LIVERPOOL FOOTBALL CLUB- You'll Never Walk Alone! (26!)
- Thread starter Cheesecake
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you make your own decision,
"with great powers, comes great responsibility"
I am definitely going to koonzzz
Ha ha, don't think I can stay awake. Maybe thats why Liverpool can do so well in the CL:bsmilie:
0-0
we can consider that a buang
haiz.
RAFA: WE WERE LUCKY
Paul Hassall at the Stade Maurice Dufrasne 13 August 2008
Rafael Benitez admitted his side were lucky to escape with a draw after they produced a below-par display in the first-leg of the Champions League qualifier with Standard Liege.
The Reds boss was frustrated that his side could not reproduce their good pre-season form against the Belgian champions but feels the Anfield factor will play a vital role when the two sides meet at Anfield in a fortnight's time.
"I think we were lucky not to concede," said Benitez.
"You never know what is going to happen when a game gets underway but clearly we didn't play well.
"The performance was poor but the result was good. We didn't concede away from home which is always important and to play the second-leg at Anfield could make a massive difference.
"The positive thing was the result and we didn't have to say too much about the display in the dressing room because everybody already knew it wasn't good."
The Reds struggled to come to terms with Liege's fast start to the contest and Benitez felt his side were their own worst enemy and was grateful to keeper Pepe Reina for securing a 0-0 draw with a first-half spot-kick save.
"They were very aggressive and we could not keep the ball," he said.
"Our passes were bad and we always lost the first and second ball.
"In the first 20 minutes they were on top of us and after that we controlled it a bit more.
"In the second-half they started the same way and played more long balls and continued to win the first and second balls and if you don't win them you will continue to be under pressure.
"I was a little bit surprised because we were playing well in pre-season with a lot of confidence.
"I told the players before, after watching their Super Cup game against Anderlecht, that it could be like this.
"We knew they could be very aggressive. They were organised and pressed well and it was difficult for us to keep the ball.
"I think the entire team didn't play well; so the strikers, midfielders and defenders didn't play well and Pepe Reina was man of the match."
With Javier Mascherano, Lucas Leiva and Ryan Babel all on Olympic duty and the likes of Fabio Aurelio and Martin Skrtel out injured, Benitez felt his side lacked options on the bench and admitted he had been forced to bring skipper Steven Gerrard into the frame to try and inspire a late rally.
"We have a lot of players away or injured and the competition for the places needs to improve," he continued.
"Gerrard couldn't start and he is a player who can change a game and if you have two or three players of this level on the pitch it is different.
"We were talking with the doctor before the match and we knew he couldn't start and we were thinking maybe we could use him and in the end we did need him.
"I have been really pleased with the commitment of the players in the pre-season but this game was different, it was difficult and we didn't play well.
"Fabio Aurelio and Skrtel have been training and when they are available we will have more options.
"Argentina play Holland in the Olympics too, so one player will return earlier. If you have more players competing for places it is better for the team."
we can consider that a buang
haiz.
RAFA: WE WERE LUCKY
Paul Hassall at the Stade Maurice Dufrasne 13 August 2008
Rafael Benitez admitted his side were lucky to escape with a draw after they produced a below-par display in the first-leg of the Champions League qualifier with Standard Liege.
The Reds boss was frustrated that his side could not reproduce their good pre-season form against the Belgian champions but feels the Anfield factor will play a vital role when the two sides meet at Anfield in a fortnight's time.
"I think we were lucky not to concede," said Benitez.
"You never know what is going to happen when a game gets underway but clearly we didn't play well.
"The performance was poor but the result was good. We didn't concede away from home which is always important and to play the second-leg at Anfield could make a massive difference.
"The positive thing was the result and we didn't have to say too much about the display in the dressing room because everybody already knew it wasn't good."
The Reds struggled to come to terms with Liege's fast start to the contest and Benitez felt his side were their own worst enemy and was grateful to keeper Pepe Reina for securing a 0-0 draw with a first-half spot-kick save.
"They were very aggressive and we could not keep the ball," he said.
"Our passes were bad and we always lost the first and second ball.
"In the first 20 minutes they were on top of us and after that we controlled it a bit more.
"In the second-half they started the same way and played more long balls and continued to win the first and second balls and if you don't win them you will continue to be under pressure.
"I was a little bit surprised because we were playing well in pre-season with a lot of confidence.
"I told the players before, after watching their Super Cup game against Anderlecht, that it could be like this.
"We knew they could be very aggressive. They were organised and pressed well and it was difficult for us to keep the ball.
"I think the entire team didn't play well; so the strikers, midfielders and defenders didn't play well and Pepe Reina was man of the match."
With Javier Mascherano, Lucas Leiva and Ryan Babel all on Olympic duty and the likes of Fabio Aurelio and Martin Skrtel out injured, Benitez felt his side lacked options on the bench and admitted he had been forced to bring skipper Steven Gerrard into the frame to try and inspire a late rally.
"We have a lot of players away or injured and the competition for the places needs to improve," he continued.
"Gerrard couldn't start and he is a player who can change a game and if you have two or three players of this level on the pitch it is different.
"We were talking with the doctor before the match and we knew he couldn't start and we were thinking maybe we could use him and in the end we did need him.
"I have been really pleased with the commitment of the players in the pre-season but this game was different, it was difficult and we didn't play well.
"Fabio Aurelio and Skrtel have been training and when they are available we will have more options.
"Argentina play Holland in the Olympics too, so one player will return earlier. If you have more players competing for places it is better for the team."
Cheesecake
Senior Member
Cheesecake
Senior Member
wa, all kinds of excuses from him.
did he blame the tea lady too?
did he blame the tea lady too?
Cheesecake
Senior Member
nothing has changed from last season.
roberto laff@us benitez is still full of sai.:thumbsd:
Cheesecake
Senior Member
our star winger dirty kite mux play on right wing mah. then new signing robber king play on left wing.
skirtie returns as centerback to torment us. :bsmilie:
Cheesecake
Senior Member
"That was the cue for Gerrard's arrival in place of Keane, who had struggled desperately to make any sort of impact."
fantastic.
roberto laff@us benitez used him on the left and torres ALONE upfront.
robber king struggled. so much for 20m GBP.
wat a waste of money. well done roberto. :thumbsd:
fantastic.
roberto laff@us benitez used him on the left and torres ALONE upfront.
robber king struggled. so much for 20m GBP.
wat a waste of money. well done roberto. :thumbsd:
Cheesecake
Senior Member
Standard Liege 0-0 Liverpool
Liverpool survived a difficult night in Belgium against Standard Liege to return to Anfield for the second leg of their Champions League qualifier in a fortnight all-square after a goalless draw.
The fanatical Liege fans hang a massive 'Hell side' banner from their favourite end of their intimidating stadium.
And Liverpool know it is hell they escaped from. Jose Reina was their hero, saving a first-half penalty in the third qualifying round, first-leg clash.
But the Spaniard looked to get away with clawing another shot back from behind the line as Liege pounded the Mersey giants.
Liege could easily have won by two or three goals, but Liverpool now know they have the chance of progressing to the lucrative group stages in front of their own fans.
There is around £10million of UEFA prize money at stake for them, and the spectre of Rangers' disastrous exit from this competition in the qualifiers will hang over Liverpool until they have put an end to Liege's dreams.
Boss Rafael Benitez opted not to risk skipper Steven Gerrard from the start, naming him on the bench, along with Andriy Voronin, while French teenager Damien Plessis played in central midfield alongside Xabi Alonso.
It means the Spaniard is now cup-tied in Europe if the Reds do sell him during the transfer window.
Italian full-back Andrea Dossena and £20million new boy Robbie Keane made their competitive Liverpool debuts as the five-times winners of this competition sought the expected comfortable step towards the group stages having never lost an away leg at this stage of the competition.
Liege were without the suspended American and one-time Newcastle defender, Oguchi Onyewu.
And the hosts were not prepared to risk Serbian striker Milan Javanovic, even on the bench, with him likely to be sold shortly to Marseille.
The locals whipped up quite a storm ahead of their club's debut in the Champions League.
Their tight, high-sided, three-tier stadium was rocking with noise and flares lit up both ends of the Maurice Dufrasne stadium.
The Liege players responded to the fanatical support with a fierce opening that could have seen them score twice.
After just six minutes Reina looked to have clawed the ball back from behind the line after a close-range shot from Marouane Fellaini had bounced across goal off the far post.
Some Liege players protested, others tried to force the ball home in a six-yard box melee with Liverpool frozen in panic.
And Liverpool were still in a daze when they conceded a penalty soon after.
But Reina rescued the team again when he made a fine save with his legs from a Dante Bonfim penalty, after Norwegian referee Tom Henning Ovrebo adjudged that Dossena had handled a cross from Wilfried Dalmat, although the infringement looked outside the box.
Liverpool were in disarray at the back as crosses rained in, and their zonal marking at set-pieces looked ready to crack at any moment.
Liege continued to be quicker to the ball in midfield, and equally as fast to break at pace.
Alonso was booked for a tackle on Deiu Mbokani, and still Liverpool had barely got into Liege's box.
And when they did get that far up field, Fernando Torres was taking a fair bit of stick from the home defenders, Marcos Camozzato was eventually booked for one late assault on the Spaniard's ankles.
Alonso came closest for Liverpool in the opening half when he curled a 25-yard free-kick on to the net, but this was a mess and the silent Liverpool fans high up in the stadium knew it.
The second half continued in much the same vein, Liverpool being hounded into mistakes all over the pitch.
One 40-yard punt up field cleared the entire Liverpool defence and Axel Witsel almost got on the end of it in the box with Reina scrambling.
Belgian youngster Fellaini was dominating midfield from what was a holding role, with plenty of licence to attack. The 20-year-old continually broke up play and surged forward.
Another 20-year-old, skipper Steven Defour, was having an equally impressive game in the middle.
Torres, starved of service, managed a long-range low drive that went a foot wide.
But Liege were still surging forward, and they almost took the lead after 65 minutes when Igor de Camargo got in front of Daniel Agger to head a deep, angled pass from Bonfim just wide of Reina's right-hand post.
That was the cue for Gerrard's arrival in place of Keane, who had struggled desperately to make any sort of impact.
Alonso fired just wide and Gerrard lifted a free-kick over the bar, but Liege still came forward.
And it took a Yossi Benayoun clearance in front of an open goal to stop a Mbokani header that had beaten Reina, from bouncing home.
Gerrard clearly was not really right, but his influenced calmed frayed nerves.
Had the England midfielder been closer to fitness, surely Benitez would have brought him on earlier, such was the ineptitude of the Liverpool display.
Next into the fray was young Moroccan winger Nabil El Zhar, for Dirk Kuyt. And with two minutes left El Zhar was flattened by Tomislav Mikulic, costing the Serb a booking.
Gerrard almost fired the free-kick home, Rorys Aragon Espinoza saving to his left.
if she was on the field on left wing, most like will blame her as well.
zai, sure 4-4-3 in second leg one. :thumbsup: :bsmilie:
skirtie didn't start lah, agger did. one year lay off and first competitive match with carra.
put hyypia also buay sai.
put skirtie we get heart attack.
we need mascherano and lucas back soon.
Wah you good man. Use black magic or voodoo to cover the referee eyes. Play with 12 men on the field:thumbsup::bsmilie:
Cheesecake
Senior Member
wa i so upset see the boys kiosai scrap a 0-0
almost buang. :sticktong
standard liege so strong meh?!?! :sticktong
too tough for Rafa's tactis!:bsmilie:
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