THIS IS ANFIELD!! - LIVERPOOL FOOTBALL CLUB! Season XVI

[Cheesecake]

fergie the champ of mindgames
our rafa is the champ of tactics :bigeyes:
4-5-1 at home at anfield leh :angry:

all hail raf999! the coach with 999 tactics.

 

[Cheesecake]

i thought the mind games were started by ho-say against the other top three clubs. :bsmilie:

fergie started against king kev. :bsmilie:

 

[Cheesecake]

come think of it, Rafa also champion in mindgames, he play mindgames with the players and long suffering fans like us.....

he is the true master.



hidden elder of the abyss, never one to reveal his true power.

 

[Cheesecake]

Let's get ready to GUESS GUESS GUESS!


Correct Score Prediction = 3points!

Correct 1st Scorer for LFC = 1point!

Correct Last Scorer for LFC = 1point!

Hat-Trick Hero Perfect Guess Guess Guess! = 5points!

so in any game, the max point a participant can net is a total of 10points.


Sorting Out the Grey Areas.

1). in the event of 1-0 end result, the 1st scorer will be taken as the last scorer even though the participant might haf anticipated 2-0 or 22-0 and haf listed someone else as the last scorer.

2). the prediction is good till the Final Whistle, which includes Extra-time but not Penalty Shootout.


Current standings:

1) Cheesecake 28 points
2) roadrunner 22 points
3) jfoo 20 points
4) kelccm 15 points
5) dfstan 13 points
6) blazer_works 12 points
7) canew 11 points
8) airfins 11 points
9) zhapchit 10 points
10) grumpy 9 points
11) roDz 6 points
12) xen0275 4 points
13). estronutz 3 points
14). nemesis32 2 points
15). parchiao 2point
16). zan82 2point
17). dnd 1 point
18). mpenza 1 point



bolton vs. LIVERPOOL!


Reebok stadium
Sunday, 2 March
Kick-off: 1330 GMT




3-1 to LFC! ( Gerrard, Aurelio)


1). 2-0 LIVERPOOL WIN!(Torres, Gerrard) crazy cheesecake -> 0pts
2). 3-1 Liverpool win (Kuyt, Gerrard, Torres) dfstan -> 3pts
3). 1-0 Liverpool Win (Gerrard) blazer_workz -> 1pt
4). 2-1 Liverpool Win (Torres, Torres) zan82 -> 0pts
5). 2-0 Liverpool wins! (1st.: F. Torres, Last: S. Gerrard) Canew -> 0pts
6). 3-2 Liverpool win! (Torres, Torres) kelccm -> 0pts
7). 4-2 Liverpool Win (Torres, Torres, Crouch, S. Gerrard) boresome -> 0pts
8). 2-1 Liverpool Win (Torres, Gerrard) Taurean -> 0pts
9). 4-0 Liverpool Win (Torres, Crouch) parchiao -> 0pts
10). 2-0 Liverpool Win (Torres, Torres) jfoo -> 0pts
11). 1-0 Liverpool Win (Torres) roadrunner -> 0pts

 

[Cheesecake]

Let's get ready to GUESS GUESS GUESS!


Correct Score Prediction = 3points!

Correct 1st Scorer for LFC = 1point!

Correct Last Scorer for LFC = 1point!

Hat-Trick Hero Perfect Guess Guess Guess! = 5points!

so in any game, the max point a participant can net is a total of 10points.


Sorting Out the Grey Areas.

1). in the event of 1-0 end result, the 1st scorer will be taken as the last scorer even though the participant might haf anticipated 2-0 or 22-0 and haf listed someone else as the last scorer.

2). the prediction is good till the Final Whistle, which includes Extra-time but not Penalty Shootout.


Current standings:

1) Cheesecake 28 points
2) roadrunner 22 points
3) jfoo 20 points
4) dfstan 16 points
5) kelccm 15 points
6) blazer_works 13 points
7) canew 11 points
8) airfins 11 points
9) zhapchit 10 points
10) grumpy 9 points
11) roDz 6 points
12) xen0275 4 points
13). estronutz 3 points
14). nemesis32 2 points
15). parchiao 2point
16). zan82 2point
17). dnd 1 point
18). mpenza 1 point

 

[grumpy]

fergie started against king kev. :bsmilie:

oldcastle no need mindgames.... 12 point lead during xmas, still can buang all the way

 

[Cheesecake]

Let's get ready to GUESS GUESS GUESS!


Correct Score Prediction = 3points!

Correct 1st Scorer for LFC = 1point!

Correct Last Scorer for LFC = 1point!

Hat-Trick Hero Perfect Guess Guess Guess! = 5points!

so in any game, the max point a participant can net is a total of 10points.


Sorting Out the Grey Areas.

1). in the event of 1-0 end result, the 1st scorer will be taken as the last scorer even though the participant might haf anticipated 2-0 or 22-0 and haf listed someone else as the last scorer.

2). the prediction is good till the Final Whistle, which includes Extra-time but not Penalty Shootout.


Current standings:

1) Cheesecake 28 points
2) roadrunner 22 points
3) jfoo 20 points
4) dfstan 16 points
5) kelccm 15 points
6) blazer_works 13 points
7) canew 11 points
8) airfins 11 points
9) zhapchit 10 points
10) grumpy 9 points
11) roDz 6 points
12) xen0275 4 points
13). estronutz 3 points
14). nemesis32 2 points
15). parchiao 2point
16). zan82 2point
17). dnd 1 point
18). mpenza 1 point



Wednesday, 05 March 2008

LIVERPOOL V. west ham

ANFIELD!

Barclays Premier League
Liverpool v West Ham, 20:00

updates as and when they are ready!



1). 3-0 LIVERPOOL WIN!(Gerrard, Crouch) crazy cheesecake

 

[Cheesecake]

oldcastle no need mindgames.... 12 point lead during xmas, still can buang all the way

haiz... tat one is sadness.

 

[grumpy]

Talk about Going Dutch.....

TOMKINS: RAFA GOING DUTCH?
Paul Tomkins 03 March 2008

A few questions from the victory at Bolton: Has Rafa Benítez found a winning formation? Why do linesmen make so many bad calls for the Reds at the Reebok? And who takes plastic bags to games on windy days just to release them onto the pitch?


The formation - 4-2-3-1, or 4-2-1-3 depending on how you look at it - is one that appears to suit the personnel at the manager's disposal, and is also one that both Ryan Babel and Dirk Kuyt are very familiar with, with the pair having regularly been deployed either side of a main striker for the Dutch national team.

It also appears nearer to what Benítez deployed at Valencia, but which he struggled to mimic at Liverpool with the players at his disposal. Maybe that's now changing.

I keep hearing that Kuyt is not a natural wide player, but it's not only where he has played for Holland but also where he started out at Utrecht. Rather than a winger with silky skills (Babel is doing that role nicely on the other flank), he is a wide attacker.

He has the energy and intelligence to make a nuisance of himself in dangerous areas, and with two goals and an assist via the post in his last four games, he has shown he can get into the box as much as when playing as the second striker. His wide work is tidy and terrier-like at worst, but at best he can put balls into the box with the knowledge of the way a striker likes to receive them.

There's no doubt that the area the Reds are strongest in the centre of midfield. Despite what some people seem to think, Steven Gerrard, like all of the major players, has always played nearly every game possible under Benítez. With his recent deployment in advance of two other central midfielders, he can play a free role without ever looking stranded up there, as he can if playing ahead of two midfielders in a 4-4-1-1.

The downside of Gerrard starting games as the second-most advanced player, as seen in Athens, is that he can end up playing with his back to goal, where he's less effective. The current formation seems to get the best out of him: he can burst forward with his energy and drive in support of Torres, Kuyt and Babel as part of a powerful quartet capable of sharing 70 goals a season (they already have 55). Add Benayoun, who could replace either Kuyt or Babel, and you have 65 goals between the five of them.

But the system also means two out of Alonso, Mascherano and Lucas can feature; in a flat 4-4-2, where Gerrard's role is more traditional, two of those other three central midfielders have to miss out. Lucas was rightly rested at the Reebok, having looked tired last week, but he has adapted well for a young overseas player thrown into the cut-and-thrust of a Premiership midfield. There's a lot more left to come from the young Brazilian, and next year, as with Babel, we should see a player more acclimatised.

Liverpool's form in the main two competitions (therefore excluding Barnsley) has been excellent in the last five games, with three goals scored in wins against Sunderland, Middlesbrough and most recently Bolton (never an easy place to go), a 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge when the better team, and the famous 2-0 defeat of Inter Milan. Chances are being put away at last.

If anything, it is the defending that has been uncharacteristic of a Benítez team at times, with a few sloppy goals conceded lately. Perhaps this is down to the changes in the back line: Arbeloa, Finnan and Aurelio have been in and out due to several niggling injuries, whilst Agger's six-month absence has seen him missed as both a destructive and constructive force.

Meanwhile, another new defender has been introduced in the shape of Martin Skrtel, and while he's been excellent on an individual basis after a shaky first game, it takes time for the defence to gel as a unit. The same applies with marking set-pieces, where the zonal system relies on understanding and, like any other factor in football, relies on confidence.

But as with the form at Anfield which has taken a dip this term, we know the defending can, and almost certainly will, be better in the future.

There's much to play for until May, but also, looking beyond that, I can sense Liverpool improving radically next term. The new players Benítez added this summer are approaching 50 goals, and each can still improve.

In 2006-07 United surprised people by improving dramatically to win the league without changing a lot of elements from the previous season, while this year, even more surprisingly, Arsenal are leading the way, again after only only adding one new player to the regular starting line-up (Sagna). It is largely down to existing young players, like Adebayor, Hleb and Fabregas, suddenly going up a level or two.

I think winning the league in 2009 will be a tall order for the Reds, but now some key new players have bedded in at Anfield I'd expect a more cohesive challenge next term. A number of new first-team players have been signed in the last 12/13 months –– I make it eight who have featured very heavily. But in most positions you can now see that Rafa finally has the players he wants.

Unlike the top three, whose squads were closer to completion by 2005-2006, this is still a relatively new project. I cannot stress this enough.

When building towards success you have to wait for the elements to align –– for the new players to adapt to the league and to the tactics, and to gel with the existing players; for the existing key players to be sharp and on form; for confidence to be high; and for there to be no major injuries to those few irreplaceable players. There is no magic formula to make the fates align.

And you need luck at the right times, both in games and in the season as a whole. After dreadful luck at the Reebok in recent visits –– Luis Garcia's wrongly disallowed goal for offside in 2004/05 and Pepe Reina's ludicrous penalisation for handling outside his area last season –– the Reds got a lucky break with Jaaskelainen's own goal. By the time the bad officiating hit again –– a corner awarded against Kuyt when the ball was nowhere near out, which soon led to a goal –– it was too late in the game to derail Rafa's men.

When Benítez first arrived, the squad needed rebuilding but he couldn't afford to go for the real top-end players everyone was after, as they were too expensive. Nor could he rely on hugely promising youngsters who were not yet ready (players of the ilk of Theo Walcott), because you have to wait two or three years for these to mature and a new manager needs to get up and running quickly.

But it's now that the squad really has the look of a project nearing completion. There are still one or two positions where improvements can be made, and a club like Liverpool has to consistently be on the lookout for top talent, but Reina, Torres, Mascherano, Agger, Babel, Lucas, Arbeloa and now Skrtel fit the profile of young, dedicated players with technical ability, a winning mentality and a real turn of speed.

Until last summer, Rafa had been getting in lots of cheap and medium-priced players (£2m-£6m), keeping and polishing the gems like Agger, Arbeloa, Crouch and Reina and offloading good players like Bellamy and Sissoko who made contributions but didn't offer absolutely everything he wanted. Sensible buying meant profits could be made on those being offloaded, allowing Rafa to reinvest in better players, as seen with the trading up from Sissoko to Mascherano. This is a gradual process; improving bit by bit, year on year.

It made more sense in those first three years than blowing the budget on a couple of big names, because were they to fail to adapt, like Shevchenko or Veron and countless other star names, or were they to get seriously injured, he would have been left with the same fairly weak squad he inherited and little room for manoeuvre.

But I'd expect a slower turnover of players from now on, because it's getting closer to a situation where the team will 'settle' and naturally improve, as seen with Manchester United and Arsenal recently.

And in the next two years, you can expect to see some graduates from the successful youth and reserve sides, such as Insua, Nemeth, San Jose, Anderson, Hobbs, Spearing, Pacheco and Plessis –– who are already wise to the tactics and settled at the club –– pushing for places; but being introduced gradually and naturally, rather than thrust in because the team is struggling. The success of the Reds' youth and reserve sides since 2005-06 shows the strength of the club as a whole, but it's now about waiting for the very best talent to be ready to make the step up.

Benítez has had some criticism for not previously playing Babel enough (now the Dutchman is finding his feet), but if you look at how Arsene Wenger eased in Eduardo before his broken leg, you can see a very similar pattern: using the player in Europe more than the Premiership initially, but then increasing the league minutes. Now Babel is looking an integral part of the team.

Hopefully the current form is indicative of the way the team is heading. The Reds are proving harder than ever to beat this season, are generally scoring more goals, and the away form is title-winning class. A return to the fortress Anfield had become between 2004 and 2007, and more consistently killing games off when totally dominant (to avoid those frustrating draws), and suddenly, without an awful lot needing to be altered, a big improvement could be seen.

 

[Cheesecake]

Talk about Going Dutch.....

i shuddered when i read abt dirty kite...

i dunno but this article doesn't really reflect the true state of events in LFC of which we vomited plenty of blood before.

 

[zan82]

i received enlightenment..................hummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm :bsmilie:

My enlightenment simpler - Dirty Kite is sure starter, Crouchie will come on after 60 min.

 

[Canew]

Reds should finish fourth - Moyes​

Everton manager David Moyes says Mersey rivals Liverpool remain favourites to clinch the fourth Champions League spot in the Premier League this season.

Both teams won on Sunday, leaving Everton three points ahead of Liverpool, who have a game in hand.

Moyes said: "We are doing everything we can to make a fight of it but Liverpool have to be favourites, still.

"We have been consistent but for them fourth would be expected. The bookies are right to make them favourites."

Despite Moyes's assertions, Everton have enjoyed better results than Liverpool since the start of the calendar year.

But the Reds could return to fourth place on Wednesday when they play their game in hand against West Ham.

The final Merseyside derby on 30 March, at Anfield, could be vital in establishing which team claims the final Champions League qualifying spot behind Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea.

However, Aston Villa, currently two points behind Liverpool, are also in contention.

Moyes said: "We have to keep our play at this level and keep going right to the end.

"Our performances are getting better, so all we can do is to put ourselves in a position to keep going forward."

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez said: "We have beaten Manchester City and Portsmouth, and they are two teams who have been pushing us all the way.

"They all want a European place.

"I feel we have realised that we can play against the best teams and cause them problems.

"Every win is important when you are fighting for fourth place."

Mind games being played here?

 

[boresome]

Let's get ready to GUESS GUESS GUESS!


Correct Score Prediction = 3points!

Correct 1st Scorer for LFC = 1point!

Correct Last Scorer for LFC = 1point!

Hat-Trick Hero Perfect Guess Guess Guess! = 5points!

so in any game, the max point a participant can net is a total of 10points.


Sorting Out the Grey Areas.

1). in the event of 1-0 end result, the 1st scorer will be taken as the last scorer even though the participant might haf anticipated 2-0 or 22-0 and haf listed someone else as the last scorer.

2). the prediction is good till the Final Whistle, which includes Extra-time but not Penalty Shootout.


Current standings:

1) Cheesecake 28 points
2) roadrunner 22 points
3) jfoo 20 points
4) dfstan 16 points
5) kelccm 15 points
6) blazer_works 13 points
7) canew 11 points
8) airfins 11 points
9) zhapchit 10 points
10) grumpy 9 points
11) roDz 6 points
12) xen0275 4 points
13). estronutz 3 points
14). nemesis32 2 points
15). parchiao 2point
16). zan82 2point
17). dnd 1 point
18). mpenza 1 point



Wednesday, 05 March 2008

LIVERPOOL V. west ham

ANFIELD!

Barclays Premier League
Liverpool v West Ham, 20:00

updates as and when they are ready!



1) 3-0 LIVERPOOL WIN! (Gerrard, Crouch) crazy cheesecake
2) 3-1 LIVERPOOL WIN! (Torres, Crouch) boresome

 

[blazer_workz]

Let's get ready to GUESS GUESS GUESS!


Correct Score Prediction = 3points!

Correct 1st Scorer for LFC = 1point!

Correct Last Scorer for LFC = 1point!

Hat-Trick Hero Perfect Guess Guess Guess! = 5points!

so in any game, the max point a participant can net is a total of 10points.


Sorting Out the Grey Areas.

1). in the event of 1-0 end result, the 1st scorer will be taken as the last scorer even though the participant might haf anticipated 2-0 or 22-0 and haf listed someone else as the last scorer.

2). the prediction is good till the Final Whistle, which includes Extra-time but not Penalty Shootout.


Current standings:

1) Cheesecake 28 points
2) roadrunner 22 points
3) jfoo 20 points
4) dfstan 16 points
5) kelccm 15 points
6) blazer_works 13 points
7) canew 11 points
8) airfins 11 points
9) zhapchit 10 points
10) grumpy 9 points
11) roDz 6 points
12) xen0275 4 points
13). estronutz 3 points
14). nemesis32 2 points
15). parchiao 2point
16). zan82 2point
17). dnd 1 point
18). mpenza 1 point



Wednesday, 05 March 2008

LIVERPOOL V. west ham

ANFIELD!

Barclays Premier League
Liverpool v West Ham, 20:00

updates as and when they are ready!



1) 3-0 LIVERPOOL WIN! (Gerrard, Crouch) crazy cheesecake
2) 3-1 LIVERPOOL WIN! (Torres, Crouch) boresome
3) 2-0 Liverpool Win! (Gerrard, Gerrard) blazer_workz

 

[kelccm]

Let's get ready to GUESS GUESS GUESS!


Correct Score Prediction = 3points!

Correct 1st Scorer for LFC = 1point!

Correct Last Scorer for LFC = 1point!

Hat-Trick Hero Perfect Guess Guess Guess! = 5points!

so in any game, the max point a participant can net is a total of 10points.


Sorting Out the Grey Areas.

1). in the event of 1-0 end result, the 1st scorer will be taken as the last scorer even though the participant might haf anticipated 2-0 or 22-0 and haf listed someone else as the last scorer.

2). the prediction is good till the Final Whistle, which includes Extra-time but not Penalty Shootout.


Current standings:

1) Cheesecake 28 points
2) roadrunner 22 points
3) jfoo 20 points
4) dfstan 16 points
5) kelccm 15 points
6) blazer_works 13 points
7) canew 11 points
8) airfins 11 points
9) zhapchit 10 points
10) grumpy 9 points
11) roDz 6 points
12) xen0275 4 points
13). estronutz 3 points
14). nemesis32 2 points
15). parchiao 2point
16). zan82 2point
17). dnd 1 point
18). mpenza 1 point



Wednesday, 05 March 2008

LIVERPOOL V. west ham

ANFIELD!

Barclays Premier League
Liverpool v West Ham, 20:00

updates as and when they are ready!



1) 3-0 LIVERPOOL WIN! (Gerrard, Crouch) crazy cheesecake
2) 3-1 LIVERPOOL WIN! (Torres, Crouch) boresome
3) 2-0 Liverpool Win! (Gerrard, Gerrard) blazer_workz
4) 3-0 LIVERPOOL WIN! (Torres, Torres) kelccm

 

[melvin]

fergie the champ of mindgames
our rafa is the champ of tactics :bigeyes:
4-5-1 at home at anfield leh :angry:

That one he really Champ Master of tactics the players will not know who in the starting eleven till the last min! no one in the EPL can beat him to that!:bsmilie:

 

[Cheesecake]

That one he really Champ Master of tactics the players will not know who in the starting eleven till the last min! no one in the EPL can beat him to that!:bsmilie:

:thumbsup: never doubt the PRO!

 

[ernest_ted]

how come gooners get to play @ san siro 1st...we have to wait 1 more week.

sic...the 2 meelans share same ground

 

[jeff49er]

:thumbsupIC takeover is imminent :thumbsup:

All the petrol dollars will be pumped to Steady Park. :thumbsup:

 

[harrynkl]

DIC impose takeover deadline on Liverpool

Liverpool co-owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks have until midnight to accept a £400million takeover bid from Dubai International Capital, it was reported on Tuesday.

The offer would give the American businessmen a profit of £25million each on their investment in the club, according to reports.

News of a bid follows confirmation from DIC, the investment arm of the Maktoum royal family, that talks had taken place between the various parties but were being held up by the valuation of the club by one of Hicks or Gillett.

'It's no secret that we have been in discussions with the current owners,' said al-Ansari.

'It's not easy because the owners are in dreamland about valuations at the moment.'

Al-Ansari later clarified that one of the club's owners 'had come out of dreamland', without giving further details.

Other reports on Tuesday indicate Hicks, who has insisted he is opposed to a sale, has been trying to raise the capital necessary to buy out his partner.

But Hicks has described such speculation as 'premature'.

The US tycoons are believed to have suffered a breakdown in their relationship since taking over Liverpool last year.

on Tuesday's offer was reportedly made to the pair by Amanda Staveley, a senior partner of London-based investment firm PCP and who represents DIC.

Only last week, Texan billionaire Hicks denied reports he had invited DIC to inspect the club's accounts in preparation for a takeover.

Frustrated by Hicks' stance, DIC turned their attention to Gillett, who is thought to be much keener on a sale.

However, neither of the co-owners is able to cut and run without the other's consent, a point Hicks was at pains to make last week when he told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram: 'Not only am I not going to sell, my partner cannot sell without my approval.'

Also, DIC are thought to want a controlling stake at Anfield, meaning they would need to convince Hicks to relinquish part of his 50% of the club as well as buying out Gillett.

It appears clear the main problem preventing a takeover is the price DIC are willing to pay.

It has been nowhere near the amount of money Hicks has been asking for - he would want to make a substantial sum out of selling the club.

Another hurdle to overcome is that the refinancing package announced on January 25 has loaded £105million of debt on to the club.

Of that, £60million is earmarked to kick-start the new stadium development plus £45million for future player transfers and to meet the club's working capital needs.

The takeover talk is being driven by the refinancing deal, believed to only last for 18 months, and so Hicks and Gillett are soon going to have to start renegotiating the debts.

Furthermore, they are shortly going to have to go back to the banks to ask for a further £300million in loans to finance the rest of the new stadium at Stanley Park.