Pepe: Why Torres wasn't scoring

Pepe: Why Torres wasn't scoring

Pepe Reina insists the whole team is to blame for Fernando Torres's lack of goals this season.

 

The No.25 believes the service to Torres has not been up to scratch throughout the early stages of 2010-11 - but he hopes his countryman's winner against Blackburn Rovers on Sunday will mark a turning point.

And Reina likened the situation with Torres to that endured by David Villa, who has scored just two goals in eight Primera Division outings since his big-money move to Barcelona.

"All strikers are about goals," said Reina. "They want to score them and they want to score the winners like Fernando did against Blackburn.

"I think he can build up now to what he was like of old. What has happened to him is more or less what has happened to Villa in Barcelona.

"They are both great players but when strikers are not scoring people are always disappointed in them. It's not fair. I don't think we have been giving him the assists that we should, particularly in the last few weeks.

He has not been able to do anything at all.

"We know he is the type of player that can win a game just like that but we can't expect him to keep doing it on his own. We have to feed him in. That's the point."

Meanwhile, after meeting new owners NESV at Melwood a week ago, Reina is confident the new regime can facilitate a turnaround in fortunes at Anfield.

"It was an important step," said the 28-year-old. "It has been a great moment for the club, an important step forward. Let's see if we can build up from now and maybe they can help us a little bit in the winter transfer window. They are very committed to the club now.

"What I understand is they have been doing really good stuff in Boston and let's be optimistic now."

Asked if he had spoken to John W Henry or Thomas Werner at length, Reina replied: "No. It was just a brief chat, like the rest of the team. We have just been keeping focused on what we are doing, because it has been a tough situation.

"Thankfully the win over Blackburn means we are slightly better off than we were. It is a really tight table.

We are only three points from eighth place and now the challenge is to keep winning games. We can't give this up. That's the way we have to be in every single game."

Next up in the league for Liverpool is a trip to Bolton, followed by a home clash with league leaders Chelsea.

Reina knows two victories could have a major impact on the season ahead - and he thinks the Reds will go into the fixtures with a new confidence.

He explained: "The supporters were great once again against Blackburn because we were showing a little bit of the old spirit and we have to keep believing in ourselves because we are not such a bad team.

"If we play like that and deliver this kind of performance there will be more victories than defeats.

"It is all about confidence, when you are not winning games it is difficult to be out there and competitive.

"We just have to win a couple of games in a row and get ourselves back on a better track and keep that philosophy that we have had for the last few seasons.

"We are not a bad team but we have to show it week in, week out. We have just got to keep winning games and not give it up."

Pepe: Why Torres wasn't scoring

Pics: Reds train in Italy

Pics: Reds train in Italy

Liverpool trained at the Stadio San Paolo on Wednesday night ahead of the Europa League clash with Napoli - and our photographers were there to get the following snaps.

Reds suffer derby defeat

Reds suffer derby defeat

Liverpool were unable to secure city bragging rights as the Reds went down to a 2-0 defeat in the Merseyside derby with Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday afternoon.

Tim Cahill put the Blues into a first-half lead with a powerful close-range strike after Seamus Coleman's cross had broken fortunately for him.

Mikel Arteta doubled the Blues' advantage moments into the second period when the Spaniard struck a thunderous drive beyond Pepe Reina from a half-cleared corner, with

Liverpool, despite a late spell of pressure, unable to find a response.

After a hectic week at Anfield, the game represented the final act in what will undoubtedly go down as one of the most historic weeks in the long and illustrious 118-year history of Liverpool Football Club.

New England Sports Ventures' acquisition of the club on Friday afternoon had provided everyone connected to the Red half of Merseyside with a surge in optimism as they geared up to make the short trek across Stanley Park.

There are few fixtures that can conjure up such raw emotion and passion as a Merseyside derby - and a little over 24 hours after meeting with the players and staff at Melwood, NESV Principal Owner John W Henry and Chairman Thomas Werner took their seats in the Goodison Park directors' box to sample that famed atmosphere first hand.

While much of the pre-match headlines had understandably centred on events off the field, the football talk had emphasised Liverpool's desire to return to winning ways following a disappointing run of league results.

Roy Hodgson - managing in a Merseyside derby for the first time - was able to hand Fernando Torres a starting berth in attack, while he also welcomed a return for Paul Konchesky into a defensive set-up that saw
Jamie Carragher deployed in a right-back role.

Like the gaffer, it was the former Fulham man's derby debut - and there were also first experiences of a Red versus Blue meeting for Raul Meireles and Joe Cole.

With the decibel levels inside Goodison cranked up to the maximum, the opening exchanges were contested with typical frenetic intensity.

Fans had to wait 10 minutes for the first chance, which fell to the hosts when Yakubu was sent tumbling to the ground after rolling Martin Skrtel on the edge of the box. Arteta's effort struck the wall, but Everton were able to scramble the ball back into the danger zone and Phil Jagielka powered a shot over the bar from 12 yards.

Moments later, Sylvain Distin, who had remained in an advanced position from an earlier free-kick, held off two challenges on the corner of the box before shooting inches wide of Reina's upright.

Everton were certainly in the ascendancy early on, but Liverpool fashioned their first opening on 22 minutes when Torres's flick header from Cole's left-wing centre was tipped over the crossbar by Tim Howard.

Lucas then blazed high over the bar after pouncing onto a loose ball 20 yards from goal, but it was much more encouraging from the visitors. Then, after Reina had repelled Tim Cahill's low attempt, Meireles saw a stinging drive blocked by the legs of an Everton defender.

But Everton broke the deadlock in the 33rd minute. Seamus Coleman's marauding burst down the right took him to the touchline before his attempted cross was kindly deflected into the path of Cahill, who made no mistake with a thumping finish from six yards to become the Blues's leading scorer post-war in league derby games

In truth, it was little more than the home side had deserved for their endeavours in the opening 45, leaving the Reds with plenty to ponder during the interval.

An improved showing in the second period was the order of the day, and seconds after the restart Torres drew a save out of Howard with a driven strike from 20 yards.

However, Liverpool were left with a mountain to climb as Everton extended their lead on 50 minutes.

Baines's corner was headed clear by Kyrgiakos, but it only succeeded in finding the unmarked Arteta lurking on the edge of the area, who crashed an unstoppable effort into the roof of Reina's net.

Liverpool enjoyed a sustained spell of possession as they sought an instant riposte, with Meireles seeing a strike smothered by Howard before Torres skewed Maxi's knockdown well over.

Cole went closer still when he fashioned space for a shot after a jinking run, but again the attempt was off target.

The Reds continued to press and Torres almost capatilised after Howard misjudged Gerrard's dangerous centre, but the bounce of the ball wasn't in favour of the Spaniard - while the American custodian produced a fine save to thwart the No.9 at the death.

It was in keeping with an afternoon to forget for Liverpool as Everton held on to secure the three points.

Liverpoolfc.tv man of the match: Steven Gerrard

Photos: NESV at Anfield

Photos: NESV at Anfield

NESV principal owner John Henry and chairman Thomas Werner were given a tour of Anfield on Saturday after meeting the players and staff at Melwood. Here are the best of our photos.

Chairman reacts to court ruling

Chairman reacts to court ruling

Liverpool FC Chairman Martin Broughton spoke with delight after emerging from Court 18 in the Royal Courts of Justice in London this morning.

Addressing a media scrum alongside fellow Board members Christian Purslow and Ian Ayre, he gave the following interview.

Mr Broughton, your reaction to the outcome today?
We are delighted with the result. We feel justice has been done. That's what we came for and that's what we got. We are delighted.

Will you still have to seek a declaratory judgement as well?

We will take legal advice on that. We will get the board reconstituted by 8pm this evening and we will plan to have a board meeting soon after that.

And your intention is to continue with the sale to NESV?

We will continue with the sale process.

What do you think of the owners' behaviour throughout this process?

I don't wish to comment on the owners' behaviour. I've commented on that enough. I think the court has argued in favour of the sale.

Will NESV own the club by tomorrow?

There's a board meeting this evening, hopefully to determine whether or not that is the case.

Do you have a duty to consider any of the other bids that have come in that may be higher?

We will take legal advice on this.

Do you expect the owners to take part in this?

I would expect they will. They will certainly be invited as they were last time. I have no reason to believe they will not be there.

If there is an appeal next week will that affect the process?

We will take legal advice on that.

Has this been one of the most difficult periods in your business career?

It's been a bit difficult but we got the right result.

Mr Lim's complaint about not being properly considered - is there anything in that?

I think you'll find we considered all bids appropriately.

Has this had any damage to your relationship with New England - will there be any smoothing over to do?

No smoothing over to do. We are delighted they were there.

And have you continued to talk to them throughout this process?

We've continued to talk to New England.

It came out in court, is the declaratory judgement an option rather than a condition of the sale?

It's an option.

On either side?

Yes on either side.

You see all the supporters here, it obviously means a great deal to them - can they look forward to a better future?

Absolutely. We've been here to complete a sale process. We said right from the offset that we would find the right owners for Liverpool and that was our target. I think we've done that. We were very fortunate that we had two bidders, both of whom qualified as far as we were concerned for being the right owners. We had to choose between them and I think Liverpool Football Club can look forward to a great future with its new owners.

And what of your and Christian's futures now? Any thoughts on how long you will be involved with the club?

There hasn't been an item of discussion with New England at all.

What are your hopes for the club now?

The vital thing is that all of the offers have wiped out all of the acquisition debt and that puts the club on a sound financial footing. And that was the single most important thing.

What do you think won it?

Flagrant abuses of undertakings.

Were you always confident that you had a rock solid case?

Yes I was always confident. You can never be 100 per cent confident when it comes to court. That's the only element of doubt.

Rush sets Reds challenge

9th Oct 2010 - Latest News

 

Ian Rush has challenged everyone at Anfield to work positively together to aid a rapid climb up the Premier League table.

Despite a lowly league position ahead of the latest international break, Rush remains convinced the quality in Roy Hodgson's squad will soon ensure they are firing on all cylinders once again - hopefully starting in next weekend's derby.

"It is easy to criticise when you are not doing well. You can easily blame everyone but we have just got to get behind everyone," he said.

"We are all in it together, the owners the management, the players and the supporters.

"If we are all fighting against each other it is not working so what we have to do is for everyone to get behind each other and be positive.

"People say we are in the bottom three. I look at it and say we are five points from the Champions League.

"Two wins and you never know how things might change. That's the way I look at it.

"We will come out of this because we just need a bit of confidence and a bit of luck. If we get that...we are playing Everton in the next game. If we win that one everything will change."

The Liverpool week in words

The Liverpool week in words

It's been one of the most dramatic weeks in the club's history but of all the hundreds of thousands of words written about Liverpool Football Club this week, which ones have stood out the most? This is the LFC week in words…


Monday October 4: The words most often used in Milan Jovanovic's furious denial of quotes attributed to him in a certain tabloid newspaper.

Tuesday October 5:  The words most often used in the LFC statement posted on the official club website announcing two offers to buy the football club.

Wednesday October 6: The words most often used in the LFC statement posted on the official club website announcing the board had agreed the sale of the Club to New England Sports Ventures.

Wednesday October 6: The words most often used in Chairman Martin Broughton's interview with LFC TV.

Wednesday October 6: The words most often used in a statement about their bid for LFC from New England Sports Ventures.

Friday October 8: The words most often used in Roy Hodgson's interview about the proposed sale of the club and the season so far
tag : martin broughton , milan jovanovic , nesv , new england sports ventures , roy hodgson , week in words

Broughton takeover Q&A

Broughton takeover Q&A

Liverpool FC Chairman Martin Broughton has spoken about why he believes New England Sports Ventures are the perfect fit for LFC and why he's confident the sale decision could be completed by close of business next week.

In an exclusive interview with LFC TV, Broughton also thanked fans for their patience during the sales process and outlined the potential new owner's plans for the club.

It certainly has been dramatic. The latest position is that we have a sale agreement in place, we've agreed the sale to New England Sports Ventures, that sale is subject to a number of conditions like Premier League approval and other normal conditions. The specific additional condition is that it's subject to confirmation that the Board acted validly in drawing up the sale documents.

Last night fans read a statement on the official website claiming that the owners had sought to remove Christian Purslow and Ian Ayre from the Board. What was the reasoning behind this and were the owners successful?

The court will ultimately decide whether the owners were successful. The reasoning behind it was that the owners felt we were reviewing two bids which they considered undervalued the club and therefore they wished to remove Christian and Ian and replace them with Mack Hicks, who is Tom's son, and Lori McCutcheon, who also works with him.

We don't think it was valid to do it. Essentially when I took the role they gave a couple of written undertakings to Royal Bank of Scotland. Those written undertakings included that I was the only person entitled to change the board and that was written into the articles of the covenants, and also that they would take no action to frustrate any reasonable sale. And I think they flagrantly abused both of those written undertakings.

You announced on Tuesday night that the club received two excellent offers. Why, in your opinion, is New England Sports Ventures the right new owner for Liverpool Football Club?

I think both of them would have been excellent new owners. New England have a lot of experience in developing, investing in and taking Boston Red Sox - as the closest parallel - from being a club with a wonderful history, a wonderful tradition that had lost the winning way, and bringing it back to being a winner. Their commitment to winning is what it's all about there and they've extended it from Boston Red Sox to Nascar and other things, but Red Sox is the main one.
I have been meeting them now for several weeks in Boston, in Liverpool, in London, and I feel they are totally committed to supporting and getting the winning mentality back into the team.

Is their winning mentality the thing which has impressed you most about them during this period?
Yes. Their commitment is to winning on the pitch and that helps you win off the pitch too. The two are mutually reinforcing.

Fans have already got lots of questions, with three of the main ones being:
a) Will the debt burden be removed completely?
To all intents and purposes, yes. All of the acquisition debt that was involved in the current owners acquisition will be removed completely. We'll still have what we call normal working capital debt and there's a facility there for the new stadium which will remain in place, but to all intents and purposes all the major debt that has been causing our problem has been paid off.

b) Have the proposed new owners committed to investing in the playing squad?
Yes. They don't want any hostages to fortune, very sensibly, so they're not going to make any comments about how much or anything like that. But this goes back to the winning mentality. I think the demonstration is: let's look at what they have done at Boston, what they said in Boston, what they have done in terms of investing in players - and I think you get a high degree of confidence of their willingness to do that.

c) Is there a commitment from them to progress the new stadium project?
Yes, there's definitely a commitment to invest in a stadium and we will finish up with a 60,000+ seater stadium. Where they haven't finalised their view is whether that should be the new stadium or whether there are still opportunities to build at Anfield itself. They have done both. The people involved have built the new stadium at Baltimore Orioles, for example, and at Fenway Park they looked at the two options and decided that actually redevelopment with all of the tradition was better than a new stadium. So they have done both, they are committed to looking at both very professionally and seeing which is the best option, but there will be stadium development.

Just to clarify, what needs to happen now for the sale to be finalised?
The key thing is the court case. We need to go to the court to get a declaratory judgement, which is for the court to declare that we did act validly in completing the sale agreement, and then the buyers can complete the sale. We have to get Premier League approval and I'm certain that's not going to be an issue. There are one or two minor things like that but the key issue is the court, which should meet I would think next week sometime. That is the most likely time, in short order.

Can the owners block the sale of LFC to New England Sports Ventures?
Well, we have to win the court case. So effectively yes, if they win the court case they can block the sale. But then we may have one or two other thoughts in mind as well.

Could the sale process be dragged through the courts for months before a resolution is reached?
No, I don't think so. We should get a declaratory judgement I would have thought probably by the end of next week, in short order. There is an appeal process but that is also very fast.

How confident are you that Liverpool Football Club will soon be officially under new ownership?
I am confident. I wouldn't have taken the Board through that process yesterday if I hadn't been confident. I wouldn't have exposed everybody to that risk if I hadn't been confident, but you can never be certain. These things are legal judgements. We have been properly advised and I am confident.

Looking back, how thorough has the process been to identify the best new owners for the Club and how pleased are you with the final outcome?

Ideally one would have had buyers who were not only the best buyers but also satisfied the owners. That's what we were looking for and we haven't managed to do that second piece of it. Has it been exhaustive? Absolutely. We have, first of all through BarCap, contacted every plausible buyer. The media coverage has meant that you would have to be living on Planet Zog not to know that Liverpool was for sale and so if you had any interest in it you had the opportunity. We've talked to lots of potential people. At the end of the day, with the deadline for debt repayment looming we had two bidders, both very viable bidders. I think they were competing, there was competitive tension there and I think that demonstrates that we have the market price.

Finally Martin, what is your message to the Liverpool fans?

Keep the faith. We said we would deliver the best buyers for the club and I think we have delivered exactly that. I know they've been frustrated by not getting a running commentary and I know a fan wants to know what's going on. I thank them for their patience because I do believe the only way you really get these things done is out of the media glare and it's difficult to do it out of the media glare, but we've found the right owners. I thank them for their patience, their support, keep the faith, this is going to work. They're with us.
.

Hodgson: I'm responsible

Hodgson: I'm responsible

Roy Hodgson today reflected on Liverpool's 2-1 defeat at the hands of Blackpool and admitted: "I'm the one responsible because I'm the team manager."

The Reds boss was hugely disappointed with his side's first-half showing against the Tangerines and accepted he would come under criticism for a third league defeat in seven matches.

Hodgson told his post-match press conference: "It's a bad result and a very bad day. There's nothing more I can say. I can tell by the mood in here (press room), that you understand how bad it is for us.

"We were very anxious to get back on track, to get the three points and lift ourselves up the table. No words or anything I can say can change that situation or make it better.

"It's pointless to try and be positive and say the second half was better and we could have got an equaliser because we lost the game - a game we did not want to lose."

He added: "The fans are entitled to take out their frustrations, lots of things have happened to frustrate them and I'm the one responsible because I'm the team manager. When the team does badly criticism will fall my way and I have to accept it."

The Reds made a sluggish start to the proceedings and went in at the interval trailing to goals from Charlie Adam (penalty) and Luke Varney.

Sotirios Kyrgiakos did pull one back for Liverpool as they produced an improved second-half showing, leaving the boss to lament a poor opening period.

"I suppose I'm in a situation where I'd rather not think about the game," he admitted.  "I suppose in the first half we were correctly punished for our lacklustre play. We had the ball as much as them, but we didn't do anywhere near enough to satisfy my demands, the club's demands or the players' demands on themselves.

"We conceded two goals from counter attacks when we were high up the field and lost the ball on the edge of the area. We found ourselves 2-0 down against a team that played well in the first-half.

"In the second half we came out and did our best to turn it around but we only managed to get the one goal.

"I don't know whether the early injury blow of losing Fernando Torres had a psychological effect, but I don't think so. We knew they were an offensive team but if we dealt with their balls forward there would be chances for us to get them turned around and that's what happened in the second period."

Asked about the Reds' current position in the bottom three, he said: "My concerns are about making us play to our full potential. We are only doing it in periods and not from the first to the 90^th minute.

"I don't think it's because the players have not got the right attitude at the start of the game - I don't believe that. But at the start of games we are not at the level of intensity that we are in the second half of matches. We shouldn't need to go behind before we get the type of reaction we had."

The boss was also quizzed about what his views were on his first few months at the helm.

He said: "It's been strange. The early part wasn't that bad - we had some good results in Europe.

"We also had a stroke of luck in the league games, but that has deserted us in the last few weeks. I suppose everything I think is conditioned by the last few weeks. We went out of the Carling Cup to Northampton, we failed to win a home game last week and, even worse, we have lost a home game this week against a team that has just been promoted.

"At the moment it looks bleak. It's very difficult for me to put a brave or bright face upon it. There is a lot of work to do and things we need to sort out.

"I can only take heart from the fact that the spirit of the team is still there. I don't think I could have asked any more of them in the second half than they gave the club and the fans. The fans did well to get behind us and I'm sure we all would have loved an extra 15 minutes, but we didn't get it."

POSITIV Team Complete Skateboards

POSITIV Team Complete Skateboards

Product Description

Ride the rails and air out like the guys in the POSITIV skateboard team--Rodney Jones, Andy Macdonald, and Carlos De Andrade--with these complete boards. Every POSITIV deck is manufactured to the demanding specifications of Skate One using its proprietary AirLam skateboard presses and birch veneer source. The AirLam process fuses multiple plys of wood together using waterproof glue, sealed against other moisture, and the bottom is coated with an SST slide treatment to improve the length of your slides. Other features include super high-rebound 54mm/99a polyurethane wheels, trucks with high-rebound polyurethane cushions for easy turning, precision double-rubber shielded chromium steel bearings

Andy Macdonald

Rodney Jones

Carlos De Andrade

Sandro Dias

Team

lubricated with Bones Speed Cream, and super sticky grips with a die-cut POSITIV logo. Andy Macdonald

• Deck Shape: 112
• Concave: K12
• Deck Dimensions: 31.75 x 7.75 inches
• Wheelbase: 14 inches
• Nose: 6.875 inches
• Tail: 6.625 inches
• Bottom: Screened
• Wheel Diameter: 54mm
• Hardness: 99a
• Formula: Positiv Super High Rebound
• Core: No
• Surface: Smooth
• Truck Width: 7.63 inches

Rodney Jones:

• Deck Shape: 126
• Concave: K12
• Deck Dimensions: 31.625 x 7.625 inches
• Wheelbase: 13.75 inches
• Nose: 7 inches
• Tail: 6.625 inches
• Bottom: Screened
• Wheel Diameter: 54mm
• Hardness: 99a
• Formula: Positiv Super High Rebound
• Core: No
• Surface: Smooth
• Truck Width: 7.63 inches

Carlos De Andrade:

• Deck Shape: 124
• Concave: K12
• Deck Dimensions: 31.375 x 7.5 inches
• Wheelbase: 13.875 inches
• Nose: 6.75 inches
• Tail: 6.5 inches
• Wheel Diameter: 54mm
• Hardness: 99a
• Formula: Positiv Super High Rebound
• Core: No
• Surface: Smooth
• Truck Width: 7.5 inches

Sandro Dias:

• Deck Shape: 126
• Concave: K12
• Deck Dimensions: 31.625 x 7.625 inches
• Wheelbase: 13.75 inches
• Nose: 7 inches
• Tail: 6.625 inches
• Wheel Diameter: 54mm
• Hardness: 99a
• Formula: Positiv Super High Rebound
• Core: No
• Surface: Smooth
• Truck Width: 7.63 inches

Team:

• Deck Shape: 124
• Concave: K12
• Deck Dimensions: 31.375 x 7.5 inches
• Wheelbase: 13.875 inches
• Nose: 6.75 inches
• Tail: 6.5 inches
• Wheel Diameter: 54mm
• Hardness: 99a
• Formula: Positiv Super High Rebound
• Core: No
• Surface: Smooth
• Truck Width: 7.5 inches

Manufacturer's Warranty
All Skate One manufactured products are warranted against delamination and/or manufacturing defects for the useful life of the skateboard.

Customer Reviews

Well-made and light enough, April 10, 2009

I bought this for my son's 8th birthday. Having been a skater in a previous life, I knew a bit about what I was looking for. It needed to be light enough for his size, have a decent concave, and the bearings needed to be smooth. I was confident about all but the last of these before ordering since I went to the all the all-in-one manufacturers' sites to compare stats. The bearings are fine, thankfully. So far, my son has been happy with the board. It is probably a little heavy for him yet, but he's not far off. Anyway, he's got a few more lessons in balance to learn before he starts doing any tricks. Overall, it's a good skateboard. These all-in-one decks are nothing like the pieces of junk they sold as all-in-one when I was a kid. I do wish they came with rails, but the object of the game is to have the most beaten up looking board, I guess!

I wouldn't recommend this for kids under 8. It is probably a little big. Of course, that would depend on how dexterous your kid is too. For the average kid, 8~9 +, I'd say.

Steaua: Every angle covered Latest News

Steaua: Every angle covered

A much changed Liverpool line-up got their Europa League group stage off to a flying start after a 4-1 win over Steaua Bucharest, and we have nine videos for your entertainment online now.

Steaua under the spotlight

Liverpool get their Europa League group-stage challenge up and running with an Anfield clash against Steaua Bucharest tonight.
It's only the second time the two teams have met in a European tie, with the previous encounter coming in the UEFA Cup during the 2003-04 campaign.

After a 1-1 first-leg draw in Romania, in which Djimi Traore struck his first and only Reds goal, Harry
Kewell settled the tie with the winner in the return leg at Anfield - a game from which Steven Gerrard is the only player who remains at either club that played in that meeting in front of the Kop.

Liverpool did cross swords with Romanian opposition in last season's Europa League competition in the form of Unirea Urziceni, with the Reds progressing 4-1 on aggregate.

Steaua come into the fixture on the back of a 1-0 defeat at Unirea on Saturday, though they are level on points at the top of the Romanian league with two other Bucharest-based clubs - Rapid and Dinamo - on 14 points.

They qualified for the group stage of the competition after seeing off Swiss side Grasshoppers in the play-off round.

After claiming a 1-0 first-leg victory at the Steaua Stadium thanks to Bogdan Stancu's late strike, Steaua lost the return meeting by the same scoreline in Switzerland meaning they required a dramatic 4-3 penalty shoot-out triumph in order to secure their progression.

Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson confirmed on Wednesday he would shuffle his pack for the encounter with the Romanian outfit ahead of the weekend trip to Manchester United.

The Reds are able to select Joe Cole for the contest with the playmaker available again following his domestic suspension.

However, Dirk Kuyt remains sidelined with a shoulder injury while Fabio Aurelio will also again be absent due to injury.

The Militarii are coached by former Tottenham Hotspur striker Ilie Dumitrescu, who spent the 1994-95 season at White Hart Lane after impressing for Romania at the World Cup finals in the USA.

The 41-year-old, who also had a spell at West Ham United, took up the reins last month and believes his side are in for a tough test whoever Hodgson decides to call upon this evening.

He said: "Even if Stevie Gerrard and Torres do not play the other players are important - Joe Cole, David Ngog, Milan Jovanovic all played against Arsenal (on the opening day of the season).

"We are not underestimated, Liverpool have a very important game against Manchester United.

"It will be an important game and we are going to meet a very strong team."

He added: "The best part of my career was here in the Premier League. I know the British mentality and I know Liverpool is a club of tradition.

"We are looking forward to the game. We will try our best but I didn't come here to defend.

"I've come here with a team of young players but I trust in their capacity.

"In my opinion we have a very strong group, a group which could easily be in the Champions League.
Liverpool are favourites in this group, by far."

Steaua are without four players this evening - defenders George Galamaz and Pablo Brandan and strikers Marius Onofras and Marius Bilasco are all ineligible after figuring for Unirea in the Champions League qualifiers.

Roy: Torres has focus (News Update)

Roy Hodgson is confident Fernando Torres will shrug off recent criticism and believes the striker is 100 per cent focused on enjoying a successful season with Liverpool.

The Spain star came under media scrutiny following a low key display in Sunday's goalless draw with Birmingham City but the boss feels the No.9 is ready to bounce back.

"I'm afraid criticism is something he will have to learn to live with," Hodgson told his pre-match press conference.

"We bear strong expectations at this club and everyone is interested in us. We fill newspapers and fill air time. Everything that happens at the club is put under a microscope and that includes player performances.

"Fernando Torres has no problems with that. He's an excellent player and is very much committed and focused on this season. It's very wrong for people to read into his state of mind from watching 90 minutes of football.

"I think you'd have to be some wonder psychologist to do that.

"I can't watch a player and tell you what state of mind he is in."

# Liverpool FC news I Jovanovic's Reds vow

Milan Jovanovic believes Liverpool fans are yet to see the best of him - but the Serbia forward has vowed to do all he can to hit top form.

The 29-year-old produced perhaps his best performance in a Red jersey during Sunday's goalless draw at Birmingham City with an enterprising left-wing display.

Jovanovic feels he is making steady progress as he continues to find his feet in the Barclays Premier League following his arrival from Standard Liege in the summer, though he is adamant he still has much more to offer Roy Hodgson's contingent.

"I am much more positive," he said. "I am always honest. If I am bad, I will admit it and I will not be happy but I am at Liverpool and that means I will always, always give my best for this team.

"I was happy with how I played against Birmingham but I know I can do better. I haven't made an assist or scored a goal but I am trying to turn it around.

"I am disciplined and trying to build an understanding with the other players. I am not in the best form but I feel I am getting better and this is very important.

"I can play better than I have shown so far. I know I can score goals and make assists for this team. I'm sure I can. When it does, I will be the happiest, luckiest man in the world."

Sunday's stalemate in the Midlands left Liverpool in 13th position after collecting five points from their opening four league matches in 2010-11.

However, Jovanovic believes there were positives to be taken from the Birmingham draw and he is convinced he has seen enough to suggest the Reds will soon start to ascend the table.

"It was a difficult game but I think we did well," he reflected. "We controlled things well in some parts but need to improve in other areas. But we need to play with this kind of intensity.

"If we keep the ball and control the match, it will be much easier for us to make chances and we will become more dangerous in attack. Even still, I think it was better than the last two games.

"We played hard, we had discipline and we really tried to be dangerous in attack. It is going to take time because there are a lot of new players.

"But if we can keep getting the ball to Stevie, Liverpool will be much better. I have no doubts that we will climb the table. The Premier League is tough but we are Liverpool. That is what matters.

"We have got to try and win every game and hopefully we can start on Thursday night. It will be difficult but we will be doing our best as always."

Why Raul will be Kop star

New signing Raul Meireles is in contention to make his Liverpool debut at Birmingham City today - but what can we expect from Portugal's World Cup star?
We enlisted the expert view of journalist Luis Pedro Ferreira, a reporter for popular Portugese football website Maisfutebol.pt, to find out more about our new No.4.

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Meireles. Mr Raul Meireles. He was a masseur at Boavista, a well-known club from Oporto.

Those 'weird shirts' - as they were once described - created an impression on Europe during the 90s. The club was finally crowned Portuguese champions in 2001 but then started to fall.

However, as Boavista receded down the tiers, the stock of Mr Meireles's son was rising and rising.

First he conquered the Portuguese league and now he'll try to win over Anfield. Can he do it? I'm confident he will, unless he returns to his former career as an electrician...

Raul Meireles is a product of Boavista's youth system. His father accompanied his career in the early stages, though he never dreamt his son would forge such a successful career in professional football.

While at Boavista's academy, Raul studied and worked as a car electrician. But then he became an U16 European champion with Portugal and with it a career in football opened up ahead of him.

Cars and electricity would have to wait.

First, he was loaned to Desportivo das Aves, where he was known as the star of the team.

His Aves spell in the Portuguese second division lasted two seasons before he rejoined Boavista in 2003-04.

20-plus games later he was transferred to FC Porto. In 2004-05, he was used mainly as a substitute as the Dragons endured one of their worst seasons of the last decade.

But when Dutch coach Co Adriaanse took charge of the team at the end of that season, the former Ajax manager gambled on Meireles. And won.

Adriaanse played with a 3-4-3 system, which is unusual in Portuguese football. Meireles coped with the change in tactical setup even if he was, and perhaps still is, used to playing in a 4-3-3 - the system he has operated in (almost) all his life.

So, is Meireles a defensive or an offensive midfielder? Neither. And both.

Roy Hodgson said earlier this week Raul was an all-round midfield player. He was spot on.

Last season, Liverpool often played with Lucas Leiva and Javier Mascherano as holding central midfielders - but Meireles is different from the pair as he tends to attack a lot more, but is always aware of his defensive duties.

If you were to ask me, I believe he should be deployed a bit further forward in the space between Lucas or Christian Poulsen and Steven Gerrard, allowing him to help the Brazilian defensively while assisting the captain in building up attacks.

Raul is what we call in Portugal a 'transition player'. He is very strong when he gets the ball from the opposition and launches attacks. With one pass, he can get the ball quickly upfront and provide good service for the strikers.

Meireles is a simple footballer, he plays simple. He is not a player with lots of skills or tricks.

He has a good shot from range and covers a lot of grass - one of the reasons he so often appears in the penalty box to score.

Meireles also has a strong mentality and never hides. He played for FC Porto, and mental toughness is a club trademark.

Off the field, Meireles is renowned for being quite a character - with a fondness for tattoos. A warm and friendly guy away from the pitch, but the hardest of workers on it.

Naturally, of course, he will need time to adapt to the Premier League pace. Once he does that, you will find out that he knows all about being in the right place at the right time.

Roy : Why Babel didn't leave LFC

Roy Hodgson admits Liverpool had more than one offer for Ryan Babel in the transfer window.

The Dutchman was even allowed to speak to other clubs - but only on the understanding that a deal was dependent on Liverpool signing another striker.


Hodgson explained: "When there were offers for him we were prepared for him to go down and speak to those clubs, but we made it perfectly clear that other things would have to slot into place for us to be able to allow him to go.

"Those things did not slot into place.

"You've got to remember that for two years here he hasn't had much of a look-in.

"He was brought into the club with a lot of pomp and ceremony after winning the European U21 Championships and was being chased by clubs all over Europe at the time.

"Unfortunately he hasn't fulfilled that potential or had chance to."

Hodgson has been delighted with Babel's application in training over the last few weeks - and has challenged the 23-year-old to now make a go of things in L4.

He said: "I've got to say that I'm more than happy to work with Ryan Babel and it's up to him to convince me. No doubt if he hasn't done that by January he'll have to accept that maybe we'll be in that transfer market for a centre-forward once again, but at least he's got this period of time.

"He's working very hard and is very determined to take this chance he's got."

Roy rejects England job talk

Roy Hodgson today insisted he has no desire to take over the England job once Fabio Capello steps down in 2012.

The Italian's announcement earlier this week that he will leave the FA after the next European Championships has prompted speculation over who will be his successor.


Hodgson's name has been mentioned in some sections of the media - but the man himself has no desire to be considered.

He told reporters: "My job is at Liverpool Football Club and I'm very happy with my job.

"I would like to make it very clear that I intend to make no comments whatsoever on the England national team other than to congratulate them on their last two matches.

"I'm really looking forward to my job here, so I don't understand the questions and have no comment to make."

Roy reflects on summer deals

Roy Hodgson today declared himself satisfied with Liverpool's summer transfer dealings - and insisted new boys Raul Meireles and Paul Konchesky will prove to be quality additions to his squad.

With the transfer window now closed until January and Liverpool having submitted their Barclays Premier League squad, Hodgson insists he is happy with the players at his disposal and is pleased the Reds were able to act quickly to fill the midfield gap left by Javier Mascherano.


"It was important to sign a quality midfielder when we lost Javier," said Hodgson. "We had half prepared for his departure by jumping in to sign Christian Poulsen when he became available, but it was important for us to keep strong in that area.

"We loaned out Alberto Aquilani and so we are pleased to have been able to bring in Meireles. He is experienced in the Champions League, in international football and has had proven success at Porto. He is an all-round midfielder who is capable of playing in all three of the central midfield positions.

He has a pedigree which we researched, followed and studied. I followed him at my previous club so it was good when I heard he could be available and that we could do the business quickly.

"He has played a lot of international football so settling into the English game won't be a major problem. Our public are sensible people and they realise that having played all of his career in Portugal, it may take a bit of time. We have that time. He will adjust, but whether it's from the first moment we'll have to wait and see."

One player who won't need time to adjust to life in the Barclays Premier League is fellow new boy Paul Konchesky, who arrived from Fulham on transfer deadline day.

Despite speculation for many weeks that the England defender would be Anfield bound, Hodgson admits he was delighted to finally welcome his former player to the club.

Babel: How I'll repay Roy

Ryan Babel today revealed how Roy Hodgson has assured him he will get more playing time in his favoured striking position - and the Dutchman is determined to repay the boss by realising his full potential.

The 23-year-old believes the arrival of the new manager has presented him with a fresh opportunity to showcase his talents at Anfield.


It is a chance he is eager to grasp with both hands, though he is well aware training hard at Melwood is the first step on the road towards a regular first-team berth.

"It's clear when a new manager comes in, everyone's chances are equal again with others," Babel told Liverpoolfc.tv. "It is positive for me and maybe everybody who was in a difficult situation.

"I hope this is a chance for me to establish myself, but the first test for me is to work hard in every training session and try to show what I can do. In the end, it is the manager's decision if he uses me or not.

"I am very confident and positive - I feel well and have been training well. Hopefully it is just a matter of time before I can get some confidence back to finally show everybody what I can do."

Babel was deployed in his preferred position of striker by Hodgson in the first leg of last month's Europa League qualifier against Trabzonspor at Anfield - and he claimed the only goal of the game with a clinically-taken effort on the stroke of half-time.

Ngog, Kuyt and Aurelio News Update

Roy Hodgson is hopeful David Ngog will shake off a hamstring injury in time to be available for selection against Birmingham on SunDay.

The French striker was withdrawn from his country's U21 squad after picking up the minor knock, but Hodgson today reported his in-form striker is winning his race to be fit for the clash at St Andrews.

"He has been nursing a problem but is much better now," said the Liverpool boss. "We were obliged to withdraw him from the French U21 squad because when they got together 10 days ago he wasn't fit.

"The French people were very good about that and realised there was a problem. I am hoping that he will recover in time for this weekend. We have nursed him through and hopefully he will train either today or Friday."

While Ngog could be available for Sunday's game, one player who will definitely miss out is Dirk Kuyt after the Dutch striker sustained a shoulder injury while training with his national team.

Initial reports are that Kuyt faces four weeks on the sidelines, but Hodgson fears his absence could stretch to even longer.

"It could be more than four weeks," he said. "It's one of those injuries where it's very difficult for the doctor to say and I think four weeks is a very conservative estimate. If we're lucky it could be earlier, but it could be longer. We have to be very careful because it's the type of injury that has to be treated with a lot of respect.

"It's a great blow for us because Dirk is an important member of our first team. He does a job which is not easy to replace because he has all the qualities required for that role on the field. I was very sad to see such a thing happen, especially in a training session. It would have been bad enough to happen playing for the national team in a competitive match, but for it to happen in training was even more of a blow.

"He's a quick mender and he has a great mentality and attitude towards recovery, so he will be back as quick as is humanly possible. But we're looking at at least a month and possibly longer."

Apart from Kuyt, the only other player definitely out of this weekend's game is Fabio Aurelio as the Brazilian contnues to nurse an achilles problem.
"Fabio is making very good progress and is definitely moving in the right direction," said Hodgson. "It was a relatively minor problem but one we had to nip in the bud because achilles injuries can be very problematic."

Roy's Pacheco challenge

Roy Hodgson has challenged Daniel Pacheco to fight for a place in his first team.


With Dirk Kuyt ruled out of action for four weeks with a shoulder injury and David Ngog a doubt for Sunday's trip to Birmingham City with a hamstring problem, the Spanish starlet could get an opportunity.

Liverpool's No.12 is highly rated by Hodgson and he is hoping the former Barcelona youngster will take his chance.

"I thought Dani did very well when he came on against Manchester City in the five or six minutes he played," said Hodgson.

"I also thought he did very well when he came on against Trabzonspor and he made a difference. He is a player that we really believe in.

"He is young but it is great that can keep giving him these opportunities and moments on the field and I think these moments will get even longer as the season progresses.

"Now we are in the Europa League, it is good for me too that I will be able to give chances to the likes of him, (Jay) Spearing and (Jonjo) Shelvey.

"They need games and we will have plenty of opportunities in the coming months."

Pacheco also has a burning desire to repay his manager's faith and added: "I hope I will play a big part.

"I know that I have to keep working very hard in training and I will have to take the chances that the manager will give to me."

Kuyt injury news from Melwood

Dirk Kuyt will be out of action for four weeks with a shoulder injury, Liverpool Football Club can confirm.


The club's medical team examined the Dutchman following his early return from international duty yesterday.

Dr Peter Brukner said: "Dirk has damaged his shoulder at the A-C joint, which is between the collar bone and the shoulder. He is likely to be out for four weeks."

The Dutch media have reported that the injury was sustained after Kuyt fell awkwardly in training.

The 30-year-old now appears likely to miss games against Birmingham, Steaua Bucharest, Manchester United, Northampton, Sunderland and an emotional return to former club Utrecht

'Kuyt out for several weeks'

Dirk Kuyt will be out for several weeks with a shoulder injury, according to reports in the Dutch media.


De Telegraaf has reported that the 30-year-old was sent to hospital for scans after he sprained a joint landing awkwardly stretching to reach a cross.

Kuyt started Friday's 5-0 Euro 2012 qualifying thumping of San Marino but has been ruled out of Tuesday's clash against Finland.

Manager Bert Van Marwijk is quoted as saying: "He will probably have a few weeks off and at 4pm today he will step on to the plane to Liverpool."

Torres makes fitness pledge

Fernando Torres today assured Liverpool fans that he is ready to return to top form as he nears 100 per cent fitness.


The 26-year-old followed his goal against West Brom last weekend with a double for Spain in their 4-0 thrashing of Liechtenstein on Friday night.

All this after a deliberately drawn-out recuperation following the injuries which marred last season and his World Cup.

Torres said: "The recuperation is perfect and we have waited our time.

"I am still not 100 per cent, but the people will soon see the best Torres.

"Each time I am recuperating sensations and I hope to obtain success with Liverpool this season."

'Time to promote Steven Gerrard

Danny Murphy has called on Fabio Capello to make Steven Gerrard the permanent captain of England.


The Liverpool skipper is temporarily wearing the armband in place of the injured Rio Ferdinand.

But after a series of stand-out performances from our No.8, former teammate Murphy thinks it's time to make the change permanent.


"I believe there is the strongest possible case for Steven carrying on, regardless of Rio's fitness," said the Fulham man.


"He leads by example, as he has shown in the last two games, and is the best player in the England team.


"He is emerging as our real leader. He carried the armband through the World Cup and has been a real inspiration in the two opening games.


"There is no one better for the job. This is not me having a pop at Rio in any way. He has done absolutely nothing wrong but, given his unfortunate injury record, he will be grateful to be back in the squad.


"Just being named in an England party again will be plenty for him to be going on with."