will be hanging in anfield this wed!

Liverpool's Alberto Aquilani rises above the Anfield huff and puffBy John Edwards
Last updated at 10:41 PM on 20th January 2010
Comments (0) Add to My Stories He is supposed to be another Xabi Alonso and is even capable of replicating Steven
Gerrard’s all-action brand of dynamism, according to some.

After five months of seeing Alberto Aquilani interchange between the treatment room and substitutes’ bench, Liverpool followers would settle for a glimpse of the original article.

Never mind the Anfield greats he may go on to emulate, evidence of the skills unique to this slightly-built son of Rome would suffice for now.

Getting to grips: Aquilani
Those quicksilver, darting runs and incisive passes persuaded Rafa Benitez to part with £20million last August but have been kept largely under wraps since, due to an initial ankle injury and subsequent concerns over his fitness and durability in the unforgiving arena of the Barclays Premier League.

Benitez’s misgivings were still lingering at Stoke on Saturday, when he was left pondering how best to fill his midfield places in the absence of Gerrard and Yossi Benayoun. One of them had to go to Aquilani, surely.

With an international pedigree firmly established, he should have been able to hold his own with the likes of Salif Diao. But no. He had played the full 120 minutes in Liverpool’s FA Cup third-round replay embarrassment against Reading three days earlier and could not be risked from the start.

Confirmation, if needed, of the fragility that hindered him throughout his Roma days and added extra pressure, again if needed, as he made only his third Premier League start, in the attacking central role vacated by Gerrard.

He was not alone in being under scrutiny. Liverpool have been on the receiving end of countless barbs and brickbats this season and the one that keeps coming back is that they lack the all-round quality to survive at the top without Gerrard and their Spain striker Fernando Torres. There has been little to contradict it, but the visit of a Tottenham side occupying the fourth position they crave at least produced signs they may not be a two-man team, after all.

Admittedly, it was based on a ferocious level of commitment, rather than any eye-catching craft, but it was very effective all the same.

From Jamie Carragher, in his least-favoured right back role, through every member of a familiar 4-2-3-1 formation, it looked as though their lives depended on it, rather than just the manager’s job.

Inevitably, Aquilani was central to it all. Graft alone can hardly be expected to open the door to a Champions League place, much as Carragher attempted to prove otherwise, and all eyes were on Aquilani to provide the finesse to go with it.

He did not disappoint. Barely six minutes in, a flick-on from Dirk Kuyt was expertly chested down and touched back into the path of Liverpool’s lone striker for a crisp, low finish into the bottom corner.

If it was the ideal start for Liverpool, it was almost the end for Aquilani. Clutching his right ankle in agony after being caught by Michael Dawson, he needed lengthy treatment before climbing gingerly to his feet and signalling he was all right to carry on.

A collective sigh of relief was heard around Anfield. It has been like that with Aquilani ever since he arrived with a reputation for being prone to injury and an ankle condition to reinforce it.

Benitez will put up with that, though, if he keeps producing such moments of sublime vision, moments that change games and show it’s not just skill without substance in his case.

It lifted the roof off Anfield and helped generate an atmosphere more usually associated with big European nights.

Benitez must hope he builds on last night’s promise and goes on to ensure big European nights will be around again next season, even without the assistance
of Gerrard and Torres.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/...0#ixzz0dCG1KmY8



Aquaman is back!!!!!!

Its amazing how some critics all of a sudden trust Rafa now!

i dont hear the commentator complaining bout robbie keane being juz a sub at spurs..imagine when liv doing that..all this media whores will barking none stop for a whole weeks..its a sin if robbie keane not in the 1st eleven!

and u knew that spurs played with 2 strikers rite?..and liv normally played with a lone striker?

banners full of support for rafa b4 the game!

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Added on January 21, 2010, 12:02 pm

hahaha

This post has been edited by leftist: Jan 21 2010, 12:02 PM

theres a reason why rafa doing that...we as fans can only guess..maybe aquilani is not up to EPL pace yet?..maybe riera still not 100% match fit??..watever it is..i trust rafa more than our fanz who dont know the real situation behind the scene




its not only 1 win...its 3 games out of 4..10 points out of 12!

wakakaka...respect sols!!

thats wat training with the 1st team squad can do to you

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Added on January 22, 2010, 8:57 amSammy Lee has dedicated the 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur to the club's loyal supporters who he feels inspired the team to a crucial victory.

When the team coach arrived in Anfield Road ahead of kick-off the players and staff on board were greeted by hundreds of passionate Kopites - and the Reds' assistant boss admitted the players were touched by their show of support.

"Every three points is crucial but considering what has been happening this week in the build up to the game this was massive," Lee told Liverpoolfc.tv.

"Everyone realised that, the staff, the players and all the supporters and everyone involved in the football club.

"There is not enough praise for our supporters. To see them showing their support when we arrived was massive. We try to intregrate our supporters into everything we do because they are part of what we are doing.

"It was really emotional for us to see them singing and supporting us as always. The players certainly appreciated it. Pepe Reina came up to me in the dressing room and he was very emotional. He said this wouldn't happen at any other football club and it meant a lot to everybody.

"We had a difficult game away to Stoke last weekend and the support for us was phenomenal. They saw the effort the lads put in and it was the same against Tottenham.

"Everybody played their part in this victory."

liverpoolfc.tv



This post has been edited by leftist: Jan 22 2010, 08:57 AM

wat can i say...best keeper in epl!...that shot from jenas was swerving to the centre..lucky his reflex is good..and that assist for kuyt's 1st goal,how many times he has done that ehh...not many keepers can do that

trade him with A.Bilbao's Iker Muniain...only 16/17 y.o but already played for 1st team!..now thats wat i call real talent!!

my everyday reading item bro!..every farkin single day!

fast also no use if got no brain...juz ask djibril cisse!

MOTM - emilliano insua!!!...as simple as that!

all player on a free is a gud deal..except voronin!





one more thing...robbie keane made a great start to his celtic career...celtic lost 1-0 to kilmarnock and he's playing full 90 min!..rafa is right all this time

so now he's a celtic fan...not long ago he's a boyhood liverpool fan..in future if he's playin for barnsley i bet he'll say he's a barnsley fan

my golden moment in the match....when masch,agger and a bunch of our player stood up for gerrard after he made a tackle at pienaar...love it when agger shove aside victor anichebe while saying fark you!!

for the 50th time...i hope this is true & the cowboys will be kick out!

Liverpool’s Lucas Leiva has been named in Brazil’s squad to face the Republic of Ireland in a friendly at the Emirates Stadium on March 2nd.

The midfielder will of course be in action at the Emirates when his side face Arsenal on Wednesday night and the news of his recall will provide confidence for him ahead of the World Cup this summer.

An interesting omission from coach Dunga’s squad is AC Milan’s Ronaldinho, who has been pushing for a recall but now looks doubtful for the South American’s squad this summer in South Africa.

Goalkeepers: Julio Cesar (Inter Milan), Doni (Roma).

Defenders: Maicon (Inter Milan), Daniel Alves (Barcelona), Gilberto (Cruzeiro), Michel Bastos (Lyon), Juan (Roma), Lucio (Inter Milan), Luisao (Benfica), Thiago Silva (AC Milan).

Midfielders: Gilberto Silva (Panathinaikos), Josue (Wolfsburg), Felipe Melo (Juventus), Lucas (Liverpool), Kaka (Real Madrid), Ramires (Benfica), Elano (Galatasaray), Julio Baptista (Roma), Kleberson (Flamengo).

Forwards: Robinho (Santos), Adriano (Flamengo), Nilmar (Villarreal), Luis Fabiano (Seville).


what????!!!...no denilson & anderson?!!..i tot they better than lucas??!

http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/clubfoot...joins+liverpool

Serb Jovanovic joins Liverpool
(AFP) Tuesday 9 February 2010

Serbian international attacking midfielder Milan Jovanovic signed for English Premier League giants Liverpool on a free transfer from Belgian First Division side Standard Liege on Tuesday, his agent confirmed.

The 28-year-old, who will join Liverpool in June this year, signed a three year contract and will earn a reported €3 million a year.

Jovanovic, who turned down an offer from Spanish side Real Madrid last year because he didn't think he would get enough playing time, had also been a target for Serie A duo AC Milan and Juventus as well as Valencia.

Jovanovic, who impressed as the Serbians reached this year's FIFA World Cup™ finals and in Standard Liege's two successive title wins, was recently named the Belgian league's player of the season.



thats bout 60k pound per week!..i really feel this serbian guy is not juz a cover for torres..rafa has a big plan for him..all in all great news

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Added on February 10, 2010, 4:40 pmthats juz cruel man!...wakakaka

This post has been edited by leftist: Feb 10 2010, 04:40 PM