A Liverpool Thing

The Return of the Able Deputy

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Grech) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:00:00 +0000

His was a low-profile entrance. Indeed, if any emotion was expressed when Mauricio Pellegrino joined Liverpool's coaching staff last July, it was skepticism: how could the player who had done so badly during his brief stay in 2005 add anything in a coaching role?

Four months later and there still isn't a suitable answer to that query. Nor is there likely to be. Coaches are only appreciated when they leave, as proven by the negative impact of Patrice Bergues' departure in Gerard Houllier's time or, more recently, that of Paco Ayesteran.

Yet the new coaching team must be doing something right. Defensively, where you would imagine someone like Pellegrino would be more prominent, Liverpool have only conceeded twice from set-pieces all season a significant improvement in an area where they struggled in the recent past.

While it was unheralded, in hindsight the arrival of Pellegrino wasn't that surprising. Highly rated as a player by Benitez - he famously chose him as Valencia's best defender defender rather than the more widely acclaimed Fabio Ayala - he was also one of those players who, to trouble an old cliche', act as coaches on the pitch.

The departure of Alex Miller at the end of last season coupled by Ayesteran's earlier dismissal gave Benitez the opportunity to re-shape his staff and bring in new ideas. For him, Pellegrino must have been the perfect choice: a man who knows his playing ideology inside out yet with a degree of experience of the English game.

Few can appreciate the importance of that better than Benitez who has hinted that his impact with the Premiership wasn't as comfortable as he had expected. Some players identified early on weren't suited to English football and his tactics occasionally failed to take into consideration the physical aspect. Compare the way Liverpool approached games like the derby or trips to Bolton to the same teams and you will see how that aspect of Benitez's approach has matured.

Pellegrino's beliefs will have suffered the same shock during that brief stint as player, better equiping him to understand and pass on Benitez's ideas.

There was, however, more to take out of that brief stay. Because, if ultimately playing wise it was a bad move, it did show that Pellegrino was someone eager to pass on his knowledge - he often stayed behind to help reserve team players - and, more importantly, someone with integrity.

Indeed, whilst his initial six month contract had an automatic renewal for a further year, Pellegrino himself opted not to exercise that option because he realised that at that stage of his career he wasn't good enough for Liverpool.

None of this was widely publicised at the time meanting that for most the overriding impression of Pellegrino was that of a slow defender who should never have joined Liverpool. But that move paid dividends then - it allowed Benitez to rest Hyppia in the lead up for the Champions LEague - and is bearing results now.

Good Game Bad Game [vs Tottenham Hotspur]

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Grech) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:00:00 +0000

Good Game Bad Game [vs Tottenham Hotspur]
There were too many mediocre players out there on this occasion for me to even to attempt to split them between those who played well and those who didn’t. This team played as if they didn’t know each other – which, from a playing perspective, is true – and as a result every aspect of Liverpool’s game failed to click.

Faced with Tottenham Hotspur, a team riding the confidence wave and with practically the first eleven out there, there was only going to be one conclusion.

Yet the nagging doubt at the back of my head is that, had Liverpool been fractionally more careful then they could have won this. But they weren’t and that’s that.

As I said in the introduction, there were too many mediocre performances. Worryingly, these didn’t come from the youngsters like Damien Plessis and Nabil El Zhar both of whom had decent games in my mind, but rather from people like Philip Degen and Andrea Dossena.

The two full-backs were atrocious which can turn out to be a significant problem. The concept of defending seems alien to Dossena and it was telling that, when Insua came on, it was the Argentine who slotted in at left-back.

As for Degen: what can you say? I struggle to think of a player who has played a worse game than he did against Spurs. Of course, it is still early on and all that but let’s just say that I’m hoping that his contract only covered one season. If I were Stephen Darby, I’d be knocking on Benitez’s door this morning asking why a player as limited as Degen was ahead of me.

Incidentally, both Darby and Insua looked good when they came on. Question is: how ready is Benitez to play them instead of the players that he brought in for a considerable amount of money? Not that I want to turn this into a debate about Liverpool’s youngsters and how they compare to Arsenal’s which unavoidably some will try to do this morning.

Yet perhaps the most worrying (although a better word is probably frustrating) aspect of the night was Ryan Babel’s form. The Dutchman clearly has lost a bit of spark and performances levels have slipped lately. Against Tottenham he played like a petulant boy, eager on doing everything on his own and in doing so he kept going down blind alleys.

I’m sure that Rafa will take some pointers from this game with the main one being that the squad isn’t that good but at the end of the day this was the League Cup and if elimination is the price that Liverpool have to pay for resting some of key players then so be it.

A Look At: Dynasty by Paul Tomkins

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Grech) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 13:00:00 +0000

Yesterday I reviewed Paul Tomkins' latest book Dynasty which, in case you missed it, I wholeheartedly recommend. Here's a brief-ish chat that I had with Paul about this book and Liverpool's current situation.

How did the idea of the book come about?
I was getting sick of the notion that everything in the club’s history was perfect, and Benítez could do no right in some people’s eyes. Liverpool FC has such a wonderful past, but it is often used against the men of the present. At times people talk about the great old teams as if they never lost, or even drew games. That doesn’t help anyone, as it’s patently untrue. They sometimes lost to poor teams at home or lower league sides in the cups, and in 1984 won the league when failing to win almost half their games. It was three points for a win, and yet the win-rate was below what Benítez has delivered.

I wanted to try and write a definitive history of the last 50 years in terms of the club’s managers, looking at every relevant aspect I could think of, to make it as fair as possible. I wanted to celebrate the genius of Shankly, Paisley, Fagan and Dalglish, and herald their strengths, but also point out that they also bought some crap players, and lost plenty of games. I also wanted to try and find some good things to say about the less-popular managers, including Souness, even if the overall story was one of failure.

So I wanted to try and create a level playing field to judge all the managers. Much of the effort went into finding out how strong the rivals of the day were, and devising a way to judge each manager’s spending, so that valid comparisons could be made with other Liverpool managers and also with the spending of the clubs of that era.

There was a bit of controversy early on with the book and the official site. What was all that about?
Someone at the club felt there was criticism of the owners and the current manager. They then told the official website that no mention of the book could be made, when my agreement to write for them was based on the fact that they didn’t really pay me – although in 2007, after two years unpaid, I started getting a small monthly fee – but that they would help promote my books, to help me make a living.

So I’d just finished this book, only to be told that all mention of it had been banned. Naturally I was distressed, particularly as I’d worded the book carefully. As far as I was concerned I merely reported the events of the fallout behind the scenes in 2007 as they appeared in the press, based on the statements of those concerned. It was all 100% factual. Anyway, the people at the website were very supportive and argued my case, and the ban was overturned.

How much research went into the book?
A lot! I think that much is clear from reading it. One of the nicest reactions to the book has been how many older match-going fans have emailed me to say that they loved it, and were surprised at how much they learned from it. I learned a lot researching it, and I think that comes through.

What brought about the idea of the panel?
A key part of the book was determining the quality and contribution of each player over the past 50 years, whether to judge a manager’s signings or to work out the strength of the squad he inherited. So I decided to assemble a Brains Trust of experts, supplemented by a cross-section of longstanding fans, to get a truer picture, rather than rely on just my own opinion. A consensus would always be better.

Vic Gill – Bill Shankly’s son-in-law who was on the club’s books from 1957-1962 – had been a fan of my writing for a while, and had contacted me a couple of years back to let me know. So he was an obvious person to ask. Some of the others, such as Brian Reade and Oliver Kay, I’d exchanged emails with about the Reds, while everyone else had contacted me at one point or another. When you get people in their 80s, who first went to a game 62 years ago, contacting you to say they like your stuff, it seems absurd to not invite their views on the past 50 years. I think it’s a great panel of people, with most having been fans for a long time, and I’m grateful for their contribution.

Are you happy with the end result?
Very much so. You can always look back and think of things you could have added, or done differently, or more research you might have uncovered, because you cannot cover every aspect of 50 years in 256 pages, but overall I believe it to be my best book by some distance. The feedback has been incredible. I’m usually sick to death of a book by the time it hits the shops, having lived with it for months on end and read and reread it eternally, but Dynasty is different. I’m very proud of it.

Is it fair to judge Benitez seeing that his is still a work in progress?
Dynasty puts into context what he’s achieved so far, but as I point out in the book, opinion on what he’s doing will change if he brings league success, or if it falls away badly like it did under Houllier after his first four years. I make it clear that he can only be judged at the time of going to print, and that it is therefore not definitive in terms of a final analysis. But as it’s a book on the past 50 years, you clearly he’s been part of that.

I also made it very clear that the perceptions of his signings would change in time. Martin Skrtel’s form this season would mean he would now be rated higher. Nabil El Zhar has moved from being seen as a total irrelevance to a tidy little squad player. Lucas, however, looks less assured than last term, but of course, could still come good.

There is occasionally a comparison between Benitez and Shankly: do you think that this stands?
There are a number of similarities and parallels outlined in the book. But also, of course, there are a number of differences. Also, clearly Benítez isn’t yet proven to Shankly’s level at the club.

In terms of personality, they’re miles apart, but some of their philosophies are similar. For example, a player’s character was crucial for both men when making a signing. I can see Shankly loving someone like Dirk Kuyt, and not touching El Hadji Diouf with a barge-pole. Shankly said he let talented trainees go if they didn’t sweep the floor properly, but those kids who put their all into it got contracts. I think Benítez has put a lot of that work ethic and pride back into the club.

Both managers also signed a pretty equal mixture of successes and failures, but the ones they got right were massively influential, and that’s always the key thing. But of course, it’s a different era now, with very different challenges, and that is also outlined in the book.

Reading through the book I realized how few players have come through the youth system yet Benitez keeps getting blamed for not giving young players a chance. Is such criticism fair?
I believe that if young players are good enough, they will play. Of course, initially it’s catch-22, because to be good enough they usually need experience, and those same fans will not have the patience for a rookie to find his feet if it means risking losing games. These days that experience has to be on loan. But too many Liverpool players have failed when out at lower league clubs, and that suggests they weren’t ready even for those teams, let alone Liverpool. Equally, Danny Guthrie aside, none of the youngsters let go are undoubtedly good enough to be in the Premiership, let alone the top four. Mellor, Welsh, Potter, Otemobor, Partridge: none have pulled up any trees.

Someone like Paul Anderson did very well in League One, now he has to prove he can cut it in the Championship. If he improves, he has a chance. Ditto Jack Hobbs. Nemeth was knocking on the door, but has been injured all season.

Also, it’s hardly like the Reds have let the next Wayne Rooney go from the Academy in order to accommodate Robbie Keane. Also, there are more world-class foreigners in the league now, so home-grown players need to be that much better. It’s the same at Chelsea and United. Their best youngsters now tend to be foreigners, and even they don’t play that often.

The other thing is that Benítez has bought a lot of young first-team players who are already internationals, and in some cases world-class stars: Torres, Mascherano, Agger, Skrtel, Reina, Babel and Alonso, plus Sissoko, were all 20-23 when signed. So it’s harder to put in teenagers when the core of the team is already pretty young to start with. Most weeks, Liverpool only have a three players over the age of 26 in the team, with Carragher, at 30, the oldest.

Overall, how do you judge Benitez's buys?
Overall, he’s spent his money very wisely, particularly as he can’t buy lots of £20-£30m players like his two main rivals. Every manager signs duds, but his ricks have mostly been inexpensive and quickly shipped out. In real terms, as is calculated in the book, he’s spent the least money per-player of any Liverpool manager on his first-team squad. He’s not even come close to breaking the British transfer record, while someone like Souness not only did so, but bought several other players who were almost as expensive. In today’s money, Paul Stewart cost £22m!

I would rate Torres, Reina, Agger, Skrtel, Mascherano and Alonso as players who would have not looked out of place in even the very best Liverpool sides. Riera and Babel have the potential to join that list, and in time others might too. As with Wenger at Arsenal, it’s the great ones that are remembered, and the chaff gets forgotten. At least they do in Wenger’s case!

Then there’s the fact that players like Crouch and Sissoko had excellent seasons early on in their time at the club, and were then sold for a profit after they lost form or fell down the pecking order – that’s unheard of at Liverpool in recent decades, with unwanted players usually leaving for a big loss. Add players like Bellamy and Carson, and you have a manager selling for profit in order to raise his own funds to reinvest in better players. When Sissoko lost his way, he was sold an it helped the club afford Mascherano. So that is good trading-up.

Finally, if you look at how we was denied the chance to sign players like Simao and Alves because of the money involved – which wasn’t even massive figures – and how well they’ve flourished since moving for even bigger fees, you can see that his judgement is generally excellent. Put those two into the current side, and it would be very interesting.

Finally, what are your plans for the future?
The books sell well for the genre, but as any sports author will tell you, bar the biographies of the big stars, they are not very profitable. And as it’s almost my only source of income, I have to keep thinking of new ideas, hence also selling another new book, Compendium, via my website.

I’d like to take time off and have a rest, but my plans to do so usually end up in tatters as I have to get working on promoting the current book, or thinking about the next one. I know for sure that I cannot maintain this pace of output, so something has to give. If the credit crunch hits the Christmas book market, I’m stuffed. The long term aim has to be to get well enough to get more paid, regular writing work. Of course, a 19th league title would be an excellent excuse to pen the next book.

Read my review of Dynasty here.

Chosing Liverpool's Best Manager

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Grech) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:00:00 +0000

Book Review: Dynasty by Paul Tomkins

People who read Paul Tomkins’ regular columns fall into two categories: those who appreciate his insightful musings and those who do so to complain about his ultra-positive tinge. That over the past few years he has been writing largely for the official website has strengthened the latter’s view that he is simply a mouthpiece of the club.

It was therefore highly ironic that there was, briefly, the treat that he wouldn’t be able to promote his latest book Dynasty in his regular articles on the liverpoolfc.tv. Ultimately everything was cleared up yet the fact that his articles now come with a disclaimer hints that they might not sit comfortably with everyone at the club.

All of this might be interpreted that there is something controversial within the pages of Dynasty. If I’ve given out that impression then let me clarify: that’s not the case. But, contrary to what seems to be current conventional wisdom, there is no need for controversy for a book to be brilliant and this is certainly proof of that.

The project that Tomkins has taken on here is highly ambitious: assessing each of Liverpool’s managers since Bill Shankly. He does this in his own irrepressible style of analyzing in detail every area that falls within a manager’s remit. And whilst Tomkins has a talent for such a task, where he excels here is in approaching each manager without any apparent pre-conceived ideas. This can lead to some surprising points of view: whereas the directors who appointed Shankly are often seen as making an inspired choice, Tomkins puts across the possibility that they were simply lacking in ambition when they chose a relatively unproven manager more noted for balancing the books than winning trophies or promotions.

It is such insight that makes Tomkins and the book such an interesting read. To be honest, having seen what it was about I was half-expecting a rehash of things we’ve heard before. In hindsight, I should have given Tomkins more credit.

In particular, he has gone into a lot of effort to be as objective so much that the analysis of players is down to the collective view of a panel of Liverpool fans. It is an innovative – although not infallible – approach.

Ultimately, however, it is simply an aside to Tomkins' excellent writing. Of course, there is no damning criticism of any manager – that is simply not his style – but rather a great body of evidence with which to judge and rank each manager’s achievements.

Reds on Loan: Anderson Starting to Shine

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Grech) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 08:59:00 +0000

Paul Anderson has had a pretty miserable season so far, with injury greatly forcing him to sit out the first three months. Worse than that, he's seen the club he opted to join on loan - Nottingham Forest - slump to the bottom of the table whereas the one that he could have joined - Swansea - have been pushing for promotion.

Slowly, however, things are turning round. Anderson is back playing and Forest are showing signs of a revival. None more so than last weekend when they were unlucky to draw against highly rated Birmingham.

It was the first time that Anderson really started to show his class at the City Ground and his performance caught the eye of the Guardian's John Ashdown who had this to say in his weekly Football League review: the 10-point guide to the weekend action:

"Forest now have reason to look forward with optimism. Mark Thornhill, Joe Heath, Joe Garner and particularly the on-loan Paul Anderson were all impressive. All are only 20. In fact the average age of the 13 players that made the pitch on Saturday was 22. It's still a long road back - they remain second-bottom, five points from safety, after all - but the first green shoots of recovery are there."

The Lad Can Play: Francisco Duran

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Grech) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 13:00:00 +0000

It has been a pretty bleak season so far for Liverpool’s reserves. Four defeats in a row have been quite hard to take for the side that only lost once last season. Players who this time last year were being pushed as potential first team material – Stephen Darby, Miguel San Jose, Damien Plessis, Jay Spearing and even Daniel Pacheco – have been under-performing no matter what Gary Ablett tries to do.

One of the few bright spots amidst all of this gloom has been the return of Francisco Duran. Signed at the start of last year from Malaga, Duran was considered quite special and, although all new signings are hyped up to some extent, there was genuine excitement around him.

It wasn’t to last. Not because of Duran’s lack of ability but rather because of ill-fortune: the player injured his cruciate ligaments in a game against Middlesbrough and spent nine months recovering. Worse was to follow when he returned as, within a couple of weeks, he suffered another cruciate ligament injury in a friendly game against Tottenham that kept him away for another nine months.

It is only this season that he has been able to show his worth. Introduced slowly in order to gauge whether he was ready or not, Duran immediately impressed. A great touch allied with an excellent work rate, he has been Liverpool’s best midfielder whenever used which says a lot given that the highly thought of Spearing and Plessis also featured.

What is impossible to asses is how the injuries and the time away from playing have influenced his physical development. Can he handle the pace of Premiership football? Physically, is he up to it?

If those questions can be answered in the affirmative then there should be little doubt about him. The skill is there as is his character because you don’t return from such injuries if you aren’t determined to succeed.

What Makes Maradona a Legend

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Grech) — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 08:00:00 +0000

It says a lot that the reaction among Liverpool players to the visit of Diego Maradona briefly overshadowed the news that Rafael Benitez's contract talks are finally under way.

Yet not everyone seems to have welcomed the way the new Argentina manager was treated. Some pointed at his Hand of God goal against England although these were, in reality, a minority. What apparently angered the majority is the glorification of a man who has failed to recognise the paternity of a child who was clearly his as well as his well documented history of drug abuse.

This piece isn't aimed at telling those with such views that they are wrong for, clearly, they have a very valid argument.

What I do want to do, however, is try to put across what I appreciate about Maradona.

Naples is a city which in many aspects - cultural, economical and the way it is looked down upon by the rest of the country - is very similar to Liverpool in the early eighties.

Up till Maradona's arrival, the passion of the city for its football club was a cause for ridicule: a club that wanted and deserved to be big but could do little against the financial might of the Northern clubs. In almost a hundred years of existence, it had never won a league title.

Then Maradona came and suddenly greatness was bestowed upon Napoli Calcio.

For a few years, at least in football, Naples took on the mighty industrial centres of Turin and Milan with their sneering attitude and brought them to their knees.

That is what I like about Maradona. Of course, no one can condone what he did in his private life, but what I do know is that for a few years he made the people happy. And surely we can empathise with that.

Here are some of Maradona's most spectacular goals in a Napoli shirt:

If you want to see what Maradona meant to the fans, look here:

That refrain goes something like this:

Oh mamma mamma mamma
Oh mamma mamma mamma
sai,perchè,mi batte el corazon
ho visto MARADONA,ho visto MARADONA
eh mammà !!! Innamorato son!!

Which means

Oh mother, mother, mother
Oh mother, mother, mother
you know why my heart beats so much
I've seen Maradona, I've seen Maradona
and, mother, I've fallen in love

And if you want to read about Maradona's life, look no further than his autobiography El Diego.

Squad Limitations Will Come to Haunt Liverpool

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Grech) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 13:00:00 +0000

The appearance of David N'Gog last Tuesday as a second half substitute was a surprising one, yet it says much about the quality of Liverpool's squad.

In explaining the substitution, Rafael Benitez said that he wanted to change things up front, to put on a striker who could perhaps add something different. Nothing wrong with that yet when that something different is a nineteen year old with one substitute appearance to his name, it is unlikely that much will change.

It isn't simply striking alternaties that Benitez lacks. Players in other areas have struggled to prove their worth: in theory Yossi Benayoun is a valid alternative in midfield yet lately he has struggled to make an impact when given the chance. The same applies, although to different degrees and for varying reasons, to Ryan Babel and Jermaine Pennant.

Elsewhere, Andrea Dossena has admitted that he has found settling at Liverpool hard whilst Philip Degen has barely been seen.

It is only Sami Hyppia and Lucas Leiv who offer a fair degree of reliabiity even though the latter's inclusion here won't sit well with many fans.

Even so, Benitez is increasingly being faced with a situation where if the regulars fail to do the job then he has no real alternatives.

Of course, squad players are just that: players whoc can't be considered as being as good as the regular starters. Yet their value in the modern game is immense. And it is where Liverpool struggle most when compared to Chelsea and, in particular, Manchester United.

What's worse, ultimately it could have a telling effect on any possible title challenge

Good Game Bad Game [vs Atletico Madrid]

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Grech) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:00:00 +0000

For so long it was a case of deja vu. As with last Saturday, Liverpool pressed hard, came close to scoring on a number of occasions but failed to do so. To be fair to them, Atletico were a lot classier than Spurs and you have to wonder what Simao could have achieved had the transfer to Liverpool gone through a couple of years back.

Then came the penalty. Was it the right choice? Probably not but, you know what, the earlier two were, Liverpool deserved to win let alone draw this game and when you've lost a Champions League semi-final to an own goal in the final minute it doesn't really matter.

Good Game
Apart from the goal, Pepe Reina had very little else to do. Atletico slice Liverpool open for the goal but otherwise Jamie Carragher and Daniel Agger had a good game against some formidable ball players. Even so, there's that nagging doubt that the absence of Martin Skrtel is being increasingly felt. Not to mention that Agger should have at least scored once.

Both Fabio Aurelio and Alvaro Arbeloa did their job well. They moved well forward and helped stretch Atletico's defence.

Perhaps I'm a bit biased, but I feel that this was another masterclass by Xabi Alonso who always seems to pick out a Liverpool player no matter how many opposing players surround him. My man of the match.

Javier Mascherano hasn't hit the heights of last season, probably due to the fact that he had such a tough summer, but his covering in midfield is still priceless. The same adjective has to be used for Steven Gerrard. This wasn't his best game, he should have scored earlier but he kept running till the end and got that penalty. It is that belief and drive that makes him such a good player, and not only his undoubted skill.

The same goes for Dirk Kuyt. He runs so much and so intelligently that he takes defenders all over the place. His touch has gotten better this season as the confidence has grown and thankfully those who were so critical last year seem to have shut up, at least for now.

Bad Game
Neither one necessarily had a bad game but Albert Riera's form has dipped lately whilst Robbie Keane, for all the effort that he puts in, isn't really being that effective. And he should have scored wehn put through against the keeper.

Substitutes
The introduction of Ryan Babel for Albert Riera made sense seeing that the Spaniard was being increasingly marginalised. Same goes for Lucas Leiva's introduction instead of Mascherano. Not that either one of the two made that much of an impact on the game.

Much more has to be said about David N'Gog. Benitez seems to like putting on these surprise players: see Nabil El Zhar's occasional appearances. Does it make sense, however? Perhaps it he simply wanted to put across a message to Robbie Keane or else it is simply because he doesn't have any real alternatives. Whatever the reason, it was a surprising decision.

Because whilst N'Gog has some potential (as seen by his cut-back and shot that almost resulted in a goal) and physically he seems very strong but he's nowhere near ready to play in such a delicate game.

Spreading the Word: the Keirrison Rumour

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Grech) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 13:00:00 +0000

Last week, Liverpool were linked with a move for Brazilian striker Keirrison and, although the link seems a bit spurious, I thought that the name sounded familiar.

So I looked around a bit and, true enough, found that last month I had linked to a post on the Pitaco do Gringa's blog about the most promising Brazilian players around. So, if you want to know more about Keirrison, then you can look here.

If you ask my opinion, however, I doubt whether there's any truth in the rumour.

Good Game Bad Game [vs Tottenham]

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Grech) — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 13:00:00 +0000

This was bound to happen, wasn't it? Having won so many games at the death this season, Liverpool were due to suffer a bit of hearthbreak of their own. Yet, for it to come in this game was astounding, such was Liverpool's domination till the 70th minute.

By the time Jamie Carragher put the ball past his own net,Liverpool should have been comfortably ahead. Instead it got Spurs back level and, given their result on Wednesday, you could sense them coming back.

The important thing now is to see how Liverpool react. After last week's defeat to Liverpool, Chelsea have come back by hammering both Hull and Sunderland. Arsenal, on the other hand, followed up the draw with Tottenham with a defeat at Stoke. It is the former that Liverpool must try to emulate.

Let's archive Champions League qualification and then focus on a series of games that are all win-able. It is easier said then done, however, given the number of disastrous Novembers that we have had in the recent past.

Good Game
Once again Xabi Alonso was magnificent in the middle of the park. Tottenham tried to man-mark him but he simply side-stepped anyone who came near him. My man of the match even though he really should have scored from that header.

Steven Gerrard too had a good game, putting in his usual passion and drive. Unlucky not to score but, then again, luck hardly smiled on Liverpool on this occasion. Javier Mascherano did what he does best in stemming attacks, yet he showed as well that he can pass the ball as Liverpool had Tottenham chasing shadows for much of the game.

Albert Riera and Robbie Keane both returned to the starting line-up and both had a similar sort of game in that they were very good in the first half before seeming to tire in the second. Keane also handled the emotional side of this game well, even though you could see that it played a part as well.

Having scored a fantastic goal Dirk Kuyt put in his usual shift and worked extremely hard all over the pitch. A look at the disappointment and frustration on his face at the end of the game should be enough to show the doubters just it is why he is so valuable for the team.

Bad Game
I consider Pepe Reina the best goalkeeper in England but yesterday his indecision cost Liverpool. Not necessarily because he was at fault with the goals but rather because they didn't instill in the defence the sort of confidence that he normally does. Once Spurs starting pressing you could see that the defenders were panicking and Reina missing a couple of punches certainly didn't help them

This might seem harsh on Jamie Carragher but only he can answer why he decided to head that corner towards his own goal. Could it be that tiredness is setting in?

Neither Daniel Agger nor Andrea Dossena did much wrong throughout the game - indeed Dossena was quite good going forward - but both should have defended better for Spurs's second goal. Had they done that then Liverpool would still be top.

Having been impressed by Alvaro Arbeloa on Wednesday, I have to say that this was a more disappointing version. Too often he chose the wrong option as Liverpool's attacks broke down.

Substitutes
Thrown up front against Ledley King, Ryan Babel failed to repeat what he did last week against John Terry and he was a peripheral figure. If Babel was disappointing, Yossi Benayoun was shocking. He loses possession far too easily and seems to be playing on a different wavelength to the rest of the players. Unless he improves soon, it will be hard to put forward an argument to keep him at Liverpool.

An Insight Into the Way Liverpool Buy Players

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Grech) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 12:57:00 +0000

A lot has been said about Liverpool's scouting network of late. Or, rather, a lot has been hinted in various internet forums about the quality (or lack thereof) of some of Liverpool's scouts. Looking through an Italian newspaper I came across this interview with Mauro Pederzoli, one of Liverpool's leading continental scouts and, whilst it is a bit dated (from the 15th of May 2007 to be precise) I still thought that it gives quite a bit of insight on how Liverpool's scouting is carried out under Benitez.

Here's a translation of this piece by Paolo Brusorio.

"He doesn't count goals when judging a striker". It goes against the logic of pub talk but it is how Rafa Benitez thinks. With Liverpool he's signed a five year contract: he is the Reds' manager in the manner that is habitual in England. He takes care of the team both on and off the pitch, he's given a budget and decides how to spend it. He has his own staff and, since this time at Valencia, has been in synch with Eduardo Macia, the former sporting director of the Spanish side. Yet when he arrived on Merseyside he took on an Italian: Mauro Pederzoli, the former sporting director of Brescia and Cagliari who is now under contract at Liverpool.

Pederzoli met Benitez some fifteen years ago "I lived in Spain where I had worked on the deal which led to (Gigi) Maifredi being made Albacete's manager. Common friends brought us together and he asked me to be his window on Italian football." Since then they never lost touch "one day it would be great to work together" Benitez used to tell him. And then came Liverpool.

Fresh for Pederzoli is the memory of a young Benitez who in the nineties managed to take Extremadura to the Liga. "That Benitez is very similar to the modern day one. He keeps thinking about football twenty four hours on twenty four." Football as a sort of rosary. A hermit of a manager and perhaps a mad one, where the madness comes through work. The name of Arrigo Sacchi comes to mind? Bingo. "The greatest manager of the modern era" is how Benitez calls the former Italy boss. Pederzoli recalls "Rafa used to come a lot to Italy to meet him, to study his methods and to question him. Where do the two meet? The care for each detail of the match, their exasperating work when possession is lost and the method through which players are chosen."

Simple but unbreakable rules that Benitez passes on to his helpers. Benitez doesn't want headline hogging players but discipline, he avoids small players and fancy dans. He looks for "fair and strong" players. Pederzoli says "Put together those players and you get Liverpool. The team that tops the fair play league, no player sent off in the league."

Together they’ve chose players like Agger, Kuyt and Mascherano ("he was strugling with West Ham but we believed in him because we had been following him since his time in South America"). And what of Agger? "The aim was to sign players to replace Carragher and Hyppia. Agger, who played at Broendby, was in the list of players that Benitez told us to follow for a whole year, even during training. We also followed (Daniele) Bonera (then at Parma but now at Milan) but Benitez doesn't like small defenders. We spoke about Cordoba one day and he asked me the height that Inter's defender can reach when jumping. We estimated 2.35 metres. You see, he told me, it only takes Crouch to jump thirty centimeters and Cordoba doesn't even see the ball."

Kuyt instead "has all of Benitez's beliefs, he's the type of strikers he prefers useful when he has the ball, even more when he hasn't" Oh, right, that story of goals and strikers. The strong beliefs of the man who, when criticise for having made Liverpool seem too Spanish started to shuffle the pack. Pederzoli remembers those days clearly. "He never wavered because he has a great self-belief that always gives him strength. He's got fire inside. Benitez in Italy? Here he's very happy and then he wants to win the Premier League."

Benitez keeps thinking about football. It happened also on their honeymoon "He was with his wife Montserrat and I spoke to him about Adriano Bacconi, the first one who applied informatics to football. Benitez asked me to meet him. In the end he spend a whole day with him and his computer whilst his wife waited."

Good Game Bad Game [vs Chelsea]

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Grech) — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 13:00:00 +0000

What a game! For a brief period towards the end of the first half when Chelsea were playing really well, I was afraid about what was to come. Instead if a team deserved to score in the second half, it was us. We played really well just as we did against United for the matter and deservedly won.

Now the real task is keeping the players' minds on the next game. Not dropping points against the likes of Portsmouth at home will be just as vital as this win. But let's not think too much about that and really take in today's result.

Good Game
It says a lot about Liverpool's display that Pepe Reina wasn't tested too much. Even so, he was vital when coming out for crosses, catching them when he could and punching well clear when he couldn't. In the centre of defence both Jamie Carragher and Daniel Agger were excellent so much that Nicolas Anelka hardly got a touch.

On the flanks, Fabio Aurelio and Alvaro Arbeloa played excellently in what has occasionally been problem areas for us. Aurelio in particular really adds another dimension of play when going forward.

In midfield Javier Mascherano put in his usual shift whilst Albert Riera is really coming into his own. Just how much Liverpool have missed a winger of his abilities comes across each time he manages to get past a player.

As for the other two midfielders, it is hard to judge who was the man of the match between Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso. Gerrard was there for every loose ball and he heckled Chelsea players whenever posession was lost. Also, he was unlucky not to score with that dipping shot in the first half. However, for me Alonso played that little bit better and wins my vote for the game's best player.

Up front it is hard not to admire the work put in by both Dirk Kuyt and Robbie Keane particularly as the latter wasn't really match fit (and hasn't been since returning from international duty apparently). Of course, you want strikers to score goals but this duo's work actually puts others in a posision to get the goals.

Bad Game
How could I possibly fault anyone today?

Substitutes
I really like Ryan Babel but am often left feeling that he doesn't really care too much. Well, agaisnt Chelsea he proved me wrong as he really battled hard for the ball showing a side to his game that we have rarely seen. The talent is obviously there and if he can keep developing then he will become quite a player.

Putting on both Lucas and Sami Hyppia late on was a typical Benitez ploy to break up play and win a few seconds.

Fernando Torres Unites

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Grech) — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 07:46:00 +0000

Perhaps it is because both set of fans are more passionate than most. Or, quite simply, because the two have a great affection for Fernando Torres that unites them. Whatever the reason, the game against Atletico Madrid not only passed by without any incident but Liverpool fans were genuinely made to feel welcome.

Inevitably, this won't get anything like the sort of publicity that would be afforded had there been any trouble. It is a sad state of affairs but, rather than dwell on it, I'd rather focus on these nice scenes from after the game:

Good Game Bad Game [vs Atletico Madrid]

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Grech) — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0000

A point away against the biggest rival in the group stages of the Champions League isn’t exactly a bad result but, having led for so long, it is inevitable that this result is tinged with disappointment. In reality, this was a very difficult game to call. Liverpool didn’t play brilliantly but could have easily scored a couple more.

Atletico weren’t much better yet they certainly upped the tempo in the first ten minutes of the second half and, had their goal not been wrongly disallowed then it would have been a completely different story.

The really worrying aspect of this game – well, apart from the dismal form of the two full-backs – was how tired most players looked in the second half. With Chelsea coming up on Sunday, it hardly bides well.

Good Game
Faultless for the goal, Pepe Reina was immense. Not that he was called into action too often but he was always quick off his line to cut off attacks and his handling of crosses impeccable. Andy Gray faulted Jamie Carragher for the equalizer and whilst he was perhaps caught out by the bounce of the ball it was hardly a huge error.

Defensively, Liverpool may have been more solid with Martin Skrtel but Daniel Agger more than makes up for this as far as technique is concerned. The long ball he sent towards Kuyt towards the end of the game was quite simply breath-taking.

Indeed, it was the kind of ball you would expect Xabi Alonso to play and the midfielder played plenty of them. Everything good that Liverpool created went through him and his passing invariably picked a team-mate. My Man of the Match.

It is difficult to judge both Steven Gerrard and Javier Mascherano both of whom played discretely but well below their normal level. Both are still recovering from the exertion of playing for their respective national sides.

Robbie Keane took his goal very well and, although he probably should have scored another, his running and speed certainly unsettled the Atletico defense.

Bad Game
Much was made last weekend for the poor games that Alvaro Arbeloa and Andrea Dossena had, too much in my opinion. However, neither one of them seems to have taken too much consideration of the criticism as they were both poor once again against Atletico. Not a huge confidence boost with Chelsea coming up.

Albert Riera started very well but as soon as he was booked for diving, he seemed to switch off. From that point on, he did very little of note and the game passed him by. To his credit, Yossi Benayoun tried hard yet far too often gave away possession easily or chose the wrong option.

Substitutes
So often an impact substitute, Ryan Babel really should have scored with that late header. Apart from that opportunity and a run as soon as he got on the pitch, nothing was seen of him.

Confidence is such a vital ingredient in football and having scored four in three games, Dirk Kuyt has plenty at the moment. After coming on, he hassled the defenders in his typical fashion with the added bonus of always managing to pick out a Liverpool player after winning the ball.

The introduction of Lucas Leiva for Alonso was hugely surprising but the young Brazilian actually did pretty well. His passing was good but he also moved forward well. A promising cameo for a player who doesn’t seem to have many admirers among the Liverpool fans.

A Look At: Anfield of Dreams

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Grech) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0000

Book Review: Anfield of Dreams by Neil Dunkin

The old Chinese saying “may you live in interesting times” was apparently meant as a curse, yet the realization of that maxim hasn’t harmed Neil Dunkin too much.

A Liverpool supporter from the fifties, he witnessed the club’s rise from the Second Division under Bill Shankly through its domination of English and European football up till the present era. He was also of the right age to truly appreciate the explosion of the Mersey beat.

It is around these two phenomena – football and music – that his book Anfield of Dreams is centred. More of the first, to be honest, but the music segment makes as much of an impression. It is what has shaped Liverpool in popular culture and as Dunkin himself recounts when talking of his trips to places like Mexico, it is with football (Liverpool FC) and music (Beatles) that his city of birth is associated.

That Dunkin can talk about both with a fair deal of authority is the strong point of this book. He has stories to tell about Phil Taylor (Shankly’s predecessor) for instance, which is the first time that I’ve read of him as a person, rather than a statistic. Similarly, he writes about listening to the Beatles at the Cavern during his lunch break.

It isn’t just these stories that make Anfield of Dreams unique. It is the first Liverpool fan written book, or any fan book come to think of it, where the violence that was common place in the seventies and early eighties isn’t even mentioned. In fact, you get the feeling that Dunkin has an aversion of such stories that in a sense seem to glorify the violence. In various instances he talks against the scaly behavior among Liverpool fans, saying that it is the type of behaviour that confirms the other over-riding impression of the city.

If all that makes Anfield of Dreams different, the rest is fairly run of the mill writing that adds very little new. His recounting of the battle of Spion Kop is interesting whilst the story from Hillsborough can’t but move. Apart from that, however, Dunkin’s book is quite average, a decent read rather than an exceptional one.

Dunkin has clearly done his research – there is quote after quote throughout the whole book – yet these are lifted from other books and will be quite well know to Liverpool fans making them feel stale.

It doesn’t help that it has to compete with Brian Reade’s ’43 Years with the Same Bird’ that covers pretty much the same era and, like Anfield of Dreams, was also published this summer.
And whereas I enjoyed reading Anfield of Dreams, if someone where to be in the position of having to chose between the two, then the honest answer would be to go for Reade’s book.

Reds on Loan: Anderson Returns

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Grech) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0000

It has been a tough couple of months for Paul Anderson with a tigh injury holding him back from playing for Nottingham Forest, the club he joined on loan at the start of the season.

The winger had a superb loan spell with Swansea last season, helping them to promotion and winning their young player of the year award. In the summer, Anderson signed an extension to his Liverpool deal before given the choice to join one of a host of Championship sides who were eager to get him on loan.

Surprisingly, Anderson opted for Forest rather than Swansea. Whether that was a wise choice or not is doubtful seeing that Swansea are pressing for a place in the play-offs whilst Forest are rooted at the bottom. Yet, in a way this is a good thing for Anderson because it allows him to make an impact once he regains fitness.

He's already doing that, although tentatively. Playing his first reserve game against Lincoln last week, he scored and helped the side claw its way to a 3-3 draw after being 3-1 down.

Then last Monday he was included in the reserve team that faced Walsall and came out 7-1 winners with Anderson running the show and scoring once again. Anderson won the praise of Forest's reserve team boss John Pemberton who said "Paul looked sharp and looks like he's chomping at the bit so we're really pleased with him."

This game was particularly important for Anderson because it confirmed that he can sustain the strain of playing competitively and now opens up the possibility of him joining the first team squad for their game against QPR this weekend.

This couldn't have been more timely for Forest who are undoubtedly in crisis and who need all the boosts that they can get. Which is hopefully what Anderson can give them in his bid to prove that he is good enough for Liverpool.

In the meantime, here's Anderson's goal against Lincoln reserves:

Spreading the Word: Football Filter

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Grech) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0000

How do you keep abreast of what is happening in the world of football? For me it is a mix of NewsNow and RSS feeds from my favourite sites.

It is a system that I find works well for me yet there could be a better solution if Football Filter lives up to its promise.

The plan for Football Filter is quite ambitious as it aims to provide the same news spidering service as NewsNow but with added insight: whereas on other services you only get the headlines, here you can also se the first couple of sentences of each article you roll your mouse over helping you avoid clicking on to stories with an interesting title but that are effectively of little interest.

This, for me, is a major plus point seeing that I have the tendency to get lost reading one meaningless article after another. The way that the site is presented is another bonus as it allows a quick overview of what different sites are saying

A Liverpool specific section was added last month (and they graciously agreed to include A Liverpool Thing) but it reveals one of the challenges that face Football Filter. One of the main blogs listed is Liverpool Access yet the latest post on that – dated towards the end of last season - says that it will be taking a break.

Given the nature of the internet and most blogs which seem to be going strong one week and then don’t add a new post for months, Filter’s authors will have to keep a closer check on the sites they are feature to avoid having what are effectively dead links.

There are other tweaks that will have to be made. Opening up articles automatically in a new window is one of them and the operation of the site does seem a bit clunky. Yet all that is nit picking. I have to admit that I love the whole idea and its execution and this site is already one of my favourites.

A Brief Chat with Ben Fawkes
Here's what Ben Fawkes, the main man behind FootballFilter.com had to say about the whole idea:

When did the idea for the service come about?
About a year ago - I was working in America for a couple of months on an internship and was feeling a bit cut off from the football world; at the time I was using the BBC, Guardian and occasionally football365 to find out what was going on but I was beginning to get a bit sick of their style (particularly the Guardian and BBC, not really F365) and the way they only concentrated on the premiership. So it kind of came from this really, I wanted to be able to cover alot of different sources and centralise them into one place - so I made a Digg clone using Pligg and tried my hardest to get people involved in submitting ideas, which after about 3months failed, which when I met Mike (Derby fan and wing man for footballfilter) who is a web developer, we spoke about how great PopUrls was and how it could be used for football - and that's it really!

What does it offer that is different from other such services?
Ok, well obviously Netvibes and igoogle have similar concepts, but you have to do all the hard work setting up the feeds -we have done that for you and are frantically trying to set up the specific team pages and also new leagues - also podcasts, videos and images aren't as nicely laid out in these formats (in our opinion) so I think there is definitely space in the internet world for what we are trying to do.

As for NewsNow, which is also similar to us in terms of news aggregating, a lot of people have praised us for our layout and format in comparison to NewsNow, so I think what we offer is a simpler, cleaner way of keeping up with whats going on.

How has the feedback been like?
Brilliant, pretty much everyone who has seen it has liked it, some people find it overwhelming, which is understandable but I think people are slowly appreciating the value of it, especially as we develop the team pages!

What plans for the future?
Priority number one is to get the team pages done for the prem, championship, scottish prem and so on. Then we want to make a championship homepage, SPL homepage, Bundesliga homepage and so and so until we have nailed everything.

Then we want to work on customisation which allow users to chose different colours for backgrounds, decide if they want the links to open in new windows, how many feeds per row etc etc.

After that we want to work on stats so we can have the most popular links show at the top of the homepage and other stat type info...its going to take a while and I can't wait.Other than that, just continue to contribute to the online football community really, we post alot of photos on flickr and I would love to work on more things on youtube (ie make our own vids and the like), develop our blog, get some writers for it if there was an interest, just basically become a hub for football!

An Interview With Andrea Dossena

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Grech) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0000

Andrea Dossena has had a mixed start to his Liverpool career, showing promising signs when going forward but equally worrying ones when he has to defend. Back in Italy, however, there are few doubts about the player who became Liverpool’s most expensive defender when he joined from Udinese last July.

A regular in Marcello Lippi’s new look national team, so highly rated is Dossena that questions have been asked about why a player of his ability had to go abroad to further his career. That matter was at the core of a recent interview by Christian Giordano for the weekly magazine Guerin Sportivo, which I have translated here:

Andrea, how does it feel?
It is all different, both on and off the pitch. Starting from the stadia that are more beautiful and advanced. The way the game is played is also different. I watched Inter against Roma on television: they played with the ball on the ground. Here the game is much more physical, you run more and there is less time to think.

Afraid of not making it?
I wouldn’t say that I don’t feel up to it, but it takes time to get used to it. In Glasgow against Rangers I understood that here you can get away with everything with the referees: they only blow for tackles with two feet or worse. And training is completely different. There’s neither the running nor the repetition that I was used to. It is only an hour with the ball, but it is very intense. I can’t understand how they do it: compared to us they do half the work but run twice as much. It is a question of mentality, how they approach the game. If we Italians ran as much as they did, we’d be world champions every time.

Difficulties outside football?
The normal adaptation problems. Everything is new both in football and in life. Together with my wife (whom he married just before leaving for England) we have bought a house in the centre. I understand English and can make myself understood. Two or three times a week we take lessons before going for training. I already knew something and I get better every day.

With Benitez you talk in Italian?
No, English. Just as he does with the rest. He talks four languages but shouts in neither one. He occasionally gives me some pointers in Italian.

Perhaps on how to handle pressure? This year you have to win the Premier League.
We are Liverpool. Pressure is normal. It was there in the preliminary round of the Champions League and it is there in the league that they’ve been waiting for since 1990. But it is pressure that you don’t mind. The important thing is being healthy. Football is secondary.

What do you miss the most?
The simple things that then become the vital things. The way of life, going out to eat. Little habits that you need. You only realize how much they mater when you lose them. I’ve signed for four years, I hope that my wife manages to settle.

Are you managing in the team?
Everyone is willing to help, starting from Gerrard. The supporters appreciate those who do their utmost so I haven’t had any problems. I don’t forget how I got here. In football it is easy to go up yet even easier to go down. Compared with Udine I’ve changed my position: with Marino I played higher up the pitch and we often played with three in the centre of defence. Benitez wants me to play in the more traditional left-back role in a four man defence.

Given also the lack of decent left backs, how come an Italian international had to leave Italy?
I didn’t chose to leave. The big teams had other plans whilst Benitez called and asked me: “Andrea, are you ready?” We settled everything within a week.
From Lodi to Anfield, your story seems like a fairy tale. With a happy ending?I started at Fanfulla and moved to Verona when I was fourteen. If I’ve arrived so far it is thanks to the hard work and sacrifice. We’re doing will but I want to live day by day.

Good Game Bad Game [vs PSV Eindhoven]

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Grech) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0000

Victory was expected against PSV Eindhoven yet the manner and ease with which it came was surprising. In what Benitez rightly termed as an 'almost perfect night', the only disappointment was letting PSV in with that late goal. Otherwise, there was Keane's first goal and Gerrard's hundredth one meaning that both players will be able to go into the next game without the pressure brought about by the wait for a goal.

As for PSV, they were disappointing with the exception of Amrabat who looks quite a player.

Good Game
Pepe Reina was hardly troubled all evening yet he handled anything that came his way with ease. If he can stay free from injury, Fabio Aurelio will be Liverpool's regular left-back this season, a belief confirmed by another excellent game yesterday. The same (apart from staying fit bit) applies to Alvaro Arbeloa who is growing game by game and who is pressinf forward more with each game.

In the centre of defence it was the usual reliable stuff by Jamie Carragher and Martin Skrtel. It was telling to see Carragher's reaction after Liverpool suffered the goal and his anger at the midfielders for letting not cutting out the cross. It is such instances and eagerness for perfection that marks him out as such a special player.

Midfield was totally dominated by Xabi Alonso and Steven Gerrard. It says something that Liverpool have been coping so easily without a player of Javier Mascherano's quality and Gerrard was, in particular, great against PSV. My man of the match.

Albert Riera was perhaps the only player who didn't look up to it yesterday yet, even so, he had a decent game and adds quality on the right. For once, Dirk Kuyt managed to ally his work-rate with a goal, something that Fernando Torres can't claim this evening. Even so he set up Robbie Keane for his goal which will hopefully be the first of many.

Bad Game
For the first time since I've been doing this feature, there wasn't a player who I could say had a bad game.

Substitutes
The most notable of Liverpool's three substitutes was Lucas Leiva who almost scored a goal late on. Otherwise, neither Yossi Benayoun nor Ryan Babbel did anything of particular note.

Good News for the Academy

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Grech) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0000

Last week I was critical of the current situation with the reserves and how the over-crowding there was preventing promising academy players from making the step up. Thankfully there's since been some excellent news in that Nathan Eccleston has been promoted to the Melwood set-up. Here's what the official site had to say:

Nathan Eccleston has become the latest Academy graduate to make the move to Melwood on a permanent basis.

The England youth international will train with Gary Ablett's reserve team squad and is regarded as a player with a lot of potential.

He was handed the number 39 squad number this season and also named in Rafael Benitez's Champions League squad.

Under-18s boss Hughie McAuley is delighted to see Eccleston make the move and said it's a great boost for the Academy.

"It's great news for Nathan because this is what he has been striving for," McAuley told Liverpoolfc.tv.

"He did very well in pre-season when he trained with the reserve team and I know Gary was very impressed.

"This news has given everybody at the Academy a boost. When you see a young lad who has been at the Academy since the age of 14 go to Melwood it's fantastic.

"This is what our job is all about preparing young players so they can make that move to Melwood. Nathan's move will give all of the young lads with us a lot of confidence, because if you play well and impress then you are more than likely to get a chance to go to Melwood.

"Nathan is an exciting player with a lot of potential. He can take defenders on and score goals. He knows he's still got a lot of hard work ahead of him but he's not afraid of that. He will still play in our Under-18 team this season as well so we are delighted to have him available."

Meanwhile, reserve boss Ablett believes Eccleston deserves his opportunity.

"Nathan has done well when he has trained and played for us and he has a good attitude," said Ablett.

"He really impressed during pre-season and we are looking forward to having him with us.

"The Academy is massively important for Liverpool and I don't think you can underestimate how good a job the likes of Hughie and John Owens do.

"Without the help of Hughie my first year as reserve team manager wouldn't have gone as smoothly as it did and I've got a lot to thank him for.

"I speak to Hughie three times a week and we want to see the local boys progress because it is the lifeblood of the club. We all want the same thing which is the best players at our club."

There was good news for Finnish striker Lauri Della Valle as well as he has been awarded with a four year professional deal, even though for the time being he will be staying at the academy.

Have you read our feature of Lauri Della Valle? If not, do so here.

Same Old Mourinho

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Grech) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 09:00:00 +0000

Having tasted his first defeat since moving to Inter, Jose Mourinho has continued his old strategy of trying to shift attention from the pitch to the press conferences. Having already set up a feud with Juventus boss (and his predecessor at Chelsea) Claudio Ranieri, last weekend he embarked on a rant against someone he referred to as Barnetta (presumably he was referring to Lecce manager Mario Beretta) to a stupefied audience.

In his most recent press briefing, he challenged a hack to name his choice of a starting eleven before the game rather than criticising Mourinho's choice afterwards. "Only if you give me part of the €9 million that you earn," was the retort.

"It is not €9 million, it is €11," was Mourinho's reply. "And if you consider the sponsors, it goes up to €14."

Classy guy.

The Lad Can Play: Lauri Della Valle

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Grech) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 12:00:00 +0000

Games with Chelsea tend to be quite memorable and hyped up. Little, however, was made of the most recent encounter between the two clubs. Admittedly it was the two sides’ reserve teams that met yet, given that they play in different sections of the league, it was an unusual encounter nevertheless.

It may still turn out to be a memorable one, however, as the friendly featured the first reserve team appearance of Lauri Della Valle.

The Finnish striker with an Italian father (hence the name) joined Liverpool last year amid a flurry of articles about his immense potential. Malcolm Elias, the man charged with finding new players for the academy, was quoted as saying that “he is a special talent; there's no doubt about that” whilst scout Ian Brannagan said that “I believe a year will suffice Lauri at the Academy. After that he'll be ready to move to Melwood.”

That Liverpool had been so persistent to get the player to sign also heightened expectations: they had been following him for almost a year before Della Valle agreed to join. Then again, he had a very good reason to do so.

A year earlier, he had moved to Inter Milan but found it tougher than expected. Not because of the distance from home but rather because of lack of team spirit. Within six months he was back home and that experience convinced him that he would take more care in choosing his next team.

And he had plenty to choose from, with a host of big clubs expressing their interest. Liverpool, however, played their cards right and eventually Della Valle joined last year. His impact was immediate, scoring some eleven goals in his first ten games for the U17. That soon won him promotion to the U18 side which is where he has started this season.

Goals have been harder to come by yet his overall level of play hasn’t disappointed and the initial positive reports have all been borne out. That much was evidenced by Liverpool offering him a four year professional deal after the Chelsea game – Della Valle has just turned seventeen so before that he could only sign a pre-agreement – and he’s already training with the reserves.

That makes him the youngest player in the Melwood set-up which goes to show just how highly rated he is. There is, of course, good reason for this. Physically stronger than your average teen, Della Valle has that added awareness of what is happening around him on the pitch that marks out special talent.

He can find space between defenders just as much as he can play through an intelligent pass to others around him making a run into space. There is also an end result to his game: he can bring others into play but above all he is a goalscorer.

Why should I care...

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Grech) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 09:00:00 +0000

... that Liverpool are about to score their 1,000th Premier League goal?

This meaningless piece of information was mentioned on television during the derby as if it was an important milestone and it is all part of the revisionist program according to which football began at the start of the Premier League. Liverpool have been set up since 1892 and the most of the time has been spent in the top flight regardless of the name of the competition.

So why should anyone be interested in a meaningless statistics that only tell the part of the story that Premier League marketers want us to hear?

A Look At: Elephants, Lions & Eagles

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Grech) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:00:00 +0000

Growing up as a football mad teenager, the weekly purchase of Guerin Sportivo was a must. The Italian magazine was cheap enough and, in any case, I could easily get the money for it off my parents with the excuse that it was helping me learn Italian.

But what made it such a must read in the eyes of a kid fed up with the banalities that proliferated what were roughly the English equivalents of Match and Shoot was the serious edge to its writing. Games were analysed in detail, arguments eloquently put forward and players from every corner of the world spoken about.

This latter insight – remember, this was the pre-internet era – always fascinated me. How much football did these guys get to watch to be able to talk with such authority about an eighteen year old in his debut season in South America? How many people did they know and how did they manage such a wide range of contacts?

Those questions remained at the back of my mind until reading Filippo Maria Ricci’s – a regular writer in Guerin Sportivo - opening chapter in his book ‘Elephants, lions and eagles’. Ricci’s opening gambit reveals that most of his early writing about African football was gleaned by visiting African embassies in Rome in the hope of gaining access to newspapers from the respective countries.

An ingenious way – even if a myth shattering one – of getting a leg up the journalistic ladder.

Ricci’s interest in Africa, however, wasn’t exclusively down to it providing him with a previously untapped niche’ but rather a genuine one. And it is around that love of African football and his regular trips to the continent to follow up stories that this book is centred.

As with any book written from such a personal perspective, you have to allow room for the author’s own idiosyncrasies. So it is here where Ricci, wittingly or not, is often guilty of name-dropping people he met on his trips, something that can be irritating if you pay too much attention to it.

I didn’t but the same cannot be said of the tactic of resorting to articles he’d written – translated, of course – about the particular subject he happens to be talking about. It smacks of laziness and an attempt to add pages to a book that is very much on the anorexic side of thin. Whatever the aim of adopting such a style was, it has passed me by.

It is disappointing because otherwise the book is hugely enjoyable. Ricci is engaging, has a very interesting story to tell ad adds insight on a continent about which very little is known.

It also suffers because of inevitable comparisons with the high standard set by other When Saturday Comes books (Morbo and Tor in particular) but, even so, - and despite other shortcomings – I don’t regret buying and in the main it was a good read.

Anyone who is still thinking about making the purchase however, would be well advised to proceed with eyes open so as to avoid being disappointed.