December Month Report

3 wins 1 draw and 3 defeats. We started the month still in a poor form with a draw at Blackburn and then defeats by Fiorentina and Arsenal. We thought a home victory vs Wigan may have turned our luck, but a defeat at lowly Pompey had everybody questioning the team. Luckily we finished the month strongly with successive wins against Wolves and Aston Villa. We are still lying at 7th place, but our confidence is now better and we can go into the new year strongly to challenge the top 4 spots.

Players of the Month (1) Gerrard 7.14 (2) Reina 7.08 (3) Carragher 6.92. Stevie G is getting closer to his top form and is always carrying the team through the hard time. Reina has been one of the better players this month with another consistent month, and Carragher is also getting better despite early setbacks.

January prediction:
1/2 Reading (a) A chance for some second tier players to shine.
1/10 Tottenham Hotspur (h) We lost to Spurs on the opening day and this is another important match in the race for top 4 spot.
1/16 Stoke City (a) Last year we failed to break down their stubborn defense and this year we need to find some way to bring 3 points home.
1/23 FA Cup 4th round proper (TBA) No matter who we will play we need to play well to go through.
1/26 Wolverhampton Wanderers (a) They may still be complaining about the Ward sent off so we need to be careful.
1/30 Bolton Wanderers (h) Bolton will have a new manager installed so we need to make sure they won't have the additional adrenaline to please the new man.

Match Report 091229 at Aston Villa: Determination makes the difference

1-0 and it was not until the 93nd minutes that Torres scored the winner. The build up may be lucky but the finishing is world class. The win bring us two points behind Villa and we are now in a much better position to challenge the top 4 position.

The match was very even with us slightly in control of the game, but both teams did not do well in finishing and both goalkeepers were doing their jobs. But at the end a world class striker makes the difference and we happily bring another three points home. The performance may not be good, but the win will no doubt boast our confidence going into a new year.

Players Rating:
Reina: 8 Made a world class save.
Johnson: 6 Giving the ball away in too many occasions.
Carragher: 7 Solid defending.
Agger: 7.5 Getting closer to his best with another good performance.
Insua: 6.5 At times guilty in defending especially during corners.
Aquilani: 6.5 A bit rusty with his passes.
Lucas: 7 Another good game protecting the back four.
Kuyt: 7 Worked hard as usual and had a penalty turned down.
Gerrard: 7.5 Driving the team forward as usual.
Benayoun: 6.5 Failed to break down the Villa defense.
Torres: 7.5 One chance, one goal.

Substitutions:
Babel: 6.5 Missed a great chance to score.
Skrtel: 6.5 Conceded a dangerous foul.
Aurelio: 6.5 Not enough time to kick the ball.

Rafa: 7 Would be delighted about the victory. Now the key is to build on the momentum and get more wins.

Aston Villa: 6.5 Would be there to challenge top 4.

Man of the Match: Reina. Building the platform for the victory.

Second half starts

After a disappointing first half we definitely need to improve in the second half. We lost 1-3 at home to Villa and this is time for us to get back something. And we need to start a winning streak.

My Team Prediction:
Reina
Johnson
Carragher
Agger
Insua
Gerrard
Lucas
Kuyt
Aquilani
Benayoun
Torres

Result 2:0

2009/10 Mid Term Report

What a difference in one year! We did very well last year and finished 2nd and everybody is with very high hope entering the season. However we did not perform well and after 27 games we only managed 12 wins, 4 draws and 11 defeats. In the league we have 9 wins 3 draws and 7 defeats with 30 points and are sitting on 7th place, 5 points behind Villa who occupying the 4th place and 12 points behind the leader Chelsea. And last year we were on top (P19 W12 D6 L1 with 42 points). We still beat our old rivals as Manchester United and Everton, but we failed to win in 7 games including some low teams like Portsmouth, Sunderland and Fulham. We also didn't do well in the Champions League and is already crashed out. We will play in the Europa League in the new year. In the League Cup. as usual we were eliminated by an London team.

Departmental Comments:
Goalkeeper
Although he is conceding more goals, Reina is still a very good goalkeeper with 8 clean sheets in 24 games, and Cavalieri is gradually showing he can be a decent challenger.

Defender
Although he did not played too well in the start Carragher is gradually picking up and is now getting back to his normal high level. Agger is doing very good after his early injury and is taking the other central slot. On the sides Glen Johnson and Insua are taking the franks as their own, and both have opened their scoring accounts as well. It is also good to see youngster such as Ayala get a chance and did well, but some older players are playing poorly.

Midfielder
Although he is yet to get back to his best Gerrard is still leading the team with his good performance. With Alonso left us our midfleld is weakened a lot, and Aquilani is also injured we are struggling in the middle. Mascherano and Lucas are doing OK if not too impressive, but they both lack the creativity of Alonso. On the sides Kuyt is doing well as usual, and Benayoun is also taking the other side as his own.

Attacker
Torres' season has been on and off but he still scored 11 goals in the league and is on his way to be the quickest to score 50 goals for us. It is also worth nothing that Ngog is gradually showing he is a capable player and he had already scored 6 goals in just 730 minutes of action.


Player Rating (Games played, Minutes played, Goal scored/conceded, Assists/cleansheets, MoM, Rating)
Goalkeepers
Cavalieri: 3G 270M 4GC 1CS 1MoM 7.17
Gulacsi: 2 unused substitutes
Reina: 24G 2160M 30GC 8CS 4MoM 7.04

Defenders
Agger: 14G 1181M 0GS 0A 0MoM 6.84
Aurelio: 16G 861M 0GS 1A 0MoM 6.66
Ayala: 3G 110M 0GS 0A 0MoM 6.89
Carragher: 24G 2152M 0GS 1A 1.5MoM 6.82
Darby: 1G 90M 0GS 0A 0MoM 6.50
Degen: 5G 272M 0GS 0A 0MoM 6.39
Dosenna: 5G 235M 0GS 0A 0MoM 6.16
Insua: 24G 2113M 1GS 4A 1MoM 6.68
Johnson: 20G 1695M 2GS 2A 3MoM 6.90
Kelly: 1G 74M 0GS 0A 1MoM 7.50
Kyrgiakos: 6G 529M 0GS 0A 0MoM 6.16

Midfielders
Aquilani: 7G 216M 0GS 0A 0MoM 6.66
Babel: 14G 518M 3GS 2A 1MoM 6.32
Benayoun: 26G 1734M 7GS 4A 1MoM 7.04
El Zhar: 1G 18M 0GS 0A 0MoM 6.50
Gerrard: 22G 1767M 5GS 6A 3MoM 7.08
Kuyt: 26G 2153M 6GS 2A 2.5MoM 6.87
Lucas: 24G 2052M 0GS 1A 1MoM 6.84
Mascherano: 23G 1747M 0GS 1A 1MoM 6.74
Pacheco: 2G 20M 0GS 0A 0MoM 6.65
Plessis: 1G 76M 0GS 0A 0MoM 6.50
Riera: 11G 597M 0GS 4A 0MoM 6.71
Spearing: 5G 256M 0GS 0A 0MoM 6.54

Attackers:
Eccleston: 2G 14M 0GS 0A 0MoM 6.07
Ngog: 15G 730M 6GS 0A 2MoM 6.88
Torres: 18G 1407M 11GS 1A 5MoM 7.02
Voronin: 12G 376M 0GS 1A 0MoM 6.19

Players of 1st half season (Minimum 1,458 mins (60%) or above):
(1) Gerrard 7.08
(2) Reina 7.042
(3) Benayoun 7.041
(4) Johnson 6.90
(5) Kuyt 6.87

Team: 6.81. The team scoring is 0.13 lower than last season and is a good reflection that we are doing poorer. In general we are lacking more goals and scoring fewer goals, so we have many rooms for improvement. With 19 league games to go the priority is to get back to top 4. It is not easy, but achievable. But we first need to start another winning run first.

2H Result Prediction
League:
1st-5th place teams (Chelsea H, Manchester United A, Aston Villa A, Arsenal A, Tottenham Hotspur H) 3W2D
6th-10th place teams (Manchester City A, Birmingham City A, Fulham H, Sunderland A) 3W1D
11th-15th place teams (Stoke City A, Blackburn Rovers H, Burnley A, Everton H, Wolverhampton Wanderers) 4W1D
16th-20th place teams (Wigan Athletic A, West Ham United H, Bolton Wanderers H, Hull City A, Portsmouth H) 5W

Total for 2H 15W4D 49 points
Total for the season 79 points

With 79 points we will finish at top 4.

In FA Cup, Reading away will be a good test for the team but we should be able to get pass them. In Europa League the draw is not too tough, but our focus is to finish top 4 so Rafa should not rest some of the key players. We will see how far we can go.

And finally, with hope in your heart, in Rafa we trust.

Match Report 091226 vs Wolverhampton Wanderers: A win is a win

2-0 and at the end it was a comfortable win, especially after Wolves were down to 10 men. We basically controlled the game but just lack a bit confidence. As long as we are one man up we are in complete control of the game, and 2 goals in 8 minutes settled the game. It was not pretty, but it will improve our confidence level going into new year.

Players Rating:
Reina: 7.5 A superb defending performance.
Johnson 6.5 Good defending but seldom support attack.
Carragher: 7 Solid defending.
Agger: 7 Good defending performance.
Insua: 7 Defend well in general and provided the killer pass for Gerrard's goal.
Gerrard: 8 Superb goal to kick start the team.
Lucas: 7 Very composed performance.
Benayoun: 7.5 Good goal to kill off the game.
Aquilani: 7 A good first league start despite lack of match fitness.
Aurelio: 6.5 Solid on the left.
Torres: 6.5 Mourned too much without any real threat.

Substitutions;
Kuyt: 6.5 Worked hard as usual.
Pacheco/Spearing: 6.5 Performed well in general.

Rafa: 7 Would be delighted about the improve of performance. But still need to improve the confidence and Torres' form.

Wolverhampton Wanderers: 6 Did not do much to warrant more.

Man of the Match: Gerrard. Captain sets role model again.

Rebound

After a very poor performance at Pompey we definitely need to rebound. Wolves can beat Spurs so they are not a poor team, and we need to perform well in order to bring three point home for a happy Christmas.

My Team Prediction:
Reina
Johnson
Carragher
Agger
Insua
Gerrard
Lucas
Kuyt
Aquilani
Benayoun
Torres

Result 2:0

Match Report 091219 at Portsmouth: We are in big trouble

0-2 against the bottom team and you will not have any excuse. True, the first goal may be offside, the referee was bad, and we were one man down for half the game, but we should at least have more team spirit and give them more threats. One shot on target and it was from Dossena won't win you anything. If we do not improve quickly we will be in bigger trouble.

Players Rating:
Reina: 6.5 Have no chance on both goals conceded.
Johnson: 6 Unable to provide any threat on his return to Pompey.
Carragher: 6.5 Showed character but could not prevent the tragedy.
Agger: 6 Solid defending.
Insua: 6 One of his poorer game of the season.
Mascherano: 5 Stupid red card.
Lucas: 6 Solid in midfield.
Kuyt: 6 Did not provide many attacking help.
Gerrard: 7 Trying to lift the team but could not do so.
Dossena: 5 Very poor performance.
Torres: 6 Loss his temper and was lucky for not being sent off.

Substitutions:
Benayoun: 6 Slight injury affected his performance.
Aurelio: 6 Could not help the team with 10 men.
Spearing: 6 Not enough time to impress.

Rafa: 5 Loss his temper as well. But the key is to regroup the team and restart the season. Now.

Portsmouth: 7 On performance like today they should survive.

Man of the Match: Gerrard. We need more people to play with heart like the captain.

Be careful

After a midweek victory at home we are now away at Pompey in the early hours. The weather is bad and the travel is long, but we have the squad to bring home the 3 points we needed.

My Team Prediction:
Reina
Johnson
Carragher
Agger
Insua
Mascherano
Lucas
Kuyt
Gerrard
Benayoun
Torres

Result 2:0

Match Report 091216 vs Wigan Athletic: A better result

2-1 and apart from a few scares we were in control of the game. Confidence may be still a bit low, especially after they scored, but we are getting better in general. Ngog was especially sharp and he is a good backup for Torres.

Players Rating:
Reina: 7 Another good performance in general.
Carragher: 7 Solid as a make-shift right back.
Skrtel: 6.5 Did well in defending.
Agger: 7 Should have scored from a corner.
Insua: 6.5 Solid defending.
Benayoun: 7 Very lively performance.
Gerrard: 7 Getting closer to his right level.
Mascherano: 7 Solid tackles.
Aurelio: 7 Deadly crossing that lead to the first goal.
Kuyt: 6.5 Worked hard as usual and with have a great shot saved.
Ngog: 7.5 Scored another great goal and growing confidence.

Substitutions:
Lucas: 6.5 Solid when came up to protect back four.
Torres: 7.5 Scored a great goal in his 100th game.
Aquilani: 6.5 Not enough time to impress.

Rafa: 7 Would be delighted in the result and the performance in general, but still need to grow the team confidence.

Wigan Athletic: 6 Didn't do too much to deserve more from the game.

Man of the Match: Ngog. Not quite Torres but a useful backup.

Grow our confidence

We are now playing without much confidence and we need to address this as soon as possible. The coming three games are against the bottom teams and we need to get 9 points from these games. Although confidence may be low but we still have enough talent to take these points. Starting tonight.

My Team Prediction:
Reina
Johnson
Carragher
Agger
Insua
Mascherano
Kuyt
Gerrard
Aquilani
Benayoun
Torres

Result 2:0

Match Report 091213 vs Arsenal: We need some luck

1-2 and this is a very disappointing as this is a golden opportunity for us to move up the table, as most of our rivals were losing. We played quite well in the first half and were fully deserved with a half time lead. But luck ran out in second half and as soon as Johnson scored an own goal the momentum changed. As Gerrard and Torres tired we didn't have any tricks to win the game, and the result left us at 7th place. Time is running out and we definitely need to win the next 3 games, where we should be capable to do so.

Players Rating:
Reina: 6.5 Could do nothing with both goals.
Johnson: 6 Bad luck in scoring an own goal and should mark Arshavin tighter for the second goal conceded.
Carragher: 7 Solid defending and lead the defense well.
Agger: 6.5 Did well in defensing.
Aurelio: 6.5 Did not do much to support attack.
Mascherano: 6.5 Not his best game.
Lucas: 6.5 Did OK in the midfield.
Kuyt: 7 Scored a great goal but could not lead us to victory.
Gerrard: 6.5 Should have win us a penalty.
Benayoun: 6 A very quiet day.
Torres: 6.5 Had a few chances but failed to take any of them.

Substitutions:
Aquilani: 6.5 Failed to change the game.
Ngog/Degen: 6.5 Not enough time to impress.

Rafa: 6 Need to improve the confidence of the team. We miss them badly.

Arsenal: 6.5 A poor game but luck was on their side.

Men of the Match: Carragher/Kuyt. But still not enough to bring us anything from the game.

Season restarts here

I have lost count of how many times we think we will restart the season, but hopefully this is it. Gunners will be tough opponents but we have an almost full squad finally available. It would not be easy, but with the support of the Kop, we will win this.]

My Team Prediction:
Reina
Johnson
Carragher
Agger
Aurelio
Gerrard
Mascherano
Kuyt
Aquilani
Benayoun
Torres

Result 2:0

Match Report 091209 vs Fiorentina: Result summarises our Champions League fate this season

1-2 and once again we conceded at the last minute. Without these three late goals we will have qualified, and now we are only content with Europa League. We played the game well but did not take our chances, and the Viola capitalized their chances and took them well.

It is good to see Aquilani finally starts and Torres back in contention. We deadly missed them.

Players Rating:
Cavalieri: 7.5 Made many good saves.
Darby: 6.5 A bit nervous in his debut and made two mistakes that lead to both goals conceded.
Skrtel: 6.5 Made covers for Darby.
Agger: 6.5 A solid defensive performance.
Insua: 6.5 Not going forward too often.
Gerrard: 7 Getting closer to his normal level.
Mascherano: 6.5 Made many tackles.
Benayoun: 7 Scored another goal and become our CL top scorer this season - with 2 goals.
Aquilani: 7 A stylish first start and we would like to see more from him.
Dossena: 6.5 Left midfield is a more suitable position for him.
Kuyt: 6.5 Did not provide too many threats.

Substitutions:
Torres: 7 Came up and changed the flow of the game.
Pacheco: 6.5 A nice debut from the promising new start.
Aurelio: 6.5 Not enough time to impress.

Rafa: 6.5 Still need to change the psychology of the team to become more positive. It is time to serious consider playing Aquilani more.

Fiorentina: 6.5 Well deserved to qualify.

Man of the Match: Cavalieri. Would be great to see him involved more in the FA Cup and Europa League.

Trial match for the youngsters

Tonight's game has no significant value apart from improving match fitness of some players. Rafa should use this opportunity to give the youngsters a chance so that they can learn more from playing in an European game.

My Team Prediction:
Cavalieri
Darby
Kyrgiakos
Skrtel
Dossena
Mascherano
Gerrard
Pacheco
Aquilani
Riera
Ngog

Result 2:0

Match Report 091205 at Blackburn Rovers: Missed opportunity

0-0 and with result elsewhere against us, we are now further adrift in the race for 4th place. First half was in particular poor with no real chances created. In the second half we stepped up and with a few great chances, but we failed to grab any of them. Defense was solid or otherwise we will lose the game.

One thing that Rafa need to sort out is the lack of creativity of the midfield. Lucas and Mascherano are good, but if Rafa play them together we lack creativity, as they are too similar to each other. With Aquilani approaching his first start we hope the problem can be resolved soon.

Players Rating:
Reina: 7 Did well to earn us another clean sheet.
Johnson: 7.5 Very sharp in the 2H with many deadly crosses.
Carragher: 7 Solid in denying Blackburn from scoring.
Agger: 7 An elegant display.
Insua: 6.5 Did not move forward very often.
Lucas: 6.5 Solid but lack creativity.
Mascherano: 6.5 Solid in defending.
Benayoun: 6.5 Did not create many opportunities.
Gerrard: 7 Worked hard on his 500th game but with no prevail.
Riera: 6 Very quiet.
Kuyt: 6.5 Tried hard but could not score.

Substitutions:
Ngog: 6.5 Had a great chance but hit the bar hard.
El Zhar: 6.5 Worked very hard but could not change the game.

Rafa: 6.5 Need to improve the creativity of the game ASAP.

Blackburn Rovers: 6.5 Did not do too much to win the game either.

Man of the Match: Johnson. Provided many opportunities but our attacks failed to take any of them.

Build on result

After two victories and clean sheets in a row we now need to continue our run into December. Rafa should have a full squad to choose from as Torres should be returning, so we need to make sure we are strong from the back and take the three points home.

My Team Prediction:
Reina
Johnson
Carragher
Agger
Insua
Mascherano
Lucas
Kuyt
Gerrard
Bebayoun
Ngog

Result 2:0

November Month Report

2 wins and 3 draw, we are out in the Champions League but we gradually climbed to fifth place of the league. Performances were not great but were improving, and we managed consecutive clean sheets since mid September. Our injury list is also reducing and going into December we should be able to field our strongest eleven finally.

Players of the month (1) Reina 7.20 (2) Carragher 7.13 (3) Lucas 7.10. As Hansen said without Reina we would be even worse this season. Time after time he has been there to save us from further misery. At the same time Carra's performance also gradually picked up, and he is now back to his normal level. And Lucas had some inspirational games in the month as well.

December prediction:
12/5 Blackburn Rovers (a) Start picking up points after the derby victory.
12/9 Fiorentina (h) A meaningless game now, Rafa should give the kids chances to show their worth.
12/13 Arsenal (h) We need to beat the gooners if we want to keep our top four berth.
12/16 Wigan Athletic (h) Wigan may be a bogey team but we need to beat them at home.
12/20 Portsmouth (a) Portsmouth is at the bottom of the league so we need to grab our chance and get 3 points.
12/26 Wolverhampton (h) Boxing day with the wolves and we need to bring some gifts to our fans.
12/29 Aston Villa (a) We lost to them at home so it is now time for a revenge. And for the top four berth.

Match Report 091129 at Everton: Change of luck

2-0 and although we were second best most of the time, we finally have some luck and have the last laugh. Our defense was superb and we took our chances well. This is an important win and bring us to fifth of the table. We now need to build on the win and kick start our season.

Players Rating:
Reina: 8.5 Superb double saves to earn us three points.
Johnson: 7 Good defending.
Carragher: 7.5 Rock at the back.
Agger: 7.5 Confidence growing.
Insua: 7 Almost scored from a header.
Mascherano: 7.5 Superb shot that bring us the lead.
Lucas: 7 A bit nervous but still defending well.
Kuyt: 7 A bit quiet but calmly scored a tap-in.
Gerrard: 6.5 Very quiet.
Aurelio: 6.5 Doing the defensive work well but seldom go forward.
Ngog: 6.5 Not yet strong enough to beat the Everton defense.

Substitutions:
Benayoun: 7.5 Changed the game flow when come on.
Riera: 7.5 Provided the crucial pass to the second goal.

Rafa: 7 Would be delight about the teamwork, although he also admit we were only second best on the pitch.

Everton: 6.5 Lack some luck but talks about them relegation is a bit pre-mature.

Man of the Match: Reina. World class goalkeeper.

Merseyside in trouble

The 212th Merseyside derby sees both teams in trouble recently. It is a time for the teams to restart the season. Everton may be poor as poor as (if not poorer than) us recently but in a derby game form means nothing. We need to play 120% if we want to take the three points home.

My Team Prediction:
Reina
Johnson
Carragher
Agger
Insua
Mascherano
Lucas
Kuyt
Gerrard
Benayoun
Torres

Result 2:0

Match Report 091124 at Debreceni VSC: Europa here we come!

1:0 but the victory is not enough and we now find ourselves in the Europa League. We were in control of the game and after the early strike by Ngog we have many many chances to increase the lead. But Debreceni hold on and at the end we only managed to beat them by one goal. Overall our performance is much better than previous games, and we now need to build on this result and restart our season.

Players Rating:
Reina: 7.5 Made a great save in the 2H to keep the clean sheet.
Johnson: 7 Provided many wicked crosses.
Carragher: 7.5 Solid defending and a great assist.
Agger: 7 Solid defending after the weekend injury.
Insua: 7 Solid defending and did well going forward.
Mascherano: 7 Control the midfield and almost scored.
Lucas: 7 Setting up the tempo well.
Kuyt: 7 Overlap well with Johnson.
Gerrard: 7 Condition better than last Saturday and almost scored.
Aurelio: 7.5Superb crossing that lead to the goal. Many wicked crosses as well.
Ngog: 8 Scored a goal from instinct and could have score more.

Substitution:
Benayoun/Dossena/Aquilani: 6.5 Not enough time to impress.

Rafa: 7 Would be delighted about the team effort.

Debreceni: 6 Clearly different class.

Man of the Match: Ngog. Continue his fine form.

Do our best and pray for the rest

We are on the brink of elimination from the Champions League. Even a win tonight may not be enough, should result elsewhere is not helping us. And we have never win at Hungary. And Torres and Babel did not travel. Nevertheless we still need to do our job, and hope that we have some luck so that we can have a final showdown in two weeks' time.

My Team Prediction:
Reina
Johnson
Carragher
Skrtel
Aurelio
Lucas
Mascherano
Kuyt
Aquilani
Gerrard
Ngog

Result 2:0

Match Report 091121 vs Manchester City: When can we have some luck?

2-2 and our injury list just increased by two. We were in control the team but we sit back after taking the lead. Two silly defensive mistakes later and we found ourselves behind. Luckily City was also sleeping so we snatched a goal quickly. We have many chances to win the game, but just could not take any of them.

Players Rating:
Reina: 6.5 Defense let him down again.
Carragher: 6.5 Did OK on the right but failed to help attack.
Agger: 6 Injured early on.
Skrtel: 7 Scored a great goal, almost scored another, but were also guilty of conceding both goals.
Insua: 6.5 An average performance.
Lucas: 7.5 Solid performance with growing confidence. Just lack a bit creativity.
Mascherano: 7 Solid display.
Kuyt: 6.5 Have a few chances but failed to take.
Gerrard: 7 Not in his best condition and faded out quickly in 2H.
Babel: 6 Injured and could not contribute more.
Ngog: 6.5 Assisted on the equalizer.

Substitutions:
Kyrgiakos: 6.5 Solid in defending but his lack of pace is a big hindrance, especially facing pacy forwards like Tevez.
Benayoun: 7 Did well and scored a fantastic equalizer.
Aurelio: 6 Not enough time to impress.

Rafa: 6.5 Need to sort out the defense and pray for the injured players to return soon.

Manchester City: 6.5 Would such an expensive squad you expect them to play much better.

Man of the Match: Lucas. Need to improve his creativity though.

Restart the season

After a much needed break many injured players are recovering, and it is now time for us to restart the season. City has spent big money trying to buy glory, and we need to play to our best to get the 3 points to restart the season.

My Team Prediction:
Reina
Johnson
Carragher
Skrtel
Insua
Mascherano
Lucas
Kuyt
Gerrard
Babel
Ngog

Result 2:0

Match Report 091109 vs Birmingham City: Luck needed

2-2 and this is another 2 points lost. With the chances we created we should have won this game comfortably, but Torres was not around and we somehow conceded two goals. The penalty was dubious, but Ngog was not diving and merely lost balance and fall down. And our injury problem is never ending as Riera and Benayoun were both injured. Realistically we should now focus on safeguarding 4th place.

Players Rating:
Reina: 6.5 Can't do much on both goals conceded.
Johnson: 7.5 Very lively performance and created many chances.
Agger: 7 Solid display despite playing with back pain.
Skrtel: 6.5 Generally solid but at times feeling nervous.
Insua: 6.5 Did well in defending.
Lucas: 7 Solid in midfield.
Mascherano: 7 Tackles everywhere.
Benayoun: 6.5 Feeling a bit tired and torn his hamstring.
Kuyt: 6.5 Not taking his chances well.
Riera: 7 A nice assist before he torn his hamstring again.
Ngog: 7 Great goal scored, but was accused of diving in 2H.

Substitutions:
Gerrard: 7 Scored a penalty to savage 1 point.
Babel/Aquilani: 6.5 Not enough time to impress.

Rafa: 6.5 Would be grateful on the performance but not the result. Need to find ways to change our luck.

Birmingham City: 6 Taken their chances well and earned one point.

Man of the Match: Johnson. Good game going forward.

Pick ourselves up

After a period of 1 wins in 8 matches we now need to pick ourselves up and try to win every game. Many of the injured players are recovering, so we can have a better lineup tonight. Normally I don't like Monday night football but this time, the extra 2 days' rest really helps.

My Team Prediction:
Reina
Johnson
Skrtel
Agger
Insua
Mascherano
Lucas
Kuyt
Aquilani
Benayoun
Torres

Result 2:0

Match Report 091104 at Lyon: Miracle Needed

1-1 and this result send us to a mission impossible. We need Lyon to help us to beat Fiorentina in order to have any real chance to qualify. It will be very difficult, but it is not impossible. We played well and deserved to win but with one error in the last minute, our hope is fading and Europa League is looming onto us.

Player Ratings:
Reina: 7 Made a few great saves but could do nothing on the goal conceded.
Carragher: 7 Solid at the right back position.
Kyrgiakos: 5.5 His lack of pace exposed us and lead to the goal conceded.
Agger: 7 Solid despite playing through the pain barrier.
Insua: 6.5 Solid at the back.
Mascherano: 6.5 Solid in the middle.
Lucas: 7 Did well in the midfield.
Kuyt: 6.5 Workaholic as usual but failed to have any real impact.
Voronin: 6 Missed a glorious chance in 1H.
Benayoun: 7 Quiet game other than the assist to Babel.
Torres: 7 Credits to him in holding up the Lyon defense despite playing with an injury.

Substitutions:
Babel: 7.5 Finally made an impact again when called up.
Ngog: 6.5 Not enough time to impress.

Rafa: 6.5 Would be disappointed on how we conceded the goal cheaply, despite it is clearly an offside goal. We need some more luck.

Lyon: 6.5 They didn't do too much to deserve a victory, but let's hope they will help us in beating Fiorentina in 3 weeks' time.

Man of the Match: Babel. Wonder strike although at the end it is still not enough

When you walk through a storm, hold your head up high

With a long list of injuries we are hugely weakened going into this important game. Rafa can barely has 19 players flew to France and not all of them are fully fit. It is time for the squad players to stand up and be counted. And show the world that you are capable of, and show that you deserve the red shirt.

My Team Prediction:
Reina
Darby
Carragher
Agger
Insua
Mascherano
Lucas
Kuyt
Aquilani
Benayoun
Torres

Result 2:0

October Month Report

1 win and 5 defeats and this is as poor as you can see. We did have lots of injuries, no luck, and the fixture is not helping us, but still we are Liverpool and we should perform much better. Even beating United is of no use if we keep on playing this. Rafa, please turn this around quickly.

Players of the month (1) Reina 7.10 (2) Benayoun 6.99 (3) Kuyt 6.84. Although we lost so many matches Pepe has been a consistent player. Yossi also provided a lot of sparks during the month, and Kuyt has also been working hard as usual. But the other players need to step up and be counted.

November prediction:
11/4 Lyon (a) A defeat will means Europa. But with currently lineup we definitely need a miracle to get a result.
11/9 Birmingham City (h) By the time we play Birmingham we may be down to 9th depending on results elsewhere, and we need to pick up soon.
11/21 Manchester City (h) They are one of the top 4 contenders so we need to beat them at home to maintain an advantage.
11/24 Debreceni VSC (a) No matter where we are heading in Europe we need to beat the Hungarian team.
11/29 Everton (a) This year the Merseyside derby will feature two teams in trouble, but this may be another good opportunity for us to keep moving up.

Match Report 091031 at Fulham: Nightmare in Halloween

1-3 and this is a very poor result. True, we were hit by injuries and virus, but the starting lineup is still full of internationals and we should get more. The fact that Torres' goal is the only shot on target tells you how poor we are. Both red cards should not be given and we will appeal for both of them.

Player Rating:
Reina: 6.5 Could not do much to avoid the three goals conceded.
Degen: 6 Did well going up but let the defense exposed. Was wrongly sent off.
Carragher: 6 Did well in the defense but was harshly sent off. Debatable decision.
Kyrgiakos: 5.5 Very poor defending and was ball-watching for the first goal conceded.
Insua: 6 Lose Zamora and let in the first goal conceded.
Lucas: 7 One of the better playing in the squad.
Mascherano: 6.5 Did OK but could not drive the team forward.
Benayoun: 6.5 Have a shot hit the bar.
Voronin: 5.5 Useless.
Kuyt: 6.5 Worked hard as usual but failed to provide any impact.
Torres: 7.5 His goal is not enough to get us at least one point.

Substitutions:
Babel: 5.5 Barely seen on the pitch.
Eccleston/Ayala: 6 Not enough time to impress.

Rafa: 5 Another very poor display by the team and he seems to have no method of turning it around...

Fulham: 6.5 Did enough to win the game although the scoreline flatters them.

Man of the Match: Torres. We definitely need him to be fit on Wednesday.

Momentum and consistency are the keys

After a memorable victory last week we need to build on it and start another winning streak. Fulham will be tough opponent at home and we need a wonderful strike by Yossi at the last minute to beat them last year, so we need to play exceptionally well again this time to get the three points.

My Team Prediction:
Reina
Degen
Carragher
Agger
Insua
Mascherano
Lucas
Kuyt
Benayoun
Babel
Torres

Result 2:0

Match Report 091028 at Arsenal: Nice debut by Aquaman

1-2 and although we are out of the League Cup our performance was quite well. In short this is a very balanced game, but Arsenal took their chances better than we do. And we were cruelly denied a penalty that will bring the game to extra time. In summary, the second strings did quite well and they will get another chance to shine very soon.

Players Rating:
Cavalieri: 6.5 Could have done better in defending both goals conceded.
Degen: 7 Surprisingly very attacking mind and almost scored an opener.
Skrtel: 6.5 Looks a bit off the form and was out-muscled in the 2nd goal conceded.
Kyrgiakos: 6.5 Did OK.
Insua: 7.5 Scored a cracking goal to open his account.
Spearing: 6.5 Assured performance with a few nice passes.
Plessis: 6.5 Confident display after signing a new contract.
Kuyt: 7 Good performance for the captain but he played a bit too deep.
Voronin: 6.5 Lost the ball and lead to the first goal conceded.
Babel: 6 Missed another sitter to equalise the game.
Ngog: 6.5 Did well in 1H but level dropped in 2H.

Substitutions:
Benayoun: 6.5 Not many contribution.
Aquilani: 7 A very good long-awaited debut and he almost scored.
Eccleston: 6.5 Not enough time to impress.

Rafa: 7 Although result is not good but he would be delighted about the way the second tier play.

Arsenal: 7 Showed they have more depth of players in the second tier.

Man of the Match: Insua. First of many great goals.

Second strings shine again

After a superb victory in the League we are now back to League Cup matter. With many players continuing their recovery Rafa would no doubt use some of the fringe players. And we may see Aquilani playing a part in the game as well.

My Team Prediction:
Cavalieri
Degen
Skrtel
Kyrgiakos
Dossena
Lucas
Spearing
Benayoun
Voronin
Babel
Ngog

Result 2:0

Match Report 091025 vs Manchester United: Players respond

2-0 and this is a very well deserved victory. The players respond to the critics and were pressing them from the first minute onward and there is only one winner from the game. Together with most of the other results we are now in a much better position that previous week.

Players Rating:
Reina: 7.5 A good game with not too many saves to made.
Johnson: 7.5 Shows his defensive class.
Carragher: 8 Tackles after tackles, clearances after clearances, and Carra is back.
Agger: 7.5 A very assured performance.
Insua: 7 A few mistakes in the first 10 minutes but gradually recover.
Lucas: 8 Made numerous tackles and a killing assist to seal off the game.
Mascherano: 7.5 A very solid game in the middle although slightly ruined by a stupid red card.
Benayoun: 8 Very lively with many superb passes and of course the magnificent assist.
Kuyt: 8 Worked hard as usual.
Aurelio: 7.5 Almost scored from a superb freekick and another header in 1H, but became tired in the 2H.
Torres: 8.5 Superbly taken goal that shifted the balance.

Substitutions:
Ngog: 7.5 A coolly taken goal.
Skrtel: 7 Provide more rock in the dying minutes.

Rafa: 8 Would be absolutely delighted about the way the players respond. Now we need to build another long winning streak.

Manchester United: 6 Does not have as much hunger as we did for a victory.

Man of the Match: Torres. Another superb goal with 80% fitness.

At the end of the storm, there's a golden sky

After 4 straight defeats we now face the most important game of the season. A win will bring us back on track, so as fans we need to stand behind the team in this crucial moment. At the end of the storm, there's a golden sky. We'll never walk alone.

My Team Prediction:
Reina
Johnson
Carragher
Skrtel
Insua
Mascherano
Lucas
Kuyt
Benayoun
Babel
Torres

Result 2:0

Match Report 091020 vs Lyon: We have mountains to climb

1-2 and the result leaves us a huge mountain to climb. Depends on result elsewhere, there may be a scenario that we win the next 3 games but still could not qualify. And with the list of injuries, we are really in deep trouble. As fans this is the time the team need us, and we should stand by the team in this tough moment.

Players Rating:
Reina: 7 Made a few successive saves but still couldn't keep the ball out for the first goal.
Kelly: 7.5 A very good debut ruined by the injury and the result.
Carragher: 6.5 Solid in center, but lost a Lyon player in the dying minute that lead to the goal when forced to play as right back.
Agger: 6.5 Solid but not too impressive.
Insua: 6.5 Good in defending but did not offer much on attack.
Lucas: 6.5 Tried very hard but not much flare provided.
Mascherano: 6.5 Good at screening the defense.
Kuyt: 7 Have a goal ruled off due to pushing.
Gerrard: 6 Lasted only 25 minutes, and we need him to be back soon.
Benayoun: 7 Scored a nice goal but faded quickly in 2H.
Ngog: 6 Missed a glorious chance to make it 2-0 and finished the game.

Substitutions:
Aurelio: 7 Good display coming up and was involved in our goal.
Skrtel: 6.5 Did the job well in center defense.
Voronin: 6 Not enough time to impress.

Rafa: 6 Would be disappointed that everything is not right. We will support him in this difficult period.

Lyon: 7 Played better than us but we need to beat them at their home.

Man of the Match: Kelly. A composed performance in his full debut.

Bounce back

After 3 straight defeats with no goal scored we definitely need to bounce back tonight. Torres is still out but Gerrard is back, so we have more firepower for the game. Lyon won't be easy opponent so we need to forget the weekend misery and walk on.

My Team Prediction:
Reina
Johnson
Carragher
Skrtel
Insua
Lucas
Mascherano
Benayoun
Gerrard
Riera
Kuyt

Result 2:0

Match Report 091017 at Sunderland: Defeat with dignity

0-1 and we were beaten by a better team. The goal may be fluke but our performance on that day would not earn us anything. Nevertheless Rafa was dignified and admitted that we don't deserve anything, and did not complain about the balloon. We now need to move on, as there are two crucial matches coming up.

Players Rating:
Reina: 7.5 Made a superb save to reduce the damage.
Skrtel: 6 An average performance.
Carragher: 7 Gradually back to his form.
Agger: 6.5 A nice comeback from injury.
Johnson: 6.5 Failed to help the attack.
Lucas: 6 Could not direct from midfield.
Spearing: 6 A nice debut start in the league, but he conceded the ball a few times.
Aurelio: 6 Did not offer much.
Benayoun: 6.5 Not much contribution.
Kuyt: 6.5 Not many opportunities given.
Babel: 6 Disappointing.

Substitutions:
Mascherano: 6.5 Controlled the midfield well.
Voronin: 6 Not much contribution.
Ngog: 6 Not enough time to impress.

Rafa: 6 Would be disappointed about the display. Need to lift the team up ASAP.

Sunderland: 7 The better team in the afternoon. Fully deserved winner.

Man of the Match: Reina. Prevent the team from further embarrassment.

Prove we are not a two men team

After the international week we have many casualties, as Gerrard, Torres, Kuyt and Kyrgiakos also picked up injuries. Sunderland will be a tough opponent to beat, as they have recently drawn a game at Old Traford and their morale will be high. But we need to show the world we are not a two men team. All the players should gear up and take the three points home.

My Team Prediction:
Reina
Johnson
Carragher
Skrtel
Aurelio
Mascherano
Lucas
Riera
Benayoun
Babel
Kuyt

Result 2:0

Match Report 091004 at Chelsea: Big blow

0-2 and this is a big blow to our season. For the first 60 minutes it was very tight, with no team really on top. Then an error by Mascherano, who gave away the ball and we were soon one down. We then geared up, trying to find the equalizer, but the finishing was not good and we were a bit unlucky. As the team push ahead hard our defense is empty, and we let them scored another goal.

It is a big blow, but the season is only 8 games old. We still have plenty of games to catch up, but we need to start a winning run from next game.

Players Rating:
Reina: 7 Can't be blamed for both goals.
Johnson: 6.5 Defense was exposed when he moved too forward for the first goal.
Carragher: 6.5 Cannot contain Drogba for the second goal.
Skrtel: 6.5 Gradually back to his standard.
Insua: 6 Was a bit slow and could not mark Drogba for the first goal.
Mascherano: 6 Very good before the mistake.
Lucas: 6 Solid if not too impressive.
Kuyt: 6 Worked hard but no prevail.
Gerrard: 6.5 Could not lift the team.
Riera: 6 Almost scored from a free kick, but not much else offered.
Torres: 6 More interested to kick Terry instead of shot the ball.

Substitutions:
Benayoun: 7 Very lively and almost scored.
Babel/Aurelio: 6 Not enough time to impress.

Rafa: 6 Would be disappointed at the lack of fight. Definitely need to lift the team after the international break.

Chelsea: 7 The slightly better team won, and they would be title contender unless African Cup is affecting them severely.

Man of the Match: Reina. Reduced the damage to bare minimum.

Good response needed

After a very poor performance at Florence we need to show a good response. Chelsea also has their own problem in Cech suspended, but they are still a very strong team especially in attack. We need to be very cautious and at our top to have any chance to bring 3 points home.

My Team Prediction:
Reina
Johnson
Agger
Carragher
Insua
Mascherano
Lucas
Kuyt
Gerrard
Benayoun
Torres

Result 2:0

September Month Report

5 wins and 1 defeats in September see us back to top 3 in the League and into last 16 of League Cup. After a slow start in August the team is gradually picking up, with nice home performance in the league against Burnley and Hull City, together with an exciting win at West Ham. We will have some big games in October and we need to keep the momentum. The second tier players are also picking themselves up with a nice win at Leeds in the League Cup. In Europe, however, we were not as convincing with a 1-0 win at home against Debreceni an lost at Fiorentina. The margin of error is now very slim for us and 4 points are the minimum for our next two games vs Lyon.

Players of the Month (1) Benayoun 7.60 (2) Gerrard 7.49 (3) Torres 7.40. Benayoun continues with his fine form with a hat trick against Burnley and 2 assists. Stevie G once again lead by example with a superb goal vs Hull and two assists. Torres is gradually back to his best form with 5 goals scored in the month.

October prediction:
10/4 Chelsea (a) They have Cech suspended and a few injuries so we need to take our chances.
10/17 Sunderland (a) Sunderland are doing fine at home so we need to play well if we want to take 3 points home.
10/20 Lyon (h) Almost a must win game for us if we want to qualify.
10/25 Manchester United (h) The biggest game of the season, we need to be on our top for sure.
10/28 Arsenal (a) Both teams will play reserve players so it is a matter of who have a thicker squad and take the League Cup more serious.
10/31 Fulham (a) They did not do well this season so we need to take our chances.

Match Report 090929 at Fiorentina: Back to earth

0-2 and this is a very poor performance in the first half. Nobody is willing to fight and Fiorentina did well to be on top and we were defeated by two very well taken goals. The performance is much better in 2H but it was too little, too late. The next two matches vs Lyon are now crucial and we need at least 4 points if we want to have any chance to qualify.

Players Rating:
Reina: 6.5 In general good but was unable to prevent both goals.
Johnson: 6 Not many chances to go forward.
Carragher: 7 One of the better player in defense.
Skrtel: 6.5 A flat performance.
Insua: 6.5 Not in his best form.
Aurelio: 6 Did not offer too much in the DM position.
Lucas: 6.5 Solid in midfield.
Kuyt: 6 Worked hard as usual.
Gerrard: 7.5 Lead by example but didn't do much to bring us anything.
Benayoun: 6.5 Did not offer many opportunities to the forwards.
Torres: 6.5 Failed to tear down the Fiorentina defense.

Substitutions:
Babel: 6.5 Not as impact as the previous two games.
Voronin: 6.5 Not enough time to impress.

Rafa: 6 Would be fuming with the first half performance. Now he needs to make sure we are back to normal on Sunday.

Fiorentina: 7.5 Well deserved winner and we may need to beat them at our final match to qualify.

Man of the Match: Gerrard. But he alone can't leave the team.

Italian Job

After a superb performance over the weekend we are now back to Europe, with Fiorentina our next opponent. It will be a tough game but if we win this we are probably 60% sure to qualify, so we need to take our chance and continue our good run.

My Team Prediction:
Reina
Johnson
Carragher
Skrtel
Insua
Gerrard
Lucas
Benayoun
Kuyt
Riera
Torres

Result 2:0

Match Report 090926 vs Hull City: Sensational

6-1 and it is a very good win as Torres hits his fourth hat trick for us. Apart from a minor setback that see Hull equalized we were in control of the game. The team is now in a very confident mood going into the next week when we face Chelsea at their home, especially Cech is suspended and they may have a few injuries.

Player Ratings:
Reina: 7 Not much to do.
Johnson: 7 Relatively quiet in the game.
Carragher: 7.5 A much better performance.
Skrtel: 7 Poor header clearance that lead to Hull's equalizer.
Insua: 7.5 A superb performance with many overlaps and successful crosses.
Benayoun: 8 Superb performance with two inch perfect passes to Torres as two assists.
Gerrard: 7.5 A bit quiet but still scored a superb goal.
Lucas: 7.5 Provided steel in the midfield.
Riera: 7.5 Two nice assists.
Torres: 9.5 Three superb goals and is hitting top form.
Kuyt: 7.5 Worked hard with a superb assist that opened Babel's account.

Substitutions:
Babel: 8 Much better performance and was reward with two goals
Mascherano: 7 Solid in midfield.
Voronin: 7 Worked hard when called up.

Rafa: 7.5 Would be delighted about the team performance.

Hull City: 5 Desperately need to tighten up defense if they want to survive.

Man of the Match: Torres. Hitting top form but can still improve.

Maintain the momentum

Despite not playing too well we are now in a five game winning streak. We need to keep the momentum and try to pressurize the top teams. We only managed a draw with Hull last season so this is now time to make up grounds. They are not playing too well recently, so we need to come out and try to win the game.

My Team Prediction:
Reina
Johnson
Carragher
Skrtel
Insua
Mascherano
Lucas
Kuyt
Gerrard
Benayoun
Torres

Result 2:0

Match Report 090922 at Leeds United: A tough win

1-0 and we have a few scares before we finally win the game. Leeds were really up to the game and did scored a goal although it was ruled offside. We did not create too many chances and fortunately Ngog's goal is enough to send us through to last 16.

Players Rating:
Cavalieri: 7.5 A nice clean sheet kept, although he did conceded once but the goal was ruled offside.
Degen: 6 An average performance.
Carragher: 6.5 Surprised player on the pitch but he did lead by example.
Kyriakos: 6.5 A bit slow when facing fast forwards.
Dossena: 6.5 Didn't do much going forward.
Mascherano: 8 Did very well and assisted the goal.
Aurelio: 6.5 Did well in his first start from injury.
Babel: 7 Lively performance.
Spearing: 7 Good performance and will be challenging for first team place.
Riera: 7 Almost scored from a header.
Ngog: 7.5 Well taken goal that bring us through.

Substitutions:
Johnson: 7 Solid in defending.
Gerrard: 7 Provided more steel in midfield when needed.
Skrtel: 6.5 Not enough time to impress.

Rafa: 7 Would be glad to be able to rest most players and get a result, but we need to improve our performance.

Leeds United: 6.5 May consider them unlucky not to win the match, but at the end the difference in quality counts.

Man of the Match: Mascherano: Heartbeat of the team.

Reserve to shine

League Cup is a good opportunity to give the reserve players a chance to show what they can do, and tonight at Elland Road will be another such opportunity. Leeds was once a big team and so they would be eager to let the world know they are still capable, so we need to be ready and alert if we want to go through.

My Team Prediction:
Cavalieri
Degen
Agger
Kyrgiakos
Aurelio
Spearing
Lucas
Voronin
Babel
Riera
Ngog

Result 2:0

Match Report 090921 at West Ham United: Thank God Torres is a Red

3-2 and once again Torres rescued us. Defense was shaky today especially during first half, as we just can't hold out the speed of Hines. But with Torres you have hope, and he saved us from losing ground when all other Big 4 all won. At the end getting 3 points is more important, but we need to improve our performance especially in defense.

Players Rating:
Reina: 7 Made a few great saves.
Johnson: 7 Good going forward but sometimes at the expense of the defense. May be exposed when facing stronger opponents.
Carragher: 5.5 A very poor performance and could not cope with the speed of Hines.
Skrtel: 6 Did not have a good game.
Insua: 7 A good performance capped with a nice assist to Torres.
Mascherano: 7 A solid game in his return to Upton Park.
Lucas: 7.5 Did well in the midfield.
Kuyt: 7.5 Scored another goal and was always hard working.
Gerrard: 7 A good header that lead to the 2nd goal.
Benayoun: 7 Have a few nice runs and almost scored.
Torres: 8.5 Above all the players with two great goals.

Substitutions:
Babel: 7 Superb assist although contributed almost nothing other than that.
Aurelio: 6.5 Provided some much needed defensive strength.
Riera: 6.5 Not enough time to impress.

Rafa: 7 Would be delighted with the fighting spirit but need to sort out the defensive problems especially during set-pieces.

West Ham United: 7 A team on the rising and will be difficult to beat.

Man of the Match: Torres. Keep scoring and we will win.

Keep gear up

After an unconvincing win in Europe it is now back to our bread and butter. West Ham had a bad spell recently but they are strong at home. So we need to gear up if we want bring the three points home.

My Team Prediction:
Reina
Johnson
Carragher
Skrtel
Insua
Mascherano
Lucas
Kuyt
Gerrard
Benayoun
Torres

Result 2:0

Match Report 090916 vs Debreceni VSC: 3 points are most important

1-0 and it was an unconvincing display, but at the end it is the 3 points in the pocket that matters. We basically controlled the game with many goal attempts, but at the end our finishing was not too good and we only managed to score 1 goal before half time. With the 3 points in hand we will approach the next game in more confidence and we know that with another win we will be 60% through the group stage.

Players Rating:
Reina: 7.5 Made a few good saves before we finally score.
Johnson: 7 Did well going forward but was caught once carelessness.
Carragher: 7 Lead the defensive line well.
Skrtel: 7 Solid defending.
Insua: 7 Getting more mature.
Benayoun: 7.5 Very sharp.
Gerrard: 7.5 Tried very hard but was unlucky not to score.
Lucas: 6.5 A bit rusty especially in tackling.
Riera: 7 Missed a few consecutive chances.
Kuyt: 8 Scored another tap in.
Torres: 6.5 Another below par game.

Substitutions:
Babel: 6.5 Not much contribution.
Maschernao/Aurelio: 6.5 Good to see them back from injury.

Rafa: 7 Would be delighted about the result but certainly need to improve the team display.

Debreceni: 6 Did not offer much to get any point from the game. Would be struggling in the group.

Man of the Match: Kuyt. Showed he can be a good striker when played upfront.

Kick off in Europe

After 5 league games it is now time to negotiate in Europe. We have not played a Hungarian team for many years, and Debreceni will be an unknown to most of the fans. But Rafa and his staff have done lots of homeworks and they will provide the most suitable lineup and strategy for the game.

My Team Prediction:
Reina
Johnson
Carragher
Skrtel
Insua
Mascherano
Lucas
Kuyt
Gerrard
Benayoun
Torres

Result 2:0

Match Report 090912 vs Burnley: Super Yossi

4-0 and this is a brilliant effort by Benayoun. He scored three and helped created another, and could easily score a double hat trick. Apart from a few early scares we are in total control of the game. And as long as we are ahead the game is basically over. Players are full of confidence and we play well in the 4-4-2 formation. Maybe Rafa should consider to play more 4-4-2 when we are at home.

Players Rating:
Reina: 7.5 Not much to do.
Johnson: 7 A good performance and created the first goal.
Carragher: 7 Gradually play better.
Skrtel: 7 Composing performance.
Insua: 7 Another good performance.
Benayoun: 9 Easily his best performance for us.
Gerrard: 8 Did the midfield role well and were unlucky not to score a few goals.
Lucas: 8 Assured performance in DM.
Riera: 6.5 A bit quiet.
Kuyt: 8 Quick response and scored a fast break goal.
Torres: 6.5 Very quiet.

Substitutions:
Degen: 6.5 A good league debut.
Voronin: 7.5 Did well as a supporting forward, but missed a sitter.
Ngog: 7 Not enough time to impress.

Rafa: 7.5 Would have few things to complain in this performance.

Burnley: 6.5 Credits to Burnley in not parking the bus. They would survive if performing like this week in week out, but certainly need to try getting points away from home.

Man of the Match: Benayoun. Should have score 3 more at least.

Gear up

After two weeks of meaningless Internationals we are finally back to the league. Burnley proves to be a dark horse and had beaten Man United and Everton already, and they are a good counter attack team. We need to be patient and alert in order to get the 3 points.

My Team Prediction:
Reina
Johnson
Carragher
Skrtel
Aurelio
Benayoun
Gerrard
Lucas
Riera
Kuyt
Torres

Result 2:0

August Month Report

2 wins and 2 defeats and we did not have a good start. The lose of Xabi affected the team and we have some problems in defending set pieces, with all 7 goals conceded from set pieces. Together with some players not performing, we find ourselves 6 points behind the leading teams. But this is still early in the season and we have enough games to catch up. But the margin of error is becoming smaller and we need to pick up as many points as we can.

Players of the Month (1) Johnson 7.25 (2) Gerrard 6.97 (3) Kuyt 6.89. Johnson had a flying start for us and have already scored two goal, created another and won us a penalty. His attacking instinct is really eye catching. Gerrard, despite not performing well, was still in the heart of the team and scored a late winner for us at Bolton. Kuyt is as usual a hard working and consistent player and had scored one and created another goal for us.

September prediction:
9/12 Burnley (h) Burnley can beat Manchester at home but their away form is not as good. We need to take our chances.
9/16 Debreceni VSC (h) It had been a long time since we play a Hungarian team, and we should have enough workforce to beat them.
9/19 West Ham United (a) West Ham had a indifference start but their home form was good. We need to be at our top to get 3 points.
9/23 Leeds United (a) A game for the youngsters to show what they can.
9/26 Hull City (h) Hull is strong at the start so we need to be alert of them especially the set pieces.
9/29 Fiorentina (a) A trip to Italy would not be easy, and we need to be patience.

Match Report 090829 at Bolton Wanderers: We have the character

3-2 and we need a late goal and a sent off to take the 3 points home. Once again there is some fault in the defense and we conceded two silly goals, but the team show character and fight back. The performance was not beautiful, but at the end it's the three points that matter.

Players Rating:
Reina: 6.5 Couldn't do much on the two goals conceded.
Johnson: 7.5 Another superb goal to bring us back in the game.
Carragher: 6 Getting slower and slower. Need to pick up condition soon.
Kyrgiakos: 6.5 Solid in head but need to improve the communications with teammates.
Insua: 6.5 A solid performance.
Lucas: 6.5 Still conceding needless fouls.
Mascherano: 6.5 Solid as usual.
Kuyt: 8 Worked extremely hard and created the equalizer.
Gerrard: 7.5 Poor in 1H but step up in 2H after Davis dismissal.
Riera: 6 Could not start attacks from the left.
Torres: 7.5 One goal one assist despite still poor in form.

Substitutions:
Benayoun: 7 Created many chances.
Voronin/Dossena: 6.5 Not enough time to impress.

Rafa: 6.5 Would be delighted about how the team responded, but still need to sort out the mess in defense.

Bolton Wanderers: 6 Did not do much to try to win the game although they were twice ahead.

Man of the Match: Kuyt. Really responded to Rafa's call.

Bounce back

After a very poor display early this week it is now time to rebound. Bolton is a tough place to visit and they will be bombering us, and our defense need to be ready to have a good fight.

My Team Prediction:

Reina
Johnson
Carragher
Kyrgiakos
Insua
Gerrard
Mascherano
Kuyt
Benayoun
Riera
Torres

Result 2:0

Match Report 090824 vs Aston Villa: Another poor result

1-3 and it was a very poor performance. We did OK in the first 30 minutes, but then conceded two goals from set pieces. The second was in particular hard to take as players lost concentration arguing with the referee for a corner right at the end of the first half. After Torres equalised Stevie G was quick to concede a needless penalty and game over.

Many players were not in good match condition and we seems to have a problem when the opponent pressed our team. Midfield is completely lost, and we need to sort it out quickly.

Players Rating:
Reina: 6 Should concentrate more instead of arguing with the referee.
Johnson: 6 Failed to showcase his attacking skills in this match.
Carragher: 7 Solid in defense and willing to help attack especially in the second half.
Skrtel: 6 Did OK after his injury.
Insua: 6.5 Good crosses that lead to the Torres goal.
Mascherano: 6.5 Solid as usual.
Lucas: 6 Unlucky to concede an own goal and at times lost his concentration.
Kuyt: 6 Have a few chances but failed to convert.
Gerrard: 6 Did not do well and conceded a penalty that basically ended the game.
Benayoun: 6.5 Have an early chance but after that not much contribution.
Torres: 6.5 Scored a goal but should do more.

Substitutions:
Voronin/Babel: 6 Failed to change the game.

Rafa: 6 Would need to sort out how to combact when teams pressing us.

Aston Villa: 7 Did well in counter attack and were deserved winner of the game.

Man of the Match: Carragher. One of the few players who did not let the fans down.

Keep winning

After a midweek victory we need to keep up the winning habit to close the gap with the front team, particular in a week when all the remaining big 4 are winning. We beat Villa 5-0 in our last meeting and they are still in a poor form, but we still need to work hard and be patience to win the game tonight.

My Team Prediction:
Reina
Johnson
Carragher
Skrtel
Insua
Mascherano
Lucas
Benayoun
Gerrard
Kuyt
Torres

Result 2:0

Match Report 090819 vs Stoke City: Players respond

4:0 and the players really responded to Rafa's rally call. We started the game well and Torres scored an early goal that eased the nervousness of the team. We then rolled on and at half time Johnson secured the win with a acrobatic finish. We keep pressure in the second half and at the end the pressure pays off and we finally beat Stoke in the third attempt.

Players Rating:
Reina: 7.5 One superb save early in the second half to secure the clean sheet.
Johnson: 8.5 Superb all round performance on both ends.
Carragher: 7 Lead the defensive line well.
Ayala: 7 A good home start debut despite a bit nervous.
Insua: 7 Support the attack well.
Lucas: 7.5 Support the attack with confidence.
Mascherano: 7 Doing the dirty works well.
Kuyt: 7.5 Worked hard and was rewarded with an easy tap in goal.
Gerrard: 8 Two superb assists.
Benayoun: 7 Provided confidence to the team.
Torres: 7.5 Early goal to set the tone of the game.

Substitutions:
Voronin: 7 Have a shot on target but was saved.
Riera: 7 Not much contribution:
Ngog: 7.5 Scored the easiest goal in the right place.

Rafa: 7.5 Would be delighted in the way the team responded.

Stoke City: 6 Very defensive display and rely on set pieces only. Would need to improve their away form if they want to survice.

Man of the Match: Johnson. Provided another dimension to us.

Stand up and be counted

After a disappointing game on Sunday with many players AWOL, it is now for them to stand up and be counted. Stoke was an expect in blanking us in two games last season, and we need to improve from Sunday to beat them and claim the three points.

My Team Prediction:
Reina
Johnson
Carragher
Skrtel
Insua
Mascherano
Lucas
Kuyt
Gerrard
Riera
Torres

Result 2:0

Match Report 090816 at Tottenham Hotspur: Disappointed Start

1-2 and this is a very disappointing performance. We have left a big gap in the middle after Xabi left and it is a real big problem.

We did not start the game well and Spurs have been pressing us hard from the first minute. Many players were still out of condition and did not play hard especially during the first half. It was not until the second half that the Spur players were tired that we started to control the game, but we failed to provide the supply to Torres to finish the game. We did not deserve a win, although a shout for penalty is valid and we could have get an undeserved draw.

Players Rating:
Reina: 7.5 Saved us from more shame.
Johnson: 7 An impressive debut and earned a penalty.
Carragher: 6 A sloppy performance.
Skrtel: 6 Did not play well after collision with Carra.
Insua: 6.5 Tried hard to support attack.
Lucas: 6 Sit too deep and unable to provide killer pass.
Mascherano: 6 Not yet to his best condition and faked an injury.
Kuyt: 6 Tried hard but not much contribution.
Gerrard: 6.5 Very quiet game overall.
Babel: 5.5 Very poor with few contribution.
Torres: 6 Quiet as he did not receive any service.

Substitutions:
Benayoun: 7 Tried very hard to win possession.
Ayala: 6.5 A good debut.
Voronin: 6.5 Should have won us a penalty.

Rafa: 6 Poor performance and need to gear up the team.

Tottenham Hotspur: 7 Played well and deserved to win.

Man of the Match: Reina. Made many saves or we will be losing 4 goals at least.

Season Starts

After 3 months finally the new season will start. We have some players changes but the hear of the team is basically here and one year wiser. With the weakening of other teams we are in a better position to win the league this season.

The Spur game is the 6th away start in a row for Rafa and it will be tough. Spur is very strong at home as can be seen last year, and we have a so-so pre-season form with a few injuries. But the team is picking up form and we will be targeting for an away win to start the season.

My Team Prediction:
Reina
Johnson
Carragher
Skrtel
Insua
Mascherano
Lucas
Kuyt
Gerrard
Riera
Torres

Result 2:0

RIP, Sir Bobby

A true football legend, loved by most of the fans no matter which team you support. You'll Never Walk Alone.

2008/09 Season Review

Another season with no trophy nor final, but the team is definitely improving. We finished the season with 86 points which would win us the league in other seasons, and we only lose two league matches all year round. But the draws against lower teams, especially at home, were crucial. Nevertheless with the experience gained this season we will be much better equipped and we will win the league next season.

In Europe we did very well up to the last 16. In Quarter Final we drawn Chelsea again. Although we lost 1-3 at home in the first leg, we did our best to try to win the game and we almost did it. In the FA Cup we drawn our neighbor in the fourth round and it took 210 minutes to separate the two teams out. Good luck to the Toffees in the Final.

We ended the League Cup run rather early. We drawn Spur after we beat Crewe, but Spur seems to be our bogey team as we lost to them twice within November.

Player Rating (Games played, Minutes played, Goal scored/conceded, Assists/cleansheets, MoM, Rating)
Goalkeepers
Cavalieri 4G 360M 6GC 1CS 0MoM 6.13
Gulacsi 2 unused substitutes
Reina 51G 4650M 38GC 25CS 3MoM 7.08

Reina is again the first choice and he almost won the Golden Glove the 4th time. Cavalieri is also reliable when he is called upon.

Defenders
Agger 26G 2087M 2GS 1A 1MoM 6.94
Arbeloa 43G 3872M 1GS 3A 0MoM 6.81
Aurelio 33G 2432M 3GS 6A 1MoM 6.98
Carragher 54G 4819M 0GS 1A 3MoM 7.05
Darby 2G 27M 0GS 0A 0MoM 6.39
Degen 2G 157M 0GS 0A 0MoM 5.96
Dossena 26G 1769M 2GS 0A 0MoM 6.50
Hyypia 19G 1359M 2GS 0A 3MoM 7.20
Insua 13G 1060M 0GS 0A 0MoM 7.05
Kelly 1G 9M 0GS 0A 0MoM 6.50
Skrtel 30G 2681M 0GS 2A 0MoM 6.91

Central defense is our strongest area with 4 top class center backs. Carra lead the bunch with the most games / minutes played and the best rating. We also have three left backs challenging for the spot and Rafa has many options. However there is not much choice for right back with Arbeloa the only viable option as Degen is injured and Darby still too young, and at times Carra needs to play there as cover. In terms of attack the defenders need to improve as there are only 10 goals scored whole season, with Aurelio leading with 3. One thing worth mentioning is that although Hyypia did not get too many games, whenever he is called upon he is giving us 100%, as can be seen in his high rating and amount of MoM.

Midfielders
Alonso 47G 3726M 4GS 6A 6MoM 7.16
Babel 42G 1639M 4GS 5A 0MoM 6.56
Benayoun 42G 2506M 9GS 6A 8.5MoM 7.15
El Zhar 19G 455M 0GS 1A 0MoM 6.39
Gerrard 44G 3527M 24GS 11A 14MoM 7.61
Kuyt 51G 4340M 15GS 10A 2.5MoM 7.19
Lucas 39G 2011M 3GS 4A 1.5MoM 6.81
Mascherano 38G 3212M 0GS 2A 2MoM 7.13
Pennant 4G 247M 0GS 2A 0MoM 7.05
Plessis 5G 291M 1GS 0A 0MoM 5.92
Riera 40G 2643M 5GS 4A 0MoM 6.86
Spearing 2G 30M 0GS 0A 0MoM 7.03

Stevie G once again stands out and his 24 goals scored is really impressive. Alonso was rumored to be sold but he stayed and proof Rafa wrong with excellent performance all over the year. Kuyt excels in the right midfield position with 15 goals and 10 assists behind him. In the middle Mascherano also performed consistently as he rans all over the pitch. The most impressive revival has to be Benayoun. He scored 9 goals with 6 assists and had been the best player from February onward alongside Stevie G. Rafa will have a challenge to identity where to put him in the lineup next season.

Attackers:
Keane 28G 1780M 7GS 5A 3.5MoM 6.87
Ngog 19G 589M 3GS 1A 0MoM 6.51
Torres 38G 2789M 17GS 6A 7MoM 7.15
Voronin 1 unused substitute.

Torres is still our main striker and despite getting injured and out for a while, he still managed to score 17 goals and has now scored 50 in two seasons. Robbie Keane is a disppointed purchase but Rafa was quick to cut loss. Voronin may not have a future here, but Ngog is quite impressive and will feature more next season.

Players of the year (minimum 2505 minutes)
(1) Gerrard 7.61
(2) Kuyt 7.19
(3) Alonso 7.16
(4) Benayoun 7.147
(5) Torres 7.145
(6) Mascherano 7.13
(7) Reina 7.08
(8) Carragher 7.05
(9) Riera 6.91
(10) Skrtel 6.86
(11) Arbeloa 6.81

Team 7.01. It is a good increase above last year's average of 6.89. The team is heading towards the right direction and we need to be more consistent especially at home. We cannot afford to draw so many games at home again.

Goal conversion
We have 975 shots this season, 26 more than last year despite playing 4 less games. However we scored only 106 goals vs 119 last season. This is probably due to Torres injured for a longer time. In defense we allowed 503 shots (last year 491) but we conceded only 46 goals vs 50 last season. Once again we did better in Europe, but we may find ourselves struggled in the league especially when the other team played 9-0-1.

Match of the season
(1) 3/22/09 vs Aston Villa 8.06
(2) 10/26/08 at Chelsea 7.94
(3) 3/10/09 vs Real Madrid 7.88
(4) 3/14/09 at Manchester United 7.84
(5) 12/28/08 at Newcastle United 7.71

Worst match of the season
(1) 2/28/09 at Middlesbrough 5.64
(2) 11/12/08 at Tottenham Hotspur 5.68
(3) 8/13/08 at Standard Liege 5.90
(4) 4/8/09 vs Chelsea 6.20
(5) 4/21/09 vs Arsenal 6.40

20 years

20 years ago tonight, it was Liverpool vs Arsenal in the title decider.

At that time live football was not that frequent. We may get once a month, but since this is the title decider, TVB shown it live.

Due to the Hillsborough tragedy our fixture has been postponed. We have won the FA Cup in the week before, but the league is not over yet. We just need to avoid losing two goals or more and the double will be completed.

I was eagerly awaiting for this game. I played Nintendo games to try to get myself up, but somehow I felt asleep.

When I woke up, the game was over. I turned on the VCR and rewind, and saw the last few minute of the game.

And the rest was history.

From that game on, I swear I will not miss a live game like this, and so I will make sure I will turn the alarm. For I don't want the same to happen to me again.

May Month Report

4 wins to finish the month, but it is still not enough to take the Championship home. Nevertheless we have gained precious experience this year and next year we will be much better equipped to chase for our #19.

Player of the Month (1) Gerrard 8.01 (2) Benayoun 7.903 (3) Kuyt 7.902. Our captain scored 3 and created another 3 for the perfect month. Benayoun also scored 2 goals and give Rafa a big good headache in next season's lineup. Kuyt is also on fire, scoring 2 and created another 3 and broke his seasonal record for us.

Match Report 090524 vs Tottenham Hotspur: Thank you Sami

3-1 and Sami almost scored! It is sad to see Sami left, but he wants more minutes which unfortunately he will not get it with us. The game started as a typical end of season game with very slow place, but then Kuyt crossed the ball perfectly for Torres to score his 50th goal with us. From then on there is only one winner. Unfortunately a sloppy defending error and Reina is denied a fourth Golden Glove.

Players Rating:
Reina: 7 Denied a fourth Golden Glove.
Carragher: 6.5 Tiredness seems to came to him as he was very slow, and a sloppy defending lead to the goal conceded.
Skrtel: 7 Solid defending.
Agger: 7 Good defending and carried the ball forward.
Aurelio: 7 Good defending.
Alonso: 7.5 Nice passes and almost scored from midfield.
Mascherano: 7.5 Tackles from the first game till the last game of the season.
Kuyt: 7.5 Superb assist and a great shot deflected into the goal.
Gerrard: 7.5 Tried very hard but could not add a goal to his account.
Benaoun: 8 Scored a nice goal and created another.
Torres: 7.5 Great header as his half-century goal.

Substitutions:
Riera: 7 Had a very chances but failed to score.
Ngog: 7 Good run out.
Hyypia: 8 Rock solid defending and was unlucky not to score.

Rafa: 7.5 Would be delighted about this performance.

Tottenham Hotspur: 6.5 Poor defending lead to the defeat.

Man of the Match: Benayoun. Rafa would be thinking hard to accomodate him in the lineup.

Thanks for the service, Sami

This is Sami's farewell game and we need to win and keep a clean sheet for him. Spur still have a slim chance in going to Europe so they will be up for this game, and we need to play well to have a winning end to the season.

My Team Prediction:
Reina
Arbeloa
Carragher
Hyypia
Aurelio
Alonso
Mascherano
Kuyt
Gerrard
Riera
Torres

Result 2:0

Thanks for the service, Sami

This is Sami's farewell game and we need to win and keep a clean sheet for him. Spur still have a slim chance in going to Europe so they will be up for this game, and we need to play well to have a winning end to the season.

My Team Prediction:
Reina
Arbeloa
Carragher
Hyypia
Aurelio
Alonso
Mascherano
Kuyt
Gerrard
Riera
Torres

Result 2:0

Match Report 090517 at West Bromwich Albion: There's always hope

2-0 and the win is not enough with the dream for title finally gone. Credits to West Brom to give us a game but at the end the difference in quality made the difference especially in defense. After all it was a comfortable win and we are very close to finish second place.

Players Rating:
Reina: 8 Made a few great saves before we opened the account.
Arbeloa: 6.5 Going forward too much and let the defense exposed at times.
Carragher: 7 Played with heart although the fight for Arbeloa is a bit excessive.
Agger: 7 Good performance.
Insua: 7 Another impressive performance.
Mascherano: 7 Did well before he was injured.
Lucas: 8 One of his best performance for us.
Kuyt: 8 Scored a nice goal to kill off the game.
Gerrard: 8.5 Individual brilliance created the first goal.
Benayoun: 7.5 Made many impressive runs.
Torres: 6.5 A bit quiet by his standard.

Substitutions:
Alonso: 7 Good performance coming back from injury.
Babel: 7 Almost scored but shot wide.
Ngog: 7 A good run out.

Rafa: 7.5 Would be delighted that players still have heart to fight on.

West Brom: 6 Would need to definitely improve the defense when they come back.

Man of the Match: Gerrard. Scored one, created the other.

Plenty to fight for

Although the title may have settled by the time we kick the ball, there are still plenty to fight for as we still need to secure second place. A win at West Brom will send them back to Championship, so they will play the game of their life and it will be a challenge if we want to get three points.

My Team Prediction:
Reina
Arbeloa
Carragher
Hyypia
Aurelio
Alonso
Mascherano
Kuyt
Gerrard
Riera
Torres

Result 2:0

Match Report 090509 at West Ham United: We still believe

3-0 and although we won the game, the chance of winning title this season is becoming more remote now. By the time we kick the ball on Sunday at West Brom, the title may have been already settled. Nevertheless the team is now in a much better position to challenge the title next season, and we still with hope in our heart.

The match basically settled within 2 minutes with Stevie G's nice taken goal. We then keep on pressuring and then scored another two to maintain our recent trend of scoring more than 3 goals. Defense was not threatened, and the attacks were smooth. These are all good signs to us.

Players Rating:
Reina: 7.5 Rarely challenged.
Arbeloa: 7.5 Solid defending and helped created the first goal.
Carragher: 7 A rere mistake almost led to a goal conceded.
Skrtel: 7.5 Strong at the back.
Aurelio: 7 Good display.
Lucas: 7.5 Very solid in the middle.
Mascherano: 7.5 Good display back to Upton Park.
Kuyt: 7.5 Created the third goal.
Gerrard: 8.5 Scored two goals to seal the game.
Benayoun: 7.5 Unlucky not to score in his return to Upton Park, but he did help create chance for Torres for winning the penalty.
Torres: 7.5 Created the first goal and win the penalty for the second.

Substitutions:
Insua: 7 Another convincing performance.
Babel: 7.5 Scored a nice goal.
Dossena: 7 Solid when coming up.

Rafa: 7.5 Would be delighted about the performance in general.

West Ham United: 6.5 First goal in 2 minutes blew them off and from then on everything went wrong for them.

Man of the Match: Gerrard. Still have a slim chance to become top scorer.

Go back to the top

A win at West Ham will see us go back to the top, and although it may be the last time we sit there if result runs against us, we will still need to fight hard and see what will happen. Xabi is still out and Lucas will probably be starting, and he need to build up from his fine goal last week to convince the fans.

My Team Prediction:
Reina
Arbeloa
Carragher
Agger
Aurelio
Mascherano
Lucas
Kuyt
Gerrard
Riera
Torres

Result 2:0

Thank you Sami

It is a shocking news that Sami Hyypia will leave us and join Leverkusen next season.

In the last 10 years Sami has been one of our most faithful servant. He has been solid as a rock, and without him we would not be getting so many medals.

We wish Sami all the best in Germany, and hope one day he will be back as a coach. And of course, you'll never walk alone.

Match Report 090503 vs Newcastle United: Keep the pressure

3-0 and we refused to give up. With 3 games to go we really need a miracle to win the league, but we will not give up and try to win the remaining 3 games, and see if we are deserved to win the league.

Players Rating:
Reina: 7 Not a single save to make.
Arbeloa: 7.5 Solid defending.
Carragher: 7.5 Denied Newcastle any chance to shot on target.
Agger: 7.5 Defend well and almost scored another superb goal.
Aurelio: 7.5 Solid defending and great delivery for the 3rd goal.
Alonso: 7.5 Hit the bar twice.
Mascherano: 7.5 Ran all over the pitch to win the ball.
Benayoun: 8.5 Superb performance and could have score more.
Gerrard: 7.5 Unlucky not to score.
Riera: 7 Good performance.
Kuyt: 8.5 Scored one and created another.

Substitutions:
Babel: 7 Stretched the Newcastle defense.
Lucas: 7.5 Scored an easy header.
Ngog: 7 Not enough time to impress.

Rafa: 7.5 Would be happy about the team performance.

Newcastle: 5.5 They have a nice goalkeeper and honest manager, but they don't have anyone to score goal and defend well. Will relegate unless improved dramatically in the remaining 3 matches.

Men of the Match: Benayoun/Kuyt. Two constant threats.

Don't give up

Although the title dream is fading away fast, we should not give up and should keep fighting. Newcastle is in danger in relegation and will fight hard to get points, but we should have enough power to get 3 points and keep our dream alive.

My Team Prediction:
Reina
Arbeloa
Carragher
Agger
Aurelio
Alonso
Mascherano
Kuyt
Gerrard
Riera
Torres

Result 2:0

April Month Review

3W2D1L and we are out of the Champions League, with the League title now rely on a miracle. We started the month with a hard fought victory at Fulham, and then we lost at home to Chelsea, which basically signal the end of the Europe journey. We then rebound and beat Blackburn comfortably, and we tried very hard but can only draw Chelsea 4-4. We then repeat the scoreline facing Arsenal, and ended the month with another hard fought victory at Hull City. The players are now feeling the tiredness, and we need to push hard for the remaining four games and wait for the miracle to come.

Players of the Month (1) Benayoun 7.45 (2) Carragher 7.33 (3) Torres 7.24. Benayoun scored the important 90th minute winner at Fulham and also scored two, including an important last minute equalizer vs Arsenal to earn us 3 more points. Carragher has been the better defensive player among all and did well as captain at the absence of Stevie G. Torres was also on fire and scored 5 goals in the month. How we miss his goal in his absence...

May prediction:
5/3 Newcastle United (h) Newcastle are in danger in relegation but we still need to be careful as they will fight hard against us.
5/9 West Ham United (a) West Ham may have a slim hope in going to Europe so we need to be at our best in order to get 3 points home.
5/17 West Bromwich Albion (a) West Brom may have been relegated when we face them, but if not they will be fighting hard for the Premier League status.
5/24 Tottenham Hotspur (h) A home victory to end the season is what we ask for, no matter whether it will bring us Premier League title or not.

Match Report 090425 at Hull City: Result matters

3-1 and although we did not perform well, we have the lucky and edged pass the Tigers. We did not perform very well due to tiredness, but at the end the difference in quality makes the difference.

Players Rating:
Reina: 6.5 Can't do much on the goal conceded.
Arbeloa: 7 Going up frequently and created the 3rd goal.
Carragher: 7 Lead by example.
Skrtel: 7 A nice assist from a corner.
Insua: 6.5 Good in general but was too slow in stopping the goal.
Alonso: 7.5 Scored a nice goal from free kick.
Mascherano: 7 Worked hard as usual.
Lucas: 7 Solid performance.
Kuyt: 8 Scored two goals.
Torres: 7 Had two great opportunities but hit the bar once and saved by the goalkeeper on the other.
Benayoun: 7 Lively as usual.

Substitutions:
El Zhar/Agger/Dossena: 6.5 Not enough time to impress.

Rafa: 7 Would be delighted about the victory. Now we need to keep pressure and look for a miracle.

Hull City: 6.5 A hard fought performance but at the end the different of quality tells the difference.

Man of the Match: Kuyt. Worked hard and scored two well deserved goals.

Back on to the right track

Although the title dream is fading away we still need to fight to profit from any potential drop from Manchester. Stevie G will still be out but we still need to pick ourselves up and win the remaining 5 games.

My Team Prediction:
Reina
Arbeloa
Carragher
Agger
Aurelio
Benayoun
Alonso
Mascherano
Riera
Kuyt
Torres

Result 2:0

Match Report 090421 vs Arsenal: Dream fading away

4-4 and our title dream is fading away gradually. We were in control of the game, but 4 defensive errors and we conceded 4 goals. The good point from the game is that the team has a great fighting spirit and will keep on fighting till the end.

We now need Manchester to concede 6 points more than us, which is tough, but not impossible. With hope in your heart.

Players Rating:
Reina: 6 Had not made a single safe in the game.
Arbeloa: 5.5 At fault for the second goal.
Carragher: 5.5 Should do better in the second goal.
Agger: 6 Almost scored from a corner.
Aurelio: 5.5 Poor defending gifted the ball away for the third goal.
Benayoun: 8.5 Scored two important goals and was very lively.
Alonso: 6.5 Pulling the strings from the midfield.
Mascherano: 5.5 Poor passing lead to the first goal, and was in general below his normal level.
Riera: A quiet game apart from the assist.
Kuyt: 7.5 Fabulous crossing to create the first two goals.
Torres: 8 Scored two equalizers.

Substitutions:
Babel: 6 Involved in the forth goal.
El Zhar: 6 Not enough time to impress.

Rafa: 6.5 Would be delighted about the fighting spirit, but would be concerned with the sloppy defense. We now have 5 games remaining and will need to win them all to see what would happen.

Arsenal: 7 Had four chances and scored them all by Arshavin.

Man of the match: Benayoun. As Stevie G said, his equalizer may be crucial come May 24.

Challenge

Of our remaining 6 fixtures, the Arsenal game is probably the toughest. Although they have many injuries, they are still a very strong team and we also have Gerrard injured. Nevertheless, if we want to challenge for the title, we need to win this game. The players have the belief to do so, and we will be supporting them.

My Team Prediction:
Reina
Arbeloa
Carragher
Skrtel
Aurelio
Benayoun
Alonso
Mascherano
Riera
Kuyt
Torres

Result 2:0

You'll Never Walk Alone

To the Hillsborough brothers
20 years on
We have not forgotten
Deep in our hear
We believe one day
Justice will be prevailed
You'll Never Walk Alone

Match Report 090414 at Chelsea: Great Response

4-4 and twice we came within one goal of qualification, but we never scored the crucial goal. We keep pressing forward and were deserved to go 2-0 up. Then three defensive errors later we find ourselves 2-3 down, but we never give up and scored 2 back, with the absence of Torres. At the end Chelsea scored one more and honors were even. After all, this is an entertainment match, and we can now focus on the league in the remaining 6 games.

Players Rating:
Reina: 6 His error changed the game.
Arbeloa: 6.5 Solid display.
Carragher: 7.5 Led the team from the back.
Skrtel: 6 Once again failed to contain Drogba.
Aurelio: 7 Scored a great free kick to spark us on.
Alonso: 7 Calm penalty taken, but a miss pass sounded the end of our journey.
Mascherano: 7 Ran all across the pitch.
Lucas: 7 Scored a deflated goal but in general conceded too many fouls.
Benayoun: 7 Clever runs throughout the match.
Kuyt: 7 Worked hard and was rewarded with a goal that bring us hope.
Torres: 6 Did not have a good game in general.

Substitutions:
Riera: 7 Provided more attacking strength to the team.
Ngog: 7 Almost scored the 5th goal.
Babel: 6.5 Not much impact.

Rafa: 7 Would be delighted about the response of the team. Now we are going to push for the league title.

Chelsea: 7 Showed great heart in 2H to draw the game.

Man of the Match: Carragher. Vintage display.

Istanbul

To score 3 goals at Stamford Bridge may be difficult, but it is not impossible. Remember Istanbul...


Reina
Arbeloa
Carragher
Agger
Aurelio
Alonso
Mascherano
Kuyt
Gerrard
Babel
Torres

Result 3:0

Match Report 090411 vs Blackburn Rovers: Keep the pressure on

4-0 and we this is the best respect we shown to the Hillsborough brothers. From the first minute we have been pushing forward from the first minute. At the end we could have score more, but what is important is that we get the 3 points and improve our goal difference, which may be important at the end of the season. At the moment we just keep our pressure on, and hope they will stumble.

Players Rating:
Reina: 7.5 Another clean sheet on his 200th appearance for the Club.
Arbeloa: 7.5 Solid performance.
Carragher: 8 Superb performance as captain, and was involved in two of the goals.
Agger: 8 Scored another cracker to boast his chance for a place.
Insua: 7.5 Another solid display from the youngster.
Benayoun: 7.5 Great run in the midfield in the absence of Stevie G.
Alonso: 7.5 One superb freekick to create the second goal.
Mascherano: 8 All over the pitch.
Riera: 7.5 Good runs but failed to score one.
Kuyt: 7.5 Hard working as usual, and have a few shots saved.
Torres: 8.5 Two great goals scored.

Substitutions:
El Zhar: 7 Worked hard when came on.
Ngog: 7.5 Scored an easy goal.
Lucas: 7.5 Great assist provided.

Rafa: 7.5 Would be delighted about the response after the midweek defeat. Now we are looking for a miracle.

Blackburn Rovers: 6 Too many injuries and have no hope in getting anything from the match.

Man of the Match: Torres. Two goals for our Hillsborough brothers.

Rebound

After a disappointed midweek game we need to rebound quickly in the league. Stevie G is doubtful, and Blackburn will be physical, but we need to win the game so that we can back to the top again.

My Team Prediction:
Reina
Arbeloa
Carragher
Skrtel
Aurelio
Alonso
Mascherano
Kuyt
Benayoun
Riera
Torres

Result 2:0

Match Report 090408 vs Chelsea: A cliff to climb

1-3 and we were totally outclassed by Chelsea. Apart from the first few minutes that Torres scored a lovely goal, we failed to control the game and let Chelsea dictate it. At the end two mistakes in defending corners had killed off the game. Now we are left with the mission impossible of beating Chelsea by 3 goals at the home ground, but remember Istanbul?

Players Rating:
Reina: 6 Can't really blame him for all the 3 goals, and he had made a few important saves.
Arbeloa: 6 Not going forward enough.
Carragher: 6.5 Did made a last man safe just before the goal but in general unable to cope with the Chelsea attack,
Skrtel: 5.5 Failed to handle Drogba.
Aurelio: 5.5 Had a bad game in his standard.
Alonso: 7.5 One of the better player.
Lucas: 6 Not strong enough against Chelsea.
Kuyt: 6 Had a quiet game.
Gerrard: 6 Did not do enough to raise the teammates.
Riera: 5.5 Not much contribution.
Torres: 7 Scored a great goal.

Substitutions:
Benayoun: 6 No magic this time.
Dossena/Babel: 6 Not enough time to impress.

Rafa: 6 Need to make sure the players pick up themselves as soon as possible for the Blackburn game.

Chelsea: 7.5 Fully deserved to win as they have broken our tempo.

Man of the Match: Alonso. Apart from partially blamed for the equalizer, he did very well.

Not a revenge

We have been drawing Chelsea for the fifth time in five years in Europe, and although we have lost to them last year, revenge is not the right word. We just want to keep our good runs running. With Mascherano suspended we have to shuffle our pack a little bit, but Rafa will find the right team for the event.

My Team Prediction:
Reina
Arbeloa
Carragher
Skrtel
Aurelio
Alonso
Lucas
Kuyt
Gerrard
Riera
Torres

Result 2:0

Match Report 090404 at Fulham: Determination is the key

1-0 and it was not until the injury time that Benayoun scored that all important goal to keep us in the title race. We were in total control of the game, but somehow the goal post was keeping us from scoring. It looks like our title race may end at Cavern Cottage, but we keep fighting and fighting, and at the end a sweet strike by Benayoun ensures we are keeping our pressure on Manchester. There are still 7 league games remaining and we will keep fighting till the end.

Players Rating:
Reina: 7.5 Not much to do, and always kept an eye in providing the ball to the attacks.
Arbeloa: 7.5 Providing solid defending and going forward to help the attack.
Carragher: 7.5 Solid as a rock as usual.
Skrtel: 7.5 Solid in defending and have a nice chance hitting the bar.
Insua: 7.5 Defending well and overlap with Dossena well.
Alonso: 8 At the heart of the midfield, and have a great chance hitting the bar.
Lucas: 7.5 Solid in protecting the back 4.
Kuyt: 6.5 A bit quiet in the game.
Gerrard: 7.5 At the core of our attacks.
Dossena: 7.5 Shown us the real Dossena, and was unlucky not to score.
Torres: 7 Had a few chances but could not take any.

Substitutions:
Babel: 7.5 Run the Fulham defense well and was instrumental in creating the goal.
Benayoun: 8.5 Scored another important goal that could be our defining moment.
Agger: 7 Not enough time to impress.

Rafa: 7.5 Would be happy about the attitude of the team.

Fulham: 6.5 Very difficult to break down especially at home. Now they can challenge for the UEFA Cup spot.

Man of the Match: Benayoun. Good run continues after his injury.

Up where we belong

A win at Fulham will bring us back to the top, although with 2 more games played. Fulham's recent form has been very good and we need to be on our very top to get a result there. It will be tough, but we have the confidence.

My Team Prediction:
Reina
Arbeloa
Carragher
Skrtel
Aurelio
Alonso
Lucas
Kuyt
Gerrard
Riera
Torres

Result 2:0

March Month Review

4 wins and we are back to title race and into quarter final of Champions League. The month started with a low profile victory against Sunderland. Then we went like crazy and scored at least four goals against three former European Champions. Together with defeats of Manchester and Chelsea, we are now only one point behind although we played one more game. The final eight games will be crucial, and we are very confident that we can will all and then see what may happen.

Players of the month (1) Torres 8.47 (2) Gerrard 8.25 (3) Mascherano 8.13. Torres came back from injury and scored 2 goals to bring us hope. Stevie G also go riot and scored 6 goals in the month. And Mascherano is as hunger as usual in central midfield, with tackles everywhere.

April prediction:
4/4 Fulham (a) Fulham is very strong at home against big 4, so we need to be very careful.
4/8 Chelsea (h) It's so boring to meet Chelsea again... Anyway we need to beat them in first leg before we visit Stamford Bridge.
4/11 Blackburn Rover (h) Blackburn is in trouble and we need to pick up three points agian.
4/14 Chelsea (a) For the Hillsborough victims
4/21 Arsenal (h) A big hurdle to our title bid, but we will be fresher than they are since we do not have to play FA Cup semi final.
4/25 Hull City (a) We lost 2 points at home and need to avoid the same mistake going away.
4/28 Barcelona/Bayern Munich (a) If we pass through Chelsea this will be another hurdle to pass through before we visit Rome for glory.

Match Report 090322 vs Aston Villa: Confidence is the key

5-0 and this is a very good performance, especially when both Manchester and Chelsea faltered. The victory took us to only a point behind, although we played one extra game. We are now back on the title challenge, and who knows what will happen in the coming 2 months.

We bombered the Villa defense from the first minute. After Kuyt scored his great volley Villa tried to hit us back, but Reina was in top form and made two great saves. He even went one step further and provided another great assist to Riera. Then Stevie G took the show and scored a hat trick.

Players Rating:
Reina: 8.5 2 great saves and 1 assist.
Arbeloa: 7.5 Superb defending and support attack.
Carragher/Skrtel: 8 Solid throughout
Aurelio: 8 Superb in attack and defense.
Alonso: 8 Control the midfield well.
Mascherano: 8 Tackles everywhere.
Kuyt: 8 A great goal to open the floodgate.
Gerrard: 9 Two great penalties and one great free kick for his first Premier League hat trick.
Riera: 8.5 Run the left side of midfield and left Reo-Coker well behind.
Torres: 7.5 A bit quite and unlucky not to score.

Substitutions:
Lucas: 7.5 Had a good chance to score but shot wide.
Agger: 7.5 Nice to see him coming back.
Ngog: 7.5 Not enough time to impress.

Rafa: 8.5 Still not satisfied after 5 goals. But credits to him in peaking us at the right time.

Aston Villa: 5 Really low in confidence, but they need to rebound in the next match.

Man of the Match: Gerrard. First Premier League hat trick.

Momentum

This is the first of nine must win game if we want to win the Champion, and we need to build up from the good news from the past week. Villa is hitting a big slum recently and this is a good chance for us to take 3 more points.

My Team Prediction:
Reina
Arbeloa
Carragher
Skrtel
Aurelio
Alonso
Mascherano
Kuyt
Gerrard
Riera
Torres

Result 2:0

Match Report 090314 at Manchester United: Happy days

4-1 and this is a superb result in their backyard. Once again Rafa's game plan was perfectly executed and we came out as well deserved winner in our biggest victory there since 1936. Although they are still in the driving seat for league winner but we are now more confident to capitalize from any potential slip by them.

Players Rating:
Reina: 6.5 Conceded a needless penalty but apart from that he did well in general.
Carragher: 8 Superb defending as temporary right back.
Skrtel: 7.5 Good defending.
Hyypia: 8 Great vision in another superb defending.
Aurelio: 8 Scored a great free kick and worked very hard.
Lucas: 7.5 Made many great tackles and were everywhere.
Mascherano: 8.5 Everywhere on the pitch to make up for the injustice sent off last season.
Kuyt: 8 Worked hard as usual and provided calmness for the teammates.
Gerrard: 8.5 Superb linkage with Torres and scored a great penalty.
Riera: 6.5 Below average performance.
Torres: 9 Superb strike made it happened. Simply unstoppable.

Substitutions:
Dossena: 8 Wonder strike!
Babel/El Zhar: 7.5 Good efforts in a short period of time.

Rafa: 8 Two great results in a week, now we need to keep winning to see if there is any chance to win the title.

Manchester United: 6 Poor display and now the big question is, will this affect their confidence and let us have a chance?

Man of the Match: Torres. Another great goal to keep our dream alive.