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.

Torres Treble Defeats Reading

Liverpool Advances Into Next Round

Carling Cup 3rd Round

Reading 2 - 4 LIVERPOOL

Scorers:
REA - Convey 28, Halls 64;
LIV - Benayoun 23, Torres 50, 72, 86;

A stunning hat trick from Fernando Torres ensured Liverpool's safe passage to the next round of Carling Cup and ended the Red's 3 games winless streak.

Although Reading did make life much more difficult with 2 equalisers, it was the class of Torres which proved to be the ultimate difference between the two sides. Yossi Benayoun, too, was on the score sheet with a breathtaking opener.

Rafa Benitez once again ringed changes to the side with Alvaro Arbeloa drafted into an unfamiliar centre defender position with Fabio Aurelio returned to his favoured left back slot after recovering from injury.

Lucas Leiva partnered Momo Sissoko in the middle of the park while Peter Crouch and Fernando Torres started their first competitive game together upfront. It was a strong side on paper and there was also a tinge of youthfulness on the bench with reserve captain, Jack Hobbs, and starlet, Ray Putteril, on the sidelines.

With 3 disappointing outings to Portsmouth, Porto and Birmingham, Liverpool looked to bounce back and kick start their campaign once again after a promising start. But it wasn't easy at all, with Reading proving to be a tough opposition with much resilience and doggedness.

They started the game off brightly and controlled the tempo of the game while Liverpool seemed to be on the back foot most of the time.

The home side were most definitely the better side of the opening periods of the game and really should have taken the lead when Leroy Lita was completely left unmarked in the six yard box and his free head was straight at stand in goalkeeper, Charles Itandje.

It would've surely changed the face of the game had it gone in because Liverpool struck back just a minute later.

Yossi Benayoun weaved past two challenges before planting a powerful shot right into the top corner, leaving Adam Federici with absolutely no chance. It was the Israeli's first ever goal for Liverpool and it just showed how much class he has.

But Liverpool's decision to put up with the makeshift defence was paid duly as Reading hit back with a wonderful equaliser through Bobby Convey. Nick Shorey's corner was cleared half heartedly by the Liverpool defence and the American international struck a first time volley and it whistled into the bottom corner of the net.

In the second period of the game, Reading seemed to have lost a bit of steam and Liverpool soon capitalise with Torres' first of the three. Sebastian Leto slipped a brilliant ball for Torres, who beat the offside trap and slotted the ball into the bottom corner with ease.

The goal justified why the Reds were willing to pay a whooping £24million for him in the summer and more were to come.

But once again Liverpool lost concentration at the back and Reading scored through another corner. Perhaps Charles Itandje's inclusion in the squad made the defence a little less assured, which was shown in the second Reading goal.

It was a scramble and Liverpool weren't able to clear their lines while Itandje's indecisiveness and inexperience probably cost the team. John Halls was able to poke the ball into the net despite 3 Liverpool defenders closing him down.

But it was the class of Torres which prevailed and enabled Liverpool to coast to victory at the Madejski stadium.

John Arne Riise's introduction was rewarded as the Norwegian fullback skinned de La Cruz before placing the ball for Torres to awkwardly but skillfully, slice home. It was at all an easy effort yet the Spanish striker made it looked so easy.


Then he put the final nail on Reading's coffin as he was unfazed by the one on one with Reading goalkeeper, Federici. Substituted late on, Gerrard provided the killer ball as Torres then beats the offside trap and found himself only the goalkeeper to beat. He rounded him duly and scored his first ever hat trick for the club.

The goals epitomises a true goalscorer despite the fact that it was only a cup tie. From what we've seen, he is definitely the player we have been missing for a long, long time. It is his predatory instincts and hunger that sets him apart.

A good outing for the Reds and a better one for Torres. Let's hope he continues his good goalscoring form and 6 goals in 6 starts is really quite a feat.

5: Steven Gerrard vs Arsenal

Another one from our skipper but one that nobody will remember despite being a wonderful goal. It was one of the 3 goals we scored during the 3-6 defeat at the hands of Arsenal, at Anfield. It was a painful night and the goal didn't mean much but that goal probably speaks a lot about him.

From the goal you could just tell how special he is, technically one of the best midfielders around.

How Low Can It Go?

I sat through my dinner time watching Sports Centre and when it focus on football, it's either a bunch of big boys punching each other or some French team that refused to surrender. Oh the irony.

There seemed a distinct lack of positive football news and it's as if football is no longer the game about passing the ball about and scoring the goals but perhaps, we have put too much focus on the unnecessary things like those 'handbags' on the pitch.

Have the beauty of the game evaporate into thin air? Will all these turn people off and will all these breed a new group of armchair football supporter that only knows the stuff that were presented in our eyes through the mass media?

Well, rant over. So let's watching something funny.





Er...I think they're all trying to outdo each other for the Oscars but sadly, they didn't know the nominations were over. Good job anyway, could make it for the 2008 Oscars.

Has It All Fallen Apart?

Without having to be overly-critical on my own favourite team (like I did on Saturday where I blasted the team for their 'efforts'), I guess it's time we have to take a good look at our team again before we can convince ourselves about us being in the bracket together with United and Arsenal. Dumped out of 2 cups within a space of 4 days and ditched by the same team in Arsenal, there is no excuse as to how the season has fallen on all fours (or threes if you think we have a chance against Barcelona).

This is the first time in 77 years where we conceded more than 5 goals at Anfield and rightly, we deserve a royal spanking. We have been mediocre at best so far this season with only a few convincing performances against some inferior team on the way.

Each season we proclaimed 'this is our season' and looking at the squad, do you really think a team with Crouch, Pennant or Zenden is going to win us the Holy Grail? There are too many bit part players and mediocre ones. But we should try to understand that Rafa has limited resources so far and he could only go for players that are within his budget.


The loss on the pitch is nothing compared to the loss of both Mark Gonzalez and Luis Garcia. We could move on with this result but these two players are essentially our two best left wingers left at the squad. How the injury will hamper our campaign further remains to be seen, but it's still a major blow. Seriously sums up the plight we're in now. Nothing is going right, at all.

The only 'positive' I could master out of the game would have to be the little bit of determination in some of the players. Gerrard had to put up a good show after his gutless performance on Saturday and he was still driving the team on when Liverpool is 5-1 down. Yes, 5-1. Thank God I didn't watch it. How embarrassing.

But all these positives we look at after a defeat are just excuses for supporters. It's clear that the team is not good enough and that we are most likely going to end up trophy-less this season, first time after Rafa Benitez's appointment in 2004.

But no matter how annoyed or pissed you are, as a fan, I would like to say give Rafa some time to make things right. Rome is not built in a day and I believe he will still go on to make Liverpool a forces to reckon with in years to come. Looking at both Wenger and Ferguson, we know they don't have a particularly good start to their career at their respective teams but as time goes by, with more experience, they turned them into world beaters, a team he can use to call his own.

Although we have been particularly poor against the big 3 teams, I'm sure Rafa will learn from all the mistakes and put Liverpool back to where they belong. As inexperienced as he is, he will have to learn things the hard way just like real life, where sometimes we learn best when we fall, flat on the ground.

Maybe this 6-3 defeat serves to remind all of us to keep out feet on the ground and that there are still MUCH room to improve, much to learn. It's not the end of the day, just end of another race. But look this way that there is still better days to come under Rafa (I'm sure).

And as we always sing, "when you walk through the storm, hold your head up high, and not be afraid of the dark, at the end of the storm, there's a golden sky and the sweet silver song of the lark". Don't take defeat too much to heart and that after we survive this 'storm', taste of victory would be sweeter than ever. Come on, don't give up your faith in the team and let's walk on with hopes in our hearts.

Liverpool Face Gunners In Carling Cup Tie

Liverpool have been drawn at home to Arsenal in the quarter-final of the Carling Cup.

Liverpool travel to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday to face the Gunners in the Premiership and now both sides will meet again before Christmas to determine who progresses to the semi-finals of a competition Rafael benitez has yet to win.

Liverpool were beaten finalists by Chelsea during Rafa's first season in England and despite fielding a young team so far in the competition, the Reds boss will be hoping his side can go on to lift their second piece of silverware for the season in the new year.

The full draw is as follows:

Liverpool v Arsenal
Newcastle v Chelsea
Tottenham v Southend
Charlton v Wycombe

I would've prefered other teams like Wycombe or Southend. But I'll rather lose to Arsenal (touch wood) than Southend (ha ha ha ha!). Anyway since there are only 8 teams left in the Cup, we will certainly have a good chance of winning the so called 'Mickey Mouse Cup'. Whatever it is, I'm sure Rafa will want to win it.

Playing The Brummies Tonight...

I won't be watching as again I've school tomorrow morning and waking up at 3.30am will make me sleep walk tomorrow, especially when it starts at 8am and ends at 5pm. Anyway I think a lot of you will remember the night where we spanked Birmingham so hard that you felt a little guilty and embarrassed.

Relive the 7 goals then:



And there was a joke circulating around...

Wife: Brucie! Wake up! It's 8!
Bruce: What? They've scored again?! Good lord!

But don't expect this game to be a walkover. You've seen what happened to ManYoo last night and Birmingham are certainly no pushovers this time. They're in pretty good form and who knows, they might want some revenge. But let's hope we win this one and it will certainly boost the morale of the squad as well as halting the away day blues.

Watch Our Goals

Those were nice goals, especially Fowler and Crouch's one. I'm dying to see how we conceded that much amount of goals though. The defence still leaking left, right and centre. Good to see Fowler back as captain and scoring a wonderful chip, a reminsce of his old self, who scored bucket loads of goals for fun and with calmness and composure.