Worrying Words From Xabi; Chelsea Join Johnson Hunt

By Gareth Freeman

The transfer window hasn’t been as exciting as it could have been from a Liverpool perspective so far. The financial troubles of the owners seem to have curtailed the Reds’ ability to spend big in the transfer market and top-target David Villa seems determined to stay in Spain.

The upside of that is he won’t be going to Manchester United or Chelsea either but it would have been quality to see him lining up alongside Fernando Torres at club level.

The key thing for Rafael Benitez is to keep his existing squad in tact and add a few quality players. Liverpool looked at times last season like champions and one man who was instrumental in this was Xabi Alonso. For me he is as important to the side as anyone, including Steven Gerrard and Torres, but he has made some worrying noises concerning his Liverpool future.

"Would you be disappointed if you end up having to stay at Liverpool next season?" he was asked while on international duty with Spain at the Confederations Cup.

"I can't answer that question," was Alonso’s reply.

I really don’t know how to interpret this other than that he doesn’t want to stay, I just hope I’ve got the wrong end of the stick!

Despite the financial worries of Tom Hicks and George Gillet Rafa has still managed to table a bid of £18million for Portsmouth and Englnd right-back Glen Johnson. Chelsea have matched that bid but Johnson was let go by the Stamford Bridge side earlier in his career so it remains to be seen whether he would go back.

The move for Johnson is intriguing in itself, whether or not he decides to join. He can also play in midfield and is very much one of the marauding full-backs who likes to join in with the attack as often as possible. Out of all the ‘top four’ teams I would argue that Rafa perhaps has the most defensive attitude when it comes to full-backs and the move for Johnson may suggest a planned change in tactics.

If Alonso leaves and Johnson does opt for Chelsea it would certainly be a blow but not a massive disaster. Granted Alonso is a top quality midfielder but if Real Madrid is indeed his chosen destination Liverpool should get an excellent price for him and invest that in another top player.

In terms of Real Madrid they’re apparently willing to let the Dutch trio of Rafael Van der Vart, Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben leave, all three of which could add something to the Liverpool side and would be decent acquisitions in exchange for Alonso (plus cash of course!). If Johnson makes the switch to Chelsea Rafa will probably find another attacking full-back and he is by no means the only (or even best, in my opinion anyway) option.

Even though the season is still some time away it is sometimes a good idea to check out what other people are thinking in terms of the league title. The bookies currently have Liverpool as third favorites with their Premier League betting odds and the Reds are currently priced at 4.3 (100/30), Chelsea are second at 3.6 (13/5) and Man United are favourites at 2.96 (2/1) so there isn’t a lot of difference between the three sides in terms of odds.

I wouldn’t go betting on the winner of the Premier League myself just yet, it is far too early, and if you’re planning on having a flutter I would wait until the majority of the transfer activity has been concluded.

Stevie G as James Bond?

This is juicy stuff! This was taken off from CNN and apparently, Liverpool's number 8 wants another role and that is the famous 007. The following are the excerpts of the interview done between CNN and Steven Gerrard.

THE NAME'S GERRARD, STEVEN GERRARD...



STEVEN GERRARD TELLS CNN HE SEES HIMSELF AS A FUTURE JAMES BOND AND HOPES TO FEATURE IN A FILM AT CANNES

In an interview with CNN’s monthly film show ‘The Screening Room’ at the Cannes Film Festival, Liverpool and England footballer Steven Gerrard reveals that one day he hopes to appear in a movie at Cannes. He adds that he sees himself as an all-action hero, in the mould of James Bond, while his wife Alex would be his ideal Bond girl.

To watch the interview please click here: http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/sports/2009/05/26/curry.steven.gerrad.intv.cnn


JUSTIN ARMSDEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL SPORTS ANCHOR: Hello, again. As we continue to hone in on the Champions League football final on Wednesday, one man who knows all about winning it is Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard. But when he caught up with CNN’s Neil Curry at the Cannes film festival, it was all about action on the screen rather than the pitch.

NEIL CURRY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So, Steven, what brings you to Cannes?

STEVEN GERRARD, LIVERPOOL MIDFIELDER: A couple of reasons, really. Obviously, to enjoy the festival, but also to show some support to two close friends who’ve got a screening later for their new movie.

CURRY: Tell me about them. Tell me about their film.

GERRARD: It’s called Charlie Noades RIP . And it’s a comedy. I’ve actually seen the film. I’ve been lucky enough to see it before everyone else, and it’s a fantastic film. It’ll have you laughing all the way through it.And I just hope that people enjoy it like I did because if it does, it will be a, you know, a big hit.

CURRY: Have you managed to see much of the filmmaking process through your friends?

GERRARD: Not really, but you know, I obviously see little glimpses of it because they’re involved in the film industry, and I spend quite a bit of time with these people, so – but I wouldn’t say I’m an expert, no.

CURRY: And do they – conversely, do they follow you around to the games and stuff?

GERRARD: Yes, of course. You know, that’s another reason why I’m here. Every week, they follow me to watch Liverpool, obviously, and to watch the England games. So, it was nice to sort of return the favour, if you like, and come and show them some support, because I know this a big event for them.

CURRY: Yesterday, we were talking to Eric Cantona, who has a film here. Last year, Maradona had a film and Zidane had a film. Can we ever see yourself in a film here, you think?

GERRARD: Who knows? You know, maybe one day. You know, I’m coming – getting old now as a footballer, if you like, coming up to 29. So, maybe in years to come I might go down that road, but they’re certainly legends in the game, and they’ve certainly done well after football. So, maybe I might follow in their footsteps.

CURRY: Cantona was talking about some of the connections between film and football, and he was talking about managers and how – he was comparing the director Ken Loach with Alex Ferguson and saying that directors and football managers are quite similar in what they have to do to actors and players.

GERRARD: Yes, I can understand where he’s coming from there because they’re sort of like the bosses, and they can throw a lot of people around. And it’s important that they get their jobs right for the team on the football side and also for films to be successful. So, I can understand where he’s coming from, yes.

CURRY: He also said that good football managers and good directors give confidence to their actors and confidence to their players. What’s Rafa Benitez like as a director, if you like?

GERRARD: Well, he’s certainly a fantastic manager, and as you say, he is similar to a film director, if you like. And he does an awful lot of stuff behind the scenes to make sure that the team is successful. And I personally have a lot of confidence in him that he can make the team successful in the future. So, really pleased to have him and that he’s signed the new contract.

CURRY: Now, here in Cannes, we’ve been talking to actors about their recollections of lifting the Oscar or directors collecting the Palme d’Or. It’s difficult to imagine what it’s like to do that unless you’ve been there. So, put it in football terms. What’s it like to lift the Champions League trophy? What’s going through your mind?

GERRARD: It’s difficult to put into words, you know, the feeling that you get when you put that trophy above your head. It’s certainly the best experience I’ve ever had football-wise. I can, you know -- it’s so difficult to describe the feeling, but I’m sure, you know, film stars and directors can relate to it when they win their big awards like the Oscars, I’d say.

CURRY: Just wondering if were to be in a film, what kind of role would you like to have, and who would you like to co-star with?

GERRARD: I’ve never really thought about it, to be honest. Well, I’d like to maybe go down the Bond route, the all-action hero type role. I think that’s a bit of me.

CURRY: Who would your Bond Girl be?

GERRARD: It would have to be my Alex, my wife. You’re getting me into trouble if I say anyone else.

Fletcher Absence Exposes United Frailties

FC Barcelona 2 (Eto'o 10, Messi 70)
Man Utd 0

Who would’ve thought Man United would miss someone so dearly. This year’s Champions League final was dubbed to be a gladiator-esque showdown of Man Utd’s Portugese whinger… oh I mean winger, Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentinian, Lionel Messi.

But it was the absence of a certain Scottish midfielder which ultimately tilted the balance of the game in favour of the Spanish champion. He’s never in the limelight, seldom scores breath-taking goals and not really blessed with the good looks (well, he’s a Scot after all…).

Man Utd boasts a squad full of stars but the one truly needed in a big match was actually Darren Fletcher.

United missed his tenacity, big time. The industrious midfielder was wrongfully sent off in the semi-final match against Arsenal and the suspension was such a bitter blow to them.

No wonder rumour has it that Sir Alex Ferguson was willing to trade a get-out-of-jail card with Barcelona, Fletcher’s freedom for either Eric Abidal’s or Daniel Alves’. That was how important Fergie sees his fellow Scot.

On the hindsight, the suspension of Abidal and Alves plus the injury to Rafael Marquez seems to be irrelevant. With 3 out of Barca’s 4 first-choice defenders missing, United failed to capitalise on it.

But Barcelona and their coach, Pep Guardiola, were unwilling to let Man Utd get away with it. The obvious was staring them in their faces. Man Utd’s midfield lacks steel and the player who’s willing to do all the dirty work.

Looking back, great teams were built around a strong man in midfield, someone willing to sacrifice creativity for stability. Think Roy Keane of the all-conquering Man Utd class of ’99, Patrick Vieira of the ’04 Arsenal Invincibles and Claude Makelele of the ugly but effective Chelsea.
Fast forward to the current United squad, I see Anderson and Michael Carrick. Hmmm… Not so sure about that. To make things worse, they were up against Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez. These were the 2 players pivotal in Spain’s European Cup conquest last year.

It was a joy to watch as the Spanish duo took hold of the game after a nervy first 10 minutes where their fellow Iberian, Ronaldo, was having a showboating session.

But thereafter, they controlled the game with finesse and put up a master-class performance. They didn’t score the goals but they pulled the strings from midfield and all we saw was players in white bumbling around them haplessly.

Didn’t some part of the game looked like they were having a practice session with Man Utd, playing ‘pig in the middle’ or ‘Monkey’ with them?

Anderson was woeful and got found out in this game. If he was supposed to do Fletcher’s job then I think he should look for employment elsewhere. Michael Carrick, for being hailed as ‘a great passer of the ball’ and even ‘world-class’ by the English papers, unsurprisingly, looked bereft of ideas and nothing near latter description.

It was Iniesta who made it all happen when he barged through the centre of Utd’s midfielder and played a controlled pass into the path of Samuel Eto’o. The Cameroonian striker glided into the penalty area with surprising ease as Man Utd’s defence stood hesitant and watched on.

Pep Guardiola must’ve watched Liverpool’s 4-1 triumph and asked his fleet-footed attackers to run at the lumbering Nemanja Vidic like how Fernando Torres embarrassed the Serbian giant in the Theatre of Dreams.

The striker made no mistake as he fire it past a bemused Edwin van der Sar. He must be wondering how Barca sneaked in so easily.


The answer was found in Man Utd’s strangely passive way of defending in the match. They played the game in fear, showed too much respect for Barca and were peeing in their pants every time Thierry Henry or Leo Messi were on the ball.

Seeing how English teams totally dominate the European football scene for the past few seasons through their fast-paced and gritty approach to games, United failed to use that as their advantage and paid for it.

Chelsea, who was Barca’s semi-final opponent, gave Man Utd a perfect example of how to stifle the football artisans. If not for the incredulously biased referee, it would have been another Chelsea vs Man Utd final.

Liverpool, too, gave Real Madrid a royal spanking 2 months back. Just like Chelsea, it was all about putting pressure on their midfielders, denying them space and time plus upping the ante through speed and a more direct approach.

Yet United players stood and watch as Barca seized the initiative and made them pay. Their midfield quartet failed to close down Xavi and Iniesta, giving the playmakers all the time in the world.

Would Darren Fletcher allow that? I think not.

Also, Barca cleverly exploited the lack of defensive midfielder on Utd’s part and used Messi as a deep-lying striker. Smart, ain’t it? He was a striker yet he dropped off so deep that Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic was caught in a dilemma. Should they continue marking him or let him drift into space.

The final nail in the coffin came when Ferdinand decided to take the latter option as he misjudged the flight of Xavi’s cross and allowed a 169cm midget (average Asian height, though…) to score from a free header.

It was as if he had read the English newspaper on the previous day as they described Ronaldo to be more of an aerial threat than him. Well, that certainly is shuts them up. This “Next Maradona” could be the real deal.

With their treble at stake, Man Utd put up no fight at all. The 5 shots in the first 10 minutes were actually all they could muster. And unsurprisingly, Ronaldo showed his usual petulance after being in the pocket of Carles Puyol throughout.

They were out with a whimper.

Man Utd could blame no one, to be honest. The loss of Fletcher was pivotal and the sheer brilliance of Barca outclassed the English champion. Players whom you would put your money on to drag them back into the game went missing. United was clearly not at their best.

So there goes the chance of winning a second treble in Sir Alex’s reign. But what a sweet victory for Pep Guardiola. Only his first season in charge of a club of this stature, he took them into greater heights by being the first Spanish team to win the treble.

They could dominate in the years to come, with Xavi, Iniesta and Messi being the spine of the team. Man Utd, meanwhile, should not take the knee-jerk approach to this as it was a bridge too far but would be exaggerating to say they’re in any sort of trouble.

With this team, this defeat could be a blessing in disguise as the problems and shortcomings of the squad will now be even more apparent and it’s just the right time to make amends through signings and pre-season training sessions.

All in all, Barca was not only the champion of Europe but more of a champion of football. Kudos!

Good News, TRC Readers

I've finally gotten the tickets to the Liverpool vs Singapore match on 27th July. After a long wait and plenty of patience, it paid off and although it cost $88, most would agree that it's pretty decent even in face of the current economy climate.


Though I wasn't lucky enough to get myself a seat in the East Stand, which is going to be transformed into a Kop of Asia, Singapore style! Still, I can't be much happier to have acquired the tickets and will be watching alongside some Arsenal and ManYoo fans.

That really says about the craziness and passion of the fans here. I guess it's a one-off match where allegiance will be put aside for some top class football.

If you're in Singapore, reading this and have yet to get it, PLEASE DON'T WAIT ANY LONGER!

Anyway as I've mentioned, this is good news for all of you because...

I'll be there and will bring you pictures, videos and most importantly, my personal account of this event. So stay tune!

Match Preview: Liverpool vs Tottenham

Liverpool welcome Spurs to Anfield for the final game of what has been a good season in some ways and a disappointing one in others. Rafa’s men may have ended the season without any silverware but they’ve mounted their best title challenge for well over a decade and for large parts of the season they were the best team. That doesn’t really matter now but it shows great signs of improvement and if Rafa makes one or two signings the red half of Merseyside could be celebrating something special this time next year.

For now though Liverpool have to make sure they beat Spurs and take the second spot. I expect them to see off Tottenham to be honest, they’ve become a good side under the guidance of Harry Redknapp but they don’t travel to well and Liverpool will want to end the season on a high and boost the points tally.

It will be a return to Anfield for Robbie Keane and I’m sure he’ll want to get among the goals and prove Rafa wrong. I’m not sure he will to be honest and I wouldn’t go backing him to score in the game with my own football betting. I’m sure most people would agree that Benitez made the right move in letting him go and he hasn’t really impressed since his move back to Spurs.

The key player for the opposition could well be keeper Heurelho Gomes. The Spurs keeper got a lot of stick at the start of the season for some high profile and costly errors but he has been a revelation in the latter part of the campaign. Gomes has pulled off some truly unbelievable saves and kept Carlo Cudicini out of the side and it will take a bit of work to get past him.

Redknapp hasn’t been impressed with his strikeforce since he took over and Roman Pavlyuchenko looks set for a summer exit. It might be a safe football bet to back the Liverpool clean sheet in all fairness as Pepe Reina is going for the golden glove award and we saw from Jamie Carragher’s antics last week that it is an important award for the team to win.

The match is fairly unimportant in all fairness but I still expect Liverpool to finish on a win. Even though Spurs still have European qualification to play for I don’t think they’ve got enough quality in the team to get a result at Anfield and Liverpool should be able to pick up all three points and go into the summer break full of confidence.

Kop Comes To Asia - Details

Strategic Sports Investment, part of the Profitable Group, are pleased to announce the ticket prices & ticket outlets for Liverpool Football Club on their visit to South East Asia this summer.

Any fan who decides to purchase a ticket for 'The Kop' will receive an exclusive limited edition Kop Scarf. This will help in truly recreating the legend that is 'The Kop'. The prices are as follows:

'The Kop' (East Entrance) : S$ 88 South Entrance : S$ 88 North Entrance : S$ 88 Grandstand Lower : S$ 88 Grandstand 'RED' : S$188 Grandstand Balcony : Available on request

It will be free seating for “The Kop”, Grandstand Lower, South and North Stand. These can be purchased from the outlets listed below. Grandstand RED seats and Grandstand Balcony are available from the Profitable Group Singapore. For more information on the Grandstand RED & Grandstand Balcony tickets, call the ticket hotline +65 65505056, or alternatively email: thekop@profitablegroup.com To allow all of the football fans in Singapore to experience Liverpool FC in Singapore, purchasing of tickets will be limited to 4 tickets per person. Ticket sales, will be on a first come first served basis. The tickets will be available from the 22nd May 2009 from these following outlets:

Adidas stores and outlets throughout Singapore: Courts outlets throughout Singapore: • Pacific Plaza • Raffles Shopping Centre • Cineleisure • Suntec City Mall • The Cathay • Vivo City • Velocity • Peninsula Shopping Centre • Queensway Shopping Centre • Tampines 1 • The Heeren • The Paragon • CityLink Mall • Junction 8 • Jurong Point Shopping Centre • Parkway Parade • Wheelock Place • Bugis Junction • Ang Mo Kio • Bukit Timah • Causeway Point • Funan • Jurong Point • Lot One Shoppers' Mall (Choa Chu Kang) • Megastore (Tampines) • Tampines Mall • Toa Payoh • Vivo City Harry's bars throughout Singapore: Thomas Pink outlet: • Boat Quay • Chijmes • Velocity Novena • Angullia Park • Dempsey Hill • Far East Square • HarbourFront • Holland Village • Millenia Walk • Orchard • Raffles Quay • Suntec City Mall • Esplanade • Pier Robertson • The Village Centre • Changi Airport T1 • Changi Airport T2 • Rail Mall • Changi Business Park • Shenton Way • Fusionopolis • The Sail Marina Bay • Singapore’s Straits Bar by Harry’s at Changi T3 • Capital Tower

For a full list and ticketing locations, please visit www.profitablegroup.com

For further information on ticket sales, please contact: Ticket hotline +65 65505056 or email: thekop@profitablegroup.com

Reds Take It Out On Baggies As Title Bid Comes to an End

Liverpool 2 (Gerrard 28, Kuyt 63)
West Brom 0

There was no thrill but plenty of emotional spill as Liverpool’s victory over West Bromwich Albion sends the Baggies down to the Championship. The Reds’ spirit were dampened prior to the match as they saw the Premiership crown being lifted at Old Trafford once again, equaling their 18 league title record.

Yet they were able to conjure up a spirited and determined performance to see off West Brom away from home. It was a make-or-break game for the bottom-placed team as anything but a victory over the league runners-up means relegation.

It was as if inevitable that West Brom would go down as they stayed cemented on the foot of the Premiership table. Yet the previous 2 games suggested otherwise and the Baggies fans were hopeful of yet another great escape just like the one in 2004.

No doubt they were determined to make it count and even the presence of a full strength Liverpool side did not derail them of their original game plan.

The away side, on the other hand, was like a wounded animal. Seeing their title bid gone up the smokes without even a kick of the ball, they had nothing to play for. Perhaps only pride and a hope to finish the season on a high note.

Of course, Jamie Carragher would beg to defer as he his altercation with fellow Reds, Alvaro Arbeloa came under the spotlight. Seeing the Spanish defender’s lackadaisical defending for much of the game, the born and bred Liverpudlian gave Arbeloa a earful and it nearly turned into a Bowyer and Dyer-esque fight scene.

It was uncalled for and Carragher should have dealt with it behind closed doors. But on the other hand, one could see Carragher’s spirit and attitude of a man who gives his all for the club.

Perhaps, it was brewed through pure frustration of yet another barren year for Liverpool. Seeing the Premiership crown whizzed by, a ‘so near so yet far’ feeling was by far worse than the ‘out of title bid by November’.

But despite with so little to play for, Liverpool put up a professional performance to see off West Brom. A 2-0 victory all but sealed West Brom’s fate but they only had themselves to blame.

Steven Gerrard’s opener was totally against the run of play. Despite having a decent start to the game, West Brom decided to play Father Christmas as a lapse of concentration gifted Liverpool the vital goal.

Its mistakes like this that gives you the idea as to why they are in the mire. Yet the defenders were not the only one that should’ve been blamed.

Despite being presented with decent chances, all credits to their hardworking midfielders, the strikers were unable to put the ball in the onion bag. It doesn’t help having Jamie Carragher on the opposing team, either.



Dirk Kuyt then doubled the lead as he secures his best scoring record since arriving in England 3 years ago. The striker turned winger was given time as space as he fired home from 25 yards out.

The goal all but buried any hopes that West Brom fans harbored. Yet the home fans were still singing at the top of their lungs in appreciation of their efforts. As many fans could point out that it’s never easy singing in defeat.

Liverpool, on the other hand, can take pride in one of their finest ever domestic campaign, despite actually not winning it. The win took them to 83 points, one of their best ever and it would’ve won them the title a few years back.

Unfortunately, the bar was raised higher in recent years and despite only just 2 defeats throughout the whole campaign, they just fell short. It must be utter disappointment for the players who truly, gave their all.

With this pain and disappointment, they’ll probably strive harder next season. It’s the closest they have came in over 20 years and with a couple of shrewd signing this summer, the hunt of the title could be over in the next few years.

It couldn’t be any closer, can it?

Goodbye To The Big Finn

It’s the news that most Liverpool fans were shocked to hear but the departure of Liverpool’s number 4, Sami Hyypia, will definitely be an amicable one as the Finnish defender moves to Bayer Leverkusen in the summer.

For the past decade, Hyypia has been a colossal figure for the Anfield outfit and won various trophies and cups with Liverpool, including the famous treble in 2001. It would be toppings on ice if Liverpool were to win their first Premiership trophy this season.

Despite being in the twilight of his career, Hyypia still played an important role in Rafael Benitez’s side. His bagful of experience, impeccable position sense on the pitch and most importantly, cool as in iceman, he never complained playing second-fiddle to Daniel Agger or Martin Skrtel.

When called upon, he seldom disappoints. Liverpool’s most note-worthy win this year came from Old Trafford and the Big Finn played his part in it, stopping the rampant Man Utd.

That obviously, was just a small portion of what Hyypia has achieved in his 10 year stint at Anfield.

He arrived with a seemingly meager price-tag at 2.5mil GBP and that has to be one of the, if not the shrewdest purchase under Gerard Houllier’s regime. He immediately formed an impregnable partnership with Swiss, Stephane Henchoz.

Both Hyypia and Henchoz were the basis of Gerard Houllier’s side. The Frenchman’s love for counter-attacking football would not be possible without a defence which could soak up intense pressures. Hyypia, at the heart of defence, was unfazed.But the event which caught my eye the most would be Hyypia’s humility and meekness captured by the way he handled the skipper’s armband to current captain, Steven Gerrard in 2004.

The towering defender was a good choice for captaincy as retirement of Redknapp and departure of Robbie Fowler left the club with a power vacuum. Local heroes such as Steven Gerrard, Michael Owen and Jamie Carragher were all still too young.

He readily availed himself and stepped up to take up the captaincy and perhaps knowing that he was just going to be a seat-warmer for the next Liverpool captain, Gerrard.

Unfortunately, a slight dip of form and the power transfer happened at the same time and therefore, many would presume that he was stripped off due to his poor form.

But despite of the blow, Sami Hyypia continued to be a dependable and loyal servant to the club. With modern day footballers love mouthing about their employers and selling exclusive gossips to the papers, Hyypia was never once found on papers for the wrong reasons.

He continued working hard and in spite of the managerial changes in 2005, he stuck on and put faith in Rafa Benitez and his ideologies. It didn’t take long for him to know that he has put his trust in the right man as Liverpool went on to win their 5th European Cup.

Thereafter, as age caught up with him, he would slowly retreat to the backbenches of Liverpool. With the purchase of younger defenders such as Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel, Hyypia would find himself more and more as a backup rather than an indispensable part of Benitez’s plans.

But again, never once did Sami Hyypia voiced his unhappiness or about the lack of opportunity. He was still, dependable when called upon and still gave his best every single minute he’s on the pitch.

So as Hyypia signs his name on the dotted line, I believe most Liverpool fans would be happy for him. Even in his twilight of his career, he still hunger for some first team action, something which Benitez could not promise him.

All the best, Sami. You have been a loyal servant to the club and I guess everyone’s grateful for your useful contributions at Anfield for the past decade. Nobody will forget your towering presence, coolness in face of pressure, reading of the game and the exceptional character which is grade “A” compared to the new generation of players.

Please do come back to work for the backroom staff after your retirement and nurture youngsters, inculcate in them the beliefs and the love of football you have. In faith, I say we’ll be seeing him back in the near future.

Liverpool Surge past Abysmal Magpies

Liverpool 3 (Benayoun 22, Kuyt 28, Lucas 87)
Newcastle 0

After a troubled season of managerial changes, uncertainties and squad full of uncommitted players, Tyneside’s worse fear was soon realised yesterday at Anfield and that their Premiership status might be stripped away. Relegation for Alan Shearer’s men beckon.

Even the former Magpie hero could do nothing with the absolutely abhorring performance marred with countless of defensive mistakes, tactical naivety and terrible discispline.

Faced with heaps of expectation and pressure for survival, Shearer might now see it as a bridge too far for Newcastle as Liverpool comfortable swatted aside any hopes of them defeating the rampant home side.

Liverpool totally deserved the 3 goals and as Rafa Benitez noted after the game, it should’ve been more. Newcastle can count themselves fortunate that Anfield’s goal frames were on top of their form, stopping 3 clear goals from Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso, twice.

Aside from that, Joey Barton did what he does best and a two-footed studs up challenge on Alonso means that he’ll play no part in Newcastle’s relegation challenge, a particularly selfish act.

At such desperate moment where Newcastle needs all hands on deck, he threw in the towel. And from yesterday’s display, he doesn’t seem to be the only one.


Obafemi Martins, too, showed a total lack of commitment and couldn’t give two hoots about his team or their relegation fight. The most convicting and purposeful contribution he made all afternoon was when his name was finally on the 4th official’s board.

Defensively, Newcastle were not aggressive enough and gave Liverpool far too much space in midfield. Steven Gerrard could’ve gotten himself the match ball if only he had his shooting boots on and some match fitness with him.

The Liverpool midfield were handed the initiative as they were able to control the tempo at ease and firing pot shots at Steve Harper’s goal without much resistance. This was particularly depressing sight for Alan Shearer.

The most unforgiving part about Newcastle is their set piece defending and the Reds totally punished them for that.

Two out of three goals conceded at Anfield were down to appalling man-marking and lack of concentration. The number of players left ball-watching for Lucas’ headed goal was unbelievable.

It was the first Premiership goal for the Brazilian midfielder and he must’ve thought it could not have come any easier for him.

But ultimately, the game was tilted in Liverpool’s way as a controversial decision gave the home side the much-needed first goal.

Yossi Benayoun kneed in a Dirk Kuyt cross and replays showed that the Israeli midfielder was a yard offside before tapping the ball into the empty net.

But Liverpool’s superiority and dominance were apparent throughout and the scoreline was definitely no fluke. They hardly had to shift out of first gear and looked like they enjoyed the afternoon walk in the park.

For the supporters from Tyneside, it’s definitely heartbreaking to see the team disintegrate into such mess over such short period of time. Although they have yet to be relegated, based on their performance yesterday, they don’t deserve to stay up. No chance.

Day by day, it looks more like a modern day football tragedy as they slip out of the top flight and a slight chance of them disappearing into oblivion.

With a squad full of totally uncommitted have-beens and have-nots, it might just be a blessing in disguise, the thing which Newcastle needs to most now. A clear-out of deadwood players.

Whoever the next Newcastle manager may be (as Shearer said that he will not manage them past this season), he will be integral in Newcastle’s future and Mike Ashley can no longer make the same mistakes that he had made all these while. A right man must be picked for this transition period.

Or risk doing a Leeds United or Southampton, as the sun sets on these former top-flight mainstays. A fall from glory is quicker than most thought. Don’t be too surprised.

For Liverpool, they continue their good form but is it a little too late? With Man Utd only needing another 4 points to reclaim the title, even winning the rest of the games might not bring the elusive title back to Anfield.

It also, could be a bridge too far.

Mtach Preview: Liverpool vs Newcastle

Newcastle have given the Reds some classic ties over the years with some high scoring, fast tempo and incredibly exciting encounters. I’m not expecting the same this time round to be honest as Newcastle are no where near the side they once were. They’ve managed just one goal in their last four games and I wouldn’t go betting on them to add to that tally when they visit Anfield.

When Alan Shearer arrived at Newcastle the betting odds were slashed on the Toon staying up. Four games and just two points later and they’re hot favourites to face the drop again. Newcastle couldn’t even beat Portsmouth at home on Monday night and they were perhaps lucky to get away with a point. A trip to Anfield is definitely not what they need right now and I can only see this tie going Liverpool’s way.

Steven Gerrard should be back from injury in time for the game on Sunday and his presence should give Rafa’s men a massive lift, though to be fair they’ve been doing pretty well without him anyway. Newcastle’s midfield seems to lack any invention at all, probably why Michael Owen hasn’t been finding the net lately, and Gerrard should run the show on Sunday.

There is the risk of Owen’s return to consider, that could be the ace in the hole for Shearer and Newcastle. The former Kop favourite hasn’t been in the best form of late and is struggling to find the net but he is still a top-striker and if he gets half a chance he is more than capable of taking it.

Newcastle’s confidence has been low lately, as you would expect, and that has been plain too see for anyone who has been watching their games. If Liverpool go at them from the start and get the crowd behind them it could be a real rout and I just can’t see Newcastle offering anything to be honest. The only down side is Manchester United play Middlesbrough the day before and I can’t see them dropping points in that game either, but at least Liverpool should keep up the pressure at the top of the table.