Tag Archives: Liverpool FC

Liverpool’s 5 Best Games 2012-13

24 Jun

Liverpool’s 5 Best Games 2012-13

 

Last season was Brendan Rodgers first season in charge of Liverpool and after a difficult start with some tough fixtures to start the campaign off with.  Liverpool’s results steadily improved as the season progressed. The second half of the season saw a vast improvement in both performances and results as the players got more accustomed to Brendan Rodgers’ philosophy.

 

Liverpool produced some really good performances during the season and I’ve tried to pick out five that I thought were the best, starting with Liverpool’s and Brendan Rodgers’ first league win of the season.

 

Norwich City 2-5 Liverpool

 

Liverpool started the match on the offensive and took the lead through Suarez after he collected a poor clearance from the Norwich defence before drilling home. Liverpool dominated the match and Suarez in particular impressed the most with a brilliant hat-trick.

 

On loan Sahin also netted for Liverpool along with the unfortunate Barnett scoring in his own net to complete the scoring in an emphatic display from Liverpool. The performance and result was very important for Liverpool after a difficult start to the campaign but unfortunately the results continued to be poor after this excellent away win.

 

Liverpool 5-0 Swansea City

 

Liverpool ended a five-match winless run in style with a dominant display over a weakened Swansea side who had one eye on the following week’s Capital One Cup Final. But Liverpool showed great appetite in seeking a much needed win as Gerrard scored from the spot to send Liverpool on their way, although it was only 1-0 at the half.

 

New signing Coutinho making his first start for Liverpool also scored his first Liverpool goal right at the start of the second half after being released by Suarez. Enrique made it 3-0 after a fine move before Suarez got in on the act with a fine finish. Sturridge converted another penalty for Liverpool after Wayne Routledge handled in the area. The win was just what Liverpool needed after a tough few weeks.

 

Liverpool 3-1 Zenit St Petersburg

 

A few days after beating Swansea 5-0 Liverpool had to overturn a 2-0 deficit to progress to the last 16 of the Europa League, but they just came up short after a spirited fight back shown by Liverpool, even after the early setback of losing an away goal after Hulk latched onto Carragher’s short backpass to give the visitors an important away goal.

 

But the famous Anfield crowd roared their heroes back into the match with goals from Suarez and Allen and Suarez produced a stunning finish from another free-kick but Liverpool couldn’t find that elusive fourth goal as the visitors held out. It was a tremendous performance from Liverpool against all the odds and after losing an early goal too.

 

Liverpool 3-2 Tottenham Hotspur

 

Liverpool’s win against Spurs was massive as they finally beat one of the top 5 teams in a thrilling match at Anfield. Suarez stabbed the Reds ahead after slick move, but a Vertonghen double fired the visitors in front. But with Spurs on the ascendency, Liverpool scored an equaliser after a poor backpass by Walker allowed Downing the opportunity which he didn’t miss.

 

Liverpool capped a fine comeback when Gerrard converted a penalty with 8 minutes remaining to give Liverpool a confidence boosting win.

 

Newcastle United 0-6 Liverpool

 

Liverpool produced their biggest win of the season away to Newcastle with a stunning performance as the home side found themselves totally outplayed. Agger opened the scoring in the 3rd minute before a Henderson and Sturridge double put Liverpool on easy street. The fine display was capped by the fit again substitute Borini coming on and scoring his first league goal for Liverpool.

 

Enhanced by Zemanta

Tags: , , , , , , ,

A Selling Club

22 Jun

You can buy my first e-book on Amazon in kindle format, it is called The Kopite View Season 2012-13, here is the link http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kopite-View-Season-2012-13-ebook/dp/B00BMW7JTA/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1362780961&sr=1-1

The book consists of my match reports and articles from earlier in the season. If you like my blog, you will like my book. All the money is going to help Hillsborough Families.

A Selling Club

 

Liverpool are now finding themselves struggling to attract top players in the game but also struggling to hang onto their best players too. The latest transfer rumours regarding Suarez who is arguably Liverpool’s best player, is a major problem for the club, as his goals last season proved crucial in a mediocre mid-table League position finish for Liverpool.

 

Strikers like Suarez are irreplaceable and I fear Liverpool are resigned to the fact of losing him, but understandably they will want as much cash as possible for their star player. Big money for a player like Suarez can help Brendan Rodgers bring his own players in to shape Liverpool into the team that he wants, but he will have to find promising youngsters with outstanding potential, or players like Daniel Sturridge that want the chance to show prove themselves.

 

Many supporters and affiliates of Liverpool feel that Suarez should show loyalty to a club that has stood by him during some tough and controversial times at Liverpool. But loyalty is a word that is not regularly associated with the footballing vocabulary and Liverpool would be naïve to expect loyalty from a player who is from the other end of the world, and who has showed ambition throughout his career, and now Suarez looks to take another positive step in his career as he looks to display his talents at the highest level in the Champions League at a club that can provide that. Unfortunately for Liverpool, they can’t provide that next season and possibly not for the foreseeable future.

 

Not qualifying for the Champions League is a major problem for Liverpool and in recent years qualification for this elite competition has got tougher with the improving Tottenham Hotspur and the bankrolled Manchester City along with the usual suspects of Chelsea, Arsenal and current League Champions Manchester United. With only the top four earning entry into the Champions League Liverpool find themselves adrift of the teams mentioned.

 

It seems an awful long time ago since Liverpool were regular entrants into the Champions League, managing to win it in 2005 followed by another final 2 year later. Liverpool’s previous owners have not helped in Liverpool’s decline and the new owners have tried to steady the ship. But the loss of Rafa Benitez and the managerial revolving door in recent years has not helped along with the loss of world class players.

 

Liverpool lost players of world class calibre like Xabi Alonso, Mascherano and Fernando Torres which was always going to be detrimental to Liverpool’s team. Those players left because Liverpool couldn’t pay them the big money, but more importantly because Liverpool couldn’t offer them Champions League football as they found themselves in a team in decline. World class players are difficult to replace and Liverpool have struggled with inferior talent. Liverpool’s current owners FSG backed former manager Kenny Dalglish with money to build a team to challenge in the league, although most of the money was from the sale of Torres to Chelsea. But after allowing Dalglish to bring in many new players they impatiently sacked him after one full season after a disappointingly low position in the League, although he won the Carling Cup and lost in the FA Cup Final to Chelsea.

 

With trigger happy tactics the American owners were not going to give Dalglish time for his new signings to blossom under a second full season in charge. I still think it was a big mistake, but they have changed their attitude by employing the relatively inexperienced and young Brendan Rodgers to rebuild this massive club back to former glory. By cutting the wage bill, and not allowing for more money to be wasted like the Andy Carroll investment. FSG don’t seem to be giving Brendan Rodgers much money to spend unless he sells first to bring his own type of players to the club.

 

The sale of Torres to a rival club like Chelsea was a sore one to take for Liverpool as they have become a selling club in recent years with their top players being plucked from Liverpool’s grasp by the vultures of European football’s elite clubs. Now young players from the Rafa era like Lucas and Agger have matured into top players and this summer is a summer of worry for Brendan Rodgers as he tries to hang onto the nucleus of his team as the vultures circle once again.

 

Liverpool have shown vast signs of improvement after a difficult start to the season and Brendan Rodgers would look to hold onto his players as well as add to his squad which is very young and lacks experience.

 

The latest talk of star striker Luis Suarez wanting to leave Liverpool is another example of Liverpool as a selling club as the lure of Champions League football looks to be all too much for the Uruguayan, and if his departure materialises then that would result in another world class player exiting the Shankly Gates. Liverpool will no doubt look to get financially rewarded if he goes, but Liverpool will be unable to attract an equal as a replacement which will once again be detrimental to the team.

 

FSG have set their transfer sights on young promising talent who have a long shelf life and can be re-sold later on, but every team needs a mix of youth and experience to be a top side, alongside world class talent and Liverpool will continue to be a selling club until they bridge that gap to finish in the top four and the longer they are out of that elite group the more difficult it will become as players won’t come to Anfield just because they have a great history, it is the present that counts to these top players and they want to challenge for honours.

 

This summer is very important for Liverpool Football Club and the transfer activity that occurs will shape the new season for the Anfield club as they desperately try to break into the top four again.

Enhanced by Zemanta

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Suarez Owes Liverpool

11 Jun

here is the link to buy my brand new e-book http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kopite-View-Season-2012-13-ebook/dp/B00BMW7JTA/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1362780961&sr=1-1  all the royalties will go to the Hillsborough Charity.

Suarez Owes Liverpool

Luis Suarez has been a sensation in terms of footballing quality since his arrival on Merseyside, and the Liverpool supporters have taken them to their heart. But with all his world class footballing ability, there is also heavy baggage that weighs him down.

Suarez has never been out of the headlines since his arrival from Dutch side Ajax, and unfortunately mostly for controversy. The English media have found great delight in highlighting every misdemeanour the Uruguayan has made with little mention of his wonderful play on the park for Liverpool.

The English media made Suarez public enemy number one since his infamous role in the 2010 World Cup Quarter Final, when he got sent off for saving Dominic Adiyiah’s goalbound header with his hands on the goal line, which would have been the game winner. Gyan hit the crossbar with the ensuing penalty kick before Uruguay won the penalty shootout 4-2 to advance to the semi-finals.

It was despicable treatment from the world’s media for Suarez’s action, when any footballer would have done the same thing with an instinctive save to prevent a goal. Suarez was punished by receiving a red card and also missed the semi- final through suspension, so why the outcry, it was hardly similar to Maradona’s handball against England in the 1986 World cup was it ?

But although the media had an agenda against Suarez, he hasn’t helped himself with his diving, although he has worked to clean up his act in recent months. The Evra controversy still seems mysterious to me but he was punished rightly or wrongly, one man’s word against another man’s word but he was found guilty.

But his latest misdemeanour was his worst yet and possibly his last in a Liverpool shirt. There was no excuse for biting Chelsea defender Ivanovic and he was rightly punished.

Suarez has missed many games through suspension since joining Liverpool as the FA have joined the nation’s media to hammer English football’s public enemy number one and make an example of him to others.

Suarez was banned for 8 games for racially abusing Evra whereas Chelsea’s John Terry only got 4 games for racially abusing Anton Ferdinand, with much more evidence of the offence on offer.

The Uruguayan’s latest ban is 10 matches for biting Ivanovic and I believe the punishment is for the man and not for the crime as Suarez has previous convictions.

Like I say Suarez has not helped himself, for example not shaking Evra’s hand the next time the two players’ met after his ban was not the brightest thing to do and caused more trouble. But throughout all Suarez’s troubles and strife Liverpool Football Club has consistently defended and backed their star striker even though he has dragged the good name of the club through the mud at times and tarnished their great name.

But previous manager Kenny Dalglish constantly defended Suarez, even getting his team to wear T-shirts in an act of support for Suarez, and Brendan Rodgers has been singing off the same hymn sheet in regards to protecting his star player.

So how can Suarez betray the loyalty of Liverpool Football Club and more importantly his worshippers that stand in the Kop, by saying in a recent interview in his native land that he wants to leave Liverpool.

Suarez owes Liverpool at least another year to see if they can achieve a top four place in the league and qualification into the Champions League after the loyalty they have shown throughout his troubles.

Suarez’s excuse for wanting to leave Liverpool was blaming the media, like I said they have treated him disgracefully and I feared some time ago that they would drive him out of this country, but come on Luis you didn’t help yourself and just tell us the real reason that it is because you want to play in the Champions League and Liverpool can’t offer that and although the truth may hurt, Liverpool supporters will at least understand this excuse. But to blame the media no I’m sorry Liverpool deserve better.

I think Suarez is vital to Liverpool’s challenge for a top four place next season and without him I fear they will struggle, yes they will be compensated with good money, but losing a world class player is extremely difficult to replace and Liverpool will be a poorer team without him.

But no player is bigger than the team and Liverpool will go on with or without Suarez. Suarez is a great player but nowhere near the best to grace the hallowed turf of Anfield but he is certainly one of the most controversial and anybody that endeavours to tarnish the name of Liverpool Football Club is better away from Anfield.

Enhanced by Zemanta

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Y.N.W.A. Anne Williams

18 Apr

here is the link to buy my brand new e-book http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kopite-View-Season-2012-13-ebook/dp/B00BMW7JTA/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1362780961&sr=1-1  all the royalties will go to the Hillsborough Charity.

 

YNWA  Anne Williams

 

A normal lady, a normal mother, with a typical football loving boy

 

Who lost her son at a football match

 

A life lost, a life changed forever

 

Every parent’s worst nightmare to lose a son or daughter

 

But at a football match, this should never happen

 

96 never returned, 96 families lives changed forever

 

Unthinkable tragedy, unbelievable lies

 

Anne lost her son 24 years ago

 

All she wanted was to know what happened that day

 

How her Kevin died

 

Was that too much to ask

 

The victims were blamed for their own deaths

 

Anne knew the lies

 

She would get the truth against the establishment

 

She fought for the truth

 

She fought for justice

 

Against all odds when mere mortals would give up

 

Most would tire of the fight

 

Most would struggle with a broken heart

 

Anne’s heart is as big as Liverpool

 

Anne has led the fight for justice

 

She has never backed down

 

She would not be defeated

 

Her strength is unparalleled

 

Anne fought the law and Anne won

 

24 years fighting for the truth and for justice

 

Her belief never waned, her spirit never broken

 

Finally rewarded last September

 

The truth came out

 

Anne has put her body and mind through hell for 24 years

 

Anne fought for an inquest into her son’s death

 

Because she knew he could have been saved

 

Last October she was diagnosed with terminal cancer

 

And she continued to fight her for her cause

 

Although her body was suffering

 

Anne’s body finally gave in this week

 

Sad that she never lived to see the inquest

 

As she joined her beloved son Kevin

 

But not before defying doctors with one last show of courage

 

To attend Monday’s 24th Hillsborough Anniversary Service at Anfield

 

 

 

Anne Williams suffered tragedy

 

She suffered the lies

 

Never felt sorry for herself

 

Never gave up

 

Respected by many

 

Carried a city against injustice

 

Anne Williams rest in peace

 

You will never walk alone

 

 

 

 

Enhanced by Zemanta

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Respecting The 96

15 Apr

 

Respecting The 96

24 years ago today 96 football supporters attended a football match never to return home.

It should never happen, but it did.

It could have been me or you, but we were lucky.

It could have been any team’s supporters.

Tragically it was Liverpool supporters.

The loss of lives was tragic enough.

But the aftermath and blame directed at the supporters

Was disgusting.

Supporters that were there that day tried to save their friends.

They thought they would come home heroes.

How wrong could they be.

The headlines in the Sun tarnished them.

The outrageous lies

No respect for the dead

The supporters did everything they could to help that day

While the authorities did nothing.

Liverpool supporters knew they were not to blame

And a massive cover up prevented the truth

But against all the odds and the corruption of the system

The fight for justice won the day

When at long last the truth of the disaster was made public

The years of being blamed

The years fighting for justice

The years fighting for the 96

Too many names to mention that helped bring the truth to the public.

Respect has finally been recognised

After the public’s shock from the truth

April the 15th will always be a sad day for Liverpool Football Club

But the 96 will never be forgotten

And they have made Liverpool Football Club stronger

Today is the anniversary of the tragedy

But every day the 96 are in our thoughts

You Will Never Walk Alone

Enhanced by Zemanta

Tags: , , , , , , ,

YNWA Anne Williams

10 Nov

YNWA Anne Williams

A normal lady, a normal mother, with a typical football loving boy

Who lost her son at a football match

A life lost, a life changed forever

Every parent’s worst nightmare to lose a son or daughter

But at a football match, this should never happen

96 never returned, 96 families lives changed forever

Unthinkable tragedy, unbelievable lies

Anne lost her son 23 years ago

All she wanted was to know what happened that day

How her Kevin died

Was that too much to ask

The victims were blamed for their own deaths

Anne knew the lies

She would get the truth against the establishment

She fought for the truth

She fought for justice

Against all odds when mere mortals would give up

Most would tire of the fight

Most would struggle with a broken heart

Anne’s heart is as big as Liverpool

Anne has led the fight for justice

She has never backed down

She would not be defeated

Her strength is unparalleled

Anne fought the law and Anne won

23 years fighting for the truth and for justice

Her belief never waned, her spirit never broken

Finally rewarded in September

The truth came out

Anne has put her body and mind through hell for 23 years

Anne deserves the inquest into her son’s death brought forward now

It is the least she deserves as her health suffers

Anne Williams suffered tragedy

She suffered the lies

Never felt sorry for herself

Never gave up

Respected by many

Carried a city against injustice

Anne Williams you will never walk alone

PLEASE BRING FORWARD KEVIN WILLIAMS INQUEST – e-petitions epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/40925 please help Anne by signing this petition (for UK residents only)

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Newer Entries →