TLW

Any chance of letting us know what the Spanish papers are saying? I just saw a post from 'xabi the red' on another thread, and it's got me curious to know more. PS It is I, Dave U, using the TLW log in as I'm just about to start the report

That camerman really deserves some kind of award for catching that. Amazing picture. RoboRiise's post on this thread also deserves an award, as does NP's comment about Douglas Fir's.

LIVERPOOL U18 1 Everton U18 1 Report by Peter Schulz at the Academy Scorer(s) - Craig LindfieldHalf Time - 1-0 Venue - The Academy Date - Sat 3 Mar 2007 Star Man - Robbie Threlfall Liverpool U18s prepared for their FA Youth Cup semi final first leg at Newcastle next week with a 1-1 draw against Everton at the Academy on Saturday morning. Craig Lindfield’s first half strike was cancelled out by Kieran Agard who rounded Martin Hansen in the Liverpool goal only a minute after half time. Perhaps more worryingly, however ,inspirational captain Jay Spearing had to leave the field with a foot injury. John Owens had picked Robbie Threlfall to partner the captain in central defence with Stephen Behan (left) and Stephen Darby either side of them. In midfield Owens had paired Ryan Flynn and Charlie Barnett as Jimmy Ryan and Paul Barratt occupied the wing positions. Craig Lindfield lead the line with Jonathon Pringle. The reds started the stronger side as Lindfield got involved in a couple of dangerous situations. On 10 minutes he had a low shot well blocked and minutes later he forced the Everton keeper to spill a cross at the feet of Barnett. The midfielder, however, shot wide. Everton were slowly getting into the game, but it was the reds who threatened to open the scoring as the half wore on. Midway through the half Liverpool put the visitors under pressure following a great Barnett corner. In the end it was drifted in towards the far post from the left by Barratt and Threlfall’s goal bound effort was blocked. The opening goal came on 33 minutes when Ryan stormed forward into the box and slid the ball into the path of Flynn. His first time ball found Lindfield who made no mistake with a low shot. After that Everton still seemed to have a lot of the ball, but Lindfield had the ball in the net again on the stroke of half time. This time play was called back for a foul on the defender which I think only the referee had spotted. Surprisingly, Owens made two changes at half time and he replaced Pringle and Ryan (who did look to be carrying a slight knock) with Shane O’Connor and Mattone Awang. The two substitutes played on either wing as Paul Barratt was moved up front. Within a minute of the restart the visitors had equalised. Kieran Agard was fed through the middle and he rounded Hansen and put the ball in an empty net. Unsurprisingly, the reaction of the blues on the pitch and off it was one of “small club scoring against big club.” This seemed to spur on the young blues who playing against the wind looked to build on the good start and Liverpool struggled to respond. The game became more physical and challenges were flying in. Charlie Barnett was finally booked when he lunged in studs first and two-footed for the third time (twice within a couple of minutes) and Jay Spearing was injured in another challenge. He continued after having received treatment but struggled and was soon substituted for Laurence Gaughan. Players and management will be hoping he’ll be fit for the Newcastle clash. Lindfield was involved in an ongoing argument with several Everton players and seemed to lose a bit of concentration. Midway through the half, Everton should have gone in front but fullback Lee Molyneux hit the far post when clean through with Hansen. Stand in captain Robbie Threlfall was screaming for his team mates to lift themselves to score the winner, and Everton were the stronger side in the second half but in the end both teams had to settle for a point. Team: Hansen; Darby, Spearing (Gaughan 60), Threlfall, Behan; Ryan (Awang 46), Barnett, Flynn, Barratt; Lindfield, Pringle (O'Connor 46):

LIVERPOOL 0 Man United 1 Report by Dave Usher at Anfield Scorer(s) - Half Time - 0-0 Venue - Anfield Date - Sat 3 Mar 2007 Star Man - Jamie Carragher Just what do you say after a game like this? To describe it as a kick in the bollocks just doesn't do it justice, I didn't feel like I'd been kicked in the nuts, it felt more like they'd been removed with a blunt knife, stomped on til they were mush, and then fed to the Neville family with the fishheads and entrails they'd normally eat for Sunday lunch. I've had better days, for sure. I initially planned to write this on Saturday night, but just couldn't face it. 'I'll do it tomorrow morning' I reasoned. Tomorrow morning came and went, I still just didn't want to do it. 'I'll leave it til monday morning' I told myself. Still didn't fancy it then, and I'm only writing it now because I feel I have to get it out the way before we play Barca. The question most people seemed to be asking after the game was 'just how did we lose this game?'. To me it was pretty obvious why we lost. There were a few reasons, but the over-riding one was the same reason we dropped points to Chelsea, Bolton, Newcastle, Everton, Blackburn and plenty of other teams we should have beaten on the balance of play. We just aren't clinical enough. It's simple. I'd say we're the least clinical team in the league. So rather than ask 'how did we lose this game', the question on my mind is 'what can we do to stop this happening over and over again?'. Short of ripping it up and completely starting again with the widemen and forwards, I just don't know. We played very well against Man Ham (thank you Tom Hicks for that one), but we lost. Did we deserve to lose? Definitely not. Is it our own fault? You have to say yes it is. Cruel as that sounds given how well we played, the bottom line is we let them off the hook because we couldn't convert our chances. I also feel we should have gone for them a bit more in the 1st half. It was a cagey affair, and it wasn't really until the start of the 2nd half that we fully took control. Maybe Rafa was concerned that they would pick us off if we were too gung ho, but their lack of ambition meant that worry was unfounded. They came for a 0-0, and the only thing we had to worry about was Ronaldo. I can't stand that cheating little prick, but the lad can really play. We dealt with him very well on the whole, mainly because whenever he got the ball we made sure we got players around him. He was still a major threat though, which was more than could be said for the rest of his team-mates. We were extremely comfortable at the back, and as I say, only Ronaldo looked capable of hurting us. Had we played better in the first half when we had the ball, we could have avoided what happened at the end. Unfortunately, whilst the frontmen were doing pretty well and the defence was solid, our midfield kept giving away possession. Not Gerrard, who rarely lost the ball even if he didn't do anything especially threatening with it, and not Gonzalez who basically hardly got a kick. It was in the centre where we really struggled, as Xabi and especially Momo, kept giving the ball away. Maybe their negative approach placed too much emphasis on the attacking side of Momo’s game? The way the game panned out, he simply wasn’t needed and we’d have been much better off with Gerrard and Alonso in the centre. Rafa couldn’t have predicted that before the game however, and you can’t blame him for going with the tried and trusted big game formula of Xabi, Momo and Stevie in the same midfield. Ferguson’s approach to the game meant that Momo didn’t have to do much defensively, but had a lot more responsibility than usual when he had the ball. Was that why he kept giving it away? Maybe, but it could just be that he had a bad game. It happens, just not very often with Sissoko. As bad as he was though, he would have had to be a hell of a lot worse to match the ineptitude of Nemanja Vidic. He’s been getting rave reviews this season, but I rarely watch them other than brief highlights so I can’t really say too much about him. Rafa was really keen on him a year or so ago, but we signed Agger and Vidic went to Old Trafford. On this evidence we dodged a bullet as I’ve yet to see Agger play anywhere near this badly. The young Dane has had a brilliant season, and was excellent yet again as he and Carra nullified the threat of Rooney and Larsson. Vidic on the other hand, was terrorised by Craig Bellamy. The Welsh striker beat him on several occasions, but frustratingly none of them led to anything. It was a mismatch, but the only time it looked like it would pay off was when Bellamy’s persistence and pace allowed him to rob the lumbering defender in the box, only for him to overhit a simple pass to Kuyt that would have presented him with an open goal. I haven’t seen any replays of this game, other than Crouch’s shot that was saved, and that’s how it will stay as I never want to see any of this game ever again as long as I live. If it comes on the tv, I switch over or look away, and I doubt that will ever change. So my view of things is based on what I saw at the time, and may well be inaccurate. Maybe Bellamy’s pass to Kuyt wasn’t that bad, and perhaps Dirk should have reacted quicker, I don’t know. At the time I felt it was just a very bad pass that was too far in front of Kuyt. Had he cut the ball back another yard or two, it was a certain goal. That was easily the best opportunity of the half, although Riise pinged a free kick inches wide with Van Der Saar beaten. The closest the mancs came to testing Reina was when Ronaldo burst through onto a flick by Larsson but shot over the bar. As well as we shackled Ronaldo, he was always threatening to do something and we needed to be on guard to keep him in check. One surging run into the box had the Kop fearing the worst, but Carragher got across to make a fantastic block as the Portugal winger pulled the trigger. It was a brilliant piece of defending, made even by the fact that seconds later he was on the other side of the box making a similar block on Rooney. Carragher’s performance in this game was truly outstanding, possibly the best individual display from a Liverpool player this season. At half time, I would have took Momo off and brought Pennant on. We had no penetration from the middle of the park, and not much width either as Gerrard was coming infield quite a bit. We needed more support for the strikers, and to me the only way we would get that would be to move Gerrard into the middle and get Pennant out wide getting crosses in. Rafa kept things as they were though, and we did start the 2nd half really well. Kuyt began the half looking really sharp (I thought he did quite well in the 1st half too), and his clever pass sent Bellamy in on goal, but his control let him down and his shot was a bit scuffed and allowed Van Der Saar to get down and make a good save. Games between the top sides are won and lost on little details, and as well as Bellamy played, the poor pass to Kuyt in the 1st half and the failure to take this opportunity at the start of the 2nd cost us big time. It isn’t just him to blame though. Gerrard wasted a good chance shortly after – albeit on his left foot – and Crouch should have scored late on. Against lesser sides these kind of misses aren’t so important because usually more chances will come along. Against the mancs, Chelsea and Arsenal however, you simply have to take chances when they come along, because if you don’t you will pay the price. The one time we did put the ball in the net Bellamy was adjudged to have been offside. Rafa has said since that it was the correct decision, so we have no cause for complaint there. It didn’t bother me too much at the time anyway as I’d seen the flag go up straight away so didn’t have the disappointment of thinking we’d scored only to have it taken away. We totally dominated that 2nd half, and Reina didn’t have to make a single save until that goal in stoppage time. Carragher and Agger were faultless, and this defeat was especially cruel on those two. We’d gone virtually ten whole Premiership games without conceding a goal at home, and that record would still be intact if there was any justice in this world. Rafa’s substitutions didn’t help us either in my opinion, and that is a source of great worry for me at the moment. There was a time when his changes were usually inspired, but most of the time these days they are just perplexing. Aurelio for Gonzalez was logical, but Bellamy was a threat, and bringing him off for a midfielder was demoralising. Rafa seemed to realise that fairly quickly, and it wasn’t long before he got Sissoko off and put Crouch on. It made a difference, as Pennant was lively and Crouch clearly unsettled United. The big man should have scored when he elected to chest the ball down and shoot instead of heading it back across goal. Given his poor heading ability though, he probably did the right thing, he just didn’t direct his shot quite well enough and Van Der Saar made a fine save. I think that was the moment we knew we wouldn’t win, but at that point defeat wasn’t even in my head. As much as we always call the mancs lucky because of their penchant for grabbing late goals, the truth is that luck has nothing to do with it – usually. The late winner they got at Fulham last week may have been undeserved on the balance of play, but in the closing stages of that game that went with four up front and pushed for a winning goal. Fortune often favours the brave, as they got their reward. You have to give credit where it’s due, even if it is through gritted teeth. This time though, they don’t deserve any credit. They were just very, very lucky and didn’t deserve anything from this game, let alone all three points. It was a spawny goal from what should never have been a free-kick (tv replays may prove me wrong there, but I’ll never know). The moment the referee awarded that free-kick, I think we all knew what was coming. Until then, I hadn’t even contemplated us letting one in as we were so comfortable, But I can honestly say, hand on heart, that there was not even the tiniest doubt in my mind that they were going to score from that free-kick. Outplayed for ninety minutes, not a single shot on goal, desperately hanging on with ten men and wasting time in a manner that would have made Portsmouth blush, and then awarded a dodgy free-kick on the edge of the box…. It was never in doubt really was it? I think our players knew it too, just look at how they reacted to the ref when that free-kick was given. Gerrard went nuts, no doubt because he had the same feeling the rest of us did. I’ve read various comments from people about the goal, and it seems they had players in an offside position, most notably Saha who ran across Reina. That is clearly interfering with play, but those decisions just don’t seem to be given these days. As long as the player doesn’t touch the ball, he can drop his shorts, part his arse cheeks and fart in the keepers face and the linesman’s flag won’t go up. When it’s the mancs, then forget about it, we ain’t getting that decision in a million years. Reina should have held it, even though it was a difficult one to deal with. Like I said, it’s the little details that decide these games. Van Der Saar makes a couple of excellent saves, Reina spills a shot and we lose. I’m not blaming Pepe, he’s only as much to blame as those who missed chances at the other end. I’m not blaming the referee either, much as I’d like to because I thought he was dreadful once again. This is the fella who reffed our 6-3 game with Arsenal, and he was atrocious that night as well. I wrote after that game that ‘I hope I never see him at Anfield again’. That sentiment stands, Martin Atkinson is hopeless and this game was too big for him. Yeah, he sent Scholes off, but what else could he do when the dirty little ginge threw a right hook at Xabi right in front of him? That was one of the few things he actually got right. He booked Alonso for kicking the ball away after the whistle, but did nothing when Gary Neville – already on a booking - did the same thing late in the 2nd half when they were down to ten and desperately time wasting. The two instances were identical, but he shit out of giving Neville what he deserved. From the moment he sent off Scholes he was desperately trying to make it up to them. He let them time waste, he gave them free kicks and he ignored fouls on our players. He wasn’t biased, he was just weak. When Giggs through his arms up and appealed for a free-kick, he couldn’t get the whistle to his lips fast enough. I feared the worst when I heard this strunz was in charge, and it says a lot when I was lamenting the injury that ruled Graeme fucking Poll out of this game. Hopefully this dickhead will be banished to the Championship next season, as I really don’t want him in charge of any of our games again. But to blame the ref would be to overlook our own deficiencies. I’d like to be able to take heart from the fact that we dominated them, and restricted them to one goal attempt, but to tell the truth I just can’t. If anything it depresses me even more, as it’s a recurring theme. We have thrown away so many points in games we should have won, but I don’t know how the problem can be rectified other than to bring in new players who are more clinical. We keep replacing players (forwards and wingers) who are no better than the ones who are leaving. Are the current crop of forwards better than the ones we had two, three, four, five years ago? Bellamy has proved to be a slightly better version of Cisse but with less goals, and has Dirk done more for the side than Crouch did last season? Not for me he hasn’t. Then there’s the widemen. Gonzalez is nowhere near as good as Kewell (even the fat, half fit one), and is Pennant better than Smicer? We’re in a cycle were we keep signing players who are not proving to be better than those they are replacing, and that’s why we just can’t make that final step. Rafa is not exactly building a team on the cheap, but whereas the mancs can go out and pay big money for Ronaldo, Rooney etc and Chelsea throw money around like no other before them to bring in proven top quality, Rafa has had to go for ‘second tier’ signing in the hope they will step up to the next level and become world class. I thought we could still challenge for the title like that, and I had high hopes for people like Bellamy, Gonzalez, Kuyt and Pennant. Clearly, I was wrong. We just don’t have the quality in the final third to mount a title challenge. Defensively we’re the best around in my opinion, and we have a central midfield quartet that’s the envy of Europe. Those positions can be filled without spending huge money, but if you want the best attacking players then unfortunately they are very, very expensive. We’ve got a great base to build on, but unless the Americans throw a lot of money Rafa’s way this summer then we won’t be bringing home number 19 any time soon. I honestly think that the single biggest reason the mancs are going to win this league is Ronaldo. Whichever one of the top four had him in their side would be top of the league in my opinion, as this season he’s been almost unstoppable. A player like that would turn us into strong title contenders, and would compensate for the lack of a genuinely world class striker. A player like that is the difference maker we just don’t have, but who else is there like him that we could sign? We’ve gone backwards from last season (in terms of points), and if we are to reverse that trend for next season then big money is going to have to be spent. Replacing like for like just won’t cut it, we need genuine, world class, edge of the seat signings. If the Americans are serious about turning us into title contenders, they’ll need to deliver players of the calibre of Alves and Eto’o. Unrealistic? Maybe, but no more unrealistic than expecting Benitez to win the league without genuine world class signings. All we have left to play for now is the Champions League, but if we let Barcelona off the hook the way we did the mancs, then our season could be over in the next 24 hours. If that happens, don’t expect a report on here, as that would be more than I can take! Team: Reina; Finnan, Carragher, Agger, Riise; Gerrard, Sissoko (Crouch), Alonso, Gonzalez (Aurelio); Bellamy (Pennant), Kuyt:

http://www.liverpoolway.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?p=629130

LIVERPOOL 4 Sheffield United 0 Report by Dave Usher at Anfield Scorer(s) - Robbie Fowler (2 pens), Sami Hyypia, Steven GerrardHalf Time - 2-0 Venue - Anfield Date - Sat 24 Feb 2007 Star Man - Steven Gerrard Coming off the back of such an emotionally draining victory in the Nou Camp, a home game against Sheffield United is not really something you would look forward to. It had damp squib written all over it, but despite not being a vintage display from the reds it was as comfortable a victory as we’ve had all season. It was achieved without getting out of second gear. Some teams come to Anfield and play for a point, Sheffield United looked like they knew they would get nothing and only started to show any interest in the game when it was way beyond them. They will point to the award of the first penalty as the moment they lost the game, but to me they never really looked like they thought they could get anything from the game. I watched Neil Warnock tell Sky on Friday that he doesn’t expect to get anything when they play the top four, and his players seemed to feel the same way. Predictably, Rafa rung the changes, handing starts to Fowler and Crouch up front, and giving Javier Mascherano his debut. The first thing I noticed about ‘El Jafe’ is that he’s a bit of a short arse. I thought he was of similar size to Alonso, but he’s more like Garcia. It’s been said that he could be the ‘new Hamann’ but to me he’s more like Makalele, both in size and in style of play. He wasn’t involved much early on, but there are a few reasons for that. Firstly, he hasn’t played for months, and it was always going to take him a little while to get into his stride. Secondly, it’s a new team with new team-mates, so again, he needs to do a little adjusting. The third reason was the way the Blades played. They let our defence have the ball, and just sat tight on Mascherano and Gerrard, preventing them from coming to collect the ball from the back four. I was watching the Argentine closely, and he kept coming to show for a pass, but one of their players were always in close attention and therefore Carra or Sami couldn’t give him – or Gerrard – the ball. That changed a bit as the game went on, but in the early stages it was difficult for him to get involved. What I liked about him though was the game intelligence he showed whenever one of the full backs went forward. He was always dropping back and filling in for people so the team kept it’s shape, and when he had possession he kept things simple and didn’t take unnecessary risks. I think there’s a lot more in his locker than what he showed in this game, but it may take a little time for him to show it. Until he’s settled in and match fit, he’ll probably just keep to the basics and not try to be too ambitious. As far as debuts go, it was satisfactory and he really couldn’t have wished for an easier game to start his Liverpool career with. From the moment we took the lead this game was over, as the Blades just seemed to accept their fate. Gonzalez had gone close to opening the scoring when he outpaced the defence to latch onto Hyypia’s brilliant through ball, but he couldn’t keep his shot down. That had been the only real threat to the visitors goal until we were awarded the first of two penalties. I didn’t see the incident at the time, as I was following the flight of the ball. I heard the Kop appeal for it, and I saw Gerrard in a heap and Steve Bennett pointing to the spot. Having seen the TV replays, I’d say it was a soft penalty for them to give away, but it was a penalty and Kozluk deserved all he got just for sheer stupidity. Neil Warnock had a moan about Bennett, and also about Gerrard, whom he claimed was looking for it and went down too easily. Was he looking for it? Too right he was, and so he should have been. If someone is holding onto you in the box, what are you supposed to do, just accept it, or point it out to the referee who is just yards away? There isn’t a player in the world who wouldn’t have done the same in that circumstance. Gerrard put his arms up to show he wasn’t the one doing any holding, and Bennett could see what was going on. When Stevie tried to move away, Kozluk hooked his arm around his waist and dragged him to the floor. Bennett was watching the whole thing develop, and had no choice but to give that. You can argue that this kind of thing happens in every penalty area in every game in every country, and rarely is a penalty awarded for it. I’d agree, but when it happens right in front of a referee who has been alerted to it, then I don’t see how Warnock has any right to complain. He also admitted afterwards that he’d told Kozluk to keep his arms down in the penalty area and not to be holding onto people. That’s who he should be angry with, not Bennett and certainly not Gerrard. I’ve criticised Gerrard in the past for going to ground too easily, and if he does it again then I’ll be the first to say so. For me though he’s done nothing wrong on this occasion, the blame lies entirely with the braindead defender who committed a foul whilst the referee was watching his every move. Of course, there was another incident that was happening at the same time. Poor Crouchy was being kicked in the face and having his nose broken. If the foul on Gerrard hadn’t occurred, I’d have been wanting a penalty for what Hulse did to Crouch. It was clearly a serious injury, and the delay in getting Crouch seen to and removed from the field could have been a problem for the penalty taker had it been anyone other than Robbie. I don’t know what was going through his mind as he waited to take the kick, but I know what was going through mine. I was shitting myself in case he missed, because he had not scored in front of the Kop since his return to the club. He must have been desperate to get that goal in front of the Kop, I know I was. If he was nervous, you’d never have guessed as he dispatched the penalty with ease. Minutes later, he was put in the same situation, after Gerrard was hauled down in the box once more. Three times this season Fowler has benefited from Sheffield United players fouling Gerrard in the box. This time he nonchalantly dinked the ball into the opposite corner, sending Paddy Kenny the wrong way. At this stage I was positive he’d get his hat-trick, and would not have been surprised had it been three penalties. The Blades were there for the taking, but we didn’t seem to be that bothered about running up a big score. There wasn’t too much urgency, although Pennant was lively on the right flank and was always looking to make something happened. He worked tirelessly tracking back and getting tackles in too, and had it not been the impact Gerrard made on the game, Pennant would have been my star man. The first half had been played almost in silence. The atmosphere was really bad, as it has been for most league games this season. Luckily we’ve got the mancs and Barca up in the next couple of weeks, so at least we’ll hear some noise in those games. There wasn’t much to get excited about against Sheffield though in truth. The game was low key, and there’s just not too much at stake in Premiership games now. Barring some serious mishap, we’re going to finish third or fourth, no higher or lower, and it’s hard to get excited about that. If we were going for the title, maybe the atmosphere would have been better, but it’s hypothetical now as we aren’t going for the title. Even when Sami fired in the third goal, the roar was hardly deafening. The fourth goal got more of a reaction, presumably due to the quality displayed to create it. Mascherano fed Fowler, who had spotted Gerrard making a run behind him and released him with a first time pass. The skipper’s first touch took him away from the last defender, and I don’t think anyone expected any result other than a goal when he lined up a shot on his right foot. He didn’t disappoint, the ball nestling in the bottom corner. It was his last involvement in the game, as Rafa took the opportunity to give him a rest and introduce Alonso. Not a bad substitution to be able to make, especially as Momo was still left on the bench. Questions are being asked by the fans as to how we can keep four world class central midfielders happy. The question really should be whether Rafa will be given enough cash to ensure we have such strength in depth in other positions, such as up front and out wide. Defensively we don’t need so many players, as there’s less rotation in the back four. Other than perhaps a top class left back, we don’t really need to strengthen (unless Sami goes in which case we need another centre half). But if Rafa had the quality to choose from up front and out wide that he has in the middle of midfield, he’d be a happy man indeed. Alonso was into his stride straight away, and showed some encouraging signs of an understanding with Mascherano, who as the game wore on got better and better. I was also encouraged by the way Kuyt and Pennant linked up several times, playing nice little give and go’s and one two’s. Dirk played well after coming on as a sub, and I’d say this was one of his better performances in recent months (he was good against Chelsea too, but he’s had some stinkers recently). It must be said though that Sheffield were truly awful. I didn’t expect them to come here and give us problems with free flowing football, but I did think they’d probably make things very difficult for us and that they would be very physical. Yet I can’t remember a single bad tackle in the game. They were one of the least physical sides we’ve faced, which again suggests that they had written this game off beforehand and were already looking to their next match. The one threat they posed was from substitute Kazim-Richards, who I really liked the look of. He’s fast, powerful, and looks to be pretty skilful too. He gave Riise some uncomfortable moments, and almost created a consolation for them when his superb cross on the run was smacked against the bar by Hulse from close range. He’d earlier crossed well for Hulse to force a camera save from Dudek, and he was easily United’s best player on the day. Surprising he didn’t start the game really. Robbie went close to his hat-trick with a low right footed drive from 20 yards that was parried by Kenny, but he had to settle for just the two in the end. The hat-trick will have to wait until next weekend I guess. All in all, a satisfactory day’s work. Four goals scored without breaking sweat, and a ninth consecutive Premiership clean sheet at home. If this is to be Dudek’s last appearance for the club at least he’s ended on a high, and not letting in six. Mascherano is now up and running as a Liverpool player, and Pennant continued his improvement with a lively display. Gerrard had to be the star man, because he put the shits up Sheffield and was largely responsible for three of the four goals. On paper a partnership of Gerrard and Mascherano is mouth watering, but then Xabi and Momo aren’t too bad either are they? Always I say the same, for sure we have possibilities, no? Team: Dudek; Finnan, Carragher (Agger), Hyypia, Riise; Pennant, Gerrard (Alonso), Mascherano, Gonzalez; Crouch (Kuyt), Fowler:

Behave yourself, he's fine. Was it inappropriate for Fowler and Gerrard to be mocking Crouchy yesterday then when they came out for the start of the 2nd half?

"Mongo eat boot"

LEE PELTIER 2006-08 by Dave Usher Date of Birth - 11/12/86 Nationality - English Position - Defence/Midfield Games - 4 Goals - 0 Club Hons (Lpool) - None Intnl Hons - England U18 caps Other Clubs - Hull City (loan), Yeovil Town, Huddersfield Town Aigburth born Lee came through the ranks at Liverpool and made four appearances for the first team before moving down the leagues to play with Yeovil and Huddersfield. A versatile, combative lad who can play anywhere across defence or in midfield, Lee made steady progress through the Academy and became a regular in the reserve side at the age of 18. A neat and tidy footballer, with an eye for a pass, he was a virtual ever present for the u17's from the age of 15, missing only a handful of games through suspension. Lee was compared to a young Paul Ince, and it was easy to see the similarity in looks as well as paying style. He captained Dave Shannon's u17 side in 2003/04 and was outstanding all year. He started the following season at right back, had a spell in centre midfield before dropping in to centre back during an injury crisis. His performances at centre back drew lavish praise from Shannon, and his excellent form was rewarded with a call up to the England u18 side, despite the fact he was still only an u17 player. The following year Lee was one of the few bright spots as the u18 side struggled in the opening months of the campaign. He was beginning to feature more at reserve level too, before a back injury put him out of action for the rest of the season. The disappointment of that injury was tempered with the news that he had earned a new contract and would be training at Melwood for the start of the 2005/06 campaign. Lee had a solid season for the reserves 2005/06, usually playing centre midfield or right back, with the only blemish being a sending off against Aston Villa for his part in a brawl. In Lee's defence, he had been the victim of two horrendous challenges in the game, the second one was a blatant attempt to injure him. Lee leapt to his feet and flew at his assailant, fists flying. He was given a three match ban, but was not fined by the club as they understood the extreme provocation he had endured. In 2006 Lee made his first team debut in the League Cup tie with Reading at Anfield, and also appeared against Arsenal and Birmingham in the same competition. He appeared in Eaurope too, starting the Champions League tie in Istanbul against Galatasaray in December 2006. With opportunities limited, Lee joined Hull City on loan in March 2007, after an injury to former red John Welsh created a vacancy in their midfield. The following season he was loaned to Yeovil Town, who he would join on a permanent deal in January 2008. In the summer of 2009 Lee was snapped up by Huddersfield Town and he was voted Player's Player of the Year at the end of his first season with the Yorkshire club.

So are you saying that Evertonians are revolting?

LIVERPOOL RES 1 Bolton Res 0 Report by Pete Schulz at the Racecourse Ground Scorer(s) - Paul AndersonHalf Time - 0-0 Venue - Racecourse Ground, Wrexham Date - Thu 22 Feb 2007 Star Man - Nabil El Zhar New recruit Francisco Duran made his debut as Liverpool reserves deservedly beat Bolton’s second string 1-0 at the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham on Thursday night. Fellow new boys Emilio Insua and Jordy Brouwer also made appearances, but it was Paul Anderson’s goal midway through the second half which sealed the three points for the reds. Still without Daniele Padelli, David Martin kept his place in goal behind a mainly Spanish speaking back four of Insua, Paletta, Roque. Only Stephen Darby at right back would probably prefer to speak English. The midfield consisted of Anderson, Peltier, Guthrie and Duran, with Lindfield and El Zhar starting up front. The reds could have been two goals up after just three minutes as Anderson missed two good opportunities. The first, after just twelve seconds, came as he raced through the defence on the left, but his shot was high and wide. The second effort came after the promising Duran had played a glorious crossfield ball over the head of the Bolton fullback, but this time the winger’s low shot fizzed a foot wide of the far post. The reds had more chances, but gradually Bolton started to get into the game and Zoltan Harsanyi at left wing was presented with three very good openings, but each time failed to find David Martin’s net. The first two were poor headers, and the third a weak shot. Emilio Insua was getting forward at every opportunity and looked very composed on the ball. He is not the tallest of players, but he has broad shoulders and looks very strong for his size. His shot on 17 minutes, however, nearly hit the corner flag. By then he had already managed to find El Zhar with a fantastic first time cross, but the Moroccan had strayed a yard offside – and his effort was over anyway. As the half wore on, Gary Ablett made a tactical change with El Zhar dropping back to the wing position allowing Duran to play in his more favoured role in the middle. The two combined well on the edge of the box with some nice trickery, but in the end El Zhar was again adjudged to have been offside. Ablett made no changes at half time, and the second half started very slowly. Craig Lindfield missed a couple of opportunities around the hour mark as the reds started to take control of proceedings. First he was sent through on the right by Danny Guthrie and three minutes later the captain found Insua bursting forward in space. The Argentinian’s excellent through ball found Lindfield, but again the striker’s effort was weak. You can’t fault Lindfield’s effort as he never fails to give one hundred percent, but he seems to be going through a rough patch in front of goal at the moment. Within a minute, Ablett brought on Brouwer in place of the tiring Duran to switch back to 4-4-2 and to try and win the game. It really is no wonder Ablett left Everton. His footballing philosophy obviously must have clashed with the man in charge at Goodison Park. Five minutes after the change, Ablett reaped the dividends. Brouwer started a move, which eventually saw El Zhar neatly flicking the ball into the path of an onrushing Guthrie. The captain’s square pass found an unmarked Paul Anderson and this time the winger made no mistake. 1-0. Bolton struggled to find a response although they got more physical. The referee missed an elbow in the face of El Zhar and Guthrie then arrived late with a shoulder barge on a Bolton player as he looked for retribution. That didn’t go down too well with the big defender Jaroslaw Fojut, but he hadn’t accounted for Lee Peltier when he went to give Guthrie a piece of his mind. Guthrie was booked, but amazingly, no other cards were shown. A little later, midfielder Matt Cassidy stood on El Zhar’s arm as the two had tussled for a ball. Again the Greek referee, Mr P Quinn, missed it, but two minutes later he had to book Cassidy, this time for a late lunge on Paletta who isn’t exactly someone you want to make your enemy. The little Moroccan soldiered on and helped create another chance, this time for Peltier. The midfielder flicked the ball over the first Bolton challenge but then hit his half volley half a yard over the Bolton goal. The ball dipped a couple of yards too late or it could have been a magnificent goal. Bolton never mounted any pressure on the comfortable reds backline, and manager Ablett could be pleased with his side’s overall effort. Team: Martin; Darby, Roque, Paletta, Insua; Duran (Brouwer), Peltier, Guthrie, Anderson; El Zhar, Lindfield:

ROBBIE FOWLER PROFILE by Paul Natton Date of Birth - 09/4/75 Nationality - English Position - Striker Games - 369 Goals - 183 Club Hons (Lpool) - League Cup 1995, 2001: FA Cup 2001: UEFA Cup 2001: European Super Cup 2001: Intnl Hons - England Caps Other Clubs - Leeds, Man City, Cardiff, North Queensland Fury (Aus) Arguably the most naturally gifted player to ever wear the Red shirt, Robbie Fowler is assured of legendary status at Liverpool despite the fact that his career has unquestionably been one of underachievement. He was the original boy wonder of the Premiership years, with an outrageous talent that was matched by an infectious enthusiasm for the game generally, and a breath-taking propensity to score great goals for Liverpool specifically. Famously opening his first team scoring account as a teenager with a debut strike at Fulham before following it up with a five goal haul in the return leg at Anfield, Fowler went on to astonish and enrapture in equal measure as the goals flew in over the first few spectacular years of his Liverpool career. He played with some top striking partners, including Rush, Owen and Collymore, but eclipsed them all with the audacity of a talent so brilliantly allied to a sheer volume of goals. A back-to-back brace of 30+ seasons saw him universally acclaimed as a goal-scoring genius; indeed his nickname of “God”, and the Dalglish-esque chant with which the fans rewarded him, do not overstate the talent he initially harnessed for Liverpool. Clearly, however, a huge “What if…?” hovers over any assessment of Robbie’s career, as controversy and injury dogged him from his early twenties onwards. Whether it be assaults in town, lad mag interviews, homophobic (yet still amusing) on-field taunts or inadvised responses to bitter chants about alleged (and almost certainly unfounded) drug problems, he played with a cloud over his head for too long. His autobiography had a ring of “methinks he doth protest too much” about it, as he seemed to intersperse tales of being out on the piss with the boys with pleas that he’d been unfairly labelled as unprofessional for the way he conducted himself. Regardless of the reality of the drinking, however, he suffered inordinately with a succession of injuries that ultimately robbed the club of what should have been his greatest years. Gerard Houllier apparently felt that Robbie’s attitude was culpable and, depending upon your point of view, either deviously engineered his dismissal to Leeds or pulled off one of our greatest ever outward transfer coups in collecting £11m for a player whose career was all but finished. Whatever the truth of that saga, the reality is that it left Robbie feeling very bitter and nursing a sense of unfinished business at Liverpool. He showed a few brief flashes of the old brilliance at Leeds, and then later (and less so) at Manchester City, but the real Robbie – in demeanour, if not action – was only truly seen again when Rafa brought him home, in a deal that reflected the nature of his career, to be our fourth choice striker. The words “I’d play for free if I had to” have tripped far easily - and without conviction - from many a player’s lips over the years, but when Robbie uttered similar sentiments, they carried a passionate ring of truth. His return was, unsurprisingly in the context of his fitness, something of a damp squib. But it would be a cold-hearted Red indeed who could deny they hadn’t felt a shiver of magic upon seeing him in that magnificent Red shirt at Anfield one more time. Despite all the problems, controversies and injuries, the fact remains that Robbie Fowler embodied the spirit of the fans like no other player, bar Dalglish. The word genius is bandied around all too lightly in today’s hyperbolic climate of Sky punditry, but Fowler undoubtedly had it. His touch, passing, heading, vision and, above all, eye for goal – from anywhere – all bore the hallmarks of the game’s greatest ever players. In spite of the clear lack of fulfilment of his phenomenal talent, he still managed a one in two ratio of goals to games for Liverpool; an achievement denied to many of the biggest names in football. Furthermore, he has a clutch of medals to show for his time here; albeit missing the two big ones, but deeply cherished none the less. In summary, one can easily sit back and contemplate what might have been, for both player and club, if he’d maintained peak form and fitness for the whole of his career. However, it remains impossible to think of him with anything but awe and affection. There is, quite simply, only one Robbie Fowler.

DIRK KUYT 2006-12by Neil Godfrey & Dave Usher Date of Birth - 22/7/80Nationality - DutchPosition - StrikerGames - 285Goals - 71Club Hons (Lpool) - 2012 League CupIntnl Hons - Holland CapsOther Clubs - Quick Boys, FC Utrecht, Feyenoord, Fenerbache When Dirk Kuyt arrived at Anfield inAugust 2006, he came carrying a weight of expectation that few othernew Liverpool signings in the previous 15 years had known. ManyLiverpool fans believed that the coming season would finally end thelong wait for the league title, and that a prolific goalscorer would bethe final piece in the jigsaw. Of course it didn’t work out that way, with a big part of the problembeing a lack of goals in crucial games. The jury may still be out as towhether the Dutch striker is capable of firing the Reds to the title,but one thing that is beyond dispute is that as long as he wears aLiverpool shirt, he will give his absolute all trying to do just that. Dirk started out as a winger, signing his first professional contractwith FC Utrecht at the age of 18. He remained with the club for fiveseasons, scoring 51 goals in 160 appearances. Towards the end of hisspell there he re-invented himself as a striker, and it was in thiscapacity that Feyenoord signed him in 2003. In his three seasons with the Rotterdam club, Dirk established himselfas one of the most prolific marksmen in European football, netting 71times in 101 games. This tremendous record saw him called up to theDutch national side in September 2004. His international career hasseen him play mainly on the right of a front three, but after the 2006World Cup he displaced Ruud van Nistelrooy as the Netherlands’ maincentral striker. His goal record, and just as crucially his prodigious workrate, alsomade him a target for Rafa Benitez, who tracked him for a year andeventually beat off competition from a number of other teams in orderto get his man. Dirk made his Liverpool debut as a second-halfsubstitute in a 2-1 win at home to West Ham, and instantly demonstratedwhy he had been so popular with the Feyenoord fans. Dirk scored his first Liverpool goal against Newcastle the followingmonth, and he reached double figures in his first season with astunning goal at Upton Park. He quickly struck up good understandingswith both Craig Bellamy and Peter Crouch, and his unselfish andenergetic style of play made him a huge favourite of Rafa Benitez. Like Ian Rush in his heyday, Dirk played the striker role as the firstline of defence, constantly chasing down and harrying oppositiondefenders in order to regain possession for his side. Dirk’s strengthand aerial ability were also valuable assets, as much for providing anoutlet to relieve pressure as for providing an attacking threat,although his hold-up play was sometimes hampered by the one obviousweakness in his game, which was a variable first touch. Dirk has shown some cool finishing for his goals, and in that fixtureat West Ham in January 2007 he proved himself capable of terrificlong-range strikes as well. He also managed to get himself on thescoresheet in the CL final against Milan, but his header proved to beno more than a consolation strike in the end. Every bit as much as his performances on the pitch, it was Dirk’sinfectious character that won over Reds fans. He wore his love of theclub, the fans and the city and people of Liverpool on his sleeve, andwithin months of signing had strongly suggested a desire to remain atLiverpool for the rest of his career. The fans’ respect for Dirk was reinforced further by the dignified anddedicated way that he applied himself while his father has beenseriously ill with cancer. Kuyt snr presented his son with the DutchPlayer of the Season award at an emotional ceremony in August 2006, andhappily recovered sufficiently to come over to Liverpool two monthslater to see Dirk score against Aston Villa. Sadly he would suffer arelapse and passed away in the summer of 2007. As if all that wasn’t enough to admire Dirk for, he used the proceedsfrom his commercial contracts to set up and fund his own charitablefoundation, helping some of the poorest people on earth in countriessuch as Nepal and Ghana, as well as people in deprived urban areas inhis native Holland. Despite a respectable goal tally in his first season, it was clear thatDirk was never going to be a 30 goals a season man, and his form in hissecond season at the club was as variable as his first touch. Heendured a terrible spell in mid season (probably in no small part tothe death of his father that summer), with one game at Ewood Parkespecially painful to watch. His form and confidence were at an alltime low, and eventually he was switched from a striking role to theright side of midfield. He re-invented himself in this role, and whenBenitez settled on a 4-2-3-1 system Kuyt found himself the first choicein the right sided attacking role. Despite certain limitations in this position, he continued to getamongst the goals and also had a decent number of assists. His displaysin the second half of the 2008/09 season were one of the main reasonsthe side pushed Manchester United all the way in the title race. Over the next couple of years Dirk's form was very much up and down.He'd excel in the big games, especially on the European stage, butwould sometimes struggle against the weaker sides in the Premier League. When Luis Suarez arrived at the club in January 2011, he and Kuytstruck up an immediate rapport due to Suarez speaking Dutch from histime at Ajax. Andy Carroll's injury problems presented Kuyt with theopportunity to forge a partnership with Suarez and the pair hit it offwell as Kenny Dalglish transformed the reds' fortunes in the 2nd halfof the 2010/11 season. Kuyt scored a famous hat-trick againstManchester United at Anfield and followed it up a year later by hittinga late winner against them in front of the Kop in an FA Cup tie. Dirk also scored a crucial goal at Wembley in the League Cup Final, buthe had started that game on the subs bench and that would be aincreasingly regular occurrence. At the end of that season Kuyt signedfor Turkish side Fenerbache to bring to an end a six year spell at theclub in which he delighted and infuriated in equal measures. Regardless of whether he played well or badly, Kuyt never ever hid andalways put a shift in. That's why he remained popular with the fanbasedespite sometimes looking like he couldn't trap a bag of cement or passwind. What Dirk lacked in talent he made up for with sheer willpower,and the guy had balls like grapefruits and would never shy away frombig penalty kicks, converting crucial ones in cup shoot outs as well asin derby games.

http://www.liverpoolway.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?p=626940

JAY SPEARING PROFILE by Dave Usher Date of Birth - 25/11/88 Nationality - English Position - Midfield Squad Number - 26 Club Hons (Lpool) - League Cup 2012, FA Youth Cup 2006, 2007 Reserve League North 2007/08, National Reserve Title 2007/08 Intnl Hons - None Other clubs - Leicester City (loan), Bolton Wanderers(loan) Jay is a talented footballer who has captained the club at various junior levels up to the reserves. He's small in stature but big in heart, and is a very vocal player and a great leader. A good footballer who reads the game well, he's a central midfielder by trade but has also impressed in the centre of defence and at right back. He made his u17 debut in the 2003/04 season as a 15 year old, but despite his lack of experience he was quite prepared to shout at his team-mates and make his presence felt. He dropped back into the u16 set up for the start of the 2004/05 season, playing a major role in their impressive run of results, earning his promotion to the u18 set up for the youth cup campaign. He played in the centre of midfield, despite being used in defence for the u16s for the majority of that season. He made an outstanding start to the 2005/06 season and even managed to get on the scoresheet in an away win at Middlesboro before he sustained a broken leg in only the fourth game of the season. He returned as good as ever, flying into a 50/50 in the opening minutes of his comeback game, and forced his way into the youth cup squad in time for the closing stages. With the Reds desperately clinging onto to a 3-2 aggregate lead in the 2nd leg of the final against Man City, Steve Heighway sent on his little organiser to steady the ship. Jay was outstanding in those closing minutes against City, cajoling his team-mates and making sure they didn't lose their heads. A natural leader, the following season he was handed the armband for the u18s. Despite his size, Jay was utilised at centre back in the youth cup to great effect in 2006-07. His reading of the game and strong tackling make him a tough opponent, and the only way anyone ever looked like getting the better of him is in aerial duels. He was an inspiration as the lads went on to retain the trophy, and his performance at Old Trafford in the 2nd leg prompted outgoing Academy director Steve Heighway to tell the Sky TV interviewer after the game that 'our captain could play in the first team right now. He's absolutely awesome'. Despite his fantastic displays at the heart of the defence for the u18s, Jay was never going to make the grade in that position due to his lack of height. As the season progressed he began to force himself into the reserve team reckoning and put in a series of man of the match performances for Gary Ablett's side in the middle of midfield. At the end of the season Jay was moved full time to Melwood and was named in the reserve squad that took part in an u20 tournament in Italy. They came up against the likes of Inter and AC Milan amongst others, and finished in third place in the competition after losing a semi final on penalties. Jay played in midfield, and was named the player of the tournament. A couple of months later he was lining up in midfield alongside Steven Gerrard in the pre-season friendly game at Crewe, and he acquitted himself very well to cap an amazing few months. The following campaign saw Jay become an integral part of Ablett's reserve side as they swept all before them. He hit a number of spectacular goals from the middle of the park, and captained the side on occasion when regular skipper Stephen Darby was absent. Along with Darby, 'Speo' was included in Rafa Benitez's squads for the pre-season friendlies in the summer of 2008. Both youngsters acquitted themselves superbly and did their chances of forcing their way into the senior set up no harm at all. Despite their impressive showings in pre-season Darby and Spearing found opportunities to play for the first team almost impossible to come by in domestic football. Frustratingly, neither were included in the 18 man squad to face Crewe in the League Cup, but Darby did make a late substitute appearance in the next round as the Reds were humbled by Spurs. Spearing couldn't even get close though, but UEFA's home grown ruling meant that there was some hope he could feature in the Champions League. With qualification already assured, Rafa Benitez included Spearing, Darby and fellow Academy graduate Martin Kelly on the bench against PSV Eindhoven, and all three came on in the second half and did well. It got even better for Jay in the knockout stages, as he came on for Steven Gerrard in front of a packed house at Anfield as the Reds battered Real Madrid. Spearing's performance that night made a lot of people sit up and take notice, but he had to wait several months for another opportunity with the senior side. The departure of Xabi Alonso in the summer of 2009 and the injury problems of his replacement Alberto Aquilani meant that Jay was a regular in the 18 man matchday squad, but more often than not he was left kicking his heels on the subs bench. He started in the League Cup at Leeds and Arsenal and performed well in both games, whilst he also made his first Premiership start in a game at Sunderland. It wasn't a good day for Spearing or any of his team-mates, as no-one performed well and the side were beaten by a freak goal that deflected in off a beach ball. 2010-11 would prove to be a breakout season for Jay as by the end of the season he had established himself as valuable first team squad member. Roy Hodgson gave him some opportunities early in the season, but an injury ruled him out for several weeks around the Christmas period. By the time Jay had regained his fitness, Hodgson was gone and Kenny Dalglish had taken over. Dalglish showed the faith he had in 'Speo' by throwing him into a Merseyside derby game at Anfield, and that faith was rewarded with a good display from the tigerish midfielder. What was most impressive about his display was that he played with a broken bone in his foot, an injury he'd sustained in a reserve game a few days earlier. That injury sidelined him for a few weeks after the derby, but once fit again Dalglish drafted him back into the side, and Spearing began to forge an impressive partnership with Lucas in the middle of the park as the reds went on a good run of form. A well deserved and belated call up to the England u21 squad arrived just before the end of the season, but a shocking challenge by Nigel Reo-Coker on the final day of the season saw Jay injured again and he had to pull out of Stuart Pearce's squad. The King was clearly a big admirer of Spearing and the following campaign saw Jay play a lot of games. He even played at Wembley a couple of times. He was an unused sub in the League Cup success over Cardiff, whilst he started in both the FA Cup semi final win over Everton and also the final loss to Chelsea. When Dalglish was replaced by Brendan Rodgers at the end of the 2011/12 season, that spelled bad news for Spearing. He took part in the pre-season games but with Joe Allen arriving for £15m and Real Madrid's Nuri Sahin joining on loan, opportunities to play were going to be limited and the lifelong Red joined Bolton on a season long loan.

Alonso (by Red Knight) - http://www.liverpoolway.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=42519

Thanks to Stu for sorting this, he's not just a one trick pony, there's more to Monty than just captions you know. http://www.liverpoolway.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?p=623236

Its all yours mate

LIVERPOOL U18 0 Bolton U18 2 Report by Peter Schulz at the Academy Scorer(s) - Half Time - 0-1 Venue - The Academy Date - Sat 17 Feb 2007 Star Man - Astrit Ajdarevic A depleted U18 side lost 2-0 to Bolton at the academy on Saturday morning. Owens and Heighway had picked just three players from Thursday’s cup win at Bramall Lane, and despite another solid performance from new recruit Astrit Ajdarevic, Bolton took full advantage of a couple of defensive mistakes either side of half time to wrap up the game. David Roberts was back in goal as Martin Hansen was given a rest as sub goalkeeper with the U16s, but the keeper won’t want to dwell on today’s performance. The reds’ defensive line up was completed by John Routledge and Stephen Behan either side of captain Jay Spearing and Lawrence Gaughan. In midfield, Ben Parsonage was given a chance on the right with Shane O’Connor on the left. In the middle, Jimmy Ryan and Ajdarevic were given the nod. Up front the management team went for Ryan Wignall and Michael Collins, but neither had days to remember. The game started off relatively low key with only a few openings. Ajdarevic, who hadn’t expected to play, was always likely to be the key for Liverpool, and he carved out the first opening on 17 minutes when he beat three Bolton players and made space for a long range effort, which was, however, comfortably dealt with by the keeper. A few minutes later Michael Collins was released on the left, and his cutback found Wignall in space, but the forward miskicked and Parsonage’s low follow up effort was well blocked by the Bolton defence. Bolton began exerting more pressure and found themselves ahead on 35 minutes following a freekick midway into the reds half. The ball was half cleared but Michael Roddy’s effort from 25 yards dipped just in time to go under Roberts’ crossbar. In my opinion, the keeper should have made an effort to save it, but it looked like he thought he had it covered, only to turn round and find it in the back of the net. Things were to get worse though. Ajdarevic battled on at the other end and gave more samples of his brilliant close control to set up Jimmy Ryan with a long range effort, which was deflected just over. On the stroke of half time, a great diagonal ball found Parsonage on the touchline. He crossed for Wignall who missed it, but Michael Collins collected the ball and turned, but his effort was wide. The second half started in much the same vein. Stephen Behan should perhaps have done better following a corner on 49 minutes, but moments later Bolton had killed the game off. Another freekick from 40 yards was drifted in towards the far post and met by an unmarked Bolton player. His header went straight at Roberts, who somehow managed to fumble it into his own net. The reds had no answer, despite substituting the wide men Parsonage and O’Connor for Charlie Barnett and forgotten man Paul Barratt. Later on, Collins was replaced by Mattone Awang. By now, it looked like the 90 minutes on Thursday were catching up with the promising Swede, who wasted a glorious opportunity to get Liverpool back in the game with about fifteen minutes to go. He met Paul Barratt’s excellent low cross, but his sidefooted effort went miles over. Seconds later, he set himself up on the edge of the box, but his low shot was weak. Liverpool never mounted any real pressure on the visitors and it was only Charlie Barnett’s injury time shot which threatened. In the end it went inches wide. Team: Roberts; Routledge, Spearing, Gaughan, Behan; Parsonage (Barratt 61), Ryan, Ajdarevic, O’Connor (Barnett 61); Collins (Awang 74) Wignall:

Sheff Utd u18 1 LIVERPOOL U18 3 Report by Dave Usher at Bramall Lane Scorer(s) - Ryan Flynn, Ray Putterill, Stephen DarbyHalf Time - 1-1 Venue - Bramall Lane Date - Thur 15 Feb 2007 Star Man - Ray Putterill Goals from Ryan Flynn, Ray Putterill and a rare strike from Stephen Darby gave the reds a come from behind win over Sheffield United at Bramall Lane in the quarter final of the FA Youth Cup last night. Steve Heighway’s side were full value for the victory, having dominated the game for long spells and produced some fantastic football, with left winger Putterill in scintillating form. The Blades simply had no answer to the pace and skill of ‘Razor’ (pictured), who scored one and could have had at least a hat-trick. His performance was a joy to watch, but this was far from a one man show, as Liverpool had quality all over the pitch and the home side simply couldn’t match them. Sheffield United had punched a bit above their weight to reach this far in the competition. Looking at the team sheet before the game, they had a list of their Academy fixtures and results so far this season. They were without a win in the Academy league since November 4th, and had lost their last fixture 6-0 at Derby County. The only wins they had were in the youth cup, where they had seen off Watford, Villa and Boro to reach the quarter finals. With that in mind, I was pretty confident prior to kick off that the reds would be able to progress, especially when I saw the starting line up included Astrit Ajdarevic. The young Swede made a big impression in the last round when he appeared as a second half substitute, and the side looks better for his presence. He keeps hold of the ball, and rarely gives it away cheaply. He’s an elegant, classy player who will hopefully have a big future. It won’t be as a striker though, that’s for sure. He lined up alongside Craig Lindfield at the start of this game, but he struggled to get into the game. He wasn’t bad, but the role doesn’t suit him at all. He was described as an attacking midfield player when we signed him, but from the little I’ve seen of him so far, he’s more of a midfield playmaker than a link man. He bears a remarkable resemblance to Paddy Berger, but he’s not the free spirit and devastating attacking force Paddy was. When Astrit switched with Ryan Flynn, the change benefited both of them. Flynn has energy to burn and will run all day. Letting him work the channels whilst Ajdarevic sat in midfield keeping the play ticking over, really helped the reds and Sheffield simply couldn’t match up to them. Before that switch, the Blades were holding their own and had even taken the lead. The goal was an avoidable one from Liverpool’s point of view. The home side had a free kick on the left wing, but it was a poor one and Spearing headed it away. It was collected thirty yards out by Blades’ right back Kyle Walker, and he was not closed down quickly enough and was allowed to advance forward a few yards before hitting a low shot into the bottom corner. It looked like it may have taken a slight deflection, but I could be wrong. That goal came after 19 minutes, but I wasn’t overly concerned about it because the reds had already shown enough prior to that to suggest they had goals in them. Putterill had twice skinned United goalscorer Walker, and it was obvious the full back didn’t know how to cope with him. On one of those occasions Ray went on the outside and picked out Lindfield with a cross, but he was challenged as he controlled the ball and tried to get his shot away. The other occasion saw the winger beat his man on the inside and get a shot in from 18 yards that went inches wide. It was obvious that the reds’ gameplan should be to simply get the ball to Putterill and let him do his stuff, and he saw plenty of the ball in the first half. I counted at least seven occasions that he went past his man and got dangerous crosses in, and not once did the full back manage to stop him. It was really impressive stuff from Ray, but he should have scored from one fantastic run when he went past a few defenders as he cut inside the penalty area. He’d done all the hard part and made a great angle for his shot, but he blasted the ball wide from 12 yards. The equaliser was coming though, as Liverpool really built up a head of steam in the fifteen minutes before half time. The goal arrived five minutes before the break, when Barnett’s shot from 20 yards was tipped onto the post by the keeper, and the loose ball rolled across the goalmouth. Lindfield and Flynn were both in there following up, but it appeared the ball would elude both of them. Flynn did very well to adjust his footing and then slide in to hook the ball into the empty net. The young Scot has made a habit of scoring goals in the youth cup, he scored some vital ones last season and this was another crucial strike. From the moment Liverpool got back on level terms there was only ever going to be one winner. The second half saw the reds dominate possession, and create numerous good chances. The Blades had made a change at half time to try and nullify the rampant Putterill, withdrawing their goalscorer Walker and switching highly rated left back Chapman over to the right side to try and shore things up a bit. It didn’t work. Putterill put the reds in front 12 minutes after the restart, and it was a goal of stunning quality. Ajdarevic featured prominently in the move, as he exchanged passes with Burns and Putterill as the trio advanced the ball up the left flank. By the time they reached the edge of the box, the Swede slipped a neat little pass into Putterill’s path, and ‘Razor’ cut inside two defenders before curling the ball into the top corner. It was a great team goal, but it was also a fine individual strike. The reds – or yellows as they were on the night - were all over the home side now, and Putterill should have had his second when he met Darby’s excellent deep cross with a diving header. He didn’t get the greatest of connections on it, but it still needed a miraculous stop from the keeper to stop it going in. He did remarkably well to get the ball around the post and behind, but his good work amounted to nothing as from the corner Ajdarevic swung the ball in and Darby headed the ball in to make it 3-1. Stephen Darby (pictured) goals are as rare a sight as Andy Johnson staying on his feet, so this was one to savour. If ever a player deserved a moment of glory though it’s ‘Darbs’. He’s been a model of consistency these last couple of years, and is rarely beaten defensively. He can play all across the back four, and always produces a high level of performance. He lifted the youth cup as skipper last season, and although he no longer has the armband (Spearing would have been skipper last season had he not been injured), he’s still leading by example. The man who does have the armband, continued his brilliant form in the centre of defence alongside the equally outstanding Robbie Threlfall. Throw in Michael Burns’ fine form at left back, and you have one of the main reasons that the lads now find themselves in the semi finals. The defence has been the foundation for this cup run, and all four of the lads have performed admirably. It’s difficult to single any of them out over the others, but special praise has to go to the two centre backs who have dominated whoever they have come up against. When the lads won the trophy last season, everyone acknowledged that it would never have been possible without the inclusion of the Melwood lads, such as Hobbs, Antwi, Anderson and Roque. The physical presence of the two centre halves was especially significant, and Steve Heighway himself said as much. This year though, there is no Hobbs, no Antwi, no Roque. The team is Heighway’s, pure and simple, and they are doing him proud. Spearing and Threlfall cannot match up with Hobbs and Antwi in terms of strength and physique, but in terms of reading the game, defensive quality and ability on the ball, Jay and Robbie compare favourably with any players I’ve seen at this level. The only way anyone is going to get the better of them is in the air, as no-one is going past either of them on the floor. Threlfall would have been my star man in this game had it not been for the sheer brilliance of Putterill. Robbie won everything in the air, despite not being the biggest, simply because he was so determined to challenge for - and win - every ball. This was a defensive masterclass from the reds’ two centre backs. They are well protected to be fair, as the midfield four work their socks off in front of them and you won’t find a more hard working striker than Lindfield. This team play for eachother, and that’s why they are having such a good run. There are no superstars, but they know how to play together and they will fancy their chances of beating Newcastle over two legs and reaching another final. With the exceptions of Flynn, Ajdarevic and Hansen, this group have been together since they were nine years old. They have always been Heighway’s favourite group, and many of them were a part of the side that lifted the trophy last season. That was a year ahead of schedule for them, as this is the year they come of age, their graduation year if you like. It’s also going to be Heighway’s last year in charge at the Academy. It would be fairytale stuff if they could repeat last year’s success, but they’re certainly making a good fist of it. Team: Hansen; Darby, Spearing, Threlfall, Burns; Ryan, Barnett, Flynn, Putterill; Ajdarevic, Lindfield (Wignall 70):

FABIO AURELIO 2006-08 by Dave Usher Date of Birth - 24/09/79Nationality - Brazilian Position - Defender/Midfielder Games - 134 Goals - 4 Club Hons (Lpool) - Club Hons (other) - Spanish Championship 2002, 2004, UEFA Cup 2004 Intnl Hons - Other Clubs - Sao Paulo, Valencia, Gremio Fabio became the first Brazilian to sign for Liverpool when he joined on a Bosman transfer from Valencia in the summer of 2006. Rafa Benitez knew all about the player's qualities having coached him during his highly succesful spell at the Mestalla. Aurelio's time at Valencia was also a successful one, but was marred by injury problems, including a broken leg which ruled him out of most of the clubs 2002 title success. His versatility saw him fill a number of roles at Valencia, including left back, left wing and centre midfield, but his preference is to play as an attacking left full back. A dead ball specialist, he made a very favourable early impression on his new team-mates at Anfield with his skills in training, and Rafa Benitez even went so far as to compare his passing ability with the great Xabi Alonso. He struggled to adapt to the pace of the English game initially, and although it was clear he was a talented footballer, his defensive qualities looked to be very suspect early on. He wasn't helped by a string of niggly injuries, but as the season progressed he began to look more comfortable with himself and started to turn in some steady performances. He excelled at left back in a 2-0 win over Chelsea at Anfield in January, and looked set for a run in the side, especially given the indifferent form of his main competition at left back - John Arne Riise. Unfortunately, another niggling injury put him on the sidelines again. Once fit, he began pushing for a place again, and turned in some encouraging displays which culminated in a brilliant performance against Arsenal at Anfield. Fabio was beginning to look like he could nail down a regular place in the side, but once more injury would strike him down, as a ruptured achilles ended his season and cost him a place in the CL Final. It was the story of his entire career at Liverpool. Come in, play some games, look good, and then get injured. Clearly a talented footballer, and easily the best left back at the club in recent years, unfortunately Fabio just couldn't be relied upon as he could not string together more than three or four games before being stricken by some ailment of other. He left the club in the summer of 2012 to return home to Brazil with Gremio. Within a few weeks he'd picked up another serious injury and was ruled out for several months. The highlight of his Anfield career was a 25 yard curling free kick that beat Edwin Van Der Saar all ends up during the reds 4-1 win at Old Trafford in 2009.

JERMAINE PENNANT 2007-09 by Rob Molyneux & Dave Usher Date of Birth - 15/01/83 Nationality - English Position - Right Winger Games - Goals - Club Hons (Lpool) - Community Shield 2006 Intnl Hons - England u21 Other Clubs - Notts County, Arsenal, Watford (loan), Leeds (loan), Birmingham, Real Zaragoza, Stoke City Manager Rafael Benitez finally addressed the long known requirement for a right sided midfield player in the summer of 2006 with the highly controversial capture of Jermaine Pennant from Birmingham city, following the unsuccessful tracking of a number of alternative options. Pennant was considered a future star when Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger paid out £2million on the then 15 year old - a record fee at that time for a trainee - to take him to Highbury from Notts County. Pennant went on to become Arsenals youngest ever first team player, by two days, when he made his debut in 1999 in the league cup aged 16 years and 319 days. He had to wait until May 2003 before making his full league debut, however, but made up for lost time by scoring a hat-trick in a game against Southampton. Jermaine had a turbulent early career in professional football, allowing himself to be in the centre of problems both on and off the field. Pennant can be proud to have made 24 appearances for England at U-21 level, making him one of the 5 most capped players at this level, despite being sent off for punching an opponent against Poland, and being sent home by then coach Howard Wilkinson for breaking a curfew before a game against Turkey. Pennant’s Arsenal career began to wane and successful spells were spent on loan at both Watford and Leeds before signing permanently for Birmingham City in 2005. Early into his time as a Birmingham City player, in January 2005 Pennant was arrested for drink driving following an accident involving his Mercedes car whilst serving an existing 16 month driving ban and driving without insurance. Pennant was sentenced to ninety days in prison, returning to Birmingham City after 30 days to play in the Premier League whilst electronically tagged after receiving parole. Despite being relegated with Birmingham City in 2005/6 Pennant enjoyed a relatively successful season personally, being credited with the highest amount of successful crosses in the Premier League. The relegation of the club combined with positive performances including an important contribution against Liverpool at Anfield, persuaded manager Rafa benitez to offer £6.7m, potentially rising to £8m, to prise him away form Birmingham. Jermaine made his full Liverpool debut at Anfield against Maccabi Haifa, in the Champions League 3rd Qualifying round, putting in a dazzling performance on the right wing, highlighting his obvious talents with a ball at his feet. Despite the positive start however his Liverpool career got off to a largely frustrating start. It began to turn around for him when he scored a fabulous volley in a 2-0 victory against Chelsea at Anfield in January, and his performances then improved dramatically, so much so that he was arguably Liverpool's best player in the CL final defeat to Milan. Pennant came of age that night, giving the Italian defence a lot of problems and going close to getting on the scoresheet. Hopes that he would use that game as a springboard to finally fulfill the potential he'd shown as a teenager proved to be shortlived however, as a needless sending off at Porto early in the following season saw him fall out of favour and struggle to regain a regular place in the side. He was in and out of the side for the remainder of that season, but by the time 2008-09 started it was clear his days were numbered. He started just three games in the first half of the season and was loaned out to Portsmouth in January. His contract expired that summer, and he moved to Real Zaragoza in Spain. His time there wasn't a happy one either, and a loan deal to Stoke followed. He began to enjoy his football again with the Potteries club, and was rewarded with a permanent contract. Pennant helped Stoke reach the FA Cup Final in 2011, where they lost a close game to Manchester City.

CRAIG BELLAMY PROFILE by Rob Molyneux and Dave Usher Date of Birth - 13/07/79 Nationality - Welsh Position - Striker Games - 42 Goals - 9 Cost - £6m Club Hons (Lpool) - Community Shield 2006 Club Hons (other) - Scottish Cup 2005 Intnl Hons - Welsh Caps Other Clubs - Norwich, Coventry, Newcastle, Celtic (loan), Blackburn, West Ham Petulant striker Craig Bellamy joined Liverpool from Blackburn Rovers in the summer of 2006 after manager Rafael Benitez triggered a release clause in his contract with a bid in believed to be in the region of £6.5million. The Welshman’s career to date has been somewhat turbulent, both on and off the field. Prior to what is believed by many to be his ‘last chance’ at a ‘Big Club’, he played for a host of clubs including Newcastle United, Celtic and Blackburn Rovers. Bellamy, who had been honoured as PFA Young Player of the year in 2002 as a Newcastle United player, left St James’ Park for Celtic on loan for the second half of the 2004/5 season following a public falling out with then manager, and former Red, Graeme Souness. He scored nine goals in the remainder of the season, helping the club to win the Scottish Cup, his first club honour in professional football. At the end of the 2004/5 season Bellamy was sold to Blackburn Rovers, where he would team up with former Wales manager, Mark Hughes with reasonable success. During his time at Blackburn he scored 17 goals and reminded many sceptical football watchers of his talents. His phenomenal pace and the number of goals scored for Blackburn, combined with the clause in his contract, alerted the interest of Rafa Benitez, who was happy to sign the ‘boyhood Liverpool fan’ in the summer, despite the cloud of a court case hanging over the player. Upon his arrival at Liverpool Craig immediately won a Community Shield winners medal, setting up Peter Crouch’s winning goal after impressing as a second half substitute. His first goal for the club came at the Kop end in a Champions League qualifying match with Maccabi Haifa, whilst his first Premiership goal came against his former club Blackburn. His early season form was patchy, but as soon as the cloud of the court case was lifted, the old Craig Bellamy returned and the goals became a bit more frequent, away from home at least. An impressive double at Wigan seemed to give him a much needed confidence boost, but it wasn't long before the fiery Welshman hit the headlines for the wrong reasons once more, when he reportedly attacked John Arne Riise with a golf club after the Norwegian refused to sing on a karaoke night! That incident happened during a training camp in Portugal Rafa Benitez had taken his players to ahead of the massive Champions League clash with Barcelona in the Nou Camp. The feuding pair were hammered by the press, but had the last laugh when they both scored in a memorable 2-1 win for the reds in Catalonia. Bellamy celebrated his goal by swinging an imaginary golf club, and then later teed up Riise for the winning goal. It was to be the last significant act the Welshman would make as a Liverpool player, as he struggled to hold down a place in the side and was sold to West Ham United in the summer of 2007.

EMILIANO INSUA 2007-11 by Dave Usher Date of Birth - 07/01/89 Nationality - Argentinian Position - Left back Games - 62 Goals - 1 Club Hons (Lpool) - Reserve League North 2007/08, National Reserve Title 2007/08 Intnl Hons - Argentina caps Other Clubs - Boca Juniors, Sporting Lisbon Highly rated Argentinian youngster who joined the reds on an 18 month loan deal in January 2007 from Boca Juniors. Whereas most of the younger players brought to the club at that time were not expected to challenge for a first team spot in the near future, the word coming out of Anfield was that Insua's talent was so prodigious that he could be challenging for a spot in the senior side by the end of his first season. Whilst that didn't quite turn out to be the case - he wasn't exactly challenging for a place - he did play for the senior side a few times as Rafa Benitez used his shadow squad in the Premiership so he could keep players fresh for the Champions League. The youngster acquitted himself well and showed that he could be a player to look out for in the future. A powerfully built lad with a terrific left foot, Insua loves to get forward. He was playing for the successful Argentinian u20 side when he was just 17 years old, which said a lot about how highly regarded he was in his homeland as a teenager, and he represented his country in the World U20 Championships in the summer of 2007. He had been expected to force his way into the first team in 2007-08, but once again it didn't happen and he found opportunities hard to come by. Riise and Aurelio shared the left back duties, with Arbeloa also being preferred to Insua. It was only in the final couple of games of the season, with Aurelio injured and Riise out of favour and set for a summer departure, that Insua was given another taste of senior football. He did well, but the summer saw Rafa Benitez splashing out £7m on Italian full back Andrea Dossena, meaning that despite Riise's departure Emiliano was no better off and still found himself third choice. The Italian struggled to adapt to English football however, and eventually Insua was given his chance thanks to Aurelio's fragile body and Dossena's inability to defend, and once more he made a favourable impression. A confident performance away at Arsenal showed that he was ready to stake a claim for a place in the side. Just as he was beginning to establish himself in the team, he then had to go away for several weeks to represent his country in a youth tournament. In his absence, Dossena was given another opportunity, and Aurelio regained fitness, meaning Insua found himself back in the reserves upon his return from international duty. Yet another injury to Aurelio opened the door for him again towards the end of the 2008-09 season, and once more he turned in some assured performances, with the only blemish being a rare mistake in a game at Hull that led to a goal. The 2009/10 season saw Insua move ahead of both Dossena and Aurelio and establish himself as the clubs first choice left back. He was clearly superior to Dossena, who was shipped back to Italy in January 2010, but he moved ahead of Aurelio largely through default, as the Brazilian's persistent injury problems meant he was rarely available for more than two games in a row. Insua's form was patchy, with some good displays mixed in with some awful ones. He seemed to be very comfortable going forward, but defensively he was being targetted by opposing sides due his slowness on the turn and difficulty in handling wingers with pace. His only goal for the club came in a 2-1 defeat at Arsenal in the League Cup, and it was a screamer too. A dipping 25 yard half volley that flew past the Gunners keeper to level the scores at 1-1. He also earned his first full cap for Argentina, as coach Diego Maradona selected him for a World Cup qualifier against Peru. When Roy Hodgson replaced Rafa Benitez in the summer of 2010, he uickly made it clear Insua was not in his plans and sent him off on loan to Galatasaray. That spell was fairly unsuccessful, and the Turkish side showed no interest in making the deal permanent so Insua returned to Liverpool for pre-season training ahead of the 2011/12 season. New boss Kenny Dalglish didn't fancy him either, preferring 17 year old Jack Robinson and 18 year old right back John Flanagan at left back in the pre-season games before eventually signing Jose Enrique from Newcastle to be his first choice number 3. Insua was released on a free transfer and signed a 5 year deal with Sporting Lisbon in the middle of August 2011. Video Clips of Emiliano Insua in action r8b2B2GiAUI nI27LRQ1pQc IrQLChsj6kI FC79lnec2bo

NABIL EL ZHAR 2006-11 by Dave Usher Date of Birth - 27/08/86 Nationality - Morrocan Position - Winger Games - 32 Goals - 1 Club Hons (Lpool) - Reserve League North Title 2007-08, National Reserve Title 2007-08 Intnl Hons - Morroccan Caps Other Clubs - OAC Ales, Nimes Olympique, St Etienne, PAOK (Loan), Levante Morroccan forward El Zhar joined the reds early in the 2006/07 season. There was some dispute between the reds and his former club St Etienne, and the reds had to pay compensation before the deal could go through. Nabil made his debut for the 1st team as a substitute against Portsmouth in the Premiership, but it was not a good night for him. It took an age for him to get a touch of the ball, and when he eventually did he gave it away immediately. It happened several times, and it looked like the first team call up came too soon for him. It was several months before he featured again, and ironically it was Portsmouth who were once more the opposition. He also featured as a substitute against Fulham, as Rafa Benitez rested a number of his first teamers with the CL games with Chelsea in mind. Nabil was included in the squad that went to Switzerland for pre-season training camp, and featured in the games against Werder Bremen and Auxerre. He had struggled any time he'd played for the first team, but against Auxerre he seemed to be finding his feet a little and showed glimpses of the form he'd displayed at reserve level. His next competitive appearance for the first team was one he will remember for the rest of his life, as he scored a beauty at the Kop end against Cardiff City in the League Cup. 2007/08 was a good season for Nabil, as he also became a full international for his country, and even scored on his debut. The 2008-09 season saw El Zhar become a regular member of the matchday squad, and he was often used as an impact sub in the closing stages of games, as his pace and enthusiasm helped raise the pace of games when we needed a goal. In the early part of the season he became something of a lucky charm, as the reds struggled to score unless he was on the pitch! As the season progressed he featured less frequently, but did make his first start in the 2-0 defeat away at Middlesbrough, a game in which he had two glorious chances to score but saw one effort saved and another go over the bar from close range. Roy Hodgson's arrival as manager signalled the end of El Zhar's Liverpool career. Hodgson made up his mind early on that the Moroccan had no future at the club, and a loan deal to Greek side PAOK was arranged. El Zhar made 12 appearances there, but returned to Liverpool at the end of the 2010-11 season. Although Hodgson was no longer in charge, new boss Kenny Dalglish didn't see Nabil as part of his plans either and he was made to train with the reserves, despite being several years older than the rest of the squad. With a couple of weeks of the transfer window left, El Zhar joined Spanish side Levante on a free transfer. Video Clips of Nabil El Zhar in action 68wHWWDbJLI 5v5XWDYYme4 rMUAZ3fXuBg g7ufom4ubWI