GOD Steven Gerrard is looking for us to push on the cup competions this season after our sluggish start in the Premiership.
Stevie said: “Because of the disappointing start we have had in the Premiership, if we’re realistic we have got to try even harder in the cups now,”
“The Champions League would be a big consolation.
“I want to win the Champions League again. The team want to do it again,” said Gerrard who inspired Liverpool to victory in the 2005 final.
“It’s easy to live off the memory of that success two seasons ago - to milk it and keep thinking about it.
“But if you dwell on what you have achieved that’s when you lose your hunger.
“It would be a terrific achievement, not just for me, but the whole squad, to become European champions again.
“We have had a taste of it before, so it gives you that extra incentive in these Champions League games to try to progress.”
Portuguese livewire Simao says he is not looking to impress anyone when he takes the field against Manchester United in the Champions League today. Well let me tell you Sima. You get the winner tonight and I will be dancing in the streets and will forget the goal you scored against us last season.
Simao, who was very close to becoming a Liverpool player last season said: “Of course I will not be trying harder to put myself in the shop window,”
“I will be the same Simao as always, trying to play the best football I can to help my colleagues to win the game.
“I know I scored against Liverpool and Manchester United last season but getting another goal doesn’t really bother me that much. As long as we win, I don’t care who scores.”
Galatasaray manager Erik Gerets thinks Liverpool have a can go far this seasons Champions League competition.
Speaking after the 3-2 victory over an under strength Reds team, Gerets said: “It was a difficult game for Liverpool,”
“They had already done the job they set out to do, before even coming to Istanbul.
“They are a very good team. It is difficult to judge whether they can go all the way - but with their best players, they can win the tournament.
“I would certainly like to see that, because I like Rafa Benitez and admire his teams. But there are some very good teams left in the tournament.”
Youngsters Lee Peltier, Danny Guthrie and Gabriel Paletta made their Champions League debuts for us during the 3-2 loss to Galatasaray in the Champions League. I think it’s great that our youngsters can get a taste of top class European football already and I can honestly see some great talent coming through in the years to come.
Boss Rafa Benitez was dissapointed with our defensive errors during the match and though that was the cause of our loss.
“We paid for bad mistakes - you cannot expect to win if you make mistakes like that at this level,” said Benitez.
“I always felt it was going to be a difficult game for the players - they knew they were already group winners and the job had been done.
“So it was more difficult to stage a comeback in such circumstances, as you would in a cup final.”
He added: “I wanted to see my players doing well but also to realise that there are younger team-mates who are waiting for their chance,”
“I have rested some senior players, because we have such a busy next couple of months with lots of games. I wanted to see what futures there are for the young players and to be able to plan for that future.”
It’s a credit to us that we have the chance to play our youngsters in such a high profile fixture while clubs such as Barcelona and the scum united battle for their survival in the competition.
CMON BENIFICA
Rafa says new-boy Jermaine Pennant is trying as hard as he can. But is that good enough for our mighty club?
I have the utmost faith in Rafa but it seems that he tends to take one to many gambles on troubled players with baggage. Both Craig Bellamy and Pennant have a history of trouble wherever they have been. Bellamy said he was proud to be at the Reds (The club he supported as a boy) and that his troubled past was behind him. Yet here we are without him against Pompey because he is in court contesting assault charges.
Pennant seems to alot calmer than he was in days gone by but does he have the quality? I can’t help but think of our main rivals (Chelsea and yes those Red Devil Scum) they will splash out for one or two players of proven quality and that’s it (Eg Carrick, Drogba, Cole, Ferdinand etc). We seem to sign eight with “potential” but still have to nuture them, we need them battle hardened and ready to fire from day one if we are to compete.
Dont get me wrong Rafa has made some shrewd signings with Xabi Alonso 8 million, Momo Sissoko 5 million, Agger etc but there are also alot of questionable ones.
Following the match with Pompey Benitez said: “We told Pennant to be confident, to get in his crosses and to beat defenders.
“He was trying really hard, I was pleased with that. But he must do things in a simple way, get his crosses in and hope the forwards can reach them.
“He was getting in plenty of good crosses but sometimes the forwards were not up in support.
“As long as he keeps trying and working I am happy. But the moment he becomes afraid to try things then he will not improve.”
Let’s hope Jermaine proves me wrong and starts firing down the sidelines.
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