EPL Match Report: Manchester City 0 vs. Liverpool 0

*Taken from Liverpool Echo

RICHARD DUNNE'S heroic defensive display saw Manchester City thwart Liverpool’s attempts to make up ground in the Barclays Premier League title race.

Dunne stood like an unshakeable tower as Rafael Benitez’s men controlled a one-sided north-west derby without getting the breakthrough they deserved.

Fernando Torres was barely in the game such was Dunne’s dominance of the Spaniard, with Harry Kewell, Steven Gerrard and Yossi Benayoun wasting the Reds’ best opportunities before Joe Hart denied Dirk Kuyt late on.

Even then, the young City keeper needed Dunne to come to his aid with a goalline clearance from the rebound, ensuring a result which leaves Liverpool 10 points adrift of new leaders Arsenal.

Indeed, on this evidence, the Blues, just a point adrift of the fourth-placed Merseysiders, may take some shaking off as the battle for Champions League spots hots up in the new year.

When the host broadcaster describes a contest as “a thinking man’s game”, the chances are it is a cover for one lacking goalmouth incident, which, in this instance, for the first half at least, was certainly the case.

Given the prize for victory was fourth spot in the table heading into 2008, it would have been nice if Sven-Goran Eriksson had taken the fight to Liverpool right from the start.

Yet the pragmatic Swede has not got City into such a lofty position with free-flowing, attack-at-all-costs tactics.

Eriksson’s philosophy has been to keep it tight at the back and in central midfield, then look to Elano, Martin Petrov, Stephen Ireland or Michael Johnson to conjure something up.

Given the latter man is nursing an abdominal injury, City’s hopes were reduced by 25% and Benitez is too astute a coach himself to give the other three free rein to exhibit their skills.

By half-time, Elano in particular must have been sick of seeing Jamie Carragher in his face.

The Liverpool defender, partnered by Alvaro Arbeloa as Sami Hyypia was ruled out with an ankle problem, was on hand to make a tackle or a block every time the South American came close to threatening.

As a result, City did not manage one single effort on goal during the opening period, although skipper Dunne should have done with a glancing header from Petrov’s corner which ended up bouncing out for a throw-in.

But, to Liverpool’s frustration, it was the same story at the other end, where Dunne and Richards were even more impressive than Carragher in their joint handling Torres.

Fortunate to escape wrestling the 15-goal forward to the floor in one early skirmish, Richards used his strength and speed to blunt Liverpool’s star striker, with Dunne taking up the baton when necessary in equally formidable fashion.

In fact, the only offensive player to get the better of his marker on anything like a regular basis was Harry Kewell, who skipped past Nedum Onuoha on a couple of occasions.

England Under-21 keeper Hart needed a couple of attempts to smother the Australian’s angled drive midway through the half while it was Kewell’s cross that led to Fabio Aurelio lashing a speculative effort narrowly wide on the half-hour.

The suspicion remained Liverpool would eventually find a way through and within five minutes of the restart they had nearly done so three times.

After prodding one shot straight at Hart, Torres then found himself charging onto a Gerrard pass.

The young City keeper advanced quickly but was powerless to prevent Torres nudging the ball past.

For one awful moment, it looked as though Richards and Richard Dunne would get in each other’s way as they raced back to clear before they both realised the effort was not going in and ushered it wide.

Then, Gerrard curled a free-kick narrowly beyond Hart’s left-hand post after Richards had fouled Torres.

Hart tipped over from Yossi Benayoun and Gerrard fired wide as Liverpool maintained their early offensive, with City barely able to get out of their own half.

The introduction of Rolando Bianchi, still a popular figure among the City support despite his wide-ranging attack on the English game, was designed to relieve some of the pressure.

It did not really work as Benayoun and Gerrard peppered the City goal after the £8.8million Italian’s arrival.

But the Blues, and Dunne in particular, would not yield.

The Irishman booted clear after Hart had denied Kuyt and when he slid in to block Benayoun’s goalbound effort at the death, few would deny the defender deserved a share of the spoils.

Manchester City (4-2-3-1) J Hart 8 N Onuoha 6 M Richards 7 R Dunne 9 M Ball 6 D Hamann 6 V Corluka 5 S Ireland 6 Elano 4 M Petrov 5 D Vassell 6 Substitutes Gelson 5 (for Ireland, 61min), R Bianchi 6 (for Elano, 70), Geovanni (for Vassell, 75). Not used A Isaksson, J Garrido.

Liverpool (4-4-2) J M Reina 5 S Finnan 6 Á Arbeloa 5 J Carragher 7 F Aurélio 7 Y Benayoun 6 S Gerrard 6 J Mascherano 6 H Kewell 7 D Kuyt 7 F Torres Y 6 Substitutes R Babel (for Kewell, 75min). Not used C Itandje, J A Riise, X Alonso, A Voronin.

Referee U Rennie
Attendance 47,321

EPL Match Report: Derby County 1 VS Liverpool 2

Derby County 1 - 2 Liverpool
Wednesday Dec 26 2007 03:00

taken from www.football.co.uk

Steven Gerrard rescued Liverpool's title dreams with a last-minute winner against desperately unlucky Derby County.

Derby, trounced 6-0 at Anfield last September, took the Merseysiders all the way and deserved a point for their second-half performance alone.

Another rout had looked on the cards when Fernando Torres opened the scoring for the visitors with just 13 minutes gone.

There looked little on when Ryan Babel found the Spaniard on the right-hand edge of the Derby box, but he showed why he's now netted 15 times this season, as he danced past a static Derby defence before shooting home with his left foot.

Stand-in Derby keeper Lewis Price had only started after Stephen Bywater's shoulder injury flared up during the pre-match warm-up.

It looked like he was in for a busy afternoon as Liverpool took a grip of the game.
But both Gerrard and Xabi Alonso looked out of sorts at the heart of the Reds midfield and chances were few and far between in a scrappy opening period.
But the second half was a different story as a succession of injuries and substitutions left Liverpool playing an unfamiliar 4-2-4 formation.

Alonso and Gerrard were outnumbered in midfield and for 20 minutes Rafael Benitez's men struggled to get the ball into the Derby half.

The Derby fans scented blood and got behind their team as they realised Liverpool were there for the taking.

The goal duly arrived on 67 minutes when Alonso handled just inside his own half. Eddie Lewis fired in the free-kick which cannoned off a ruck of players into the path of Jay McEveley, who gleefully sidefooted home.

The equaliser finally spurred Liverpool into action and for the last 20 minutes they looked a different side although Derby had their fair share of goal scoring opportunities.

Benitez brought on Dirk Kuyt for Babel as Liverpool went looking for the winner, but it seemed a goal would never come as Alonso, Kuyt and Torres all came close without success.

Gerrard had finally woken from his earlier slumber and drove Liverpool forward forcing a fine fingertip save from Price and then thundering a shot against the underside of the bar.

Derby almost snatched the points with five minutes to go when Lewis was put through on the left and his cross was met at the far post by the diving Giles Barnes, but the header flashed just wide of the upright.

The winner came with just a minute to go after Derby felt they should have been awarded a free-kick deep in enemy territory.

Instead the ball fell to Gerrard who set off on a marauding run down the left leaving Derby defenders stranded in his wake.

He fed Yossi Benayoun, who cleverly cut inside and found Torres whose shot rebounded off Price into the path of Gerrard, who turned the ball home from close range.

Goals: Torres (12) 0-1; McEveley (67) 1-1; Gerrard (90) 1-2.

Derby County (4-4-2): Price; Mears, Moore (Feilhaber, h-t), Leacock, McEveley; Teale (Earnshaw, 56), Barnes, Pearson (Johnson, 27), Lewis; Miller, Howard.
Substitutes not used: Hinchcliffe (gk), Johnson, Fagan.

Liverpool (4-4-2): Reina; Finnan, Hyypia (Benayoun, 54), Carragher, Aurelio; Babel (Kuyt, 72), Gerrard, Alonso, Riise; Torres, Voronin (Lucas, 90).
Substitutes not used: Itandje (gk), Mascherano.

Referee: A Wiley.

Booked: Derby: McEveley.

Man of the match: McEveley.

Attendance: 33,029.

Goal Match Highlights

Derby Vs Liverpool Highlights (http://www.goalcentre.com)

EPL Match Report: Liverpool 4 VS Portsmouth 1, By Will Tan

Another match, another opponent comprehensively outplayed and beaten by RAFA’s team. Pundits will say that rotation is an issue with RAFA’s selection, but they don’t give credit to the gaffer, who has stuck to the same team that had beaten Marseille and narrowly lost to Man Utd recently. Why oh why don’t the pundit give credit where credit is due?

Harry Redknapp brought his team from the south coast and the current team with the best away record in the EPL to Anfield for the 3pm kick-off. This was basically the same team (well more or less minus one or two players who sat in the bench instead) that were drawing all the praises when we met at Fratton Park earlier this year.

It was evident in the early stages of the game that the Liverpool players were right behind RAFA and the fast tempo that the home team set for the visitors, were always going to create problems. Moreover, the home team were all up for it due to the massive media reports on the rumour that a certain former German national coach were being lined up to take over from Rafa. It served only to galvanise the home team.

Two goals up within 20 minutes due to slick and dangerous passing and chances put paid to Pompeii’s ambitions in the first half. The writing was on the wall early in opening 5 minutes when a dangerous ball was played through to Torres on the right and he played in a beautiful cross just outside the six yard box to Kuyt, who was arriving unmarked. Credit to Glen Johnson who came across from his right-back position to stick out his foot to deflect away Kuyt’s on target shot. It could have undoubtedly been the opening goal as replays showed that Kuyt’s shot would have beaten the onrushing James, a former Spice Boys during his hey days at Anfield. The block by Johnson though, came with a price as he was clattered into by James although it was purely accidental on the part of James. The treatment to Johnson took several minutes and though he was adamant he could carry on, he would only hobbled around for the rest of the 1st half after treatment.

It was during this period with Johnson’s struggling to shake of the knock that Liverpool capitalised. All it took was a cross by Kewell from the left to pick up the unmarked Benanyoun, who unleashed an unstoppable volley that shook the net with James well beaten. It wasn’t an easy skill to hit the ball on the volley especially when Kewell drove it from the left but Benanyoun made it look casual.
Portsmouth was shocked at the pace and precision of passing that Liverpool was displaying and before they could recover, a through ball was played to Torres with Campbell shadowing him and though it appeared that Campbell managed to nick the ball off Torres, the ball came off Distin who was on the way back to help out and wrong footed James in the goal too!! An assist for Torres is presumed in this case as his mere presence on the ball caused so much panic and confusion in the Portsmouth defence.

The pace dropped after the frantic first 20 minutes and Liverpool began to pass and probe the Portsmouth defence time and again, but there was to be no breach for the rest of the first half though there was some half chances created.

In the 2nd half, Lauren and Kanu were introduced into play by Redknapp and it paid dividends 10 minutes later as Kanu broke on the left and then chipped an inviting cross to Benjani. He arrived late at the far post and, although Riise tried to guard him, it was already too late. Benjani feint a shot and passed him before he blasted a rocket shot to Reina’s left near post and scored. Pepe was blameless as the pace of the ball was so fast that he had barely moved and let alone see the flight of the ball. A chance for a clean sheet was lost on the night.

For the next 10 minutes, it was all Pompeii as they threaten to run riot with every attack but the Liverpool defence, marshalled by the excellent pairing of Carragher and Hyypia never allowed the Portsmouth forwards or midfield another sniff at goal bar one miskick by Arbeloa which allowed Papadioup to flash a shot just over Pepe’s goal.

After the fight back by Portsmouth, the Liverpool midfield of Masherano and Gerrard began to boss the midfield again. However, it was the introduction of Babel and Aurelio for Benanyoun and Kewell that re-galvanised the Liverpool team. Firstly, a brilliant pass by Carragher spotted Babel who burned Herriedersson with his pace. As Babel was cutting in from the right, James came charging out to try to block him off and managed to get a touch on the ball as Babel jumped to avoid the challenge. Unfortunately for him and fortunately for us, the ball rolled out of the penalty box at a leisurely pace perfectly setup for Torres to calmly slot the ball to the keeper’s left into a gapping goal. The Kop erupted to greet another brilliant and composed goal scored by the new Kop hero called Torres! A two goal cushion was established again and surely there must be no coming back now for Postsmouth.

With the clock ticking towards to final whistle, Liverpool won a corner on left and although the ball was cleared, it landed nicely for Carragher. He sent a perfectly weighted chip towards Gerrard who had rushed back onside and headed the ball towards the centre where, you’ve guessed it, an unmarked Torres let fly a magnificent volley that gave James’s despairing lunge no chance of a save. Again, the Kop erupted to greet and celebrate the new Kop Idol, Señor Fernando Torres!! The famous Arbeloa out-of-the-top skydiving into the puddle of Liverpool players celebration was conspicuously missing from the live coverage on the t.v. Guessed Stevie might have warned him off after he caught one on his jaw in Marseille!!!

It was a comfortable win in the end but take nothing away from the boys as Liverpool were a team playing with purpose, determination, drive and passion unmatched by their visitors. The on form Pompeii team, had won six in a row away from home and they were no easy push-overs.

At the back of MASSIVE rumours surrounding the position of Rafa the gaffer again with the new owners suposedly lining up Klinsmann as the replacement, the Liverpool crowd again chanted Rafa’s name during the game. This big win will certainly make G&H sit up and take note of the progress that Rafa has made and the way Liverpool comfortably outplayed the visitors. All this and Liverpool’s goal difference is a healthly +20 goals, and only 1 behind Arsenal’s +21 goals. Although all the other top teams won earlier, Liverpool are still in contention for the EPL crown. No matter what the press or the so-called pundits might say, the team is generally getting stronger. With this win, Rafa and the boys are hitting the higher gears at the right time to win all the 4 games during the busy Yuletide festive period and that will put us in a good position to challenge for the EPL crown come May 2008.

My Christmas wish is for Rafa to be contracted for another 5-6 years before the end of the season and our quest for No. 19 and No.6 will surely come, if not this season, at the worse the next season.

From all of us at MyRAWK, we wish all Christians and fellow REDS fans a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! No, 19 and No. 6 surely to greet us all soon!
Liverpool: Reina, Arbeloa, Hyypia, Carragher, Riise, Benayoun (Babel 64), Gerrard, Mascherano, Kewell (Aurelio 76), Torres (Lucas 86), Kuyt.
Subs Not Used: Itandje, Voronin.
Booked: Arbeloa.
Goals: Benayoun 13, Distin 16 og, Torres 67, 85.

Portsmouth: James, Johnson (Lauren 46), Campbell, Distin, Hreidarsson, Utaka (Kanu 46), Diop, Pedro Mendes, Muntari (Taylor 73), Kranjcar, Mwaruwari.
Subs Not Used: Begovic, Nugent.
Booked: Diop, Hreidarsson.
Goals: Mwaruwari 57.

Att: 43,071

Ref: Mike Riley (Yorkshire)

Liverpool to face Inter Milan in Champions League by the Liverpool ECHO

article taken from Dec 21 2007 Dan Kay, Liverpool Echo

LIVERPOOL have been handed a long overdue reunion with Inter Milan in the last sixteen of the Champions League.

The Reds were paired with the Italian champions at the draw in Switzerland today and will face a tough test to progess to the quarter-finals, with Roberto Mancini’s enjoying another impressive season, currently lying seven points clear at the top of Serie A.

The two-time European Cup winners have only met the Reds once before in European competition but it proved to be one of the most controversial ties in Liverpool’s long decorated history.

Having disposed of Reykjavic, Anderlecht and Cologne during the club’s first season of continental action, reigning Cup holders Inter arrived at Anfield in May 1965 just days after the FA Cup had been secured for the first time against Leeds United at Wembley.

Amidst a tide of emotion, with Bill Shankly stage-managing the parading of the newly-acquired silverware by injured players Gerry Byrne and Gordon Milne to coincide with his side’s emergence from the tunnel, goals from Hunt, Callaghan and St John secured a 3-1 first leg advantage that could have been greater had a solo strike from Chris Lawler not been harshly disallowed.

The second leg in Milan was a different story as goals from Corso, Peiro and Mazzola ensured Inter would participate in the final on the own San Siro ground, which they won against Benfica and so retained the trophy.

But it was the decisions of Spanish referee Ortiz de Mendibil that dominated the thoughts of Bill Shankly and his beaten players, with the first two Italian goals judged by the most impartial of observers to have been hugely contentious.

Shankly later admitted that the Spanish referee’s actions that night had hurt him more than any other experience he’d had in the game but also revealed how the learning experience from that night in Italy helped shaped the Reds approach in Europe that was later to prove so successful.

Now, 42 years on, the sides are to face up again with the Reds having since won the Champions Cup five times whilst Inter have not added to that second win of theirs in 1965.

Speaking after the draw, Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry said: "There are no easy teams to play at this stage of the tournament, so we'll take what we can get at this stage.

"We stopped a few hearts with the way we qualified this year, but we've shown in the last three games that we are scoring goals and are in form.

"We have done well in previous years and we want that to continue."
The first leg will be at Anfield on February 19/20 with the return at the San Siro on March 4/5.

The draw in full:
Celtic v Barcelona
Lyon v Manchester United
Schalke v FC Porto
Liverpool v Inter Milan
Roma v Real Madrid
Olympiacos v Chelsea
Fenerbahce v Sevilla
Arsenal v AC Milan

Carling Cup Quarterfinal Match: Chelsea FC 2 VS Liverpool FC 0

Chelsea beat Liverpool to reach the League Cup semi-finals by
Steve Griffiths 20th December 2007 from the Herald Sun (Australia)

FRANK Lampard sent Chelsea into the League Cup semi-finals after his deflected strike set up a 2-0 win against 10-man Liverpool yesterday. Lampard broke the deadlock in the second half at Stamford Bridge before Peter Crouch was sent off for a nasty two-footed foul on John Obi Mikel a minute later.

Crouch's red card effectively ended Liverpool's hopes of a comeback and Andriy Shevchenko's late strike ensured Chelsea reached the last four for the third time in four seasons.

While Chelsea celebrated the quarter-final win over its bitter rival, Liverpool is in danger of failing to deliver on the promise it showed earlier in the campaign.

Rafa Benitez's Reds are 10 points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal with a game in hand and this defeat leaves only the Champions League and FA Cup as realistic ambitions.

"Mikel tried to kick Crouch twice," Benitez said yesterday. "That is the reason Crouch lost his head." Chelsea manager Avram Grant insisted Liverpool had been targeting Mikel throughout the match.

"Maybe Rafa was angry, but first, it was a bad tackle, and second, Liverpool made seven or eight fouls on Mikel in the first half," Grant said.

"Crouch didn't need to do it. It was in the middle of the pitch. The priority is to protect players from bad tackles. We have already lost John Terry for six weeks."

Chelsea faces Everton in the semi-finals. Chelsea had grown sick of losing to Liverpool in cup competitions, so it was no surprise Grant sent out a virtually full-strength team.

Benitez made nine changes to the side that lost 1-0 to Manchester United on Monday, with Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and Dirk Kuyt among the big names absent.

Chelsea must have feared the worst when handed a cup clash with Liverpool for the fourth successive season.

Benitez's side had won two Champions League semi-finals and an FA Cup semi-final against the Blues since 2005. The hosts played as if intent on revenge and got the desired result.

Tottenham will play Arsenal in the other semi-final.

Chelsea (4-3-3):
P Cech – J Belletti, T Ben Haim, R Carvalho, W Bridge – M Essien, J O Mikel (sub: M Ballack, 69min), F Lampard – S Kalou, A Shevchenko (sub: S Sidwell, 90), S Sinclair (sub: J Cole, 57).
Substitutes not used: C Cudicini, P Ferreira.

Liverpool (4-4-1-1):
C Itandje – Á Arbeloa, J Hobbs, J Carragher, F Aurélio – A Voronin, X Alonso (sub: N El Zhar, 60), M Sissoko, R Babel (sub: Y Benayoun, 73) – Lucas Leiva, P Crouch.
Substitutes not used: D Martin, S Hyypia, J A Riise. Booked: Alonso, Lucas, Sissoko. Sent off: Crouch.

Referee: M Atkinson.


Goal Highlights of the game


Chelsea Vs Liverpool Highlights (League Cup Quater Finals) - More bloopers are a click away

Pics From The LFC - ManUtd Gathering, By Chris Yap

A big thank you must be forwarded to our sponsors and friends; Audra (Bacardi Martini Malaysia), Cynthia and Sunny (Chanel Malaysia) for the great prizes. Eric from M Bar and our very own Mark for helping to source for the Carlsberg premiums. Also not forgetting our great photographer Chris for helping us capture the great moments from our gatherings.

Last but not least, this will never be successful without the support of all those who came, watched and chanted together with us. Yes, thats each and every one of you 180 fans that turned out to make this gathering our biggest and best yet.

Even though the the final result was disappointing, we do hope that the camaraderie and friendships formed through this gathering will bring the LFC supporting community closer and show everyone that we truly will not walk alone. For now, enjoy the pics from Chris's camera.




Click on the thumbnail for bigger picture. Also more are available from our Facebook profile.

CARLING CUP QUARTERFINAL: CHELSEA FC VS LIVERPOOL FC

NOTICE TO ALL MyRAWKITES:

CARLING CUP QUARTERFINAL:

CHANNEL: ASTRO SUPERPSPORT CHANNEL 811

DATE: 20 DECEMBER 2007 (THURSDAY)

TIME: 3:40AM

VS

COME ON YOU REDS, WALK ON WITH HOPE IN YOUR HEART!

EPL Match Report: Liverpool 0 vs Manchester United 1, By Will Tan

First League defeat at Anfield


The Liverpool side remained unchanged from the Marseille game and had several half chances but could not convert them into goals. The very first, came within five minutes of the game when van Der Sar came out to punch a free kick from Gerrard and missed it completely. The ball was deflected by Ferdinand’s back and rolled towards goal but Evra beat Kuyt to it and managed to clear it of the line. Apart from that opening chance, Liverpool had several half chances but were finding it difficult to create any real openings in the game.

It was a tight and cagey affair, one in which both sides wanted to win and there was minimal difference between two teams in terms of desire not to lose. With both defences playing well, chances from open play was always a premium. After all, this was the match-up between the second best defensive record (Liverpool’s) versus the best defensive record (Man Utd’s).

As always in matches where two teams are so tightly matched, the team that scores first was always going to have the advantage and it was no surprise that Man Utd scored from one of the set pieces rather than a goal in open play. Thereafter, all Man Utd had to do was to play on the counter-attack and hope to nick a second goal to kill the match off. Man Utd played this to perfection and scored when they won a corner in the 42nd minute.

The corner was taken by Anderson and he played the ball at pace to Rooney who was a couple of yards outside the penalty box. As the Liverpool defence was quickly moving the defensive line higher up, someone forgot to tell Benayoun, who was still positioned the far post. The ball was shot into the penalty box and evaded all the Liverpool players who had moved out and intended to play offside. Tevez was at hand to stab the ball into the net unmarked, having had Benayoun played him onside. So much for zonal marking!!!! That’s the battle cry of football pundits all over the world when Liverpool conceded from a set piece like this.

In the second half, Babel first came on for Kewell and Crouch for Kuyt whilst Aurelio for Riise. The changes did bring about some change in the pace 0f our attack but we just could not force a goal. Babel single handedly ran at the heart of the Man Utd defence several times and it took at least 3 players to stop him from creating any chance for his team mates. Crouch came into the game and tried to cause all types of problems with his height hoping that Liverpool players like Torres, Gerrard, Benayoun and Babel would have a bite at the knock-downs. However, it was all in futility as the Man Utd defence stood firm.

During the 90 minutes, Man Utd probably had one real chance from an open play late in the second half to kill off the match when a cross from the left by Giggs on the counter attack, evaded the retreating Liverpool defence all the way into Rooney, who arrived late in to the six yard box and stabbed the ball into the side netting with Pepe Reina scrambling to his left. That was about the chance that came from open play throughout the match from Man Utd.

And the jinx in the league against Man Utd continued to torment Benitez as he has never beaten Man Utd in any of his previous league meetings although Liverpool beat them in the FA Cup two seasons ago en-route to the FA Cup 2006.

Rafa is now left to lift the players again for the challenging Christmas festive period starting with Wednesday’s League Cup quarter-finals at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea. Let’s see how Rafa can lift the team up again and go on another winning streak, hopefully by March 2008, we are still in contention to challenge for the EPL crown and the our holy grail: No. 19.

Liverpool 0: Reina, Arbeloa, Hyypia, Carragher, Riise (Aurelio 80), Benayoun, Gerrard, Mascherano, Kewell (Babel 65), Torres, Kuyt (Crouch 73).

Subs Not Used: Itandje, Lucas.

Booked: Gerrard, Mascherano.

Man Utd 1: Van der Sar, Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Ronaldo, Hargreaves, Anderson (O'Shea 90), Giggs, Rooney, Tevez (Carrick 83).

Subs Not Used: Kuszczak, Saha, Fletcher.

Booked: Evra, Anderson, Brown.

Goals: Tevez 43.

Att: 44,459.

Ref: M Halsey (Lancashire).

Teaser Pictures From LFC v MU Gathering!

Pictures by JonC of our Ian Rush signed "Fantastico" banner and the view of the crowd at the bar area from the DJ console. More pictures to follow!

Special Guest - Jan from East of Anfield (EOA), Singapore

We had the honor to play hosts to a good friend of MyRAWK from East of Anfield last week. He is no other than the Vice-Chairman of EOA, Jan. A few of the MyRAWK committee members had got to know him through RAWK forum and subsequently had the pleasure to meet up with him and a few of his fellow EOA members during the match against Bolton in 05/06 season. EOA also took good care of our committee members that had visited their home, The Cavern in Boat Quay, Singapore earlier this year.

In conjunction with his visit to our home; M Bar, we felt it was right to give him the honor of putting Sir Bob's picture back up to the wall after it was damaged earlier. Below are the 2 pictures from the simple ceremony:

The Interview: King Kenny & "El Nino"

Liverpool legends past and future with striking similarities
By: Gabriele Marcotti and Guillem Balague

No comparisons. The Kid makes it very clear. He does not want to be compared to the King. “As of right now, I haven’t done anything,” Fernando Torres says. “To tell the truth, I’m almost embarrassed to be here. Please, no comparisons.”

And what about “King Kenny”? How does it feel when, for half your life, people have called you a legend and treated you as a footballing deity? And what do you do when you come face to face with your supposed heir apparent?

“You’re only a legend in someone else’s mind,” Kenny Dalglish says. “As long as you’re not a legend in your own mind, there’s no problem. As for Fernando, people like to put you in pigeonholes, to categorise you, to compare you. But the most important thing is to be yourself.”

That is easier said than done because you cannot help but draw comparisons. To appreciate something you need a context, a frame of reference. And as you sit and share a table with these two talented men, you cannot help but notice the common ground.

It is not only that both are strikers, both have the star sign Pisces, both were Liverpool’s record signings, both have the ability to turn the Kop into a frenzied hive of humanity. Or even that, less than 24 hours earlier, against Bolton Wanderers, Torres had delivered a finish that was uncannily similar to Dalglish’s famous match-winner against FC Bruges in the 1978 European Cup final: the same timed run, the same right-foot caress, the same gentle bounce just before crossing the goalline, the same helpless goalkeeper.

There is an obvious red thread connecting these two men – and that is what a club is about. Players come and go, but the shirt and the continuity remain. Torres plays with Jamie Carragher, who played with Robbie Fowler, who played with John Barnes, who played with Ian Rush, who played with Dalglish. And Dalglish played with Emlyn Hughes, who played with Ian St John, who played with Roger Hunt, who played with Ronnie Moran, who played with . . . Well, you can keep it going all the way back to Malcolm McVean, the man who scored the first goal in Liverpool’s history in 1892.

In that sense, Torres and Dalglish are torchbearers for the same 115-year-old tradition. They may bristle at comparisons – whether through modesty or good manners – but they understand the responsibility. “We are the ones who carry out the dream,” Dalglish says. “The dream that the supporters will never achieve because they can’t play. So they live through us.

“But we have dreams we can’t realise too,” he adds, after a quick glance at Torres’s wide eyes. “I always wanted to stand on the Kop. But I could never go there. I could only go there when it was empty. It’s funny, my son got to stand on the Kop. I left him with someone who took him in, looked after him and he got to stand there during a game. He got to achieve a dream that I never could.”

The words wash over you. You think about how a man such as Dalglish could miss something as mundane as a Saturday afternoon in the stands supporting his team. And then Torres pipes up, almost wistfully: “I’ve stood on the Kop. But also only when it was empty. And I would love it if, by the time I retire, I, too, will also be unable to go stand on the Kop.”

His grin is sheepish, but with a touch of mischief. The “no comparison” rule? It has gone. But then he knows all too well why he was asked to come here today.

Both men share the fact that they were supporters who got to live the dream. Torres’s was perhaps more complete. He got to play for Atlético Madrid, the club he supported as a boy, but Dalglish never played for his childhood idols, Rangers. In fact, as the story goes, on the day Jock Stein’s assistant came to his door to take him to Celtic, Dalglish frantically ripped all his Rangers posters off his bedroom wall.

When football becomes your profession, club loyalty goes out of the window. “When you play, it’s hard to be a supporter,” Dalglish says. “The exception is your country. That’s why I really enjoy Scotland games, because I can be the same as everybody else. I can be a fan.”

Your eyes flick to Torres’s face and you try to guess what he is thinking. The national team. Everyone pulling for their country. And how things in his country are different.

“In Spain, the clubs are far more important,” he says. “When I was at Atlético, whenever I’d go to the Bernabéu [the home of Real Madrid] with the national team, the fans would boo me because I was from Atlético. It’s a big problem. We’re all wearing the same shirt, but when you trained with the national team you would see the Real Madrid guys together, the Valencia guys together, the Barcelona guys together. And they’d go in hard in training, as if they were still wearing their club shirt.”

Torres’s voice trails away. Then Dalglish chimes in: “You know, there has never been a successful team that’s not had a good dressing-room. I mean, they don’t have to go drinking together, but the dressing-room is very important.”

“Vestuário!” Dalglish repeats the word in Spanish, for emphasis.

“We had a great dressing-room here [at Liverpool], we were real close. Even now there’s six of us who remain close. We play golf, we go out with the wives, we’re still very close. It’s special. That’s not a modern thing, is it? In 20 years’ time there won’t be six of you sticking around Liverpool, will there?” The words hang in the air. It is not an accusation. It is a statement of fact. Football has changed. Eight of Liverpool’s starting XI hail from outside Britain. Some things can exist only at a certain point in time. The world moves on.

Back to football. What happens when a superstar is having a stinker? What happens when nothing goes right? Perhaps you expect them to trot out some cliché, like “going back to basics”, or that they will defer to more inform teammates. But no, they respond with the same disdain. It is the indignation of those who are used to carrying the weight of responsibility. “I always want the ball, no matter how badly I’m playing,” Torres says. “Even if I’ve missed ten chances in a row I will want the ball. That’s what I’m there for. I’m not going to hide.”

Dalglish says: “Of course you keep looking and wanting the ball. You have to continue. Look, in the position Fernando plays, he’ll miss more than he scores. But it’s not the goals that are important, it’s the ones you miss. The more you miss, the closer you are to the next one. You have to think that way. And if you don’t have the courage to have that mentality, you’re not going to be playing at this level.”

You search for more common ground. And you find it. “I’ll watch Atlético because it’s my team,” Torres says. “But apart from that, I don’t like watching a lot of football. Although I do watch a lot, I don’t watch for enjoyment. I do it because I need to know the players and the opposing teams, I need to study and prepare for them.”

Dalglish’s face lights up. “I was much like Fernando,” he says. “I used to watch to see who I was playing against, to see the habits of the goalkeepers, the characteristics of defenders, see if I could learn something.

Later, I would watch if there was a player I wanted to sign, things like that. But now, well, it doesn’t grab me the way it did when I was a boy. I’m not really concentrating when I watch football.”

Having studied the game for 50-odd years – as a fan, player and manager – Dalglish is content to sit back and let the game be just that: a game. And maybe that is why he seems to be enjoying his time with Torres. The Spaniard’s disarming humility and confidence has brought him some joy. And, maybe seven years after leaving the sport for good, it feels good to reconnect, even for just a few hours.

As for Torres, there is more than a little of the student facing up to the master in his demeanour. He may have been embarrassed before arriving, but he is glowing at the connection that has been made.

“I learnt many things today,” Torres says when it is time to go. “I like the way Kenny is so accessible, he’s a normal person. He says he doesn’t feel like a legend, but the fact is that he is and that’s why his ‘normality’ is so shocking to me. You guys brought me here even though I told you that I’m not anywhere near his level. But I’m very proud that I’ve been able to spend time with him. And I’m honoured that he took the time to talk to me. Seeing someone like him makes me even more hungry to continue to work hard and, perhaps, some day, reach his level.”

Their eyes lock. Dalglish knows that it is his turn to impart some wisdom. “Today, footballers are criticised for the money they earn and for their lifestyles,” he says. “But Fernando seems to appreciate everything he gets.

“Fernando, this is a special club with special fans.” Dalglish is now talking directly to the young man. They may as well be alone in the room. “They love people who love to wear their shirt. But they’re not daft, they know when it’s real and when it’s just for show, kissing the badge and all that. They love to identify with people on the pitch. And I think they will identify with you very, very easily.”

*Taken from The Times Online, click link to access the web page of the article and to download the audio podcast of the interview in mp3 format. Torres spoke in good English!*

"Pride In Our Past: Faith In Our Future"

MyRAWK Exclusive - Views From Merseyside

Fellow REDs,

We are honoured to have a fellow Red, who has been supporting the team longer than I have been living, Terry De Niro from RAWK to write for us. He will be writing for a column called "View from Merseyside" on various matters. The column might not appear every week as we will try to fit it in with his tight work schedule and other commitments.

Terry De Niro is a respected forumer in the independent Liverpool supporter's forum, www.redandwhitekop.com (RAWK), from which we derived our name. He offers genuine & unique views from Merseyside on all matters regarding our beloved club. It is indeed a great honour to have someone of his stature to write for us. I hope that everyone enjoys his insight to the game and matters surrounding the games as seen through the eyes of Terry.

Jonno
___________________________________________________________

Liverpool v Man United

Sunday 16th December 2007

At Anfield, Liverpool.

Kick off 13:30 GMT:

Firstly, I’d just like to say that it’s an honour to be invited to write on this wonderful site-via a request from Jonno.

Where do I start with a fixture as massive as this? In comparison to the derby against Everton, that is always full of tension and of late there’s a slight bit of hatred there (I’m sorry to say).
But when it comes to a fixture against our fiercest rivals, anybody who’s ever been to any match against Man United home or away will tell you that the tension and hatred gets bigger every time.

My first home experience was in 1975 when we won 3-1 thanks to goals from Heighway, Toshack and Keegan, my first away was in 1976, where it finished 0-0, but I’ll never forget the atmosphere at Old Trafford that day and the fact that I was only 16 and getting abuse and even spat on from grown men of 40 something. I realised there and then that this was a fixture like no other.

A trip to Wembley to contest the 1977 FA cup final was marred by a 2-1 defeat, but Liverpool fans were smiling broadly a few days later when we lifted the European cup in Rome for the first time. We then went on to win it another three times before 1985, and as well as winning trophy after trophy, League after League, whilst they hardly won anything of note.

So it seemed to me that that the hatred from their fans grew stronger, obviously down to the fact that we were so successful at that time. I seem to remember that a certain-Liverpool born, Ron Atkinson who was their manager at this time, and every time he signed a player, he proudly announced, “they were signing for the biggest football club in the World”. Yeah, OK..
Who was winning all the trophies, then?

Fast-forward to 1986 and Alex Ferguson starting his reign as Man United manager and proclaiming that “it was time to knock Liverpool off their f***ing perch”. He then luckily proceeded to win the FA cup in 1990 after he was on the verge of being sacked after another indifferent League campaign. As, we went on to win the League again.

There’s no doubting that they have been very successful since then, even winning the Champions league in 1999, but we stole their thunder by doing the same-against all the odds in 2005, so that adds to the rivalry.

I’ve been very lucky and old enough to have seen us win the League time and time again and it’s about time we brought that Holy Grail back to its rightful place, and to quote a certain Mr Ferguson, It’s time we knocked them off their f***ing perch…

They have a very good team, of that there is no doubt, but I’ve got a feeling that we’ll turn them over on the 16th. We are on a run of good form which I think is peaking at the right time, and hopefully just the right time to be meeting them.

COME ON YOU MIGHTY REDMEN, LET’S BATTER THEM MANCS!!!

© Terry De Niro 2007
___________________________________________________________

Reminder: MyRAWK "Clash of The Titans" match viewing gathering this Sunday, Dec 16th starting at 8:30pm. Come join your fellow Reds and MyRAWKites in witnessing this titanic battle towards the ultimate prize in English football and bragging rights to who is the King in North West England! There will be quizzes and Q&A sessions to test your knowledge and love of LFC. Correct answers will win you premiums from Carlsberg, premiums and wines from Barcardi Martini, and autographed pictures of the legendary goal scorer par excellence, Rushy! So what are you waiting for? Head on down to M Bar and show your shades of red this Sunday!

UCL Match Report: Marseille 0 VS Liverpool 4

MARSEILLE 0-4 LIVERPOOL
Tuesday, 11th December 2007 (23:42)
by Anfield Online

"if this was a boxing match, the game would have stopped"- comment on the last goal scored by Ryan Babel

"Goal Fest! Goal Fest!" comment by MyRAWK committee member

UEFA Champions League Group Game
Tuesday 11th December 2007 @ Stade Velodrome, Marseille

Three games ago Liverpool lay bottom of the group nursing a single point from three matches. The media had turned on Liverpool - ‘Rafa doesn’t know how to manage in Europe’ they cried - incredulously! Three games later and Liverpool have done it again. This time there was no sneaking around - no ‘lucky’ goal.
Liverpool have scored 16 goals in the last 3 group games handing out a punishing 8-0, a 4-1 tonking and tonight, best of all, in Marseille’s own ground a 4-0 hammering of the French side.

Liverpool - to be blunt - wiped the floor with Marseille, chewing up and spitting out former players Bolo Zenden and Djibril Cisse - both who have played in European Cup finals with Liverpool. Neither of them is ever likely to grace the same stage again. The same can certainly not be said for anybody in Rafa Benitez’ Liverpool side.

The reds were ahead inside four minutes when a surging Steven Gerrard run proved too much for the defender who gave away a penalty - if the decision had been later in the game a red card may have been handed out - but Marseille were lucky to stay with 11 men on the field. The penalty was saved but in true Istanbul style - the penalty kick taker was first to the ball to fire home from the rebound. Gerrard, and Liverpool - 1-0.

Gerrard is on a terrific goalscoring streak for Liverpool - but someone else is too. Fernando Torres scored the goal that arrived in the 11th minute and it was one of sheer class. Looking every bit the world class player he is - he skinned past a few Marseille players to slot the ball home. Just over ten minutes in and the tie was effectively over.

Liverpool were dominant and it was men against boys.

The second half continued in a similar vein with Dirk Kuyt on hand to secure a third early on before Rafa removed some players from action, ahead of the weekends encounter with Man United. Ryan Babel was a late substitute arrival for Liverpool, and he also continued his recent goalscoring streak with a well taken goal in injury time to add insult to injury.

The French resistance was absent tonight. Liverpool will travel to Spain or Italy in the next round to face one of the biggest clubs in Europe. Our opponents should be prepared to face THE biggest.

Teams:

Marseille: Mandanda, Bonnart, Rodriguez, Givet (Faty 45), Taiwo, Cheyrou (Nasri 34), Ziani, Zenden (Cisse 46), Cana, Valbuena, Niang. Subs Not Used: Mate, Oruma, Zubar, M’Bami.
Booked: Cana.

Liverpool: Reina, Arbeloa, Carragher, Hyypia, Riise, Kewell (Aurelio 67), Mascherano, Gerrard, Benayoun, Kuyt (Lucas 86), Torres (Babel 77).
Subs Not Used: Itandje, Finnan, Crouch, Hobbs.
Booked: Carragher, Aurelio.
Goals: Gerrard 4, Torres 11, Kuyt 48, Babel 90.
Att: 53,000
Ref: Terje Hauge (Norway).


Goal Highlights:


Gerrard Goal


Torres Goal


Kuyt Goal


Babel Goal


Don't Forget this SUNDAY Dec 16 at 8:30PM. The Game of the Season, the flight of the Rafatollah and the RISE OF THE LIVERBIRD. See you at the M Bar for the game. Gifts, camaraderie and all things Liverpool FC.

Viva Liverpool FC!

UCL: Olympique de Marseille Vs Liverpool FC

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Olympique de Marseille Vs Liverpool FC at the Stade Velodrome, Marseille , FRANCE.

Every once in a while the defining moment in a football team beckons. It was 2005 in Istanbul and 2006 in Cardiff City for us. And now, it beckons again for the greatest team ever assembled!

Oh Campioni, the one and only, we're LIVERPOOL!

VS

Date: 12th December, 2007
Day: Wednesday
Time: 3:45AM
Channel: 812 ESPN

of course, look out for our post match report and goal highlights at this site!

DO NOT FORGET OUR BIG GAME THIS SUNDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2007 AT 8:30PM AT THE M BAR.

THE GAME OF THE SEASON.

Liverpool FC VS Manchester United FC

there can only be ONE RED!

WINES, CAPS, BAGS, LFC LIGHTERS AND T-SHIRTS...FOR ALL TO GIVE...AND FOR ALL TO KEEP!

KNOW YOUR LFC HISTORY!

Reading v Liverpool Match Report: Excerpt article taken from Liverpool Echo

Reading 3, Liverpool 1

Apology to all MyRAWK readers: We have been kept busy with end of the year schedules and we have resorted to posting an article of the game with help from the Liverpool Echo. Enjoy and we look forward to seeing you this SUNDAY!

Article taken of Dec 10 2007 by James Pearce, Liverpool Echo

IT WASN’T supposed to be like this. A trip to the Madejski Stadium appeared to offer the perfect preparation for a week which could make or break the Reds’ season.

It was the chance for a bit of target practice before the serious stuff of securing qualification for the knockout stages of the Champions League in Marseille and then striking a decisive blow in the title race against Manchester United.

Reading had been brushed aside on four occasions in the league and cup by Rafa Benitez’s side since they made the step up to the top flight.

The Royals had conceded 14 times in their previous six games, while the free-scoring Reds arrived on the back of five successive wins.

It should have been a stroll in the park, but the Reds took their eye off the ball and paid the ultimate price as their unbeaten Premier League record went up in smoke.

For a manager who always claims he is only focusing on the next game, it appeared the thoughts of Benitez and too many of his players lay elsewhere on Saturday.

Benitez rightly pointed to the injustice of three penalty appeals which all went in the Royals’ favour. The hosts were undoubtedly given a helping hand by referee Andre Marriner and his assistants but the Reds could have no complaints with the final outcome. Bad defending was as much to blame as bad luck.

The boss was left with some searching questions to answer himself over his formation, his choice of personnel and his substitutions.

Benitez has insisted that the Reds’ priority this season is ending the long wait for that elusive 19th title. That made his decision to substitute Steven Gerrard midway through the second half all the more surprising.

By taking off the skipper the boss was effectively throwing in the towel.

Just two years ago the Reds turned a European Cup final on its head in the space of just seven minutes, so surely fighting back from 3-1 down at Reading in the final 20 minutes was not out of the question?

Then there was the formation.

Saturday was not the first time Benitez has opted to play 4-3-3 away from home and it has been successful in the past.

But it was the choice of personnel which restricted the Reds as an attacking force and left them vulnerable defensively.

With Javier Mascherano playing the holding role in front of the back four, it meant Gerrard and Momo Sissoko were given licence to push on.

It’s a role Gerrard relishes but a task seemingly alien to Sissoko.
The Mali international just doesn’t have the passing ability to make good use of the ball.

He conceded possession with alarming regularity and his confidence appears shot to bits.

Sissoko’s desire and work rate made him an instant hit at Anfield two years ago, but increasingly this season he has looked out of his depth.

With Xabi Alonso returning to fitness and Mascherano and Lucas Leiva in good form, you wonder what the future holds for Sissoko.

Maybe by playing him Benitez is putting him in the shop window but after performances like Saturday’s, clubs won’t exactly be queuing up with their chequebooks in January.

With Andriy Voronin out on the right and Peter Crouch on the left there was a chronic lack of width.

Saturday was the first time the Reds had conceded three goals in a Premier League match since the defeat at Arsenal 13 months ago.

It would be easy to point the finger for the defensive problems at the inclusion of youngster Jack Hobbs, who was handed a first league start in place of Sami Hyypia. But the 19-year-old did little wrong. Strong in the air and comfortable in possession, he was just unfortunate that too many of his team-mates endured an off day.

The warning signs were there long before Reading were gifted a 17th minute opener.
Brynjar Gunnarsson raced on to Bobby Convey’s pass before he was clattered by Jamie Carragher.

It was just outside the box but assistant John Flynn flagged for a penalty.
The only saving grace was that amid the protests Marriner forgot to issue Carragher with the yellow card which would have ruled him out of Sunday’s clash with Manchester United.

Stephen Hunt stepped up to send Pepe Reina the wrong way and become the first player to breach the Reds’ defences in over six hours of league football.

In desperate need of some inspiration, it was no surprise that it was Gerrard who dragged the Reds back into contention before the half hour mark.

The skipper was abused by Reading fans for his part in England’s failure to reach Euro 2008.

But just like against Newcastle, he answered the taunts in the best possible way.
The goal highlighted the weaknesses in the Reading rearguard that the Reds failed to fully capitalise on.

As Ibrahima Sonko backed off, Fernando Torres was allowed to control Reina’s long punt.

The Spaniard picked out Gerrard’s burst into the box and the skipper coolly slipped his shot past Marcus Hahnemann.

It was his 50th league goal for the club and his ninth in the last 10 games.
The Reds briefly stamped their authority on the game and Sonko was fortunate to get away with a clumsy tackle on Torres in the penalty area.

Early in the second half the Spaniard, who scored a hat-trick on this ground in the Carling Cup in September, knew it just wasn’t going to be his night.
First his diving header flew narrowly wide and then he was hacked down by Sonko before he could pull the trigger.

It was a stonewall penalty but Marriner and his hapless assistant were unimpressed.
Torres hobbled off but with John Arne Riise’s 25-yard free-kick stinging Hahnemann’s palms the Reds still looked the more likely winners until they were hit by a sucker punch on the hour.

They failed to react quickly enough to Nicky Shorey’s curling free-kick and Kevin Doyle was allowed space to nod past Reina.

Gerrard rallied the troops again and struck the bar with a stunning effort from 30 yards, but he couldn’t do it all himself and Reading exploited an alarming gap at the back to wrap up victory courtesy of James Harper’s strike.

When Ryan Babel replaced Gerrard the white flag was raised and Marriner might as well have blown the final whistle there and then.

Crouch struck the woodwork late on but by then the majority of the Reds’ travelling army of fans had long since departed.

Remember DEC 16 Match of the SEASON. GIFTS GALORE AND CAMARADERIE FOR ALL KOPITES!


Goals: Hunt (17, pen) 1-0; Gerrard (28) 1-1; Doyle (60) 2-1; Harper (67) 3-1.

Reading (4-4-2): Hahnemann; Murty (Cisse 90), Sonko (Bikey 81), Ingimarsson, Shorey; Hunt, Harper, Gunnarsson, Convey (Lita 88); Doyle, Kitson. Substitutes not used: Federici (gk), Long.

Liverpool (4-3-3): Reina; Arbeloa, Carragher (Hyypia 82), Hobbs, Riise; Sissoko, Mascherano, Gerrard (Babel 71); Voronin, Torres (Kewell 61), Crouch. Substitutes not used: Itandje (gk), Kuyt.

Referee: A Marriner (W Midlands).

Booked: Liverpool: Gerrard.

Man of the match: Convey

Attendance: 24,022

EPL Match Report: Liverpool 4 vs. Bolton 0, By Jonathan Cheah

Torres says - catch me if you can........ Spanish style!

After the emphatic wins over Porto and the Toons, some of us gathered at Yippee Cup, SS2 were predicting another “goal fest” and doing the famous dance – you know who you are! Most of us were sure of a win but with a much smaller goal margin because Bolton is among one of our boogey teams in the Premiership. Besides that, the Trotters did win against our rival up the M62 and drew in their UEFA Cup match against the mighty Germans in the form of Bayern Munich in their last 2 matches prior to this.

The match started on a rather strange note when Bolton – having won the coin toss, asked us to change end to play at the Anfield Road end. Maybe they were trying to disrupt our flow by not allowing us to attack towards the Kop end like we always do in the 2^nd half. Well, it didn’t work and even backfired on them!

The 1^st half started with a fury of activity with us controlling the match and dictating play with our passing and movement. Crouch had his shot cleared of the line and Jaaskelainen denied Torres’ with an excellent stop. Bolton played the counter-attacking game and nearly went ahead through Meite whose flick was cleared off the line. There were numerous fouls being committed by the Trotters as they were finding it had to cope up with the width, trickery and pace of Benayoun and Kewell. The most serious foul was committed by ex-Red, Diouf who showed his studs and connected with Arbeloa’s right shin. He was dully given a yellow card for an offence serious enough to be given a straight red.

We went ahead in the 16^th minute after Gerrard’s free kick from outside the peno box was cleverly flicked into the bottom corner by Hyypia’s header. Numerous chances followed as we were pressing further up. This let to huge gaps appearing at the back and the other ex-Red, Anelka nearly capitalize when Carragher and Reina collided in what should have been a routine clearance by our keeper. He was clean through on goal but somehow missed the gaping goalmouth from 12 yards! Maybe it was bad karma to them for making us switch end.

That miss would prove to be costly, a minute from half time. Torres broke free and latched on to a spectacular 35 yards, inch-perfect through ball (ala Gerrard-Owen era) from our captain to chip the ball pass the on charging Jaaskelainen for our second goal. It was his 11^th goal in 17 matches, not bad for a rookie! Just minutes earlier our “golden boy” had missed the goal from a similar position – it was a practice run before he scored that beauty!

The 2^nd half was pretty much the same affair as we continued to control the play. In the 50th min, Hobbs was brought in to replace Carragher who injured his ribs again through the earlier collision with Reina. 4 minutes later, Gerrard converted form the spot after Crouch was fouled in the box. Reina, who by now was merely a spectator, was called into action moments later when Anelka sent a ferocious shot towards his goal.

Kewell was substituted and replace by Babel in the 65 min while Kuyt came in the 76^th min to replace Torres. With 6 minutes to go on the clock, Gerrard released Kuyt, who let fly a stinger that the Trotters no. 1 could only palm towards Babel. Our young Dutchman, dully side footed the ball into the back of the net for our 4^th and put the icing on the cake for a masterful team performance from the Mighty Reds.

After a pretty tumultuous fortnight with all the gossip and back pages of the British tabloids filled with the spat between the gaffer and the owners, it’s good that we are doing all the replying and talking on the pitch with the best possible way we know how to do it – wining big and wining spectacular!

We’ll be heading back to familiar turf – M Bar, for this weekend’s match against Reading. The kick-off is at 1:15 AM, 9^th Dec – Sat/Sun night. See you there and also take note of the big match against Man United on Dec 16^th. We will be organizing some events in conjunction with this clash of the titans, so be there or be square!

Match Stats:

Goals: Hyypia (16) 1-0; Torres (44) 2-0; Gerrard pen (54) 3-0; Babel (85) 4-0.

Liverpool (4-1-3-2): Reina; Arbeloa, Carragher (Hobbs, 50), Hyypia, Riise; Lucas; Kewell (Babel, 66), Gerrard, Benayoun; Crouch, Torres (Kuyt, 76). Substitutes not used: Itandje (gk), Mascherano

Bolton (4-5-1): Jaaskelainen; McCann, Méité, Michalik, Samuel; Davies, Campo, Speed, Gardner; Diouf (Stelios, 65); Anelka. Substitutes not used: Al-Habsi (gk), Wilhelmsson, Teymourian, Alonso

Referee: S Bennett (Kent)

Booked: Bolton - Diouf, Campo, Machalik

Man of the match: Torres.

Attendance: 43,270

Goal Highlights: