Thursday 26 December 2013
Coming up...
Coming up before the end of December will be my Liverpool's December features - five parts, five games but will it have been five wins for the famous Reds?
Wednesday 4 December 2013
Liverpool FC v Norwich aka The Suarez Show!!!
In the preview, I said that this would be an important game for the Reds who needed to bounce back from the defeat to Hull and get themselves on a good run going into the busy Christmas fixture list along with not letting all of the pressures get to them....
....Boy did they do that!
At the start of the first half, Norwich look ok and had quite a bit of the ball. To be honest, throughout the whole game the Canaries never really did too much wrong its just that they were up against an in-form Luis Suarez who has a fantastic history versus them - and he continued where he left off.
Luis Suarez today became the only Liverpool FC player to score 3 hat-tricks against the same club and he has scored 11 goals v the Canaries in total! A fantastic record for a fantastic player!
All game, Liverpool looked a lot better than they did at the weekend. Although the defence had their moments, they looked so much stronger than the back four did at Hull and it coincided with Agger's return - coincidence? I honestly don't think so. Yes, the Dane does make mistake like everyone else but there just something about our defence when he is in it and when he is playing with Martin Skrtel - the pair of them are definitely Liverpool through and through and you can see it when they're on the pitch.
The main different was the team today showcased a hunger, a passion and in all honesty an urgency that wasn't there at the weekend. The passing was more accurate, with nearly all passes going to another Liverpool player. They had far more attempts on goal, more on target and obviously more went in the back of the net.
Tactically tonight I think Brendan Rodgers got it completely right, he strengthened the defence without sacrificing anything from Liverpool's attack and got the midfield balance just right which helped them to control the whole game.
Give Norwich credit because they did cause Mignolet to make a few saves and give Liverpool's defence a little workout but they never seriously threatened the Reds goal.
Full Time Result : Liverpool 5 - 1 Norwich
Goalscorers: Suarez 15, 29, 35, 74 and Sterling 88.
Johnson 83.
Man of The Match: Without a doubt...Luis Suarez!!
Player ratings:
Mignolet 8 - didn't really have much to do but when he was called upon he was solid. Goal could have been saved but we need to take the positive, least it was only 1 he let in.
Johnson 6 - I don't know what it is at the moment, but for me Glen Johnson just blows hot and cold. One minute he is good, making great runs and the next it looks like he looses all concentration and makes mistakes. Hopefully he can find his consistency over Christmas.
Agger 8 - Like the goalkeeper, had minimal to do in the way of big dangers but when he had to he was solid and reliable.
Skrtel 8 - Much like Agger, had minimal to do but was strong and always there when he was needed.
Flanagan 8 - This young defender is going to be difficult to displace for the starting XI because yet again he gave another fantastic performance and showed exactly why Brendan Rodgers has been putting his faith in him.
Gerrard 8 - looked like the Gerrard of old tonight. Was getting high up the pitch, causing Norwich problems, the only thing missing for our Captain Fantastic was a goal.
Henderson 8 - Solid and reliable as always! Work rate was high and effort was 100% but he needs to work a little more on his finishing and positioning in the box.
Allen 7 - Considering how much stick this player gets, he came out tonight and gave it his all. He helped control the midfield perfectly, wasn't afraid to tackle and even had a fantastic effort on goal saved.
Sterling 7.5 - You need to remember how young this winger is before you judge him and even though some of his decisions could have been better tonight his game improved form the weekend, he got in some valuable minutes and even capped it with a well taken goal.
Coutinho 9 - This little Brazilian was a constant problem for the Canaries. His movement was brilliant, his work rate was second to none - the only thing that could of bettered his night would have been a goal or assist but there's plenty of time for that.
Suarez 10 - how could you give this man anything less than a 10? Even if you don't like him, you have to admit that tonight he was spectacular and deserves the plaudits. His goals were world class, his work rate the same and he was the difference. Its a good job Liverpool have him!
Subs:
Alberto 7 - didn't really do much wrong but we didn't have enough time to see what he can do. Worked well with Johnson and was unlucky when his shot was saved by Ruddy.
Aspas 6 - didn't see much of him tonight. Needs a little more game time before he can be judged lets hope he gets to play in the next few games and we get to see the Aspas we bought from Celta Vigo.
....Boy did they do that!
At the start of the first half, Norwich look ok and had quite a bit of the ball. To be honest, throughout the whole game the Canaries never really did too much wrong its just that they were up against an in-form Luis Suarez who has a fantastic history versus them - and he continued where he left off.
Luis Suarez today became the only Liverpool FC player to score 3 hat-tricks against the same club and he has scored 11 goals v the Canaries in total! A fantastic record for a fantastic player!
All game, Liverpool looked a lot better than they did at the weekend. Although the defence had their moments, they looked so much stronger than the back four did at Hull and it coincided with Agger's return - coincidence? I honestly don't think so. Yes, the Dane does make mistake like everyone else but there just something about our defence when he is in it and when he is playing with Martin Skrtel - the pair of them are definitely Liverpool through and through and you can see it when they're on the pitch.
The main different was the team today showcased a hunger, a passion and in all honesty an urgency that wasn't there at the weekend. The passing was more accurate, with nearly all passes going to another Liverpool player. They had far more attempts on goal, more on target and obviously more went in the back of the net.
Tactically tonight I think Brendan Rodgers got it completely right, he strengthened the defence without sacrificing anything from Liverpool's attack and got the midfield balance just right which helped them to control the whole game.
Give Norwich credit because they did cause Mignolet to make a few saves and give Liverpool's defence a little workout but they never seriously threatened the Reds goal.
Full Time Result : Liverpool 5 - 1 Norwich
Goalscorers: Suarez 15, 29, 35, 74 and Sterling 88.
Johnson 83.
Man of The Match: Without a doubt...Luis Suarez!!
Player ratings:
Mignolet 8 - didn't really have much to do but when he was called upon he was solid. Goal could have been saved but we need to take the positive, least it was only 1 he let in.
Johnson 6 - I don't know what it is at the moment, but for me Glen Johnson just blows hot and cold. One minute he is good, making great runs and the next it looks like he looses all concentration and makes mistakes. Hopefully he can find his consistency over Christmas.
Agger 8 - Like the goalkeeper, had minimal to do in the way of big dangers but when he had to he was solid and reliable.
Skrtel 8 - Much like Agger, had minimal to do but was strong and always there when he was needed.
Flanagan 8 - This young defender is going to be difficult to displace for the starting XI because yet again he gave another fantastic performance and showed exactly why Brendan Rodgers has been putting his faith in him.
Gerrard 8 - looked like the Gerrard of old tonight. Was getting high up the pitch, causing Norwich problems, the only thing missing for our Captain Fantastic was a goal.
Henderson 8 - Solid and reliable as always! Work rate was high and effort was 100% but he needs to work a little more on his finishing and positioning in the box.
Allen 7 - Considering how much stick this player gets, he came out tonight and gave it his all. He helped control the midfield perfectly, wasn't afraid to tackle and even had a fantastic effort on goal saved.
Sterling 7.5 - You need to remember how young this winger is before you judge him and even though some of his decisions could have been better tonight his game improved form the weekend, he got in some valuable minutes and even capped it with a well taken goal.
Coutinho 9 - This little Brazilian was a constant problem for the Canaries. His movement was brilliant, his work rate was second to none - the only thing that could of bettered his night would have been a goal or assist but there's plenty of time for that.
Suarez 10 - how could you give this man anything less than a 10? Even if you don't like him, you have to admit that tonight he was spectacular and deserves the plaudits. His goals were world class, his work rate the same and he was the difference. Its a good job Liverpool have him!
Subs:
Alberto 7 - didn't really do much wrong but we didn't have enough time to see what he can do. Worked well with Johnson and was unlucky when his shot was saved by Ruddy.
Aspas 6 - didn't see much of him tonight. Needs a little more game time before he can be judged lets hope he gets to play in the next few games and we get to see the Aspas we bought from Celta Vigo.
Liverpool FC v Norwich : Preview
LFC starting line-up v Norwich
Mignolet, Johnson, Agger, Skrtel, Flanagan, Allen, Gerrard, Henderson, Sterling, Coutinho, Suarez.
LFC subs v Norwich
Jones, Toure, Sakho, Moses, Alberto, Aspas, Lucas
Tonight Liverpool face Norwich, a team who of late have not given the Reds much to worry about but could that be different tonight?
After the defeat to Hull, the steady flow of upcoming games and the pressure to finish in the top 4 or higher - could Liverpool let that all get to them tonight? Or will the home crowd and previous result against Norwich help the red to get back to winning ways?
Only time will tell.
One thing we can tell however, is that Rodgers isn't taking the defeat to Hull lightly and has dropped or recalled players where he thinks it is needed.
Vice-Captain Daniel Agger is recalled after mysteriously being dropped from the starting XI v Hull, this is good for the fans as they know how strong a partnership Agger has with his fellow CB Martin Skrtel, who keeps his place despite his role in Hull's third goal. Plus, Liverpool have more often than not won when Agger has started, so that is a positive to take although it does mean that summer signing Kolo Toure is dropped back to the bench - but being the professional he is, he wont mind as long as the reds return to winning ways.
Stalwart Lucas Leiva is also dropped to the bench following an uncharacteristically bad showing v Hull and in comes the much maligned Joe Allen who will obviously be hoping to get the fans back on side and show that he does deserve his place.
Unsurprisingly Victor Moses has been dropped after and extremely poor showing v Hull and replaced by the little Brazilian magician Phillippe Coutinho - which will be much to the fans delight.
Nothing else has really changed for the reds although there may still be some questions asked about the Merseysiders line-up.
Where is Martin Kelly? The young full back should be back to full fitness now and has been seen in all of the training pictures so is it really a case of he's still on his way back or has Rodgers decided he just doesn't fancy him after all? Or could it really be a case of Kelly needing to fight more for a position on the bench and the starting XI? It is odd considering how poor Glen Johnson played against Hull but I guess Rodgers and the player are the only two who know what's truly going on.
As mentioned, Johnson didn't have a good game v Hull so why is he still in the line-up yet others who had poor games i.e Lucas, Toure and Moses all got benched? Is this a case of hypocrisy form the manager or does he just think that the others where worse than Johnson on the day? It's the same with Mignolet, who has let in 6 goals in two games yet he remains in the starting XI and Jones doesn't even get a look in. Does that show hypocrisy from the manager again? Is it different for goalkeepers? Or do we just generally need a better number 2 to fight for first team action with Mignolet?
And what about Aspas? With Sturridge out surely giving the Spaniard more time to show what he can do would be the best option?
Whatever the reasons are behind the line-up, one thing is for sure that Liverpool need to win this game. On paper they should win it comfortably but in reality with this league we know that anything could happen.
A win is a must to take momentum and confidence into Decembers packed schedule, can Liverpool do it?
Mignolet, Johnson, Agger, Skrtel, Flanagan, Allen, Gerrard, Henderson, Sterling, Coutinho, Suarez.
LFC subs v Norwich
Jones, Toure, Sakho, Moses, Alberto, Aspas, Lucas
Tonight Liverpool face Norwich, a team who of late have not given the Reds much to worry about but could that be different tonight?
After the defeat to Hull, the steady flow of upcoming games and the pressure to finish in the top 4 or higher - could Liverpool let that all get to them tonight? Or will the home crowd and previous result against Norwich help the red to get back to winning ways?
Only time will tell.
One thing we can tell however, is that Rodgers isn't taking the defeat to Hull lightly and has dropped or recalled players where he thinks it is needed.
Vice-Captain Daniel Agger is recalled after mysteriously being dropped from the starting XI v Hull, this is good for the fans as they know how strong a partnership Agger has with his fellow CB Martin Skrtel, who keeps his place despite his role in Hull's third goal. Plus, Liverpool have more often than not won when Agger has started, so that is a positive to take although it does mean that summer signing Kolo Toure is dropped back to the bench - but being the professional he is, he wont mind as long as the reds return to winning ways.
Stalwart Lucas Leiva is also dropped to the bench following an uncharacteristically bad showing v Hull and in comes the much maligned Joe Allen who will obviously be hoping to get the fans back on side and show that he does deserve his place.
Unsurprisingly Victor Moses has been dropped after and extremely poor showing v Hull and replaced by the little Brazilian magician Phillippe Coutinho - which will be much to the fans delight.
Nothing else has really changed for the reds although there may still be some questions asked about the Merseysiders line-up.
Where is Martin Kelly? The young full back should be back to full fitness now and has been seen in all of the training pictures so is it really a case of he's still on his way back or has Rodgers decided he just doesn't fancy him after all? Or could it really be a case of Kelly needing to fight more for a position on the bench and the starting XI? It is odd considering how poor Glen Johnson played against Hull but I guess Rodgers and the player are the only two who know what's truly going on.
As mentioned, Johnson didn't have a good game v Hull so why is he still in the line-up yet others who had poor games i.e Lucas, Toure and Moses all got benched? Is this a case of hypocrisy form the manager or does he just think that the others where worse than Johnson on the day? It's the same with Mignolet, who has let in 6 goals in two games yet he remains in the starting XI and Jones doesn't even get a look in. Does that show hypocrisy from the manager again? Is it different for goalkeepers? Or do we just generally need a better number 2 to fight for first team action with Mignolet?
And what about Aspas? With Sturridge out surely giving the Spaniard more time to show what he can do would be the best option?
Whatever the reasons are behind the line-up, one thing is for sure that Liverpool need to win this game. On paper they should win it comfortably but in reality with this league we know that anything could happen.
A win is a must to take momentum and confidence into Decembers packed schedule, can Liverpool do it?
The Derby showdown and Hull disappointment
After an international break it is always important to come back fighting and get a run of good results going - because as previously shown, international breaks can disrupt a teams form in the Premier League.
Liverpool are a good example of how internationals can affect form and performances but of late the Reds have turned it round and have begun to lose less games on returning from the breaks. This should give fans confidence but are draws really any better?
The Derby Showdown!
The Merseyside Derby is undeniably one of the biggest games in the Premier League, even more so for the supporters.
With the latest Merseyside Derby coming after the international break you could of forgiven it for being a little lacklustre - like previous meetings - but lacklustre it was not! It was a high energy, open game with both sides having the opportunity to take the three points.
The game itself was a fantastic watch - especially if you were a neutral, with both red and blue going for the win and constantly attacking even when at 2-2 you thought they may settle for a draw and call it evens.
To be honest, a draw was probably a fair result although both sets of fans may tell you that their side deserved it a little more.
As you would expect with a Derby game, there were issues and controversies galore.
The first being Daniel Sturridges' exclusion to the bench on grounds that he was 100% fit after playing the 90 minutes for England in a friendly although he had been carrying an injury for the past 3-4 weeks.
Next was the contentious decisions on the pitch - mainly Everton player Kevin Mirallas' miraculous stay on the pitch even when most thought he should have been red carded following a nasty tackle on Liverpool's Luis Suarez - which left the reds striker with a nasty looking cut on his knee and the suggestion from reds boss Rodgers that it could of been much worse. Considering the blues man had escaped with a yellow for the Suarez incident you would have thought he may of kept his head down, right? No, not Mirallas as he continued to make risky tackles and movements all over the pitch, even smacking Liverpool's Jordan Henderson in the face with his elbow as the pair went up for a header - which left the reds midfielder a little bloodied and bruised.
Even though Sturridge wasn't 100% fit and it was clear his management weren't happy with exertions for England earlier in the week, it was inevitable that he would be brought into the fray for the final minutes to try and help Liverpool secure a point. And that's exactly what he did!
At the end of it all a point was obviously better for Liverpool as it kept them in the race for top 4 and showed fans that they don't need to worry as much about Liverpool's performances after internationals as they have clearly worked out a formula to gain a least one point instead of none.
Hull disappointment
After the Derby draw, Liverpool went to Hull looking for a win and all 3 points so that they could keep up with the league leaders Arsenal who had won earlier on to take them 7 points clear at the top.
However, it wasn't to be for Liverpool as their day at the KC stadium ended in disappointment and question marks about whether they were really top 4 contenders.
As the line up was announced, it left many fans with many questions, most of which were still left at the end of the 90 minutes. With Sturridge ruled out through injury the day before, many were left wondering who would fill the void not wondering who would be in defence. When it was announced that Toure would be starting and Agger was benched - many fans were wondering why? As when Agger hasn't played so far this season, the reds have slipped to defeat.
As for the void in attack, Rodgers went with young winger Raheem Sterling and on loan Victor Moses who had stated earlier on in the week that he needed to be played more to score goals for the team.
Liverpool weren't just bad for 20 minutes of the game, the were bad for the whole 90 minutes. The team lack concentration, creativity and players who were willing to be brave and fight for the win. It says something when one of the best players on the pitch was one that contributed to Hull's third goal.
After the 90 minutes, you would have to say that Hull were the ones who deserved to be walking away with the 3 point and the win because they were the team who showed fighting spirit, passion and the hunger to win the game. Liverpool had none of that and it is a shame that Steven Gerrard's stunning free kick got overshadowed by the fact we got beat by a team, that in all honesty we should be beating if we want to finish in the top 4 come May.
I guess there is not much Liverpool can really do about the Hull result except come out fighting during all of the games in a very busy December fixture list and try their best to get all of the points available. Although a lot of that will rely on players stepping up to the plate and the manager picking the correct players for the job.
Liverpool are a good example of how internationals can affect form and performances but of late the Reds have turned it round and have begun to lose less games on returning from the breaks. This should give fans confidence but are draws really any better?
The Derby Showdown!
The Merseyside Derby is undeniably one of the biggest games in the Premier League, even more so for the supporters.
With the latest Merseyside Derby coming after the international break you could of forgiven it for being a little lacklustre - like previous meetings - but lacklustre it was not! It was a high energy, open game with both sides having the opportunity to take the three points.
The game itself was a fantastic watch - especially if you were a neutral, with both red and blue going for the win and constantly attacking even when at 2-2 you thought they may settle for a draw and call it evens.
To be honest, a draw was probably a fair result although both sets of fans may tell you that their side deserved it a little more.
As you would expect with a Derby game, there were issues and controversies galore.
The first being Daniel Sturridges' exclusion to the bench on grounds that he was 100% fit after playing the 90 minutes for England in a friendly although he had been carrying an injury for the past 3-4 weeks.
Next was the contentious decisions on the pitch - mainly Everton player Kevin Mirallas' miraculous stay on the pitch even when most thought he should have been red carded following a nasty tackle on Liverpool's Luis Suarez - which left the reds striker with a nasty looking cut on his knee and the suggestion from reds boss Rodgers that it could of been much worse. Considering the blues man had escaped with a yellow for the Suarez incident you would have thought he may of kept his head down, right? No, not Mirallas as he continued to make risky tackles and movements all over the pitch, even smacking Liverpool's Jordan Henderson in the face with his elbow as the pair went up for a header - which left the reds midfielder a little bloodied and bruised.
Even though Sturridge wasn't 100% fit and it was clear his management weren't happy with exertions for England earlier in the week, it was inevitable that he would be brought into the fray for the final minutes to try and help Liverpool secure a point. And that's exactly what he did!
At the end of it all a point was obviously better for Liverpool as it kept them in the race for top 4 and showed fans that they don't need to worry as much about Liverpool's performances after internationals as they have clearly worked out a formula to gain a least one point instead of none.
Hull disappointment
After the Derby draw, Liverpool went to Hull looking for a win and all 3 points so that they could keep up with the league leaders Arsenal who had won earlier on to take them 7 points clear at the top.
However, it wasn't to be for Liverpool as their day at the KC stadium ended in disappointment and question marks about whether they were really top 4 contenders.
As the line up was announced, it left many fans with many questions, most of which were still left at the end of the 90 minutes. With Sturridge ruled out through injury the day before, many were left wondering who would fill the void not wondering who would be in defence. When it was announced that Toure would be starting and Agger was benched - many fans were wondering why? As when Agger hasn't played so far this season, the reds have slipped to defeat.
As for the void in attack, Rodgers went with young winger Raheem Sterling and on loan Victor Moses who had stated earlier on in the week that he needed to be played more to score goals for the team.
Liverpool weren't just bad for 20 minutes of the game, the were bad for the whole 90 minutes. The team lack concentration, creativity and players who were willing to be brave and fight for the win. It says something when one of the best players on the pitch was one that contributed to Hull's third goal.
After the 90 minutes, you would have to say that Hull were the ones who deserved to be walking away with the 3 point and the win because they were the team who showed fighting spirit, passion and the hunger to win the game. Liverpool had none of that and it is a shame that Steven Gerrard's stunning free kick got overshadowed by the fact we got beat by a team, that in all honesty we should be beating if we want to finish in the top 4 come May.
I guess there is not much Liverpool can really do about the Hull result except come out fighting during all of the games in a very busy December fixture list and try their best to get all of the points available. Although a lot of that will rely on players stepping up to the plate and the manager picking the correct players for the job.
Wednesday 13 November 2013
Liverpool's impressive start to the new Premier League campaign
When Liverpool kicked off their 2013/14 Premier League campaign, it's probably fair to say that many people weren't aiming too high for the first few weeks - mid table would probably be where most fans would have put the Reds after the first 11 games, with the aim of finishing in the top four for the first time in a very long time.
So far Liverpool have completely exceeded all fans expectations, even if they are still being a little cautious. Most fans have reason to be cautious because Liverpool haven't been exactly consistent over the past few seasons.
Liverpool fans also had cause to be a little dubious at the beginning with their star man Luis Suarez, not only serving the last of his 10-match ban meaning he would miss the first 6 games of the campaign but also leading fans to believe that he wanted to leave. Fast forward to a few games in however, and the dangerous front-man had soon changed his tune. With Liverpool riding high in the table and the ban now over, the Uruguayan seemed happier than ever, was working hard in training and then put it into practice on the pitch and he was soon in goal scoring form.
Liverpool 1 - 0 Stoke, Aston Villa 0 - 1 Liverpool and Liverpool 1 - 0 Man Utd.
The first three Liverpool games brought 9 points with the three 1-0 wins along with 3 goals for the Reds' star January buy Daniel Sturridge who quickly cemented himself as a mighty goal scoring machine. This put Liverpool at the top of the table going in to the first international break of the season.
After the break, Liverpool faced Swansea at the Liberty stadium with a view to remaining top of the bunch. That didn't go to plan for the Merseysiders as they drew 2 - 2 win the Swans although it wasn't all about the result as Daniel Sturridge got himself another goal with Moses also netting his first Premier League goal for Liverpool. The one downside was the injury to Phillippe Coutinho who would remain sidelined till the beginning of November.
Liverpool 0 - 1 Southampton, Sunderland 1 - 3 Liverpool and Liverpool 3 -1 Crystal Palace.
The next three games brought something we hadn't seen from Liverpool much so far, a leaky defence. There was no defence in the loss to Southampton, the team were just sloppy and in all honesty - they underestimated a very in form Southampton side. Next up came two 3 - 1 victories for the Reds which unsurprisingly coincided with the return of Luis Suarez who netter 3 goals over the two games whilst top scorer Sturridge scored another two. Even with this though, Liverpool had slipped down in the table - although still in the top 4.
The next two games brought a frustrating 2 -2 draw with Newcastle after another international break and an emphatic 4 - 1 win over a strong West Brom side - both games bringing more goals for the dynamic SAS duo.
Next came a massive test for the Reds in the form of the current league leaders Arsenal which coincided with the return of our little magician Coutinho. The game however, didn't go as planned as Liverpool fell to a 2 - 0 defeat after underplaying.
In the latest game before the next international break, Liverpool beat an in trouble Fulham side 4 - 0 with Suarez netting twice bringing him to joint top scorer with his strike partner Daniel Sturridge having played 6 less games.
What is next for Liverpool ? Can the Reds actually finish in the top 4 or can they aim even higher and win the Premier League for the first time ?
Only time will tell where our beloved Liverpool will end up, but as was said in the Daily Mail - maybe if there is any justice in this world Liverpool will win the Premier League, especially after the torrid times the club, the fans and the city have endured since they last won. It would be extremely fitting.
So far Liverpool have completely exceeded all fans expectations, even if they are still being a little cautious. Most fans have reason to be cautious because Liverpool haven't been exactly consistent over the past few seasons.
Liverpool fans also had cause to be a little dubious at the beginning with their star man Luis Suarez, not only serving the last of his 10-match ban meaning he would miss the first 6 games of the campaign but also leading fans to believe that he wanted to leave. Fast forward to a few games in however, and the dangerous front-man had soon changed his tune. With Liverpool riding high in the table and the ban now over, the Uruguayan seemed happier than ever, was working hard in training and then put it into practice on the pitch and he was soon in goal scoring form.
Liverpool 1 - 0 Stoke, Aston Villa 0 - 1 Liverpool and Liverpool 1 - 0 Man Utd.
The first three Liverpool games brought 9 points with the three 1-0 wins along with 3 goals for the Reds' star January buy Daniel Sturridge who quickly cemented himself as a mighty goal scoring machine. This put Liverpool at the top of the table going in to the first international break of the season.
After the break, Liverpool faced Swansea at the Liberty stadium with a view to remaining top of the bunch. That didn't go to plan for the Merseysiders as they drew 2 - 2 win the Swans although it wasn't all about the result as Daniel Sturridge got himself another goal with Moses also netting his first Premier League goal for Liverpool. The one downside was the injury to Phillippe Coutinho who would remain sidelined till the beginning of November.
Liverpool 0 - 1 Southampton, Sunderland 1 - 3 Liverpool and Liverpool 3 -1 Crystal Palace.
The next three games brought something we hadn't seen from Liverpool much so far, a leaky defence. There was no defence in the loss to Southampton, the team were just sloppy and in all honesty - they underestimated a very in form Southampton side. Next up came two 3 - 1 victories for the Reds which unsurprisingly coincided with the return of Luis Suarez who netter 3 goals over the two games whilst top scorer Sturridge scored another two. Even with this though, Liverpool had slipped down in the table - although still in the top 4.
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| Credit: The Guardian |
The next two games brought a frustrating 2 -2 draw with Newcastle after another international break and an emphatic 4 - 1 win over a strong West Brom side - both games bringing more goals for the dynamic SAS duo.
Next came a massive test for the Reds in the form of the current league leaders Arsenal which coincided with the return of our little magician Coutinho. The game however, didn't go as planned as Liverpool fell to a 2 - 0 defeat after underplaying.
In the latest game before the next international break, Liverpool beat an in trouble Fulham side 4 - 0 with Suarez netting twice bringing him to joint top scorer with his strike partner Daniel Sturridge having played 6 less games.
What is next for Liverpool ? Can the Reds actually finish in the top 4 or can they aim even higher and win the Premier League for the first time ?
Only time will tell where our beloved Liverpool will end up, but as was said in the Daily Mail - maybe if there is any justice in this world Liverpool will win the Premier League, especially after the torrid times the club, the fans and the city have endured since they last won. It would be extremely fitting.
The rest of the Pre-Season
So, as I wrote earlier Liverpool's first pre-season game went really well with them beating Preston North End by 4 clear goals.
The rest of the pre-season went really really well.
It went like this:
Indonesia XI 0 - 2 Liverpool FC (Coutinho and Sterling)
Melbourne Victory 0 - 2 Liverpool FC (Stevie and Aspas)
Thailand 0 - 3 Liverpool FC (Coutinho, Aspas and Gerrard)
In the middle was Steven Gerrard's rather emotional testimonial where Liverpool played Olympiakos and won 2-0 with Joe Allen and Jordan Henderson getting on the score sheet.
Valarenga 1 - 4 Liverpool FC (Aspas, Alberto, Kelly and Sterling)
The final pre-season game didn't go the way Liverpool wanted as they were beaten 1-0 by Celtic in Dublin.
As a whole the pre-season was extremely successful for Brendan Rodgers and his team. Looking at the season so far, this has clearly had a huge impact on the results we have achieved so far - will they be able to carry this on for the rest of the season? Will they be able to finish in the top 4 or higher?
Only time will tell.
The rest of the pre-season went really really well.
It went like this:
Indonesia XI 0 - 2 Liverpool FC (Coutinho and Sterling)
Melbourne Victory 0 - 2 Liverpool FC (Stevie and Aspas)
Thailand 0 - 3 Liverpool FC (Coutinho, Aspas and Gerrard)
In the middle was Steven Gerrard's rather emotional testimonial where Liverpool played Olympiakos and won 2-0 with Joe Allen and Jordan Henderson getting on the score sheet.
Valarenga 1 - 4 Liverpool FC (Aspas, Alberto, Kelly and Sterling)
The final pre-season game didn't go the way Liverpool wanted as they were beaten 1-0 by Celtic in Dublin.
As a whole the pre-season was extremely successful for Brendan Rodgers and his team. Looking at the season so far, this has clearly had a huge impact on the results we have achieved so far - will they be able to carry this on for the rest of the season? Will they be able to finish in the top 4 or higher?
Only time will tell.
Apologies
So sorry for the lack of posts.
Work has been insanely busy, as you would expect a bookmakers to be with the start of the new season etc.
But I am back now and posting several blog posts to make up for it!
Tuesday 20 August 2013
Pre Season review
Liverpool's pre-season
This pre-season was always going to be a very important one for Brendan Rodgers and his Liverpool team.
After an ok first pre-season and season, Brendan Rodgers now had to prove that the progression he oversaw was not a fluke and that his ambitions to rebuild Liverpool could keep being put in place and more importantly - keep working for the players and the club.
Beating Preston 4-0 was a fantastic way to start but with 6 more games to play the pressure was on to keep the winning streak going and show off what the new signings could do and get fans excited for the new season.
Did BR and Liverpool manage to do that? I'd say they did in all honesty.
Indonesia XI 0 - 2 Liverpool FC
Even though the Indonesia side were nowhere near the Premier League standard, they were still up for giving Liverpool a good game. Liverpool managed to beat these with two great goals from two players who really impressed in pre-season - Phillippe Coutinho and Raheem Sterling.
Melbourne Victory 0 - 2 Liverpool FC
This was the biggest game of Liverpool's tour with close to 95,000 people cramming into the MCG cricket stadium in Melbourne to witness the reds take on one of the biggest Aussie teams and give a goosbump-inducing rendition of Liverpool's famous anthem You'll Never Walk Alone. The reds were determined to continue their unbeaten run and goals from captain fantastic, Steven Gerrard, and new boy Iago Aspas made sure they were on track.
Thailand 0 - 3 Liverpool FC
The Thailand team were similar to the Indonesia XI for this game in a sense that they were nowhere near to the Premier League standard but gave it all they had. Plus they were used to playing in the intense heat unlike our reds. That however, didn't matter as the reds put three away courtesy of Coutinho, Aspas and Gerrard - all of whom had been on target in the previous games.
Liverpool FC 2 - 0 Olympiakos (Stevie's Testimonial.)
Steven Gerrard's testimonial was huge for Liverpool fans everywhere but the man himself clearly wanted to focus on Liverpool's pre-season and made this game more like the previous friendlies except the fans where focussed mainly on him. This was most probably the toughest game for the team to date but they still managed to run out winners with Joe Allen finding the back of the net after a few attempts and fellow midfielder Jordan Henderson scoring merely seconds after coming off the bench.
Valarenga 1 - 4 Liverpool FC
The second to last friendly was versus a team we encountered in our 2011-12 pre-season. They were tough and had a few dangerous players but Liverpool still managed to overcome them by a fine margin. Aspas and Sterling were on target yet again, along with Alberto who netted his first reds goal and Kelly who got a brilliant goal whilst on his comeback trail.
Celtic 1 - 0 Liverpool FC
Liverpool's only defeat of their seven pre-season games came in Dublin against a very strong Celtic side. Liverpool to their credit played well and kept attacking the Celtic goal but as was the case on many occasions last season, they just couldn't break through.
So, Liverpool's pre-season overall was extremely good with 6 wins and only 1 defeat with 17 goals scored yet only 2 conceded. The team got to see the massive support the club has around the world and experience it first hand. Brendan Rodgers has so far bought and sold very wisely, clearly wanted to build a Liverpool that will be a force in the race for the top 4 and even the title. His new signings and young players also showed that the faith Liverpool and BR has put in them would definitely be repaid.
This should all give Liverpool fans hope that this season COULD, not will, be the season that we return to the top 4...fingers crossed.
This pre-season was always going to be a very important one for Brendan Rodgers and his Liverpool team.
After an ok first pre-season and season, Brendan Rodgers now had to prove that the progression he oversaw was not a fluke and that his ambitions to rebuild Liverpool could keep being put in place and more importantly - keep working for the players and the club.
Beating Preston 4-0 was a fantastic way to start but with 6 more games to play the pressure was on to keep the winning streak going and show off what the new signings could do and get fans excited for the new season.
Did BR and Liverpool manage to do that? I'd say they did in all honesty.
Indonesia XI 0 - 2 Liverpool FC
Even though the Indonesia side were nowhere near the Premier League standard, they were still up for giving Liverpool a good game. Liverpool managed to beat these with two great goals from two players who really impressed in pre-season - Phillippe Coutinho and Raheem Sterling.
Melbourne Victory 0 - 2 Liverpool FC
This was the biggest game of Liverpool's tour with close to 95,000 people cramming into the MCG cricket stadium in Melbourne to witness the reds take on one of the biggest Aussie teams and give a goosbump-inducing rendition of Liverpool's famous anthem You'll Never Walk Alone. The reds were determined to continue their unbeaten run and goals from captain fantastic, Steven Gerrard, and new boy Iago Aspas made sure they were on track.
Thailand 0 - 3 Liverpool FC
The Thailand team were similar to the Indonesia XI for this game in a sense that they were nowhere near to the Premier League standard but gave it all they had. Plus they were used to playing in the intense heat unlike our reds. That however, didn't matter as the reds put three away courtesy of Coutinho, Aspas and Gerrard - all of whom had been on target in the previous games.
Liverpool FC 2 - 0 Olympiakos (Stevie's Testimonial.)
Steven Gerrard's testimonial was huge for Liverpool fans everywhere but the man himself clearly wanted to focus on Liverpool's pre-season and made this game more like the previous friendlies except the fans where focussed mainly on him. This was most probably the toughest game for the team to date but they still managed to run out winners with Joe Allen finding the back of the net after a few attempts and fellow midfielder Jordan Henderson scoring merely seconds after coming off the bench.
Valarenga 1 - 4 Liverpool FC
The second to last friendly was versus a team we encountered in our 2011-12 pre-season. They were tough and had a few dangerous players but Liverpool still managed to overcome them by a fine margin. Aspas and Sterling were on target yet again, along with Alberto who netted his first reds goal and Kelly who got a brilliant goal whilst on his comeback trail.
Celtic 1 - 0 Liverpool FC
Liverpool's only defeat of their seven pre-season games came in Dublin against a very strong Celtic side. Liverpool to their credit played well and kept attacking the Celtic goal but as was the case on many occasions last season, they just couldn't break through.
So, Liverpool's pre-season overall was extremely good with 6 wins and only 1 defeat with 17 goals scored yet only 2 conceded. The team got to see the massive support the club has around the world and experience it first hand. Brendan Rodgers has so far bought and sold very wisely, clearly wanted to build a Liverpool that will be a force in the race for the top 4 and even the title. His new signings and young players also showed that the faith Liverpool and BR has put in them would definitely be repaid.
This should all give Liverpool fans hope that this season COULD, not will, be the season that we return to the top 4...fingers crossed.
Saturday 20 July 2013
Preston North End 0 - 4 Liverpool FC : Pre-season friendly number one!
Liverpool kicked off their pre-season friendlies in still last weekend with a classy 4-0 win over Preston North End.
There is still a lot of work to do before the Reds are ready for the new league campaign but if the display in this game is anything to go by then it will be a great season because all of the players seem like they are up for the challenge.
The heat was a big factor in this game with the referee letting the players stop for regular fluid intake - which was definitely needed since inside the stadium the temperatures reportedly soared to close to 40 degrees.
Initially the game was pretty timid but after about 10 minutes the players were getting into it and really starting to put pressure on Preston.
The breakthrough came around 13 minutes when Coutinho coolly slotted in a penalty whilst looking like he takes them all the time. That wasn't the young Brazilian's only contribution to the game as his magic feet constantly caused the Preston defenders and keeper trouble.
It took a little while for Liverpool to come up with the second goal but when it came, it was a good one with 17-year-old Jordan Ibe slotting in his first senior goal for the club and his reaction just showed he was happy to break his duck so soon in his first team career.
Notable mentions during the first half going to Kolo Toure, who on his début made a good first impression even though he had little to do and Joe Allen who surprisingly controlled the midfield extremely well, could this be his season?
The second half brought about quite a few changes plus the inclusion of new boys Aspas and Luis Alberto.
This half was a good half for Liverpool as the football seemed to flow and have real purpose plus the boys weren't afraid to have a go at goal or get stuck in. That paid off for Aspas who coolly slotted home Liverpool's third and looked pretty pleased with himself for getting off the mark so quickly.
Jordan Henderson and Stewart Downing looked good in the second half also, both obviously looking to carry on where they finished off last season - both still need a little bit of work (and maybe in Stewart's case a little kick up the behind at times!!), but they did look good.
Liverpool's fourth came in the form of a good goal from Sterling. In all honestly the youngster had looked extremely lively since he had come on and that was his reward.
Special mention has to go to Martin Kelly who came back from 10 months out for the last 10 minutes of this game and even though he didn't have a lot to do, he looked good and like all his hard work may be starting to pay off - moment of the match for me was seeing the official put up a board with his number on it! So glad he's back.
All in all a good first game for Liverpool, here's to more good things to come.
There is still a lot of work to do before the Reds are ready for the new league campaign but if the display in this game is anything to go by then it will be a great season because all of the players seem like they are up for the challenge.
The heat was a big factor in this game with the referee letting the players stop for regular fluid intake - which was definitely needed since inside the stadium the temperatures reportedly soared to close to 40 degrees.
Initially the game was pretty timid but after about 10 minutes the players were getting into it and really starting to put pressure on Preston.
The breakthrough came around 13 minutes when Coutinho coolly slotted in a penalty whilst looking like he takes them all the time. That wasn't the young Brazilian's only contribution to the game as his magic feet constantly caused the Preston defenders and keeper trouble.
It took a little while for Liverpool to come up with the second goal but when it came, it was a good one with 17-year-old Jordan Ibe slotting in his first senior goal for the club and his reaction just showed he was happy to break his duck so soon in his first team career.
Notable mentions during the first half going to Kolo Toure, who on his début made a good first impression even though he had little to do and Joe Allen who surprisingly controlled the midfield extremely well, could this be his season?
The second half brought about quite a few changes plus the inclusion of new boys Aspas and Luis Alberto.
This half was a good half for Liverpool as the football seemed to flow and have real purpose plus the boys weren't afraid to have a go at goal or get stuck in. That paid off for Aspas who coolly slotted home Liverpool's third and looked pretty pleased with himself for getting off the mark so quickly.
Jordan Henderson and Stewart Downing looked good in the second half also, both obviously looking to carry on where they finished off last season - both still need a little bit of work (and maybe in Stewart's case a little kick up the behind at times!!), but they did look good.
Liverpool's fourth came in the form of a good goal from Sterling. In all honestly the youngster had looked extremely lively since he had come on and that was his reward.
Special mention has to go to Martin Kelly who came back from 10 months out for the last 10 minutes of this game and even though he didn't have a lot to do, he looked good and like all his hard work may be starting to pay off - moment of the match for me was seeing the official put up a board with his number on it! So glad he's back.
All in all a good first game for Liverpool, here's to more good things to come.
Welcome, Liverpool's new boys!
During June and early July Liverpool made the most of the time without games and signed up four new and exciting players.
This swift and brilliant business by the club has left fans happy and intrigued to see if any more new players will arrive by the end of August - because lets face it, to get four new players signed up and playing by the start of the pre-season tour was genius from Brendan and co.
So who are our new boys?
Kolo Toure - Number 4
Kolo Toure is a non-nonsense centre-back from the Ivory Coast with bags of Premier League experience and the physicality we need to keep our defence tight.
With Jamie Carragher's departure due to retirement at the end of last season, Liverpool needed to add another centre-back who was able to partly fill Carra's shoes - because as we all know, nobody could replace him completely! I never thought we would be able to get anyone anywhere near to Carra's calibre if I'm completely honest but I have to hand it to Brendan Rodgers, he has found a good, strong character and player in Toure and I believe he will be great for us in this upcoming season.
He may be 32 but he is still physically strong and has enough character to organise a defence and make sure the goal-keeper is well protected. Toure has a wealth of Premier League experience having played for Arsenal and Manchester City, he still has the pace to match his opponents and best of all he is a winner - winning trophies at both his previous Premier League clubs.
Singing rating : 9/10
Iago Aspas - Number 9
Iago Aspas is a promising young Spanish forward who, even though he has no Premier League experience, will offer Liverpool that something extra going forward and will no doubt exciting fans in the up-coming season.
The 25-year-old former Celta De Vigo player has big shoes to fill after taking the number 9 shirt following in the footsteps of Fernando Torres, Ian Rush, Robbie Fowler and Dijibril Cisse.
Non of that however, will faze this classy little player whose quick feet will give Premier League defenders a headache next season hopefully scoring many goals in the process. Liverpool fans need not worry about his work rate either as this man helped his former club battle for promotion and battle against relegation - he will definitely have the fight us Kopites want to see.
Luis Alberto - Number 6
Luis Alberto is a technically gifted 20-year-old Spanish starlet who plays as a forward but can be flexible and play in a fluid attacking formation. In one of his first interviews, the youngster stated that he would like to be like Xabi Alonso was for Liverpool FC - so he has big boots to fill with that one!
Signed from Sevilla, this young man will almost certainly be an instant hit with the Anfield faithful. His ability and skill along with his tricky feet and willingness to play in several positions make him a sure fire success in the Premier League. If played alongside certain other Liverpool players then the other teams defences will not get a moment to themselves when playing the Reds in the 2013/14 campaign that's for sure.
Rodgers has signed very wisely here because not only has he signed an extremely talented youngster that can play for Liverpool for many years to come but he has taken him from right underneath Barcelona's nose - where Alberto was on loan last season and it was presumed they would buy him at the end of it.
Simon Mignolet - Number 22
Admittedly, at first I wasn't 100% sure why we bought Mignolet - especially when we have a world class keeper in Reina and a good backup in Jones. But as I see our new number 22, I am liking him more and more and I can actually see why Brendan brought him in.
The 25-year-old stopper was a stand-out performer in what was a poor Sunderland team last season and even when battling relegation the Belgian managed to put in some fantastic performances to get his then-team out of trouble.
I love Pepe Reina, don't get me wrong, but he hasn't been at his best for a little while anybody could see that so I fully understand Rodgers' plan to bring in new, young blood to give Reina a boot up the backside - or as it seems replace him fully.
Simon Mignolet was one of the top keepers in the Premier League last season which is a credit to him considering he is so young. By bringing him in at the age he is now, Brendan and Liverpool have time to let him grow and become the world class keeper he can be whilst still knowing he can do his job to the fullest and best of his ability - which isn't shabby ability by any means - and knowing that if they throw him in from the start of the season...they can rely on him.
These four are Liverpool's new boys up to now - and in my opinion they are pretty good, solid buys by our manager who clearly has a picture in his mind of how he wants his new-look Liverpool to be. Whether anybody else gets brought in remains to be seen, but if Rodgers' comments are anything to go by.....we may be excited by more signings in the next few weeks!
This swift and brilliant business by the club has left fans happy and intrigued to see if any more new players will arrive by the end of August - because lets face it, to get four new players signed up and playing by the start of the pre-season tour was genius from Brendan and co.
So who are our new boys?
Kolo Toure - Number 4
Kolo Toure is a non-nonsense centre-back from the Ivory Coast with bags of Premier League experience and the physicality we need to keep our defence tight.
With Jamie Carragher's departure due to retirement at the end of last season, Liverpool needed to add another centre-back who was able to partly fill Carra's shoes - because as we all know, nobody could replace him completely! I never thought we would be able to get anyone anywhere near to Carra's calibre if I'm completely honest but I have to hand it to Brendan Rodgers, he has found a good, strong character and player in Toure and I believe he will be great for us in this upcoming season.
He may be 32 but he is still physically strong and has enough character to organise a defence and make sure the goal-keeper is well protected. Toure has a wealth of Premier League experience having played for Arsenal and Manchester City, he still has the pace to match his opponents and best of all he is a winner - winning trophies at both his previous Premier League clubs.
Singing rating : 9/10
Iago Aspas - Number 9
Iago Aspas is a promising young Spanish forward who, even though he has no Premier League experience, will offer Liverpool that something extra going forward and will no doubt exciting fans in the up-coming season.
The 25-year-old former Celta De Vigo player has big shoes to fill after taking the number 9 shirt following in the footsteps of Fernando Torres, Ian Rush, Robbie Fowler and Dijibril Cisse.
Non of that however, will faze this classy little player whose quick feet will give Premier League defenders a headache next season hopefully scoring many goals in the process. Liverpool fans need not worry about his work rate either as this man helped his former club battle for promotion and battle against relegation - he will definitely have the fight us Kopites want to see.
Luis Alberto - Number 6
Luis Alberto is a technically gifted 20-year-old Spanish starlet who plays as a forward but can be flexible and play in a fluid attacking formation. In one of his first interviews, the youngster stated that he would like to be like Xabi Alonso was for Liverpool FC - so he has big boots to fill with that one!
Signed from Sevilla, this young man will almost certainly be an instant hit with the Anfield faithful. His ability and skill along with his tricky feet and willingness to play in several positions make him a sure fire success in the Premier League. If played alongside certain other Liverpool players then the other teams defences will not get a moment to themselves when playing the Reds in the 2013/14 campaign that's for sure.
Rodgers has signed very wisely here because not only has he signed an extremely talented youngster that can play for Liverpool for many years to come but he has taken him from right underneath Barcelona's nose - where Alberto was on loan last season and it was presumed they would buy him at the end of it.
Simon Mignolet - Number 22
Admittedly, at first I wasn't 100% sure why we bought Mignolet - especially when we have a world class keeper in Reina and a good backup in Jones. But as I see our new number 22, I am liking him more and more and I can actually see why Brendan brought him in.
The 25-year-old stopper was a stand-out performer in what was a poor Sunderland team last season and even when battling relegation the Belgian managed to put in some fantastic performances to get his then-team out of trouble.
I love Pepe Reina, don't get me wrong, but he hasn't been at his best for a little while anybody could see that so I fully understand Rodgers' plan to bring in new, young blood to give Reina a boot up the backside - or as it seems replace him fully.
Simon Mignolet was one of the top keepers in the Premier League last season which is a credit to him considering he is so young. By bringing him in at the age he is now, Brendan and Liverpool have time to let him grow and become the world class keeper he can be whilst still knowing he can do his job to the fullest and best of his ability - which isn't shabby ability by any means - and knowing that if they throw him in from the start of the season...they can rely on him.
These four are Liverpool's new boys up to now - and in my opinion they are pretty good, solid buys by our manager who clearly has a picture in his mind of how he wants his new-look Liverpool to be. Whether anybody else gets brought in remains to be seen, but if Rodgers' comments are anything to go by.....we may be excited by more signings in the next few weeks!
Wednesday 3 July 2013
Liverpool FC's Premier League fixtures 2013/14
The new Premier League season is upon us and everyone is excited to see what Liverpool can do this season...
Can they finish in the top 4, will they improve much on last season, will they win anything? The questions go on forever.
Here is the fixture list for LFC - which team are you most looking forward to playing?
(KO can change depending on TV scheduling and cup competitions.)
Aug 17th - Stoke - Home KO 3PM
Aug 24th - Aston Villa - Away KO 3PM
Aug 31st - Manchester United - Home KO 3PM
Sept 14th - Swansea - Away KO 3PM
Sept 21st - Southampton - Home KO 3PM
Sept 28th - Sunderland - Away KO 3PM
Oct 5th - Crystal Palace - Home KO 3PM
Oct 19th - Newcastle United - Away KO 3PM
Oct 26th - West Brom - Home KO 3PM
Nov 2nd - Arsenal - Away KO 3PM
Nov 9th - Fulham - Home KO 3PM
Nov 23rd - Everton - Away KO 3PM
Nov 30th - Hull - Away KO 3PM
Dec 3rd - Norwich - Home KO 3PM
Dec 7th - West Ham - Home KO 3PM
Dec 14th - Tottenham Hotspur - Away KO 3PM
Dec 21st - Cardiff City - Home KO 3PM
Dec 26th - Manchester City - Away KO 3PM
Dec 28th - Chelsea - Away KO 3PM
Jan 1st - Hull - Home KO 3PM
Jan 11th - Stoke - Away KO 3PM
Jan 18th - Aston Villa - Home KO 3PM
Jan 28th - Everton - Home KO 3PM
Feb 1st - West Brom - Away KO 3PM
Feb 8th - Arsenal - Home KO 3PM
Feb 12th - Fulham - Away KO 3PM
Feb 22nd - Swansea - Home KO 3PM
Mar 1st - Southampton - Away KO 3PM
Mar 8th - Sunderland - Home KO 3PM
Mar 15th - Manchester United - Away KO 3PM
Mar 22nd - Cardiff City - Away KO 3PM
Mar 29th - Tottenham Hotspur - Home KO 3PM
Apr 5th - West Ham - Away KO 3PM
Apr 12th - Manchester City - Home KO 3PM
Apr 19th - Norwich - Away KO 3PM
Apr 26th - Chelsea - Home KO 3PM
May 3rd - Crystal Palace - Away KO 3PM
May 11th - Newcastle United - Home KO 3PM
Cup games
Aug 28th - Capital One Cup 2nd round
Sept 25th - Capital One Cup 3rd round
Jan 4th - FA Cup 3rd round
May 17th - FA Cup Final
Can they finish in the top 4, will they improve much on last season, will they win anything? The questions go on forever.
Here is the fixture list for LFC - which team are you most looking forward to playing?
(KO can change depending on TV scheduling and cup competitions.)
Aug 17th - Stoke - Home KO 3PM
Aug 24th - Aston Villa - Away KO 3PM
Aug 31st - Manchester United - Home KO 3PM
Sept 14th - Swansea - Away KO 3PM
Sept 21st - Southampton - Home KO 3PM
Sept 28th - Sunderland - Away KO 3PM
Oct 5th - Crystal Palace - Home KO 3PM
Oct 19th - Newcastle United - Away KO 3PM
Oct 26th - West Brom - Home KO 3PM
Nov 2nd - Arsenal - Away KO 3PM
Nov 9th - Fulham - Home KO 3PM
Nov 23rd - Everton - Away KO 3PM
Nov 30th - Hull - Away KO 3PM
Dec 3rd - Norwich - Home KO 3PM
Dec 7th - West Ham - Home KO 3PM
Dec 14th - Tottenham Hotspur - Away KO 3PM
Dec 21st - Cardiff City - Home KO 3PM
Dec 26th - Manchester City - Away KO 3PM
Dec 28th - Chelsea - Away KO 3PM
Jan 1st - Hull - Home KO 3PM
Jan 11th - Stoke - Away KO 3PM
Jan 18th - Aston Villa - Home KO 3PM
Jan 28th - Everton - Home KO 3PM
Feb 1st - West Brom - Away KO 3PM
Feb 8th - Arsenal - Home KO 3PM
Feb 12th - Fulham - Away KO 3PM
Feb 22nd - Swansea - Home KO 3PM
Mar 1st - Southampton - Away KO 3PM
Mar 8th - Sunderland - Home KO 3PM
Mar 15th - Manchester United - Away KO 3PM
Mar 22nd - Cardiff City - Away KO 3PM
Mar 29th - Tottenham Hotspur - Home KO 3PM
Apr 5th - West Ham - Away KO 3PM
Apr 12th - Manchester City - Home KO 3PM
Apr 19th - Norwich - Away KO 3PM
Apr 26th - Chelsea - Home KO 3PM
May 3rd - Crystal Palace - Away KO 3PM
May 11th - Newcastle United - Home KO 3PM
Cup games
Aug 28th - Capital One Cup 2nd round
Sept 25th - Capital One Cup 3rd round
Jan 4th - FA Cup 3rd round
May 17th - FA Cup Final
Tuesday 2 July 2013
Liverpool FC's pre-season fixture list
Liverpool FC have a fully packed schedule for pre-season with various games all over the world.
Here's the run down of the ones announced so far...
13th July - Preston North End v Liverpool FC - KO 3PM
20th July - Indonesia XI v Liverpool FC - KO 2.30PM
24th July - Melbourne Victory v Liverpool FC - KO 11AM
28th July - Thailand V Liverpool FC - KO 11.45AM
Steven Gerrard's Testimonial - Liverpool v Olympiakos 12.45 KO 3rd August
7th August - Valarenga v Liverpool FC - KO 6PM
10th August - Celtic v Liverpool FC (in Dublin) - KO 5PM
Then it will be nearly time for the new season.....
Here's the run down of the ones announced so far...
13th July - Preston North End v Liverpool FC - KO 3PM
20th July - Indonesia XI v Liverpool FC - KO 2.30PM
24th July - Melbourne Victory v Liverpool FC - KO 11AM
28th July - Thailand V Liverpool FC - KO 11.45AM
Steven Gerrard's Testimonial - Liverpool v Olympiakos 12.45 KO 3rd August
7th August - Valarenga v Liverpool FC - KO 6PM
10th August - Celtic v Liverpool FC (in Dublin) - KO 5PM
Then it will be nearly time for the new season.....
Liverpool players and staff back from summer break
Today, the Liverpool players and staff all returned to Melwood ahead of the pre-season training and games that would lead Liverpool FC up to the new 2013/14 Premier League season.
Brendan Rodgers and his players all looked happy and refreshed as they came back from their summer break.
Captain Steven Gerrard was look particularly good, as he took part in training and fitness exercises for the first time since having surgery for an injured shoulder back in May, which ultimately forced him to miss the last few games of the previous season. The skipper was laughing and joking with the boss along with looking focused and ready for the huge task ahead of the whole squad this season. His manager also highlighted that he believed the 33-year-old was still more than capable of leading the team where they need to go when the new season kicks off in August.
Brendan Rodgers also highlighted what a major coup it was getting Kolo Toure on a free, saying City's loss was Liverpool's gain - lets hope the fans get to see evidence of this when the veteran defender plays for the reds.
In other news, our new boys all turned up looking happy to be at Liverpool and ready to get to work, fighting for a prestigious place in Liverpool's starting XI.
Other noticeable inclusions in the group today were Martin Kelly and Joe Allen who were both injured for most and some of the last season respectively. It seems that both joined in with the training and fitness exercises and will be raring to go and get a place in Brendan Rodgers' plans for the 2013/14 campaign.
Roll on the pre-season games I say!
Brendan Rodgers and his players all looked happy and refreshed as they came back from their summer break.
Captain Steven Gerrard was look particularly good, as he took part in training and fitness exercises for the first time since having surgery for an injured shoulder back in May, which ultimately forced him to miss the last few games of the previous season. The skipper was laughing and joking with the boss along with looking focused and ready for the huge task ahead of the whole squad this season. His manager also highlighted that he believed the 33-year-old was still more than capable of leading the team where they need to go when the new season kicks off in August.
Brendan Rodgers also highlighted what a major coup it was getting Kolo Toure on a free, saying City's loss was Liverpool's gain - lets hope the fans get to see evidence of this when the veteran defender plays for the reds.
In other news, our new boys all turned up looking happy to be at Liverpool and ready to get to work, fighting for a prestigious place in Liverpool's starting XI.
Other noticeable inclusions in the group today were Martin Kelly and Joe Allen who were both injured for most and some of the last season respectively. It seems that both joined in with the training and fitness exercises and will be raring to go and get a place in Brendan Rodgers' plans for the 2013/14 campaign.
Roll on the pre-season games I say!
Saturday 8 June 2013
Liverpool 4 - 0 Fulham, Stewie Downing's first LFC Prem goal!!!
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| saw myself on tv haha |
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| and again! |
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| once more lol! |
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