• Home
• News
• Archives
• Subscribe
• Contact

Subscribe

Live: Sheffield UTD 1 - 0 Liverpool

Liverpool a goal down almost as soon as the second half kicks off, Rob Hulse finding himself a free header in the box to nod past Pepe Reina and put The Blades ahead on home soil. Rough justice for Liverpool who are missing Riise and Carragher through first half injury (Mark Gonzalez and Danny Agger on in their place).

1-0 Sheffield Utd with the whole half to play.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Live: Sheffield UTD 0 - 0 Liverpool (HT)

Half time at Brammall Lane and its still scoreless with Liverpool losing both John Arne Riise and Jamie Carragher in the first 33 minutes to injury, both players twisting their ankles, Riise twisting his going close to scoring midway through the half.

No further subs at half time, chances few and far between for Liverpool with Riise and Bellamy having the best of Liverpool’s chances.

Popularity: 6% [?]

Live: Liverpool Team Vs Sheffield United

The starting lineup and bench have been announced and it looks as follows:

Pepe Reina, Jan Kromkamp, John Arne Riise, Sami Hyypia, Jamie Carragher, Steven Gerrard, Fabio Aurelia, Momo Sissoko, Bolo Zenden, Craig Bellamy, Robbie Fowler. Subs: Jerzy Dudek, Danny Agger, Mark Gonzalez, Peter Crouch, Jermaine Pennant.

With Steve Finnan out of action following Ireland’s loss against the dutch, Jan Kromkamp fills in at right back while Xabi Alonso also misses out. Fans will have to wait to see Dirk Kuyt in action another while yet, the player only completing his transfer yesterday and cannot play against Maccabi Haifa during the week.

Liverpool haven’t yet won an opening day fixture under Rafa Benitez but have lost only three of their last thirty in the league and will be hoping to turn that stat around in a half hours time.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Preview: Sheffield Utd vs Liverpool

Liverpool get their 06/07 Premier League campaign kicked off at Brammal Lane on Saturday lunchtime (with the game going out on Sky) which should be a special occasion for The Blades after a 12 year exodus from top-flight football.

While Rafa Benitez returns to the sidelines after letting Gary Ablett take the reigns for the midweek friendly against Lincoln City (with Liverpool winning 2-1), Neil Warnock will have to watch the game from the stands as he must sit out the first six games of the season courtesy of an FA touchline ban.

The last time the sides met in the league back in 1993 the game played out a goalless draw and on the form of recent performances from Liverpool I would highly think that Saturday’s game will not produce the same result.

Getting off to a winning start to the season means everything and with a good win against Chelsea with an understrength starting eleven, coupled with our great coups of the summer transfer market including the arrival of Craig Bellamy, Mark Gonzalez (at long last) and Fabio Aurélio, Liverpool now more than ever have the strength in numbers to overcome the opposition - starting with Sheffield United.

Bellamy has been on fine form during preseason and although we went and lost our three foreign friendlies (Kaiserslautern, Grasshopper and Mainz) I feel that those results are a distant memory after victories against Maccabi Haifa in the Champions League and Chelsea in the Community Shield, each time grabbing victories where they count and the same can be applied to the league.

Sheffield shouldn’t be underestimated all the same and will be out to make their mark in the league. The most recent encounter was in the Carling Cup in January 2003 with Liverpool progressing 3-2 on aggregate, Sheffield taking one leg and Liverpool the other.

The time to strike, however, is now. Liverpool are unbeaten in their last nine league games from the end of the 05/06 season. Peter Crouch is on form in the international fold, Craig Bellamy is raring to go, we’ve got fantastic ability and competition on the left side of the field, Robbie Fowler is looking sharper than ever, our midfield trio of Gerrard, Alonso and Sissoko are firing on all cylinders and our backline is one of the strongest backlines Liverpool have ever had.

Roll on Shefflied United today, roll on the Premier League and roll on a victory to Liverpool this afternoon.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Kuyt Completes Liverpool Tranfer

At long, long last, Dirk Kuyt has completed his Liverpool transfer bar dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s.

The player himself will wear number 18 and while it is possible that he could be handed a debut at Sheffield United, I wouldn’t expect to see him until our next league outing given that he can’t play in the Champions League until we secure the group stages.

Speaking about Kuyt today, Rafa Benitez has said

“I am really happy. We were looking at Dirk for a long time and I’m pleased we have signed him because he will be a good player for us.

“He’s a player with good game intelligence. He knows what to do with the ball and without the ball and he’s also a very good worker. His movement is good, his finishing is fantastic and I know he will score a lot of goals for us because we now have more possibilities in the wide areas and also between the lines.

I’m still skeptical about his signature, however pleased Benitez and the staff might be. What’s good for the goose maybe. The transfer itself is around the £9m-£10m mark though financial details of his contract and transfer have yet to be released.

This should be the last new face we see at Anfield, at least until Christmas and even at that it is doubtful (barring major injury) that Benitez will look to bring in more new faces midway through the campaign.

I’m just going to wait until he starts producing the goods and make judgement. Best of luck to him in the move though, delighted for the chap in fairness and hope that this gives us the scoring edge we need.

Popularity: 2% [?]

D-Day For Dirk Kuyt

Dirk Kuyt’s Liverpool transfer is expected to go through this morning with Rick Parry confirming

We hope the results will prove to be satisfactory. All being well it will go through this morning.

The player passed his medical yesterday and is expected to be unveiled at a press conference later today. Full details as and when they happen.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Fee Agreed For Dirk Kuyt

Its all over 2FM and Today FM and all over the papers you read this morning but Liverpool have now confirmed they have agreed at long last a fee to bring Dirk Kuyt to Anfield, now more likely that the transfer will be wrapped up later today.

Kuyt is expected at Anfield today to undergo a medical and discuss personal terms of the deal. Glenn Roeder had been hoping to bring Kuyt to Newcastle and took the trip to Lansdowne road last night to watch the Dutch striker in action in the second half as Ireland took a 4-0 hammering (without Kuyt scoring) but it looks like Rafa Benitez has finally gotten his man.

Speaking earlier on, Kuyt said

There was more interest from abroad, but for me there was nothing of the calibre of Liverpool, a brilliant club with an enormous reputation, fantastic support and a fabulous history. It is an honour to play for a club like that.

While the fee has been agreed, no financial details have been released from the club but no doubt we’ll learn more as the day goes on.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Result: Lincoln City 1 - 2 Liverpool

Liverpool made it two wins on the trot last night as those not involved in international fixtures (pretty much all the big names of the Liverpool squad) made the trip cross country to Sincil Bank to take on Lincoln City, winning the game 2-1.

Mark Gonzalez and youngster Besian Idrizaj were Liverpool’s scorers in a game arranged as part of Jack Hobbs’ transfer to Liverpool last season. As a mark of his return to Sincil Bank, Hobbs was given the honour of captaining the Liverpool side for the night in a game not officially recognised as a Liverpool fixture.

With the first half containing performances from Mark Gonzalez, Robbie Fowler and Fabio Aurélio, all three combined well in the middle of the park and going forward to set up Gonzalez for Liverpool’s first goal after 19 minutes with some good build up passing play by Aurélio whose performance was pulling cheers from the capacity crowd.

Idrizaj made it two just before the break, Godwin Antwi going close with a header coming off the crossbar, Idrizaj there to head the rebound into the back of the net for 2-0.

It was a night off too for Rafa Benitez who watched the game from the stands as reserve coach Gary Ablett took the reigns from the sidelines.

Ryan Semple pulled a goal back from Lincoln with 20 minutes gone in a second half that brough Steve Warnock back and Neil Mellor’s return from injury, Mellor going close on several occasions even hitting the post at one stage.

Good night at Sincil Bank, good return for Jack Hobbs and a nice final run out for some of the squad ahead of this weekend’s game to kick off the 06/07 Premier League campaign.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Kirkland Makes History - At Wigan

Chris Kirkland, currently on loan at Wigan, made history last night in becoming the first ever Wigan player to play for England. All the time he’s been trying to get a senior appearance with the English squad at Liverpool and it takes a loan move to Wigan to get him there!

Kirkland’s dad will be the one laughing all the way to the bank, finally getting to pick up his bookies winnings after laying £100 on the stopper at the age of 13 to pick up an English cap in goal and last night walked away with a rumoured £10,000 to his name for his troubles.

If Kirkland can avoid injury it is likely that the transfer will be made a permanent one with Wigan hoping to wrap the deal up at Christmas. He walked on to the pitch just two minutes into the second half as a replacement for Paul Robinson as England knocked four goals past current European Champions, Greece.

My congratulations to the lad for finally getting there and getting to represent his country. Hopefully it will mark a turnaround in his so far injury-plagued career.

Popularity: 9% [?]

Will Kuyt Be Worth It?

Dirk Kuyt. He’s 26 years old and by the end of last season he had notched up just over 120 league goals in Holland. He used to play for Utrecht until he started knocking them in for Feyenoord. His name has also been touted as an anfield prospect for long enough at this stage.

He came on in the second half for Holland tonight and no doubt the papers will be chock full of stories about him tomorrow with Liverpool expected to wrap up his transfer ahead of the weekend’s game against Sheffield United.

But at an estimated £10m do you think Dirk Kuyt will be worth it, this season, or in the long run? Do you think he can handle the Premier League and make good for Liverpool?

Me… I’m still that bit skeptical of the whole situation and personally think we’ve got much better options on the horizon. If you think different, don’t be afraid to say so!

Popularity: 12% [?]

« Previous Page — Next Page »

Copyright © 2007 - 2008 Football Access Blog Network | RSS