No outstanding candidates this week, but Benitez gets the nod. Despite winning two games this week, Liverpool still look bloody awful. They were shaky against the mighty Debrecen and outplayed by their Merseyside neighbours. He would, of course, claim that he is a relative pauper in the transfer market compared to other managers, but a quick look at the figures reveals that to be bullshit.

Surely no amount of belligerence or manipulation of the club’s supporters can save him, come the end of the season. Benitez, you are my dickead of the week.

Derbyul de duminica, Everton – Liverpool, e al orgoliilor ranite, dupa o saptamana trista pe estuarul lui Mersey.

Gazda Everton a incasat un croseu teribil, guvernul britanic blocand proiectul “albastrilor” de a demara construirea unui nou stadion, in orasul satelit Kirkby. Vechiul Goodison Park e demodat si incorsetat de sirurile de case din zona, ce nu-i permit extinderea, in vreme ce arena de la Kirkby ar fi putut constitui un nou inceput pentru gruparea detinuta de Bill Kenwright.

Oaspetii, Liverpool, au fost eliminati din UEFA Champions League, pentru prima oara in gestiunea lui Rafael Benitez, iar planul lor de a construi trambitatul Stanley Park pare acum a se lovi cu atat mai mult de aspectul financiar, complicat in urma redirectionarii spre UEFA Europa League.

Lasand la o parte ca ambele cluburi ar avea nevoie stringenta de o crestere a veniturilor din vanzarea de bilete, pentru a tine pasul la acest capitol cu Manchester United si Arsenal, care si-au extins respectiv reconstruit arenele, problema a devenit cu atat mai arzatoare cu cat zilele trecute conurbatia Liverpool si-a inaintat laolalta cu alte 14 orase din Albion aplicatia si dovada de creditare in vederea gazduirii Campionatului Mondial din 2018, a carei candidatura Anglia si-a lansat-o.

Conform dosarului celor din Liverpool, orasul ar propune ca arene gazda atat preconizatul Stanley Park, viitor stadion cu 60.000 locuri al “Cormoranilor”, dar a carui constructie a fost amanata datorita turbulentelor financiare si stramtorarii creditarii, cat si amintitul stadion din Kirkby, devenit la ora actuala un proiect mort in fasa. Cu alte cuvinte, la cum stau lucrurile, Liverpool ar putea ramane pe dinafara daca Albionul ar castiga intr-adevar dreptul de organizare al C.M. din 2018. O eventualitate deprimanta pentru cluburile locale si ale lor numerosi simpatizanti.

In aceste conditii, intrebarea vine de la sine… Liverpool, incotro? Si aici nu e vorba doar de “Rosii”, ci si de “Caramele” si de orasul port in general.

In martie 2007, la ora dialogului cu Paul Wilson, ziarist localnic semnand editoriale in duminicalul londonez The Observer, un fel de supliment de weekend al cunoscutului cotidian stangist The Guardian, conducerea lui Everton n-ar fi agreat deloc o eventuala impartire a unui nou stadion cu rivala Liverpool.

Wilson, fan Everton, imi explica cum stateau lucrurile: “Nici vorba ca suporterii ori clubul sa fi dorit asa ceva si, oricum, Liverpool nu s-ar fi sinchisit nici ea. Marea majoritate a fanilor n-ar fi fost de-acord, chiar in conditiile in care Goodison Park este si el invechit, unica varianta fiind mutarea inafara orasului, la Kirkby, parte a unui complex comercial. La fel, linia oficiala a clubului e ca mai bine ar juca la Beirut, decat sa imparta cu Liverpool. Opinez ca solutia cea mai practica ar fi fost ca Everton sa se mute tocmai la Anfield Road, care inca e un stadion bun, incat te doare sufletul ca va fi demolat, decat sa ridice si ea o arena abstractizata, dar asta nu se poate intampla nici intr-un milion de ani. Pe de alta parte, stiindu-i pe americani intreprinzatori cum sunt, m-as fi asteptat ca noii investitori de la Liverpool sa faca un ban din impartirea Stanley Park cu Everton. Dar n-au fost interesati.”

Ei bine, doi ani si jumatate mai tarziu, lucrurile sunt incremenite cel putin in privinta impartirii stadionului. Insa cu o mentiune. Daca Liverpool FC ramane ferm pe pozitie, reiterand cu fermitate ca nu doreste construirea la comun a noii arene, Everton Liverpool s-a sucit brusc in urma esuarii proiectului de la Kirkby, cel putin la nivelul conducerii clubului, batand saua sa priceapa iapa ca i-ar surade mutarea intr-un stadion municipal. Asa cum se practica in nordul Italiei de exemplu. Ar fi insa o premiera in Albion.

Si oare ar fi Liverpool dispusa, in conditiile constrangerilor financiare, sa renunte la linia sa traditionala si sa devina o pioniera in insula, impartind arena cu clubul considerat mai mic, desi atragand mai multi suporteri localnici? Extrem de putin probabil, desi – lasand mandria la o parte – o logica de ordin geografic ar sugera o reevaluare a prioritatilor.

E bine stiut ca Anfield Road si Goodison Park sunt despartite doar de o intindere verde, Stanley Park, o pajiste avand si un lac in preajma arenei lui Everton. In Liverpool, un oras destul de intins, ambele stadioane sunt amplasate asadar in acelasi cartier, fapt ce ar sugera o unire a fortelor, daca barierele traditiei si rivalitatii n-ar sta in cale.

Insa Liverpool, care doreste inadins sa-si pastreze suprematia in oras, stie ca in plan financiar Everton ar fi mai interesata de o asemenea reuniune a fortelor, datorita capacitatii si mai reduse a arenei Goodison Park, incet-incet o adevarata relicva a fotbalului englez. Ca istoric, Goodison e fantastic. Insa realist vorbind, stadionul cu o biserica intr-un colt al sau numai pretabil fotbalului din 2010 nu mai este…

Asta pe cand Liverpool, proiectand noul Stanley Park aproximativ pe locul lui Anfield Road, oarecum rotit si putin deplasat, ar ramane suverana in zona.

Totusi, grijile lui Liverpool se ingroasa, proiectul deja contramandat fiind franat nu doar de lipsa creditarii pentru demararea constructiei, Cuiul lui Pepelea pentru americani, ci de-acum si de pierderile financiare rezultate din eliminarea din Liga Campionilor. In aceste conditii, o clasare de la locul 5 in jos la finele actualei editii de Premier League, echivalenta cu necalificarea in Champions League, ar complica si mai mult situatia, implicit decalajul fata de triunghiul fruntaselor fiind in pericol sa se mareasca simtitor.

Sezonul trecut, Liverpool incasa 23,2 milioane euro din prezenta in Champions League, opt milioane venind din optimea cu Real, spulberata cu 5-0, si sfertul de finala pierdut in fata lui Chelsea. Acum, scurtcircuitata in grupa, Liverpool a ramas cu o gaura in buzunar. Deloc placut, tinand cont de datoriile de sute de milioane ale clubului, renegociate vara trecuta, dar cu scadenta la ora Mondialului sud-african, o situatie noua pentru “Rosii”, condusi vreme de decenii cu mare precautie financiara, nicicand pe… rosu.

Everton, desi nu e imprumutata masiv la banci, n-a adus profit si este unicul club “cu firma” care realmente jongleaza pe un fir de ata, nepermitandu-si vreun lux banesc.

Si in acest context are loc derbyul de duminica de pe Goodison Park, lasand la o parte probleme celor doua echipe in acest sezon. Pe de-o parte, pierzand miercuri si la codasa Hull City, Everton s-a scufundat de-a binelea, intrand in hora retrogradarii. Incredibil dar adevarat. Indisponibilitatile recente nu-i ajuta cauza, capitanul Phil Neville adaugandu-se listei cam lungi ce-i da batai de cap scotianului David Moyes.

Nici in UEFA Europa League “albastrii” nu mai defileaza, ca in primele doua jocuri, castigate, fiind in schimb pusi la colt de Benfica, 5-0 la Lisabona si 2-0 pe Goodison Park. De fapt, combinand ultimele 20 de rezultate ale lui Everton si Liverpool, rezulta doar 3 victorii. Da, trei!

Liverpool vine dupa remize acasa cu Birmingham City si Manchester City, ambele 2-2, iar unicul punct smuls in 3 jocuri cu Lyon si Fiorentina au aratat ca Benitez nu mai exceleaza nici in Europa, teren propice spaniolului. Capitanul Gerrard abia a revenit dupa o accidentare iar Torres a fost menajat in Ungaria, “Cormoranii” lasand impresia ca schiopateaza iar unul ca Mascherano dand de inteles ca perioada de transferari din ianuarie i-ar putea servi despartirii de Merseyside. Nici Babel nu e departe, despartirea in vara de Xabi Alonso generand pare-se un efect de domino odata cu scurgerea sezonului. Influentului iberic i se simte tare mult lipsa pe Anfield Road.

Parca niciodata in ultimii ani un derby local in Liverpool n-a avut loc sub nori atat de sumbri si amenintatori. Problema stadioanelor si implicit a candidaturii orasului in cazul reusitei insularilor de a obtine dreptul de gazduire peste opt ani amplifica grijile suporterilor, dezamagiti de imposibilitatea cresterii veniturilor cluburilor si mai recent de rezultatele negative.

In plan economic, orasul Liverpool n-o duce pe roze iar sugrumarea creditarii si implicit a investitiilor in infrastructura fotbalistica nu-i ajuta deloc cauza. Vechile stadioane sunt amplasate intr-o intinsa zona rezidentiala, cu case insa modeste si multe dintre ele abandonate, cu grilaje la geamuri, intregi strazi fiind chiar parasite si in decadere. Este asteptat buldozerul. Cam aceasta este realitate in preajma parcului Stanley si cat rezultatele bune au curs iar planurile cu americani bogati si potentiale noi stadioane au fost trambitate sus si tare, lacunele majore au fost date uitarii. Dar evenimentele recente au aratat pericolul in care se regaseste orasul fotbalistic Liverpool, intr-o imagine de ansamblu a jocului in Albion.

E de prisos asadar sa mai reamintim ca ultimul titlu national al “Cormoranilor” dateaza din 1990 iar al “Caramelelor” din ‘87. Iar ultimele trofee, din 2006 pentru Liverpool, Cupa Angliei la penaltyuri, respectiv din ‘95 pentru Everton. Tot FA Cup. Cate n-au strans alde Manchester United, Chelsea ori Arsenal de-atunci, e motiv de depresie puternica pe Mersey.

Un derby pe care gazdele il vor aborda din jumatatea gresita a ierarhiei iar Liverpool doar de pe locul 7. Orgoliul ranit ar putea insa genera implicit o si mai incrancenata rivalitate locala. Un meci demn de urmarit.

            Il est un club anglais où actuellement la crise n’est pas très loin. Ce club, c’est Liverpool FC. Mythique qu’il est pour tous ces supporters, les résultats actuels ne sont vraiment pas à la hauteur. Eliminé en ligue des champions et actuellement septième de Ligue anglaise, ce n’est un début de saison idyllique.

            Le coach espagnol est dans une situation inconfortable : Rafael Benitez. Lui qui avait promis une saison prolifique est malheureusement contesté. Cette période délicate est vécue aussi par les joueurs, qui définitivement, soutiennent le coach espagnol. En effet, deux joueurs indispensables ont manifestés leurs soutiens envers Benitez. A noter que ces deux joueurs sont espagnols aussi vu qu’il s’agit de Fernando Torres et Pepe Reina.

            D’après Torres dit « El niño », « Benitez a montré qu’il était l’homme pour faire avancer Liverpool. » Pour Pepe Reina, le gardien du temps d’Anfield, « Benitez bénéficie à 100% de la foi et du soutien des joueurs de Liverpool. C’est un entraîneur formidable et il sait tirer le meilleur de ses joueurs. »

            Il faut souligner ici l’importance pour ses joueurs du coaching et de leur développement en tant que joueur, leur progression est due en grande partie grâce à lui. Le conseil de Liverpool a aussi confirmé, pour le moment, leur garantie et leur confiance en Benitez, mais jusqu’à quand ?

Sources:  http://www.eurosport.fr/football/benitez-soutenu_sto2135840/flashnews.shtml

Et http://www.lequipe.fr/Football/breves2009/20091127_111146_benitez-soutenu.html

Date : 27/11/09

Liverpool’s below par form saw them make an uncharacteristically early exit from Europe’s premier competition when their single goal victory was rendered irrelevant by Fiorentina’s success over group leaders Lyon by the same score. Benitez’s men have lived a notoriously charmed life in the tournament since his arrival, but with no poor refereeing decisions apparent, no dubious goals awarded and no outrageous 30 yard thunderbolts from the right boot of Steven Gerrard, Liverpool fans were forced to come to terms with their own mortality… that and the mediocrity of their squad.

This is not something the Liverpool faithful are very good at however, spoiled by years of cooing from elder statesmen who are all too willing to regale stories from the glory days of eras gone by, the red army of Anfield have believed themselves a breed apart for so long that all this not being very good has stirred up some fantastic theories on the terraces. The Corridor of Uncertainty has taken a look at some of these theories and their plausibility:

1.  “The Yanks don’t like each other.”

The much publicised spat between Liverpool co-owners George Gillette and Tom Hicks has caused as much consternation in the Liverpool dressing room as it has in the director’s box where frantic seat swapping has been a feature of every Liverpool home game since the fallout. Seen as a measure of how well the two American businessmen (affectionately referred to as “those fucking Yanks” by nine tenths of the ground) are getting along that particular week, the varying number of seats between them is thought to have had a direct influence upon Liverpool’s performance. Such a division in what has been a historically harmonious club, united in their delusions of grandeur, has had consequences previously unthinkable happen upon their Melwood training ground. Cooperation between the players is at an all time low as they side with their preferred American, the first signs of this becoming apparent at the Hawthorns last year when Alvaro Arbeloa was thought by Jamie Carragher to have insulted his favoured Yank George Gillette with an exclamation of “his razor’s are fucking shit!” as Marc-Antoine Fortuné (a renowned user of Gillette’s products) narrowly placed a shot wide of Pepé Reina’s post. More recent examples of this division have been noted this season with Martin Skrtle having fallen out with the match ball since Tom Hicks began to sponsor it, this is widely thought to have been the reason for his refusal to approach it on various occasions at Anfield this year.

2. “Karma”

Liverpool’s only goal against Debrecen was scored by French cheat David Ngog. The youngster has looked much more spritely these last couple of weeks, this is thought to be because the Batman to his Robin of footballing con-artistry, Thierry Henry has shown himself to be the orchestrator of global injustices whilst Ngog remains and the unsightly dive merchant and somebody who Lee Carsley would like to punch. Such is the belief in fate, karma and deity that is Fernando Torres (“A child born unto us”), on the Kop that Liverpool fans are starting to wonder whether the latest foul play on behalf of Ngog (full name: Ngogdownlikeashortscotchatafuneral) and his recent alignment with Henry (full name: Henryplaysicanbeseentakingthelaceout) is bringing about bad Karma for Liverpool in what is normally their most charmed arena, the Champions League.

3. “Who are you and what have you done with Benitez?!”

Rafael Benitez’s demise from tactical mastermind to hapless enforcer of bizarre substitutions has come as such a mystery to Liverpool fans that the only explanation left unexplored before they admit they are now rubbish, and therefore the obvious explanation to their woe is… Rafa’s goatee. A clean shaven Benitez is immortalised upon many oversized flags waved bi-weekly on the Kop, showing him in his famed ‘sitting down to win the Champions League’ pose and accompanied by some tenuous James lyrics. Whilst the difference in managerial ability of that sitting champion compared to the floundering fact finder that frustrates the Anfield faithful today is incredible, the only physical difference to be found upon that enigmatic mask of Hispanic calm is a tidy goatee beard, cultivated just around the time of his demise! Benitez is clearly suffering from what has until now been known as Phil Brown Syndrome, condition in which an ageing man develops a malignant brain addling growth on his face that, fully formed, arrives in the shape of a goatee beard and renders the sufferer unable to make any educated footballing decisions. Benitez is thought to be in the early stages of his condition and the Anfield DJ is on standby to cut short any attempt by Rafa to seize the microphone and make an idiot of himself by giving the incredulous fans a version of ‘Ring of Fire’ over the PA system, assistant Sammy Lee is also locking the dressing room door at half time in case of any sudden decision by Benitez to give his half time team talk on the pitch. These are all symptoms only normally found in long-term sufferers and they follow a suspicious tanning of the skin, Benitez seems to only have been affected by the loss of managerial ability thus far.

Rafa Benitez, will have woken up this morning worried about his job but more importantly worried about what he’s going to do come January.  With the Champion’s League cash flow over for this season he is facing a transfer window in which he will be under pressure to make money, not buy a new injury free striker as he may have hoped.  In fact, Liverpool have earned very little from the group stages itself.  Money is distributed by UEFA according to results and the late concession of goals against Lyon could have cost the club over €300,000 each time*!  While Steven Gerrard is keen to encourage both fans and players that Liverpool will now win the Europa League, financially it is not even a second prize.  In 2007 when Liverpool lost the Champion’s League final to AC Milan they came away with a bonus of €4 million.  Sevilla FC won €2.5 million for winning the UEFA Cup the same year.   That competition may have a new name but its financial reward is considerably lower than the Champion’s League.

So a club which is trying to find a buyer is effectively in financial crisis.  However, the problem at Liverpool is not just financial.  Any football fan will tell you that luck always has a part to play and it would seem that the players of Merseyside (both Everton and Liverpool) have been hanging horse shoes upside down and walking under ladders.  Injuries have been coming thick and fast and well there is no point even talking about Darren Bent and the infamous beach ball.  A run of bad luck breeds a sense of disheartenment.   Maybe they were lucky to equalise in the seventieth minute against Manchester City or Birmingham but a draw is not the result any of the team would have hoped for at the start.  Blaming bad luck may be a bit dubious but the lack of confidence which it has produced amongst the players has become a tangible problem.

Then there is the manager.  But more importantly the manager’s crazy decisions.  Taking Benayoun off when he is the best player on the pitch.  Playing Torres in a crucial game when he is far from fit enough and thus risking a more serious and prolonged injury.  Acting as if a draw against Manchester City was a positive result.   Benitez has been notorious for his strange decisions, his inability to stick with a winning team but right now there is clearly a spark missing.  Liverpool need a Harry Redknapp, someone who can take a team from the relegation zone and have them beating teams 9-1 less than a year later.  Has he delivered anything?  Fernando Torres?   The Champion’s League?  The first was an obvious target.   The team that won the Champions League was without doubt the team of Gerard Houllier.  There have certainly been good days and he has achieved very positive results but the lack of trophies is without doubt hanging over his head.

Which brings us to perhaps the biggest problem of all.  The Liverpool Football Club which has been playing in the Premiership since 1992 is effectively the younger brother of the club which preceded it.  It has had to live up to the achievements of the beloved son, eighteen league victories, four European cups.  The younger son wins a lot of badges for effort, is runner up very often, is leading for two thirds of a race and then loses in the last mile.  When he does achieve something, it is always compared to the achievements of his elder brother, a reminder that he has more to do and to achieve.  The teams of old haunt the Liverpool team of today when in fact it should encourage it.  Nobody wants to become Notts Forest, the forgotten team who actually won the European Cup – twice.

There are certainly other problems and this is just the tip of the iceberg but it would seem that for another year Liverpool supporters will continue what has become their mantra – maybe next year.

*These figures are not exact.  They were correct when I wrote my dissertation in 2007.  We can assume they are similar this season.

So Liverpool have crashed out of the Champions League group stage for the first time since 2002.

With the well-documented problems off the field, and the team currently languishing in 7th place in the Barclays Premier League, can Rafa Benitez hold on to his job? The financial hole that lack of progress to the group stages will bring will not help the already precarious financial position the club find themselves in, and could this signal the selling of their two diamonds in their rough, Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard?

The amount of money Rafa has spent is incredible. In the summer, Glenn Johnson came in for £18 million, and £20 million was spent on Alberto Acquilani, a talented player but one who was given one minute in the game against Debrecen last night.

Will the Kop now turn on Benitez after what can only be considered a failure? Every time I have caught Liverpool on TV this year they have seemed to be lacking any sort of penetration and ideas in the final third. The lack of quality beyond their two superstars is truly shocking. Perhaps they are missing Xabi Alonso?

So after Christmas it will be the Europa League and a battle for fourth. Given their form has been so poor since the opening day of the season, when they were abject against Tottenham, it is surprising that I still think they will finish in the top four. Villa, Man City have failed to take advantage of Liverpool’s current poor form and I can see Spurs running out of steam towards the end of the season.

The only question for Rafa now is, will he be there for their for the Champions League challenge next season.

By Joe, www.Bettingexpert.com

Since the arrival of Fernando Torres to Liverpool, Everton fans have dreaded to see the Liverpool topscorer banging in goal at Goodison Park.

All the important matches are coming thick and thin for Liverpool as fight another day in the Premiership against their bitter rivals, Everton. The Merseyside derby is usually a pretty much heat affair with the Red side of Liverpool claiming an advantage when it comes to the Premier League matches. Both teams will do their best in order to get one over the other in the league.

Everton will have to go all the way back to 2006 to find a victory over Liverpool in the Premiership. That day they record a 3-0 win over Liverpool where Tim Cahill and Andrew Johnson were on target. Although, David Moyes will want to remember their recent 1-0 after extra time in the FA Cup last season as the benchmark going into this game. The Toffee manager will be with Phil Neville, Mikel Arteta, Phil Jagielka, Victor Anichebe, James Vaughan and Leon Osman. Fellaini & Bilyaletdinov will return back to the squad after serving a one match suspension against Hull.

Liverpool are going through rough times and maybe the game against their neighbors might have come a bit early. Manager Rafa Benitez will find it hard to keep his job if he loses to Everton and fall even more behind from a Champions League spot next season. They were dumped out of the Champions League in the midweek even though they beat Debreceni 1-0 away. Benitez will be hoping that Fernando Torres will return to the starting lineup after 3 weeks off with an ankle injury. Ryan Babel and Albert Riera are ruled doubtful to face Everton.

Don’t expect pretty football when these two teams meet on Sunday. We will be lucky if we will see some good football played at Goodison Park, it is more likely that yellow and red cards will be flying around instead. It will be a physical affair as both teams are desperate for three points while not for filling their potential.

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Liverpool chief executive Christian Purslow insists manager Rafael Benitez’s position is safe, despite the club’s Champions League exit…. From BBC News. Full story

This site may contain information about: soccer goals. The blog is also related to: premiership soccer.

LIVERPOOL, England, Nov 22, 2009 (AFP) – Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez brushed aside his team’s stuttering form to insist that they will finish in the top four.

The defiant Spaniard watched from the sidelines as Saturday’s 2-2 home draw with Manchester City left last season’s Premier League runners-up with just one win in 10 games in all competitions.

Rafael Benitez (R) gestures while Mark Hughes Manager of Manchester City (L) watches during a Premier League match at Anfield in Liverpool, on November 21, 2009. AFP PHOTO

It would have been far worse had substitute Yossi Benayoun not salvaged a point with a late equaliser after goals from Emmanuel Adebayor and Stephen Ireland threatened another dismal day for the Merseysiders.

But a bad day from Liverpool got even worse as Benitez, already missing key striker Fernando Torres and Glen Johnson through injury, saw Danish defender Daniel Agger stretchered off with concussion, while Dutch forward Ryan Babel damaged an ankle.

Yet Benitez is confident his side will bounce back with a winning run once his walking wounded have recovered, and believes Liverpool will still seal a Champions League berth next season despite their poor form.

“You cannot be happy when you draw at home,” said Benitez. “You have a game plan, but then you lose Johnson on the morning of the game and then Agger is stretchered off and Babel has to go off as well.

“The positive thing is we showed great character when we went behind.

“You cannot ask for more than that from the players.

“I think we won six games in a row not so long ago and we have to think positive. When we have all our players coming back I am confident we will start winning games in a row.

“City have quality but if we can improve and play at our level, we will finish in the top four.”

Benitez is confident England full-back Johnson, who failed a fitness test on a calf injury, will be available to face Debrecen in Hungary on Tuesday, a game Liverpool have to win if they are to have any chance of remaining in the Champions League.

Benayoun, who went off towards the end of the game, should also be fit while Benitez is refusing to rule out Babel and Agger, who needed five stitches in his head wound.

Manchester City manager Mark Hughes said his players had allowed a great chance to beat Liverpool slip.

Martin Skrtel had given the hosts the lead with his first goal for the club before goals by Adebayor and Ireland turned the game in City’s favour only for Benayoun to snatch an equaliser.

“In the past City teams would have been happy with a point at Anfield, but we’re going home disappointed,” said Hughes, who confirmed that Brazil’s Robinho is on the brink of returning to action after damaging an ankle.

“At the moment it feels like a chance has been lost.”

City have now drawn their last six league matches, but Hughes added: “It is only a matter of time before we start winning again.

“It’s not a worry (that City are allowing leads to slip). It’s more a frustration.

“We deserved a win against Liverpool. I felt we could have seen the game out after getting our noses in front.”

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By Joe, www.Bettingexpert.com

Liverpool will want the ball and they will anything just to get it on Tuesday.

The penultimate round of the Champions League group stage will see Liverpool travel to Budapest to face Hungarian champion, Debreceni. The venue is set to be played in the Stadium Puskas Ferenc, Budapest as Debreceni opt to play their Champions League in the biggest stadium in Hungary. Debreceni’s hope of qualifying for the next round and even for the UEFA Europa League have dashed but Liverpool’s chance for the last 16 is on thin ice.

The home side has struggled in their debut year in the Champions League. They are currently sitting firmly at the bottom of Group E with zero points. They have lost all their matches so far and they will be looking to register their first points in the next two matches. The Hungarian champion has let in on an average of 4 goals when hosting a European team, they are hoping that they will be able to improve their defensive record and tighten up the back 4. With only pride to play for, Debreceni will still make Liverpool work for their points.

If Liverpool wants to stay in this competition then they need win against Debreceni while Lyon doing them a favor against Fiorentina. Rafa Benitez has guided Liverpool into the last 16 in five occasions but this is the first time the Merseyside team’s fate is not in their hands. The Spaniard will need all the firepower he can get from his key players like Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and Glen Johnson. Both Johnson and Torres were not fit in the weekend 2-2 draw against Manchester City. Liverpool travels to Hungary in hope to escape early elimination with one ear on the score from Florence while playing to win in Budapest. Torres has not traveled with Liverpool to Budapest.

Liverpool are favorites against Debreceni as it is a must win match for them. They could end up playing in the Europa League next year or Champions League and we all know Liverpool would choose the prestige tournament, Champions League, as they are five times winners. Dirk Kuyt scored the only goal in the first ever meeting between Liverpool and Debreceni in Match day 1. The Dutchman will have to find his shooting boots out again if Liverpool stands a chance to qualify.

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Benitez is reportedly weighing up a double raid for West Ham\’s defensive duo Matthew Upson and Herita Ilunga

Fingertips Sport correspondent Ian Shine believes Rafa Benitez should not be the first victim of this season’s Premier League managerial sack race

As Liverpool slip further down the Premier League table and closer to a Champions League exit, rumours that Rafa Benitez will be sacked are inevitably becoming more widespread.

But Liverpool fans on the whole are still behind him – mainly because of his magnificent Champions League win in 2005, runners-up place in 2007 and thrilling FA Cup win in 2006. And even if they look beyond silverware, which they certainly should, Benitez is easily their best manager since Kenny Dalglish left in 1991.

Between Dalglish’s three league triumphs and two FA Cups were the relative ignominies of a League Cup under Roy Evans, an FA Cup under Graeme Souness and a Charity Shield, two League Cups, an FA Cup, European Super Cup and UEFA Cup under Gerard Houllier.

It shows how far Livepool have come under Benitez that the highpoint of Houllier’s reign, his UEFA Cup win, would now be considered scant consolation for Liverpool crashing out of the Champions League.

To use a cliche, Liverpool will be cutting off their nose to spite their face if they are stupid enough to sack Benitez.

Their stuttering start to the season is in no small part down to Xabi Alonso’s move to Real Madrid. Losing one of the best players in the world is going to affect any side. Just look at how Manchester United without Cristiano Ronaldo – yet no one sees Sir Alex Ferguson getting his P45 any time soon.

To compare Benitez to Sir Alex once again, it took Ferguson almost seven years to get his first league title, during which time United twice finished 11th. After a poor start to the 1989-90 season many called for Ferguson’s head, but he went on to win the FA Cup that season, and, to employ another cliche, the rest is history.

Even if Liverpool come fifth in the league and slip out of the Champions League, how many of their fans would be unhappy with a Europa League triumph and/or FA Cup medal come May?

Arsenal have stuck by Arsene Wenger throughout his barren spell and that may well pay dividends this season. Patience is a virtue (sorry, another cliche) and Liverpool need only look to Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, or closer to home in Middlesbrough to prove that changing managers doesn’t always bring about a change of fortunes.

Who could replace Benitez and do anywhere near as good a job with a far from brilliant Liverpool squad?

Some names being mentioned are Steve McClaren, Luiz Felipe Scolari, Frank Rijkaard, Gareth Southgate and Jose Mourinho, all of whom have either done badly in the Premier League, have never worked in England or have no reason to want to move to Liverpool.

If Benitez goes Torres might follow, along with Reina and even Gerrard. Torres threatened to go if Benitez was fired in 2007, saying: “Benitez is not just another manager. He created a team and put his faith in players that owe him a lot.” There’s no reason to believe his opinion has changed, and if he, Reina or Gerrard were to leave then Liverpool really would be in trouble.

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O ORGULHO DA TORCIDA

São Paulo - Conseguiu fazer um jogo razoavelmente convincente contra o Vitória e gerou os gritos de “é campeão” no Morumbi.

A PIADA DOS ADVERSÁRIOS

Cruzeiro - Tinha dois jogadores a mais no Mineirão, mas ainda deixou o Grêmio empatar a partida nos minutos finais.

TROFÉU HERÓI

Adriano - Participou dos 2 gols do Flamengo contra o Naútico.

Ainda contou com a também ótima atuação de Bruno para confirmar a importante vitória do seu time, que segue vivo na briga pelo título.

TROFÉU VILÃO

Benítez – O Atlético-MG poderia ter permanecido no G4 se ele não tivesse feito o pênalti que decidiu a vitória do Coritiba.

UM SHOW EM 90 MINUTOS

Palmeiras x Sport – O jogo não foi bonito, mas o desespero dos times animou a partida e a polêmica sobre o 2º gol do alviverde só deixou tudo ainda mais importante e interessante.

DETALHE TÁTICO

3-5-2 do Sport - Com a saída de de Péricles Chamusca, o time voltou a atuar no esquema tático que lhe deu sucesso até o começo do ano.

A mudança trouxe resultados, já que o Leão da Ilha conseguiu atuar melhor que o Palmeiras na maior parte do jogo.

O FUTEBOL É INJUSTO

Náutico merecia mais - Não fosse por Bruno, o Timbu teria conseguido pelo menos um empate, que seria um reflexo melhor do que aconteceu na partida contra o Flamengo.

O FUTEBOL É UMA CAIXINHA DE SURPRESAS

Barueri – Mesmo jogando em casa, não dava pra esperar que um time sem grandes motivações vencesse o desesperado Botafogo por 3 a 0.

ALGUÉM ME EXPLICA?

Afastamento do Val Baiano – Por que o Barueri suspendeu um de seus jogadores mais importantes no Brasileirão 2009?

A decisão, tomada após a polêmica da mala branca, foi um grande erro. O atacante fez três gols em sua volta e comprovou isso.

ALARME

Botafogo – A irregularidade do time contrasta com a ascenção do Fluminense, o que pode causar uma mudança de time carioca condenado ao rebaixamento.

VALEU O INGRESSO

Maicon – Conca fez um passe genial e o jovem atacante do Flu conclui com outro belo toque na bola para simbolizar sua ótima atuação em um lance só.

If Rafa Benitez lost his job, who would you like to see take over at Liverpool?
My vote: Martin O’Neil

Feel free to comment and let me know what you think

It has been some time since I have blogged… My past bitching of my life @ another blog was left alone for years…
And Yes, my hands are itching and have decided to make a comeback… but alas… the sin of abandoning my blog was to be punished, with forgetting of my password… Damn!

Anyway… here I am…

I have decided to start of my blogs with my favourite soccer team – Liverpool FC.

To be honest, I don’t feel too good at this moment blogging about them. They have gone on a wicked winless streak… and is sitting a couple of places from even the Champions League top 4 places.

Darn… it is really irritating… Season after season, Pool fans face the same scenario of “We will be contenders” at the start of the season and losing out the end of the season. This season is even worse…

The team put up by Benitez is really going backwards, especially with the departure of Alonso. 5 years at the helm for Benitez, we are still chasing that EPL No.1 spot…
Why is this so?!

Below are several reasons I can think of:
1) Not as much $$$ to compete with other teams
2) Benitez is not good enough
3) The team is too dependent on Gerrard… and Torres
4) The rest of the squad is NEVER good enough to start of (They were lucky to be 2nd last season, lucky for the Champions League win)
5) Benitez not trusting enough of his players
6) Benitez tactically good at times, but GROSSLY bad at times
7) Benitez eye for good players always fail
Inability to develop good, young players for the millions paid for the kids since his arrival

What else ???

Bueno, ha pasado tiempo desde que decidí ponerme a aprender un poco de CSS, el idioma de los blogs. Ha sido más el interés que la dedicación, porque no creo que haya perdido el interés, pero me falta tiempo, el precioso tiempo…

Pero por fin, me he decidido a cambiar de dirección y de diseño, pero desde luego no voy a cambiar ni el nombre, ni la filosofía, ni los contenidos de mi bitácora.

No es nada del otro mundo, pero creo que facilitará la lectura, la búsqueda, y la sindicación de mi página personal. ¡Ah! y eso que tanto acaba obsesionando a los blogueros: el SEO; es decir, el posicionamiento en los buscadores en la red. Es que al final todos tenemos ese puntito snob y ególatra que nos hace que todo el mundo que conocemos visite nuestra bitácora. No voy a ser la excepción.

A partir de ahora me podréis encontrar en:

www.franciscoluisbenitez.com

Y desde este momento me pondré a pensar que hago con esta dirección con el .es, no se si acabaré redireccionándola a la nueva, o si por el contrario la dedico a algún tema en concreto.

Mientras llega ese día os invito a continuar siguiéndome en la dirección que os señalaba anteriormente.

Seguimos “escuchándonos” en la web 2.0.

This isn’t really a new post, it is more of a follow on from my rant about the poverty of talent that Benitez has contaminated the Liverpool squad with. My good friend Jonny Charwat left a comment about the fairly obvious point that Liverpool were composed of two world class players and should an injury befall them, there would be hell  to pay.

Have Liverpool ever signed someone worse...

Well now they are without a fully fit Torres and Gerrard, and they have only won one game in seven. Put simply, their players aren’t good enough and they haven’t been for some time, I know there are off-the-field problems but top level professionals should be able to get over that. Their draw midweek against Lyon was indicative of Liverpool troubles; they only have themselves to blame. Kyrgiakos and Insua conspired to involve themselves in some truly shocking defending, allowing Lyon to have two men clear on goal. The point is not only what were those two defenders doing in that instance but what were they doing wearing that shirt at all. 

These two players are currently sub-standard even by mid-table standards. Insua probably has a bright future ahead of him and obviously he needs games to make sure he matures properly but Kyrgiakos has never played at the highest level and the highlight of his career was at Rangers, who would come somewhere between 10th and 17th if they were in the Premiership (although that’s another post).

... of course they have

Liverpool’s defence is a serious cause for concern, Reina is excellent but Johnson is flawed, Carragher is past his best, Skrtel is not fulfilling his early potential, Agger is injury prone, Insua is inexperienced, Hyppia is no longer there and the less said about Kyrgiakos the better. That old war-horse Jamie Carragher is starting to creak and he lacks the natural ability and athletisism to bail himself out from the tight situations he once thrived in. Liverpool are hemorrhaging goals and their strikers are not helping them out. 

I really cannot stress enough how poor some of their players are and to start a season with only one decent striker is crazy, I mean clinically insane. Torres has no decent replacement; Ngog is not good enough for Liverpool. For god’s sake (little g) Tottenham have Crouch and Pavlyuchenko scratching for games despite both having 6-7 years experience as established high level performers. Benitez does have Kuyt and Babel,  both of whom started their careers as strikers, but El Sulk in his infinite wisdom doesn’t ever play them there. Having one striker is mental not just in case of injury but because it completely limits Liverpool tactically.

Benitez is doing everything he can to surpass the worst manager in Scouse history

They can’t effectively mix it up, if they need a late goal and they change formation to two or three up front, they are forced to call on wingers or substandard strikers to bail them out. Going back to Spurs, in the same situation they could throw on all their strikers and have a front line with 196 international caps and 84 goals as opposed to Liverpool’s 162 caps and, more importantly, 41 goals and Tottenham aren’t even title contenders.

As it stands, confidence is low, their manager is too stubborn to ring the necessary changes, their players are complete spice and their two world class players are unlikely to be fully fit for some time. In short, they are going to have to turn this around quickly if they are to avoid being over taken by the resurgent Manchester City, Aston Villa and Everton. Rant over, oh yeah, and sack Benitez and don’t get me started on Lucas Leiva.

Well, I was almost correct in my last blog regarding the Liverpool-Lyon game.I predicted a Liverpool victory, earned through the graft in midfield of Mascherano and Lucas, a meaner defence, and hard work and guile in attack in the form of Kuyt, Benayoun, Aquilani, and Torres. All of the above (excluding the presence of Aquilani obviously) seemed to have worked wonders until a lapse in concentration in the 91st minute from Daniel Agger and Sotirios Kyrgiakos. In those few seconds, which resulted in Lisandro lifting the ball over Pepe Reina, the root of Liverpool’s abysmal season was summed up – their poor defence.

       Five goals conceded from set-pieces against a usually stingy defence, plus too many inexplicable moments of no concentration, has been the difference in Liverpool losing five league games rather than, say, two. The beachball fiasco at Sunderland, plus injuries to some key players highlight Liverpool’s lack of simple luck – something that can be a crucial factor over the course of a season. Their problems this season have been brought on by a poor defence, not the two goons running the club, or the managers frail state of mind, as some newspapers would have you believe (although why Benitez let Sami Hyppia leave at the end of last season, taking his vast experiance with him, and replaced him with Kyrgiakos is a mystery).

       Their participation in the Europa League looks ominous, obviously a bitter pill of consolation for Liverpool fans to swallow, although, the league is not over for them. There are too many games left, pure and simple. Twenty eight games is too many for them not to mount a title charge.

      Looking at the upcoming games this weekend, the clash between Chelsea and Man Utd at the Bridge is the stand-out game obviously. It’s hard to know how the game will flow; it could, as has often been the case, be a tight, nervy game. However, seeing as it is only November, with so many games left, I predict an open game with a few goals. I think Chelsea just have the edge at the moment, they have been irresistible lately, and United, although threatening going forward with Rooney’s brilliance and Berbatov beginning to look like he is interested, have looked ropy in defence. Rio Ferdinands absence will do them no favours, even if he has been in poor form lately, he is much more experienced in these frantic games than young Johnny Evans. Taking into account the above factors, I think Chelsea will triumph by a single goal – 2-1.

By Joe, www.Bettingexpert.com

Liverpool are praying for a miracle in both domestic and European competitions already in November. They are currently 9 points behind Premiership leader, Chelsea, and while their Champions League campaign fate is not in their hands anymore. November month could put further misery to Liverpool’s current situation and Birmingham could not have ask a better time to travel to Anfield Road.

Manager Rafa Benitez is feeling the pressure and nothing but a win will assure the fans and board to keep fate in him. Liverpool have lost their captain, Steven Gerrard, through a groin injury, while Albert Reira (hamstring) and Glen Johnson (calf) are still out. Benitez is so desperate to keep Fernando Torres fit but it seems that he might be out for three weeks. Martin Skrtel could return against Birmingham to pair up with Daniel Agger in the heart of the defense. Vice captain, Jamie Carragher and Phillip Degen are suspended.

Birmingham shares some similar situation with Liverpool regarding the injuries and suspension issue. They will have to travel to Anfield Road without Barry Ferguson as he got red card last week while Garry O’Connor, Keith Fahey, Temmu Tanio and Martin Taylor are all ruled doubtful. Goal keeper, Joe Hart, could be on the verge to regain his first team spot after being ineligible to face his parent club, Manchester City, in a 0-0 draw last Sunday. Alex McLeish will have to choose his team wisely as this is a golden chance for him to pour salt on Liverpool’s wound.

Birmingham have a good record against Liverpool in the Premier League, they managed to win twice and drawn four game in the past three seasons. We have to go all the way to 2004 to find a Liverpool victory at Anfield against the Birmingham. It all really depends whether Torres will be risked or not for Liverpool, he is their main man and if he is not there, then it’s like sending a team out for the League Cup. Birmingham have just scored eight league goals and that could be the deciding factor whether they win or lose the match. Liverpool will force the agenda on Monday night.

Read the report on Bettingexpert.com called  “A betting report for the 2008/2009 season“ and the tipsters might be able to help you decide where you want to bet.

Last night’s Champions League tie is one of those tricky situations where you don’t know whose door to lay the blame at. Was it Benitez’s fault for not being tactically aware enough to try and close the game out? Or can we blame the players for not taking their chances (Voronin) and for failing to sit back and defend.

There are plenty of people on Rafa’s back for taking off Torres when he thought the game was sealed. That’s harsh, because I think anyone would do the same in that situation- he is clearly only half fit anyway, so why risk him further. Losing an attacker, in fact, should have been a signal of Liverpool’s intent to close the game out.

The game itself wasn’t exactly a thrill a minute. Liverpool deserved to win through the amount of chances they carved out, but it wasn’t a total bombardment. It’s now left Rafa praying for a miracle. Stranger things have happened.

There’s another interesting point to be gleaned from this though; Phil Thompson was on Sky Sports News last night, and stated that he knows from his time at the club that Liverpool budget for at least reaching the last 16 of the Champions League. Now that they may be consigned to the Europa League – or worse, nothing at all – there’s obviously going to be a huge gap to fill in their finances. Now we already know that getting rid of Rafa may cost somewhere in the region of £20m. So can Liverpool really afford to get rid of him? It won’t be the magic fix that everyone thinks anyway. He’s under a spell of pressure, but I back him to come through it unscathed.

10-man Villa succumbing to West Ham last night also proved another point. All these clubs hovering around the top 4 – most notably Villa, Spurs, Man City and now even Liverpool – keep losing games. No one has made a consistent show and actually shown the form necessary to be a top-4 club. They all look beatable, but they can all look fantastic on their day as well.

This is why I think the race for that 4th spot will go to the wire this year, and much of it will come down to the head-to-heads – with one coming up in a couple of weeks when Spurs go to Villa Park. I don’t really care if we don’t beat Chelsea or Arsenal away. It would be nice, but there are more important games to win.