TLW

Need another 15 or so I think.

Definitely the cleverest caption in this issue, good work.

Haha I love that. Brilliant.

http://www.liverpoolway.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?p=653853

Newcastle Res 0 LIVERPOOL RES 3 Report by Dave Usher at Kingston Park Scorer(s) - Jay Spearing, Craig Lindfield, Ray PutterillHalf Time - 0-0 Venue - Kingston Park, Newcastle Date - Mon 26 Mar 2007 Star Man - Jay Spearing Second half goals from youth cup stars Jay Spearing, Craig Lindfield and Ray Putterill gave the reds’ reserves an impressive 3-0 win over Newcastle in the north east last night. Liverpool dominated the game throughout and played some excellent football. The goals all came in the final 13 minutes, but in truth the reds should have been well in front by that stage given the amount of chances they’d created. Last week saw Gary Ablett name a star studded reserve line up, and they saw off Blackburn in impressive fashion. There were no big stars this time, but the performance was just as impressive. Only Insua, Paletta, Hobbs and Lindfield remained from the side that defeated Blackburn, as Ablett called on the youngsters. Daniele Padelli returned in goal in place of Jerzy Dudek, Steven Darby (right) stepped in for Alvaro Arbeloa at right back, whilst Ronald Huth came into the back four in place of Hobbs, who was needed in midfield. Spearing partnered him in the centre, with Flynn and Threlfall on the flanks and Anderson supporting Lindfield up front. One of the most pleasing aspects of this performance was that it showed the versatility of some of these players. Spearing and Threlfall have excelled as centre halves in the youth cup, but in this game both played in midfield, and both were outstanding. Flynn has been playing as a second striker in the youth cup, but he was on the flank this time, and he too played very well. It did take the lads a long time to get going, possibly due to the positional chances, and for the opening half hour or so not too much happened. The first time the reds looked remotely threatening was when Hobbs tried his luck from distance on the half hour mark. It went comfortably wide, but at least it was an attempt on goal. It opened the floodgates, as from that moment on Liverpool piled on the pressure. A minute later, some great play by Spearing in the middle of the park saw him exchange passes with Threlfall and then play a defence splitting pass to Lindfield. He cut inside the last defender, and curled a shot towards the corner of the net, but it drifted just wide. A minute after that, Spearing won the ball from Andy Carroll - the striker who had caused the reds’ defence so many problems in the recent youth cup games – and carried it to the edge of the box before shooting over with his left foot. The tenacious Spearing was involved in everything, and two minutes later he chased a high hanging ball over the top from Hobbs, plucked it out of the air and crossed it instantly to Lindfield, who’s close range shot was somehow kept out by the keeper. Wonderful play from Speo though. A minute later he drilled a low shot just wide from 30 yards after being set up by Anderson, and a minute after that he returned the favour, drawing the attentions of two defenders before laying it off to Anderson who couldn’t keep his shot down. Liverpool were running riot now, and on 39 minutes Lindfield dragged a shot well wide from 18 yards following a wonderful run from Insua that had taken him past three challenges. The left back’s marauding forward had been a feature of an impressive half, and his partnership with Threlfall on that flank looked very promising. Liverpool had completely dominated Newcastle, with Spearing and Hobbs in complete control of the middle of the park. Hobbs is a much more accomplished footballer than he was this time last season, and he now looks like a midfielder rather than a centre back playing out of position. He was excellent against Newcastle, but it was Spearing that really stood out. I’ve been singing Jay’s praises for a few years now, I think he’s a terrific player. He’s got the football brain of a 35 year old, and he reads the game so well. He’s a great organiser too, and is always barking out instructions to his team-mates. More than that though, the lad can play. He’s got a good range of passing, he can shoot and he’s got two good feet. He’s actually pretty good in the air too for someone so small, and I honestly can’t understand why he’s still at the Academy and not training full time at Melwood. If anyone deserves to be at Melwood it’s Jay, he’s outstanding every single time he takes to the field, he never ever has a bad game, and it doesn’t matter what position he plays in, he always delivers a performance. I said to my mate Steve before the game that Speo would be man of the match, and even after 15 or 20 minutes it was obvious that he was the best player on the park. He got better and better, and it culminated in a magnificent goal that basically decided the game. Liverpool had done everything but score, and it was beginning to look like the goal wouldn’t come. Hobbs had seen a shot deflected just wide after good play from Threlafall, and Anderson had just failed to convert a cross by Flynn after a brilliant defence splitting pass from Spearing had sent the young Scot clear down the right. Then with 13 minutes to go, Spearing picked the ball up 30 yards from goal and lashed a shot into the top corner. Simply brilliant. The lad should be at Melwood, and it’s surely just a matter of time before he gets the call up. It’s a travesty that he isn’t there already to be honest, as he couldn’t possibly have done any more in any of the games he’s played. Not content with being a goalscorer, he then turned provider six minutes later, taking charge of the situation and heading a ball over the top for Lindfield to latch onto. He cut inside a defender’s challenge, and then managed to smuggle the ball past the keeper into the net, possibly with the aid of a deflection, I’m not too sure. That’s four goals in a couple of weeks for Craig now against Newcastle, having scored against them in both legs of the youth cup semi. He was replaced with four minutes to go by Putterill, a lad who has been in such good form for the u18 side this season. This was Ray’s first appearance for the reserves I think, and he wasted no time making his mark. He’d already curled a 20 yard shot just wide with his left foot before he got away in stoppage time and finished smartly to make it 3-0. Spearing was undoubtedly the star man, but this was a really good team effort. Insua had a terrific first half, but was less effective after the break. Darby was his usual, reliable, solid self, and didn’t give Newcastle’s lively winger LuaLua a sniff. No-one gets the better of Darbs, he’s just so dogged and determined. The centre halves coped well with the threat of Carroll, who didn’t get a look in, and Threlfall was very good in an unfamiliar role. Flynn and Anderson were both lively, and Lindfield was always a threat up front. As I said, a really good team display. Padelli had very little to do, but still managed to look the part. His kicking is good, and his punching was solid. I’ve liked what I’ve seen of him so far, he seems useful. Next up for the ressies is a trip to Man City next week. It’s not a happy hunting ground usually, but the lads will have every right to feel confident given the way they are playing. Team: Padelli; Darby, Huth, Paletta, Insua; Flynn, Hobbs, Spearing, Threlfall: Anderson (Barnett), Lindfield (Putterill):

LIVERPOOL RES 4 Blackburn Res 1 Report by Dave Usher at the Racecourse Ground Scorer(s) Craig Lindfield, Robbie Fowler, Jermaine Pennant, Bolo ZendenHalf Time – 3-0 Venue – Racecourse Ground, Wrexham Date - Thu 22 Mar 2007 Star Man – Jermaine Pennant Jermaine Pennant was the star of the show as a strong Liverpool reserve side cruised to a 4-1 win over Blackburn Rovers at the Racecourse Ground. Pennant scored one, created two and had a hand in a third as he put a young Rovers’ defence to the sword. Craig Lindfield, Bolo Zenden and Robbie Fowler also got on the scoresheet before Blackburn managed a consolation goal midway through the second half. With a shortage of first games in recent weeks, and several players away on international duty, Rafa Benitez decided to give all his available senior players some match practice in this fixture. It’s unusual for Rafa to use his senior players in these fixtures, but it was the logical thing to do, especially since half the normal reserve side are now out on loan at other clubs. Dudek started in goal, with Arbeloa and Insua the full backs. Hobbs and Paletta were at centre half, with Mascherano sitting just in front of them. Pennant, Zenden and Aurelio completed the midfield four, with Fowler and Lindfield up front. Those two had partnered eachother up front against Crewe in pre-season, with Fowler creating a goal for the youngster. He’d do the same in this game, and Lindfield must really enjoy having Robbie alongside him. That goal came after 18 minutes, when Pennant played a pass into the feet of Fowler in the box, and he instantly cushioned the ball into the path of Lindfield who finished neatly under the keeper for his third goal of the week, having hit two in the youth cup semi on Monday night. A minute later Pennant delivered a wicked cross into the box and Aurelio nipped in front of the full back to take it in his stride, but the keeper was out quickly to smother his shot. Liverpool were starting to run riot now after a sluggish start, and two minutes later Zenden sent a looping header onto the roof of the net following a swift counter attack. Rovers finally managed to create an opening for themselves after 24 minutes, when a scramble in the box ended with De Vita dragging a shot wide when he should have scored. The miss would prove costly, as less than 60 seconds later Liverpool went two up. Former Liverpool Academy full back Mark King was caught in possession by Pennant, who drove forward to the edge of the box before picking out Fowler in the box. Fowler seemed to have taken too much time getting his shot away, and a defender blocked his path to goal. It mattered not however, as one nonchalant flick with the outside of his left boot sent the ball gliding past the defender and into the top corner. Vintage Robbie. Liverpool were pouring forward from all angles now, and ten minutes before half time Arbeloa went on an overlapping run to collect a pass from Pennant before backheeling the ball back to the winger. Pennant skipped away from one challenge and blasted a shot goalwards, but it was beaten away by the keeper. Two minutes later the pair combined again, good play from Arbeloa saw him find Pennant in space, and he carried the ball through the centre until he reached the edge of the box and drove a low shot just wide from 18 yards. Zenden was the next to threaten, running onto a pass from Fowler through the centre and firing a shot into the side netting two minutes before half time. Rovers were hanging on, but the third goal arrived a minute before half time when Pennant drilled in a shot from 25 yards. It was no more than he had deserved, and you had to feel sorry for the poor Blackburn defenders who had the thankless task of trying to stop him. Rovers had been so much under the cosh that their players didn’t seem to want the ball. They were panicking when they had possession, and it was all too easy for a Liverpool defence in which Hobbs again shone. The visitors did come close to a goal in first half stoppage time though, when centre half Winnard got on the end of a set piece and sent a header against the crossbar. Liverpool then went straight up the other end and put together a wonderful move that ended with Lindfield picking out Pennant on the far post. He cushioned a volley back into the path of Zenden, who was challenged just as he was about to pull the trigger. Had the reds sustained this level of performance after the interval, they could have reached double figures, as Blackburn were floundering badly. Perhaps inevitably though, they took their foot off the gas a bit in the 2nd half, and the goalmouth action wasn’t as frequent. The 2nd half began with a comical moment right in front of where we were sat. Arbeloa tried to take a ball on his chest, but couldn’t prevent it going out for a throw in, prompting him to yell out ‘El puta de madre’ or words to that effect (‘puta’ and ‘madre’ were distinctly audible, but I’m not sure of the smaller words that accompanied them). It made me laugh anyway. Liverpool continued to dominate, but didn’t show the same cutting edge they had before the break. Nine minutes after the restart though Fowler should have had a second, when he blasted over from eight yards after a good run and cross from Insua. Three minutes later Zenden succeeded where Robbie had failed. Rovers had actually been on the attack themselves, but the reds cleared a corner and Pennant collected the ball on the edge of his own box. He carried it to halfway, and suddenly Liverpool had a three against one situation with Lindfield through the middle and Zenden charging up on the left. Pennant produced a wonderful crossfield ball into the path of the Dutchman, who juggled the ball a few times on the run before sliding the ball past the keeper to make it 4-0. Rovers made an immediate change, withdrawing the shellshocked Mark King and bringing on a different full back to try and cope with Pennant. It worked up to a point, but that was more to do with Liverpool just going into cruise control than anything else. On 63 minutes Hobbs had a header saved from a Pennant free kick, but that was a rare moment of excitement in what proved to be a pretty dull final half an hour. Ablett had replaced Dudek with Padelli on the hour mark, and the Italian’s first action saw him make a stunning save only to be beaten by the rebound from O’Keefe on 64 minutes. Ablett made further changes, introducing Huth for Aurelio and Anderson for Lindfield. Huth’s arrival saw Hobbs move into midfield alongside Mascherano, whilst Anderson went up front alongside Fowler. The only other chance of note came seven minutes from time when Fowler played a one two with Zenden but his shot was well saved. Overall it was a decent workout for the lads. Pennant’s confidence will have been done no harm by this display, even taking into account the poor quality of the opposition. Mascherano got another 90 minutes under his belt, and played well in that efficient, unspectacular way of his. He took a bit of a kicking too from Rovers, but he played in the Argentinian and Brazilian leagues so he’ll be used to that. Arbeloa looked good too, both in defence and also going forward, whilst Bolo was as impressive as he always is in these games. He’s a really great pro is Zenden. Team: Dudek (Padelli); Arbeloa, Hobbs, Paletta, Insua; Pennant, Mascherano, Zenden, Aurelio (Huth 60); Fowler, Lindfield (Anderson 76):

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LIVERPOOL U18 3 Newcastle u18 1 Report by Dave Usher at Anfield Scorer(s) - Craig Lindfield (2) Jimmy RyanHalf Time - 0-1 Venue - Anfield Date - Mon 19 Mar 2007 Star Man - Ray Putterill The reds youngsters moved a step closer to retaining the FA Youth Cup, as two goals from Craig Lindfield and a trademark Jimmy Ryan piledriver saw them come from a goal down to beat Newcastle 3-1 on the night, and 7-3 on aggregate. The only sour note was a red card for promising Swedish midfielder Astrit Ajdarevic, but he is expected to be available for the final. Although it all turned out well in the end, for a long time Newcastle were well and truly in this tie. Whilst it was never exactly in the balance, as the Geordies always trailed on aggregate, they did get within a goal of levelling things up and Liverpool had some anxious moments in the first half. It started well enough, as the returning Ray Putterill (pictured) - back from suspension - caused the Newcastle defence plenty of problems early on. Every time he had the ball in an advanced position, he either got a cross or a shot in. The problem was, Liverpool didn't dominate possession enough to be able to get him as much of the ball as he needed. The reds could have gone in front after just three minutes, when Ryan escaped a couple of challenges in the midfield and slid a lovely through ball into the path of Ryan Flynn. He took the ball around the keeper but forced himself too wide, and when he eventually got his shot in the keeper had got back to make an easy save. Liverpool had made a promising start, and on six minutes Ryan drilled a low shot with his left foot narrowly wide of the far post from 25 yards after Newcastle hadn't dealt with a ball from Spearing. Two minutes later Ryan whipped in a brilliant cross towards Lindfield, but the striker was challenged as he attempted a volley and the ball went harmless away from goal. Minutes later some excellent play from Putterill resulted in the ball being laid back to Burns, who's right foot shot was comfortably saved, and at this point everything was looking good for Steve Heighway's side. Newcastle gradually began to get a foothold in the game however, and just as they had done in the 1st leg, they looked extremely dangerous from set pieces and from long balls up to the giant Andrew Carroll. The striker is easily the best player in Newcastle's ranks, and one smart turn and shot on 13 minutes forced a good save from Martin Hansen. He is undoubtedly a player to watch in the future. From the resulting corner Taylor sent a header goalwards, but Ryan was on the goalline to prevent the ball crossing the line, his header hitting the underside of the bar before rebounding to safety. Newcastle's ploy from set pieces was usually to look for Carroll at the back post. Liverpool didn't have anyone who could match him in the air, but Ajdarevic is the tallest in the side so he was given the uneviable task of marking him. The referee seemed to have a real problem with Astrit though, as he kept telling him off whenever he tried to get close to Carroll on set pieces. This was possibly a factor in Newcastle's opening goal, as the ref lectured the Swede and had only just finished doing so when the corner was taken and Cavener stole in unmarked to head past Hansen from six yards. The ball wasn't too far away from Astrit, but he couldn't get there in time as he seemed to have been distracted by the ref. I could be wrong about that, I'd need to see it again to be sure. It was game on now though, and Newcastle had their tales up. No doubt the Liverpool bench were thinking back to last year's final, when the reds went into it with a three goal cushion and almost blew it. The first half performance against the Geordies was not good, and Heighway must have been praying for half time so he could give the lads a wake up call. Whatever Heighway said at half time did the trick, as the reds were out on the field well before the visitors, and seemed like they couldn't wait to get the half started. They would be attacking the Kop too, which always helps. When Newcastle eventually took to the field, their keeper refused to acknowledge the applause of the Kop. It always pisses me off when that happens, no matter what level the game is. He would pay for his insolence however, and it wouldn't take long. Three minutes after the restart, Liverpool were level. A nice passing move saw the ball eventually arrive with Putterill on the left corner of the box. He made space and drilled in a low shot, but it was straight at the keeper and seemed harmless. The ball squirmed through the keeper's arms, and then his legs, presenting Lindfield with a tap in from virtually on the line. There was a sense of relief all around Anfield, but it didn't last long as shortly after Ajdarevic was given a straight red card after a clash with Carroll near the halfway line. I didn't really see what happened, but the player claimed afterwards that he accidentally caught the Newcastle player with his arm, but he didn't mean to hit him. The ref couldn't wait to brandish the card, as he had continued to pick on Astrit every time there was a set piece. I don't know what he had against the Swede, maybe he's prejudiced against hairbands? I know from personal experience what that's like, it's not nice so I sympathise with Ajdarevic. People with no little don't like those with lots of it. Better get used to it Astrit. Newcastle will have sensed that this was their chance to turn the screw, but they failed to make the extra man count, and in truth you'd never have known Liverpool were a man short. Flynn dropped back into midfield to replace Ajdarevic, and it was business as usual. Putterill headed over from a Barnett corner, and Lindfield blasted a shot goalwards from a tight angle that the keeper could only parry, but this time there was no-one on hand to capitalise on the rebound. Lindfield was never isolated up front due to the excellence of Putterill and Ryan out wide, and those two combined to help put the reds 2-1 up on the night after 59 minutes. The ball was worked out to Putterill on the left, and he skipped away from his marker and drew another couple of defenders towards him as he ran across the field. He slid the ball across to Ryan on the right edge of the box, and his powerful shot was not held by the keeper allowing the predatory Lindfield to claim another simple tap in. Newcastle were then reduced to ten men, when Lua Lua was given a straight red for something he said to the referee after Carroll had been adjudged to have committed a foul. The visitors continued to look a threat from set pieces, and Flynn had to clear off the goalline after a goalmouth scramble following a corner, but other than that the reds were in control. Ryan added a third with a viscious low shot into the bottom corner from 25 yards, his 3rd goal of the youth cup run, putting him level with Flynn, Lindfield and Putterill. The final whistle saw the lads begin celebrating reaching their second consecutive final. Many of this squad were involved last season, and it's a tribute to them that they have reached this stage again, despite being without players of the calibre of Hobbs, Antwi, Anderson, Roque and Hammill this season. For me, this side is actually better than last year's, and I didn't think I'd be saying that when the competition started. Some lads have really stepped up during this cup run. As superb a pairing as Antwi and Hobbs were last season, Spearing and Threlfall have more than matched them. The only issue is the lack of height, that has been exposed occasionally, most notably by Newcastle who managed three goals from set pieces. In open play, the reds central defenders have been almost unbreachable. Anderson made a name for himself in last years youth cup, but he hasn't been missed because Ryan has performed so well. Jimmy's a different type of player to 'Ando', but his performances have been superb throughout this cup run, and he has chipped in with three goals, two more than Anderson managed. The flair of Hammill was always going to be tough to replace, but Putterill has managed it and has scored more goals than Adam. He's been a revelation this season and will be a key figure in the final. Arsenal lead 1-0 from the 1st leg, and I think I'd prefer to play them because it would be nice to go to the Emirates Stadium, and after what happened in the Carling Cup and the subsequent criticism our youth system receieved whilst Arsenal were lauded, no doubt Heighway and his squad would be desperate to make a point. It will be a tough game whoever gets through the other semi, but this team don't have to worry about facing anybody as their team spirit is fantastic, and they're playing some excellent football. Team: Hansen; Darby (Kelly), Spearing, Threlfall, Burns; Ryan, Barnett, Ajdarevic, Putterill (Irwin); Flynn, Lindfield (Scott):

Class!

LIVERPOOL U18 0 Sheff Wed U18 1 Report by Dave Usher at the Academy Scorer(s) - Half Time - 0-0 Venue - The Academy Date - Thu 15 Mar 2007 Star Man - Josh Mimms An unfamiliar looking Liverpool u18 side went down to a 1-0 defeat at home to Sheffield Wednesday on Thursday afternoon. The Owls scored the only goal of the game on the hour mark, but in truth they always looked the more dangerous side and Liverpool rarely threatened to find a way through the visitors' well organised defence. John Owens made eleven changes to the side that had performed so well in the FA Youth Cup semi final 1st leg at St James' Park last weekend. With the 2nd leg due to be played this coming Monday there was no chance of Owens risking injury to any of the players who will be on youth cup duty, so this game offered the rest of his squad a chance to impress. Josh Mimms was handed a rare start in goal, behind a back four of John Routledge, Laurence Gaughan, Martin Kelly and Shane O'Connor. I think this was Kelly's first start for the u18s, as he'd only just returned from a long injury absence. O'Connor is usually a left winger, and I believe this was his first game at full back, so the defence were not exactly used to playing together. The midfield was unfamilar too, although it was relatively well balanced with people playing in positions they are used to. Ben Parsonage was on the right, with skipper for the day Paul Barratt on the other flank. In the middle were Mattone Awang, and u16 star Sean Highdale, who appeared as a late sub at St James' Park. This was Highdale's first start for the u18s, and he was joined in the starting line up by his u16 team-mate Nathan Ecclestone, who partnered Jonathon Pringle up front (both pictured). The visitors made the brighter start, with their 4-3-3 formation causing a few problems for the reds' inexperienced backline. Several times they looked they were going to get in behind, often aided by a linesman who seemed determined not to raise his flag no matter what, but for all the promising situations the Owls found themselves in, they couldn't get close enough to trouble Mimms. The first goal attempt of the game didn't arrive until a quarter of an hour, when Ecclestone and Parsonage combined well down the right, allowing Awang to pick out Barratt in space, but his low shot from 20 yards was comfortably wide. 15 minutes later Wednesday should have taken the lead, when two mistakes by the reds prresented them with a golden opportunity. First, Barratt played a dangerous ball across the midfield that was intercepted. The ball was lofted over the top, but Gaughan appeared to have things under control, until he didn't get anywhere near enough on his headed backpass, and their centre forward found himself one on one with Mimms. He tried to divert the ball past the keeper, but Mimms did brilliantly to make a reaction save and push the ball wide. With 36 minutes gone the reds put together their best move of the game. Highdale showed great tenacity to get away from a couple of challenges and then slid in to get the ball into the path of Parsonage on the right. He did really well to get down the line and whip over a great cross to the back post that was met by Barratt, but his headed was blocked by a defender. Two minutes later came the most uncomfortable moment of the game for the Wednesday keeper. Routledge delivered an excellent deep cross that the right back tried to head behind, but instead sent the ball flying towards the top corner. The keeper got across well and tipped the ball over. From the corner, Highdale (pictured) volleyed just wide from 25 yards. Wednesday looked the more composed of the sides, and carried the greater threat up front, without ever really doing anything outstanding. It wasn't like they were putting the reds under any sustained pressure, but they looked in control at the back and looked more likely to score. John Owns made his first change on the hour mark, bringing on Collins for the ineffective Pringle. 'JP' had spent virtually the whole game receiving the ball with his back to goal, usually near the half way line. It was a tough game for him, as Liverpool's inability to mount any sustained pressure meant he couldn't get enough of the ball in forward areas. Owens felt a different approach was needed, and went for the mobility of Collins. The change had no bearing on the goal it must be said. To be fair to Wednesday it was a superb goal, very well worked and brilliantly finished. Their lively ginger haired substitute (he wore 15, but there was no 15 on the teamsheet so I have no idea who he is) broke though the middle and released David McClements in the inside left channel with just Mimms to beat. He ran onto the ball and hit it forst time, curling the ball right footed into the far corner, leaving Mimms with no chance. It was the type of goal Michael Owen made his trademark. Liverpool never really looked like getting back into it. Two minutes later they almost created something when Barratt got away down the left and drilled the ball across the box. Awang didn't get anything on it, and then Collins couldn't convert it either and the danger was cleared. The best chance they had fell to centre half Kelly, who planted a free header from six yards well wide following a Highdale free kick from the left. Owens introduced u15 winger Ali Asgari in place of Highdale, but it made little difference and the visitors held on easily. Wednesday fielded a few overage players, and it showed. They looked very comfortable at the back and in the end it was a straight forward enough victory for them. Picking a star man was near enough impossible, as no-one stood out. It was a very disappointing performance, albeit understandably given that a lot of these lads had never played together before. I'm giving it to Mimms, not because he was outstanding or had a lot to do, but whatever he had to do he did well. He made some smart catches from crosses, had no chance with the goal and made one brilliant stop. So he gets it, by default really. Team: Mimms; Routledge, Gaughan, Kelly, O'Connor; Parsonage, Awang, Highdale (Asgari), Barratt; Pringle (Collins), Ecclestone:

http://www.liverpoolway.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?p=645207 Awful game, freezing cold. Will do the report a bit later.

LIVERPOOL RES 2 Wigan Res 0 Report by Pete Schulz at the Racecourse Ground Scorer(s) Besian Idrizaj (2)Half Time – 0 -0 Venue – Racecourse Ground, Wrexham Date - Tue 13 Mar 2007 Star Man – Jack Hobbs Second half substitute Besian Idrizaj grabbed a late brace as Liverpool reserves beat a strong Wigan side 2-0, but it was the performance of Jack Hobbs at centre half which caught the eye at the Racecourse Ground last night. The visitors fielded several first team stars such as Arjen De Zeeuw, Paul Scharner, Andreas Johansson and former Championship Manager legend Julius Aghahowa. The latter two were well dealt with by Hobbs and his central defensive partner Ronald Huth. Liverpool lined up with Italian goalkeeper Daniele Padelli in goal, and the centre backs had Emiliano Insua to their left and Stephen Darby to their right. In central midfield were U18’s heroes Jay Spearing and Ryan Flynn (both playing in different positions for the youth team, however) had Paul Anderson and Nabil El Zhar on either side. Up front, Craig Lindfield was partnered by Dutchman Jordy Brouwer. Liverpool’s first chance fell in the very first minute when Flynn scuffed his shot from the edge of the box and El Zhar’s follow up went wide from close range. Soon afterwards, however, it was Wigan who began to take control of the game. The centre back pairing of Granqvist and De Zeeuw had the beating of Lindfield and especially Brouwer in the air, and David Cotterill gave Insua a hard time at the other end. Around midway through the half, El Zhar began to show why he was given his debut in the first team earlier in the season. First he had a stabbed effort saved by the fingertips of Saunders in the Wigan goal and a little later, his shot on the turn from 25 yards fizzed inches wide of Saunders’ post. The ever industrious Lindfield wanted in on the act but his shot from the same distance following good work by Huth dipped just too late to test Saunders. Further chances fell to Flynn and Spearing but both blasted wide. Gary Ablett made no changes at half time and the opening of the second half was fairly quiet. Wigan had the ball in the net on the hour mark as Johansson beat Padelli in the air, but the linesman had his flag up for offside. Midway through the half, Ablett introduced Idrizaj for the disappointing Brouwer and the change was to prove decisive. Two minutes later, the Austrian opened the scoring with his first touch when Lindfield headed a great Insua freekick back across goal and presented an unmissable chance for the forward. Minutes later, the Austrian picked the ball up on the edge of his own box following a Wigan corner and he carried it the full length of the pitch displaying the power and pace we really have seen far too little of from him during his time here. In the end he cut inside onto his right and smashed a shot against the far post from the edge of the area. Insua’s deadball delieveries were excellent and two minutes later, the ball was snatched away from Craig Lindfield again at the back post. The wait for the clincher wasn’t going to be long as Idrizaj hit his second following another Insua corner. Jack Hobbs got above everyone else to head towards goal and it ended up with Idrizaj who headed it across the line with nine minutes to go. There was to be no more goalmouth action as the reds hung on comfortably against an experienced Wigan side. Paul Jewell must be wondering what it is going to take to beat Liverpool reserves who have now done consecutive doubles over their Wigan counterparts. Defensively, the reds were superb, with new signing Ronald Huth looking more at home at the back. None, however, were in Hobbs’ class. The central defender really looked accomplished and it is obvious that Paco Herrera’s insistence on playing him in midfield last season has really paid off. Hobbs was awesome at the back all night. The reserves’ next game is next Thursday when they take on Blackburn Rovers at the Racecourse Ground. Team: Padelli; Darby, Hobbs, Huth, Insua; Anderson, Spearing (Barnett), Flynn, El Zhar (Burns); Lindfield, Brouwer (Idrizaj):

0-0 at half time, brief report on the homepage now.

Newcastle u18 2 LIVERPOOL U18 4 Report by Dave Usher at St James' Park Scorer(s) - Ryan Flynn (2), Charlie Barnett, Craig LindfieldHalf Time - 0-2 Venue - St James Park, Newcastle Date - Sat 11 Mar 2007 Star Man - Jimmy Ryan The reds youngsters are on the verge of a place in the final of the FA Youth Cup after an impressive 4-2 away win over Newcastle at St James’ Park on Saturday afternoon. Goals from Charlie Barnett, Craig Lindfield and a 2nd half brace from Ryan Flynn have put Steve Heighway’s lads in a commanding position ahead of the 2nd leg at Anfield next week. Heighway sprung a surprise with his team selection for the game, drafting in u16 midfielder Steve Irwin (right) in place of the suspended Ray Putterill. There were u18 squad members who could have filled in, so it says a lot about how highly regarded Irwin is that he was brought in for a game of this magnitude, especially as he was played out of position on the left flank. Two of his u16 colleagues, Nathan Ecclestone and Sean Highdale, were amongst the substitutes. Aside from that one enforced change, Heighway’s starting eleven was the same as the one that had performed so impressively at Bramall Lane in the last round. The only slight alteration to the line up saw Astrit Ajdarevic and Ryan Flynn switch positions. At Sheffield, Ajdarevic had started the game playing just off the frontman, with Flynn in centre midfield, but they had swiched during the game to good effect, and Heighway elected to start this game with Flynn in the more advanced role. Liverpool took the initiative from the opening kick off, and the home side looked very edgy, especially at the back where the workrate of the reds forwards put them under a lot of pressure. Their back four and keeper were at sixes and sevens, and I lost count of how many times they panicked and put the ball into touch when there was no need. The young reds created chance after chance in the opening 20 minutes, and the only surprise was it took so long for them to finally score. They set out their intentions as early as the third minute, when left back Michael Burns made a good interception in his own half and then bombed forward, exchanging passes with Ajdarevic before winning a corner. Barnett whipped over the corner, Irwin flicked it on at the near post and an unmarked Ajdarevic should have done better with a header he sent looping over the bar from seven yards. The Swede has a lot more in common with Patrik Berger than just looks… Paddy couldn’t head a ball either. Liverpool were pressing high up the pitch, which no doubt contributed to the home side’s edginess at the back, and after five minutes Lindfield robbed a defender and found the ever willing Flynn who had made a run in behind the defence. He laid the ball back to Jimmy Ryan on the corner of the box, and initially it looked like he was going cross the ball to the back post, but when he put the ball in it almost beat the keeper on his near post. It could have been a mis-hit cross, but I think it may well have been a clever shot. Five minutes later Ryan was in a similar position, but this time he whipped a great ball into Lindfield by the penalty spot, but his header went well wide. Jimmy was the most influential player on the field at the stage, and on 19 minutes he forced the keeper into another great save with a powerful drive from 25 yards after collecting a nicely disguised pass by Irwin. It took 23 minutes for Newcastle to mount any kind of attack. Right winger Godsmark got away from Burns and put in a dangerous cross, but Threlfall was there to head clear with Toon dangerman Andy Carroll waiting to pounce. It proved a vital clearance, as a minute later Liverpool took the lead. Once more they pressed the ball in the Newcastle half, and Barnett won possession in the centre circle. He advanced forward, and had options either side of him in Lindfield and Flynn. I think most people were expecting him to slide a ball through to either of the frontmen, but from 35 yards out he unleashed a venomous drive that seemed to take the keeper by surprise somewhat. He got a hand on the ball, but such was the power of the shot he could only help it into the corner of the net. Charlie was mobbed by his delighted team-mates, and rightly so as it was a hell of a strike. The midfielder is usually the one creating goals, so it was nice for him to be the one getting the glory for a change. Liverpool were well on top, and it was clear that there were goals in this for the reds if they wanted them. Newcastle were being forced into mistake after mistake, and on 36 minutes the 2nd goal came. Lindfield once again won back possession, and the ball arrived at the feet of Ajdarevic. He carried it forward, before sliding a delightful pass into the path of the striker who took it in his stride and drilled a low shot into the bottom corner. Craig was scoring goals for fun in last years youth cup, but this year it has been harder for him. He hasn’t been missing chances, they just haven’t been coming his way. The chances have all been falling to his team-mates, but now that he’s off the mark expect more to come. Newcastle rallied after that goal, and were inches away from pulling a goal back five minutes before the break, when a long ball into the Liverpool box caused confusion. Keeper Martin Hansen came out to collect it, but Steven Darby tried to head it clear and it brushed off his head and over the keeper, but fortunately went just wide of the post. Two minutes later the dangerous Carroll turned well in the box and fired in a low shot. Hansen saved well with his foot, and skipper Jay Spearing cleared Bertram’s follow up effort off the line before Donaldson sent a looping shot narrowly past the far post. The reds had been in control for most of the half and looked a class above Newcastle, but the warning signs were there at the end of the half. Newcastle had been outplayed, but they had a big physical advantage over the Liverpool backline through the height of Carroll. He was a real handful in the air as he towered above the reds’ defence, but he was good on the floor too. Kazenga Lua Lua also caused a few problems with his unpredictable skill, but those two apart Newcastle looked very average. Ryan (left) had been the best player on the field in the 1st half, and the watching Peter Beardsley was waxing lyrical about Jimmy on Newcastle radio. He was sat directly behind us and I could hear him singing Jimmy’s praises. Beardsley graced the Liverpool number seven shirt that Ryan was wearing, so that was high praise indeed for Jimmy. The midfielder’s influence on the game would lessen as the game wore on, but he was still heavily involved at the start of the 2nd half. Two minutes after the restart he brought another good save from the keeper with yet another well struck shot from outside the box. Newcastle then wasted a great chance to pull a goal back three minutes later, when Lua Lua took advantage of a fortunate ricochet and ran clear. Hansen made a fine stop with his foot to deny him, but the ball rolled across the six yard box to Donaldson, who somehow put the ball wide. He was under heavy pressure from Darby, but still should have scored and it was a bad miss. Three minutes later Newcastle’s keeper made a poor clearance that fell to Ryan forty yards out. He juggled the ball a few times as he moved forward, and then hit a volley from 30 yards that was easily stopped by the keeper who had recovered his position well. The reds went 3-0 up on the hour mark, when Newcastle failed to deal with a corner from Ajdarevic. Lindfield saw a shot blocked, but the ball fell to Barnett on the edge of the box. He sidestepped a challenge and blasted the ball towards the corner. It beat the keeper, but a defender blocked it on the line. Flynn was on hand to react quickest and poke the ball in from close range. Two minutes later Newcastle were back in it. Ryan was harshly adjudged to have handled by the touchline (it was smashed at him from point blank range and hit his arm), and when the ball was punted into the box Carroll outjumped Threlfall and Hansen to head the ball into an empty net. Carroll was winning everything in the air, and Newcastle were always looking to find him on the back post for every set piece, where he could knock the ball back across goal. He’d done this a few times in the first half, but Liverpool had managed to win the 2nd ball. After the goal the home sides had their tails up though, and three minutes later another set piece saw Carroll knock the ball back across the box to centre half Francis. His goalbound shot struck one of his team-mates however, and the defender’s bad luck was about to get even worse six minutes later. Dealing with a bouncing ball in his own half, Francis was under pressure from two Liverpool players. He saw the first, but was unaware that Flynn was behind him and anticipating what he was going to do. It was obvious to everyone in the ground he would try and head the ball back to his keeper, and it was obvious he hadn’t seen Flynn lurking behind him. What followed was very predictable. Flynn latched onto the header, and with the keeper advancing he calmy lofted the ball over his head into the net. Flynny is an excellent finisher and has made a habit of scoring goals in the youth cup. There was no way he was ever going waste and opportunity like that. 4-1 was a fair reflection on the game at this stage, but Ajdarevic almost made it 5-1 a minute later. Once more, Francis gave possession away on the edge of his own box, and the Swede jinked away from a challenge and fired in a low shot with his right foot that the keeper turned around the post at full stretch. Three minutes later though Newcastle had the lead back down to two goals. A right wing free-kick caused confusion in the Liverpool box, and Ryan diverted the ball past Hansen for an unfortunate own goal. Liverpool were in real danger of throwing away all of their good work now, as Newcastle’s route one approach was paying dividends. I’ve said it before, but the only real weakness this Liverpool back four has is a serious lack of height. Set pieces are a problem sometimes, so it’s vital that they don’t concede silly free kicks around the box. From open play teams rarely look like breaching what is a fantastic back four, but the lads always look vulnerable when teams get set pieces around the box. Heighway made just the one change, replacing Irwin with his u16 team-mate Highdale. Irwin did a steady job, but it was never going to be easy for a right footed central midfield player to replace the exciting Putterill on the left flank. He did a good job for the side, and is clearly a player of promise. Highdale sat in front of the back four, with Flynn moving to the left side of a 4-1-4-1 formation as the reds looked to hold what they had. Thankfully the rest of the game passed without too many scares, although Donaldosn blazed over in stoppage time from close range after latching onto yet another knock down by Carroll. Overall, it was a good performance from the lads, but they can play even better than this. Having Putterill back will make a difference, as ‘Razor’ has been brilliant in the youth cup run this season. I didn’t see anything in Newcastle to suggest the 2nd leg will be a problem, although I can see them scoring at least one. Defensively they were very poor however, and if Liverpool attack them they should have too much for the Geordies. With either Arsenal or the mancs awaiting in a two legged final, retaining the trophy the lads won last season won’t be easy, but the spirit amongst the lads is fantastic and they are playing some excellent football. Heighway will have to ensure complacency doesn’t creep in ahead of the 2nd leg however, and will no doubt be reminding the lads how they almost blew a 3-0 first leg lead in last year’s final. Picking the star man was really difficult, as it was a fine team performance and everyone played well. Lindfield was excellent up front and fully deserved his goal. His work rate and link up play provided the platform on which this performance was built. Alongside him, Flynn’s predatory instincts and strong running again caught the eye, whilst Barnett and Ajdarevic bossed the midfield. The back four were excellent as always, with special mention going to Threlfall who had been up most of the previous night feeling ill. He was shattered afterwards, and will not have had a tougher game all season, especially as he had the unenviable task of marking beanpole striker Carroll. I’m giving the star man to Ryan though, as for an hour or so he was terrific. At the start of this youth cup run, I was very surprised that Heighway was using Ryan on the right as he has always looked like one of those centre midfielders who could only play in that position. A Jamie Redknapp type player if you like. I couldn’t understand why Barnett wasn’t used out there, with Jimmy in the centre. Heighway knew what he was doing though, and Jimmy has been a revelation out there, he’s really grown into the role. He’s one of the players that will be hoping to move to Melwood at the end of the season, and he can’t really do much more than he is doing at the moment. If the lads can avoid any embarrassing slip up in the 2nd leg, then they will get the chance to strut their stuff in front a live tv audience and experience playing at either Old Trafford or the Emirates Stadium. As for Heighway, well his dream of going out in a blaze of glory with two successive youth cup triumphs is still alive and kicking. Team: Hansen; Darby, Spearing, Threlfall, Burns; Ryan, Barnett, Ajdarevic, Irwin (Highdale); Flynn, Lindfield:

All this about the touts owning 50 season tickets, that may have worked when there were stubs to rip out and hand in, but not anymore. Or are people seriously suggesting that touts hand over a fancard before a league game to some mug who pays £200, and then arrange to meet them afterwards to collect them?

I couldn't even hear it over the tannoy, the fans drowned it out. Maybe Prentice was sat next to a loud speaker. In principal he has a point, and there's no need to play the full song once the fans are into it, but he's gone over the top and to say that fans couldn't be heard is fucking rubbish. Also, I like all the post match Cardiff stuff. They always play songs that are relevant to us, and I think they do a good job to be fair.

Ramon Calliste came here from the mancs, but he was free.

Boro Res 1 LIVERPOOL RES 0 Report by Dave Usher at Billingham Synthonium Scorer(s) - Half Time - 1-0 Venue - Billingham Synthonium, Billingham Date - Wed 7 Mar 2007 Star Man - Daniele Padelli Talk about after the 'Lord Mayor's Show'. One night I was watching Eto'o and Ronaldinho in a packed and vibrant Anfield, the next night it was Robert Huth and Jason Euell at Billingham Synthonium on a freezing night on Teesside. Both games ended in 1-0 defeats, but that's where any similarity ends. This was pretty dire stuff, and but for the encouraging debut of Italian keeper Daniele Padelli there'd be nothing positive to write about. This was Padelli's first involvement with the reserves since he arrived in January, and he was joined in the starting line up by another debutant, Paraguayan centre half Ronald Huth (left). With the FA Youth semi final coming up this Saturday, Gary Ablett omitted all of Steve Heighway's players from his starting line up, with the exception of right back Stephen Darby who Ablett was forced to include due to injuries to Peltier and Antwi. Had either of those been fit, 'Darbs' would have been on the bench alongside Flynn, Threlfall, Lindfield etc. With skipper Danny Guthrie out on loan at Southampton, the middle of midfield had a makeshift look about it, with Hobbs and Idrizaj joined in the centre by Francisco Duran, and El Zhar and Anderson on the flanks. Jordy Brouwer was the lone frontman. Darby and Huth were joined in the backline by Miki Roque and Emiliano Insua. Boro fielded Huth, Riggott, Euell and Rochemback, and their greater experience certainly made a difference, as the reds couldn't get near their goal in the first half. Liverpool started very badly, and the opening fifteen minutes saw Boro regularly slice through the middle of the reds' defence. Padelli had to save well with his feet from Hutchinson after the forward had outpaced a ponderous looking Huth. The youngster improved as the game wore on, but he had a very uncomfortable start and Boro's forwards ran riot early on. The home side went in front on eight minutes, when a cross from the left wasn't cleared properly and Euell volleyed the ball home from 18 yards. It was a great strike and Padelli had no chance. It would be the only time he was beaten all evening however. The keeper was called into action shortly afterwards, when Hutchison again ran clean through the centre. Padelli was quick off his line, but the striker took the ball round him. He knocked the ball a little bit too far though, and with defenders back covering, decided against the first time shot and checked back onto his right foot. Padelli was back on him quickly, and when the shot eventually came the keeper blocked with his feet once more. Liverpool were getting no joy in attack, where Brouwer was badly isolated. Matters weren't helped when Duran twisted his knee awkwardly after fifteen minutes, and had to leave the field. Ryan Flynn was his replacement. Gradually, Liverpool began to settle and Boro no longer looked like they would score with every attack. At the other end though, Gary Ablett's side never even came close to testing the Boro keeper. There was no creativity at all, and only El Zhar really posed any kind of threat. The Morroccan forward has some lovely touches and great close control. Often it leads to nothing, but there is no question that he has skill. He has improved as the season has gone on, but there are so few reserve games these days that it must be difficult for any players to find any kind of rythm. Boro's centre half pairing of Robert Huth and Chris Riggott will rarely have had an easier night. Huth was replaced at half time, but things were just as comfortable for his replacement. The second half followed the same pattern as the first. Boro were on top, but Liverpool were always in the game and had plenty of the ball. Padelli (right) was looking very assured, and displayed an encouraging willingness to come off his line and deal with through balls. That's one of Reina's main strengths, and the Italian showed similar traits to Pepe by coming out and dealing with situations positively, either by heading the ball clear or dribbling his way out of trouble. He's a confident young man on this evidence. His finest moment came midway through the second half, when Hutchison lobbed the ball goalwards from the left hand side of the box. Padelli looked beaten as the ball sailed over his head towards the top corner, but remarkably he got back and leapt backwards to tip the ball away. It was reminiscent of Grobbelaar's save from Graeme Sharp in the '86 FA Cup Final. You remember the one, the Kangaroo leap? Exactly like that, a terrific save. He had to make another smart stop when Boro's substitute centre half had a free header from a corner, but the longer the game went on the less likely Boro seemed to grab a second goal. Even when the reds were reduced to ten men (two silly bookings in quick succession for the frustrating Idrizaj), they still managed to see a lot of the ball. Jay Spearing was brough on for Brouwer, as Ablett went with a 3-4-2 formation. Insua and Darby moved up to play as wingbacks, Hobbs dropped back into the defence, and Anderson and El Zhar went up front. The midfield combination of Spearing and Flynn took control of the game, and Liverpool pushed forward looking for an unlikely equaliser. They just had nothing in the final third though, and the only worthwhile effort they managed was a 30 yard lob from El Zhar that landed on the roof of the net. It was a pretty awful game, and certainly not worth the three hour trip there and three hour trip back! I've been to this fixture three years running, and we've lost every one. It's not a happy hunting ground, and it's a bit of a dive. There isn't even a plug for the laptop, let alone a phoneline, which is why there was no updates at half time and full time. The only thing Billingham Synthonium is famour for, is that Igor Biscan once graced it's turf with his presence a few years ago. I hate going there almost as much as I do the Racecourse Ground (nothing personal to anyone reading who lives in Wrexham, it's just that it's a long way to go for 'home' games that's all). Star man was easy, it had to be Padelli. El Zhar deserves a mention, as he showed some nice bits of skill, whilst Roque and Darby were fairly steady at the back. Insua looks a good player, but this wasn't his best game and he looked a bit tired to me late on. He takes a mean corner, but no doubt that will be knocked out of him by our coaching staff! Can't have anyone taking good corners now, can we? Team: Padelli; Darby, Roque, Huth, Insua; Anderson, Duran (Flynn), Hobbs, Idrizaj, El Zhar; Brouwer (Spearing):

Also, no way will UEFA allow the possibility of three English teams in the semi's. They'll fix it somehow, which probably means we get Chelsea and the mancs get PSV

That's exactly right. The idea of 30,000 of us and 30,000 of them in Athens together is a scary thought. English clubs would be banned from Europe for 20 years after that. The point about avoiding their spawn is also a good one. That's why I want them next.

I can't see those quotes being accurate, as they are more wrong than white socks with brown sandals. Actually, Messi probably said that, as I agree he does look like a crying little spoilt twat, but surely Thuram never said that? He knows they got a serious chasing at Anfield and that 1-0 scoreline was a travesty.

Just managed to get it finished before I head off up to Teesside to watch the ressies play Boro. Talk about the shit cart after the Lord Mayor's show... http://www.liverpoolway.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=43370

LIVERPOOL 0 Barcelona 1 Report by Dave Usher at Anfield Scorer(s) - Half Time - 0-0 Venue - Anfield Date - Tue 6 Mar 2007 Star Man - Jamie Carragher For the second time in four days, we suffered an undeserved 1-0 defeat at home, but the contrast in emotions at the final whistle between Saturday and last night told it's own story. Saturday was despair, Tuesday was delight. The scoreline on the night may have favoured Barca, but just like on Saturday the best team did not win the game. Thankfully, the two goals we managed in the Nou Camp proved decisive and we are now in the quarter finals. Over two games, the best team went through, and even Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard had the good grace to concede that fact. As made up as I am about going through, I'm actually more than a little upset that we lost this game, as it makes it look like we scraped through when the reality is we pummelled the best team in Europe for the best part of an hour, but just didn't get the reward we deserved. All day I had a bad feeling about this game. In my head I could see us not knowing whether to stick or twist, and getting caught between the two. My fear was that we'd see 0-0 as a good score, and I couldn't shake the fear that we'd get to 70 minutes with the game goalless, thinking we were doing well, but then let one in and it would be panic stations. I said exactly this to a few mates before the game, and when Gudjohnsen scored I found all my fears actually playing out before my eyes. It was horrible, and I aged ten years in that last 15 minutes. That doesn't really tell the whole story though, as although I was right about it being goalless for seventy minutes and then we let one in, my fear about us not knowing whether we should attack or defend was completely unfounded. We attacked, and then some. That first half performance was arguably as good as I've ever seen from us. We faced the best attacking side in the world (perhaps the best attacking club side ever assembled), and restricted them to one shot (that went miles over), whilst we peppered their goal and managed ten goal attempts, including two that struck the woodwork. This season it seems I'm repeatedly making the point about us not taking our chances, and not being clinical enough etc, but what happened in the 1st half wasn't about that, this time it really was about sheer bad luck. The second half saw us waste some good opening, but the chances we had in the first half, well I don't really think we could have done much more. Lady luck was nowhere to be seen, no doubt she'd been lured to the Bridge by Roman's roubles. The openings we created in the first half were numerous. Riise had a fine shot that flew just wide, then he hit a thunderbolt against the bar. Bellamy did well to power in a shot that stung Valdes' palms, Kuyt was first to the rebound but his shot was remarkably kept out by the keeper's knee. The loose ball fell to Riise, and his effort was cleared off the line before Vlades then saved Arbeloa's shot. The best opportunity in that unbelievable few seconds was probably Dirk's, but having seen the replay of it he did everything right and it was just an astonishing save. Then Valdes' poor clearance fell to Momo forty odd yards out, and his first time effort looked like it would be a spectacular first goal for the club for the Mali man, but no, the crossbar intervened again. I turned to my dad and said 'We're going out here you know, it's one of those nights'. What else are you meant to think when clearly nothing is going to go right in front of goal no matter what you do? The first half was spell binding stuff, played out in front of the usual European night atmosphere. It was loud, very loud, and YNWA at the start was spine tingling. What made it all the more special was the Barca fans joining in with it, but more on them later. Gillett and Hicks were in attendance, and although they've no doubt been briefed on what these nights are like, it's impossible to comprehend the magnitude of a European night at Anfield until you've experienced it. They have now, and they can't fail to have been impressed. They both love their sport, that's obvious, but they would be the first to admit that football isn't their passion. It might well become it after this, as they will have been blown away by it. Of the two, Hicks seems the more excitable to me, he'd be the one I'd expect would come away from Anfield thinking about how much he wants to see the best players here and how he can go about making it happen. What this game showed once again, is that we just need to add that bit of world class quality in the final third, and we'll be there. In the first half we were just unlucky, in the second half we made things more difficult for ourselves because we were just not clinical enough. Kuyt and Bellamy both failed to get anything on a stunning cross from Gerrard, whilst the skipper himself had three presentable chances after the break, none of which he could convert. Substitute Peter Crouch missed the easiest chance of all after being picked out by the lively Pennant, whilst Jermaine also brought a good save out of Valdes late on. On another night we seriously could have scored five or six against Barca, but a combination of bad luck and not being clinical enough meant we drew another blank. Fortunately on this occasion it didn't cost us, largely thanks to the tremendous work rate shown by the whole team (none more than Dirk who was unbelievable), and the excellence of the back four. There were some outstanding performers in red shirts, but one man stood head and shoulders above everybody, just as he did on Saturday. Jamie Carragher's brilliance on the big occasion almost defies belief. Time and again he produces superhuman performances in these kind of games, but this was possibly his finest yet. There was only one real moment of danger in the first half, and that was when Deco wriggled free on the edge of the box. It opened up for him, he pulled back his right foot and I'm sure I wasn't the only one just waiting for the ball to hit the back of Pepe's net. Then out of nowhere appears Carra to make a crunching block challenge to prevent Deco getting the shot in. He does this time and again (there was a similar one on Ronaldo at the weekend) and it's because he reads the game so well. In ninety minutes, Ronaldinho got away from him just once. It almost proved decisive, but his shot hit the post when a goal seemed certain. The Brazilian did nothing in the first leg either, and I doubt he's ever faced a tougher opponent than Carra. When Ronaldinho's shot hit the post, I began to feel a bit better. It was almost like a reverse of the feeling I got when Momo hot the bar. "If we were going to go out, then surely that would have gone in?" was my reasoning. Then they threw on the degenerate gambling, cheating albino, who predictably scored, and I was back to thinking 'uh oh, we're going out here'. The goal was a bit weird, as out of the corner of my eye I saw Finnan fall over and I was hoping maybe he'd been fouled and we'd get a free kick. Play went on, and Gudjohnsen calmly took the ball round Pepe and found the net. I looked at Finnan, and he didn't appeal for anything so obviously it was just a slip. There was also a hint of offside about it, but maybe Arbeloa was playing him on. It's a strange experience when 40,000 people collectively shit their pants at the same moment. There was a couple of seconds of stunned silence as the Barca fans went wild, but then the roar went up to let the players know we were with them as they faced a backs to the wall final fifteen minutes. The next couple of minutes were horrible, as Barca had total possession and we couldn't keep the ball. Reina made a comfortable save from Messi, but the pressure was starting to build. We were tired, very tired. We no longer had the pace of Bellamy as an outlet as he'd made way for Pennant shortly before Barca's goal. On top of that, Riise was shattered, so was Dirk and Gerrard also looked like he was feeling the pace. We were still doing well at the back, and the midfield were protecting them well, but we didn't have the energy to keep the ball and cause them any problems at the back. But then we got a second wind from somewhere and pushed on again. Riise was replaced by Aurelio, and that gave us fresh impetus on the left, whilst Pennant gave us a good outlet on the other side. Dirk and Stevie seemed to come to life again, and we began to threaten once more. Gerrard had an opportunity when Kuyt's tireless chasing won the ball back on the edge of the Barca box, but his run was curtailed by Marquez. I fancied Aurelio to bury the free-kick, but it struck the wall and went behind for a corner. We kept a lot of people back for it, but still nearly scored when from Barca's clearance, Alonso lofted the ball back in to Gerrard, who cut back inside the defender but saw his shot beaten away by Valdez. Barca were throwing everything forward, but were unable to get a clear sight of Reina's goal as our players worked unbelievably hard to close down any space. Arbeloa deserves great credit for the way he dealt with Messi and then Guily. He picked up a ridiculoius booking for a fair tackle, and was on a knife edge for the rest of the game but he stuck to his task very well. Finnan too was outstanding, that one slip apart, and Eto'o's impact on the game was negligible. We played so well in every department, and that's why it really annoys me that we lost the game. We deserved to go through in a blaze of glory here, not by hanging on and shitting ourselves for the last fifteen minutes. I feel a bit cheated by it, as we played so, so well, but didn't really get the ultimate reward of a win or even a draw. Had Crouch kept his shot down from Pennant's superb cut back then we would have done, but I suppose given that he'd only been on the field a minute or so Crouch can be forgiven for that. Had Barca scored again I wouldn't have been so forgiving of course! When you look at the game overall, aside from a fifteen minute spell between 70 and 85 minutes, we were not really in any trouble and were the more dangerous side. They had loads of possession, but that's to be expected. They dominate possession against everybody, and sometimes it's tough to get the ball from them. Xavi's performance was a joy to behold, the guy is pure class and it's impossible to get the ball from him. They've got quality all over the place, and shutting them down is very difficult because they come at you from so many angles. We've done that though, and no-one can say we didn't deserve to go through. They are the best team in Europe, but we've outplayed them over two legs. No-one can dispute that, and it feels good. There were heroes all over the park in red shirts, so much so that it's hard to single people out. Everyone did their bit, but I really want to praise Gerrard for his performance. In big games, especially when he plays on the right, sometimes he can be pretty ineffective. To say he goes missing would be unfair, but he often doesn't have the influence that we expect him to have. In this game I thought he was absolutely terrific, and terrorised Barca at times. It helped that they played without any full backs, and he was given far too much space to operate in. He made the most of it though and was a constant threat. Dirk deserves great praise too, for the astonishing amount of work he got through. Sometimes he looks like his legs have gone, but then he somehow summons up extra energy reserves and off he goes again. There are flaws in his game that raise question marks about whether he is the long term answer, but it's impossible not to love Dirk Kuyt. Anyone who doesn't love him is simply heartless. Then there is Riise. I've been one of his biggest critics this season, I think he's had a poor season and I think his future at the club is under real threat this summer. We will sign a new left back to replace him, but he may be able to save his Anfield career by producing performances like this in midfield. He is always a goal threat when he plays in midfield, and he is easily the best option we have there at the moment. He won the tie for us with his goal in the Nou Camp, but he was unlucky not to have won this leg for us too. On another night he'd have had a hat-trick. With no Luis Garcia, we need someone to step into the breach as our Champions League talisman. I think Riise could be the man to do that, and I wouldn't bet against him scoring in the next round either. The draw for that is this Friday, and I'm desperately hoping we get the mancs. I'm in a minority there I know, but I want them bastards so bad. People say to me they couldn't face the thought of us going out to them. To me that isn't isn't even an option. We owe them big time, just like we owed Chelsea in 2005. I want them in the quarters, although I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't prefer Lille! The final word on this game has to be reserved for the fans. Not just our fans, theirs too. The great thing about European nights at Anfield is the mutual respect that's always shown. Other English teams act like twats towards European visitors. They show no respect, and they get no respect in return. European teams and fans look at visits to Anfield as something of a pilgrimage. It means something to them, and they rarely leave disappointed. I've lost count of the teams in recent seasons who have chanted 'Liverpool' at the end of the game, whether they've won - like Benfica last season - or lost, they have been shown respect and it's been reciprocated. You expect it of the slightly smaller sides like Betis, PSV, Galatasaray etc, but when Barcelona fans are singing YNWA and filming the Kop in awe, and then chanting 'Liverpool' after they've been knocked out, it really is something special. Of course, they know that had they scored a second and knocked us out, their players would have been applauded off and we'd be wishing them well in the next round. That's what seperates Liverpool from the rest of the Premiership. Do you think Barca were chanting 'Chelsea' after they played at the Bridge? They hate Chelsea, because Chelsea have no class. One banner unveiled at half time by the Barca fans hilariously read: "Mourinho, you're just a fucking translator". The point is, if you act like dicks then people will treat you like dicks. If you show respect, you'll get respect. The respect that Liverpool and Barca had for eachother was there for all to see. Two of the greatest club sides in the world had gone toe to tow in an epic battle, but there was no bad feeling at the end. Liverpool and Barca showed what the Champions League is all about, and hopefully UEFA will have observed the mutual respect. It was a far cry from what happened at the Mestalla between Valencia and Inter, although I have to say there's always a place for that kind of thing simply because it's just really funny. I want the mancs next, but I have a feeling we may get Valencia. If we do, I don't think there'll be a repeat of what happened against Inter. If we get the mancs, then who knows there might be! I'd love to see Momo plant a right hook on Neville the way the Valencia lad did with that Burdisso. If he did, you can be sure he wouldn't be running away Benny Hill style whilst the entire manc team gave chase! Team: Reina; Finnan, Carragher, Agger, Arbeloa; Gerrard, Sissoko, Alonso, Riise (Aurelio); Bellamy (Pennant), Kuyt (Crouch):

* adopts Apollo Crede stance and points glove at Man Ham * I want you! I want you!