The Legend of Anfield Road-A Liverpool Story

[Legendismessi]

The Legend of Anfield Road

January 2012

It was just another day in office. I had always been proud to be a part of Liverpool's rich history. No, I hadn't really been talking of the football club in the last sentence, but rather of the city. I began my life here as a nondescript being born in one of the local hospital back on November 10, 1965-the second child in my family. I went through school here and became a big fan of both the Merseyside clubs. Weird though it may seem, I always loved both Everton and Liverpool and naturally carried a deep hatred of Manchester United.

Among the two, I preferred Everton. Not because of any particular reason though. I just liked them. Especially Duncan Ferguson. I hadn't really thought of and I didn't really pursue a career in football. I did attend a trial by Leeds once but they thought I wasn't good enough. So I decided to drop the idea right out of the window. I went on to become a successful business entrepreneur though, opening my own chain of restaurants across England. I started out with a small shop-which still stands today on Herschell Street, very close to Anfield and later on went on to expand it to other sites within Liverpool and then to the rest of England-London, Manchester, Leeds, Dover, and Newcastle.

And then, I decided to return to try and make a career out of coaching in football-leaving my flourishing business to my brother. After completing my coaching degrees, I got the job of managing the Rotherham Under-18s. I did fairly well there-and soon enough, landed the Liverpool Academy Director's job. And five years since I joined here, I still marveled at how good the club was and how rich it's history was. At the same time, I never gave up supporting Everton.

I think it must have been about ten in the morning when I got the call from Kenny Dalglish that would go on to change my life. He had been a father figure to me and I really felt amazed at the amount of encouragement he gave me during my first year in charge. I picked up the phone and said, "Hello?"
"Hi there. It's me, Kenny. I want you to come up to my office in like five minutes from now."
"Sure thing. I'll be there." I said, hanging up.

Kenny's office was two floors above mine. As I climbed up the stairs, I realised that he was probably just calling me for a routine meeting. A review of the past week and the like. Some nice youth prospects he might want to hear about and so on.

I knocked and entered when Kenny told me to. "Hello Kenny! How're you doing today?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. How're you doing mate?"
"Yes, I'm doing well too. What is that you said you wanted?"
"Well. You'll be in a for a slight bit of shock today. Craig Levein resigned today."

I don't know why that was supposed to give me a shock. I was an Englishman. I hardly support Scotland. Of course, I do love Scottish players-having worked with many myself. They're the tough, never-give-up type players who fought for everything that was thrown at them. However, on second thought, I think I realised what he was trying to say. Though I could hardly believe it when he did.

"I've been offered the role today morning after John Henry let them talk to me. And I've decided to accept." he said, smiling, obviously beaming at the thought of managing Scotland.
"Congratulations Kenny! That's amazing. I'm sure Charlie and Danny will be pleased to hear that!" I replied, overjoyed at the fact that Kenny had got the Scotland job. It was something he deserved.

"Now what I called you here for is that you are to manage Liverpool after I leave. The owners agree with me and feel you will do a good job, if you put in the same amount of dedication and work that you put in while managing the Academy. Of course, convincing them wasn't easy, but I've done it. I've told them you'll be someone like Guardiola."

Eh? Did he just say that I'm managing Liverpool after he leaves? And did he just say that I would turn out to be someone like Pep Guardiola-Barcelona's legendary manager? Seriously? I mean, seriously?

"I...umm...okay...thanks Kenny but Guardiola? I'll be damned good if I was half as good."
"So you will accept the job offer?"
"Yes, of course I will!" I exclaimed.

Kenny smiled and then rose, saying, "I'll be putting in my papers this afternoon and the board will make the announcement immediately after that.

*****

As I read the news item on Liverpool's website, I could not help but smile. In the media, I was still a favourite, but to the some of the inner core of the Liverpool hierarchy, the news was already confirmed. Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Steve Clarke and Rodolfo Borrell had all sent me text messages congratulating me. I talked to John Henry later in the day and he told me that the news of my appointment would be there by nightfall.

Relieved that I wouldn't be unofficially managing Liverpool for much more than a few hours, I went to sleep.

****

I woke up at about seven in the evening and checked my mobile. An incredible thirty two messages and twenty missed calls were logged in. There were also the messages left for me. Jonjo Shelvey, Jack Robinson, Jose Enrique, Jordan Henderson and many more had already left messages congratulating me. I figured from this that the news was out.

And sure enough, when I refreshed the news page on the LFC website, I found this.

One thing was for sure though. I was going to have one **** of a ride through Anfield.

*****

Next Update: Team Analysis, Tactics and Transfer Shortlist
​

 

[Danster007]

good story, and u can spell! how do u edit the web pages?

 

[Legendismessi]

good story, and u can spell! how do u edit the web pages?

Thank you!

To edit internet, just put this code into adress bar:

javascript:document.body.contentEditable ='true'; document.designMode='on'; void 0

in the website page that you want. Then type in whatever content you wish to, take a screenshot and then post it in here after uploading onto the net. I uploaded mine into imageshack and then posted them.

 

[Danster007]

thank you

 

[Legendismessi]

Team Analysis

I picked up my assistant's report of the team squad. I first needed to analyse the team so that I could come up with some nice tactics and could try and shortlist some people for transfers.

Goalkeepers

Jose Reina was the obvious first choice in the goalkeeping department. He was a top class keeper and his performances are going to be key in securing us a place in the Champions League next season. Doni was the second choice keeper for the squad and Brad Jones was the third choice. But neither was actually up there. And they were both getting into their prime soon. So it would be unfair on my part to keep them at Liverpool for much longer. They would be moving on as soon as possible.

As a replacement for them, I might be looking at Dynamo Kyiv's Maxym Koval and Borussia Monchengladbach's Marc-Andre Ter Stegen as the new arrivals who would be coming in soon-probably in the summer, until which I would have to stay put with Doni and Brad Jones.

Defenders

Martin Skrtel and Daniel Agger were my preferred centre-backs. Jamie Carragher would also feature frequently despite being old. I have some very good prospects in the centre-back position for the future too, with Sebastian Coates and Danny Wilson (who was promoted to the first team from the reserves).

At right back, I have the first choice Glen Johnson, with Martin Kelly and John Flanagan (who was also promoted from the reserves) as back-up to him. Kelly can also play at centre-back and will be an important player in the coming years.

At left back, Jose Enrique remains the first choice. Backing him up will be Brazilian left back Fabio Aurelio and Jack Robinson.

As there are some very good, established players here and with very good future prospects, no signings will be made immediately for any other position except right backs though that may change the next summer if the interest in Skrtel from Juventus and Valencia continues. As for the right back position, Kelly being inexperienced and Flanagan too young, Uruguayan right back Carlos Diogo is being lined up for a free transfer to rotate with Johnson.

Midfielders

Arguably one of the strongest, yet one area which needs immediate improvement. Lucas Leiva is the strongest and the only holding midfielder in the squad as such. His role will be crucial in any tactic I devise. But he will need a strong backup. As for central midfield, Steven Gerrard is the obvious first choice along with Charlie Adam or Jordan Henderson but English youngster Jonjo Shelvey will also be getting quite a few games as would Jay Spearing.

On the wings, Stewart Downing and Craig Bellamy are lined up for the left wing, with Dirk Kuyt, and Maxi Rodriguez on the right. The central attacking midfield is a place where many players can play and hence that place will get a lot of rotation with no fixed player.

Luis Suarez will also begin to play more on the right wings in order to let Andy Carroll play as the striker in front of him and let the big man start more games

These areas will need a few signings. Barcelona youngster Thiago Alcantara is listed for loan and want away Camp Nou midfielder Ibrahim Afellay is transfer-and loan-listed. I might be looking to take them both on year-long loan deals. Alcantara's arrival would free up the central midfield a bit and Afellay's would relieve the pressure on the attacking midfield. Mahamadou Diarra is a free agent and I will be looking to sign him as a back-up to Lucas

Strikers

The top two strikers in the squad are obviously going to be Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll. Craig Bellamy, and Dirk Kuyt will also play as strikers at times should both of the former two be ruled out for some reason. The arrival of Afellay should add one more option for me. I am satisfied with this area of the squad and will not be looking for more signings here.

*****

Tactics To Be Used

The main tactic that I will be using is the one on the extreme left. It will be an attacking 4-2-3-1 which I will be using whenever I am playing against teams I feel I will have a very good chance of winning against. Also, whenever I play Andy Carroll, I will be looking to play the first tactic in order to try and use him as the target man and use the wingers as my main goalscoring outlets.

The second tactic is similar to the first but I will use it against the stronger teams whenever I am playing at home. It's similar to the first one but employs a false nine in the striker's position and again uses the wingers as the main goalscoring outlets. It is a 4-5-1 which could change to a 4-1-4-1 during the game, especially when the opposition has the ball with the wingers dropping back to help in defence.

Given the fact that our team had a lot of wingers and attacking midfielders, the 4-1-2-3-0 was a tactical innovation of mine which employed no strikers and relied heavily on swift, speedy counterattacks. I will be using this tactic whenever we play against a strong team away from home. I have found this tactic to work like a charm during my Under-18 and Reserve days both at Rotherham and Liverpool. I see no reason, why it shouldn't work again with the senior side.

*****

Transfer Shortlist and Sales

I will be looking to bring in certain new faces this winter. As I mentioned earlier, Barcelona duo Thiago Alcantara, and Ibrahim Afellay may join on year-long loan deals while Mahamadou Diarra and Carlos Diogo may join on free transfers.

As for selling, I don't want to let go of any players but given Barcelona's interest in signing Lucas Leiva, I may let him go if we get a considerable fee from the transfer. I can then use that money to try and strengthen the squad in other areas. Fabio Aurelio is running out of contract this season and I will not be looking to renew it, and hence will try and sell him out before the January window closes down.

Next summer, I will be looking to sell Doni and Brad Jones and bring in the youngsters Marc-Andre Ter Stegen and Maxym Koval.

*****​

 

[Steve*]

Not a bad start mate, havnt come across a good Liverpool story yet. Will follow with some interest. Like the possible signing of Affealy and Diarra. I wouldnt sell Lucas for less than about £25M as he is class this year.

Good layout and well written, easy to understand.
Keep up the good work

 

[Legendismessi]

January 2012 Update

FA Cup 3rd Round

Hereford United 0-1 Liverpool FC
(Bellamy 57')

A good, solid performance from the lads. I played quite a bit of the fringe players for this one, not wanting to risk the major players due to the tight schedule that we have in January. I would have liked the big man to score today but though he didn't get onto the scoresheet, he forced an error from the Hereford keeper which led to Bellamy's goal.


Transfer News

Guardiola formally declared interest the day after the Hereford match and put in an offer of twelve million for Lucas Leiva, which was way below our own evaluation of thirty five million. But I was willing to negotiate with them. I decided that I would bring my own evaluation down to thirty million and ask them to bid thirty million straight upfront.

However, much to my surprise, Barcelona came back just hours later with a thirty million bid, just like I had asked for. I decided to accept the offer and let Lucas do the talking with Barcelona. All this was supposed to be a secret but suddenly, the media got hold of the news.

The fans were understandably disappointed but I didn't care. I was getting money to strengthen up the other areas of the side.

Over the next few days, in the build-up to the Merseyside Derby-which would be my first Premier League in charge. How ironical! I got confirmation of the following news.

Ibrahim Afellay was the first transfer of the winter as he agreed to join Liverpool on a year-long loan deal from Barcelona.He was a great signing and I really was looking forward to working with him and probably even making the deal permanent if he did well.

Thiago Alcantara also joined Liverpool on the next day as he relished the prospect of regular first team football.He hoped that Liverpool would prove to be a great spell of development for him as a player. And I was delighted that he had accepted the offer to join us instead of Real Betis.

Mahamadou Diarraagreed to join us on a free transfer but he would not be available to play until the first week or so of February as he is on international duty with Mali. Again, I was delighted that he had accepted to join us, but I had no plans for him to be my first choice holding midfielder, even if Lucas left for Barcelona. I was planning to sign one more player for the same area using the money I got from the Lucas transfer deal. I had a few names in mind, but nothing concrete just as yet.

Meanwhile, Suso, Michael Ngoo, and Andre Wisdom left for loan deals to Accrington. Conor Coady decided to join Belgian Pro League side Genk on loan until the end of the season to continue his development and get regular first team football in one of Europe's top leagues.

But the biggest news came just two days before the Everton match.

Barclays Premier League

Liverpool FC 1-0 Everton FC
(Downing 27')

Absolutely delighted to beat Everton today! The boys put up an absolutely dominating performance from the start and didn't give Everton a chance in this match. We were really unlucky not to have scored more. Everton were never really in the game except in the last ten minutes or so when they began to stage a fightback. But we held on to grab a 1-0 win. I'm sure this win would endear me to the hearts of all Liverpool fans.

Stewart Downing, Andy Carroll and Steven Gerrard were really impressive today and Dirk Kuyt dominated the right wing. Afellay looked solid in his debut and Thiago did well after coming on as a substitute.

Barclays Premier League

Newcastle United 0-2 Liverpool
(Kuyt 37' Downing 84')

The performance against Newcastle far outclassed the Merseyside Derby three days ago. We dominated absolutely, right from kickoff till fulltime. Andy Carroll looked to have scored the opener when he poked home Dirk Kuyt's cross in the seventh minute but it was deemed offside. But Kuyt scored in the 34th and Downing added one more six minutes from time, to seal a solid 2-0 win at St. James' Park against Newcastle.

Barclays Premier League

Liverpool 3-0 QPR
(Gerrard 17' 58' Henderson 79')

Stevie G was in top form today as we demolished the London visitors with a brace from the captain and with a goal from Jordan Henderson, who did extremely playing in an unfamiliar holding midfielder's role. The defence looked absolutely solid and was imprenetrable. We deserved to win by more but Andy had an average game and with Luis Suarez missing out until the start of next month with a dislocated shoulder, we couldn't score more.

Anyway, it should have been a pleasing performance for the home fans though. And I was personally happy with the way it went.

**************

Transfer Updates

After a protracted transfer deal which saw about twelve clubs bid for him, Uruguayan right back Carlos Diogo
joined Liverpool as my second choice right back to Glen Johnson.

Nathan Eccleston joined Peterborough on loan from Liverpool and was relishing the opportunity to play regular first team football in the Championship.

Meanwhile I continued to look for a replacement for Lucas Leiva, who'd departed for Barcelona. Porto'sFernando Reges was lined up as a replacement but the deal was called off at the last minute when I heard of another, younger defensive midfielder who was available at a slightly cheaper price. So I approached him and about two days later, Malaga's Ignacio Camacho joined Liverpool as the first choice holding midfielder for 10.25 million. Camacho was delighted to join a club of Liverpool's stature and said he would do his best to become a fan favourite just like Lucas.

Meanwhile, Jamie Carragher was getting very old and will most likely be sidelined to the Reserve team next season. And so, I had to line-up a long term replacement for him and despite initial moves for Blackburn's Christopher Samba, Stoke City's Ryan Shawcross was finally signed for 20 million. Shawcross, though happy at joining Liverpool, was sad to part from Tony Pulis. I was not planning any deadline day deals so this was it:

FA Cup 4th Round

Liverpool 2-0 Walsall
(Pelosi 55' Kelly 90+3')

I decided to give some of the youth and fringe players their chance in this match so Jordan Lussey, Marc Pelosi, Adam Morgan and Raheem Sterling all played this match. Doni also started in goal instead of Reina. The youngsters put in an impressive performance and Marc Pelosi also found himself on the scoresheet after some neat work between Charlie Adam and Raheem Sterling had put the American midfielder through on goal.

Martin Kelly then added a late winner when he headed home Jordan Lussey's corner in injury time.

*************

Manager Comments

A very good month where we won all the matches we had to and put in some strong performances. Stewart Downing and Stevie G have looked in good vein and others have also put in some very good performances. The defence and goalkeeper were impenetrable this month with not a single goal conceded . Daniel Agger was the star at the back and Martin Kelly was already showing glimpses of his ability. I'm looking forward to the coming month where we have trips to Blackburn and Arsenal along with a home game to Swansea and the FA Cup 5th Round match. We don't know our opposition just yet.

******************

Any feedback (good or bad or neutral) is appreciated! Thank you in advance

​

 

[zuarez]

Very good! LFC fan! Please stay with Liverpool!

 

[Legendismessi]

February 2012 Update

First up, having ended January on a high, we faced a fairly straightforward February. The FA Cup Fifth Round match was drawn and we were to play West Ham United, in the match at The Boleyn Ground. It should be a fairly easy one. Otherwise, this month has some two easy matches-a trip to Blackburn and a home match to Swansea along with one amazing and crucial trip to the Emirates Stadium to play Arsenal.

Barclays Premier League

Blackburn Rovers 0-2 Liverpool FC
(Carroll 31' Afellay 49')

Andy was the star of today's match at Ewood Park. First he scored a beautiful long ranger and then went on to set up Afellay's goal in the second half when he gave a lovely through ball to the Dutchman. The match itself was a very even game and we were made to work hard in the first half and early on in the second. However, we took the game by the scruff of the neck from about the hour mark and then dominated Blackburn for about twenty minutes, before we relaxed a little in the final few minutes.

I was happy with the team's performance but Ryan Shawcross seemed to have a little bit of trouble gelling in which meant some sloppy errors in defending. But Reina, Agger, Enrique and Johnson looked solid and delivered today, giving us a comfortable win.

Barclays Premier League

Arsenal FC 1-0 Liverpool FC
(Van Persie 69')

Arsenal were at their fluid best in this match and didn't give us a chance. It was a crucial match for both sides with both of us in contention for the fourth spot along with Wolves. It was a pathetic performance from the defence and the midfield and we were absolutely roller-coastered in this match. Shawcross disappointed yet again but this time, he was joined by Camacho, who'd been impressive so far, Agger, Enrique and Johnson. The midfield duo of Thiago and Charlie Adam were no better and the attacking trio of Bellamy, Maxi and Afellay looked lost.

It didn't help our cause either that we played a completely counterattacking football but Arsenal's possession game meant we hardly had a chance to counter them. Anyway, all we can do is hope that this is just a blip and move on.


FA Cup 5th Round

West Ham United 0-3 Liverpool FC
(Green O.G 5' Bellamy 36' Henderson 40')

Jordan Henderson was at his devastating best here at the Boleyn Ground as we ran out 3-0 winners comfortably. First, he forced an own goal from Green when his shot hit the inside of the post and then was fumbled with by Green and the former England international let it in. Then he did well to spot a Bellamy run on the left and play it through to him and the Welshman made no mistake. Hendo then capped off a great evening by then scoring a twenty five yard screamer that left Green rooted to the spot.

This was just the sort of match we needed to regain our confidence. It was a really good performance and even the fringe players performed today including Kristian Adorjan and David Amoo.


Barclays Premier League

Liverpool FC 2-0 Swansea City AFC
(Downing 40' Maxi Rodriguez 50')

Two goals five minutes before and after halftime sealed a comfortable win for us at Anfield against Swansea. Stewart Downing first finished off a brilliant team move in the 40th minute which started with Henderson giving a through ball for Afellay who exchanged passes with Carroll before setting Downing up for the goal. Downing then turned provider five minutes after halftime when his pinpoint cross found Maxi unmarked at the backpost and the Argentine headed in with consummate ease.

Swansea were never really in the game (1 shot-1 on target spoke for itself) and their problems were compounded when Neil Taylor was sent off for a second bookable offence in the 37th minute.

****************

Other News

1. Luis Suarez returned to full training at the end of the month following a two month lay-off due to a dislocated shoulder

2. Newcastle United, currently 20th in the table, are facing a deep crisis after Demba Ba joined Fabricio Coloccini, Sylvain Marveaux and Peter Lovenkrands in handing his transfer request. Lovenkrands has also announced that he will be leaving on the Bosman Rule at the end of the season.

3. Steve Kean was sacked as Blackburn manager and Rovers favourite Alan Shearer took over as the new manager of the Rovers.

4. Ivory Coast have won the African Cup of Nations, beating Cameroon 3-0 in the finals with goals from Gervinho, Seydou Doumbia and Didier Ya Konan.

5. The international break commenced at the end of the month with friendlies scheduled around the world. This is what we had in terms of news with the England squad.

​

 

[Wilko]

Great Work, KIU!

 

[Legendismessi]

March 2012 Update

International Round-Up

March began with the international matches and in the two most high profile friendlies of the month, England absolutely demolished Holland 3-0 at the Wembley-a game I was in attendance for- while Portugal ran out 3-2 winners at the Estadio Nacional in Lisbon against Italy-though the scoreline hardly did justice to Portugal's domination. Fabio Capello would surely have been pleased with the performance which saw Ashley Young, Andy Carroll and Wayne Rooney scoring for the Three Lions against a formidable Dutch side. One surprise was the Van Persie started out as a support striker to Huntelaar when many expected him to be the hitman with Sporting Lisbon youngster Ricky Van Wolfswinkel or FC Twente star Luuk De Jong playing support striker. In Lisbon, a hattrick from Cristiano Ronaldo was enough to see off Italy-who tried fighting back late on in the game and indeed scored through Mario Balotelli and Alessandro Matri in the dying minutes.

The up side to the England match was the big man scored his eighth goal for England in just his ninth appearance for the national side. I hope he can continue that with the club as well. Downing also looked good as he assisted Wayne Rooney's goal in injury time. The down side was the Ryan Shawcross didn't make his debut today, although he was named on the bench. Capello chose Jagielka instead to come on for John Terry in the second half.

Meanwhile in two other high-profile friendlies, Spain beat Uruguay 2-0 with goals from David Villa and Fernando Torres at the Nuevo Carlos Tartiere in Oviedo and Germany rode on a Mario Gotze brace to see off France with a 2-1 scoreline-PSG striker Kevin Gameiro grabbing the consolation for the French.

Friendly Results

*****

This month was going to be absolutely crucial for us in the race for the 4th spot. We begin with a home match against West Bromwich Albion, followed by a daunting trip to league leaders Manchester City, and then a home match to Wigan. We then travel again to London, this time to take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Four days later we travel to Norfolk where Norwich await us before we finally wind up with Sunderland at home. We also had the FA Cup 6th Round away to either Fulham or West Brom.

I'm expecting to get at least thirteen points out of eighteen this month and anything less would mean that Wolves and Arsenal could start gaining the upper hand in the race to end up in the Champions League next season.

*****

Barclays Premier League

Liverpool FC 0-0 West Bromwich Albion

So many attempts but nothing went in. Ben Foster was impressive today. Andy somehow had a bad game-it looked like he was having an international hangover. Luis Suarez returned to action today when he came on as a substitute for Carroll. The Uruguayan did look lively for the last twenty minutes that he played but none of his shots were close to troubling the keeper. Downing had a good game as did Jose Enrique but Kuyt was bad today. Mahamadou Diarra also made his debut this match since returning from the AFCON, filling in for Ignacio Camacho-who was rested in anticipation of the City match.

I expected to get three out of this match so it's disappointing to end up with just one point, especially when we were dominating for most parts of the match.

********

The FA Cup 5th Round replay between West Brom and Fulham ended in a 3-1 win for the Baggies at the Hawthorns. This meant that we would play West Brom after the City match in the FA Cup 6th Round. Also, due to this, the Liverpool-Wigan match was pushed to April.

********

********

Barclays Premier League

Manchester City FC 1-2 Liverpool FC
(Dzeko 21' - Suarez 47' Kuyt 87')

It was a stunning comeback from us in the second half that did the trick at the Etihad Stadium. It was a fairly even first ten to fifteen minutes in which both Aguero and Gerrard hit the post once each. But after some good play in midfield between James Milner, Yaya Toure and Samir Nasri, Edin Dzeko found himself at the end of a lob above Jose Enrique. Dzeko then skipped past Shawcross before powering the ball into the bottom left corner, past a hapless Carragher and rooted Reina to give City the lead. From then on, City dominated the first half when Nasri came close twice and Toure tested Reina once from long range but they were unable to add to their tally while we found ourselves on the back foot.

At halftime, I told the boys that their performance, especially that of Suarez and Downing were completely not worth that of a Liverpool player. And the talk seemed to have worked wonders when just two minutes into the second half, Luis Suarez fired home the equaliser-his first goal since returning from injury a game ago. Jordan Henderson-who again was simply amazing in midfield- latched onto an Ignacio Camacho pass before passing it to Downing who dribbled down the left flank and then crossed for Suarez to volley into the net, giving Joe Hart no chance.

The match continued to swing our way as we created chance after chance. First Henderson grazed the top of the bar with a long range effort before Gerrard narrowly headed a Jose Enrique cross above. City did look lively at times-especially so when David Silva almost got Aguero through on goal, had it not been for a timely intervention from Shawcross. But the winner came in the 87th from Dirk Kuyt as he powered past three defenders and then side footed Joe Hart to slot it into the net neatly and complete a remarkable turnaround for the Merseysiders.

**********

FA Cup 6th Round

West Bromwich Albion 1-0 Liverpool FC
(Odemwingie 86')

West Brom were always going to be tough opponents, especially at The Hawthorns. They'd already proved that they could hold us at Anfield and at the Hawthorns, they were far more dangerous. In an exciting match, both teams matched each other ball for ball, cross for cross and shot for shot. Both Reina and Ben Foster were in top form today and made save after save to deny the opposition. Dirk Kuyt was probably the most disappointing player today as he had two great chances but missed them both.

In the end, we tried to attack too much and ended up paying the price as Peter Odemwingie drove in a shot from the edge of the box following a brilliant West Brom counter. I'm disappointed to go out of the FA Cup, as it was the only competition which we had a chance of winning. But that's football for you. But we were not the only big scalp as Manchester United and Arsenal both joined us even as Tottenham would be forced to replay against Bolton.

*****

Barclays Premier League

Chelsea 4-0 Liverpool
(Terry 39' Torres 48' Drogba 73' Ramires 75')

God knows if our defence existed or not in this match. More specifically, our wingbacks Glen Johnson and Jose Enrique were just pathetic and Chelsea basically just played us out of the game despite us having more possession by far (58-42). Accepted, a gap of just a day in between the West Brom and Chelsea matches meant that we were never on prime fitness at all, but still, a defeat of such magnitude can never be taken.

First, Johnson failed to clear a corner properly and Terry volleyed home the opener. Then, Shawcross' mistimed sliding tackle meant that Torres still retained the ball and moreover found himself one-on-one with the keeper. And the Spain striker made no mistake getting his 12th goal of the season. Drogba came on as a substitute for Torres and immediately scored with his first touch when Juan Mata blitzed past Johnson and whipped in a cross for the Ivorian to head in. And finally, Jose Enrique let Ramires through on goal without much challenge and the Brazilian scored easily.

Two defeats now in a row. We need to end this next week against Norwich. And we need to end it fairly desperately. We were still holding onto fourth place because Wolves were also dropping points and Arsenal lost out in a 1-0 defeat to Tottenham by a solitary Defoe goal.

*****

Barclays Premier League

Norwich City 2-2 Liverpool
(Holt 35' Johnson 79' - Gerrard 25' 30')

I really don't know what went wrong here. We began awesomely and dominated the first 30 minutes, during which time Stevie G scored two wonderful long range goals. Then we let Norwich back in. They began to have chances and soon converted one of them with Grant Holt. After that, it was an even game. Suarez was absolutely pathetic and with Carroll injured and Bellamy unfit for this one, I had no choice but to play him.

Norwich continued to attack and we also tried to break their defence one more time, but while we failed to do so, Bradley Johnson managed to nick the equaliser towards the end and we ended up with just one point when we really should have got three. We're on a bad run now and I really need to talk to the team at the moment. Tottenham were now just three points behind us and with losses to Arsenal and Wolves also, the Spurs also now firmly had thrown their hat in for a Champions League spot. Catching up with third placed City was out of question as of the moment with City nine points ahead of us, although we had a game in hand.

*****

Barclays Premier League

Liverpool FC 2-1 Sunderland FC
(Kuyt 78' Nosworthy O.G. 90' - Sessegnon 13')


It was a sort of a must-win match for us given that Wolves had beaten West Brom and were now just one behind us while Spurs, if they managed to beat Manchester City, would be level with us on points-should we lose this one. We were the favourites for this one but Sunderland took a shock lead in the 13th minute with their first and only shot on target till then (By then, we had five shots, all on target) when Sessegnon shot from close range.

We continued to attack like the world was going to end tomorrow and Craig Gordon continued to save like he was going to save the world from ending tomorrow. By halftime, even the most passionate Sunderland supporter would agree that we should have been ahead by miles. But Craig Gordon had kept everybody at bay.

It was at this point that I felt we were missing Andy Carroll. With Carroll as target man, we created loads of chances, mainly because of his ability to spot runs and passes. Carroll had been absent for the last four matches because of a training injury and his absence was being felt in the match now and in the matches gone by. Indeed, even though he had just one goal to his credit so far this season, he's played a bigger role than what many people realise.

We went out in the second half with the intent of scoring and everybody, from Jamie Carragher to Luis Suarez came close within the first twenty minutes. Jordan Henderson and Ibrahim Afellay alternatively hit the post twice each and Dirk Kuyt sent one narrowly above. But finally, the deadlock was broken when Craig Bellamy, who came on as a substitute for Suarez, played the ball across the box to Kuyt who fired home from about seven yards out in the 78th minute. And finally, in the 90th minute, Stewart Downing crossed the ball for Bellamy who headed it for the top corner, but Nyron Nosworthy got his body in the way and it took a huge deflection to enter the centre of the net, leaving Gordon furious with his defender. I was absolutely ecstatic that we won the match. It didn't matter if it was an own goal which secured the result but what was important was that we got one.

*******

Other News

1. Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has announced that he will retire at the end of the season and will become a fitness coach. Liverpool are rumoured to be interested in his services.

2. Team GB job applications will be opening soon for the Great Britain Under-23 football team manager posts. Spurs manager Harry Redknapp, West Brom's Roy Hodgson, Liverpool's Harold Clinton and Manchester United's Sir Alex Ferguson are all thought to be in the running to manage the British Olympic team.

3. Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey, Paddy McCourt and Chris Brunt have all agreed to participate in the Olympics as part of Team GB should they be called up.

******

TRANSFER NEWS

Among the free transfer targets this summer are Gary Cahill, Nicolas Lodeiro, Cristian Rodriguez, Jo, Javier Saviola, Sebastian Boenisch and Karim Ait-Fana but nothing is final yet.

My primary targets among these are Cahill, Rodriguez, and Saviola but everything will have to wait at least until the end of the season.

*******

Manager Comments

"I feel that this was a particularly bad month. We'd suffered a big loss to Chelsea, got knocked out of the FA Cup and had unnecessary draws against West Brom and Norwich. The Sunderland game was no better as we dominated but escaped just in time with three points. I was targetting 13 out of eighteen points but we ended up with only 8 points which is disappointing. I really hope that we pick our form up soon because we have some very crucial matches next month, with games against Wolves, Spurs, and United coming up-and that too all away from home. A home game to Aston Villa will also be crucial for us."
​

 

[Legendismessi]

Clinton: I would love to manage Team GB

In a freewheeling chat with this reporter, newly appointed Liverpool manager Harold Clinton gets talking on Liverpool, the coming month, the Premier League, Euro 2012 and Team GB among much more. We bring you the excerpts...

Will Clinton lead Team GB out there?


So, Mr. Clinton, from the Academy to the senior side, how big a jump is it?

It's quite a big jump, if you ask me. At the academy, you know you'll be facing other boys of your age and with similar technical ability, so you've got it fairly easy to prepare there. But with the seniors, you have varied qualities of opposition every week or even every two days, which makes the job a lot harder.
What would you say drives this Liverpool side, so to speak?

We've got a great bunch of lads at the club now who feel and who know what Liverpool is all about. Even the new boys, Ryan, Mahamadou, Ibrahim, Thiago and Ignacio, have done well and have really loved to life at Anfield. I think it's the common passion for the club that drives every one of us to work forward and get the right result.

You haven't been in great form recently. Would you be changing your approach slightly?

Well, we might, you never know. I'm joking. I see no need to change much in this side's approach. It is with the same approach that we won all our games in January. Of course, before every game, one has to make tactical tweaks but nothing major in terms of changes.

The European Championships are coming up this summer. Your predictions?

I would say that the favourites are bound to be Spain and Germany. But I have seen England in recent matches and they look a far better side than they did in the qualifiers. I think we all saw that in the way they demolished Holland at the Wembley earlier this month. France also look good and Italy and Portugal are also contenders to me. But with France, Spain and England in the same group, it's going to be a tight one to call.

The Olympic Games comes right on the heels of the Euros. Would you love to manage Team GB?

Of course! I would love to manage Team GB. This is one of the best set of youngsters we have across the four countries and managing them shouldn't be a problem. Indeed, it will be amazing, as Daniel Sturridge said a few weeks earlier, to see Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey, Danny Wilson, Chris Brunt, Jack Wilshere and Wayne Rooney all share the same dressing room. It's a rare occasion, both for the players and for the manager.

Just in case someone else lands the job, would you attend the Olympics?

Of course again. I would love to see Team GB play, no matter who manages it. And I would also want to see Andy Murray win gold for us in tennis ahead of Nadal, Federer and Djokovic.
Your aim in the Premier League now?

Secure that fourth spot and with that, Champions League qualification. Including us, there are four teams competing for it and we'll have to keep our heads down and work for it.

Your favourite to win the Premier League?
Chelsea and United. City aren't far behind but with so little number of games left, they're going to need a string of wins and some luck to get back.

Your thoughts on the coming month...

It's a really important one. We've got Wolves, Spurs and United this month away-all crucial games which we want to win. And Aston Villa is not an easy opponent, even if we play them at home. I am really hoping for a win at White Hart Lane, one because it dents Spurs' hopes of fourth spot and two because our trips to London haven't been good and we need to change that. Who knows? Maybe we'd get third time lucky!​

 

[The Ultime FM God]

Although Cristiano's the best behind the old Lampard, your stories are absolutely fantastic, but Messi sucks and is over-rated, who agrees!?

 

[Legendismessi]

Although Cristiano's the best behind the old Lampard, your stories are absolutely fantastic, but Messi sucks and is over-rated, who agrees!?

Sorry but I don't get you. English isn't my native language.

 

[The Ultime FM God]

You said Messi is the best, but Cristiano Ronaldo is better