 minutes, which had so incensed Allardyce when Blackburn last visited Anfield.” (Independent)
Fernando Torres wants as much playing time as possible for Spain
“Fernando Torres is keen for as much international playing time as possible despite the Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez’s concerns over the striker, who has recently returned from a lengthy lay-off after knee surgery. Benítez will hope Torres returns from Spain without picking up any new knocks in the European champions’ friendly against France on Wednesday.” (Guardian)
“Pele’s Brazil against Gerd Müller’s West Germany in Mexico 1970, plus five other classic games that never took place” (Guardian)
“Well, Torres is back. That’s about the biggest consolation I can take from the last two outings. We may have gotten the right result against Unirea, but if you didn’t watch that match, trust me, the outcome doesn’t reflect the awful, numbing football we sat through for most of ninety minutes. Where was the team who beat Everton with only ten men? Where was the spark that undid Spurs? We were saved by N’Gog switching on at just the right moment (he was useless up until then) and Unirea’s players forgetting how to strike a ball any time they got a look at goal.” (EPL Talk)
“The full extent of the debts engulfing English football has been laid bare in a report that shows Premier League clubs are carrying more debt than the rest of Europe’s clubs put together. The findings are contained in a study from European football’s governing body into the state of football’s finances and come as the Premier League’s bottom club Portsmouth FC prepares to file for administration—a form of bankruptcy protection—on Friday as a result of debts of roughly £70 million ($105.5 million).” (WSJ)
Claude Gillot, Les deux carosses
“The eagerly-awaited top-four showdown turned into a goalless bore draw between Manchester City and Liverpool at Eastlands. Gripped by the fear of losing, the north-west rivals did not manage a shot on target during the first-half and only threw off their shackles in a half-hearted search for victory in the final 15 minutes. But even the introductions of Craig Bellamy and Fernando Torres failed to lift the game from its overall torpor.” (ESPN)
Man City 0 – 0 Liverpool
“Manchester City and Liverpool played out a miserable stalemate at Eastlands as they battled for fourth place in the Premier League. Roberto Mancini and Rafael Benitez have their sights set on a place in next season’s Champions League – but this was a wretched advert for their lofty ambitions in an encounter that plumbed the depths for long periods.” (BBC)
Manchester City 0 Liverpool 0: match report
“Even the return from injury of Craig Bellamy and Fernando Torres could not inspire either Manchester City or Liverpool to win the game neither team could afford to lose. Bellamy featured for half an hour just days after a reported spat with manager Roberto Mancini, while Rafael Benítez allowed Torres, who has not played since the FA Cup defeat to Reading on January 13, a 15-minute run-out. Neither talisman, though, could break the deadlock as two under-performing teams cancelled each other out.” (Telegraph)
Manchester City 0-0 Liverpool – Recap and Video Highlights
“Manchester City hosted Liverpool on Sunday, February 21, 2010 looking to remain 4th place in the English Premier League. Both clubs are fighting for the last UEFA Champions League spot along with Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur. Arsenal, Man United, and Chelsea are clearly the top three sides separating themselves from the rest of the league. The match was at the City of Manchester Stadium.” (The 90th Minute)
José Mourinho
“There might never have been a coach more intent on turning his teams into a sideshow to his own performance than José Mourinho. Yet he is not the pretty sight he imagines. On Saturday night in the San Siro, his Inter Milan was reduced by foul play and gamesmanship to nine men before halftime for the second match running. No matter, Mourinho applauded them, mocked the referee, and boasted that a team of his would have to be reduced to six players to lose a home game. He is a bitter and twisted man — and a successful one.” (NYT)
“For a long time, the only place you’d hear about supporters’ trusts in the national English media would be in the pages of When Saturday Comes. Yet now, it seems we hear more from spokespersons of supporters’ trusts — democratic non-profit fans’ organisations aiming to influence how their clubs are run — than we do from clubs themselves, at all levels of the game.” (Pitch Invasion)
“Striker David Ngog’s goal nine minutes from time eventually broke the resistance of a determined Unirea Urziceni at Anfield in the Europa League. With the visitors intent on soaking up plenty of pressure Rafael Benitez’s side struggled to find the creativity to get past the massed Romanian ranks. However, the Frenchman’s close-range header meant the Reds have some breathing space as they head to Bucharest for next week’s last-32 second leg.” (ESPN)
“Kicked out of the near-earth-orbit studio by overrated Indie rockers Vampire Weekend and with a presenter still somewhere in the alpine wilderness, Football Weekly makes do with a broom cupboard and whoever Producer Pete could find five minutes before recording was due to commence. Luckily he found Paul MacInnes, Rob Smyth, Kevin McCarra and Paul Doyle at a loose end and they all agreed to do him a turn. The hastily assembled bunch waste no time getting stuck into the week’s Champions League action, including Lukasz Fabianski’s night to forget, a Rooney-inspired comeback at the San Siro and Bayern Munich’s ludicrously offside goal to beat Fiorintina.” (Guardian – James Richardson)
“Watching European football has always had an exotic element for us in Britain. In the 60s and 70s, abroad was a long way away. The world seemed much bigger and the visit of a team from Italy, Germany or Albania was like a visit from another football planet. We hadn’t heard of most of the players, we didn’t know much about the teams. How could we? They were not on TV and rarely covered in the press. Our only exposure to non-British players was at World Cups and on European nights. Hardly any played in the UK.” (EPL Talk)
“The John Terry scandal has engendered a flood of obloquy on English football. Columnists of many kinds have fervently joined in the abuse, some with a knowledge of the realities of the game, however bleak, some, like the right wing political columnist Simon Geffer, who “hate soccer” with almost comical outrage. He seems for example to believe that today’s wealthy footballers — the average annual wage in the Premier League is a massive £1.2 mill ion — swan around in Rolls Royces, when the young plutocrats would favour nothing so square. For them, the costliest Ferraris and their luxurious like.” (TSS On Net – BRAIN GLANVILLE)
La Délivrance d’Andromède, Pierre Mignard
“Rafa Benitez’s unlikely recent defence of the one eyed tendency among managers has only served to remind us of the prevailing habit among Premier League bosses to see things only from their own point of view. The humble Championship, by contrast, is mercifully bereft of this selfism.” (thetwounfortunates)
“They are also intensifying discussions with the Red Knights, businessmen considering forming a consortium to buy out the Glazers. United fans are even joining forces with their ancient rivals, Liverpool, to make club ownership a topic of debate on the campaign trail along with more usual Newsnight subjects like the economy, the environment and the war in Afghanistan. Football’s hitting the hustings. Lobbying is already under way.” (Telegraph – Henry Winter)
“Note : This post was written after the defeat to Fiorentina in the Champions league. With me still lost for words over the loss at Emirates, I’d like to make a re-visit to continue my support for the man who cares for the club the most. So some of the readers who are new to this blog kindly have a look. (For the old ones, yeah the ‘Psycho’ part was re-edited for obvious reasons.” (All Four One..)
“Milan looms large in Liverpool’s recent past. There was the unforgettable, immortal triumph against AC in Istanbul in 2005 and the rather less fondly remembered rematch in Athens two years later. In 2008, a typically clinical display of high-class finishing from Fernando Torres defeated Internazionale in the San Siro.” (ESPN)
The tribute money: Peter finding the silver coin in the mouth of the fish, Jacobs Jordaens
“Arsenal breathed new life into their diminishing Premier League title hopes with a narrow win over Liverpool at Emirates Stadium. Abou Diaby finally got the breakthrough on 72 minutes, when he headed in Tomas Rosicky’s cross as the Gunners bounced back from successive defeats to Manchester United and Chelsea. Liverpool, who are just ahead of Manchester City in fourth place, almost grabbed a late equaliser when substitute Ryan Babel saw his shot tipped onto the bar.” (ESPN)
Steven Gerrard criticises ‘crazy’ Howard Webb for not giving Liverpool penalty
“Steven Gerrard has described referee Howard Webb’s decision not to award Liverpool a penalty during their 1-0 defeat to Arsenal last night as ‘crazy’. Arsenal captain Cesc Fábregas admitted after the match that he handled Gerrard’s stoppage-time free-kick and although television replays suggested the incident was outside the area, Gerrard was left fuming at missing out on a chance to salvage a point and maintain the club’s unbeaten run.” (Guardian)
Arsenal 1-0 Liverpool – Recap and Video Highlights – English Premier League – Wednesday, February 10, 2010
“Arsenal hosted Liverpool on Wednesday, February 10, 2010 in the English Premier League needing a win to keep their title hopes alive. Liverpool were looking to close the gap between the two sides and move remain in 4th place in the league table. A win for Arsenal would keep their chances still alive with Man U and Chelsea having tough matches on the same day. Arsenal 1-0 Liverpool – Video Highlights” (The 90th Minute)
“The pod squad analyse Chelsea’s demolition of Arsenal, Liverpool’s bruising battle with Everton, and Tottenham Hotspur’s snoozefest with Aston Villa and ask: why are we getting another dose of the same old same old? Also in the show – and lest we be accussed of Big Four-centricity – we discuss Hull City’s recent revival now that Phil Brown ditched the earpiece and the goatee. Plus, we ponder whether Fabio Capello’s done the right thing in stripping John Terry of the England captaincy. And we get dewy-eyed about those Brat Pack movies of the 1980s. Finally, our favourite Teuton Raphael Honigstein brings us news of a rift in the German national team and the latest from the Bundesliga; Sid Lowe brings us up to date with Spain’s La Liga; and Jimbo tells us about Lazio’s mounting woes in Serie A.” (Guardian – James Richardson)
“”Successful football is about good habits,” quoth Brian Clough, more or less in those words. Maybe so. What he meant was that you inculcate good habits into a player on the training ground to the extent that the player then reproduces them automatically on match-days, usually without the manager’s further intervention. Clough, for one, was famous for not turning up for training sessions, preferring to take his dog for a walk, which was his implicit way of acknowledging that the habits had been taken on. Vicente Del Bosque is another one from this school of management, preferring not to change the well-oiled Luis Aragonés machine, and only applying fine-tuning when necessary.” (ESPN)
“Football’s transfer system has always been a murky business. Unlike the National Football League or the National Basketball Association in America, where players enter the professional ranks amid the glitz and razzmatazz of the college draft, the movement of players in football is an altogether more furtive operation. Players are effectively the property of their employers, bought and sold by professional clubs without oversight or regulation from the sport’s authorities. Since every player has a price attached, recruitment is a cloak and dagger process.” (WSJ)
“As football sinks further and further into the financial mire, the official statements made by clubs themselves are becoming more and more odd, and more and more telling. Mark Murphy has been looking at some of these statements, and is less than convinced by them.” (twohundredpercent)
“Ajax Amsterdam’s general director recently tallied his club’s transfers, and came up with this estimate: only 8.3 per cent of the footballers Ajax had bought in the past decade had succeeded. Ajax’s Dutch rivals, he said, had done even worse. This January European clubs spent barely anything during the “transfer window”. English clubs forked out about £30m ($48m, €34m) on new players, their lowest for any January since 2003. German, Spanish and French clubs spent even less. The credit crunch has bitten soccer in the leg.” (Simon Kuper)
“Dirk Kuyt’s 50th Liverpool goal gave his side a 1-0 victory in a fiery 213th Merseyside derby at Anfield which saw both teams reduced to ten men. Liverpool played the last 55 minutes at a numerical disadvantage after Sotirios Kyrgiakos was dismissed for a two-footed challenge on Marouane Fellaini, while Steven Pienaar was shown a second yellow in second-half injury time.” (ESPN)
Battling Benitez believes in fourth place
“You’ve got to hand it to Rafa Benitez and Liverpool. In such a season of misery and self assessment, their ten-men heroics in putting bitter rivals Everton to the sword was full of raw commitment to the cause. They may have lost their way in so many other ways, but Liverpool have certainly retained their passion, although even that aspect of their game has been questioned at times.” (ESPN)
Interactive Chalkboards: this week’s Premier League action
“Dirk Kuyt may not be the Premier League’s most prolific striker, but his goals-per-shots ratio against Liverpool’s Merseyside rivals Everton this season is impressive. The Dutchman has had five shots on goal in two matches against the Toffees and scored twice.” (Guardian)
“It might not live up to the halcyon days of the 1980s but the Merseyside derby still has the ability captivate a wider audience. The recent triple bill ending with Everton�s dramatic, late victory in the cup demonstrated this despite the efforts of ITV technicians. The sides first met in the League in 1894 with Liverpool triumphing 3-0 at Goodison Park. There have been 206 matches between the sides with Liverpool leading 79-65 in victories. The derby also holds the record as the most played FA Cup tie (22). The derby was at its greatest during the 1980s.” (midfielddynamo)
The ten best Merseyside derbies
“Liverpool and Everton come together at Anfield this Saturday to contest the 213th Merseyside derby. When the two sides met earlier in the season they were both struggling for results. Both have seen their fortunes take an up turn since then and will be desperate to continue that this weekend.” (Independent)
“On January 9, Racing Santander’s 18-year-old attacking midfielder Sergio Canales scored two goals to defeat Sevilla and become seemingly the most desired young player on the planet. It has been reported that Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, Barcelona and Real Madrid are all interested in him, while Vicente del Bosque reportedly hasn’t ruled out his inclusion in the Spanish squad for the World Cup.” (WSC)
“If soccer agents had powerful lobbyists working for them in the halls of government, you can be fairly confident they would be asking for a generous stimulus package right around now. Just as fears of an enduring economic slump can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy in the real world, as consumers “feel poor” and hunker down to save, slowing or even negating growth, so too can the perception of imminent doom affect soccer clubs’ spending. And, when teams stop spending, the first to be affected are the agents and middlemen who grease the wheels of the transfer market.”
(WSJ)
“Liverpool kept up the pressure in the race for fourth place in the Premier League with a 2-0 victory over Bolton at Anfield.
Dirk Kuyt’s 49th strike for the club and Kevin Davies’ own goal either side of half-time eventually proved enough in a performance that was lacking a touch of class if not endeavour.” (ESPN)
Liverpool 2 Bolton Wanderers 0: match report
“Uninspired, unconvincing, but not quite unacceptable. The green shoots of Liverpool’s revival may not be in full bloom, but the longer they survive, the stronger their roots will be. Rafael Benitez’s side may have only squeezed past Bolton Wanderers, thanks to goals from Dirk Kuyt and a deflected Emiliano Insua effort, but so deep is the crisis which has engulfed Anfield that any win will do.”” (Telegraph)
Rafael Benítez ‘proud’ of Juventus link as summer move looks possible
“Rafael Benítez has kept the way clear for a summer move to Juventus by confirming his Liverpool future is linked to the club’s search for new investment and that he is flattered by the approach from Turin. As expected, Juventus dismissed Ciro Ferrara as coach yesterday and contracted the former Milan and Udinese manager Alberto Zaccheroni to take charge until June.” (Guardian)
“Liverpool v. Bolton. Alright. As I’m starting this it’s nearly 2am here on the east side of America so I’m going to reel off a few hundred words before bed. Sorry for the brevity compared to my usual output, but kickoff is eight hours away and this writer needs some sleep. But I do want to get my pre-match thoughts in.” (EPL Talk)
“Barry Glendenning, Paul Doyle and special guest Ben Clissitt join James to wrap up a busy midweek of football. While the red half of Manchester celebrate victory over the blues, the pod discuss the coin-throwing incident and disgraceful chants directed at Emmanuel Adebayor. No one wants to see these in football, but how do you stop them? … Paul gives his verdict on the standard of the Africa Cup of Nations so far and explains why Algeria shouldn’t be taken lightly by England in the summer. The pod also wonder why on earth Juventus would want Rafael Benítez as their new manager, discuss the Salvador Cabañas shooting and preview the Premier League fixtures at the weekend.” (Guardian – James Richardson)
“For Real Madrid, the best thing about 2009 was that it did, eventually, draw to a close. For Barcelona, that could be their only complaint. Their task now is to dominate in another year too, to ensure that this is not a one-off, to build a lasting legacy. The cliche says getting to the top is one thing, staying there is even harder; that the second season is even more difficult than the first.” (World Soccer – 1), (2 -Barcelona’s Annus mirabilis will be hard to emulate)
Capriccio with ancient ruins, Francesco Guardi
“Steven Gerrard was the Footballer of the Year last season, not because he was particularly outstanding but because Liverpool were generally impressive and over the course of his career their captain had been generally excellent. In a season without an obvious, stand-out candidate, in other words, the award went to someone who deserved to win something. It would have been somewhat anomalous, it was felt, for one of the best English players of his generation to be overlooked when the opportunity presented itself to acknowledge his overall contribution.” (Guardian – Paul Wilson)
Steven Gerrard says draw with Wolves proves Liverpool are progressing
“In what is becoming a familiar refrain at Anfield this season, Steven Gerrard has declared Liverpool have “turned a corner” in the wake of the goalless draw at Wolverhampton Wanderers. Rafael Benítez used the same phrase two months ago only for his team to subsequently regress but Gerrard believes that a fifth consecutive Premier League match without defeat represents genuine proof that Liverpool are moving in the right direction.” (Guardian)
Reds foiled by Wolves
“Liverpool suffered a severe blow to their hopes of securing Champions League football as they were frustrated by Mick McCarthy’s side in a goalless draw at Molineux. The Reds actually moved above Manchester City on goal difference into fifth spot with a share of the spoils but have played two games more.” (ESPN)
Wolves expose sheepishness of Rafael Benitez’s troubled team
“Liverpool may have failed to capitalise last night on an opportunity to move closer to the top four in the Barclays Premier League, but Wolverhampton Wanderers should be kicking themselves for missing out on a deserved victory. Mick McCarthy’s team do retain the fourth place they covet, however — fourth from bottom. Should the West Midlands club manage to build on this encouraging performance, and add greater penetration while lifting themselves for less glamorous occasions such as a trip to Hull City on Saturday, salvation can be theirs.” (TimesOnline)
“The old adage about defenses winning championships is starting to look outdated. Across Europe’s leading football leagues right now, the major title contenders have ditched the defensive mindset traditionally associated with success in favor of a new adventurous line of attack, in which teams are far more interested in scoring goals than preventing them. The result has been a deluge of goals that has delighted supporters and sent statisticians scurrying to check the record books.” (WSJ)
“I can’t remember whether it was Brian Glanville or Danny Baker but somebody once said that Britain needs a strong pound and a strong Liverpool. You do not hear booing very often at Anfield but the crowd’s reaction to last night’s capitulation to a team lying perilously one place above the Championship relegation zone any real football fan – whatever their club loyalty – should have felt a slight shudder.” (Footballing World)
“So, many have heard the news about Liverpool fans getting arrested for ‘racism’ after complaining about ‘Yank’ owners. While the Deficit Hawks (not GOP affiliates) in Manchester continue to protest against the Glazers, they at least have focused squarely on the family in question. At least as of late.” (futfanatico)
“Liverpool and Juventus have endured miserable seasons so far with both teams crashing out of the Champions League and struggling to make the top four. So what went wrong for these two sides?” (Bleacher Report)
The Hunt In The Forest, Paolo Uccello
“Dirk Kuyt’s double strike injected new life into Liverpool’s stuttering Barclays Premier League campaign as it secured a 2-0 victory over Tottenham. The Holland international fired home in the sixth minute from the edge of the area and then converted a twice-taken penalty in second-half injury time. Victory lifted the Reds to within one point of fourth-placed Spurs and eased the pressure on manager Rafael Benitez after early exits from the Champions League and FA Cup.” (ESPN)
Liverpool 2 Tottenham Hotspur 0: match report
“In climbing to within a point of fourth in the Premier League, Liverpool went back to basics last night. Sometimes it is simply a case of digging in, of eschewing the tricks, of relying on set-pieces as much as party pieces. Sometimes it is simply down to endless endeavour, of going the extra yard, of throwing yourself constantly into challenges, even those 60-40 against. This was a performance of grit not glamour.” (Telegraph – Henry Winter)
Determined Liverpool show signs of revival
“Writing Rafa Benitez’s Anfield obituary is a perilous business. He has a habit of resuscitating his career, to the irritation of a baying mob and the relief of a crowd whose habitual loyalty towards their manager has been sorely tested. For one who was supposed to be a dead man walking, Benitez is showing renewed signs of health. The unexpected and effusive endorsement of George Gillett began a rare fine day for the Spaniard; defeating Tottenham completed it.” (ESPN)
Rafael Benítez says Liverpool back on track after victory over Spurs
“Rafael Benítez believes Liverpool have shown their rivals for a Champions League place that they will remain in the fight for fourth until the end of the season. Benítez’s side lifted the gloom around Anfield last night with a deserved 2-0 defeat of Tottenham Hotspur.” (Guardian)
Kuyt double lifts Liverpool spirits
“Here, after many months of waiting, was a brief restoration of something they care to call the Liverpool Way in these parts. It is the quality manifest around Anfield Road in the decades when titles were won of everyone pulling together in a measured and dignified way.” (Independent)
“Tonight sees Liverpool and Tottenham go head-to-head in the latest battle between the contenders for fourth spot. If week 22 matches were anything to go by then all teams are doing their best to give the priceless spot to someone else. Liverpool’s average display against Stoke is a microcosm of their ‘pants on the ground’ season, with performances lacking sharpness, imagination and concentration (not bad luck) in dropping points in key Premier League and Champions League games.” (EPL Talk)
Scissors Kick 