My pick will still remain as Internaz ionale to beat either Barcelona or an English team in the Final in Moscow.
Draw for first KO stage. (group
winners play away leg first)
Arsenal v AC MILAN – possibly the
plum tie of the round for the neutral
BARCELONA v Celtic – the Scots have a
punchers’ chance with their good home record
CHELSEA v Olympiakos – much too one sided to
be really good for the neutral.
INTERNAZ IONALE v Liverpool – valiant scrappers come an Italian cropper.
Lyon v MANCHESTER UNITED – One sided, to the
maximum.
PORTO
v Schalke 04 – who knows, both sides have surprised so it could go either way,
definitely one to watch for the uncertainty factor.
REAL MADRID v Roma – possibly the
plum tie of the round (anyone who knows La Liga well should speak up on this
one)
SEVILLA v Fenerbache – Closer
then some may think as one game is in Turkey, but you figure two
consecutive UEFA Cups will be the thumb on the scales.
(Group winners in CAPS)
The odds are for winning it all;
first is the odds from August; second from before the draw; finally the odds after
the draw.
Liverpool
**9/1 – 11/1 – 14/1
– oops! the bookies don’t discount the reds but understand the enormity of
their task.
Porto
9/1 – 50/1 – 40/1
– getting possibly the easiest draw of the first KO round has improved the odds
but still a long shot.
Chelsea
6/1 – 8/1 – 6/1
– dropped back down, probably due to an easier draw.
Schalke 04
40/1 – 40/1 – two
teams in the same game have their odds shortened; indecisiveness from the
bookies.
Real Madrid
9/1 – 8/1 – 8/1
– stays the same; they have a really tricky and tough to call tie.
Olympiakos
150/1 – 50/1 – 100/1
– Someone thinks they have a punchers chance against Chelsea, still a long shot though
AC Milan
8/1 – 10/1 – 10/1
– The tie against a formidable team hasn’t shortened their odds, much
uncertainty with this tie.
Celtic
100/1 – 50/1 – 80/1
– big increase so the bookies think Strachan’s players have only a hope in
hell.
Barcelona
9/2 – 4/1 – 7/2
– they drop again, due to their opponents and smart bookies.
Lyon
18/1 – 20/1 – 25/1
lengthened again due to superiorly perceived opponents.
Manchester United
6/1 – 5/1 – 5/1
– stays the same, this suggests a win against Lyon but not anything more than a
decent chance to win it all.
Roma
21/10 – 16/1 – 20/1
– the bookies see them beating Arsenal when hell freezes over.
Internaz ionale
8/1 – 9/1 – 9/1
– no change which suggests the bookies like the Italians but aren’t quite
convinced.
Fenerbache
200/1 – 50/1 – 50/1
– the Turkish side could cause an upset but do YOU really think so against
strong Spanish opposition?
Arsenal
8/1 – 8/1 – 8/1
– stays the same; they like the gunners but don’t want the odds to suggest
anything more than a decent chance.
Sevilla
20/1 – 10/1 – 10/1
- stays the same, they like the Spaniards but don’t want the odds to suggest
anything more than a decent chance
Remember the bookies aren’t
exactly trying to pick the winner. They
are trying to make money, so the odds reflect their understanding of the
betting market and their expertize at fleecing suckers.
Expect the longer odds to change
if that team does well in the first game.
The stronger teams’ odds will remain fairly static at the early stages
of the KO rounds as the bookmakers realize the games are actually too tough to
call with any certainty.
**All
Ladbrokes odds are from 31/08/2007 and then 20/12/2007 and finally 23/12/2007.
My Picks.
Internaz ionale – unless Liverpool drastically upgrade several aspects of their personnel
and play the Internaz ionale Machine will roll them over.
Chelsea – too much for the Greeks; even with
a (possibly) depleted side.
Roma – they have managed to
overcome the toughest early Serie A schedule in many a season and still remain
second. Deceptively tough.
Porto
– too much for the Germans, you would think.
AC Milan – Cesc will shine, but then so will
Pirlo, Ambrosini, Seedorf, Kaka and Inzaghi.
Sevilla – Ole Ole Ole Ole! the
move to this stage of the Champions League will not be tougher than the UEFA
Cup (yet!).
Manchester United – they win when they play
less then good, very strong with possible January additions.
Barcelona – pushed hard by the Scots but the
class up front will tell in the end, they’ll do it with a draw and a tight win
at the Nou Camp.
Super Sunday – oh how the media darlings love a headline.
The Premier league floated the
boat when they drew up the fixture list for this season. Two games involving your recent ‘Big Four’ on
the same day with no other top level games to muddy the waters. Sky, Setanta, Auntie, Fox, whoever and
however the Premier League is going to be covered this weekend it will all be
about these two games; Manchester United’s visit to Anfield and Chelsea’s visit
to the Emirates; Andy Gray might by talking about Wigan v Blackburn but you know he’s focused
on Sunday.
The top three will remain the
same after Sunday but the top four could change if Liverpool
loses and Pompey or City win.
Ferguson V the Waiter
The Scot had a good career with Aberdeen before coming to
United; there he turned the club into the domestic juggernaut and finally won
the coveted title of European Champions after his side completed a spectacular
treble in the 1998-89 season.
The Spaniard moved from success
in Spain’s second tier to a successful
stint at Valencia. A move to Liverpool
followed and the Champions League and the FA Cup soon followed. League success has so far eluded the Spaniard
in England.
Both managers are robust minded
individuals with strong footballing ideas.
They have met six times in the Premier League.
04/05 Old
Trafford – 2-1 loss / Anfield 0-1 loss
05/06 Anfield –
0-0 draw / Old Trafford 1-0 loss
06/07 Old
Trafford – 2-0 loss / Anfield – 0-1 loss
Ferguson certainly has the edge over rafa;
whether home or away.
The North London Professor V Grant
Wenger was plucked from Japan by a
lucky David Dein and the rest is now etched into Arsenal folklore, the
Frenchman emulated the success that Graham brought to the Gunners but achieved
it (and much more) in a whole new way.
Two doubles as part of four FA Cups and three League Titles are the
major successes; never won in Europe though.
The Israeli was plucked from relative
obscurity into the Chelsea
hotseat just this September. His experience
in Israel
is generally regarded as successful and he had brief stints as at Technical
Director before taking control of Abramovich’s plaything. His lack of UEFA qualifications doesn’t seem
to have hindered his good run of results, his first at Old Trafford
notwithstanding.
Wenger shares the characteristics
of the other top four Premier League managers and brought revolutionary methods
to the Gunners. Grant is a dark horse
and has hardly become the media’s darling in his short tenure.
Neither manager has met in the
Premier League.
An aside
Four of the top
four sides in England
are managed by foreigners.
Four of the top
four sides in Spain
are managed by foreigners.
Four of the top
four sides in Italy
are managed by Italians.
Injuries/Suspensions (the cards are pretty easy to decipher but the
injuries and likely returns is like reading the tea leaves)
Arsenal –
Flamini, Hleb, Fabregas (tricky one as he may be called upon)
Chelsea – Drogba,
Ballack, Carvalho and Malouda (may be back)
Essien – too
many cards!
Liverpool – Alonso (may be back), Finnan (doubtful)
Manchester United – O’Shea (doubtful),
Hargreaves (probable)
The referees (unfortunately they are graded on quantity and not
quality)
Halsey at Anfield
12 matches in
07/08 with 2 REDS and 35 YELLOWS
He sits at 11
with an average of 3.08 c/game.
He’s only booked
Arbeloa in two previous matches involving Liverpool
this season. But hasn’t given any ‘soft’
penalty decisions.
Wiley at The Emirates
13 matches in
07/08 with 1 REDS and 43 YELLOWS.
He sits at 8
with 3.38 c/game.
He’s booked
Flamini (twice), Eduardo, Clichy, Van Persie,
Eboue, Carvalho, Belletti and Essien in two Arsenal and three Chelsea games this season.
The Nitty Gritty
Arsenal – a passing and
possession team with a sometimes suspect defence and issues up front and in
goal. Injuries have hit them hard
recently.
Chelsea – good in goal, solid at the back
(mostly) with an overrated midfield that relies on it’s target man who isn’t
playing.
Liverpool
– One good forward, an inconsistent captain and midfield and a slowing and
sometimes suspect defence, good between the sticks. Tactically surprising.
Manchester United – very solid at the back
and between the sticks, better wide than centrally in midfield with some beef
up front.
Key Matchups (although who knows what the team sheets are going to be; particularly
the one written in Spanish)
Anfield
van der Saar or Reina – both
solid, nothing much to choose between the two.
Torres – fast, good first touch,
strong but still prone to the ‘nowhere’ run and the ‘dive’, seems to work
better with Kuyt than Couch. Has the
tools to cut through almost any defence and is on a good run of form.
Vidic and Ferdinand – the Premier
League’s meanest defensive pairing. One
is tough as old boots, always gives his all and will mop up anything in the
air, the other has good positional sense and a great understanding of where his
partner won’t be, rarely make mistakes when together.
It will be a tough afternoon for
Torres.
Rooney and Tevez – working well
together after a shaky start, two complimentary players, positionally they seem
to have it nailed and Rooney in particular can score from almost anywhere.
Carragher and Hyypia (or Agger) –
Neither has the pace they once had but experience counts for a lot, Agger
provides another option but coming back into a game like this might be too
much. Hyypia had a down time but has
turned things around. Susceptible to
pace.
A real test of the Rooney Tevez
partnership, they may be occupying the defenders so the midfield can come
forward.
Brown/Ronaldo – Riise/Kewell –
Harry has never been the most diligent of defenders but you have to say the
match ups on this side of the field could be anybodies. You do have to think that unless the game
gets away from one team that the fullbacks will be asked to sit back and defend
more. Ronaldo can turn a game with some
skilful runs or a girly dive but the Australian’s runs inside can cause just as
many problems for the back four.
Arbeloa/Babel – Evra/Giggs – This
one is easier, Evra has grown into his role and Giggs is still good despite a
slight loss of pace. Arbeloa and Babel will be hard pressed
to contain this side of the field if Evra decides to get forward, the centre
backs could be pulled wide and leave the space for Anderson or a deep lying
Tevez in the middle to cause problems.
Gerrard/Mascherano – not as good
as with Alonso but these two can cause problems, Gerrard is hitting some form
and if he starts deeper he will cause more problems, the Argentine will have
his hands full covering his back four; more than likely. Gerrard’s bursts upfield will be less
effective against a United back four that doesn’t get pulled wide that
often.
Anderson/Carrick/Hargreaves –
tough to decide which two will start but Anderson
is developing fast and Carrick has a neat array of passing, they will get
assistance when Tevez or Rooney drops deeper to collect the ball which may pull
Mascherano out of position.
The tackling will be ferocious
but Halsey is the man to keep things in check.
Expect a tight game, with the
defences on top. A mistake or a flash of
skill will turn the game. Both teams have
experienced and skillful divers but you hope that won’t lead to any goals.
The Emirates
Lehman or Cech – one is clearly
better than the other but the German is still pretty good, both are tough to
beat but you figure the German is a tad more flamboyant in some of his
decisions than the Czech.
Shevchenko/Kalou – The Ukrainian
hasn’t yet found his feet in the Premier league, mainly due to the system
employed at Chelsea. Kalou’s class is debatable.
Toure/Gallas – the likely pairing
is physical and quick, positionally good as well and likely to deal well with a
433 Chelsea.
Van Persie/Adebayor – very
different players without much time together recently. The Togo forward can be deadly or dour
and the speed of the Dutchman plus his good first touch can cause
problems. If they click they can cause Chelsea problems.
Terry/Alex(Carvalho) – the
Englishman is the heart of Chelsea and will be all over the back third; putting
his body in harms way and haranguing refs, Alex is less redoubtable but has
potential and is getting better. If they
can tackle well in close quarters in and around the area they should do OK,
being pulled wide (probably right) is the only problem they may face. If 100% Carvalho may start and will be more
solid than Alex.
Bridge/Ferreira – two decent
English left backs (WOW!) but Bridge is better and has been playing well
recently, Chelsea will likely go with the better defending of the Portuguese
fullback to keep things tight at the back.
Lampard/Makele/Mikel – two
holding and one going forward is a likely scenario as the away side. Lampard isn’t as good without the Ivorian up
front but Makalele is real good at just sitting and holding things up. Mikel could be the key here, he likes to push
on more and will if that’s Grant’s plan, but he may be frustrated and kick out
if he is forced to defend too much.
Clichy/Sagna – on the left he’s
as good if not better than Cole, good pace, good going back or forward and
seems OK with just staying put, I think he’ll have a license to get forward,
especially if Grant somehow decides Belletti is required. Sagna hasn’t quite found his feet but is
getting better, he does tend to get pulled out of position and require some aid
from his centre backs.
Wright-Philips/Shevchenko/Cole –
not a good triumvirate when placed together, on the right or left
Wright-Philips may get one good ball from ten into the area, Cole can’t stay
wide and Shevchenko doesn’t get the service he feasted on in Milan.
Kalou just isn’t that good either.
Walcott/Denilson/Song/Diaby(Fabregas
and Hleb as subs) – Hleb’s move infield has been a revelation this season and
he’s done wonders for the Gunners in that free role he has in the hole. Walcott will use pace as his weapon, Denilson
will sit and hold and pass the ball out well, with Song split between doing
much the same and helping build attacks, Diaby is having a good spell and will
want to come inside more than hug the touchline.
The midfield for both teams lacks
a little bit of width and it might get all congested in the middle which will
suit Chelsea
better.
This game has draw written all
over it, Chelsea will look to sit back and maybe break occasionally but lack
the cutting edge to carve open Arsenal, the Gunners will lack the guile from
the get go to break down a tough Chelsea defence and outstanding ‘keeper. A good referee for his game.
Bottom Line
You can throw the stats out of
the window for these two. Who wants it
more on the day, howlers, inspired substitutions, delicious skill, the referee
or a diver will decide the outcome of these games.
I’ll be really surprised if you
get more than three goals in both games.
The teams have settled into their midseason form and with Christmas and
New Year looming they all know that the meaty part of the season is beginning. All the teams will have one eye over their shoulder
as the teams below them aren’t that far away, Liverpool are fourth on Goal
Difference (they do have a game in hand though).
Auntie – Liverpool
v Manchester United isn’t actually a game of traditional local rivals.
Tiny Tim keeps the crowd on tenterhooks as he waits until the
eighty-fifth minute before grabbing the winner.
Zenit get hobbled by the inept referee but show the value o####ood
manager with a stunning ten man performance.
Goodison Park
hosts another European night, balmy by Russian standards, chilly for the home
fans. Zenit brought their fair share of
vocal, semi-naked and blue and white supporters to add to the occasion and
Goodison was full of noise. Both teams
can qualify but an Everton win eases the pressure for matchday four in Holland, a nice break in
a hectic December schedule.
Howard is recovered enough to
keep goal behind a much changed back four from Saturday. Neville and Lescott keep their spots, Yobo is
replaced by Jagielka and Baines slips into the left back slot. Arteta, Cahill, Carsley and Pienaar line up
across the middle and Osman in dropped in favour of McFadden, the Scot sits up
front alongside Johnson in an attacking 4 4 2.
Advocaat is a canny manager and
his side is the recently crowned Russian Champions. Malafeev keep goal and is familiar with England; he was between the sticks when Russia visited
Wembley. A back four of Anyukov, Skrtel,
Lombaerts and Kim is multinational and solid.
Dominguez and Shirl provide width, Zyrianov looks forward and the
excellent Ukrainian Tymoschuk holds in a well drilled and neat midfield,
Arshavin will sit in the hole and Pogrebnyak will be the target man.
Everton start brightly, pegging
the visitors back from the whistle. The
Russian side don’t get time to settle and an early defensive slip allow Pienaar
to get the cross in but Kim comes back to clear. Arteta forces a goal line clearance and Zenit
are quick to come forward, Arshavin; at the heart of anything good from the
Russian side; plays in Kim on the left but the full back’s cross is
behind.
Everton come forward again after
winning possession in midfield but Malafeev keeps his hands warm with a good
leap top claim Neville’s cross.
Arshavin gets the ball again but
his ball forward into space isn’t read by his team mates. Arteta sets up a ball for Johnson to chase
and Skrtel comes across to bail out his ‘keeper.
Malafeev is called upon again and
clears quickly, Neville wins the ball then hands possession to Arshavin, the Russian playmaker puts his
cross behind. Then Everton have to clear
Arshavin’s free kick.
Everton create another chance
when Pienaar steals the ball after Zenit were held up by Jagielka on the left touchline,
the South African gets the ball back when his first pass cannons of a Zenit
player, his second ball is better and puts in McFadden, the Scotsman’s run is
good; as is the run of Johnson into space in the area; the final ball is poor
and McFadden’s cross is easily intercepted and cleared by Lombaerts.
Zenit are a well managed team and
look bright in attack, they play the ball around well and look to play to
feet. Arshavin is quality.
Pienaar; having an hot and cold
night in his gloves; wastes some nice Everton possession on the left with a
sloppy cross, Carsley needs to be alert to break up the ensuing Zenit
attack. The South African then plays the
ball too high for a well positioned Johnson; who doesn’t have a stepladder in
his pocket.
Baines concedes a corner when
Zenit break down the right, Zenit’s next attack sees Pogrebnyak shoots wide
from outside the area.
The game is open and free flowing
Everton and Zenit are looking to attack with Lescott and Malafeev being the
standouts in defence.
Everton come out with the ball
and win a free kick and a lovely position on the right, McFadden aims for the
‘keeper and finds him with a wasted delivery.
Arshavin plays a ball into the
path of Shirl but Howard is quick off his line.
Advocaat has the Russian side
playing attractive attacking football, this Russian machine has been very much
well oiled, and the break since their season ended hasn’t affected the team at
all. They attack with speed and poise
and defend well.
Dominguez cuts infield on the
left and swings in a beautiful ball which misses the head of Pogrebnyak by a
foot.
Skrtel resumes his battle with
Johnson and clears the ball away neatly.
McFadden wins a deep free kick which Arteta converts into a corner kick,
the ball is whipped in comes out to Everton, Pienaar chips a delightful ball over
the crowd at the edge of the area and Cahill is more alert than Malafeev;
heading over the flying Russian; he brings the ball down and slams it goalward,
Lombaerts sliding tackle takes the ball behind.
The crowd and Cahill are baying for a handball and the referee duly
obliges then to add insult to injury shows the Belgian a red. Replays show the challenge was a good one and
Lombaerts used his groin and face to clear the ball, not his hands or
arms.
Liverpool
isn’t the only club on Merseyside to get some help from the officials this
season.
"IF MR. CLATTENBURG CAN FOUL UP A GAME IN LIVERPOOL THEN SO CAN I" HOW DO YOU SAY THAT IN ICELANDIC?
The crowd expects the Spaniard to
hand them the lead but JUSTICE PREVAILS and the Barcelona product atrociously skies the spot
kick. The Spaniard has obviously spent
too much time in England
if he tales that poor a penalty kick.
"COHONES! " IS THAT HOW YOU SAY BOLLOCKS! IN SPANISH?
Zyrianov drops back a little
deeper but Zenit stick with their original formation. Then they attack again from the restart. Pogrebnyak gets forward and shows good skill
to bamboozle Jagielka on the edge of the area, his shimmy and pull back free up
Arshavin and prevent something agricultural from Neville. The ex blade redeems himself by getting his
body in the way of the fierce Russian shot.
Arteta tries a bit of redemption
himself but from thirty odd yards out Malafeev is able to get to his top left
corner and palm the sumptuously curling ball; the Spaniard was sure was the
opener; away. Johnson is too intent on
admiring the flight of the ball and doesn’t get to the loose ball in front of
the open net before the defender. Zenit
only half clear and the ball comes out to Carsley, the Irishman opts for
placement instead of power and is unfortunate to see the ball come out of the
inside of the post, McFadden latches onto the rebound but with men open in the area
and only finds the first defender.
Baines and Pienaar combine well
on the left but the South African is well tackled and Zenit come forward
again. The Argentinean; Dominguez; has
come infield and is shaping to pass when Neville goes all agricultural on
him. The terrible challenge is merely a
free kick and not even a card.
The Icelandic referee thinks that
if it’s alright for Kung Fu Kuyt to get away with one then why not one of the
Ugly Sisters.
Dominguez struggles on but is obviously
unfit to continue and comes off before the half, Advocaat; unwilling to make a
change just yet; lets Zenit play with nine men.
Malafeev saves one form Cahill
and Jagielka unsuccessfully tries his hand at crossing before Advocaat brings
on a veteran Russian substitute.
"WANKER! IT WASN'T A PEANLTY!" HOW DO YOU SAY THAT IN RUSSIAN OR DUTCH?
Neither manager makes any
changes, tactically or personnel wise, at the half. But the Advocaat team talk must have been something
to behold. McClaren could provide them
for Middlesbrough in the UEFA Cup but
apparently with national pride at stake his head went up his bum at half time
You’d be hard pressed to tell
that one side was a man down. Zenit had
switched from a 4 4 1 1 to a 3ish 5ish 1, amazingly it worked. Malafeev; the Zenit MOTM; came out quickly to
save his defenders blushes. Neville
pumps one in which is cleared to Baines, the leftback puts in for McFadden but
the Scot shanks it wide.
Zenit break quickly and Zyrianov plays
the ball into the path of Pogrebnyak, the tall Russian stays ahead of Baines
and Lescott but Howard makes a fine save to keep things level.
Baines get forward at the other
end but his whipped in cross beats three Zenit defenders, Malafeev and Johnson
in the six yard box.
Arshavin lays a beautiful ball
over the Everton defence into space, the run of Zyrianov sees him free with
only Howard to beat but he spoons it wildly over the bar. That was a let off.
Howard collects a high ball
easily whilst under pressure from Arshavin as Zenit belie their man deficit and
take the game to Everton.
"THE GOAL IS THAT WAY LADS!
Everton have to play hard to get
opportunities forward, Arteta and Johnson combine and only the quick play of
Malafeev prevents Neville from getting onto a lovely, dinked cross.
Lescott is at his best tonight
and shows Arshavin the art of the tackle.
Everton are being unbelievably pegged back by the ten men of Zenit.
Johnson gets forward to bring
some relief to Everton and his cross is put behind for corner number eight, the
delivery comes out to Pienaar who shanks the ball wide from inside deep. Arteta cuts inside but put the ball behind.
Advocaat decides to shore things
up with the introduction of a defender for his lone striker, Arshavin ploughs a
lone furrow up front.
The ball comes in for McFadden,
and instead of getting a shot off the Scot gives Zenit a free kick, Moyes call
time and brings on the effervescent Anichebe, a match winner in Everton’s two
previous UEFA Cup ties this season.
Pienaar keeps trying but his
cross is poor and easily cleared, Zenit break but Lescott keep pace with
Arshavin and shrugs the Russian off the ball.
Baines puts in a poor one as
Everton start to #### up some pressure, Anichebe has a run from deep but his
shot fizzes wide, Jagielka; up for the corner; tries from distance but Malfeev
smothers the shot. Pienaar gets the ball
again but his cross is to someone much taller than a wide open Johnson.
Arshavin puts a free kick
harmlessly behind.
Everton are finding it tough to
break through an obdurate Zenit team who defend deep and well but break with
amazing alacrity and speed.
Lescott joins the fray on the
left but his dispossession allows Zenit to get forward, Zyrianov is tiring and
can’t get to his own ball which goes out for a goal kick.
Anichibe’s cut back is behind
Cahill, then the ####ian can’t get his shot off as Zenit close him down, the
Russians break upfield with Zyrianov but the shot is wild and high.
Carsley has a go but is high, Lee
comes on for Anyukov and Zenit show that attack is often the best form of
defence. Moyes brings off Johnson and
lets another great Everton
Academy product loose on
the Russians, Vaughn will add some height to the attack and provide a better
target for Pienaar.
Zenit clear another Everton
corner kick but Everton mount a concerted effort for the winner. Arteta has a shot blocked then the home side
gets a corner. Arteta finds Lescott at
the near post and the header is well blocked but only as far as the ex-Wolves
defender, his rasping shot is well turned aside by Malafeev, the man on the
line is playing Cahill onside and the diminutive Australian needs two touches
to bury the ball in the net and secure the win.
Zenit are immediately into the
attack but the home side keeps possession, attack themselves and rebuff the
Russians to see out the three extra minutes of a hugely nerve-wracking and
entertaining game.
Moyes was gracious in victory
(unlike a certain cretinous waiter). He
admitted the red card was harsh and complemented his players for their
tenacity.
Eleven on eleven the result could
well have been different but a win is a win is a win and the group stages have
been maneuvered through. The break is
that on December 20th the result against AZ Alkmaar will be
meaningless to Everton who have topped their group, it will be a nice
opportunity to try some of the reserves and rest players in a hectic month.
#### Advocaat showed his
managerial credentials with an awesome ten man display. His team attacked and defended well and had
three really good opportunities. His
team’s progress through to the knock out stages are in the hands of AZ Alkmaar
and Nurnberg now.
The referee played three good
advantages. On the negative side he
handed Everton a huge bonus with the grossly incorrect red card on Lombaerts
and the penalty decision. He was also
lax when Neville’s Kuyt-like violence against Dominguez didn’t even produce a
yellow. His booking of Johnson was a bit
harsh as well. I think UEFA might be
having words with Mr. Jakobsson.
Liverpool flatter to deceive,
a 4-0 win over a turgid Bolton doesn’t suggest
a League Title going anywhere near Anfield soon.
The redshiite opened well, with Kewell and Benayoun causing Bolton problems but with no end product.
Crouch had a miserable game, showing that he has no
understanding of the play of Torres and an awful first touch. How the lanky Englishman can be so inaccurate
with his headers only he knows.
The first goal was easily offside but the Anfield Assistant
decided to keep the home fans happy.
Hyypia shared his happiness, the Finn was delighted to find the back of
the opponent’s net for a change.
Anelka must have had money on a Liverpool win, his miss was
horrible and took the fight out of Bolton who after the first goal had gone
against them made Liverpool look like their
ordinary selves.
You can’t take away the goal Torres scored, he looks too
good to wear red for much longer but will be hopeful his manager gives him a
better strike partner in future games.
Peter Crouch before he gets changed for the game
Liverpool’s third was all about a ‘home’ referee and a sack
of cheating spuds called Crouch, in any other ground and for any other team the
lanky one with the dire first touch would have been carded for an atrocious
piece of acting. He gets the penalty at
Anfield.
RAFA GOES FOR A NEW LOOK!
The redshiite were on cruise control for the rest of the game
and their fourth game easily.
The commentators were Gerrardistas of the worst kind, they
love the squeaky man even though he rarely gives a toss when wearing the three
lions.
Gilet and Hiks show they understand the complications of the 'January Transfer Window"
The Setanta team in the commentary box talked about how
wonderful Liverpool is, was and will be. Manchester, Chelsea and Arsenal have
nothing to worry about on this poor form.
League Two - Chester beat the Shrews 3-1 to go fourth
Serie A -Inter v Napoli, great game
Lows:-
Premier League
Liverpool grab a late equalizer
Everton lose 3-2 to the Toon and go to tenth! Wankers!
Oh well It's only sports!
The Interntaional break and England are saved from having some dumb blone play up front alongside Owen due to a knee injury. Robinson looks as though he uses butter as part of his pre game warm up and won't inspire confidence if picked to go to Russia; I hope the England teamn have watched some of the games played at Rice Eccles Stadium to see howawful and unpredictable the bounce on a fake pitch can be!
That French forward is massive - where did he come from?
Liverpool destroys a woeful Derby;
six goals but not a thriller.
A beautiful pitch at Anfield and
a loud crowd filled the Kop, the atmosphere was mostly red but Derby had their voice as
well. The Kop was expectant of a routine
victory. Anfield goal legends Ian Rush
and John Aldridge are in the stands, the former watching the latter
commentating.
Benitez has Reina in goal, in
front of him, Finnan, Hyypia, Agger and Arbeloa; a solid back line with the
ability to play the ball from the back; Mascherano and Alonso occupied the
middle with Pennant on the right and Babel
on the left; Torres and Kuyt would be the forwards.
Davies has Bywater in goal with a
back four of Griffin, Malcolm, Davis and Todd, the midfield five are ####an,
Oakley Mears, Camara and Pearson with Howard; finally able to play at the top
level after starting his career with Northern League side Tow Law Town.
An early ball goes forward for Torres;
he falls over in the area.
Derby string a few passes together but Mears‘s
speculative shot from distance is poor.
Torres dives and wins a free
kick; then the Spaniard loses the ball so lashes out but doesn’t get
carded.
Agger; with space to come forward
through an ineffective Derby midfield sees the deflection carry it goal bound
but a good save from Bywater only yields a corner.
Mascherano is skinned by Pearson
and he beats the next man with pace, cutting inside he eschews the shot and
passes inside to Oakley only to see the ball cut out, nice chance for Derby with nothing to show
for it.
Pennant delivers a good ball in
but Torres heads too close to Bywater: Kuyt works the ball on the right and
crosses in for Torres to weakly find touch; Liverpool win the ball in midfield
but Torres’s run doesn’t find Kuyt’s pass; Pennant runs well on the right flank
but a good challenge from Davies ends the move; Torres win the ball well.
Derby
actually tries to play when they have possession but don’t have the skill to
break through Liverpool, when they haven’t got
the ball the sit back and defend. Liverpool strokes the ball around and looks for incisive
forward passes, happy to use the width that Pennant provides.
Torres nutmegs Griffin
then play the ball into touch for a Derby
throw,
Long balls played up to Howard
are Derby’s primary attack; the lad who started in non league football is
holding his own against Premier League defenders, winning plenty of the ball,
the one time Derby attack the knock on Howard is winning Oakley can only send a
weak shot goal ward, easy meat for Reina.
Torres makes space for himself in
the box to latch onto an Alonso free kick but quickly gets dispossessed.
Torres shows great movement then
loses the ball to Mears; then the Spaniard falls over.
Pennant shows his lack of
strength; tumbling over then lashing out as Riley introduces him to
Championshipesque physical challenge, a free kick is awarded and Alonso sees
his curling strike sail; untouched; into the goal amidst poor Derby goalkeeping and defending.
Moments later Pennant is the meat
in a Derby
sandwich on the edge of the area; no free kick is awarded so go figure.
Torres drifts offside to stop a
promising Liverpool move then lacks the pace
to beat Mears to the ball.
####an skins Mascherano but the
Argentinean tracks back and scissors him down, Camara’s free kick is well
delivered but beats everyone.
A quick Liverpool counter sees
Pennant at the other end whip a ball back from the byline, Kuyt does poorly
with a header over the bar; the Dutchman is even worse after some neat, sharp
passing between Mascherano and Pennant sees the ball delivered up to him in a promising
position.
Derby gets a free kick and the defence is
caught flat, Oakley can’t capitalize.
Torres shrugs off Todd and
sensibly off loads he ball to a team mate.
Babel loses the ball then gets away with
hauling back Davies, falling over and kicking out.
Torres shows great control in the
area and finishes poorly; he loses the ball to Pearson; he controls a ball
delivered into him then spreads the play.
Arbeloa gets forward and delivers
a great ball into the box, two Derby defenders
end up on their backsides; Griifin and Davis; in
front of Babel
but the Dutchman shows great touch to cut the ball back and deliver it into the
opposite corner.
Both sides come out
unchanged.
Torres first touch after good
movement puts Kuyt in; Alonso fires high; Torres loses the ball in the box.
####an gets away with a stamp,
surely a red card offence.
Liverpool is just much better
than Derby, all
across the park. The visitors struggle
to make any meaningful impression on the game.
Mascherano steals the ball from a
sleepy Derby; Torres picks it up, cuts past
Camara and Todd and beats Bywater for another Liverpool
goal.
Torres gets the ball on the edge
of the box then stabs well wide; he then heads a ball down to no one. Torres gets a ball from Alonso; on the break;
he loses it immediately but wins in back with persistent chasing.
Hyypia gets beaten by Howard but
the big centre forward stumbles and a chance for a Derby consolation vanishes.
Torres runs into the back of
Davies then falls over looking for a foul, then he is beaten; again by Davies;
to a neat ball in from Kuyt.
Teale skins Arbeloa but nothing
comes from the resultant corner kick.
Babel
crosses from the right, it comes out off Davies, Benayoun is challenged
magnificently by Teale but the ball pops out for Alonso who buries Liverpool’s fourth.
Oakley delivers a rare ball into
the Liverpool area but Howard can only manage
to head wide.
Torres is beaten to a decent
through ball by Mears, then he weathers pressure from Griffin before spreading the ball around, he
does good work on the left before playing in Kuyt who shoots from a tight
angle, Bywater parries out only for an onrushing Voronin to bury the loose
ball.
A clumsy touch from Todd shows
Torres the ball on the edge of the area; he easily takes it past Bywater before
calmly tapping in.
Pearson takes a shot from
distance and Reina needs to touches to smother the threat.
Torres get the ball in a forward
position then promptly looses it.
A derby free kick sees ####an beat
the Liverpool offside move, ####an only has Reina to beat but lacks the skill to
do anything more than tamely poke the ball forward, Reina claims easily.
Torres can’t reach a simple ball
in from Finnan; he misses a flick on from Sissoko; he beats 17 and delivers a
cross; he lays the ball off to Benayoun.
####an; for some reason gets most
of Derby’s
second half chances fires high and wide from a tight angle.
Torres is out muscled by Moore and then heads a
simple ball on to Voronin.
Liverpool looked good, Pennant
had a blinder, Babel
had an anonymous first half but came alive a little in the second, Voronin
looks accomplished, and Alonso shines when Gerrard is absent, Agger creates
problems with his forward play, Torres is still hit and miss, the backline was
barely tested and Reina didn’t have a good shot to save. Correctly the home team stuffed a very poor
relegation contender. The fat Spaniard
with the goatee will be well pleased with his team today.
Derby were poor, all over the
pitch and for the whole game, Howard won his fair share of balls against Agger
and Hyypia but no one was picking up the loose stuff. Derby looked
like a Championship side and not a Premier League side, worse they looked like
they gave up and definitely was clueless as to how to attack Liverpool.
Poor refereeing, Pennant went
down easily under a challenge from Mears and a free kick is awarded, moments
later Pennant is sandwiched between two Derby
defenders but gets nothing, the first challenge wasn’t a foul the second
was. Babel gets away with hauling back
Davies and kicking him from the floor but ####an also remains on the pitch after
a vicious stamping and ruthless push, Torres doesn’t seem to get carded or even
spoken to for his comedy dives.
Go back to referee school and
brush up on your skills Mr. Wiley.
