Liverpool Fc @ Anfield - Reds Supporters Gatherings

[joew2005]

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/st...-final?cc=4716

Luiz and Cahill set 2 miss final
May 4, 2012

Chelsea defenders David Luiz & Gary Cahill were absent fr the club's training session on Friday, casting doubts over their availability 4 Saturday's FA Cup final against Liverpool.

Luiz & Cahill hv both been struggling with hamstring injuries, but Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo had been hopeful they could recover in time 4 the showpiece @ Wembley.

It appears, however, the pair hv lost their battle 2 make the final, meaning they will likely now focus on being available 4 selection when the Blues take on Bayern Munich in the Champions League final on May 19.

John Terry, who is suspended 4 the game @ the Allianz Arena, is set 2 be partnered with Branislav Ivanovic in the heart of defence 4 Chelsea's clash against Liverpool.



http://soccernet.espn.go.com/preview...340950?cc=4716

A rivalry resumed

Back in the days of Jose Mourinho & Rafael Benitez, Chelsea versus Liverpool was as keenly-fought an engagement as any in English football. The 2 went head-2-head so often tat they became as sick of the sight of each other as the rest of the nation was of watching a series of attritional battles tat were won by a single goal @ best. A pair of 0-0 draws in the group stages of the 2005-06 Champions League was the nadir.

Those were halcyon days 4 both clubs. They were among Europe's best with 2 of the best coaches in the game. The last time the pair met in a major final was the Carling Cup final of 2005, where Mourinho won his 1st trophy @ Chelsea on a day where Steven Gerrard, heavily rumoured 2 be joining the Blues tat summer, scored an own-goal he later described as "1 of the lowest days I've had as a footballer".

At 31, Gerrard is now the veteran 1-club man whose experience of the big occasion is expected 2 carry his team-mates thru. His opposite number is John Terry, the same age & similarly loyal 2 the club where he made his bones. Both lead clubs whose 2011-12 has been soap operatic but now has a chance 2 end in glory.

Should Gerrard lift a 2nd cup 4 Kenny Dalglish, 2 follow February's skin-of-teeth triumph over Cardiff City in the Carling Cup, then tis can be remembered as a season of marked success 4 Liverpool. Despite pitiful home league form @ Anfield, the abandonment of hopes of returning 2 the Champions League & the Luis Suarez affair, there will be no asterisk next 2 the club's name in the record books' roll of honour.

With Chelsea's push 2 qualify 4 next season's Champions League via the Premier League all but denied by Papiss Cisse's rocket-guided shooting in midweek, tis is likely 2 be Terry's last chance 2 make a meaningful contribution tis season. Thanks 2 his own recklessness, he must sit out the continental showpiece in Munich in a fortnight.

Terry & co, & especially Didier Drogba, r old stagers @ Wembley while Liverpool r making only their 3rd visit 2 the 5-year-old stadium. Having been favourites in both their previous visits, including the Merseyside derby semi-final with Everton, Liverpool r slight underdogs tis time. Tat perhaps plays into the hands of Dalglish since his team hv noticeably performed better against bigger teams than supposed lesser lights. Tuesday's no-show against Fulham saw precisely nobody of his 2nd string play their way in2 contention 4 a final spot, & confirmed the squad's struggles against supposedly inferior opposition.

4 Chelsea, the reign of Andre Villas-Boas, barely 2 months ago, seems a world away. Roberto Di Matteo has brought unity, & some tactical nuances tat would probably appal "AVB" but hv been markedly more successful than the man he 1s assisted. In delivering Chelsea 2 Munich, & Wembley 1s more, he has given himself a more than fighting chance of being the next Chelsea boss.

Both he & Dalglish hv the chance 2 put previous ills behind them via the ever-reliable panacea of silverware.

Chelsea player 2 watch: Didier Drogba:
Chelsea's Wembley wizard confirmed his love of tis stage with a tremendous opening goal in the semi-final against Tottenham Hotspur. Liverpool hv been a particular speciality in the past 2, & Jamie Carragher specifically has often been on the wrong end of Drogba @ his unplayable best. Despite Fernando Torres' recent rush of form, Liverpool fans will hv 2 wait 2 boo him, since the 2 do not work as a pair & Drogba is almost always the man 4 the big occasion.

Liverpool player 2 watch: Luis Suarez:
4 those invested in the brave new world of social media, then the most-discussed player of the 2011-12 season has been Suarez & all will know the reasons why. Tat debate will probably continue 2 pointlessly bubble on 4 years 2 come but the Uruguayan can be remembered 4 far more positive reasons shld he put in a match-winning performance here. It was his instinct & coolness tat turned the semi-final with Everton when he seized on Sylvain Distin's error 2 pull his team level. More of the same will be required @ Wembley.

Key battle - Roberto Di Matteo v Kenny Dalglish:
The cynic may suggest tat both are battling 2 be in their current job next season. Di Matteo's remit would seem 2 be winning the Champions League or bust, though the small matter of an FA Cup may help his cause. In the light of Pep Guardiola & Jose Mourinho looking unavailable it may just be enough 2 get him the gig. Dalglish meanwhile, is still the untouchable legend among the majority of fans so any departure would still seem 2 be in his own hands. It would take a brave Fenway Sports Group 2 axe him if he wins tis trophy. In terms of on-field matters, Di Matteo seems 2 employ horses 4 courses, with the renaissance of Salomon Kalou being a notable result of tis, while Dalglish's pride would seem 2 dictate tat he will field as many of his big-name signings as possible. So, expect Stewart Downing, Jordan Henderson & Andy Carroll 2 play their part.

Trivia:
On all 3 occasions Liverpool had beaten Everton in an FA Cup semi-final b4 tis season, the Reds went on 2 lose the final.

Stats:
Excluding the Community Shield, Didier Drogba has scored in all 7 of his matches @ Wembley. Suarez has scored in all 3 of his FA Cup appearances 4 the Reds.

Odds:
Chelsea r fav @ bet365 @ odds of 2.40, with Liverpool @ 3.00. Fancy extra time? Then 3.25 is yr price.

Prediction:
Tis is a match tat will be won the Liverpool way - on penalties, as they hv won their last 3 major trophies. Tis time, however, Chelsea will be the victors. Will John Terry take 1?

[GeMiNiZzzzZzz]

Originally Posted by SH149

McManaman critical of Reds' rotation

...

Words of wisdom from the guy himself...

Such that fans look at the short term than the long one...

Where is the pride anymore from the reds fans

[semreh]

Luis n Cahill not playing tomorrow's match, Terry n Ivanovic will be Chelsea CBs.
Hope the Reds can capitalize on this weakness n score more goals than Chelsea.
Torres n Drogba will definitely breach the Reds defense, just hope we score more than them.

[owen10]

Originally Posted by joew2005

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/st...-final?cc=4716

Luiz and Cahill set 2 miss final
May 4, 2012

Chelsea defenders David Luiz & Gary Cahill were absent fr the club's training session on Friday, casting doubts over their availability 4 Saturday's FA Cup final against Liverpool.

Luiz & Cahill hv both been struggling with hamstring injuries, but Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo had been hopeful they could recover in time 4 the showpiece @ Wembley.

It appears, however, the pair hv lost their battle 2 make the final, meaning they will likely now focus on being available 4 selection when the Blues take on Bayern Munich in the Champions League final on May 19.

John Terry, who is suspended 4 the game @ the Allianz Arena, is set 2 be partnered with Branislav Ivanovic in the heart of defence 4 Chelsea's clash against Liverpool.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/preview...340950?cc=4716

I would rather trade the absence of Drogba & Torres with the above!

[Xgenre]

The FA cup final is tonight right? Just to confirm. And we will be meeting Chelsea again in a league match on Tuesday?

[HonkyTonkyMan]

Its a late match for us after midnight. Why couldn't they just stick to the old timing of 10pm our time and didn't the FA Cup used to held at the end of the season, sort of bringing down the curtains for the season itself?

[doppelherz]

Originally Posted by HonkyTonkyMan

Its a late match for us after midnight. Why couldn't they just stick to the old timing of 10pm our time and didn't the FA Cup used to held at the end of the season, sort of bringing down the curtains for the season itself?

think it has to do with Euro 2012 to allow players more rest.

[Regaine]

Originally Posted by Xgenre

The FA cup final is tonight right? Just to confirm. And we will be meeting Chelsea again in a league match on Tuesday?

Yes it is for tonight . standing by with beer and potato chips and one mei mei tonite.

As a supportter I would love to see Liverpool win the FA Cup But as a punter I would buy Chelsea to win.

I know there are a lot of Liverpool fans here in sbf. But don't get your hopes up too high . As everyone is aware of our results in the last seven matches and compared to Chelsea. Chelsea is on mini revival here . On paper they have a stronger team than us Their midfield is better than us and their trikers are scoring goals at the right time. The crucial battle is in midfield. Whoever controls the midfield will win the match.

I am keeping my fingers cross that luck will be on our side . It is going to be a tight game and may go into extra time. Lets hope our lads will raise to the occassion .

[Regaine]

Originally Posted by HonkyTonkyMan

Its a late match for us after midnight. Why couldn't they just stick to the old timing of 10pm our time and didn't the FA Cup used to held at the end of the season, sort of bringing down the curtains for the season itself?

They are trying to save electricity .

[Hurricane88]

Tonight FA Cup final...win or lose I think Liverpool had a reasonable season...hope they do well tonight..

my prediction...

Liv 1 - 1 Che...Liverpool wins FA Cup in penalty shoot out...

[owen10]

I'll be quite happy if Pool signs him cos I'm an admirer. He had single-handedly kept Fulham up in the top half of BPL for the past seasons. But age is the barrier as he's already 29. Unless he comes on the cheap but I suspect will be in the region of 8-15m???

Jol denies Dempsey reports

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/st...eports?cc=4716

[GeMiNiZzzzZzz]

Originally Posted by owen10

I'll be quite happy if Pool signs him cos I'm an admirer. He had single-handedly kept Fulham up in the top half of BPL for the past seasons. But age is the barrier as he's already 29. Unless he comes on the cheap but I suspect will be in the region of 8-15m???

Jol denies Dempsey reports

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/st...eports?cc=4716

But how many individual stars have performed fantastically in their own clubs and failed drastically when they arrived here.

Adams : Single handedly push blackpool to the EPL from Chanmpionship football tough they were relegated but he was still among the nominees for the PFA player awards - i still liked him tough but he really do underperformed here,

D(r)owning: was probably Villa's best players throughout the campaign along with Ashley Young before he joined us - look what happen, no assist no goals till now

Caroll : Carroll was playing almost every game, in a new strike partnership with Peter Løvenkrands. Carroll finished the season as Newcastle's top scorer, with 19 goals in all competitions, 17 in the league - but but but.....what a flop - We gave him enough chances and play-time but if you dont strike a goal as a striker, you cant expect chances after chances and play-time after play-time.

JH : Young player of the year in 2010 and came to us...but..after coming to us.......

These shows that individual talents at their own club will never succeed in our clubs, it has to be the management problems because Madrid was not winning anything for the past 4 years until JM took over and changed the concept of team-work and defence which made them winning the league this season over barca.

Hope we find some foreign talents or players from top half of the league rather than individual talents from bottom side of the league.
But without CL football..................................let's see let's see..it's never our call anyway - it's the board's call

My useless cents of view

[doppelherz]

Clint Dempsey is no doubt a good player but sorry not for Liverpool.

The club have yet to recover from the 90s where we bought the most ordinary players who did well for smaller English clubs eg. Leonhardsen etc.

Now that the club actually have investment from FSG, we should really aim high. It is gonna be tough to buy players with no Champions League football but this is where the management earn their money too, to convince big stars to come here.

If the club want to buy domestic based players, I would much rather help Man City get rid of their substitutes like Adam Johnson, Dzeko, De Jong, Adebayor or maybe even be cheeky and try to sign Lukaku who has done nothing for Chelski but we all know is a damn good prospect.

[sex crusader]

fear for the worst...or can it get any worst! as usual..i predict chelsea will score first and pool will play catching up game! Chelsea are on the run now with dimatteo!Amen......

[owen10]

Originally Posted by GeMiNiZzzzZzz

But how many individual stars have performed fantastically in their own clubs and failed drastically when they arrived here.

Adams : Single handedly push blackpool to the EPL from Chanmpionship football tough they were relegated but he was still among the nominees for the PFA player awards - i still liked him tough but he really do underperformed here,

D(r)owning: was probably Villa's best players throughout the campaign along with Ashley Young before he joined us - look what happen, no assist no goals till now

Caroll : Carroll was playing almost every game, in a new strike partnership with Peter Løvenkrands. Carroll finished the season as Newcastle's top scorer, with 19 goals in all competitions, 17 in the league - but but but.....what a flop - We gave him enough chances and play-time but if you dont strike a goal as a striker, you cant expect chances after chances and play-time after play-time.

JH : Young player of the year in 2010 and came to us...but..after coming to us.......

These shows that individual talents at their own club will never succeed in our clubs, it has to be the management problems because Madrid was not winning anything for the past 4 years until JM took over and changed the concept of team-work and defence which made them winning the league this season over barca.

Hope we find some foreign talents or players from top half of the league rather than individual talents from bottom side of the league.
But without CL football..................................let's see let's see..it's never our call anyway - it's the board's call

My useless cents of view

You have a point bro. I used to wonder why so many supposed 'star players' who came here had flopped in the past ... Guess many bros feel the same too, lest those who think we are talking nonsense.

At 1 go can think of a few liao ... Robbie Keane, Dean Saunders, 'world cup stars' El Hadji Diouf and Salif Diao, Aquilani, Djbril Cisse, highly rated french youngsters Pongolle & Le Tellac, Voronin, Jovanovic ... the list goes on.

Actually I quite like Ryan Babel. He has so much star qualities (check out some of the goals he scored for Holland and Ajax), he was able to shine in a few matches but he wasnt consistent enough.

The few players u mentioned above, I guess give them another season of playing time before we write them off. This is a very strange season for Pool which we were quite ok in 2011 but a complete disaster in 2012. Cant explain how we can incredibly hit the woodwork (31x last count???) so many times and how easy a place for opponents to grab points at Anfield this season!

Juz hoping we could win the Cup tonite and with some luck win our remaining 2 BPL games n finish above Everton. Hopefully we'll regroup for the next season and grab some quality signings!