In midweek Marseille became the first French side to win in European competition at Anfield. Going into the game there was nothing to indicate that a team, fourth from the bottom of the French league, was likely to pull off such a surprise.
Nevertheless, Marseille did win, and now Rafa Benitez and Liverpool need an emphatic win when Tottenham visits this weekend to shore up support from some sections of Liverpool support that have grown restless over the last month or so.
While Marseille made a coaching change after Champions League match-day 1 and prior to their Anfield appointment, Tottenham Hotspur still have the same man in charge as they did on the first day of the season when they lost to Sunderland. The opening day loss and another in the next game to Everton turned the firing spotlight onto Martin Jol and it is still burning brightly.
Monday’s three goal fight-back to salvage a home draw against Aston Villa meant that once more the big Dutchman escaped the axe but it is inevitable that the day will come – and it may come after the trip to Liverpool.
In fifteen Premiership visits to Anfield Spurs have only won once and drawn four times. The win came in 1993 when two goals from Teddy Sheringham sealed the points for Spurs. (New England Revolution manager Steve Nicol was on the losing side that day.) Since the loss, Liverpool have outscored Spurs 23-8 over the 13 games at Anfield. The international break kicks in next week so if the Spurs board is finally going to cut bait then a loss at Anfield maybe Jol’s last as Spurs boss.
Manchester City continues to confound the critics and go into the game against Middlesbrough as one of only two teams in the Premiership with a 100% home record – the other is Arsenal.
Last weekend, against Newcastle, was the first three goal Premiership performance at home by City, since a 3-1 win over Fulham on November 18, 2006. It also marked the first time that City had bounced back win again after being behind since August 27, 2005 when they turned the tables on Portsmouth.
Leading the way is Brazilian midfielder Elano who has proven his worth by assisting on six goals from open play already this season. Up until last season a visit by Boro would be one anticipated with much trepidation. After all Boro had never lost to City in the Premiership (14 games) but last season City did the double over their hoodoo side.
The Columbus Crew are fast running out of games if they are to make it into the 8th and final MLS play-off spot. The Crew are two points behind Chicago who occupy the last precious spot and there are only three games left including this weekend’s tilt with FC Dallas. After this game Columbus will finish with matches against the New England Revolution and DC United - Chicago faces the same two opponents plus the Los Angeles Galaxy.
The current form of both Columbus and Dallas leaves a lot to be desired with the former managing only one win in 9 games and the latter picking up a full three points only once in the last 7 games. Dallas won the one previous meeting this season 3-2 after they came back from 1-0 and 2-1 down to win with a 90th minute Clarence Goodson goal.
Fiorentina has made the kind of start that has some pundits eyeing them as a squad capable of making a push into the top four. They are unbeaten in six games so far and have 3 wins. Two of their draws have come against Roma and Milan and along with Inter are the only undefeated sides in Serie A. Juventus provides the opposition this weekend and former Juventus player Adrian Mutu will probably be recalled last week after being rested in a 3-0 win over Livorno.
The Romanian has already scored four Serie A goals this season but he wasn’t missed as 21-year-old Argentine summer recruit Pablo Osvaldo scored twice on his Fiorentina debut. The youngster was signed during the summer from Atalanta after spending last season at Lecce on loan but he will probably return to the bench for the game against Juve.
This is a young Fiorentina squad and if they can pull off a win they will have done something no other Fiorentina team has achieved since December 1998. In order to do so they will have to stifle the league top scorers (15) and in particular, Frenchman David Trezeguet who has scored seven. There is little doubt about the match of the weekend in Spain.
Barcelona and Atletico is an intriguing game on many levels. For starters two of the game’s finest young talents will be on display and going head-to-head. The coronation of Lionel Messi as the latest King of the Nou Camp is almost complete while Sergio Aguero is using the summer transfer of Fernando Torres to Liverpool as an opportunity to establish himself as Atletico’s main man. Reports this week said that over half of all Atletico shirt sales this season have Aguero on the back.
Both players have five goals and both clubs have won their last three matches impressively. Up until last season Atletico (and Torres) seemed to have a hex on Barcelona but a 6-0 thrashing at the Vicente Calderon may have put paid to that. Even so Atletico are unbeaten on their last three trips to the Nou Camp with two wins and a draw. In fact, Atletico were the last team to beat Barcelona at home in league play and that was 19 months.
Rangers will be looking to follow up on one of their greatest ever away showings in European completion with a win over Hibs who sit only one point behind them in the SPL. Rangers and Celtic are tied on points at the top of the league but Celtic hold an edge in goal difference.
Hibs have proved to be extremely difficult opponents for Rangers over the last two seasons with nine games being shared at four wins each and a 3-3 draw. They are also the only undefeated team in the SPL although they will not be repeating as CIS Cup winners after going out to Motherwell 4-2 at the last 16 stage ten days ago.
Bobby, please don't write about that unmentionable home result ever again... I'm still trying to forget that horror show!
Here's hoping for a positive result for los rojiblancos! Atleti are looking very good in attack and most of Farsa's key injuries are in defence... It'll be a tough test, but my boys are ready to collect point(s) at Camp Nou.
Sorry but I've to bring the whole Benitez the Rotatorian issue back. Their is a difference between Benitez's rotation and other coaches rotations mainly Wengerman and Sir Alex. Perfect example the last 2 games, Wenger had the luxury of bringing Gilberto for Flamstar or rest Helb who by the was injured, but what did he do he played them and I'm pretty sure you will see all of them on Sunday. Coz he plays the team that he feels is the best team and the players that are playing well. Benitez on the other hand had to bring in Sissoko who I have always said is not a pure holding midfilder coz he is very attack minded like Viera or Diaby and can't hold the ball that well, he is better when he has defensive mid with him like Macharrano or Alonso. Then he brought Crouch instead of Kuyt who when I've watched liverfools has done very well when playing alongside Torres. Crouch looked lost in the game if you didn't see that then you weren't paying attention. He needs to build a strike patnership like someone mentioned and Torres has to be one of the strikers. Also while many of you mentioned that other coaches rotate and gave out the stats you need to check whether those players rotated where injured coz if they where that is not rotation. Also there positions that you try to build a gud partnership btwn: the two center backs(Terry/Carvallho,Rio/Vidic) the two mids(Carrick/Scholes last yr,Cesc/Flamstar this yr) and the two strikers(Ade/Van P.) and golie, coz Practice games are very different from Real Games ask any player and they will tell you that redfan even ametures.
And as for Gerrald critsizm, he is the superstar and when the team wins we all praise him but when the team falls it's him we will point fingers at. It's wrong but that the life of a superstar. Allen Iverson gave the best Answer for it: "This is my team, when they win I get the praise, when they loose I get critisized. I have to deal with it, coz that's why I get the biggest check."
Oh my goodness I just saw the kick the Houston player did on another player on FSC. I know it's wrong but I wish he was on hand to give Dida one good kick like that one then tell him; "Now you can roll around like you are in pain Mister."
Gunner44, give the rotation talk a rest please. Everybody, give it a rest, it's media spin! Rafa had a solid lineup out there, nobody turned up, the problem was the players. A lot of those players aren't bad at all...Momo was MOM against Barca last year (in a defensive midfield role), we've seen virtually all those players play some amazing games before.
Rafa's a genius and one of the best in Europe if not the world, just look at his record. Sometimes you just gotta hold your hands up and say yes, the team is out of form, we stank, we played badly and are in a rut right now that hopefully will get out of our systems ASAP!
The only factors I can figure out is Pako leaving and maybe Xabi and Agger's injuries as they start a lot of moves from the back, but bottom line is that 11 should have beat Marseilles if they were firing, but didn't.
It happens to everyone, so much of the game is mental. Anfield booing the team at full-time is small-time, it's infuriating but hopefully we'll kick on from here.
I really don't care if Liverpool rotates or not EXCEPT with fantasy league. Unlike just about every other team, I CAN NOT pick many Liverpool players because I don't know if they are going play. The only Liverpool guarantees are: Reina, Gerrard, Carrigar, Alonso(usually but not always) and Agger(when fit) Chelsea: Lamps, Terry, Cech, Drogba, Essien, Cole, Carvalho and Malouda. United: Van Der Sar, Nevile, Rio, Vidic, Evra, Ronaldo, Scholes and Rooney. Arsenal: Cesc, Kolo, Rosicky, Gallas, Hleb, van Persie, Clichy and, for now, Almunia. Plus you can usually make a good bet with one or two others depending on injury... but not with Liverpool.
It's not that Rafa changes his side every game it's how much he changes it. Tell me I'm wrong.
Last edited by ulsterson on October 5th at 1:16 AM.
Liverpool v Tottingham - how many "Must Win!" games is that so far this season.
Invitable - hardly Bobby; very likely - maybe; gets this season to turn it around - don't be too suprised
Two wins for Spurs and they are in mid table, I'm sure the owners are aware of the effect King's absence is having on the side.
But it wasn't a fightback on Monday, It was an early Christmas present from Villa.
Manchester City only confound critics who are pretty stupid. SGE has a very good managerial record at club level, he has money and some good youngsters. Elano was a key Brazilian in the Copa America this year, one of the buys of the season, perhaps.
Boro tend to play well but are inconsistent at either end.
Play Offs - can't say I'm a fan. But so far Nobody has looked close to DC United. They should get a home win @ RFK in the MLS Cup, especially now they don't have the Copa Sudamericana as a diversion.
Colombus don't seem to get many airings on TV, but Dallas have been gift-wrapping goals to the opposition recently.
Bobby - share your thoughts on Ricardo Clark being banned 9 games and fined $10k, please
Why do you think the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Final was held on a Wednesday? Wihjtout much fanfare either.
The League is coming down on the boy like a ton of bricks - was the incident really that bad? Is Clarke a well paid player?
two teams owned by one man/organization play offs involved, everything really has to be clear as glass. At least Garber is trying to diversify franchise ownership, that short of stuff isn't allowed in the UK
Last edited by craigy_f on October 5th at 4:44 AM.
Serie A is full of BIG games this weekend -
Napoli could trouble Inter
Roma desperatley need a win against Parma
Udinese in Atalanta could be a UEFA Cup spot decider
The HOT rumours in Serie A are Kaka to Spain and Del Piero to Milan
I think you'll find that the Fiorentina game is in Florence not Turin! - Mutu v Trezeguet!
Ohhh Flashman that was good one!!! haven't heard that one for awhile! *sarcasm*
Ulsterson your wrong! but not about Liverpool. Adebayor is pretty much an Arsenal automatic right now. Watch him get rested on Sunday against Sunderland now that I said this.
Last edited by JayAlves on October 5th at 7:17 AM.
Thanks for the info from the previous post about my Ireland trip. I'm really looking forward to it now, especially the chance to drink true, local Guinness that hasn't crossed the Atlantic.
I also found the comment about Fantasy rotation hilarious, and it's a strange truth these days. Last week I remember saying "Damnit! Why don't you play Wright Phillips, Grant? I'm gonna lose points!"
And then it was "Yes! I didn't start Arteta but he's my first sub so he goes in for SWP! Points, baby!" I'm sure Atleti, Rico, LGB et al understand. :)
Fantasy brings out the inner geek in all of us.
Oh, and just watched the Ricardo Clark incident. Let's see, kick someone in the shoulder, and they hold their face. Was Dida involved in this?
Wow if Tottenham win the next two games they will be mid table. That is a ringing endorsement of Jol's performance. THe guy is one bad loss away from being fired. Sure he might hold on, but he is gone after the season for sure and likely sooner, no two ways about it.
Rafa will get no break from any of us, liverfools, or the media until he swallows his pride (never will) and lets his attacking players get consistent runs. It has to be demoralizing as a striker to know that even if your score a hat trick you will be on the bench for the next game.
Kaka wins his first World Player of The year. I think Brazil can make a whole team of WPOTY, good for him he deserves it.
And I will stick with my analysis of Benitez his rotation is hurting his team and until it proves me wrong and they start winning consistantly I won't change my opinion.
I don't know if anyone mentioned re: your trip to Ireland but if you have the time visit the Guinness Factory in Dublin. The last time I was there was 8 years ago but you should still be able to take a tour and see their worldwide marketing and promotional campaigns since they started. It's extremely interesting and of course at the end you get to sample the best pint of mother's milk I guarantee you'll ever have.
Can't argue with the selection other than right and left backs are non existent. I think Dani Alves deserves a spot as right back. I don't believe there was any left back who had a good enough year to be consider to the top 11.
Couple of things... Is there a reason there are only 2 premiership games tomorrow on Saturday, and 8 of them on Sunday?
Also, Sepp Blatter is #### insane... "Football players are not workers"... "They are more of artists than workers"...
Does he not realize that artists are also workers? That, and that they do a job for a company and get paid for it, thus, they are workers? I mean, the man has lost it upstairs... Well, I don't know if I should say that, because I doubt he's ever had it... That, and the man considers North and South America one continent for the World Cup rotation, while considering Europe and Asia two...
I don't get it... There are more nations and more people associated with FIFA than the United Nations, and this is the best guy we can find to be a leader?
I refuse to take any of those kinds of awards seriously -- they are popularity contests that highlight YouTube showponies or parrot conventional wisdom as dictated by a selected few pundits at the red tops, Marca or on MOTD.
Where's the holding midfielder (and, no, Steve Gerrard doesn't count, sorry LGB)? Where's the right and left back? It's not like there haven't been some fantastic performers, as gabemar, ReggaeGunner and MasMaz have pointed out.
It's a little ironic that Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Manchester United, who all won the titles in their respective leagues placed a great total of two players on the FIFPRO starting XI. And it could be argued Cannavaro was Madrid's worst defender for much of the year.
lgb - he might look back on that and think 9 games out and $10k to be a touch lenient.
Polled two local sport talk radio presenters today, both of them would NOT LIKE any kind of foreign ownership of an NFL franchise.
One presenter thinks it's foolish and he's a pretty ardent soccer mocker.
One presenter thinks it's just business.
No matter the reaction (or blatant over reaction) of Dida, a fan game on the pitch, that is something UEFA really frown upon, Celtic will be lucky if they are only fined, they might actually forfeit the game with Milan getting three points.
It wasn't quite as bad as the Sweeden EC qualifier but UEFA will not want to be seen to be lenient.
Wrexham pick up three valuable points.
deffo albertagooner, same as the MVP award,
The one that I do actually like is the award voted for by the players, can't recall it's name, but it isn't always the same winner as the media awarded accolade in the Premier League.
Football has a hall of fame? The English Football Hall of Fame is located in Preston at the National Football Museum, the awards are held in October.
The article does however alludes to Mark Lawrenson being on the selection panel - which devalues any sort of award.
Aw dearest Bobby. I notice that despite Celtic defeating the European champions you can't bring yourself to write about them and instead dedicate 3 paragraphs to bloody Marseille winning at Anfield. Still hurting after the 2-1 at Dens? Wee McDonald got the best of your boys as well.
Honestly, to barely give a mention of Rangers' win was bad enough and I despise them, but to ignore Celtic's win over Milan is laughable. GIRUY McMahon. Are you even Scottish anymore?
Some of my notes from the Liverpool press briefing, though I did miss the beginning ...
"... and dis treatment off us is, how you say, unbilleefable. To say my job is on the line if Tottenham JolySpurs beat us is well ... like saying my team should be the same for two gameys in a row." ... Raffa appeared to drift off into his own little world ... His strange hand signal gestures once again reminding us that he used to guide the planes into the gates at Malaga airport. .... "These people should be complaining about Referees giving no protection to my team ..."
at which point the bar won the day ...
(LACF is a freelance journalist for Barthelona Weekly)
BOBBY:
l have to ask you this on monday on the show you talked about how sheva was going to leave and how chelsea will not turn this in the short term , fast forward 4 days later and a win in valencia you proclaimed on the show that it was literally the rebirth of chelsea, now not since mr and mrs tweedy claimed they left arsenal for chelsea due to lack of englishness and yet had to argue tooth and nail over mr cashely's craving for a dream move to real madrid which is predominantly spanish have l seen such conflicting pieces of information , who you mind to elaborate,
henry14 - I'm not conflicted. The comment on Monday was in reference to Shevchenko and how I don't think he can survive given the circumstances of Mourinho's departure and his own form. To state, as you did, that I said that " it was literally the rebirth of Chelsea" I would have had to have said that it was the rebirth of Chelsea which I did not. I was simply acknowledging an excellent result for Chelsea in Spain and the possibility that it might offer some "traction" for coming games.
Don't know whether this is the right place to post this link to an article, but here's a great piece worth reading, Thierry Henry writing about Roy Keane's debut at the Emirates and his respect for him as a player.
Hey Bobby. I'm a huge Celtic fan. 1. I really want to know on what you think of their poor performances away from home and if they really are one of Europe's top clubs. Two years ago, I drove 195 miles to a game to see them get thrashed 4-0 by D.C. United. This year, I went to two of their games which were against the MLS all-star team which they lost 2-0 and a game against Chicago which the drew 1-1. 2. I also want to know based on these results if you think that American clubs could perform well against Europe's best or it's just that the Uefa clubs are just in pre-season from. I just wanted to make it clear that I am not a fan of the MLS and hope it doesn't become one of the worlds premier leagues. I also appreciate you taking the time to answer my other question earlier. I also need to know how I am to get these questions on the main blog. Thanks!
It's embarrassing that we had to struggle like that to get that win. Losing a 2-0 lead at home is not something a team aspring to be champions should be doing. But I also have to give it up to Sunderland who where amazing, but Arsenal derserved the win. Van Power.
Wengerman has to look at that defense maybe mad Jens and Gilberto should be brought back.
Was wondering what other gooners think of the RVP Ade partnership. They really don't link up together well but its effective because it gives us two options that have to be respected which opens it up.
There was a couple times RVP could of slid the ball into Ade wide open standing on the penalty spot and he pulled the trigger instead.
Also when was the last game they both scored in? Its as if one is not allowed to have a good game without the other getting shutout.
just checked this season and its 0 and with last years injuries I doubt too many.
edit:
December 23 last year against blackburn 6-2 but Ade's goal came from the spot... and thats it for 2006/2007 and I'm not going to check 2005/2006 :P
Last edited by JayAlves on October 7th at 6:57 AM.
What a crazy game! Well done, Arsenal, you would have managed to draw that game last year. And yeah, the back line looked a little poor at times, but we showed a little vulnerabilty against Spurs, West Ham and even Steaua. The difference is that Sunderland took their chances and didn't go into a damage-prevention excercise after going down 2-0. Credit them -- they'll stay up if they continue to play like this.
Congrats Ringo- I notice your avatar changed to reflect the Poms beating the Convicts. Well Done. Being an All Blacks supporter I am disappointed that they lost. France-England should be a terrific semi.
Afonso Alves scored 7 against Heracles in a 9-0 win - Dutch League. I can rememeber Alan Gilzean scoring 7 in a 10 something win over Queen of the South in the early sixties but I can't think of anyone doing it since. Anyone else who can think of a player who has scored 7 in a club game in the last 40 years?
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