Riise's Pay Slip

In case you haven't seen it...




I hope it's not against the law!

Carling Cup

LIVERPOOL 2 - 1 Cardiff

No match report because... it wasn't anywhere on TV. Pity, because it was the return of Robbie Fowler. Anyway, Liverpool squeezed through to the quarter finals of the Carling Cup after Steven Gerrard provided the winner.

Youngster from Morocco, Nabil El Zhar scored a cracker earlier on before Darren Purse shocking the home side with an equaliser.

Reds Held By Gunners

Showdown Of The Midfield Maestros

English Premiership

LIVERPOOL 1 - 1 Arsenal

Scorers:
LIV - Gerrard (7 min);
ARS - Fabregas (80min);

10 minutes was all Liverpool needed to hold on for a probably undeserved victory over rivals, Arsenal but man of the moment, Cesch Fabregas, broke the hearts of the Anfield faithfuls after scoring a rather cheeky goal in the 80th minute to level things up after Steven Gerrard fired Liverpool ahead with a powerful driven freekick early in the game.

The 400th appearance from the Liverpool skipper was a milestone on it's own and to score on it makes it even more special for the born and bred Scouser.

But another midfield maestro from Spain took centre stage of the show with his 10th goal of the season in all competition, a wonderful statistic that doesn't really flatter the quality of this young talismanic midfielder, who has been the heartbeat of Arsenal since the departure of Thierry Henry.

The Arsenal playmaker has been in scintillating form this season and looked beyond his age, performing with apparent maturity.

While Gerrard has been caught in the cross fire of fans and the media after several disappointing performances and hasn't been at his best for both Liverpool and England for quite some time.

But he silenced his critics with a decent performance in the middle of the park but Rafa Benitez seemed to be unable to shrug off the recent criticisms of his rotation policy and the handling of players. Well, that's the sort of thing you get when things ain't going right.

Both teams met at Anfield with mixed fortunes in their previous games. Arsenal were in a marvelous run of 12 straight victories in the Premiership while thrashing Slavia Prague 7-0 in the Champions League match.

While Liverpool, although still unbeaten in the Premiership, was utterly embarrassed in this year's Champions League with no wins on hand and a shameful 2-1 defeat away to Besiktas.

Putting on his tinkering hat, Rafa Benitez welcomed back Fernando Torres and also Xabi Alonso, whose presence was very much missed. Rafa started with a supposed 3 pronged attack of Kuyt, Voronin and Torres and the trio of Gerrard, Mascherano and Alonso anchoring the midfield.

Arsenal played safe as well, playing Emmanuel Adebayor on his own upfront and five across midfield.

Game was played in a frenetic pace from the start with Liverpool players closing down Arsenal really well. But that was probably the downfall for the Reds as they their physical conditions went down and exhaustion was apparent after the 70th minute mark.

Rafa gambled with Alonso and Torres but it backfired some way or the other. Both players were withdrawn, with Torres suffering from an ineffective performance upfront on his own and was even substituted by Peter Crouch before half time.

But without the goalscoring threat of Torres, Liverpool still struck and as if it was an inevitable event that Gerrard would take this opportunity to score. Dirk Kuyt managed to break the Arsenal wall and the skipper fired in low and hard, giving Almunia absolutely no chance.

But with the injury of Alonso, Liverpool seemingly lost control of the midfield and with the likes of Theo Walcott and Nicklas Bendtner coming on, the away side gained the upper hand and had a couple of near misses which could've punished Liverpool.

But due to some poor finishing, the score remained the same until Cesc Fabregas weaved his magic, latching onto Alex Hleb's pass and cheekily toe-poked it past a stranded Pepe Reina, who would've been disappointed with the goal.

A fair result all round and you could probably say Arsenal deserved the point more than Liverpool as they showed more intent and fared better. Despite leading 1-0 in the first half, the home side resorted to long punts upfield and Torres was struggling by himself.

While Arsenal's movement and passing constantly threatened Liverpool and barely did Carragher and his defence hung on.

An entertaining game with points shared between the two English giants. What effect does it have on the league is still yet to be seen but it certainly gives ManYoo a boost for their upcoming game against the Gunners themselves.

Red's Champions League Shambles

3 Games Without A Win In Current Campaign

UEFA Champions League

Besiktas 2 - 1 LIVERPOOL

Scorers:
BES - Hyypia (og 13min), Bobo (82min);
LIV - Gerrard (84min);

In a group which consists of Besiktas, Marseille and Porto, 5 times winner Liverpool should probably have no problem going through and qualify for the knock out round. Anything less could be a nightmare.

But just last night, the nightmare turned into reality and their hopes of advancing into the knockout phase is hanging on a thread.

It could've been the same mentality that I had on my opening line that explains ineptitude and abject performances for the past 3 games. Probably Rafa and his Reds underestimated their opponents?

Nevertheless, after having to force myself to sit through the entire 90 minutes, I have to be honest. It's shameful. It's utterly embarrassing. What has became of the Reds? We're often monikered as a 'good cup team' and now we can't even qualify for the knockout phase.

In front of a fanatic Turkish crowd, Liverpool huffed and puffed their way through and they totally deserved what they got. Saturday's derby was already a wake up call and nobody heeded it. Without Mark Clattenburg, it was always going to be difficult.

Though Liverpool started off decently with Ryan Babel and Andriy Voronin going close, the passing was horrendous especially in the central midfield area while Dirk Kuyt looked especially isolated upfront.

The horror show continues when Sami Hyypia scored his second consecutive own goal in a week following the derby victory.

The own goal just epitomizes Liverpool's downfall this season as the miser and ungenerous defence of past seasons were found wanting. Bobo broke through the line and although Jamie Carragher expertly executed a sliding tackle, he panicked and lashes his clearance right into Steve Finnan.

A penalty box scramble ensues and with Liverpool in sixes and sevens, Ozkan mis-hit the shot and seemingly off target but Hyypia, at the wrong place and wrong time, deflected it past a wrong footed Jose Reina.

Utter nightmare for Liverpool. A must win game now turned into an uphill task. Who would've thought that Besiktas, a club that is inferior in every way to Liverpool, could've scored first?

Just when Rafa needed a response from his men, all he got was a hollow silence. Movement was poor and there was a total lack of penetration and the profligacy of Liverpool's forwards were apparent.

Steven Gerrard, berated by the press for his recent poor form, did trouble the Besiktas defence with his usual timed runs into the box but goalkeeper, Hakan Arikan, is always up to the task.

Liverpool then started to show some urgency after the introduction of Israeli playmaker, Yossi Benayoun, and that was when they started to move the ball around more swiftly and accurately. The following 5 minutes after Benayoun's substitution is by far Liverpool's best phase of play.

Being totally impotent upfront, Liverpool defence deceived to flatter as well and warning sirens sounded when Bobo squandered a wonderful chance from a wonderfully engineered Besiktas move.

But the Brazilian striker turned from zero to hero in the next minute after jinking past the seemingly lost Sami Hyypia before slotting the ball under the legs of Reina and into the net. It sent the Turkish fans into raptures!

Although Steven Gerrard once again, headed a goal into the net in Istanbul, it was all too late for Liverpool to rescue anything out of the game. It was a game that the Reds didn't deserve anything out of it.

Were Besiktas anything special? From the way they play, not at all. Is that a cocky comment from me? No as well, because I'm honest. Players struggling to trap ball, goalkeeper who couldn't direct his kick at all and many other flaws.

But what happened to Liverpool? Used to be conquerors of continental football and dispatched team after team, from Barcelona to Chelsea. Now Besiktas looked to be a goliath to them. Where is the confidence and the fear that they used to impose on teams?

A long hard journey ahead for the Reds as we all know. Qualification is theoretically still possible but there are severe problems beneath this defeat. Arsenal is up next and how we're going to cope with a team that has gone on a 12 games unbeaten run and a recent 7-0 route of Slavia Prague?

Rafa needs to do something. We're lucky at the derby. But lady luck can't be with us all the time.

Plucky Liverpool Victor In Derby

Kuyt On The Double From Penalty Spot

English Premiership

Everton 1 - 2 LIVERPOOL

Scorers:
EVE - Hyypia (og 38)
LIV - Kuyt (54, 90)

The 206th Merseyside Derby proved to be not only a hotly contested match but also a game marred with controversial refereeing decisions, talking points and more red cards added into statistics.

Dirk Kuyt kept his cool and slot two penalties past Tim Howard as the red half of Merseyside were sent into raptures and you could just tell how much the victory meant to the players just by looking at their post match celebrations and probably 'p*ss-take' in front of the Goodison faithfuls.

It was a game won by Liverpool but one would feel that a draw would've been a fairer result as referee, Mark Clattenburg, will no doubt be the key figure in the papers in the days to come as he sent off two Everton players and awarded Liverpool with two penalties, a rarity in football.

Others argued that he failed to spot a clear-cut penalty incident just before the full time whistle when Jamie Carragher looked to have wrestled Joleon Lescott to the ground. But probably as they say in football, comes around and goes around.

Liverpool started the game well enough and nearly caught Everton out after Benayoun managed to cut the ball back for Voronin, only for the Ukrainian to scruff the shot straight at Tim Howard.

But Everton hit back and managed to take hold of the game and are exceptionally dangerous when it comes to set pieces. And that exactly was hot Everton managed to crack Liverpool's defence.


Everton's corner was half cleared by the Liverpool and Leon Osman managed to put the ball back into the danger area. Sami Hyypia inexplicably flicked the ball past Reina, in off the post and Everton got the lead.

With Gerrard shafted onto the right flank with Mascherano and Sissoko partnering in the middle, the skipper was given the license to roam. And he made good use of the freedom by rampaging down the heart of Everton and Tony Hibbert was adjudged to have tripped him.

Mark Clattenburg pointed to the spot without hesitation but the controversy on what did Gerrard said to the referee as he clearly took out his yellowcard and right after some exchanged words, he changed his mind and took out a red instead.

It was a harsh sending off, considering a penalty was already awarded. Dirk Kuyt took up the responsibility of taking the penalty in an extremely hostile environment and calmly slotted it past Howard for the equaliser.

Liverpool started to take advantage of the extra man and did decently to contain Everton while managing to string a few good moves. There were a few chances which dropped to the strike duo of Kuyt and Voronin but both squandered them.

In a mystifying move, Rafa Benitez then withdrawn skipper, Steven Gerrard, and replaced him with a newbie in Merseyside derbies, Lucas Leiva. That move was quite a surprise, even for Gerrad himself, showing it through his body language.

Considering he was playing pretty well, it was a gamble from Rafa Benitez.

But it paid off ultimately as Lucas himself had a hand on the winning goal. After a goalmouth screamble, his goal bound shot was fantastically saved on the line, albeit it being Phil Neville.

That save must've made the Everton fans proud and Paul Robinson quaking in his boots, fearing for his place as England number 1 (tongue in cheek comment).

The younger of the Neville brothers was duly sent off and Kuyt again, was given the responsibility to bulge the onion bag for Liverpool and it was a monumental moment for the Dutch striker. The outcome of a point or three lies solely in his hands...

And he puts it away, with Howard nearly stopping it. That sealed Liverpool's win and you could see the joy on Carragher and company's face, seeing how much the victory meant for the boys.

It was not without controversy and red cards but it was truly a highly entertaining game, good for the neutrals. The win could probably put Liverpool back on track with Arsenal next, visiting Anfield.


PS: Thank you Liverpool for the birthday present :)

206th Merseyside Derby Preview

The longest running football derby in England will be the spotlight once again, diverting attention back from the abject performance of the English national team. What a match it will prove to be, considering it is right after the international break.

Both teams have been going through a bit of a rough patch in recent games with Liverpool failing to win the last 3 Premiership games while Liverpool drew 3 of the last 4 games.

It is indeed testing for Rafa Benitez and his men as there are some key players facing late fitness test to prove their fitness for one of the biggest fixture this season. Fernando Torres, Liverpool's top scorer currently, was injured during the international duty and is racing to be fit for the derby.

Many Liverpool fans were in expectant mood to see him playing against their arch rivals but the dream was almost shattered when he reported back to Melwood with a thigh injury. Harry Kewell, although returned to training, is still not ready for a match this proportion.

Meanwhile, Dirk Kuyt is expected to shrug off his hamstring strain and book a place in the squad.Daniel Agger, though, won't be as lucky as he will sit out this game after failing to recover from his foot injury.

Everton will be missing out of form striker, Andy Johnson, but might welcome back their talismanic midfielder, Tim Cahill.

The battle at Goodison Park will be a very intriguing one indeed, considering that Liverpool failed to notch up even a goal against their arch rival last season and to add salt to their wounds, they were trounced 3-0 there last season.

For Rafa's men, there are plenty to play for. Salvaging some pride while regaining the right to boast. It'll no doubt be a feisty encounter with lots of passion added in. The last 10 Merseyside derby reaped a total of 7 red cards and that just tell how easy it is to lose your head in such a game.

Will Rafa's men keep their cool and bounce back from their mini slump? Or will Everton once again embarrass their so called 'bigger' neighbours.

Famous Last Words!

From the BBC's live commentary of Russia v England:

'1628: "This has got draw written all over it, even if they were playing in treacle it would be less scrappy."
anubisrich on 606

'1629: GOAL Russia 0-1 England
Michael Owen heads on Micah Richards' clearance and Wayne Rooney takes it on his chest and volleys it magnificently into the roof of the net. A truly great goal.'

'1720: "I was disappointed with Russia at Wembley and I'm disappointed with them here. They've hardly caused any problems for England." Former England midfielder Chris Waddle on BBC 5live

'1726: GOAL Russia 1-1 England

'1729: GOAL Russia 2-1 England'

Top Football Misses

Always look on the bright side of life they say. But some of the misses here in the video are so comical that if you're the player yourself, you would wish that the soil of this earth will eat you up and make you disappear.

Have a laugh!

The Non-Existent Goalkeeper

Andrea Pirlo scored an innocuous free kick in the Euro 2008 qualifier against Georgia and it's one of the softest free kick I've seen conceded!

Football Videos

Torres Spares Liverpool Blushes

Last Minute Heart Break For Spurs

English Premiership

LIVERPOOL 2 - 2 Tottenham

Scorers:
LIV - Voronin (12min); Torres (90+1min);
TOT - Keane (45, 47min);

A last-gasp header from Fernando Torres rescued a barely deserved point for the Reds as they once again, stuttered to finish line and was on the verge of a unimaginable second successive defeat at Anfield.

It was supposed to be a fortress and that Liverpool have reigned supreme there ever since Rafa Benitez took over in 2004. It seemed as though they have lost the aura of invincibility and also lacked confidence.

The visiting Tottenham fans were in full voice throughout the game, urging the men in white and giving them a boost despite their disappointing midweek draw with Aston Villa, which resulted in a 4-4 goal fest.

Liverpool's form of late had been abysmal and the result of this game meant that they haven't won a single game since the 1st of September. A certainly worrying sign for Rafa and his men in red.

It all seem ominous when Liverpool took the lead as early as the 12th minute when Andiry Voronin pounced on Paul Robinson's save and he was able to direct it into the net.

The England number one had a torrid time dealing with Steven Gerrard's free kick and he spilled it right into the path of the Ukrainian striker. He was once again beaten later at another free kick but the left hand post saved him.



Liverpool seemed to put away the midweek troubles behind and did alright but just didn't put enough pressure on the Spurs defence as they should have. As leaky as they have, they stood strong against the duo of Voronin and Torres.

Just when Liverpool thought they could go into the half time break with a one goal cushion, Robbie Keane was on hand to pounce on the static Liverpool defence and punish them just before the half time break.

Dimitar Berbatov's headed ball landed right in his path and that took Finnan and Carragher by surprise. The Irish striker did what he does best and hooked the ball just past Reina and into the empty net.

It was about to get worst for the men in reds.

Right after half time, Liverpool were once again punished for losing concentration and in an almost identical situation, Robbie Keane lost his marker and was able to slammed the ball past the helpless Reina.

Liverpool were caught out and the one goal lead has now gone up the smokes. Perhaps Daniel Agger's injury has cost them some problems and Sami Hyypia isn't getting any younger. The big Finn was constantly beaten in the air by Berbatov. A rare sight considering how he is best at dealing with aerial threats.


Then it was a deja vu image for the Liverpool fans as they had to sit through the last 20 minutes thinking about how the season that promised so much had sort of gone pear shape in such a short period of time.

Liverpool then got hold of the stranglehold of the game and relentlessly pushing Spurs onto the backfoot. And the urban myth about how Spurs usually fail to hold on to lead came true once again, right on the full time mark.

Steve Finnan's deep cross found Fernando Torres, who leaped like a salmon over Younes Kaboul and Pascal Chimbonda, before scoring a thumping header right into Paul Robinson's near post. It was at the nick of time and the striker paid dividends of the manager's trust in him.

Drogballs:

Performance wise, it's an improvement from the diabolical display on Thursday but this is still not good enough. There seemed to be a problem with Liverpool when it comes to retaining possession and coming up with attacking moves.

Perhaps Rafa's tinkering is really not working at the moment and the players doesn't have the time to glue and gel into a unit. They seemed complete strangers on the pitch at times.

And where was the constant pressure from the team that we've seen in the past? We used to surround teams and batter them but now it seemed like we focussed too much on utilising the pace and movement of Torres and there are just too much aimless ball sprayed everywhere.

The aura of fear that Liverpool usually impose on teams seemed to be dissipating as well and it's not a good sign. It might be due to lack of confidence or other factor but we need to buck up and do something about this.

International break is here and it's time for Rafa to take a good look at things and make it right before the October 20th big clash with Everton. A lot is at stake for that game and much is expected from them.