Kenny will be hoping to build on last week’s impressive showing against City when they face-off against Fulham on Monday night. Dalglish will be hoping for a repeat of their last visit to Craven Cottage where the Reds ran riot last time.
At FFC this week it’s there has been plenty of Liverpool blogs that include the Reds Academy struggle; Kenny having the last laugh over transfer, Liverpool look leaner and meaner.
We also look at other Liverpool articles from around the Web:
EXCLUSIVE – Martin Skrtel talks to Football FanCast
Leaner, meaner Liverpool continue to make huge strides
Kenny should be more than just King on Merseyside
‘Long To Reina Over Us’ – The goalkeeping dynasty of Miguel and Pepe
Liverpool slowly having the last laugh over transfer
An indictment of the success of Kenny’s signings, as it is on Suarez’s quality in the final third
Liverpool linked with shock move
Kenny eyes £20m January swoop to bolster attack
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Best of WEB [divider][divider]
L4L Exclusive – we interview Rob Jones and Mark Wright – Live4Liverpool
Similar Result, Different Perspective – This is Anfield
The Challenge Facing Jay Spearing – Anfield Index
Let’s sing a different tune about Carroll – Our Kop
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France will be looking to continue their post-World Cup revival when they meet Luxembourg in Euro 2012 qualifying on Friday.France, who currently occupy top spot in Group D, have undergone a regeneration under new coach Laurent Blanc, unbeaten in their last five matches including victories over England and Brazil in recent friendlies.
Under the guidance of Blanc, there has been a telling air of optimism generated on and off the field, and none off the squabbling and drama which plagued the side during the tenure of previous manager Raymond Domenech.
They will be banking on prolific marksman Karim Benzema extending his good run of form in front of goal for club and country when they travel to the Stade Josy Barthel in Luxembourg on Friday.
The Real Madrid striker is beginning to live up to his 35-million-euro price tag, bagging 22 goals in all competitions for Real, in addition his recent tally with the national setup.
The 23-year-old also scored in the corresponding game against Luxembourg in France in October.
The other major talking point during the week has been the return of Patrice Evra and Franck Ribery to the national team setup, after serving suspensions for their role in player strike in South Africa.
Luxembourg, while not expected to mount a sizeable challenge against the French, enter the game in good spirits after surprising Slovakia in a friendly last month, courtesy of a Daniel da Mota double.
However, they are rooted to the bottom of the group, having recorded only a solitary point in qualifying so far and failing to score in their four Group D games.
The less-fancied Luxembourg are widely expected to deploy a defensive tactic against their opponents, with Laurent Blanc saying during the week he expects to confront a team with “one up front and practically nine at the back ? 10 including the goalkeeper.”
When Roy Hodgson was asked the question about Fernando Torres’ future, he suggested that he was in the dark about it and the media should look to Christian Purslow for answers as he is the one that has been in Spain negotiating with the striker. I found that a little confusing, but at least it explains where the problem lies.
If Torres needed convincing that his future should remain at Anfield then it goes without saying that Roy Hodgson would be the man camped in Spain talking with Torres; I mean with respect to Purslow, he is hardly the man to be talking tactics and grand plan’s with. No the negotiations must surely be financial and if that is the case, this is one deal we cannot afford to baulk on.
Hodgson eluded in the same interview that the discussions with Torres are over issues prior to his arrival. If that is the case then that is extremely reassuring and shows that he remains content at Anfield and the only problems are all contractual; I am sure his terms are likely to have changed, given the reported interest from City and Chelsea, but can we as a football club really afford not to reach a compromise? Failing to agree terms and allowing Torres to move on is one thing, but how the hell do you go about replacing him? The club need to move quickly to resolve this issue, so Hodgson has every opportunity to get the squad ready for what is an incredibly important season for Liverpool football club. Torres would play a huge part in that process and therefore it is vital he is retained at Anfield.
Click on image to see a gallery of the BEST BABES at the World Cup this summer
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Arsene Wenger has never been a man to advocate panic buying and despite his claims that the summer’s transfer dealings at Arsenal weren’t born out of panic signing four players in the last few days of the window, two of them without medicals, suggests otherwise. So, what difference have those signings made? With the exception of Mikel Arteta, who has played a vital role in Arsenal’s recovery deputising for the injured Jack Wilshere, and Gervinho (seven assists, two goals) how much of an impact have the new signings really made so far?
Per Mertesacker
With a name that roughly translates as ‘meat sack’ you could be forgiven for viewing the giant German as some kind large inanimate object whose primary purpose was to obstruct attackers using only his physical presence. However on the whole he hasn’t even done that with much conviction. At fault for two goals against Chelsea and again at the weekend in Norwich the hugely experienced international’s performances have left many preferring to see Koscielny paired with Vermaelen at the back, and rightly so. However the acquisition of the former Werder Bremen man will seem better value as he adapts to life in the Premier League. Koscielny’s first season at the club suggested that he wasn’t cut out for life in England but his performances this season have much better and at times brilliant.
Andre Santos
Another defender that needs time to adapt; the Brazilian might not be the player that Arsenal fans want him to be (he can’t defend) but he is at least covering for the perpetually injured Gibbs. His attacking presence has been worthy of a place in the team so far and whilst he might lack certain necessary qualities the Brazilian was bought to add depth to the squad. Unless something changes radically about Santos’ play I think we can expect to see Gibbs back in the team when he has recovered.
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Yossi Benayoun
Largely anonymous, potentially past it; the Israeli captain has barely been used by Wenger so far. But then again: no money was paid for him. Benayoun is a panic buy if ever I’ve seen one. However that doesn’t make him useless. Far from it. Yossi’s versatility means that he can be, and has been, used on the wing or in the centre and his work ethic and defensive ability should provide an example for some of the lazier wingers at the club. He potentially has a part to play for Arsenal this year but he will not get a run in the team unless they are ravaged by injuries. Perhaps Wenger had Gervinho’s absence due to the African Nations in mind when he signed Benayoun.
Park Chu Young
Used sparingly, largely unimpressive. Park’s goal in the Carling Cup against Bolton gave Arsenal fans a glimpse of what could be, but he has failed to produce on his two other appearances. The Korean, like the rest of Arsenal’s new signings, needs time to adjust but he recently told Arsenal that physically he was ready to give his best.
Youngsters
Oxlade-Chamberlain has shown what he could be capable of with some brilliant performances in the Carling Cup and the England U21 team. However we all knew that he would perhaps be one considered more for the future. Joel Campbell too will perhaps be appreciated in a few years; he is doing well at Lorient and has earned himself a place in the team. Jenkinson was another for the future however even though their were many Arsenal fans complaining about his performances so far this year he was getting better with every game and many of those same fans will be disappointed to see him injured.
Obviously these players need time to settle in. All players do, or at least should. But if everyone knows that is the case then why were these signings made so late. If the inefficiency of the players cannot be blamed on the players themselves then it must be blamed on the people who didn’t sign them early enough to get a pre-season under their belt. There’s no point in Arsene saying that Mertesacker didn’t know he would be closed down as quickly as he was by Morrison on Saturday. The fact is that he should have been taught these things by now because soon mistakes like that will cost them points and the fans will not be as forgiving. Whether the delay in bringing in new players was the fault of the board or the manager is yet to be known, but both should have known better.
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The quality of the player signed can be properly evaluated later in the season when they have had time to settle in. The success of Wenger’s ‘panic buying’ can be brought down to one main question: was he buying squad players or first team players? Obviously Gervinho and Mertesacker were bought for the first team but it seems that the others were bought to compensate for Arsenal’s repetitive injury problems. And therefore even though they haven’t lit the league alight with flair-filled performances players like Santos, Arteta and Jenkinson have done what they were meant to do. Benayoun too has provided ample cover and having an extra centre back in Mertesacker has definitely been beneficial to the club. The summer transfer window may not have gone exactly to plan for Arsene but it would be hard to imagine their recovery without their new players.
For more Arsenal news follow me on Twitter @H_Mackay
Schalke came from a goal behind to defeat Valencia 3-1 and book their spot in the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday.Ricardo Costa fired Valencia into a 17th minute lead which not only gave them the lead on the night, but also on aggregate, before Jefferson Farfan struck a sensational free-kick just five minutes before half-time to equalise for Schalke.Mario Gavranovic put the Bundesliga side in front with his 52nd minute finish and after Valencia missed a hatful of chances to take the lead on away goals, Farfan completed the victory with a delicate chip in injury time.The tie was well poised after Raul’s second-half equaliser for Schalke at the Mestalla saw the first leg end at 1-1, but it was the La Liga outfit who impressed in the early stages of the return leg in Germany.Jeremy Mathieu saw his early shot flash just wide of the post, but Unai Emery’s men did not have to wait long for a goal, which was triggered by a wonderful piece of skill by Mehmet Topal.Topal intelligently created space for himself on the edge of the area and delivered a bullet cross which was turned in by Costa to give Valencia the lead and an all-important away goal.Schalke were shaken by the goal and could have been two behind if it was not for Christoph Metzelder’s last-ditch challenge to deny Aduriz after 21 minutes.The hosts were eventually able to work themselves back into the match and should have scored through Gavranovic who missed a header, before the equaliser came when Farfan produced a superb free-kick. The Peruvian attacker curled his set piece around the wall and despite the best efforts of Valencia goalkeeper Guaita, who got a touch, the ball thudded into the back of the net to level proceedings.Energised by their goal, Schalke started the second-half well and claimed the lead when Gavranovic pounced on a Guaita error, with his shot hitting both posts before trickling over the line.The goal seemed to fire Valencia into action, and Aduriz shot into the side netting on 56 minutes before he saw a one-on-one opportunity brilliantly saved by in-demand Schalke goalkeeper Manuel Neuer two minutes later.Valencia should have levelled again through substitute Tino Costa, but he failed to connect with his first-time shot with the goal beckoning.But as Valencia poured forward seeking the late away goal that would take them through, Schalke struck with a counter-attacking move finished by Farfan, who chipped over Guaita to send Felix Magath’s side through to the last eight for just the second time in their history.
The Football Association has written to FIFA to complain after an angry England fan gained entry to the dressing room following the disappointing goalless World Cup draw with Algeria.
England were booed off in Cape Town following a second Group C stalemate, which has left their hopes of reaching the last 16 hanging by a thread.
Afterwards the fan evaded security at the Green Point Stadium and barged his way into the dressing room where he reportedly confronted former skipper David Beckham, who has been with the squad in South Africa despite being injured.
"A fan got in past FIFA security," confirmed an FA spokesman.
"We have formerly complained to FIFA after the game and will follow it up in writing.
"This is not acceptable and thankfully no serious harm was done."
The incident followed a disjointed performance which has left England needing to win against Slovenia in their final group game next Wednesday to progress to the knockout stages.
Wayne Rooney again failed to perform and lambasted the booing England fans as he walked off the pitch at full-time.
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Speaking directly to the television cameras, the clearly frustrated Manchester United striker said: "Nice to see your home fans booing you. That's loyal supporters."
It has again brought to the fore questions about the temperament of a player whose last World Cup four years ago ended in a red card for stamping on an opponent.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Spurs transfer target Leandro Damiao is now a target for Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk – with the club set to bid a staggering £40 million for the Brazilian striker. (talksport)
Spurs spent large parts of last summer chasing Damiao, whose full name is Leandro Damiao da Silva dos Santos, however they could not come to an agreement with his club Internacional.
At 22, the striker is seen as one of South America’s brightest prospects, and has an impressive goalscoring record since breaking into the first team last year, with 51 goals in 82 games.
At just short of 6 foot 2, Harry Redknapp is believed to see Damiao as ideally suited to the physical nature of the English game.
Yet, it remains to be seen whether Tottenham Hotspur will have the funds to match Donetsk’s rumoured £40 million bid.
Internacional are unlikely to reject such an offer, while the move may appeal to Damiao, with 8 fellow Brazilians currently in the Donetsk squad.
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While it is doubtful that Daniel Levy would sanction an equivalent bid, the Spurs chairman will not give up hope on landing the Brazilian international, having built a good relationship when signing Sandro from the club last year.
1. Good things come to those who wait in European football
Thirty-nine years is a very long time for two sides with as proud a European pedigree as Spurs and Milan to go without playing each other. Likewise, eighty minutes is a long time for a side away from home in the Champions League to have to wait before they get the chance to run behind their opponents’ midfield. Peter Crouch’s winner for Tottenham ten minutes from the end of the game came about because Milan had finally started to seize the game’s initiative and so had left themselves vulnerable to the counter-attack. With the Italian side adopting the increasingly familiar practice of the home team in a European knockout tie, lining up deeper for fear of conceding an away goal, it was Spurs who had been on the front foot throughout the first half only to find chances on goal limited as Gennaro Gattuso, Mathieu Flamini and Thiago Silva formed a screen in front of the Milan defence. Two Mario Yepes headers in the second half – both brilliantly saved by Heurelho Gomes – encouraged the Serie A leaders forward as the game entered its final quarter but it was the Colombian defender who was left trailing in Aaron Lennon’s wake as the Tottenham winger centred for Crouch to score.
2. The San Siro brings out the best in Tottenham’s wingers
Aaron Lennon deserves as much praise for his performance in Milan as Gareth Bale received for his hat-trick against Inter back in October. However, while Bale’s inspirational display was ultimately in vain, his tramline-coiffured teammate’s efforts in the San Siro on Tuesday night played a vital part in Spurs’ remarkable victory. Before the game, the selection of Steven Pienaar over Niko Kranjčar on the left was a sign that Harry Redknapp would be looking for Spurs to maintain positional discipline in wide areas; at the same time, Kranjčar’s omission made the potential attacking threat offered by Lennon on the right all the more key. The England winger did not let his manager down. With Bale absent because of a back injury, Lennon had a chance to raise his international profile in the same place his Welsh counterpart did four months ago. He caused Luca Antonini many problems at left back, particularly in the first half when Spurs’ obvious ploy was to deliver the ball to Crouch in the area at every opportunity, with Lennon beating his marker to the byline to cross on more than one occasion.
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3. Gennaro Gattuso is “a little dog at best”
That was Graeme Souness’ assessment of the Rossoneri captain after the midfielder’s typically combustible performance ended with him picking a fight with 59-year-old Tottenham coach and ex-Milan forward Joe Jordan. All he’s good for is running around after the ball, qualified Souness. It’s not the first time that Gattuso’s headstrong behaviour has seen him act like he’s a panini short of a picnic – he’s made a career out of it, as this incident in the Milan derby two years ago proves – but the Italian international’s antics throughout the second half were pretty special even by his standards. Before attempting to headbutt Jordan after the final whistle but finding himself several inches too short to make a proper impact, Gattuso had already pushed his hand into the Scotsman’s face while the game was still in progress, raised his arms to Peter Crouch, and reacted to the yellow card he was finally awarded for a tackle on Steven Pienaar – which will keep Gattuso out of the second leg at White Hart Lane in three weeks’ time regardless of any retrospective action taken by UEFA for his behaviour at the end – by repeatedly smashing the turf with his fist.
4. Most games benefit from a bit of needle
Harry Redknapp hotfooted it to the side of the pitch for a sit-down interview with Sky Sports shortly after the final whistle, which gave him his first opportunity to see a replay of the tackle by Mathieu Flamini that ended Vedran Ćorluka’s game before an hour was up. The Milan midfielder’s lunge appeared to tick at least two of the boxes that need checking for a player to see a straight red these days, being both two-footed and off the ground, and yet he escaped with a yellow card. The former Arsenal player did win the ball, but that mitigating factor is not normally enough to keep an offending player on the pitch in these enlightened times. However, if the overly aggressive tackle was Flamini’s attempt to stoke up the crowd, and his defiant pose afterwards suggested that it was, then the extra edge that the incident gave to the game ultimately backfired on Milan. Ćorluka’s teammates must have seen him emerge from the tunnel on crutches to take up a watching brief from the bench for the remainder of the game, giving them even more of an incentive to get a result.
5. Jonathan Woodgate: still here
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“I’m still here,” says Steve McQueen defiantly at the end of Papillon. If you haven’t seen the film (spoiler alert), it’s the 1973 adaptation of the prison memoir by convicted French murderer Henri Charrière. Whilst the author’s claims that the book represented a truthful account of his imprisonment at and eventual escape from a penal colony in French Guiana have been called into question lately, the film remains an uplifting portrayal of the human spirit’s indefatigability. Jonathan Woodgate would certainly have benefitted from watching it during his long recovery from a groin injury, given McQueen’s remark at the end. The defender hadn’t featured for Spurs for 15 months until his introduction for the final half-hour at the San Siro, brought about by Ćorluka’s enforced withdrawal; he was not even listed in his club’s 25-man squad for the first half of this season. Woodgate turned down a loan move to Wolves last month in order to fight for his place at White Hart Lane and against Milan on Tuesday night that decision was vindicated. The former Leeds, Newcastle, Real Madrid, and Middlesbrough man slotted in alongside Michael Dawson at the centre of the away side’s defence to help Spurs to their first away clean sheet in Europe this season and leave them ninety minutes from the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
Just over 12 months ago on the 13th November 2010 the final whistle ended a 0-0 draw between City and Birmingham, boo’s rung out around Eastlands and to be frank the atmosphere was vile. Many supporters were aiming their frustration squarely at manager Roberto Mancini . It was the second home 0-0 draw that week (the first coming in one of the worst Manchester derbies ever) and the team were looking goal shy. It was expected that the game against Birmingham would be a home banker and we all hoped the Italian would take the reins off and let City play, that wasn’t to be.
It was another incredibly cautious display, the aim to manufacture a tight 1-0 win. The moment Mancini NEARLY lost the ground was when in the 83rd minute he decided to replace leading scorer Tevez with Gareth Barry, it was a nonsensical decision to be honest and left many scratching their heads and many others showing their anger towards the manager.
On Saturday, Alex McLeish was back at Eastlands, again hoping to stifle Mancini and his team, this time it didn’t work. A lot has changed since that day, the anger aimed at the manager has well and truly dissipated and even his harshest critic on that day must surely now remain silent. The 4-1 demolition of Villa put City on top of the Premier League table, played 8, won 7, drawn 1, it is a fantastic record. On top of that he guided us to a 3rd place finish last year improving on expectation by one place and of course he delivered silverware, Mancini is doing a brilliant job.
He has spoken previously about wanting total control of the club and whilst that may not be entirely possible in this modern day where finances play such a big part, the backing he has received from the board over the Tevez saga suggests that his plea’s are being listened too, and that can only be of benefit to us all.
It is for that reason that I was particularly pleased to see different newspapers claiming that talks were about to begin over a contract extension for the Italian, he needs to be tied down. He is quoted as saying:
“I started to work here two years ago and I have worked hard to create a good team….I would like to stay another three or four years because Manchester City is one of the best teams in the world….I would like to stay here for many years.”.
He has even began to answer his critics outside of the club, claims that he had City playing dull, lifeless football have been well and truly banish. The team have put together some fantastic displays so far this season and the ironic chants of ‘boring boring City’ that rang around Eastlands on a regular basis act as a clear sign to the sides detractors. The Italian knows that after laying the ground work last year, he now has the responsibility to entertain as well as deliver results and that is exactly what he is doing.
Most important is the backing he has received in recent weeks from supporters, this demonstrates what a massive shift in feeling there has been. Not all supporters got on his back that day against Birmingham, but there was perceived to be pressure on his shoulders and it currently looks as if he has survived and come through it all incredibly well. For me personally I hope this extension can be wrapped up as soon as possible because I genuinely don’t believe there is anyone better for the job, so let’s sing it one more time…..”Mancini Wooooah….Mancini Wooooaaahh…….”.
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Aston Villa duo Darren Bent and Ashley Young scored the goals that gave England a confidence boosting victory in Copenhagen. Fabio Capello was delighted with the performance and believes that certain performances have given something of a selection headache in the future.
In the papers this morning there have been a mixed bag of stories that include OPLC deny Hammers speculation; Liverpool eye young duo, while Man City and Tottenham rise up the rich league.
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OPLC deny Hammers ‘speculation’ – Sky Sports
Capello admits to striking dilemma – Guardian
City and Spurs rise up the rich league – Guardian
Liverpool eye England starlets – Mirror
Eriksen’s free reign must leave Wilshere straining at leash – Daily Mail
Liverpool’s owners battle at high court – Guardian
Newcastle snap up free-agent Kuqi – Mirror
Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema in talks with Tottenham – IM Scouting
Tevez dropped for Argy bargy – Sun
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