Tag Archives: FC Liverpool

Why football clubs no longer flock to the January sales

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“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)

Kuyt goal wins feisty derby

“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)

Top 10 Merseyside Derbies

“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)

Sergio Canales – Spain’s hottest prospect

“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)

Big Drop in Transfer Market

“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 2 Bolton Wanderers 0

“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)

Fan Diary #22: A Quick One Before Liverpool v. Bolton

“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)

Football Weekly Extra: United prevail over City in the battle of Manchester

“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)

Barcelona’s record-breaking 2009 will be hard to repeat in 2010

“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)

Michael Owen rages against the dying of the light

“Oscar Wilde memorably summed up the climax of The Old Curiosity Shop by remarking that “one would have to have a heart of stone to read the death of little Nell without laughing”. The modern reader may well have had the same reaction to Michael Owen’s exclusive interview with the Guardian at the weekend.” (WSC)

Liverpool deflate like a balloon when missing Gerrard and Torres

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)

A Good Defense Isn’t Enough

“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)

Genuine fans should not enjoy Liverpool’s problems

“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)

A Brief Post on Post Post Colonialism

“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)

A Tale of Two Cities: Gloom Over Liverpool & Turin

“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)

Deadly Dirk at the double

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)

Liverpool v Spurs: Has-Been’s Versus Wannabe’s

“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)