Show Benitez The Money

By Gareth Freeman

he Liverpool players and Benitez might claim they still have a shot at the title but I think deep down they know they’re chasing a lost cause now. After that great start I think the last couple of months have demonstrated why the board need to put more money into the team to get them challenging for the league.

In terms of a best eleven Liverpool are probably on a par with Chelsea and Manchester United but in terms of squad depth they’re a long way behind. I think the tiredness is starting to show on a lot of the Liverpool players and it was almost a good thing getting knocked out of the FA Cup as it means the players have the weekend off to prepare for the Real Madrid game.

Rafa is an absolute master when it comes to European football and the Champions League is Liverpool’s last chance to pick up any silverware this season. With Benitez in charge there is always going to be a decent chance of winning a cup competition but in the league tactical ability can only get you so far. When players are tired and a similar level of quality isn’t there to back them up the side are going to suffer and that is what is happening to Liverpool at the moment.

Whether the board will back Benitez remains to be seen. They wouldn’t fork out the £18million Aston Villa wanted for Gareth Barry, which may seem like an inflated price but when you consider the impact he has for Villa it is probably quite reasonable in the modern game. I also couldn’t imagine the Man Utd or Chelsea board telling the manager they couldn’t have that amount of money for a player the manager obviously feels will benefit the team. The fact is if Liverpool had won the league this season it would have been a mammoth achievement and Benitez needs the backing of the board to give Liverpool the best chance of taking the title.

If you’re planning on having an online football bet on the FA Cup action I can’t see any upsets and I expect Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Everton to progress. There is only on Premier League game this weekend between Sunderland and Tottenham so whatever the outcome it will have no bearing on Liverpool, though you should get decent odds on Spurs winning at the Stadium of Light so it might be a worthwhile soccer bet.

Funniest Football Argument to Date

During Man Utd's 2-1 win over Newcastle last night, there were reports stating that Utd's prancing Portugeezer winger, Cristiano Ronaldo, was involved with a 'heated exchange' with Newcastle's hand-ball-on-the-line expert, Steven Taylor.

The transcript is as follow:

Ronaldo: You're a rubbish footballer.

Taylor: At least I'm not ugly.

Ronaldo: But you're a rubbish footballer.

Taylor: I know, but you're still ugly.

Brilliant.

It's Bright, It's Yellow and It's Cool

"Wow, that jacket looks cool!" commented one. "How much was it?!", asked one of my friend, who swooned when I put on the brand new Brazilian National Team apparel.

"Well, it's free actually.." came my answer and I could see that growing disbelief from their faces.

Actually, it wasn't a lie at all. Indeed, I got this for free thanks to who else but my great pals over there at Soccerpro. I've mentioned before that when it comes to online shopping, I do not really know who to trust until Soccerpro came knocking on my door.

I didn't have time to take photos of the real deal (which is nicely folded in my closet now) but as awesome as it looks there in the photo on the right, the product that was dropped at my door step was exactly that.

I was impressed with the quality of it. After all, it's Nike. Make no mistake about that. The logos were there, the Brazilian crest was beautifully woven onto it and most uniquely, there were 5 stars on the right sleeves of this jacket.

Another reason why I loved this is because it is not too thick. As I'm living in a country where it's summer all year long, there is not much of a need for a jacket that makes it hotter than it already is.

It is useful for probably rainy days and also if you're intending to sit in an air-conditioned room all day long, this will definitely be more than adequate for you and at the same time, makes you look cool in the bright yellow!

So if you're considering buying sports or football apparels online and have no idea where to head to, SoccerPro should be the first and only destination you should be heading for!

Same Old Liverpool – Heights of Bernabeu to Depths of Riverside

Middlesbrough 2 (Alonso OG 31, Tuncay 63)
Liverpool 0

After a comprehensive and important 1-0 victory over the might of Real Madrid at the Bernabeu, you would’ve thought that Liverpool would kick into gear and fired up for the Middlesbrough game.

After all, with Man Utd. involved in the League Cup final this Sunday, it is a golden opportunity for Liverpool to cut their rival’s lead at the top to 4 points with a win.

Yet the same old Liverpool syndrome hit again and a 2-0 defeat at the Riverside left Liverpool’s title hope in absolute shambles.

Never a happy hunting ground for the Reds, ‘Boro looked much more interested and fired up in the game than their counterparts. Their fighting spirit paid off, together with fresher legs and resolute defending. The visitors never had a chance and were simply swept away.

How ironic, from the heights of defeating a giant at the glamorous Santiago Bernabeu to being reduced to a pulp at the Midlands. It all happened within 3 short days and it summed up the inconsistencies and shortcomings that plagued Liverpool.

With Fernando Torres out with an ankle injury, Liverpool had to rely on Steven Gerrard for inspirations while Nabil El Zhar was given a rare start. It was a total reshuffle from the victory in Madrid as Benitez might’ve sensed tiredness in his squad.

The new-looked team started the game brightly with several chances but their profligacy was apparent. And in a world of football, punishment for wastefulness is often cruel.

Just ask Xabi Alonso. He performed in his high standards in midweek but was brought back down to earth through an own goal. A ‘Boro corner was deflected off the Spanish midfielder and the home side took the lead.

You would expect Liverpool to hit back like they always did throughout the 08/09 season. Comebacks were a norm and conceding first was not a rare sight. But without the firepower of Fernando Torres and adding to the fact that there were tired players on the pitch, they failed to put up any sort of fight thereafter.

El Zhar did have a fantastic opportunity to put them back on level terms but the inexperience of the Moroccan winger showed through when his shot went high and wide when it was easier to score.

It definitely did the damage psychologically for both the player and the team.

With Liverpool still hardly out of their first gear, Middlesbrough was able to hit the sucker punch which KO-ed the visitors as Sanli Tuncay was on hand to slot home from a Gary O’Neil cutback.

Worse was yet to come for Liverpool as Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard, the 2 leading figure of the team, were then withdrawn with the latter suffering from cramps.

It really wasn’t meant to be their day.

Despite the introduction of the midweek hero, Yossi Benayoun, they just couldn’t find the chink in the armour of Gareth Southgate’s men. And all we can say are they only have themselves to blame.

It surely brings about the déjà vu feeling to the Liverpool fans, the highs and lows of supporting a rollercoaster team. Sometimes we have to wonder how they could come up with 2 performances that are as further apart as the east is to the west.

The utter inconsistency is hurting Liverpool big time. Is it a problem with the mentality of the team? Or is it Rafa Benitez still has yet to come to terms with the hustle and bustle of English football? I for one have no answer to that. It’s just puzzling.

And as long this puzzle is unsolved, I don’t think Liverpool could possibly lift their long awaited 19th title. This can’t go on for long and Benitez knows that. These Jekyll and Hyde performances will only put further question mark on Benitez’s management.

And as we are saying this, United already have a brand new sparkling Carling Cup in their cabinet and the 18th league title probably already in their bags. How would Rafa respond to this?

Many changes are needed and it needs to be addressed soon.

Rafa Conjures Up Another Major European Upset

UEFA Champions League
1st Knockout Round 1st Leg

Real Madrid 0
Liverpool 1 (Benayoun 82)

13 European Cups between the two sides but for the past 2 decades, the two teams were rarely on the same football wavelength. One was even hailed as the ‘Galacticos’, as if a team representing Earth if ever celestial beings were interested in a game of football.

The other, meanwhile, trudged through the 1990s through mire of uncertainties and then early 2000 with much false hopes.

But the rise of a genius from the Iberian peninsular has brought back some glory days to the fields of Anfield Road. The phoenix has risen from the ashes or should we say, the Liverbird.

He has made Liverpool into a fearsome and organised side in Europe and a side to avoid during the draws. Critics would of course points out his shortcomings with Liverpool’s continual failure to bring back the 19th title back to Anfield but in Europe, this man’s tactical ingenuity is respectable.

He has placed Liverpool back in the upper echelon of European football, which many fans thought it was a God-given right. They failed to see how much hard work this man put in.

Sack him, they say. Like how the Jews echoed ‘Crucify Him!’ This is a genius either you love or you hate. Even the press wasn’t kind to him. Rumours were rampant throughout the week, with the build-up to this match not about whether Steven Gerrard would start or the face-off of the Prince of Madrid and El Nino, the Kid.

It surrounded his uncertain future at Liverpool, the contract that was left on his table untouched, his apparent quirks and the conflict with the Yank owners.

But we know Liverpool has a survival instinct not many teams possessed. They usually come up with their best when they’re besieged and beleaguered. Craig Bellamy and his golf club took centre stage in the press 2 years ago just prior to a colossus encounter with Barcelona.

Fast forward and we saw the similarities. And it was during these times where we saw the team unify and solidify their resolve.

In the glittering lights of the Santiago Bernabeu, they dug in against an overwhelming force. ‘No chance’, many says. 10 goals from their last 2 league games and unbeaten in 9. Surely Liverpool would be steamrolled over?

But the Reds trenched in, nullified the so called superstars and made them look ordinary. The press would say the Galacticos had an off-day but how often is it that big teams have theirs and it’s usually when they’re against Liverpool?

The art of nullifying and suffocating is hard to grasp, especially from the point of view of a football fan watching for entertainment. But it is at a canter for Rafa Benitez and his men.

Real Madrid spoke of the 3 goals that would come and of course Liverpool being fearful. But I guess that was exactly what the Reds would want to hear. The disdainful arrogance was all they need to inspire themselves.

The visitors were set up perfectly, albeit the injury of their skipper forcing him to start on the bench, they were like a flawless machine.

With the in-form Raul and Gonzalo Higuain leading the line, they must’ve been a handful. But how Liverpool gave them hardly a sniff is quite a feat. None of them were found anywhere near the penalty box.

Pepe Reina, whose allegiance is to the other side of Madrid, was a virtual spectator with only Arjen Robben causing any sort of concern. Other than that, Liverpool looked comfortable and were hardly threatened.

On the other hand, Liverpool were not adventurous understandably. The first 20 to 30 minutes, they bid their time to settle down in front of a intimidating crowd before giving Real Madrid something of a concern.

Fernando Torres tested Iker Cassilas with a stinging shot. His effort was a culminated by some poor defending; something Real never had a reputation of. Then he was once again tested by Xabi Alonso from the halfway line; something the Spanish midfielder has a reputation for.

With chances few and far between, Real were thoroughly frustrated and worse still, impatient. Studying their body language, Rafa must have been smiling on the inside. Because we all know teams who are impatient and frustrated usually gives away something.

With Fernando Torres withdrawn due to injury, it seemed more unlikely for them to grab an all-important away goal. Yet it is times like these, as I’ve mentioned, that they rise above their circumstances and make things happen.

An unnecessary foul by a supposed Liverpool-bound Gabriel Heinze gave Fabio Aurelio a chance to show what he does best. The Brazilian full-back impressed on the night with solid defensive work, stopping Robben while also provided an attacking outlet with controlled runs.

It was a peach of a free kick and just as the camera pans to show us the emotion on his face, it was full of belief and conviction.

Seconds later, with everything moving in slow motion, Yossi Benayoun rose the highest to head home from 10 yards out. Casillas had no chance of stopping it. The Israeli captain was left unmarked in a crowded penalty area and he made them pay.

Without Gerrard and Torres, Liverpool found their saviour from the land of Zion. Though not necessary a religious figure, he gave the visitors something to cheer for and obviously, a strong belief that they’ll make it into their 3rd quarter finals in 4 seasons.

And it was all too late for Real to conjure up any sort of comebacks. They were suffocated and by the time the Reds took the lead, they had no more fight in them. Juande Ramos had options on the bench but it’s just not worth the hassle.

A classic Liverpool performance in Europe and yet another goliath of European football fell under Benitez. Even though it is only half time and there’s still a second leg to play for, it is indeed a result that Liverpool fans should be thankful for.

It was supposed to be a result that sends shockwave across the board yet Liverpool does it ever so often that one have to wonder how did they always have to live up to just a mere underdog.

Though they prosper under such title, perhaps it’s time people take notice of what the Reds are about. If they could transpire this form over 38 games in the Premiership, maybe Sir Alex would have something to worry.

CL Preview: Liverpool vs Real Madrid

By: Gareth Freeman

From a Liverpool point of view the draw for the first knock out stage of the Champions League could have been a lot kinder on Rafael Benitez but from a football point of view this is a mouth-watering contest.

I’m inclined to agree with Pepe Reina, who earlier this week said Liverpool were well matched with Real and there was little to chose between the two sides. I’m going to run through the Spanish giants’ strengths and weakness and see if I can offer any betting tips along the way.

Real may have lost a lot of ground to Barcelona in the league this season but they are still a decent side and are the form side in Spain. They’ve won their last nine league games in a row, including a 6-1 drubbing of Real Betis in their last match. Rafa’s boys will have to be at the top of their game to take Juande Ramos’ side down.

The good thing for the Reds is that in cup competitions league form counts for very little. Benitez is also a master tactician and I’m sure his game plan will be spot on by the time these two meet at the Bernabeu on Wednesday night. Steven Gerrard has also passed a fitness test to face Real and this is just the kind of boost Liverpool need going into a tie like this.

The Madrid midfield is where the real danger men are in the Spanish side. The Dutch duo of Sneijder and Van der Vart are exceptional players going forward and Sneijder in particular is deadly from set-pieces. I’m sure everyone will remember Arjen Robben from his Chelsea days and if anything his game has improved since he moved to Spain, expect him to cause a lot of problems.

For me Real’s right-back Sergio Ramos is a very dangerous attacking threat. However, his defending can be questionable at times and that should allow Albert Riera space down the left-wing to cause Real problems. Real also opted to include Lassana Diarra in their Champions League squad over striker Klaas Jan Huntelaar, which could be a bonus as the Liverpool lads will know more about the former Pompey midfielder than the Dutch striker.

Ruud Van Nistlerooy will play no further part this season and that should come as some relief to the Liverpool defence. However, they do have Raul and Gonzalo Higuain who are more than capable of scoring goals and it will be a difficult task for Carragher and co to keep the Madrid attack quiet.

Personally, I think a draw is on the cards in this match. Rafa’s priority will be to defend and perhaps nick an away goal so I think he’ll line up the Liverpool defence as tight as possible so they can take advantage of home advantage in the second leg. If you’re thinking of having an online football bet on any of the other games on Wednesday night I think Bayern Munich should be too strong for Sporting Lisbon, even if it is in Portugal, and there should be fairly decent odds on that as well.

Reds Title Bid Up In Smokes

Liverpool 1 (Kuyt 78min)
Man City 1 (Arbeloa OG 48min)

Liverpool’s title bid was derailed further after a disappointing 1-1 draw with Manchester City, who were giving their bitter rivals a huge helping hand. Now with 12 games to go and 7 points apart, it is difficult to see Man Utd. slipping up.

It is the inevitable feeling of ‘same old, same old’ as Liverpool conceded first and had to fight tooth and nail to get back on equal terms. But the fight-back was all too late and without inspirational skipper, Steven Gerrard and the influential Xabi Alonso, it fell short.


Sitting through the first half was just as it was throughout the whole season. There was nothing to show for. Despite dominating possession, the partnership of Dirk Kuyt and Fernando Torres failed to puncture a hole in City’s defence.

Against the flow of the game, the best chance of the first period fell to the in-form Stephen Ireland, who disappointingly failed to put the ball past Pepe Reina and his subsequent follow up wasn’t good enough. It alarmed Liverpool a little but there was still an apparent lack of urgency.

Former Reds, Craig Bellamy, was in the City line-up and seemed a bit out of place playing alongside the likes of Robinho and Vincent Kompany. But he showed his worth when he converted his chance in front of Annie Road End and sent the City supporters into raptures.

The shot took an awful deflection off Alvaro Arbeloa and he is certainly making his presence known amongst the stars and reminding the Anfield crowd of his quality.


As inevitable as it is for Liverpool to concede first, they’ll always manage to do a comeback and they did after much knocking on the door.

The same player who finished off the amazing 3-2 turnaround earlier in the season, Dirk Kuyt, was on hand again to slot past Shay Given and give the Liverpool supporters some hope.

Subsequently, Yossi Benayoun had a fantastic chance to grab all 3 points for Liverpool but his volley was saved superbly.

Without Gerrard, the home side failed to conjure up any sort of inspiration and even Torres, who was thoroughly shackled by Richard Dunne and Micah Richards throughout, was ineffective and looked isolated up front.

With the title slipping away, Liverpool only have themselves to blame. Leading at a certain point in the campaign, they have managed to let it slip and are now desperately trying to get any sort of momentum going.

The only momentum they seemed to got into this season is drawing games, which isn’t the best case scenario for a title winning team. Despite only losing once throughout, the 11 draws all season is costing Rafa Benitez’s side big time.

With the in-form Real Madrid looming and Rafa’s stubborn refusal to put pen on paper, Liverpool’s position have been strangely precarious despite being so high up the table.

There’s still hope. But hope could be deceptive. It is hard enough to imagine Man Utd. going into a Newcastle-esque meltdown and at the same time, pinning hopes on Liverpool winning the rest of the games.

I highly doubt a comeback of that epic proportion would happen. Yet in football, who knows? We could turn the kind of form in those comebacks we had into the league form. I’m harbouring a little hope here. Just a little…

Next Up, Man City

By Gareth Freeman

Manchester City travel to Anfield on Sunday in Liverpool’s first league game after a short break and this should provide three much needed points for Rafa’s men. City have only won once on the road all season and I can’t see them doubling that at Anfield.

Even though I can only see this tie going one way it is still worth having a look at the opponents, with that in mind I thought I’d pick out City’s danger men and analyse where the threat will come from.

They have a lot of decent attacking players at City but they just don’t seem to be able to turn it on when they’re away from home. Robinho is still yet to score away from Eastlands and his erratic form is, in my opinion, the reason City are not good away. They still look for him every time they’re bursting forward but he just isn’t doing it for them on their travels. Shaun Wright-Phillips and Craig Bellamy will also create problems for Liverpool but I think Carragher and co should be able to cope with them.

My favourite City player is Stephen Ireland. He reminds we a bit of Gerrard in the way he reads the game and runs from deep and I’m sure he’ll put in a decent performance against Liverpool on Sunday.

The are where City have really let themselves down this season is in defence. Micah Richards and Richard Dunne have just not performed as well as they should have done this season and they’ve looked suspect against some poor teams. I had expected the arrival of Nigel de Jong as a defensive midfielder to help shore up their problems but so far he has done nothing to justify his hefty price tag.

I will finish with a few Premier League betting picks for the weekend. I think Arsenal and Manchester United will record home wins against Sunderland and Blackburn Rovers respectively.

I’m also quite tempted by Chelsea picking up a win away at Aston Villa, it will be Guus Hiddink’s first game in charge at Chelsea and I think the players will start to pick up their performances from now on. There is no doubting Villa are a decent side but it is probably the worst time to come up against Chelsea now. On Sunday I think Everton will be able to beat Newcastle at St James’ Park and I’ll probably double that up with Liverpool to beat City in my own football betting.

Rivalry Between Reds And Red Devils Spread To...

Facebook. A new phenomenon people can't live without nowadays. Here's a warning to you who's making loads of friends on Facebook that don't trust everyone. And it's a testament of how hatred of a certain club can turn people bonkers :)



'A married Manchester United fan drove 400 miles to begin an affair with a girl he had met on Facebook, only to discover it had been a hoax set up by two rival Liverpool supporters. Stuart Slann, 39, made the nine-hour trip from his home in Sheffield to a remote farm in Scotland last month on the promise of meeting the woman he had been swapping suggestive messages with for several weeks.

'However, after arriving at the deserted house and waiting for a further three hours in his car for "Emma" to finish work and show up, the two pranksters called him to confess. To add to his humiliation, they recorded the conversation and put it onto Facebook, the social networking website, and video-sharing website YouTube, along with an embarrassing photograph.

'It was then that Mr Slann's wife Louise, 32, discovered the "affair". Their marriage is now over. Mr Slann said: "It was a cruel thing to do. I've been taken for a ride. They wound me up good and proper."

Welcome Break for Rafa's Men

By Gareth Freeman

Getting beat by Everton in the FA Cup could even be seen as a blessing in disguise come May. I know what you’re thinking, losing to the blue half of Merseyside is never a good thing but with the mid-week international fixtures and then the FA Cup at the weekend Rafa’s side don’t play again until February 22 when they face Man City.

With a relatively small squad and a shortage of strikers this break could be a vital boost for Benitez’s tiring side. The win at Portsmouth came at just the right time and kept the pressure on Manchester United, who didn’t look that convincing in their narrow 1-0 victory over West Ham.

Surprisingly there are no Liverpool players in the England squad that take on Spain on February 11, there are however, five Reds in the Spanish squad. Reina, Arbeloa, Alonso, Riera and of course Fernando Torres are all included in the line-up but as it is a friendly I don’t expect them all to play a full 90 minutes. Torres in particular has been struggling with fatigue and I expect him to play a part for Spain but I doubt whether Spain’s coach Vicente del Bosque will risk injuring his star-striker.

Added to that the Spanish coach has chosen an in-form team rather than stuck with familiar names and he may wish to use Daniel Guiza and Fernando Llorente in attack at some point. Guiza plays for Fenerbache in Turkey so I imagine del Bosque will want to see how he links up with a squad who are in the vast majority based in Spain (or all play together at Liverpool). Llorente is a target man kind of striker and has only been capped once by Spain, the Athletic Bilbao forward has been in fine form this season and I expect del Bosque to utilize him at some point, which should allow Torres a rest.

The fact that Liverpool will enjoy the weekend off after the international fixtures should help Rafa rest his tired squad. Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Aston Villa will all have players involved in internationals and then face tricky FA Cup ties. Chelsea travel to Watford, Manchester United face Derby at Pride Park, Arsenal take on Cardiff at home and Aston Villa take on Everton. None of these ties will be easy and with the size of Liverpool’s squad a break from a hectic fixture list could not have come at a better time.

I’m going to end with a few football betting picks. I tend to avoid friendly matches when betting as, in my opinion, it becomes very hard to predict and you never know what side the managers will put out. There are a few World Cup Qualifiers though and I expect the Republic of Ireland - who have still not lost under Giovanni Trapattoni - to beat Georgia, while Northern Ireland should easily see of San Marino away. My final football betting tip for you would be to back the draw in the Arsenal Vs Cardiff FA Cup tie on Monday 16 February. Arsene Wenger’s side have faltered lately and I expect him to field a fairly weakened team in light of the fact they have fallen quite a way off the Champions League places in the Premier League and Wenger knows how important qualification to the prestigious tournament is.