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Premier League side Liverpool have been struggling to find their best form this season and winning the domestic league title is almost mathematically impossible for manager Kenny Dalglish and his men. Additionally, they are already eliminated from both the FA Cup and the League Cup.

Liverpool still have a chance of lifting a trophy at the end of the season though as they are still in the Europa League, and defender Martin Skrtel is eager to do just that.

"In the last few weeks we've got some good results and that was really important for us, for the players and the club. We just hope we carry on," Skrtel was quoted as saying on the official UEFA website.

"The Europa League is nice for us and a great chance to win a trophy this season. We all have to give our best for a good result in this competition.

"For me it's a great feeling working with Kenny Dalglish because he's a legend at the club – an icon."

Liverpool host Sparta Prague on Thursday in the last 32 after recording a 0-0 draw in the away leg last week.

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Agences de presses

Labels: chance, Europa, Goalcom, Great, league, Liverpool, Martin, Skrtel, Trophy

Fernando Torres should make his debut for Chelsea against former club Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday, just six days after leaving the Reds in a British-record transfer deal. The Spain striker angered Liverpool fans after sealing his reported 50 million pounds ($81 million) switch to the defending English champions by saying he jumped at the chance to move to a "top-level club"...

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Agences de presses

Labels: against, Chelsea, debut, Liverpool, Torres

{

Liverpool need a huge improvement against Sparta Prague to avoid being frozen out of the Europa League this week and thermometers in Russia will be closely monitored in case of more controversy over sub-zero conditions.

Two round of 32 second-leg matches are scheduled to be played in Russia on Thursday with temperatures expected to be hovering around minus 15 Celsius, considered the safe minimum under FIFA and UEFA guidelines.

Last week, Dutch champions Twente Enschede played under protest away to Rubin Kazan amid confusion over the real temperature.

Tijs Tummers, secretary of the technical committee at the international players' union FIFPro, told Reuters there had been discrepancies in readings.

"On all thermometers the temperature was minus 16 or minus 17, only the thermometer of UEFA gave a temperature of 14,9 Celsius," he said.

"FC Twente and UEFA have agreed to evaluate the procedure of last week to prevent problems like this happening in the future."

Tummers added that media reports had said the temperature dropped as low as minus 23 Celsius, even though the game had been brought forward to lunchtime from the originally-planned kickoff at 9pm local time.

The combination of early kickoff, freezing weather and new venue -- it was even colder in Kazan itself -- resulted in the match being played in front of 500 people in a 90,000 seater stadium.

Twente won 2-0 and can look forward to playing the return in relatively balmy temperatures just above freezing but the visitors to Russia face extremly challenging conditions.

Greek side PAOK Salonika battled to a 1-1 draw at CSKA Moscow on Tuesday but the Russians progressed to the last 16 2-1 on aggregate.

Spartak Moscow entertain Swiss champions FC Basel on Thursday with a 3-2 lead from the first leg and Zenit St Petersburg, Russian champions and 2008 UEFA Cup winners, face Young Boys trailing 2-1.

COMFORTABLE AJAX

Five-times European champions and three-times UEFA Cup winners Liverpool are arguably the biggest club still in the competition following the group-stage exit of Juventus.

Kenny Dalgish's team barely mustered a shot on goal last week in Prague against a side who, like many of the eastern European teams, had been inactive for the previous two months due to the winter break.

Former European champions Ajax Amsterdam should cruise through, having won 3-0 at Anderlecht in the first leg, as should Germany's Bayer Leverkusen, who have a 4-0 lead at home to Metalist Kharkiv.

Big-spending Manchester City take a 0-0 scoreline into their home leg following last week's stalemate away to Greeks Aris Salonika.

Portuguese pair Porto and Benfica, both former European champions, have 2-1 leads from the first legs as Porto host Sevilla on Wednesday and Benfica visit VfB Stuttgart on Thursday.

The leaders of the Dutch and French leagues, PSV Eindhoven and Lille, meet again on Thursday, having produced a storming 2-2 draw in last week's first leg.

Napoli, Italy's sole survivors, appear to be the outsiders against Villarreal after being held 0-0 at home by the Spaniards.

Agences de presses

Labels: Europa, Eurosport, Improve, Liverpool, threatens, Yahoo

{

Liverpool footballer Dirk Kuyt has claimed that the team's recent good spell is due to his music taste.

The striker said that since he began playing music from his iPod before matches Kenny Dalglish's team has not lost a game.

“I took over from one of the lads and when they all like it, they let you be in charge. It is like taking a penalty. If you score, they all let you take the next one,” he told the Daily Mirror.

“What do I play that gets the lads going? Kings of Leon, The Killers and Amy Winehouse. That sort of stuff. Then, after the warming up, I let the physio take over with his iPod for one song.

Kuyt went on to reveal that the team also listen to Liverpool's famous anthem, 'You'll Never Walk Alone'. The club is currently unbeaten in its last seven games.

Rock Stars Who Nearly Made It As Professional Footballers

Agences de presses

Labels: Gigwise, Kings, Liverpool, success, Winehouse

{

By Dominic King Last updated at 11:58 PM on 18th February 2011

Kenny Dalglish is convinced Andy Carroll will make a success of his Liverpool career after giving him an unexpected midweek trip to Europe.

The striker, who signed for ?35million from Newcastle in January, was a surprise inclusion in the squad Dalglish took to the Czech Republic for the first leg of Liverpool's Europa League tie against Sparta Prague.

Though the 22-year-old was unable to play in the 0-0 draw or take part in any training sessions due to a thigh problem, Liverpool manager Dalglish believes it was a worthwhile exercise as a means of integrating Carroll into the squad.

Stuck in the stands: Carroll has been injured since his big-money move

'We just wanted to get Andy in amongst the boys so he will recognise a couple of faces,' Dalglish said.

Blending in: Carroll joined his team-mates in Prague for Liverpool's midweek Europa League tie

There have been questions raised about Carroll having the right disposition to cope with the pressures that will go hand-in-hand with his enormous transfer fee.

But Dalglish, who is hoping Carroll will be able to make his Liverpool debut in the Barclays Premier League fixture against Manchester United on March 6, has been impressed with the level-headed way in which the striker has adapted to life at Anfield.

'He is a really good lad and really down to earth,' said Dalglish. 'That is a value that I think is very important nowadays. You say this is an age where the punters can't relate to the people on the street. Well I don't think he is going to have a problem with that.'

Dalglish added: 'The fans will really relate to him once he gets fit and starts to play for us. Going to Prague was just so he could continue his rehabilitation.'

Agences de presses

Labels: Carroll, daily, Dalglish, insists, Liverpool, Perfect

{ Liverpool FC draw a blank Czech against Sparta Prague - Match Reports - Liverpool FC - Liverpool Echo 6°C - 20 kph wind

Updated 8:29am 18 February 2011:

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Liverpool FC draw a blank Czech against Sparta Pragueby Luke Traynor, Liverpool EchoFeb 18 2011 Kenny Dalglish 300

KENNY DALGLISH enjoyed many glory nights in Europe as a player for Liverpool. But due to the Reds being banned from Europe after the 1985 Heysel disaster, it meant he never tasted any as the club’s manager.

Last night’s clash against Sparta Prague was the first time the Scot had led Liverpool into a European fixture.

And while a scoreless draw at a freezing Generali Arena was perhaps not the most romantic European managerial baptism, it will still be hugely welcomed by the Scot as the Reds head back to Merseyside for the return fixture in seven days time.

You would hardly have guessed Sparta Prague had not played a competitive football fixture for two months.

Ensconced in their winter break, the Czech side have been in effective hibernation during these icy Eastern European months.

Not that it was at all noticeable, nor could Liverpool take advantage of any perceived lack of recent match practice on Sparta’s part.

Josef Chovanec’s men set about the Reds with a relish that Dalglish’s men struggled to subdue at times.

In truth, this was a listless display from the Reds whose excellent form since Dalglish’s appointment deserted them last night.

They desperately missed the influence of Steven Gerrard up front as Liverpool’s midfield never had any grip on the match.

You almost felt sorry for lone striker David Ngog, who lacked support and understandably failed to make an impression on the Sparta backline.

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Agences de presses

Labels: against, blank, Czech, Liverpool, Prague, Sparta

Liverpool named newstriker Luis Suarez in their squad for Wednesday's PremierLeague match against Stoke City after the Uruguayan receivedinternational clearance to play. Fans will welcome news that one half of the strikeforcebrought to fill the gaping hole left by Fernando Torres, who hasjoined Chelsea in a British record transfer, is ready to makehis debut.


Agences de presses

Labels: cleared, debut, Liverpool, Reuters, Suarez

Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher insists his side have the advantage over Sparta Prague following the 0-0 draw in the first leg of their Europa League tie in the Czech Republic.

The stand-in Reds captain believes his side are in pole position ahead of the second leg at Anfield next week despite not getting an away goal.

He told Five: "A goalless draw away from home is always a decent result but you would like the away goal of course.

"But it is advantage us. We just have to make sure they don't get the away goal now."

Kenny Dalglish took charge of his first European game as Liverpool manager nd despite the stalemate, Carragher is not worried by the lack of goals.

He added: "The last few weeks we have been winning games and scoring goals, but tonight we haven't done that.

"In Europe it is a slightly different game, especially with two legs but we are quite pleased with a 0-0 draw."

Liverpool, who were without the injured Steven Gerrard, Daniel Agger, Andy Carroll and the cup-tied Luis Suarez, will now fancy their chances of getting a positive result at Anfield.

Carragher continued: "The manager changed a few players around so it was a good experience for a few players.

"But now we just have to make sure we do the job at Anfield."

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Agences de presses

Labels: Advantage, after, Carragher, Defender, Goalcom, Jamie, Liverpool, Prague, Sparta, Stalemate

PRAGUE (AP)—Liverpool was close to reaching the round of 16 of the Europa League by drawing with Sparta Prague 0-0 on Thursday.

The result left Liverpool a clear favorite for the second leg of the round of 32 match at Anfield in a week.

Players of Liverpool and Spart…
AP - Feb 17, 4:19 pm EST

Sparta played its first competitive match since Dec 15 due to the Czech Republic’s winter break, and looked more dangerous, especially in the first half.

Liverpool, badly missing its injured star playmaker and captain Steven Gerrard, had to wait for a decent chance until the 70th minute when right back Glen Johnson, one of the team’s most active players, fooled a couple of Sparta defenders before his curling shot went just wide.

“It was a difficult game,” Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish said. “We rather were more defensive.

“As a manager that was fantastic,” added Dalglish, who was managing Liverpool in Europe for the first time.

He said the team’s performance was influenced by the fact he missed a number of players, including Daniel Agger and Christian Poulsen while Fabio Aurelio had to be replaced by Joe Cole due to an injury in the 37th minute.

Dalglish said it would be “a different game” next week and didn’t ruled out Gerard, Agger and Aurelio could be available.

As a positive sign, Dalglish hailed Cole’s return after a knee problem.

“We have to be patient,” he said. “Joe’s a valuable asset for us.”

Unmarked Sparta midfielder Leony Kweuke came close to earning a win for Sparta but his low drive from inside the area was saved by Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina.

“It was not easy for us because we didn’t play for more than two months,” Sparta coach Josef Chovanec said. “We were trying to do our maximum.

“We may have had better chances but it was defense that dominated the game.”

Early in the second half, Kweuke’s header again went wide. Long-range attempts by Marek Matejovsky and Kamil Vacek then just missed the target.

Sparta’s first decent chance came in the 18th with Manuel Pamic breaking into the area after being released by Abena Biholong and his left-footer forced a diving save by Reina. Pamic blasting the ball over the bar in the 35th.

At that stage, Liverpool’s only answer came through lone striker David Ngog, who had a shot blocked and a header missing the goal a minute before halftime.

The match was briefly suspended about 15 minutes before the end when Sparta fans let off a smoke bomb.

Agences de presses

Labels: draws, Europa, league, Liverpool, Sparta

{

Liverpool's record signing Andy Carroll has vowed to bring goals to Anfield.

GettyImagesAndy Carroll arrives at Liverpool's Melwood training ground on Monday

• Carroll completes ?35m Liverpool move
• Liverpool seal Suarez switch
• Blog: Bye Nando, we'll miss you
• Forum: Window winners and losers?

Carroll, 22, became the eighth most expensive footballer in history, and Britain's most expensive player to boot, when he signed from Newcastle for ?35 million on transfer deadline day.

As a war of words raged between Carroll and his old club about his exit, he promised to continue his impressive Premier League strikerate under new boss Kenny Dalglish, and fire the club to silverware.

"Goals have always been in my game so I'm very confident I can score for Liverpool,'' he said. "It's a great feeling. The number nine is a big number and the one I wanted. To get it at Liverpool is a great feeling. I want to go out there and play the football that has brought me here.

"I'll bring as much as I can to the team - I'll score goals, create chances, hold up the ball and just try my best really.

"They have spent a lot of money on getting me here and I just want to repay them for what they have spent. I'll do my best and think I can do it. I want to win trophies with this club and help push us forward.''

Liverpool have not won a trophy since the FA Cup in 2006 and their fortunes have been on the wane over the last 18 months, with the club finishing a disappointing seventh in the Premier League last season.

The start to the current campaign was the worst since 1953 and resulted in the departure of Roy Hodgson after just six months in charge. But with Dalglish now on board, the purchase of Carroll and Luis Suarez has instilled a sense of optimism at the club.

Carroll admits he was as surprised as anyone about how quickly his move from his hometown club developed but he is keen to seize the opportunity.

"It's massive. Liverpool is a big club which is going places and this is a chance to show what I can do,'' he added. "What I did at Newcastle has got me here and now I have to carry it on with Liverpool.''

Dalglish is looking forward to working with a player who has the potential to become England's first-choice striker in the next few years, having made his international debut in November.

"This is a great opportunity for him. He was in the England squad last year and did very well,'' said the Reds' boss. "I know Newcastle will be deeply hurt to lose him but it's a great signing for us.

"He's just a young boy with a fantastic talent. He's a big lad but is very good on the deck as well, he has good feet, he's very strong in the air and he'll give us a bit of presence up front. He's a little bit different to what we've been used to but it won't change our principles and philosophies of how we want to play.

"At the moment he's got a bit of a knock and is probably a few weeks away from playing, but the signing wasn't made to cover a few weeks. He signed for five-and-a-half years and there's a lot of weeks in that time when he'll be fit and playing for us.''

The club's other deadline-day signing, Suarez, could feature against Stoke at Anfield on Wednesday if his work permit and international clearance come through in time. Dalglish is equally excited about integrating the 24-year-old - scorer of 111 goals in 159 matches for Ajax - into his team.

"He's someone who has been on the radar here for a long time and someone who was brought in to really enhance the squad,'' he said. "He's got a fantastic goalscoring record. For a Uruguayan to go to Ajax and become club captain speaks volumes for him as a person.''

Having seen Torres depart to Chelsea, claiming on his personal website that "since last summer I've felt I needed to move my career forward and to meet my ambitions'', Dalglish is pleased to have two players who are eager to help the club improve.

"A very important factor for us is that both players wanted to come here,'' added the 59-year-old. "Liverpool was their first choice. Certainly in Luis' case he had other options but he chose here for the right reasons. That's a fantastic accolade to the football club, to the supporters, the owners and everyone connected with it.''

Agences de presses

Labels: Carroll, goals, Iaposll, Liverpool, score

{

LIVERPOOL’S European adventure may have been on hold for two months but Kenny Dalglish’s wait for tomorrow night’s clash with Sparta Prague has been considerably longer.

Some 9,394 days after first being installed to the Anfield hot seat, Dalglish will finally take charge of the Reds in Europe when he leads them out in the Czech capital.

The ban on English clubs competing in continental competitions in the aftermath of the Heysel disaster ended Dalglish’s hopes of pitting his wits against Europe’s best after he took over from Joe Fagan in 1985.

Liverpool’s six-year absence imposed by UEFA meant Dalglish’s all-conquering side which dominated English football in the mid to late 80s – winning three league titles and the FA Cup twice – weren’t able to showcase their talents to a wider audience.

It was September 1991 – seven months after Dalglish had walked away from Anfield – before the Reds’ exile was ended and they graced Europe again in a low key UEFA Cup tie against Finnish minnows Kuusysi Lahti.

Dalglish had been denied the chance to replicate the kind of success he enjoyed on the continent with Liverpool during his playing days when he lifted the European Cup on three occasions.

Ian Rush formed a devastating strikeforce with Dalglish and played alongside ‘The King’ in the 1984 and 1985 European Cup finals.

And as Dalglish prepares to become the ninth Liverpool manager to take charge of the club in Europe tomorrow night and Rush says he will be desperate to make up for lost time.

“I’m sure Thursday night will be a special occasion for Kenny,” Rush said.

“It’s his first game in Europe as manager of Liverpool and he’s certainly had to wait a long time for it.

“As a player he achieved so much in Europe. To win the European Cup three times is a remarkable achievement and he was a key part of Liverpool’s domination.

“He was just very unlucky that when he was manager the first time around we were banned from Europe.

“I know he would have loved to have gone up against the likes of Milan and Barcelona, especially with the side we had back then.”

Agences de presses

Labels: Again, Europe, Kenny, Liverpool, reign

LONDON (AP)—Three-time winner Liverpool was fortunate to leave Sparta Prague with a 0-0 draw in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 match, but fellow former champions Ajax, FC Porto and CSKA Moscow emerged with away wins on Thursday.

Kenny Dalglish’s first European match in charge of the Reds was a dull affair which Sparta shaded, with Leonard Kweuke and Kamil Vacek coming close for the hosts in the second half.

Ajax, the winner of Europe’s second-tier competition in 1992 when it was called the UEFA Cup, thrashed Anderlecht 3-0 with goals by Toby Alderweireld, Christian Eriksen and Mounir El Hamdaoui.

Czech striker Tomas Necid scored the winner for 2005 champion CSKA Moscow in a 1-0 victory at PAOK Salonika, and 2003 winner FC Porto beat Sevilla 2-1 thanks to Fredy Guarin’s late strike.

Villarreal held on for 0-0 at 10-man Napoli but Zenit St. Petersburg, the 2008 champion which was the only team to win all six of its group-stage matches, lost 2-1 at Young Boys.

The second-leg matches in the competition’s first knockout round are spread out over next week.

Dalglish’s first stint as Liverpool manager was from 1985 to 1991, when the English giant was banned from European competition following a deadly riot in the 1985 European Cup final against Juventus at Heysel Stadium.

The 59-year-old Scot was hired for a second stint at the Reds last month and has sparked an upturn in fortunes, but the team’s performance in Prague was reminiscent of those under his predecessor, the beleaguered Roy Hodgson.

The competition winners in 1973, ’76 and 2001 were second best against a side playing its first competitive fixture in two months, due to the Czech Republic’s winter break. A draw makes Liverpool favorite to go through, however.

“I’m still undefeated in Europe,” said Dalglish. “It wasn’t a classic but 0-0 was a fair result and I’m happy with that.”

Alderweireld scored the opener against the team from the country of his birth, heading home a corner in the 33rd minute, and then provided the assist for Denmark youngster Eriksen’s goal in the 60th.

Marcin Wasilewski missed a penalty for Belgian leaders Anderlecht, which won the competition in 1983, before El Hamdaoui wrapped up victory by beating the offside trap and sweeping in a finish in the 69th.

Porto, the unbeaten leader of the Portuguese league, breezed through its group by winning five and drawing one of its six matches, and took the lead in Seville through Rolando in the 58th.

Frederic Kanoute equalized for two-time winner Sevilla in the 65th but Colombia striker Guarin popped up with the winning goal with five minutes remaining, taking advantage of a defensive mix-up to roll the ball home.

Serie A topscorer Edinson Cavani had a goal disallowed for offside and was denied twice by Villarreal goalkeeper Diego Lopez as Napoli, the only Italian team left in Europe’s second-tier club competition, was held at San Paolo Stadium. Salvatore Aronica was sent off for Napoli in the last minute.

“We found out the level we need to play in the competition,” Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri said. “Considering who we were playing, this isn’t a bad result.”

Zenit, one of four Russian teams in the last 32, also had a player red-carded—Vladimir Bystrov in the 69th, when the score was 1-1 against Young Boys.

Emmanuel Mayuka took advantage of the Swiss side’s numerical superiority by grabbing the winner in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

Spartak Moscow rallied from 2-0 down at halftime to beat Basel 3-2 away, with Jano Ananidze completing the turnaround two minutes into injury time.

French league leader Lille’s 2-2 home draw with PSV Eindhoven was marred by pre-match violence in the city center, with French TV reporting that 30 away fans were arrested as a result of clashes with police.

Peguy Luyindula’s last-minute strike salvaged Paris Saint-Germain, second in France’s Ligue 1, a 2-2 draw at BATE Borisov.

Elsewhere, Benfica rallied to beat Stuttgart 2-1, former AC Milan and Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko was one of Dynamo Kiev’s scorers in its 4-1 thrashing of Besiktas, late strikes by Luuk de Jong and Peter Wisgerhof earned Dutch champion FC Twente a 2-0 win in subzero temperatures at Rubin Kazan and Artjoms Rudnevs netted the winner for Polish side Lech Poznan in a 1-0 home victory over Braga.

Agences de presses

Labels: draws, Europa, league, Liverpool

{ • Tottenham manager weighs up transfer gains and losses
• 'We have not had goals from our front players this year'

Mike McGrath guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 1 February 2011 22.29 GMT Harry Redknapp was at a loss to explain a move for Blackpool's Charlie Adam with only 20 minutes of the window left open. Photograph: Geoff Caddick/EPA

Harry Redknapp fears that Tottenham Hotspur's chances of Champions League qualification are under threat after missed opportunities in the transfer market.

The Spurs manager made it clear he did not wish to criticise his chairman, Daniel Levy, yet would not disagree with the Everton manager, David Moyes, who described a £500,000 bid for Phil Neville as "insulting". "It was a pretty low offer for a good player," Redknapp said. "I couldn't argue with David on it."

Redknapp was also at a loss to explain why a move for the Blackpool midfielder Charlie Adam came with 20 minutes of the window left open. "I don't know. Pass," the manager said. "At 10.40pm I'm ready to go to the hotel back to bed, suddenly we're going to sign Charlie Adam and I thought: 'We haven't got a lot of time here.' And we ran out of time."

Redknapp snapped up Rafael van der Vaart on deadline day of the first window of this season. But this time around he was watching rolling news on television while one of his previous targets, Andy Carroll, moved to Liverpool. "It was funny watching it on Sky, Newcastle were pushing the price up by the minute and they were probably doing cartwheels in the boardroom," Redknapp said.

The arrival of Carroll and Luis Suárez at Liverpool means Redknapp expects them to be a direct threat for a Champions League place, while Chelsea are now title contenders again after signing Fernando Torres and David Luiz. "At the start of the month, before the window, I felt the championship was up for grabs," Redknapp said. "It's going to get harder because the other teams are looking stronger with the strength of their squads.

"People were talking about Chelsea dropping out of the top four but by signing Fernando Torres Roman Abramovich has said: 'I don't think so.' I can see them being close to winning the league. Liverpool are still contenders for a top-four spot. Andy Carroll is a talent. He is a big, powerful centre-forward who could be a great hit at that club."

Redknapp was thought to be undecided on some of his targets, such as the Holland midfielder Mark van Bommel, and £140,000-a-week wages for Diego Forlán prevented him from recruiting the Uruguay striker. Signing a forward was a high priority after six league goals from Jermain Defoe, Peter Crouch and Roman Pavlyuchenko this season but Spurs missed out on Carroll, Forlán, Giuseppe Rossi and Sergio Agüero.

"I think if we found the right player we would have done something," Redknapp said. "I don't know what offers we made for these players. We have not had goals from our front players this year. It has been a problem."

There are problems in defence, too, for Redknapp and he confirmed that Ledley King requires surgery to cure his groin injury. Younes Kaboul will also need an operation following knee problems. Michael Dawson is suspended for tonight's trip to Blackburn, so Jonathan Woodgate could make his first appearance for 14 months after his groin injury. "He will be involved somewhere but I have it in my mind to throw him in at the deep end," Redknapp said. "He could start."

Redknapp admitted that Bongani Khumalo, one of two pieces of business Spurs managed in January, was not ready to play in the Premier League after his move from the South African team Supersport United. "Adapting? It's not adapting, it's whether you're good enough," Redknapp said. "He wants to be a player. He is a young kid really with loads to learn but he wants to learn and has the raw talent."

Agences de presses

Labels: Chelsea, fears, Guardian, Harry, Liverpool, Redknapp, reinforced, topfour

Liverpool owner John W Henry has hailed boss Kenny Dalglish and the transformation that the club has undergone since his appointment as caretaker boss last month.

The Reds have won four games on the bounce and now lie in sixth place, with Europe a now very real possibility following the victory over Chelsea on Sunday.

Henry believes that the change in style and philosophy at the club under Dalglish are more in keeping with the club's ideals than under the previous management of Roy Hodgson, and that is why he and the board decided to part ways with the Fulham manager after a dreadful spell of results.

"The philosophy we were playing under didn't seem to suit the club and we knew we had to make a change," said Henry in an interview with Fox Sports Soccer.

"We knew we wanted to change the type of football we were playing, we wanted to move to a much more positive pass-and-move philosophy.

"We also knew we wanted to have a caretaker so to speak, we didn't want to be forced into an immediate decision.

"I talked with Kenny about it and said we needed someone to come in for six months and stabilize the club on the field and the club in general."

The American owner also discussed the importance of the bond between the fans and the manager, who not only excelled as a player before winning honors as a manager, but helped the club in the wake of the Hillsborough disaster in 1989 that claimed the lives of 96 supporters.

"I can't imagine how anyone can be more beloved by fans, not just for what he accomplished on the field but off the field through some very difficult times for the club and supporters," Henry said.

"I know for a long time now he has wanted to be in this position so it is a great thing for the club, for Kenny, for us."

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Agences de presses

Labels: Bringing, Dalglish, Goalcom, Henry, Kenny, Liverpool, Owner, PassAndMove, Philosophy, Praises

Liverpool produced a stunning defensive display to record only their second victory in seven years at Stamford Bridge courtesy of a Raul Merieles strike midway through the second half.

The Reds were dogged and determined- they were certainly not going to let Fernando Torres steal all the limelight- Jamie Carrager made sure of that. There performance was epitomised when the striker was substituted on 69 minutes.

Moments later Merieles who is on a great run himself scored with a strike from close range giving Dalglish's men an unlikely victory.

This match was eagerly anticipated with all the focus on one man in particular. Torres started for the Blues after his £50 million English transfer record breaking move from Liverpool.

The Spaniard had perhaps burnt bridges with Liverpool fans after announcing he had moved to a bigger club but promised that he would not celebrate if he scored maybe as a way of appeasing his former fans- but they would not have to worry about it.

Chelsea made their intentions very clear from the beginning with a very attacking line up that would make any defence quiver but in a strikeforce that promised so much it produced so very little.

Didier Drogba, Torres and Nicholas Anelka failed to force Pepe Reina into any real save of note the whole game but it was largely thanks to the back three of Martin Skrtel, Carragher and Daniel Agger.

Luis Suarez who came on and scored on his debut for the Reds against Stoke City ¬had to remain content with starting on the bench as Dalglish kept faith with his winning formula which has seen Liverpool creep up the table into seventh with three consecutive wins and clean sheets to boost entering this game.

But if history was anything to go by, a Reds victory at Stamford Bridge seemed unlikely with only one win since 2004.

Inevitably the first chance fell to Torres.

Maxi Rodriguez clearly had not heard the news that he had moved to Stamford Bridge as he slipped a pass into the former team mates path.

However the finish from the World Cup winner uncharacteristically lacked composure but it was an early scare for the visitors.

If this was an indicator that chances in this match were going to come thick and fast the next twenty minutes put pay to that notion.

Liverpool were happy to contain Chelsea and counter attack when possible if Dirk Kuyt’s pass had been more accurate into Raul Meireles the away side might have created their first real opportunity.

Torres was struggling to find any joy through the middle and drifted out onto the wing where Daniel Agger unceremoniously blocked his run- much to the delight of the travelling away support- and gave away a free kick in a dangerous position.

But nothing could be made of the chance which epitomised the opening half hour.

The game was screaming out for a goal and it nearly came through Torres after Drogba threaded a lovely through ball to him- it was first time the Blues had managed to penetrate the Reds defence but Jamie Carragher was there to put an excellent block in.

Liverpool should have been ahead moments later as the game suddenly sparked into the life.

Perhaps it was fortuitous that the ball kindly fell to Steven Gerrard in the box but the captain took advantage of the good fortune and drilled a low ball across goal; Rodriguez will still be wondering how he managed to hit the bar from a few yards out with the goal gaping.

The first half was brought to a close but not before Branislav Ivanovic and Petr Cech displayed the kind of tension which was surging through the game.

A lovely cross by Martin Kelly on the right caused confusion between the pair as they went for the same ball resulting in the defender and goal keeper squaring up to each other in a heated debate.

After the interval Chelsea had a flurry of half chances as they tried to find that elusive opener. Anelka had a couple of pot shots at goal and a Ivanovic header failed to test Reina.

The visitors looked reasonably comfortable as the Blues struggled to create any clear cut opportunities. Torres’s face cut a frustrated figure as he was marshalled out of the game by Carragher who was outstanding at the back for Liverpool.

It signalled the end for Torres who was replaced by Salomon Kalou on 65 minutes.

Anelka sitting slightly deeper found some space and his twenty yard shot was fired agonisingly wide but it told the story of the match for the Blues having failed to register a shot in target in 67 minutes of play.

And inevitably they were made to pay as Liverpool took the lead on 69 minutes. Gerrard ran down the wing and put in a brilliant cross which again caused confusion in the Chelsea box and Meireles was on hand to fire home from close range grabbing his fourth goal in five games.

Torres off and a goal behind it was not an image  many had envisioned before the game.

Florent Malouda nearly found a equaliser moments later but he was foiled by Reina who was forced into his first real save of the match.

Liverpool looked threatening on the counter attack and with 10 minutes to go they nearly doubled their lead.

Substitute Fabio Aurelio orchestrated some space in the Chelsea box he jinked onto right foot and fired a powerful shot at Cech but the Blues shot stopper was on hand to make the save.

A Frank Lampard strike with just a few minutes to go summed up Chelsea's day as he blazed high and wide leaving Stamford Bridge disappointed and subdued.

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Agences de presses

Labels: Blues, Chelsea, Crucial, Debut, defeat, Disappointing, Fernando, Goalcom, Hands, Liverpool, Makes, Meireles, strike, Torres

By Mitch Phillips

LONDON, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Barracked by his former fans and wasteful in front of goal, new Chelsea striker Fernando Torres endured a forgettable debut on Sunday as his old club Liverpool had the last laugh with a 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge.

An Anfield hero until six days ago when he moved south for a reported 50 million pounds, Torres was still loosening his boots after being substituted when Raul Meireles scored to earn the visitors a Premier League victory they welcomed like a European Cup final win.

It was not so much the fact that Spain striker Torres dared to leave Liverpool that so incensed the fans, but his subsequent explanation of his reasons, the most incendiary being the claim that he wanted to move to a big club to win trophies.

That helped produce a cup-tie atmosphere in west London and the travelling fans were not about to let Torres off lightly.

One held up a hastily-scrawled banner reading: “18 titles, five European Cups—is Chelsea a bigger club?”, while another threw a Liverpool number nine shirt bearing his name - formerly the Premier League’s top seller - on to the pitch.

Monday’s headlines might have been very different had he taken a good opportunity presented by a wayward Maxi Rodriguez pass 90 seconds into the match but he blazed high and wide - to an explosion of red derision.

After 31 minutes Torres was through again but this time his shot was blocked by an inspired Jamie Carragher in his first game since dislocating his shoulder in November.

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti paired Torres and Didier Drogba up front, with Nicolas Anelka just behind them, but the trio were kept at bay by Liverpool’s three centre backs.

Torres was the one to make way after 66 minutes, replaced by Salomon Kalou to ironic cheers from the visitors.

Manager Kenny Dalglish, who has overseen the club’s rise from 12th to sixth in the standings in a few short weeks, refused to be drawn on the performance of his departed striker.

“The most important people are those who are at this club, it always has been that way and they are the only ones I’m interested in,” he told reporters.

Dalglish said Torres’s comments had had absolutely no role in motivating him or his players.

“I’m not going to talk about another club’s players or speculate about where we might finish in the league - we will not look beyond the next game,” he said.

Ancelotti said he was hugely disappointed to have blown the chance of closing the gap on Manchester United after the leaders lost to bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.

He was not about to blame Torres, however, or his decision to play all three of his forwards, for the defeat that left the champions still 10 points behind and in fourth place.

“He did a good job; playing the three forwards was not the problem,” he said. “Liverpool defended very well with three centre backs and we didn’t have the right solution to attack them. But that was because we were slow from the back.

“Torres was very enthusiastic, very confident and excited but he’s had a very busy week so it was right to take him off.”

Ancelotti said he would stick with using all three forwards against Fulham in their next game. “They have fantastic quality and the shape was good today,” he said.

“We have to give him time to adjust and he’ll do it.” (Editing by Justin Palmer; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

Agences de presses

Labels: Chelsea, exalt, Liverpool, Reuters, target, Torres

{ Liverpool's Carragher (right) blocks a shot from former team-mate Torres
By Phil McNulty
Chief football writer at Stamford Bridge

Fernando Torres' Chelsea debut ended in the disappointment of defeat and a failure to last 90 minutes against his former club as Liverpool's revival under Kenny Dalglish continued with victory at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea's £50m British record buy from Liverpool cut a subdued figure and was well shackled before being replaced by Salomon Kalou after 66 minutes.

If that was not enough to delight the Liverpool fans who taunted their former idol mercilessly and brandished banners to demonstrate their displeasure at the manner of his departure, their joy was complete three minutes after Torres' exit when Raul Meireles pounced to give Dalglish his fourth successive win.

Meireles took advantage of a mix-up between Chelsea keeper Petr Cech and Branislav Ivanovic to score his fourth goal in five games when he turned in Steven Gerrard's cross at the far post.

Chelsea's loss represented a missed opportunity after Manchester United slipped to their first league defeat of the season at Wolves, Ancelotti's side remaining 10 points behind the leaders. Liverpool, in contrast, move into the top six for the first time this season.

The win was no more than the rejuvenated Reds deserved - and it will have come as a relief to Maxi Rodriguez, who hit the bar when almost on the goalline in the first half.

Liverpool's resilience and organisation ensured it did not prove costly, but it was a forgettable start to Torres' Chelsea career and provided early evidence that coach Carlo Ancelotti has work to do to integrate the Spaniard into his attacking system, after also including Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka in a lop-sided starting line-up.

Dalglish hails 'magnificent' Liverpool

The style in which Liverpool achieved this triumph only furthers Dalglish's claims to be given the manager's job on a permanent basis, and it is now surely only a matter of time before this formality is confirmed.

And it was done without the need for £23m striker Luis Suarez, who remained an unused substitute as Liverpool controlled affairs for a large portion of the game.

Chelsea looked unbalanced, lacked width and were eventually reduced to playing into Liverpool's hands with a succession of aimless long balls that were mopped up with the minimum of fuss, to the home fans' increasing frustration.

Anelka was utilised in a deeper role but it was an uncomfortable fit and Liverpool, boosted by an outstanding performance from Jamie Carragher on his first appearance since November after shoulder surgery, neutralised Chelsea comfortably.

The centre-back snuffed out Torres' best chance with a trademark tackle in the first half and he also fired over early on after being inadvertently found by Maxi.

Torres, loved by Liverpool's fans not so long ago, was greeted with hostility and one banner read: "He Who Betrays Will Always Walk Alone."

And he walked alone as he was taken off midway through the second half, although there will be much more to come from this gifted striker once he finds his feet at Stamford Bridge and Ancelotti uncovers a system that suits his talents.

While Dalglish kept Suarez on the bench, Chelsea had no hesitation in handing Torres an instant start against his former team-mates. The reception from the visiting supporters was predictably angry, but there were warm exchanges between Torres and Liverpool's players during the pre-match handshake.

Maxi almost extended the hand of friendship too far when he directed a wayward pass straight to Torres in the opening minute, but the striker squandered the opportunity of making a dream start when his rising drive flew off target.

There was soon another hint of his threat and it took a timely intervention from Carragher to divert his goalbound shot after he was played in by Drogba.

Liverpool were more than holding their own and ended the half in the ascendancy. They should have taken the lead just after the half-hour when Gerrard's cross evaded Chelsea's defenders and reached Maxi in front of an open goal less than six yards out. To general amazement, and the very obvious anguish of Dalglish in the technical area, he managed to hit the bar and hand Chelsea a reprieve.

The hosts were struggling to make an impact but Anelka raised a subdued Stamford Bridge's spirits with a low shot that flew inches wide before Torres' game came to a conclusion after 66 minutes when he was replaced by Kalou.

Torres' exit - a decision by Ancelotti that came as no surprise - was met with delight by Liverpool's fans and they had even more cause to celebrate when they went ahead soon after.

Chelsea keeper Cech and Ivanovic had already suffered one communication breakdown that led to angry words between the pair and the second proved more costly as Liverpool took full advantage.

Dirk Kuyt's presence in the vicinity of Gerrard's cross created uncertainty and Meireles was perfectly placed to score and continue his rich vein of form.

As Chelsea pressed Liverpool almost struck again with 10 minutes left, substitute Fabio Aurelio cutting inside from the left and forcing a fine save from Cech at his near post.

In contrast, Chelsea provided Liverpool with no real alarms and a beaming Dalglish punched the air in triumph and embraced his backroom staff at the final whistle.

Sunday, 6 February 2011

Barclays Premier League

Final Result Full Time 90:00+4:27 The referee signals the end of the game. 90:00+4:16 Nicolas Anelka delivers the ball. 90:00+2:40 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Leiva Lucas by John Terry. Jose Reina restarts play with the free kick. 90:00+1:59 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Salomon Kalou by Dirk Kuyt. Michael Essien takes the free kick. 90:00+0:47 The ball is crossed by Ashley Cole. 90:00+0:28 Fabio Aurelio sends in a cross. 87:19 The ball is swung over by Florent Malouda. 86:23 A cross is delivered by Florent Malouda, Salomon Kalou produces a header from inside the area that goes over the bar. 84:41 Frank Lampard has a shot on goal from outside the area which misses right. 82:52 Substitution Christian Poulsen comes on in place of Raul Meireles. 82:32 The assistant referee signals for offside against Dirk Kuyt. Indirect free kick taken by Michael Essien. 81:58 The ball is crossed by Ashley Cole. 81:09 A cross is delivered by Fabio Aurelio. 80:53 Short corner worked by Fabio Aurelio. 80:24 Fabio Aurelio takes a shot. Save by Petr Cech. 80:03 A cross is delivered by Branislav Ivanovic. 78:47 Michael Essien challenges Raul Meireles unfairly and gives away a free kick. Daniel Agger takes the direct free kick. 78:00 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Steven Gerrard by Didier Drogba. Free kick taken by Jose Reina. 77:11 Dirk Kuyt challenges Marinho David Luiz unfairly and gives away a free kick. Marinho David Luiz restarts play with the free kick. 75:13 Raul Meireles is adjudged to have handled the ball. Didier Drogba crosses the ball from the free kick right-footed from right channel, Martin Skrtel manages to make a clearance. Correction - 74:08 The referee blows for offside. Jose Reina takes the free kick. Correction - 74:08 Substitution (Liverpool) makes a substitution, with Fabio Aurelio coming on for Rodriguez Maxi. 74:08 Didier Drogba is caught offside. Indirect free kick taken by Jose Reina. 74:08 Substitution Fabio Aurelio on for Rodriguez Maxi. 73:36 Raul Meireles takes a shot. Blocked by Marinho David Luiz. Leiva Lucas concedes a free kick for a foul on Salomon Kalou. Free kick taken by Marinho David Luiz. 73:36 Booking Leiva Lucas is given a yellow card. 72:14 Substitution Marinho David Luiz replaces Jose Bosingwa. 71:48 Florent Malouda takes a shot. Save by Jose Reina. 70:35 Substitution Florent Malouda replaces Mikel. 70:12 The ball is swung over by Jose Bosingwa, Jose Reina makes a save. 70:04 Centre by Ashley Cole. 68:28 The assist for the goal came from Steven Gerrard. 68:28 GOAL - Raul Meireles:Chelsea 0 - 1 Liverpool Goal scored by Raul Meireles from close in to the bottom left corner of the goal. Chelsea 0-1 Liverpool. 66:31 Michael Essien produces a left-footed shot from just outside the box that goes wide left of the goal. 65:03 Substitution Salomon Kalou is brought on as a substitute for Fernando Torres. 64:34 Nicolas Anelka has an effort at goal from outside the penalty box missing to the wide left of the goal. 62:01 The ball is swung over by Jose Bosingwa, Leiva Lucas makes a clearance. 61:18 The ball is sent over by Martin Skrtel. 58:32 Nicolas Anelka challenges Glen Johnson unfairly and gives away a free kick. Raul Meireles crosses the ball in from the free kick, Petr Cech makes a save. 57:17 Effort from outside the penalty box by Ashley Cole goes wide left of the target. 55:30 Raul Meireles concedes a free kick for a foul on Mikel. Direct free kick taken by Mikel. 54:26 Nicolas Anelka takes a shot. Leiva Lucas gets a block in. Corner taken right-footed by Frank Lampard from the right by-line, Branislav Ivanovic has a header from deep inside the six-yard box and clears the crossbar. 53:17 Didier Drogba takes a shot. Blocked by Martin Kelly. Inswinging corner taken right-footed by Didier Drogba from the left by-line to the near post, clearance by Jamie Carragher. 52:37 Glen Johnson has an effort at goal from outside the penalty box missing to the wide left of the goal. 52:29 The ball is crossed by Raul Meireles. 50:14 Free kick awarded for a foul by Steven Gerrard on Ashley Cole. Direct free kick taken by Petr Cech. 48:48 Branislav Ivanovic challenges Dirk Kuyt unfairly and gives away a free kick. Daniel Agger takes the free kick. 47:04 The ball is swung over by Martin Skrtel, John Terry manages to make a clearance. 46:51 The ball is sent over by Martin Skrtel, John Terry makes a clearance. 45:01 The match restarts for the second half. Half Time 45:00+1:07 The players leave the pitch at half time. 45:00+0:08 The ball is delivered by Martin Skrtel, Petr Cech makes a save. 43:47 The ball is sent over by Rodriguez Maxi. 42:50 Leiva Lucas gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Michael Essien. Direct free kick taken by Didier Drogba. 42:12 Steven Gerrard crosses the ball, John Terry makes a clearance. 40:28 A cross is delivered by Michael Essien, Daniel Agger makes a clearance. 39:24 The ball is delivered by Rodriguez Maxi. 37:48 Dirk Kuyt concedes a free kick for a foul on John Terry. Free kick taken by John Terry. 36:43 The ball is sent over by Steven Gerrard, save made by Petr Cech. 34:28 Didier Drogba takes the outswinging corner, Headed effort from deep inside the penalty area by Branislav Ivanovic misses to the left of the goal. 34:21 The ball is delivered by Jose Bosingwa, Leiva Lucas makes a clearance. Correction - 32:32 Rodriguez Maxi takes a shot. 32:19 Shot from 6 yards by Steven Gerrard. Rodriguez Maxi takes a shot. 31:49 Free kick awarded for a foul by Didier Drogba on Martin Skrtel. Free kick taken by Martin Skrtel. 31:17 Raul Meireles takes a shot. Save by Petr Cech. 30:27 Fernando Torres takes a shot. Jamie Carragher gets a block in. 28:51 Corner taken right-footed by Steven Gerrard from the left by-line to the near post, Didier Drogba makes a clearance. 28:38 Steven Gerrard produces a cross, clearance made by Mikel. 26:43 Corner taken by Frank Lampard from the left by-line, Header from close range by Branislav Ivanovic misses to the right of the goal. 25:29 Foul by Daniel Agger on Fernando Torres, free kick awarded. Didier Drogba delivers the ball from the free kick right-footed from right wing, Leiva Lucas manages to make a clearance. 21:24 The ball is crossed by Ashley Cole, clearance made by Daniel Agger. 20:26 Dirk Kuyt fouled by Branislav Ivanovic, the ref awards a free kick. Daniel Agger takes the free kick. 18:24 Outswinging corner taken right-footed by Raul Meireles played to the near post, clearance made by Didier Drogba. 17:54 A cross is delivered by Jamie Carragher, Branislav Ivanovic gets a block in. 16:33 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Ashley Cole by Martin Kelly. Petr Cech takes the direct free kick. 15:27 Didier Drogba takes a shot. 14:07 The referee blows for offside. Branislav Ivanovic restarts play with the free kick. 12:07 The assistant referee signals for offside against Fernando Torres. Free kick taken by Jose Reina. 7:51 Handball by Ashley Cole. Jose Reina takes the direct free kick. 5:23 The ball is delivered by Martin Kelly, John Terry makes a clearance. 4:21 Foul by Didier Drogba on Jamie Carragher, free kick awarded. Direct free kick taken by Jamie Carragher. 3:52 Glen Johnson sends in a cross. 2:09 Nicolas Anelka is caught offside. Daniel Agger takes the indirect free kick. 1:30 Effort on goal by Fernando Torres from just inside the penalty box goes harmlessly over the target. 0:32 Steven Gerrard fouled by Mikel, the ref awards a free kick. Free kick taken by Raul Meireles. 0:32 Booking The referee books Mikel for unsporting behaviour. 0:00 The ref blows the whistle to begin the match. Live text and data provided by The Press Association.

Agences de presses

Labels: Chelsea, Liverpool, Sport

{ Fernando Torres of Chelsea challenges Martin Skrtel of Liverpool. Photograph: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images Peep!!! Chelsea start half No2. "At least you found your bottle at half-time, be interesting to see if most of the Chelsea side can match your efforts ..." writes Iain Paterson.

The half-time match stats make ugly reading, but they some things up fairly well.

Half-time email dept.

"John, I'm concerned - you do know that plastic degrades?" begins Amir Adhamy. "Three years is an awful long time to be using the same water bottle. I wouldn't want you consume micro-globules or decaying polymer or particles of sub-atomic plastics, such a thing would surely undo the benefits of your drinking 1.5 litre minimum of water daily. I just want the best for you." Don't worry it's some sort of metal.

"Had no idea that Luxembergo had invented one of the key precepts of scientology," notes Matt Loren. "As I understand it, the sci-fi swallowing nutters understand the 'Magic Triangle'* to be the balance between 'Understanding', 'Communication' and their application to 'Reality'. Frankly, that sounds a good way to run a football team."

*PLEASE NOTE: Not all magic shapes were invented by Vanderlei Luxemburgo

Oh, hang on. It's on the side over there.

It's gone! The water bottle is gone! To the perpetrator of this heinous crime, listen and understand. I can't be bargained with. I can't be reasoned with. I don't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And I absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead.

Peep! Marriner brings a close to a largely underwhelming half of football.

45 min: Cech and Ivanovic scream at each other furiously after some mis-communication almost sees the ball squirt away from the keeper.

44 min: I can't really concentrate on the footy as I fear I may have left my water bottle of three years in the toilet. Half-time can't come soon enough.

43 min: "That Rodriguez effort has got to be one of the worst misses in football since Danielle Lloyd," writes @BillChilton on Twitter. Ba-dum tish! Chelsea waste another decent set-piece opportunity, Drogba offering Lampard a nightmare of a pass.

41 min: Gerrard, Agger, Johnson, Maxi, Gerrard, Johnson … and headed clear by Terry. To be honest, Liverpool have probably put together the more cohesive attacks thus far.

40 min: Having done well to mug Maxi for the ball, Anelka and Essien again contrive to ruin a perfectly good attacking opportunity.

38 min: The anonymous Anelka allows another pass to go astray. Seconds later Essien has his pocket picked by Gerrard. Those two have been very poor for Chelsea thus far.

36 min: Both keepers are punting more often than a river-loving Oxbridge student. And, like the loan of said student, it's not paid off yet.

35 min: … again Ivanovic gets his head to it, again it's wide. Agger doing enough to deny the Serbian a clear header. "When Roderick Stewart was talking about using technology to police the powerplay, I hope he was thinking of cattle prods," writes James Galloway.

34 min: Bosingwa scurries down the right to win a corner. This has really picked up in the last few minutes …

32 min: IS THIS THE MISS OF THE SEASON? THE DECADE? THE CENTURY? No, but it's a bad 'un. Gerrard drills the ball across goal and Maxi is clear, two yards out, Cech nowhere, the goal gaping. He sidefoots … against the bar. What a let-off that was, and what a miss.

31 min: Torres raises pulses by grabbing a yard of space inside the box. Carragher makes a fine block on his erstwhile colleague. Again it was the result of a Liverpool error, Lucas losing out to Drogba in midfield.

29 min: … scrambled by Chelsea. And then again. And then a Chelsea break fizzles out. It's not going out on a limb to say this has been pretty dire so far.

28 min: "Since formations seem to be so important," writes Roderick Stewart, "why don't FIFA take a leaf out of the cricket book and introduce a Powerplay, where both teams have to play 2-3-5 for the last 15 minutes of each half? They could use technology to police it." Essien slips and Liverpool break. Gerrard gets to the byline and wins a corner …

27 min: … and flicked wide by Ivanovic. Decent effort that.

26 min: … glanced away by Lucas for a Chelsea corner …

25 min: Torres's jugular has an unexpected meeting with Daniel Agger's forearm. Dangerous free-kick this …

24 min: Cech looks long for Drogba, Carragher tidies up nicely. Reina follows suit looking for Kuyt, but it's straight through to his opposite number.

23 min: Skrtel returns to the fray and seems to be moving freely enough. Kyrgiakos stops jogging up and down the touchline and retakes his seat on the bench.

22 min: "Re: Luxembergo's The Magic Rectangle," begins Philip Podolsky. "On the one occasion that formation came against a proper opposition, it saw Real's back four isolated and exposed against the formidable attacking tridente of Ronaldinho, Eto'o and Messi, ending with R10 giving the performance of his life and Luxo getting the sack a couple of games later. Just saying."

21 min: Cole is picked out beautifully by Lampard and Skrtel does well to prod the left-back's cross away. The defender looks like he may have strained a thigh muscle in doing so, however.

20 min: Torres is crowded out by four defenders as he attempts to spin himself some space in the area. Twenty minutes gone, and we've only had the one shot at goal thus far.

19 min: … cleared as far as Kelly and overhit through to Cech by Glen Johnson. Still, it's fairly even, which, when you think of the state Liverpool were in not all that long ago, is sign of progress for the Reds.

18 min: Shocking pass from Cole goes straight to Carragher and he puts Kuyt away down the right. Cross cleared for a corner …

16 min: Sheesh! Another close shave of Liverpool's own making. Skrtel dillies and dallies, dallies and dillies on the edge of his own area and almost gets his pocket pinched by the onrushing Anelka.

15 min: Drogba finds a soupçon of space 30 yards out. Lampard breaks beyond him but the Ivorian can only larrups his shot into his team-mate.

13 min: Reina hoofs a clearance out of play for a Chelsea throw on the edge of their own area. Liverpool looking to be pretty direct so far.

12 min: Johnson tries to surge inside from the left-flank, but Chelsea have plenty of bodies back. And at the other end Torres is caught offside.

10 min: Here's @honigstein on Twitter: "Very interested to see Liverpool play with three at the back. last team I saw doing that were Bayern under Klinsmann. quickly abandoned. Lahm said "three at the back always ends up at five at the back" at the time." Anelka, in the trequartista role, rumbles forward but the attack quickly peters out.

9 min: Scrappy, shapeless stuff so far. Neither side are even close to settling.

8 min: " Didn't Luxembergo at Real Madrid pioneer a 4-2-2-2 formation that was nicknamed The Magic Rectangle?" notes Ryan Dunne. "Now that would be an Indy-worthy artefact." Or possibly Harry Potter-worthy. Poor header from Mikel, but Kelly clumps his high ball over Kuyt's head and through to Cech.

6 min: A few whistles and jeers from the away end as Torres gets on the ball, but it's hardly a deafening wall of noise. Diouf's reception at Ibrox from Celtic fans much more vitriolic.

4 min: "Hey! That picture of Carragher looks like one of those pig guards at Jabba's palace in Star Wars," notes James Galloway. "Hmmm. Who does that make Jabba? And is fresh-faced Fernando Luke Skywalker? I for one would not like to see John Terry in a princess Leia-style bikini." There's a lot going on there, but I'm sure we can all agreee with the last point.

3 min: Gerrard tries to get Johnson clear down the left, but Ivanovic shuts the door. And the Liverpool wing back then lumps a cross miles over the top of the players in the box.

2 min: Horrible pass from Maxi hands the ball to Torres 50 yards from goal. He moves forward threateningly, but can only skew his shot well over the bar. What a start that would've been.

1 min: Quick feet from Gerrard draws a challenge 30 seconds in, and Mikel heads into the referee's book. Andre Marriner carefully carves a rod and places it firmly on his own back. Nothing comes from the set piece.

Peep! The visitors, kicking from left to right, get things underway.

ADVERTS, ADVERTS, ADVERTS … Buy a car, go and see some terrible film with Pegg and that other bloke, buy some expensive electronic equipment that you don't really need, buy a Ben Affleck DVD from Asda, change your home insurance, buy another car, do some banking …

Click-clack, click-clack … John Terry and Steven Gerrard lead out their sides at Stamford Bridge. Torres, having warmly greeted some of his old team-mates in the tunnel, is among the last out.

And talking of tactics is the Ancelotti Diamond going to be met with the Dalglish Pear? The Liverpool manager played a kind of 3-4-2-1 in midweek. (Can't really see Indy charging round Italy looking for the Dalglish Pear. Possibly eating one, I suppose.)

Jamie Redknapp has just agreed with himself on Sky. "Torres's effort has been 'diabolical' at times, according to you," says David Jones. "Well, yes, I agree …" begins Redknapp.

Pre-match email dept. "Strictly speaking those thirty articles were not talking either, unless they had a built-in read aloud widget (there's probably an app for that)," writes Robin Hazlehurst. "So it is more that the time for word-based metaphorical talking is over and for non-word-based metaphorical talking to start. Or literally talking and literally talking if you mean it in the literally football-pundit-based sense of the word. Does that help?" Yes. And no.

"Does this Liverpool formation do anything but confirm the lack of thought that went in to signing Andy Carroll?" writes Luke Stevenson. "As they have absolutely no width to speak of, bar (ahem) Glen Johnson."

So does that mean a return to the Ancelotti diamond? With Anelka at the attacking tip? Ah, the Ancelotti diamond. Sounds like the sort of the thing young Indiana Jones might have been searching for in 1920s Tuscany.

The teams are in:

The Team With Torres: Cech; Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry, Cole; Mikel; Essien, Lampard; Torres, Drogba, Anelka. Subs: Turnbull, Paulo Ferreira, David Luiz, McEachran, Sala, Malouda, Kalou.
The Team Without Torres: Reina; Carragher, Skrtel, Agger, Kelly; Johnson, Gerrard, Lucas, Maxi; Meireles; Kuyt. Subs: Gulacsi, Aurelio, Suarez, Jovanovic, Kyrgiakos, Ngog, Poulsen.

So Suárez isn't considered ready to start despite impressing in midweek. Torres, as expected, starts for the Team With Torres. Very, very interesting to see how those two line-ups dovetail.

Afternoon all. How big is this then? Yesterday's results mean Chelsea can see a sliver of hope in the title race once more. Victory for Liverpool and would the words "Champions League place" begin to imprint themselves on optimistic Liverpudlian minds? Chelsea have won three on the bounce, Liverpool likewise. These are two teams hitting their stride.

There's also the trifling side issue of Fernando Torres's Chelsea debut. What is there left to say about El Niño's £50m move to Stamford Bridge? We've had 30-odd pieces over the past week alone, which, it's probably safe to say, have covered most of the main issues. The time for talking is over – it's now time to let Torres do his talking on the pitch. Oh, hang on. Does that still count as talking? Hmm. Perhaps we should say the time for literal talking is over, but the time for metaphorical talking is about to begin. Literally. Or possibly metaphorically.

Personally I felt there was a lot to admire about Torres's comments post-move. It was brutally honest:

"The new owner, John Henry, has the right ambition to get things back to what they were, but they need time. Maybe they will need the time while I'm at my best age to play football. I explained my situation to them, my feelings, and was honest and face to face. But wWhen you have an opportunity to play for a team who have a chance of winning the Champions League and the Premier League, and you are the right age to do that and compete with the best, you can't say 'no'. To call me a 'traitor' makes no sense. I played three very good seasons there, and left them with massive money, scored lots of goals and put in good performances. I helped the sale process as well. But I have to think about my career, and this is a step forward."

Fair enough, that.

Agences de presses

Labels: Chelsea, Guardian, Liverpool

{ Fernando Torres has revealed the sales of Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano played a part in his decision to leave Liverpool Football Club.

The Spaniard completed a stunning British record £50million move to Chelsea on deadline day, and he is set to debut for the Blues against his former club on Sunday.

Torres has revealed the decision to quit Anfield was down to broken promises, including the sales of big-name stars Alonso, to Real Madrid, and Mascherano to Barcelona.

“In my first two seasons at the club, they played in the semi-finals of UEFA Champions League and finished second in the Premier League, very close to Manchester United,” he said.

"Then we were very, very close to being one of the top teams for a long time because everyone was together and everyone was moving in the right direction.

"But when you let Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano leave, that is a clear message. It was important, not so much for me, but for the club."

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Agences de presses

Labels: FansFCcom, forced, Liverpool, sales, Torres

PERTH, Australia (AP)—Former Liverpool star Robbie Fowler has dispayed his anger with Fernando Torres for leaving the club by mockingly wearing one of the Spaniard’s No. 9 jerseys.

Fowler, who plays for the Perth Glory in Australia’s A-League, donned the shirt Friday as part of a fundraiser for Queensland state flood victims, saying “there is nothing wrong with the front of the shirt, it is the name on the back.”

Fowler, who scored 183 goals in 367 games for Liverpool, added: “it is quite apt to wear it for a worthy cause as it is something myself or any other Liverpool fan wouldn’t be seen in.”

Torres is set to make his Chelsea debut Sunday against his former teammates at Stamford Bridge.

Agences de presses

Labels: angered, departure, Fowler, Liverpool, Torres