Liverpool FC - Page 67

MaschPotato · 31-03-2008, 04:52 PM

The difference i see is that we've only been able to buy one big player for 20m which was obviously Torres in the summer whilst manu manage to get 2-3 players for around the 20m mark...now we've managed to buy Mascherano for 18m...you can see why Rafa wants more money because world class players are 20m+

MaschPotato · 31-03-2008, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Danger Dave

Torres and stevie will be vital in these games

Torres is amazing but only 2 goals away from home all season....just boosting our confidence

Scouser_Dave · 31-03-2008, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaschPotato

Torres is amazing but only 2 goals away from home all season....just boosting our confidence

All the more reason for him to play even better

MaschPotato · 31-03-2008, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Danger Dave

All the more reason for him to play even better

hopefully..would like to see Babel play as well as he did first half against Everton too

Scouser_Dave · 31-03-2008, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaschPotato

hopefully..would like to see Babel play as well as he did first half against Everton too

Babel has to learn to cross and pass.

At the moment he has the mind set of a striker and not a winger

MaschPotato · 31-03-2008, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Danger Dave

Babel has to learn to cross and pass.

At the moment he has the mind set of a striker and not a winger

he managed to get a couple of decent balls into the box..maybe using him on right wing would be better then he cross with his right instead of cutting infield all the time

Scouser_Dave · 31-03-2008, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaschPotato

he managed to get a couple of decent balls into the box..maybe using him on right wing would be better then he cross with his right instead of cutting infield all the time

His pace and skill to take on a player is 2nd to none, he is by far a out and out striker and hopefully next season we will see him there, but only if Rafa buys a decent winger

MaschPotato · 31-03-2008, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Danger Dave

His pace and skill to take on a player is 2nd to none, he is by far a out and out striker and hopefully next season we will see him there, but only if Rafa buys a decent winger

its a big IF though...the only wingers we've seen recently come in is Pennant Benayoun and thats not good enough if we're gonna compete for the title and although the systems working good enough so far surely we wont see Kuyt a right wing next season

Dan · 31-03-2008, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DannyBRonaldo

Lucas. Along wityh him Rafa bought loads of players in the summer. bar Torres and Babel they all play for the reserves. But with uNITED, look at Anderson and nani..
Nuff siad!

You really have shown you know nothing about football...

Lucas has probably played more games than Anderson and Nani, whereas he rest of the youngsters are 16-19 years old... Was Fabregas in the Arsenal team at 16... No...

MaschPotato · 31-03-2008, 05:19 PM

FERNANDO TORRES has hailed the Kop as the inspiration behind his remarkable scoring record.
The Liverpool hitman struck the winner in Sunday's derby victory over arch rivals Everton.
It was the latest Torres goal to come in front of the Kop and the Spaniard reckons he is unstoppable at Anfield.
He said: "I always feel confident that I can score at Anfield.
"I've got 19 Premier League goals here now, which is fantastic for me. And I seem to score most of those in front of the Kop!
"I don't know why that is but I'm always scoring at that end. It must be something about the stand, it is just different.
"I think 15 of those 19 goals have come in front of the Kop and I always feel confident when I'm facing that end of the pitch."
Torres equalled the club record by scoring in his six consecutive home game.
And the ex-Atletico Madrid ace believes it could not have come at a better time.
He added: "To score the winner in my first derby is fantastic.
"It was amazing. The fans are very happy now.
"A derby game is always different from the others. It's an important game for the fans and you can feel all through the week building up to the game that it's a special game.
"Beating Everton always makes the fans happy."

Scouser_Dave · 31-03-2008, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Danthomas2005

You really have shown you know nothing about football...

Lucas has probably played more games than Anderson and Nani, whereas he rest of the youngsters are 16-19 years old... Was Fabregas in the Arsenal team at 16... No...

Don`t worry about him mate his is a wannabe manc

Scouser_Dave · 01-04-2008, 12:48 PM

WHY TORRES COULD BE BEST RED EVER

Daily Mirror columnist Brian Reade assesses the remarkable impact made by Liverpool's new number nine and reveals why he can already be talked about in the same breath as King Kenny.

Before last month's Reading game I bumped into a mate whose Anfield memories go back to afternoons when Jimmy Melia's ample backside stretched the red stripe on his white shorts to the width of a girder.

He needed to get something off his chest about Fernando Torres. Although the mere mention of the Spaniard's name made the Fiftysomething's eyes blaze like a child on Christmas morning, he was clearly troubled.

And so he launched into a long confessional in which he unburdened his guilty feelings. He spoke of being visited in the middle of the night with the sacrilegious thought that it was no longer Kenny Dalglish or Kevin Keegan who were the best players he'd seen in red, but this kid who'd barely been around for five minutes.

I gave him ten Hail Marys and told him to revisit the Anfield scriptures. But one crucifixion of Everton later, I'm beginning to buy into his blasphemy.

The superstar has yet to draw breath who could prove in a season that his contribution to the Liverpool cause exceeds Dalglish's. But if Fernanado Torres sees out his six-year contract in the same manner he has seen out his first six months, there is a good chance he will win a place in our collective heart as Liverpool's finest.

And resistance from even the most ardent Dalglishophile will be futile because the cold eye of history will be the judge. Put simply, if Torres develops the way his talent and character suggest he will, and if Liverpool improve with him the way they surely must, he will be named World Player of the Year before 2013.

Michael Owen is the only Red to be named European Player of the Year while still at Anfield, with Kevin Keegan and Kenny Dalglish earning runners-up spots and Steven Gerrard making off with a bronze. There have been others such as Roger Hunt, Graeme Souness Ian Rush and Alan Hansen who could lay claim to a place in the best world side of their day. But ask a fan of any age from Buenos Aries to the Bosphorous to name a Liverpool player who at some point was the best on earth and they would be stumped.

Ask them after the 2010 World Cup, when the then 26-year-old Torres will hopefully still be the Liverpool Number 9, and they may have a name for you.

Due to Cristiano Ronaldo's stunning form, Torres' achievements in his debut season have been criminally overlooked. Compare his 21 League goals (with six games left) against four of the most successful foreign attackers to have moved to the Premiership.

In Ronaldo's first season at United he scored four League goals. The following season it was five. Didier Drogba's first two League totals at Chelsea were 10 and 12. Denis Bergkamp hit 11 in his first season for Arsenal and 12 in his second. And the great Thierry Henry managed 17 and 17, more than a few of which were penalties. All of those players except Bergkamp were arguably playing in better teams than Torres currently is. As were Keegan (whose first season haul at Anfield was nine), Dalglish (20) and Ian Rush (17).

But the statistics don't tell half the story about this phenomenal young player, who possesses every single quality a striker needs: Pace, power, control, movement, guile, coolness, maturity, timing, heading ability, two quick feet, bottle, technique (insert your own attribute of choice.)

When he signed for Liverpool a Spanish media pundit said: "The wonderful thing about Fernando is you never see him score the same goal twice." I still haven't. Neither have I seen him score a scruffy one. Even the ones described as gifts (against Derby and Middlesbrough at Anfield) were mainly due to the mental pressure he puts defences under. The same reason Milan's Marco Materazzi was sent off which massively swung the last round of the Champions League in Liverpool's favour.

Sitting in a Milan bar after Torres had claimed revenge for Shankly 43 years on, someone asked what his best goal so far had been, and all six of us gave a different answer. Mine was his Ricky Villa slalom in Marseille but virtually every one of his 28 goals this season have been worthy of a frame.

Indeed the one we'd just witnessed in the San Siro summed up his towering talent. Fabio Aurelio played in a lovely cross, but it was Torres's ability to bring it under control so quickly, to turn his tight-marking defender so easily, then place it with such power and precision in the corner of the net in one of the great stadiums of world football, which exemplified his class.

A sign of any sportsman's true greatness is to make what he is doing look like it is happening in slow-motion. That was how his goal against Everton on Sunday looked from my view-point on the Kop. When he picked up that loose ball in a packed box time stood still. All the other bodies seemed frozen to the spot, incapable of doing anything to stop the back of the net rustling.

Yet there is more to his game than scoring. Ask Steven Gerrard why he's blossoming in that second striker role and he'll tell you that the intelligence of Torres' runs and the panic it causes among defenders creates the space for him to exploit.

Ask him why he had a frustrating game for England against France in that same position and he'll hopefully tell you that Wayne Rooney isn't a shadow of the player Torres is when it comes to leading the line. And if Stevie won't Fabio Capello will.

The most remarkable thing about this young Spaniard is that he has something of every great Liverpool striker I've had the pleasure to have seen: St John's tenacity, Hunt's accuracy, Keegan's engine, Toshack's heading, Dalglish's perception, Rush's movement, Aldridge's opportunism, Fowler's repertoire, Owen's pace. It's all there. And in his first season as a marked man in a foreign land playing in the most physically demanding league in the world, he's proved it.

Torres has yet to show himself superior to King Kenny but he has a real chance of becoming the first Liverpool player to be judged by experts as the best in the world, a feat which would mark him down as the greatest Red of all-time. And you'll have had the honour to have witnessed his every glorious shimmy.

So go on. Bounce.

.DJ · 01-04-2008, 05:37 PM

I told u guys P. Neville was spat at. They said so on skysports news

Scouser_Dave · 01-04-2008, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ---dj---

I told u guys P. Neville was spat at. They said so on skysports news

Well if its on sly sports it must be true

Scouser_Dave · 01-04-2008, 06:44 PM

EL ZHAR RETURNS IN MINI DERBY

Steve Hunter 01 April 2008

Moroccan international Nabil El Zhar returns to action for Liverpool Reserves in the mini derby against Everton at the Stobart Stadium in Widnes tonight - a match you can watch live on LFC TV from 6.30pm GMT.

The striker, who scored on his international debut for Morocco against Belgium last week, returns to Gary Ablett's starting line-up for the first time in 2008 after his long lay-off due to a heel injury.

Leading goalscorer Krisztian Nemeth leads the Reds attack while Jordy Brouwer is preferred to Craig Lindfield as his strike partner. Spanish starlet Daniel Pacheco is away on international duty.

The game is being played at the Stobart Stadium in Widnes, home of Widnes Vikings Rugby club. LFC TV presenter Matt Critchley will be joined in the studio by John Durnin to bring you the build up to the game, while David Fairclough will provide match analysis in the commentary box. Kick-off is at 7pm.

The Liverpool team is:

David Martin
Stephen Darby
Emiliano Insua
Mikel San Jose
Ronald Huth
Damien Plessis
Nabil El Zhar
Jay Spearing
Jordy Brouwer
Krisztian Nemeth
Ryan Flynn

Subs:

Gerardo Bruna
Peter Gulacsi
Martin Kelly
Andras Simon
Daniel Ayala

Scouser_Dave · 01-04-2008, 09:14 PM

RESERVES CLINCH DERBY DOUBLE
Paul Hassall at the Stobart Stadium in Widnes 01 April 2008

Liverpool Reserves maintained their charge towards the Barclays Premier Reserve League North title with a hard-fought win over Everton in the mini derby.
A solitary second-half strike from Dutch forward Jordy Brouwer was enough to secure a 1-0 victory for Gary Ablett's men and ensured they completed their own derby double over the Toffees - just two days after the first team achieved the same feat.

It means the newly crowned Dallas Cup winners will head into next week's double header against Blackburn Rovers and Manchester City knowing that maximum points will be more than enough to confirm their status as champions of the northern division.

But it was hardly vintage stuff against our neighbours, and Ablett will be more than delighted to have come away with three precious points, after his team struggled to impose themselves on a youthful Blues outfit early on.

Indeed, a scrappy opening saw the home side take the game to the league leaders with Emiliano Insua forced to clear from underneath his own crossbar on two minutes before the Argentinean was harshly booked for a late challenge on Eunan O'Kane seconds later.

The Reds needed to instil some composure into their game and after Jordy Brouwer curved a shot from 20-yards just over the bar on 14 minutes they slowly began to dominate the proceedings.

Insua was next to get a sight of goal, bursting into the area and firing a low effort just wide of the far post before Brouwer wasted a golden opportunity when he contrived to head Jermaine Pennant's cross from the right over from eight yards out.

The winger, who was a surprise inclusion in the side, was keen to take on the Everton defence at every opportunity and was unlucky to see his well struck drive superbly stopped by Jamie Jones.

The Reds continued to probe and on 22 minutes they manufactured their best opening of the half.

Ronald Huth superbly intercepted an attempted through ball from O'Kane and sent a raking 40-yard pass to Krisztian Nemeth who looked odds on to score before being brought crashing to the ground by Blues defender John Irving in the penalty area.

Despite loud appeals from the Liverpool players the referee refused to point to the spot and Nemeth was left to rue what might have been.

It was a huge let-off for the home side who were struggling to cope with the quick movement of the Reds' frontline, but they responded in kind and nearly took an undeserved lead moments later when Jack Rodwell screwed his effort well wide after a cross from the right had found him unmarked at the far post.

With half-time approaching the away side twice went close to breaking the deadlock but Jay Spearing's deflected effort looped inches past Jones' right-hand post before Nemeth dragged a shot wide after racing through on goal.

The second period began in similar fashion to the first with neither side able to keep possession long enough to create a chance of serious note.

There seemed to be an air of frustration surrounding Liverpool's play, a fact summed up by Mikel San Jose's caution for kicking the ball away.

With chances at a premium it was essential that the Reds took advantage of any opening that came their way, and after Nemeth had seen his shot well blocked following a driving run and pass from Pennant, the away side finally took the lead.

Stephen Darby was the architect behind the goal, powering to the byline and cutting a low ball across to Brouwer, who ended his own personal goal famine by flicking the ball in at the near post.

It was the highlight of an otherwise dour second period in which Everton offered very little as an attacking force, and had Huth's majestic header from Pennant's free-kick been two inches lower, the margin of victory could well have been greater for Ablett's men.

Everton Reserves: Jones, Densmore, Molyneux, Irving, Dennehy, Harpur, O'Kane, Rodwell, Agard, Morrison (Baxter 69), Connor (Codling 70). Unused subs: Stubhaug, Sinnott, McCarten.

Liverpool Reserves: Martin, Darby, Insua, San Jose, Ronald Huth, Plessis, Pennant (Bruna 77), Spearing (Flynn 81), Brouwer (Simon 70), Nemeth, El Zhar. Unused subs: Gulacsi, Kelly.

Attendance: 3,380

Liverpoolfc.tv man of the match: Stephen Darby. A typically solid display at the back capped by a stylish assist for Brouwer's goal.

Scouser_Dave · 01-04-2008, 09:15 PM

Great game good to see brower get a goal

TR1M8L3 · 01-04-2008, 09:17 PM

They look like they are gonna win the league

Good to see pennant seems to have played well for them.

Scouser_Dave · 01-04-2008, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TR1M8L3

They look like they are gonna win the league

Good to see pennant seems to have played well for them.

Yer penners played well tonight. He has had an argument with Rafa about not getting enough starts, so Rafa put him in the reserves

TR1M8L3 · 01-04-2008, 09:22 PM

Seriously. How do you know that ?

what a joke, its true he should start more though he's great given a run of games.

Scouser_Dave · 01-04-2008, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TR1M8L3

Seriously. How do you know that ?

what a joke, its true he should start more though he's great given a run of games.

all on these forums mate

Red and White Kop Liverpool FC Forum - Index

MaschPotato · 02-04-2008, 11:35 AM

Fernando Torres insists it is "easy" to play well alongside Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard.
The Spanish striker, with 28 goals already this season, is aiming his shooting boots at Arsenal on Wednesday night in the Champions League quarter-final, first leg at the Emirates Stadium.
Torres and Gerrard have given the club a tremendous tonic in recent months as they have forced their way back into the Barclays Premier League top four and the last eight of the Champions League.
Ahead of the clash with the Gunners, Torres said: "I am pleased with the way I have settled in English football, it is important that I have good team-mates and a manager who can help me.
"It has been a new season, new team-mates, and it is important that everyone has been able to help me.
"Stevie has been a great help, he is one of the best players in the world and my understanding with him is easy.
"Everyone wants to play alongside the best players and I am doing that with Stevie and scoring a lot of goals.
"My target is to continue doing that, I do not have a number to aim at but I want to do my best for the team to win trophies."
He added: "It is the job of strikers to score goals, and I am doing my job. It is my first season, though, and I am surprised with how well it has gone.
"I need to be playing in the best competition so it is important that I can continue to play in the Champions League. That is my aim after this Arsenal tie.
"I have enjoyed winning in the San Siro, and I will look forward to playing at the Emirates. I am improving, but the most important thing for me is that I win trophies and get to the final.
"I have scored a lot of goals this season but I am more motivated by winning trophies for the team. My aim is for the team to have success, personal goals are secondary to team success."
Liverpool will have Javier Mascherano back in their side following his suspension at the weekend in the 1-0 win over Everton, and could have Alvaro Arbeloa also returning to the defence.
Boss Rafael Benitez, who has two more games with the Gunners to negotiate in the next week, said: "We both know much about each other, so it is down to the players.
"Two legs and European football is different to the Premier League, very different.
"We are playing well, we have won games in a row and Torres can be the big difference."
Benitez also revealed a respect and admiration for opposite number Arsene Wenger, adding: "Wenger is a fantastic manager and he has brought a lot of good things to Arsenal and English football, and you must respect him a lot.
"He has experience in Europe, as have many of his players so this will be hard.
"Nobody is scared of each other, we just all have respect for each club."

MaschPotato · 02-04-2008, 11:36 AM

Jamie Carragher believes Liverpool's hopes of progressing to the semi-finals of the Champions League will rest upon the result they get when they face Arsenal at the Emirates tonight.
The Reds defender is confident Rafael Benitez's men can book their passage into the last four of the competition at the expense of the Gunners - but only if they secure a positive result in the first-leg.

"The first leg in Europe is always the most important as that sets up the second leg," Carragher told Liverpoolfc.tv.

"We've got to make sure we've still got a chance when we play at Anfield and hopefully we can turn that into a special night, but there's no doubt the first leg is massive."

Arsenal go into the all-English tie as the Bookies' favourites to progress and while Carra concedes Arsene Wenger's side deserve that tag, he feels Liverpool are always at their best when they are the underdogs.

"There above us in the league so that's why the bookies have probably made them favourites, but with our European record you could argue a case for us," he said.

"After the season Arsenal have had they are probably a bit ahead of us at the moment and that's a gap we need to bridge in between now and the end of the season, and of course next season.

"But I always prefer it when the Bookies fancy the other team anyway. It takes a bit of pressure off and we know how important it is for Arsneal as they've never won the European Cup, so hopefully that pressure will tell."

The Gunners boast some of the most lethal attacking players in Europe and while Carragher appreciates the talents of the likes of Emmanuel Adebayor, Robin Van Persie and Cesc Fabregas, he insists it is not a challenge he will fear.

"It's something you look forward to," he said.

"Fabregas has been one of the best players around this season and Adebayor and Torres have been the best two strikers so we know it's going to be tough, but hopefully they are thinking the same about us."

Having reached the final of the Champions League in two of the last three season Liverpool know what it takes to come through ties against Europes' elite.

It is something Carragher puts down to an organised defence and he feels it could give the Reds the edge a game so long as they mantain their concetration throughtou both mtches with the Gunners.

"Defensively you have make sure your tight," said Carragher.

"If you have a bad half an hour defensively and concede a couple of goals that could be the end of you, so you need to make sure over the 180 minutes that you organised and difficult to beat.

"There's not normally many goals in these types of games so you need to be switched on at the back and hopefully thev players up front can do the damage for us."

So often a second-leg at Anfield has been the difference for Liverpool in Europe and while Arsenal are no strangers to the atmosphere in L4, Carragher believes they could still find it intimidating.

"The crowd could be important but only if we get the right result in the first-leg," he said.

"If we can do that it will set it up brilliantly.

"Chelsea have been intimidated on the occasions they have faced us in Europe despite playing us in the leage, so I think Arsenal will be aware that the atmosphere will be very different on a European night."

During the past three seasons Carragher has established himself as one of the most respected centre backs in Europe.

It is a position he admits he favours and although the arrvial of Martin Skrtel has seen him moved to right-back in recent weeks, he insists he is happy to do a job for the team and is confident he will be returned to his more natural berth sooner rather than later.

"I've probably played half of my career at Liverpool at full-back, something like 250 to 300 games, so it's not new to me," he said.

"And the way Sami and Martin are playing, I'm just happy to be in the team at the moment!"

"Everyone has a preferred position and mine is centre back and hopefully I'll be back there soon. But I'm enjoying playing at right back and when I've played there it's gone quite well.

"I've played there before and it's not alien to me, there's more running involved but it's not a problem."

fitz15 · 02-04-2008, 08:33 PM

come on liverpool ye have the vital away goal, get a 2nd n ye will be in a great position to knock them out, keep it up.

Matieo10 · 02-04-2008, 08:40 PM

Great run by Gerrard, he doesn't get enough credit for those runs...got some skill to it.

01-04-2008, 05:37 PM	#1663 (permalink)
.DJ Elite Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: GғӾ ңєдνэn Gender: Male Posts: 8,744	I told u guys P. Neville was spat at. They said so on skysports news __________________ DJ's Showcase Coming Soon...

02-04-2008, 08:40 PM	#1675 (permalink)
Matieo10 EA Veteran Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Estádio do Dragão Gender: Private Posts: 18,957 Blog Entries: 3	Great run by Gerrard, he doesn't get enough credit for those runs...got some skill to it. __________________ Wir trauern um Robert Enke \| 24.08.77 - 10.11.09 RIP

31-03-2008, 04:52 PM	#1651 (permalink)
MaschPotato EA Veteran Join Date: Feb 2008 Age: 19 Gender: Male Posts: 15,457	The difference i see is that we've only been able to buy one big player for 20m which was obviously Torres in the summer whilst manu manage to get 2-3 players for around the 20m mark...now we've managed to buy Mascherano for 18m...you can see why Rafa wants more money because world class players are 20m+

31-03-2008, 05:19 PM	#1660 (permalink)
MaschPotato EA Veteran Join Date: Feb 2008 Age: 19 Gender: Male Posts: 15,457	FERNANDO TORRES has hailed the Kop as the inspiration behind his remarkable scoring record. The Liverpool hitman struck the winner in Sunday's derby victory over arch rivals Everton. It was the latest Torres goal to come in front of the Kop and the Spaniard reckons he is unstoppable at Anfield. He said: "I always feel confident that I can score at Anfield. "I've got 19 Premier League goals here now, which is fantastic for me. And I seem to score most of those in front of the Kop! "I don't know why that is but I'm always scoring at that end. It must be something about the stand, it is just different. "I think 15 of those 19 goals have come in front of the Kop and I always feel confident when I'm facing that end of the pitch." Torres equalled the club record by scoring in his six consecutive home game. And the ex-Atletico Madrid ace believes it could not have come at a better time. He added: "To score the winner in my first derby is fantastic. "It was amazing. The fans are very happy now. "A derby game is always different from the others. It's an important game for the fans and you can feel all through the week building up to the game that it's a special game. "Beating Everton always makes the fans happy."

01-04-2008, 12:48 PM	#1662 (permalink)
Scouser_Dave EA Veteran Join Date: Jan 2008 Age: 25 Posts: 13,958	WHY TORRES COULD BE BEST RED EVER Daily Mirror columnist Brian Reade assesses the remarkable impact made by Liverpool's new number nine and reveals why he can already be talked about in the same breath as King Kenny. Before last month's Reading game I bumped into a mate whose Anfield memories go back to afternoons when Jimmy Melia's ample backside stretched the red stripe on his white shorts to the width of a girder. He needed to get something off his chest about Fernando Torres. Although the mere mention of the Spaniard's name made the Fiftysomething's eyes blaze like a child on Christmas morning, he was clearly troubled. And so he launched into a long confessional in which he unburdened his guilty feelings. He spoke of being visited in the middle of the night with the sacrilegious thought that it was no longer Kenny Dalglish or Kevin Keegan who were the best players he'd seen in red, but this kid who'd barely been around for five minutes. I gave him ten Hail Marys and told him to revisit the Anfield scriptures. But one crucifixion of Everton later, I'm beginning to buy into his blasphemy. The superstar has yet to draw breath who could prove in a season that his contribution to the Liverpool cause exceeds Dalglish's. But if Fernanado Torres sees out his six-year contract in the same manner he has seen out his first six months, there is a good chance he will win a place in our collective heart as Liverpool's finest. And resistance from even the most ardent Dalglishophile will be futile because the cold eye of history will be the judge. Put simply, if Torres develops the way his talent and character suggest he will, and if Liverpool improve with him the way they surely must, he will be named World Player of the Year before 2013. Michael Owen is the only Red to be named European Player of the Year while still at Anfield, with Kevin Keegan and Kenny Dalglish earning runners-up spots and Steven Gerrard making off with a bronze. There have been others such as Roger Hunt, Graeme Souness Ian Rush and Alan Hansen who could lay claim to a place in the best world side of their day. But ask a fan of any age from Buenos Aries to the Bosphorous to name a Liverpool player who at some point was the best on earth and they would be stumped. Ask them after the 2010 World Cup, when the then 26-year-old Torres will hopefully still be the Liverpool Number 9, and they may have a name for you. Due to Cristiano Ronaldo's stunning form, Torres' achievements in his debut season have been criminally overlooked. Compare his 21 League goals (with six games left) against four of the most successful foreign attackers to have moved to the Premiership. In Ronaldo's first season at United he scored four League goals. The following season it was five. Didier Drogba's first two League totals at Chelsea were 10 and 12. Denis Bergkamp hit 11 in his first season for Arsenal and 12 in his second. And the great Thierry Henry managed 17 and 17, more than a few of which were penalties. All of those players except Bergkamp were arguably playing in better teams than Torres currently is. As were Keegan (whose first season haul at Anfield was nine), Dalglish (20) and Ian Rush (17). But the statistics don't tell half the story about this phenomenal young player, who possesses every single quality a striker needs: Pace, power, control, movement, guile, coolness, maturity, timing, heading ability, two quick feet, bottle, technique (insert your own attribute of choice.) When he signed for Liverpool a Spanish media pundit said: "The wonderful thing about Fernando is you never see him score the same goal twice." I still haven't. Neither have I seen him score a scruffy one. Even the ones described as gifts (against Derby and Middlesbrough at Anfield) were mainly due to the mental pressure he puts defences under. The same reason Milan's Marco Materazzi was sent off which massively swung the last round of the Champions League in Liverpool's favour. Sitting in a Milan bar after Torres had claimed revenge for Shankly 43 years on, someone asked what his best goal so far had been, and all six of us gave a different answer. Mine was his Ricky Villa slalom in Marseille but virtually every one of his 28 goals this season have been worthy of a frame. Indeed the one we'd just witnessed in the San Siro summed up his towering talent. Fabio Aurelio played in a lovely cross, but it was Torres's ability to bring it under control so quickly, to turn his tight-marking defender so easily, then place it with such power and precision in the corner of the net in one of the great stadiums of world football, which exemplified his class. A sign of any sportsman's true greatness is to make what he is doing look like it is happening in slow-motion. That was how his goal against Everton on Sunday looked from my view-point on the Kop. When he picked up that loose ball in a packed box time stood still. All the other bodies seemed frozen to the spot, incapable of doing anything to stop the back of the net rustling. Yet there is more to his game than scoring. Ask Steven Gerrard why he's blossoming in that second striker role and he'll tell you that the intelligence of Torres' runs and the panic it causes among defenders creates the space for him to exploit. Ask him why he had a frustrating game for England against France in that same position and he'll hopefully tell you that Wayne Rooney isn't a shadow of the player Torres is when it comes to leading the line. And if Stevie won't Fabio Capello will. The most remarkable thing about this young Spaniard is that he has something of every great Liverpool striker I've had the pleasure to have seen: St John's tenacity, Hunt's accuracy, Keegan's engine, Toshack's heading, Dalglish's perception, Rush's movement, Aldridge's opportunism, Fowler's repertoire, Owen's pace. It's all there. And in his first season as a marked man in a foreign land playing in the most physically demanding league in the world, he's proved it. Torres has yet to show himself superior to King Kenny but he has a real chance of becoming the first Liverpool player to be judged by experts as the best in the world, a feat which would mark him down as the greatest Red of all-time. And you'll have had the honour to have witnessed his every glorious shimmy. So go on. Bounce.

01-04-2008, 06:44 PM	#1665 (permalink)
Scouser_Dave EA Veteran Join Date: Jan 2008 Age: 25 Posts: 13,958	EL ZHAR RETURNS IN MINI DERBY Steve Hunter 01 April 2008 Moroccan international Nabil El Zhar returns to action for Liverpool Reserves in the mini derby against Everton at the Stobart Stadium in Widnes tonight - a match you can watch live on LFC TV from 6.30pm GMT. The striker, who scored on his international debut for Morocco against Belgium last week, returns to Gary Ablett's starting line-up for the first time in 2008 after his long lay-off due to a heel injury. Leading goalscorer Krisztian Nemeth leads the Reds attack while Jordy Brouwer is preferred to Craig Lindfield as his strike partner. Spanish starlet Daniel Pacheco is away on international duty. The game is being played at the Stobart Stadium in Widnes, home of Widnes Vikings Rugby club. LFC TV presenter Matt Critchley will be joined in the studio by John Durnin to bring you the build up to the game, while David Fairclough will provide match analysis in the commentary box. Kick-off is at 7pm. The Liverpool team is: David Martin Stephen Darby Emiliano Insua Mikel San Jose Ronald Huth Damien Plessis Nabil El Zhar Jay Spearing Jordy Brouwer Krisztian Nemeth Ryan Flynn Subs: Gerardo Bruna Peter Gulacsi Martin Kelly Andras Simon Daniel Ayala

01-04-2008, 09:14 PM	#1666 (permalink)
Scouser_Dave EA Veteran Join Date: Jan 2008 Age: 25 Posts: 13,958	RESERVES CLINCH DERBY DOUBLE Paul Hassall at the Stobart Stadium in Widnes 01 April 2008 Liverpool Reserves maintained their charge towards the Barclays Premier Reserve League North title with a hard-fought win over Everton in the mini derby. A solitary second-half strike from Dutch forward Jordy Brouwer was enough to secure a 1-0 victory for Gary Ablett's men and ensured they completed their own derby double over the Toffees - just two days after the first team achieved the same feat. It means the newly crowned Dallas Cup winners will head into next week's double header against Blackburn Rovers and Manchester City knowing that maximum points will be more than enough to confirm their status as champions of the northern division. But it was hardly vintage stuff against our neighbours, and Ablett will be more than delighted to have come away with three precious points, after his team struggled to impose themselves on a youthful Blues outfit early on. Indeed, a scrappy opening saw the home side take the game to the league leaders with Emiliano Insua forced to clear from underneath his own crossbar on two minutes before the Argentinean was harshly booked for a late challenge on Eunan O'Kane seconds later. The Reds needed to instil some composure into their game and after Jordy Brouwer curved a shot from 20-yards just over the bar on 14 minutes they slowly began to dominate the proceedings. Insua was next to get a sight of goal, bursting into the area and firing a low effort just wide of the far post before Brouwer wasted a golden opportunity when he contrived to head Jermaine Pennant's cross from the right over from eight yards out. The winger, who was a surprise inclusion in the side, was keen to take on the Everton defence at every opportunity and was unlucky to see his well struck drive superbly stopped by Jamie Jones. The Reds continued to probe and on 22 minutes they manufactured their best opening of the half. Ronald Huth superbly intercepted an attempted through ball from O'Kane and sent a raking 40-yard pass to Krisztian Nemeth who looked odds on to score before being brought crashing to the ground by Blues defender John Irving in the penalty area. Despite loud appeals from the Liverpool players the referee refused to point to the spot and Nemeth was left to rue what might have been. It was a huge let-off for the home side who were struggling to cope with the quick movement of the Reds' frontline, but they responded in kind and nearly took an undeserved lead moments later when Jack Rodwell screwed his effort well wide after a cross from the right had found him unmarked at the far post. With half-time approaching the away side twice went close to breaking the deadlock but Jay Spearing's deflected effort looped inches past Jones' right-hand post before Nemeth dragged a shot wide after racing through on goal. The second period began in similar fashion to the first with neither side able to keep possession long enough to create a chance of serious note. There seemed to be an air of frustration surrounding Liverpool's play, a fact summed up by Mikel San Jose's caution for kicking the ball away. With chances at a premium it was essential that the Reds took advantage of any opening that came their way, and after Nemeth had seen his shot well blocked following a driving run and pass from Pennant, the away side finally took the lead. Stephen Darby was the architect behind the goal, powering to the byline and cutting a low ball across to Brouwer, who ended his own personal goal famine by flicking the ball in at the near post. It was the highlight of an otherwise dour second period in which Everton offered very little as an attacking force, and had Huth's majestic header from Pennant's free-kick been two inches lower, the margin of victory could well have been greater for Ablett's men. Everton Reserves: Jones, Densmore, Molyneux, Irving, Dennehy, Harpur, O'Kane, Rodwell, Agard, Morrison (Baxter 69), Connor (Codling 70). Unused subs: Stubhaug, Sinnott, McCarten. Liverpool Reserves: Martin, Darby, Insua, San Jose, Ronald Huth, Plessis, Pennant (Bruna 77), Spearing (Flynn 81), Brouwer (Simon 70), Nemeth, El Zhar. Unused subs: Gulacsi, Kelly. Attendance: 3,380 Liverpoolfc.tv man of the match: Stephen Darby. A typically solid display at the back capped by a stylish assist for Brouwer's goal.

01-04-2008, 09:15 PM	#1667 (permalink)
Scouser_Dave EA Veteran Join Date: Jan 2008 Age: 25 Posts: 13,958	Great game good to see brower get a goal

01-04-2008, 09:17 PM	#1668 (permalink)
TR1M8L3 Forum Regular Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 814	They look like they are gonna win the league Good to see pennant seems to have played well for them.

01-04-2008, 09:22 PM	#1670 (permalink)
TR1M8L3 Forum Regular Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 814	Seriously. How do you know that ? what a joke, its true he should start more though he's great given a run of games.

02-04-2008, 11:35 AM	#1672 (permalink)
MaschPotato EA Veteran Join Date: Feb 2008 Age: 19 Gender: Male Posts: 15,457	Fernando Torres insists it is "easy" to play well alongside Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard. The Spanish striker, with 28 goals already this season, is aiming his shooting boots at Arsenal on Wednesday night in the Champions League quarter-final, first leg at the Emirates Stadium. Torres and Gerrard have given the club a tremendous tonic in recent months as they have forced their way back into the Barclays Premier League top four and the last eight of the Champions League. Ahead of the clash with the Gunners, Torres said: "I am pleased with the way I have settled in English football, it is important that I have good team-mates and a manager who can help me. "It has been a new season, new team-mates, and it is important that everyone has been able to help me. "Stevie has been a great help, he is one of the best players in the world and my understanding with him is easy. "Everyone wants to play alongside the best players and I am doing that with Stevie and scoring a lot of goals. "My target is to continue doing that, I do not have a number to aim at but I want to do my best for the team to win trophies." He added: "It is the job of strikers to score goals, and I am doing my job. It is my first season, though, and I am surprised with how well it has gone. "I need to be playing in the best competition so it is important that I can continue to play in the Champions League. That is my aim after this Arsenal tie. "I have enjoyed winning in the San Siro, and I will look forward to playing at the Emirates. I am improving, but the most important thing for me is that I win trophies and get to the final. "I have scored a lot of goals this season but I am more motivated by winning trophies for the team. My aim is for the team to have success, personal goals are secondary to team success." Liverpool will have Javier Mascherano back in their side following his suspension at the weekend in the 1-0 win over Everton, and could have Alvaro Arbeloa also returning to the defence. Boss Rafael Benitez, who has two more games with the Gunners to negotiate in the next week, said: "We both know much about each other, so it is down to the players. "Two legs and European football is different to the Premier League, very different. "We are playing well, we have won games in a row and Torres can be the big difference." Benitez also revealed a respect and admiration for opposite number Arsene Wenger, adding: "Wenger is a fantastic manager and he has brought a lot of good things to Arsenal and English football, and you must respect him a lot. "He has experience in Europe, as have many of his players so this will be hard. "Nobody is scared of each other, we just all have respect for each club."

02-04-2008, 11:36 AM	#1673 (permalink)
MaschPotato EA Veteran Join Date: Feb 2008 Age: 19 Gender: Male Posts: 15,457	Jamie Carragher believes Liverpool's hopes of progressing to the semi-finals of the Champions League will rest upon the result they get when they face Arsenal at the Emirates tonight. The Reds defender is confident Rafael Benitez's men can book their passage into the last four of the competition at the expense of the Gunners - but only if they secure a positive result in the first-leg. "The first leg in Europe is always the most important as that sets up the second leg," Carragher told Liverpoolfc.tv. "We've got to make sure we've still got a chance when we play at Anfield and hopefully we can turn that into a special night, but there's no doubt the first leg is massive." Arsenal go into the all-English tie as the Bookies' favourites to progress and while Carra concedes Arsene Wenger's side deserve that tag, he feels Liverpool are always at their best when they are the underdogs. "There above us in the league so that's why the bookies have probably made them favourites, but with our European record you could argue a case for us," he said. "After the season Arsenal have had they are probably a bit ahead of us at the moment and that's a gap we need to bridge in between now and the end of the season, and of course next season. "But I always prefer it when the Bookies fancy the other team anyway. It takes a bit of pressure off and we know how important it is for Arsneal as they've never won the European Cup, so hopefully that pressure will tell." The Gunners boast some of the most lethal attacking players in Europe and while Carragher appreciates the talents of the likes of Emmanuel Adebayor, Robin Van Persie and Cesc Fabregas, he insists it is not a challenge he will fear. "It's something you look forward to," he said. "Fabregas has been one of the best players around this season and Adebayor and Torres have been the best two strikers so we know it's going to be tough, but hopefully they are thinking the same about us." Having reached the final of the Champions League in two of the last three season Liverpool know what it takes to come through ties against Europes' elite. It is something Carragher puts down to an organised defence and he feels it could give the Reds the edge a game so long as they mantain their concetration throughtou both mtches with the Gunners. "Defensively you have make sure your tight," said Carragher. "If you have a bad half an hour defensively and concede a couple of goals that could be the end of you, so you need to make sure over the 180 minutes that you organised and difficult to beat. "There's not normally many goals in these types of games so you need to be switched on at the back and hopefully thev players up front can do the damage for us." So often a second-leg at Anfield has been the difference for Liverpool in Europe and while Arsenal are no strangers to the atmosphere in L4, Carragher believes they could still find it intimidating. "The crowd could be important but only if we get the right result in the first-leg," he said. "If we can do that it will set it up brilliantly. "Chelsea have been intimidated on the occasions they have faced us in Europe despite playing us in the leage, so I think Arsenal will be aware that the atmosphere will be very different on a European night." During the past three seasons Carragher has established himself as one of the most respected centre backs in Europe. It is a position he admits he favours and although the arrvial of Martin Skrtel has seen him moved to right-back in recent weeks, he insists he is happy to do a job for the team and is confident he will be returned to his more natural berth sooner rather than later. "I've probably played half of my career at Liverpool at full-back, something like 250 to 300 games, so it's not new to me," he said. "And the way Sami and Martin are playing, I'm just happy to be in the team at the moment!" "Everyone has a preferred position and mine is centre back and hopefully I'll be back there soon. But I'm enjoying playing at right back and when I've played there it's gone quite well. "I've played there before and it's not alien to me, there's more running involved but it's not a problem."

02-04-2008, 08:33 PM	#1674 (permalink)
fitz15 Forum Junkie Join Date: Jan 2008 Age: 18 Posts: 3,900	come on liverpool ye have the vital away goal, get a 2nd n ye will be in a great position to knock them out, keep it up.