Great Escape Completed

Reds Blitz OM To Squeeze Through Into Knockout Round

UEFA Champions League

O. Marseille 0 - 4 LIVERPOOL

Scorers:
LIV - Gerrard (4), Torres (11), Kuyt (48), Babel (90);

Goals:

"When you walk through the storm, hold your head up high".

And indeed, as the Liverpool anthem rung within the Stade Velodrome, the scouse never-say-die attitude was epitomised in an inspiring way as Liverpool cruise to a comfrotable 4-0 win.

The first three games in the group stages were potential banana skin and despite being favourites to go clear off the group, Liverpool slipped and only till last night did they book a place in the last 16.

Pressure was mounting on the players as well as on manager, Rafa Benitez, prior to the game as the very result of this game will surely affect the mood of the impending meeting with club director, Tom Hicks. Only fresh from their first defeat of their campaign at Reading, Liverpool knew much was at stake.

The hostile crowd in Marseille was all but ready to welcome Liverpool and extinguish that little glimmer of hope that is still with the visitors. But the Reds treated this game as if they were ready for a cup final, just as Rafa said in his pre-game interview.

Even Harry Kewell turned up!

Nevertheless, the tension and breathlessness were eased as early as the 4th minute, and the rest as said, were history. Liverpool dominated Marseille from start to end and gave them absolutely nothing to scrap for.

The Marseille defence were battered and bruised by the powerful run of Steven Gerrard and turned inside out by the wonderful Fernando Torres. This is the sort of performance that underlines the mental strength and quality of this team that Rafa had built over his 3 year reign.

Liverpool could've bottled it big time, cower under fear and probably lose it under intense pressure. But they were cool and composed, though nerves were only rested when Gerrard tucked in the rebound after missing the penalty.

The early goal gave Liverpool a much needed boost of confidence, a spring in their step. Looking a little intimidated right from the first whistle, conceding possession 3 seconds into the match, they then went on a romp and secure a place in where they really belong.

It was a typical 'European' performance from the Reds all in all. Professional, clincal and no-nonsense. It was like an exorcism for that spectre of the improbable lost to the same in at Anfield, same as they did to Besiktas. It was a test of mental strength and character.

Liverpool surely did pass it with flying colours.

The signing of Torres was a signal of intent that the Reds are ready to mount a serious challenge in whichever competition they're in and he, once again, showed why he's worth ever penny that Tom Hicks and George Gillett had invested in.

His pace, his guile, his body balance and that sudden burst of speed. He looked class above all the strikers that we had for years. Coming nearest would probably be Saint Michael Owen. Though still too early to compare him to Kenny Dalglish, 12 goals in 19 games speaks volume.

He was graceful yet powerful at the same time. To be honest, most of us would've run out of speculative for the Spanish striker if he keeps his red hot form for the rest of the season.

The industrious Dirk Kuyt then added a third with a deserved goal before super-sub, Ryan Babel, puts the icing on the cake. It was a goal of high calibre and one that should have had the public gushing over if only it was the winning goal rather than just one of the four.

Mascherano was prominent in every part of the field whenever a Blue and Orange was on the ball. Harry Kewell looked lively and we certainly missed some of his creativity and ball control down the left flank. Yossi Benayoun pulls defender all over the place while diligently helping out Alvaro Arbeloa in defence.

Ryan Babel too, had a field day and his pace and power was too much for the tired legs of Marseille.

Much strength of character was needed for this game and it was evident that this Liverpool team really isn't any sort of pushovers. We all love the underdogs and this time round, the Reds have yet again did a turnaround when things doesn't go their way.

How did they ended up in such a dire strait at first is a mystery but now we know what to expect from this lot. Man Utd up next and they know they need to deliver once again.

'Royally Defeated'

Referee Inconsistency Mars An Otherwise Well-Deserved Victory For Reading

English Premiership

Reading 3 - 1 LIVERPOOL

Scorers:
REA - Hunt (pen 17), Doyle (60), Harper (67);
LIV - Gerrard (28);

All good things come to an end, as they say. A crucial week was coming right up for Rafa Benitez and his men as they set out to ensure Liverpool's qualification in the Champions League as well as the Premiership race, with rivals, Man Utd, paying a visit.

But how bad of a start to this crucial week with an appalling 3-1 defeat to a spirited Reading side, which hasn't done as well as they did last season when they appeared as the dark horses.

Truly, their never-say-die attitude, organisation, hardwork, grittiness and the little slices of luck here and there was enough to overcome the giants of the North-west. Liverpool and Arsenal are the only two remaining teams in the entire English football league that have yet to lose a game and now it seemed like Arsenal will hold the honour of being unbeaten, probably throughout 2007 part of the season.

Prior to the game, Liverpool was in their imperious form and the 15 games unbeaten streak is never seen before, record breaking for even the prestigious club. Goals were flying in around from everywhere on the pitch and some statisticians might even lose count on the number of goals scored in the past 4 weeks or so.

Yet how Liverpool looked so impotent yesterday, it was pure baffling. Many questions will be asked as usual as to why Rafa started with the strike trio of Torres, Crouch and Voronin and yet looked so toothless upfront. Or how he had a 'captain-go-round' when they are 3-1 down. The captain's armband changed hands thrice in a single match.

Seemed like a pre-season friendly attitude to me.

With Carragher a card away from being suspended for the United game, speculation had been rife all week about him possibly being replaced by Jack Hobbs in the middle of the defence, partnering Sami Hyypia. Yet he found himself starting the game, partly partnering and partly guiding the young Hobbs.

Starting Jack Hobbs is always going to be a pricey risk to play for Benitez yet itwas Carragher himself who gave Reading the much-needed headstart with a rash challenge on Bryjnar Gunnarsson.

Replays shows that the contact was outside the box but the man on the spotlight, Andy Marriner pointed to the spot after consulting his linesman. One of the many controversial decisions he had to make in the game and in favour of Reading.

Stephen Hunt kept his cool and gave Reading the lead and it definitely opened the game up.

Liverpool's direct approach to the game caused the home side much problem especially with Fernando Torres in red hot form and Steven Gerrard scoring for fun. With Crouch and Voronin to aim at, the visitors were contented to lump it forward and pray that it drops for one of them.

In a fortunate manner, or more like a defensive error from Graeme Murty means that Torres was able to steal in from behind and put the ball under his control. The Spanish striker found Gerrard on his rampaging run and the skipper made no mistake from 8 yards out.

In typical Gerrard fashion, he drove right through the heart of Reading defence.

But Liverpool huffed and puffed, struggled to find the breakthrough. Andiry Voronin drifted in and out of the game and Peter Crouch was anonymous upfront. Momo Sissoko finally appeared for his league start and yet again, didn't impress his critics with careless passing and a little clumsiness at times.

Liverpool then had a stonewall penalty turned down after Torres was obviously tripped by Ibrahima Sonko in the box but Marriner is never going to give away penalty that easily anymore.

The tide turned against Liverpool in an instance and the away side found themselves behind once again. Reckless Gerrard brought down the industrious Stephen Hunt and Reading scored from the resulting in-swinging freekick. Kevin Dolye had the slightest of touch and it zoomed past Pepe Reina.

Then the Madejski stadium was in pandemonium after James Harper nailed the final nail in Liverpool's coffin with a fine counter attack move. He got behind the half asleep defence before rounding Reina, giving Reading an unlikely yet well-deserved win.

It's a fairy tale result for Reading yet utter nightmare for Rafa and his men. Decisions were going against the away side far too often and it really got in the skin of the players and staff alike.

Yet Liverpool's defeat cannot be faulted totally on poor refereeing but some bizarre decisions from Benitez and also, an overall listless display from the Reds, as if already jittery about the visit to Marseille and Man Utd.

With the American owners ready to talk to Rafa about his future plans, this is just not the right result to hand over to them. It is a truly shambolic result in truth and how we all didn't expect this good league start to end in such a terrible way.

Liverpool will need to pick themselves up for the next few games because with their heads down, they won't achieve much.

Kop Roars As Reds Keep Dream Alive

15 Goals For, 1 Against In Last 3 Games

UEFA Champions League

LIVERPOOL 4 - 1 FC Porto

Scorers:
LIV - Torres (19, 78), Gerrard (83), Crouch (87);
POR - Lopez (33);

Stormy clouds were gathering fast over the skies of Merseyside as Rafael Benitez's relations with the US owners was thought to have been broken down. It was continued to be stirred relentlessly despite the comfortable 3-0 win over Newcastle over the weekends.

But in typical Scouser fashion, Liverpool fans showed unity in strength and the willingness to overcome the odds as they sang at their top of their voices in support of their 'beleaguered' manager.

They're not willing to let slip a legend in the making.

Problems didn't stop there, really. After investing heavily in the summer, it would be a nightmare not to get into the knockout phases of the Champions League. But for the past few weeks, the nightmare was almost turning into a reality.

Whether is it doing it the hard way all the time or not, Liverpool showed enough persistency and doggedness to get their result last night against Porto. A must win game at Anfield sounds easy enough for the Reds but Porto was a test of character.

The Kop faithfuls were singing Rafa Benitez's name throughout, even prior to the game when hordes of Scousers congregated outside Anfield to give Rafa a vote of confidence. But it was another Spaniard who took centre stage and ultimately lifted a huge volume of pressure from the shoulders of Benitez.

A big money transfer from Atletico Madrid last summer, he was purchased with the expenditure provided by the US owners, Hicks and Gillett. But ultimately, Rafa believed and trusted in his ability to get goals for the club.

And he did just that.

It justified Benitez's transfer policy and it sounded as clear as an alarm to the owners that they need to put faith in someone who understands football more than they do. They opened the checkbook but Rafa picked him.

Fernando Torres grabbed a brace as Liverpool put 4 goals past Porto in a somewhat flattering manner. It was end to end stuff at times and both teams, especially the home side, looked stretched as the game went on in a break-neck tempo.

He put the Reds ahead in the 18th minute with a header from Steven Gerrard's corner kick. Dreadful defending from Porto allowed the Spanish marksman to evade the defence and planted the ball past Helton.

The great escape is alive and truly kicking.

But Liverpool took their foot off the pedal in spectacular fashion and was utterly punished, yet totally against the run of play. Despite dominating possession, the Reds didn't threaten and Porto scored from their first attempt on goal in an incisive move.

Kaz (his name is too long and difficult to be spelt) whipped in a cross after he muscled Mascherano off the ball and Porto top scorer, Lisando Lopez, got the better of Alvaro Arbeloa as he launched an acorbatic header which gave Porto the equaliser.

And Liverpool panicked. It was apparent that the goal took them by surprise and indeed, they looked shell-shocked.

For the next 15 minutes after the Porto goal, the Portugese giants took hold of the game and launched waves and waves of attack on Pepe Reina's goal. Close shaves and edge-of-your-seat moments abound and suddenly, the Liverpool fans were taken aback as to what is happening right in front of their eyes.

A draw would be the end of their Champions League campaign. It would also pile pressure on Benitez, with his job already seemingly under serious threat.

And it just didn't looked like it was their day. For the next half an hour, Liverpool toiled and found no rewards. Voronin was quiet, Benayoun off-colour and Babel disappointing. Only Torres looked threatening.

Passes were misplaced and tension was apparent. Anxiety gets the better of the players at times and frustrations led to the disappearance of composure.

Then came the turning point of the game. Rafa Benitez decided enough is enough for the trio of under-performers for this game. On came the much maligned Harry Kewell and the under-utilised Peter Crouch.

Both gave the Reds an extra option up front and no, it's not really the aerial prowess of Crouch. It was the way they held up the ball and controlled it in the spaces so tight that Harry Houdini would have problem getting out.

And it was Kewell who provided the ammunition for Torres to find the net, albeit it was a lucky one. Yet, take nothing away from the wonderful finish of the Spanish striker, as he curled it past Helton and the acrobatic defender on the line.

Anfield was in raptures. I myself jumped out of my seat with my fist pumping in the air. Just the goal we need!

Then just like how most Liverpool game goes this season, it triggered a landslide thereafter. Milan Stepanovs handled the ball under pressure from Hyypia and up-stepped Steven Gerrard to score and equal Michael Owen's European goal record.

Michael who?

Icing was on the cake finally when Gerrard's corner kick once again caught the Porto defence cold. Crouch headed the ball into an empty net after Helton decided to go for a walkabout.

Half the job is done at Anfield but Rafa's men know that what matters the most now is the result at Velodrome the next time round. A must-win game not only for Liverpool, but also the French giants, Marseille. All teams still stand a chance to qualify at this stage. What an intriguing outcome it will be!

Huge pressure lifted off the stands of Anfield and with the 90 minutes of constant singing, Rafa was pleased enough and acknowledges the fan's support. His post match interview was a heart-warming and positive one, in comparison to the one he had on Saturday.

An overwhelming win which didn't truly reflect the real complexion of the game. Yet the class of the Reds prevailed till the end.


Latest: New Stadium loan secured

Drogballs' Plea To Reds Fans

If you're in favour of supporting Rafa Benitez our manager and have full confidence in his ability and his plans for the future, please sign the following petition.

http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?amg83ds&1


We have fell short for so many years and this man led us to finals after finals each passing years. Premiership might still elude us but we are really in the mood this season so my plea is that the storm will die down, owners will put their faith in Rafa and we might have a bigger chance if there isn't any off-field squabbles.

I'm not saying that it's not entirely wrong on Rafa's part for sounding like a petulant kid at times but it's not time to wreck the ship again when the ship finally looks steadied and ready to sail at full speed.

Thanks.

Goals Video!

English Premiership

Newcastle 0 - 3 LIVERPOOL

Scorers:
LIV - Gerrard, Kuyt, Babel

1-0 Gerrard:

Vnewc_1_gerrard
Uploaded by drogballs

2-0: Kuyt

Vnewc_2_kuyt
Uploaded by drogballs

3-0: Babel

Vnewc_3_babel
Uploaded by drogballs

Why & Where Did England Fail

Before you turn away from this page following the rather generic title up there (yea, I mean above this), I would encourage you to read on because it isn't generic and won't be the same old shite you read on The Sun or The Daily Mail.

England failed to qualify. I think the dust have yet to settle and it's still quite a choas over at Blighty. A mention of Wayne Bridge or Steve McClaren might incur an almighty wrath of any male on the street.

So I'll cheer you up by joining you at laughing at the lot of them.

McClaren failed. He was sacked.

Brian Barwick failed. He appointed that failure.

Steven Gerrard and John Terry failed. They didn't lead the team by example.

Wayne Bridge actually didn't do too badly in being rubbish.....

The Wembley pitch was utter disgrace. Like a woman spending thousands of dollars on plastic surgery (fake boobs, etc) yet with a face of Marilyn Manson. To quote Silvan Bilic, it's the 'most expensive plowed field he's ever seen.

But the following is the funniest yet:

'The British singer who sang the Croatian anthem before last night's match accidentally sang 'My penis is a mountain'.

Tony Henry was trying to sing the national anthem in Croatian, but reportedly got the words wrong...The line in which Henry slipped up should have been "mila kuda si planina" (You know my dear how we love your mountains). But what he actually sang was "mila kura si planina" which means "Dear Penis, you are a Mountain" or "My Dear, my penis is a mountain".' - Ananova

Even the opera singer was rubbish..... Oh dear...

*Latest - McClaren Axed

The English FA have decided to sack Steve McClaren after an abysmal Euro 2008 qualifying campaign. Decision was made after an emergency meeting between the FA executives and it is reported that McClaren will get a massive payout of 2.5million GBP.

Despite his insistence on staying on the job, the FA clearly have no more patience as they saw the Euro qualifiers turned out to be a national catastrophe. McClaren is now officially the shortest serving manager of the English national team.


Insights: How the meeting went

Barwick: Morning lads, so are we sacking that grinning ginge?
The Rest: Yes, boss.
Barwick: Alright, meeting over.


Right from the start, I've never believed that McClaren is the one to take England to the next level. I mentioned that it's no point killing the weed without exterminating the root. They sacked Sven but kept his assistant (which is him) on and appointed him the head coach.

Hindsight is always a blessing and we can all talk about his shortcomings and mistakes he made. Ultimately he'll go down into England's annals of shame, the one who saw their fall from grace.

No England At Euro 2008

Despite Israel's Help, McClaren's Men Stumbled At Crucial Time

Euro 2008 Qualifier

England 2 - 3 Croatia

Scorers:
ENG - Lampard (pen 51), Crouch (65);
CRO - Krancjar (8), Olic (14), Petric (77);

With an imminent death sentence delayed, glimmers of hope filled the hearts of the Englishmen after seeing Russia haphazardly lost to Israel on Saturday. The supposed inevitable was avoided in much of a fortunate manner seemingly...

But England's chance of qualifying for next summer's European Championship was finally guillotined in front of their home fans after an abject 3-2 lost to Croatia, who will be heading over to Austria/Switzerland as the group leader.

The cold winter rain fell on the muddled heads of the English players as a packed Wembley watched in horror. Chanting like a mantra prior to the match, players came out to say that they'll go on for the kill and secure qualification.

But with a 4-5-1 formation set out, who truly believes they're not playing for a draw?

The disastrous 2-0 defeat in Croatia months ago still seemed to be a spectre, haunting the English players and just as Paul Robinson comically 'air-kicked' a Gary Neville backpass, Scott Carson continued the tradition of England's 'goalkeeping-killing act'.

With the freezing rain all over the sticky Wembley pitch, it adds an extra tilt to the game. For a 22 year old Carson, what a night to make his competitive debut for England. It took Croatia only 8 minutes to found him out sadly.

Confidence bruised and broken, his back line didn't do him any good either. Minutes later, a two-men breakaway was enough to find the chink in England's defence. Arsenal's Eduardo drew the entire defence to him before making a defence splitting pass for the magnificent Ivica Olic to round Carson and send shock wave across the nation.

Hopes seemed lost and difficult words must have been exchanged in dressing room during half time. 'Nothing to lose now' was on McClaren's mind when he sent on Defoe and Beckham on for a disappointing Shaun Wright-Phillips and the out-of-place Gareth Barry.

It surely was a gamble. But it has been a gamble all along.

England did find their way back early in the second half through a magnanimous penalty after substitute Jermaine Defoe was adjudged to have his shirt pulled inside the area. Up step Frank Lampard and the Chelsea man made no mistake.

Beckham then proved his point when he assisted Peter Crouch in scoring the all important equaliser, just enough to send England through to the finals. Crouch controlled the ball with his chest brilliantly before slotting it past Stipe Pletikosa.

He turned out to be one of the few players whom escaped with any sort of credits and he deserved the goal to be fair.

But England's fate was penultimately sealed late in the game when substitute Petric hit a fearsome shot with his left and it whizzed past the diving Scott Carson. Croatia's never-say-die attitude epitomised.

They gave so much when so little mattered. Probably riled after the moronic England fans jeered their national anthem, the Croatians brought the English nation to the ground, in shame. Past glory was all that it is and now the bare truth is staring right in the face of McClaren, his players and the FA.

The cleverness and deft movement of the Croatian outsmarted the English, who are all about blood and thunder. Traditionally a team that plays at break-neck speed, England players doesn't possess the required technical abilities and brains to execute it.

All we saw was the old route one football of Wimbledon back in the early 90s. Aimless 40 yard balls or lumping balls towards Peter Crouch. There was no flair and there was no guile. Blood and thunder couldn't get them any further.

Failure to qualify this time could also be a good news to many England fans as now it is a possibility that the English FA will have a long hard look on the organisation structure and address the obvious flaws that had been on cover since God-knows when.

McClaren might have his brolly to shield the rain from him but it wouldn't be able to withstand the flak he's going to get from the English media and public. It might not be his fault totally but much responsibility must be shouldered by the grinning one.

Expect him to be sacked in an hours time.

England Player Ratings:

Carson (4/10) - You thought Robinson was bad....Like a rabbit caught in the headlight

Bridge (2) - Shambolic. One of the worst performance I've EVER seen
Lescott (4) - Was all over the place yet not found when needed
Campbell (5) - Didn't marshal his defence well at all
Richards (4) - All running but with no effect. Poor positioning sense

Cole (4) - Plenty of trickery as usual but no guile and no thrust. 'Owned' by Corluka
Gerrard (4) - Hollywood balls and all, the captain did nothing inspiring...Poor
Lampard (5) - Didn't notice him until stepping up for the penalty. Credit for not bottling it
Barry (3) - Fish out of the water. Found out. Passing was abysmal and fail to offer protection to defence.
Wright-Phillips (4) - Running head-on like a headless chicken. Poor delivery and finishing.

Crouch (7) - Only player to walk off Wembley with head held high. Scored a good goal and worked extremely hard. And to think he was boo-ed by the England supporters a year ago...

Subs:
Beckham (7) - With him on, there is no lack of energy and commitment.
Defoe (5) - Didn't threaten the Croatian defence other than the penalty incident
Bent (5) - Should have taken the half chance

Ronaldo's Back....

Seriously, Diego. Is that you?


By the way, Zidane was involved in the match as well.
At least he still looks like a proper footballer!

Memoirs Of A Liverpool Fan

Came across this article and it's really worth a read, though a little lengthy.

50 Hell’s angels, February 26, 2002
There was plenty of apprehension for any British fans going to Istanbul in the early years of this decade. After all, two Leeds United fans were stabbed to death in 2000 before playing Galatasaray and the locals’ ‘Welcome to Hell’ banners had sent shivers down Manchester United spines. However, Liverpool’s visit to Gala in the second Champions League group was different. The visiting fans’ approach was summed up with a banner; “Welcome to hell my arse. If you think this is hell, try the Grafton on a Friday night.”

The Grafton is a nightclub, famous for ‘grab-a-granny’ nights, where innocent young scallies find themselves at the mercy of predatory Liverpool divorcees. But the attitude was perfect: no fear, no aggressive confrontation and a slice of humour. It sums up the best attributes of the modern Liverpool fan. And, since then, every time the Reds have played in Istanbul, the local supporters have joined their party. And this is the essence of this list. The culture of football is about more than players and managers – in ten years, most of them will have moved on. It exists and grows through the supporters as much as the team.


24 Liverpool 1 Real Madrid 0, European Cup final, May 27, 1981, Paris
To really play with the big boys, you need at least three European Cups. After all, small clubs can win two – Nottingham Forest, FC Porto, Manchester United. This was the hat-trick in the Parc des Princes, against one of those big boys. Alan Kennedy completed the job with a late goal at a time when no team in Europe relished playing Liverpool.

3 Half-time, Liverpool v AC Milan, European Cup final, Istanbul, May 25, 2005
“That’s it. Game over,” Andy Gray said, unable to keep the tone of satisfaction out of his voice. Of course, no one in the Ataturk could hear the television commentary but, at 3-0 down as the break loomed, Liverpool looked beaten. Then, with the players trooped down the tunnel, someone started singing You’ll Never Walk Alone. It started hesitantly, with an undertone of anger, but suddenly turned into the ultimate assertion of culture and belief. When it finished, the tension had lifted and the 40,000 Liverpool fans were no longer broken and defeated, even if the team was. Did this act of faith inspire the subsequent comeback from the team? If it didn’t, they don’t have a shred of soul between them.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article2778185.ece