Consistency

Date: 26 Dec Boxing Day
Game: Derby vs Liverpool
Score: 1-2 (Liverpool win)

Well.......it was one hell of a roller coaster ride! Can't really describe how I felt throughout the game but I will give it a try.

It started off calmly. I expected at least 2 goals, given the fact we thrashed them 6-0 the last time. Torres scored. Jubilation. It was a cool finish by the Spaniard. What followed was a steady build up of frustration and anxiety, right up to the time when Derby equalized. I sensed it at half time. When Michael Johnson came into the game, I felt the Derby defence looked more solid and controlled. The high balls pumped into the final third were ineffective. They were easily cut-out by the Ram's defense. Torres was non-existent after his solitary goal. Voronin was frustrated with the high balls especially when he lost them all. Babel probably left the pitch for an early shower. Riise, as usual, was rubbish. In short, the team went to sleep and thought they could hold on to a 1 goal advantage.

Time? 67minutes. Score: 1-1. Derby equalised. Feeling: Disgusted.

It was a poorly defended free-kick. For the second time in 2 weeks, we conceded a goal from sloppy defending. Consistency?? I am sure. It was also interesting to note that we only started playing better after the Rams equalised. As a result of that, we managed to steal a winner in the 90+2minutes. Kudos to Captain Marvel. He rescued us once again. Feeling: Relieve....but still disgusted.

Question. Are we championship material? I seriously hope so!!! I mentioned on numerous occasions that we needed to be consistent. We started the game brightly, scored an early goal and then switched off!! Why did we resort to pumping high balls when we could have played our usual brand of football? What happened to the quick passing game that made us one of the best football teams in the world?? Saw the attempted "flick on" by Kyut to Torres in the 91minute? He did a fancy back-heel and lobbed the ball high up in the air. Result: The ball was easily cut out and we lost the chance to break for goal number 3. Torres was already breaking up-front. Why can't Kyut hold the ball, delay a mere second before sending a clinical pass through to Torres. Play the ball to his feet!!! That's where he is most lethal and effective. The big man likes to take on defenders and beat them. Why not use his strengths? As far as I am concerned, Kyut needs to go....and go soon.

It was a win we didn't deserve but I will be the first to take the 3 points. Thank you Santa! With Chelsea dropping 2 points at home through an injury-time equaliser by Villa, we needed to win our game in order to close the gap. It was also good news that Arsenal dropped 2 points away as well.

We need to be consistent. We need to kill teams off quickly and we have the resources and talent to do the job. The players need to have a stronger mentality. Last minute winners or equalisers don't come all the time. If we are leading by a goal and expect to win it by some sloppy defending, passing or shooting, we are in trouble then.

We want the 19th league title and we want it badly but before we even start dreaming about it, let's start showing some consistency.

Merry Christmas

4 goals against Pompey and we ended their 6 successive wins on the road. I had a very strong feeling before the game that we will win by 2 clear goals (see my previous blog). Once again Fernando Torres proved to be the difference. 14 goals in the season so far. That's an impressive statistic for a debutant in the english game.

One trend I noticed over the last few games is that whenever Yossi Benayoun scores, the team goes on a scoring spree and wins by a big margin. Remember the record-setting game against Besiktas in the Champions League?? 8-0 and Benayoun scored a hat trick in that game. The problem lies in the consistency of the players and the team. There are games where I hardly see Benayoun at all. I said at the beginning of the season that the key to winning our 19th League title lies in our consistency. We have been poor so far. We have not been able to keep our winning streak. It's frustrating when the problem lies with the whole team. There are games where everyone under-performs. From the Captain to the last man ie. losing possession too easily, slack passing, losing concentration, poor link up play, no creativity in the final third etc etc. Do we lack the winning mentality? I think so. How confident are we to come back from 1 or 2 goals down and go on to win a game? We saw that in the team 2 seasons ago. Remeber AC Milan, Olympiakos, Fulham and West Ham? We came back from the 'dead' to win these games. I am not so sure now. After going one goal down against Man U, I never felt like we would equalise. What happened to the "fight till the end" thing? We should have thrown everything at them, played at a much higher pace, opened up the game, played a third striker and put them under pressure. We were at home afterall. Either way, we were losing by a goal. Anyway, it's over. No point crying over it now.

At the moment, Arsenal and Man U looks unstoppable. It will be a real challenge to close the gap. Once again, we need others to drop points. Wouldn't it be better if we depended on ourselves to earn the 3 points week-in and week-out?

Champions League knock out stage - Liverpool vs Inter Milan. I can't even tell you how big this game is gonna be. We have not played them in a while. It's never easy going to Italy to get a result. The key will be in the leg played at home in Anfield. Remember Juventus a few seasons ago? We basically blasted them out into outer space by half time. They never knew what hit them. We need to do that again against the italian giants. They are looking really good in the Serie A, unbeaten so far. That 2-1 derby win against AC Milan certainly got me really worried.

Anyway, we will worry about that game until we come to it in Feb. In the meantime, let's hope we turn our season around from NOW!! The second half of the season will be crucial. If we are gonna win it, we need to go on a long winning streak. We need results against the top 3 teams away from home. It's not over yet.

In the meantime, wishing one and all a Merry Christmas and may the red of Liverpool bless you with a good year ahead.

3 in a row

What's happening?? What was going on in Rafa's head when he put up the team against Chelsea on Wed?? It was rubbish!! 3 losses in a row......

It was a team line-up waiting to be thrashed. We had at least 3 players from the reserves. Why is it that time and again, we have to field a 2nd choice goal-keeper for the Carling Cup?? We have been knocked out of this Cup for the last few seasons. Isn't it another piece of silverware? Rafa claimed that we were out to win in Stamford Bridge, I expected a team credible enough to at least fight for a draw and take the game eventually to penalties. This is Chelsea after all and not West Bromich Albion or Wolverhampton Wanderers.

What was the manager thinking about? For a long time, I had resisted the call for his head. I have the utmost repect for Rafa and often defended him against tough critics but this is becoming really difficult.

One thing for sure, I feel he has a few "star" players who are his favourites. Momo, Kewell, Kyut - just to name 3. He will play these players whenever he feel he can. Remember how Kewell started in the final against AC Milan 2 years ago despite not playing regularly prior to that? He was (and still is) rubbish!! Momo should be benched 3 mths ago and never be allowed to play another minute of first team football. He is rubbish!! Kyut should think about switiching positions to midfield instead of attack. He is rubbish in front of goal!! Why is Aurelio still in the team? He is then worst Brazilian player I have ever seen in my life. What has he contributed to the team thus far? He is at best only an average player that is more suited for teams like Sunderland or Derby or Wigan. Crouch? I like him but what was that tackle all about??? It's pure stupidity. Knowing the Chelsea players, he should have known better. These Blue boys (and some Red D boys as well) can possibly win an Oscar for the most dramatic falls on the pitch. To me, Mikel was the Best "actor" in that game!!

News of the stadium plans have not been promising as well. If we are not careful, we might end up like Leeds United!! The days ahead are not looking great. Strange how things can change in a week.

It's time we stop the rot and get back to winning ways. The Pompeys will be tough opponents, we need to be ready for them. I am not giving up on the team yet....they should win by 2 clear goals!!

Come on you Reds!! Keep the faith and be loyal....

Another Blue Tie

Not been writing anything the last few days cos' I've been busy looking for a new home. In any case, still feeling the after effects of our last loss. I suppose it will take a while before the feeling goes away.

But wait a minute!! Aren't we playing the Blues tonight?? At Stamford Bridge? Win and I am sure it will bring back the smiles again! Both teams lost at the weekend and thus will be looking forward to a win. A game against the Blue boys at their own turf is never gonna be easy. I hope for a win in order to cure my blues. With the Pompeys looming round the corner this Saturday, it's looking like a tough week already. According to Rafa, confidence is high amongst the players. I really hope he is not lying. Like before, I expect a tight game, with us not giving anything away in the first half. Essien and Ballack is back for this game but I expect major changes to the team line-up. It's the Carling Cup after all.......! It will be interesting to see who Rafa fields tonight. I just hope it's not a full team of 2nd stringers though we know Alonso is back and fit for selection. Stevie is supposedly down with a stomach upset and will not travel to London. Let's see how the team copes without our captain.

Hold on to your seats! It will be another close encounter.

Come on you Reds!!!

I am mourning

There is nothing to talk about!!!

We lost the game to a set piece. Same old story. It's heart breaking. All the excitement and anxiety before the game fizzled away quickly within the first 20mins. The kind of urgency and fire was clearly missing from our play. Man U was happy to play for a draw but they had an opportunity from a silly free kick.

After watching the Arsenal and Chelsea game, I am beginning to feel that the title race this year will be between Arsenal and Man U. We are just too far behind now. I can't help but feel this way.

I am mourning. The feeling is terrible.

Calm before the Storm

I am feeling calm before the big game tonight. The first 10mins will be crucial. It will set the tone for the game. I just hope we come out playing the same kind of football against Marseille - direct and intense. That should cause Man U problems. The difference between this season and the last few? Fernando Torres. He will be the key. I said before it's a matter how both defences cope with the strikers. In Man U, they have Rooney, Tevez and Ronaldo, a trio capable of inflicting much damage. I am sure Torres will be on Ferdinand and Vidic's minds tonight. This will be the time for Benayoun, Kewell (if they start) and Gerard to perform. I will be eager to see who Rafa picks to partner Torres upfront. Will it be Crouch or Voronin? Could it even be Babel?? I am not sure.....

I have been receiving a lot of calls and smses from my friends who are Man U fans. They told me not to be too sad after the game tonight.....such is their arrogance.

Let's pray to whatever Gods that we can pray to.....the spirit of Shankly will be there to inspire the boys tonight. It's too big a game for him to miss.....

Come on you Reds......win tonight and it will truly kick start our season. It's long overdue.....

God Bless Liverpool...

"We will beat them one day, I can promise you that!" Gerard Houllier on Manchester United

I love El Nino

What a game!! What a win!!

When Stevie plays well, the whole team gets a lift. Look at that bursting dash into the box which gave us our first goal! Reminds me of the equalising goal by Alonso against AC Milan during the CL final in Athens! That set the tone for the game. Olympic Marseille was lucky to have 11 men on the pitch after that....should have gotten a red card for the last-man offence.

El Nino's, aka Fernando Torres, 2nd goal was a classic. It is fast becoming his trade mark goal. One of the best I have seen from him this season so far.

At the end of the day, it was a great team performance. You could see the hunger and urgency in the team's play. Forget about the game against Reading! That was Everton playing......!!

I had a feeling and was quietly confident that we would win by 2 clear goals last night. It all depended on the team that was going to be fielded. When I saw the starting lineup, I knew we would come out firing on all cylinders.

This is the real Liverpool team, capable of beating anyone on our day. It does not matter who we face next, be it Sevilla or AC Milan or Barcelona, we will be ready. With a set of good core players and a master tactician in Rafa, we can only become better. In defence, we have Carragher, Agger and Hypia. In midfield, we have Gerard, Mascherano. And in attack, we have Torres and Crouch. Add to that a pair of fantastic wingers in Benayoun and Kewell. Hobbs looks like a good player for the future. Lucas Leiva and Sebastian Leto have impressed as well. Babel is looking increasingly enticing as a second striker. He reminds me of John Barnes very much.

Now that we have secured ourselves a Champions League place in the last 16, we need to re-focus our minds to the next crunch match. Alex Ferguson and his gay boys will be coming to town on Sunday. I feel that the match will be decided by either team's defences and how each cope with the strikers. I think we have a slight edge in midfield. If we continue with the same team line-up, it promises to be one hell of a game. I can't wait and it is crucial that we restore our pride after a devastating last minute winner scored by O'Shea last season. I expect him to play again at some point of the game especially if the score remains dead-locked.

Tip of the day: Play Under 2.5 goals and take Liverpool on level. I expect us to kick off first and don't be surprised if there will be a red card too (hopefully on either Rooney or Ronaldo). This win against Marseille will re-launch our season.

Hang in there boys. Bring out those scarfs and flags. Its time to sing:

"We hate Nothingham Forest,
We hate Everton too......They're shit!!
We hate Man United,
but LIVERPOOL WE LOVE YOU!!"

"Where are you from?"
"I'm a Liverpool fan from London."
"Well laddie, what's it like to be in heaven?" Bill Shankly to a Liverpool fan

Heart-break

It was a bad weekend......I can't even bear to read any reports of our game against Reading on Saturday. Obviously, I didn't write about it as well. It was a game we should have won if not for the tactical mistakes Rafa made (my opinion). When my friend John text me and asked where were the Wingers, I realised that they were all sitting on the bench (ie. Kewell, Benayoun, Babel).

Can we petition for Rafa to sell Sissoko in the Jan transfer window?? And fancy Rafa giving up mid way through the second half?? Unbelievable!!! I am mourning...........seriously!

Anyway, it's just not the perfect way to lead on to our must-win game against Marseille on Wed morning. The only consolation is the fact that Arsenal lost as well last night. Other than that, I am beginning to feel it's going to be another "almost" season. I hate to criticise the team but this time round, I cant convince myself why I should not. In any case, John has kindly contributed a write-up for my blog. I echo his sentiments completely. Have a read:

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I just understand Rafa's tactics at the last game. Firstly, he again went for the same formation as the Arsenal game ie. no natural wingers. He had Gerard playing an unusual left, Voronin on the right and Sissoko in the middle. Very glaring mistakes in my opinion.

1. The team is on a winning streak and he changed the dynamics. I'm for players rotation but not ridiculous formation change because that unsettles team dynamics much more than mere player change (ie. winger for winger, midfielder for midfielder). As a result the wing play was totally ineffective if not absent except for the occasional mistimed and mis-directed cross from Riise, the left fullback (where is Gerard then the left winger? Will explain in next bullet).

2. Gerard's instinct is in the midfield. His dominance in the team undermines Sissoko's responsibility to push the midfield thrust which inevitably became Liverpool's main thrust since the wings were ineffective. Unfortunately Sissoko is a pale shadow of his past and Benitez has chosen wrongly. It's time to offload Sissoko or banish him to the bench. Trial and experimentation cannot be afforded if Liverpool is serious about winning every game.

As a result of the dislocated formation, we had Gerard inevitably floating into the midfield to take control with Sissoko being inadequate. The only goal is a good illustration.

And with Gerard out of position, Riise is forced to move up, exposing the back. This led to the 1st and 3rd goal.

3. Voronin's instinct is on attack. I would rather he play the midfield than Sissoko given his creativity. Again he was largely absent on the wings.

4. Reading is smart in that they were patient. They cleared the ball rather than risk giving the ball away to Liverpool. As a result, Pool had periods of possession but without great threat. This painted a false illusion and did not arouse a sense of urgency in Liverpool. Pool was like a frog in hot water, oblivious to the glaring vulnerability and lack of bite.

It was all the more disappointing that Benitez conceded defeat at 60min. His reason was to cut loss but were'nt there great depth on the bench? He could have restored the usual formation - bring in Yossi and Kewell, take out Crouch and Sissoko.

I feel sorry for Gerard. He was all over the field trying to lift the team but his coach played the team out. I can't recall any contribution from Mascherano and Crouch. Sissoko and Riise were glaringly playing clumsily and stupidly.

While I'm willing to give Benitez benefit of the doubt, his wild cards are exhausted. Enough excuses. I'll be one to call for his head if he does not deliver his promises and that may come as early as this week against Marseille and Man U.

Pics

Red Advantage

Ha.....Newcastle 1 Arsenal 1

Advantage Liverpool. I said Big Sam can't lose this game and true enough, the Toons came out fighting after Adebayor's opener in the fourth minute.

Well, this is going to be a good day for me in the office....I can feel it.

Gotta leave for the office now. Good morning guys!!

"Some people believe football is a matter of life and death, I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that." Bill Shankly

That fella is a diver

I can't believe Fulham did not put up a stronger showing against Man United this morning. It was a terrible game as far as I am concerned....I was hoping the Red Devils would drop some points. An early goal by the gay-boy (oops, I mean Cristiano Ronaldo....) did not help the Cottagers' cause. Earlier in the season Mr Rob Styles "robbed" us of a penalty, this morning the man did Fulham a favour and produced a yellow card for our Mr Gay Boy for allegedly diving in the box. What's new? It's not as if we have not seen it before....Ronaldo is a diver and a cheat (I am sure Man U fans reading this will want to kill me next).

According to the press, Alex Ferguson accused Fulham keeper Antti Niemi of conning Rob Styles into booking Cristiano Ronaldo for diving. He said, 'There is no question their goalkeeper conned the referee. His action forced the referee to book Cristiano. Why would he want to go down? He was on a hat-trick, he had gone round the keeper and he was brought down. It was a ridiculous decision.'

Ridiculous decision?? Come on, Mr Ferguson! Any half-wit who watched the game will tell you that it was a clear dive. Players build a reputation for themselves over time and you can't blame the officials. Ronaldo has a big reputation for making some theatrical/dramatic falls in the box over the years. You reap what you sow. Tough shite....

In any case, I expect the fight for the title this season to be a lot closer than previous years. With us chasing the leaders, a resurgent Chelsea and a surprise package in Man City, we are in for a very exciting new year. Let's just pray that come 11 May, we will finally end a long long wait for number 19th.

There is no better way of starting off your day with a dose of Anfield's famous quotes:

"A lot of football success is in the mind. You must believe that you are the best and then make sure that you are. In my time at Liverpool we always said we had the best two teams in Merseyside, Liverpool and Liverpool reserves." Bill Shankly

"Liverpool are magic, Everton are tragic." Emlyn Hughes

11 goals scored and only conceded 1 over the last 3 games against Newcastle, Porto and Bolton. What can I say?

The rumored dispute between Rafa and our American owners threatened to disrupt a crucial phase of our season. With must win games against Porto and Marseille to ensure survival in the Champions League, I was worried the spill-over effects on the team. However, my worries were unfounded when we cruised to comfortable wins against the teams I mentioned above. At the risk of sounding boastful, our team is beginning to look more and more like championship material. I dare say that only Arsenal is playing as well, if not better, than us at this point in time. It was mentioned in the reports that there were only twice in our previous 18-title winning seasons that we had more points at this stage of the season. The Dec to Jan period will be crucial. It will be the most challenging time of the season with the schedule packed with games and minimal rest in between. The depth and quality of the squad will make the difference. Consistency is next most important factor. Let's pray that Big Sam's Newcastle will cause damage to the Gunners this Thursday when they play their game in hand. It will be the do-or-die game for the big man...lose and he will be sacked.

Torres-Crouch. I feel so good whenever I see them playing together! It was a pity Crouch did not get his name on the score sheet last night but he did enough to seal a place (in my opinion) in the starting line-up with El-Nino (Torres). Someone needs to drill that into Rafa's head. Forget about Kyut. Better sell him during the Jan transfer window and use the money to secure Mascherano's future with us. We can always throw in Sissoko as a 'free-gift' to make the deal more attractive! With Lucas Leiva impressing, we don't need a liability in the squad. Sissoko was atrocious in the first 30mins against Newcastle. I must admit that he was once very good but somehow along the way he seemed to have lost his confidence and we cannot afford to baby-sit him in a high level league like the EPL. In Ryan Babel, we have a quality second striker. Notice how he calmly slotted the ball into the net for our 4th goal? His positioning was great too. Give that to Kyut and I assure you he will blast that into outer space. We need every single player to be at their 110% week in and week out. Players that can't keep up will have to be dropped and shipped out. No two ways about it. A friend of mine mentioned to me that perhaps the current crop of foreign players we have are starting to realise what it means to be playing in a red shirt. The players need to believe that they are the best in the business and they are playing for the greatest club in the world.

We had a great time 2 weekends ago in KL for the Liverpool Fan Clubs 5-a-side Futsal competition. Despite beating Thailand and Brunei, we were second in the group, losing to the defending Champions, Penang B (which went on to defend their title successfully). Besides drinking lots of carlsberg, I was asked to participate in the knowledge quiz. My partner's knowledge of the club is amazing. We were lucky enough to progress all the way to the finals where we met the Hong Kong Reds. These guys are expats working in HK and they are true-blue scousers. We lost the final despite leading 25-20 after round 1. Well, it's no shame losing to them since they should know more about the club than us.

We have Reading next followed by a must-win game against Marseille before the Mr Sir Alex Ferguson and his merry-men make their trip to Anfield. It will be the biggest match of the season so far, the most anticipated one. We lost last season to a stinking injury-time goal to someone by the name of John O'Shea. This time round they won't have it so easy. I am personally looking forward to the game very much since my beloved friend from France, a loser Man United fan, will be in town during that week. I can't wait to sing our favourite Man U songs to him. To my fellow Cavern friends, it's time to bring out your scarf and flags...let's show these Man U losers the Liverpool passion......Come on you Reds!!