Liverpool Secures Second!

What a journey it was for my favorite football team; Liverpool Football Club. After a tough season long battle, we ended the season on 2nd place, our best finishing in recent years.

As a fan of this great football club, I can say that I'm honored and happy that our club gave our all to secure 2nd place ahead of clubs like Chelsea and Arsenal. Of course, I'm bitter that we lost out of the title race to Manchester United by a mere four points. Adding salt to wound, they have now equaled our record haul of 18 league titles; our last came 19 years ago.

Apart from that, this season, we had improved markedly. We had the best 'away' records of 13 wins, we're unbeaten at home (though the home draws killed our title chances), scored the most goals (and critics say that we can't buy a goal) and kept a healthy 20 clean sheets.

Again, Torres and our captain Gerrard played a great part in the title race. Just too bad, they got injured or else..... who knows where the title might end up? The ever so hardworking Kuyt, fearless Carra and commanding midfielders of Alonso and Mascherano has become the spine of this great Liverpool team. A must mention is the farewell of our legend Sami Hyypia. After a wonderful 10years at LFC, yesterday's match at home against Spurs is his last in our famous red jersey. He nearly got a goal and that would be too perfect a send off! He deserves every standing ovation that he could get. Wish him good luck in Germany and maybe we'll see him back as coach in a few years time.

I'm just hoping that with this improvement, Senor Rafael Benitez can be given more fund to improve the squad further. Buy better players to see that we can maintain a consistent push for the English title and also for Europe. Let the young guns have a go at the domestic cups tie.

Maybe next season, ManU fans can cry....

You'll Never Walk Alone!

Into the Last 16!

Steven Gerrad, Captain Marvel!

Well, it was really great news when I heard that Liverpool has qualified into the last 16 of the UEFA Champion's League with a 1-0 home win over its French rival Marseille. Didn't watch the match coz its early morning and I don't have Astro's service. Considering the pressure from the outside for our home draw against a lowly Fulham (others always think that these type of matches always gives you 3 points), it was a huge relief.

Who else but captain marvel, Stevie G to put us into the next stage? He was sorely missed during the weekend match against Fulham due to a groin injury...... Fabio, he WAS INJURED! When he plays, the whole team plays. If he perform, Liverpool is a world beater!

We have qualified with a match remaining. Still 2nd in the group behind Atletico Madrid on goal difference. While it's important to top the group to avoid meeting with a seeded team next round, I don't think any Liverpool fan cares. The remaining match should and must be used by Rafa to field his 'second team' to gain invaluable European experience. Anyway, its common knowledge that we ARE the team in Europe.

So, with the credit crunch biting hard and the Yanks still stubbornly holding on to LFC, the qualification is indeed a relief to the owners for the monetary benefits it gives to the qualifiers. Another windfall is much needed in a club suffering from huge debt, no thanks to our two very dedicated owners!

So, with the next round secured, it give us some real breathing space and concentrate on our push for the EPL title. Maybe, just maybe we can pull a bit further from Chelsea with their draw in Europe. A little distraction for them can do us a world of good.

C'mon Reds! You'll Never Walk Alone!

Liverpool's through!

Hero for the night

Yahoo! We are through to the group phase yet again! The owners must have been very relief to see Kuyt send us through with a goal after another laboured effort against Standard Leige.

Well, Rafa can count Dirk Kuyt as his lucky European charm for his latest exploit. Known to be a exceptionally good marksman when playing in the Dutch League, Kuyt have somehow failed to live up to our standard. However, he made up for his lack of goals with loads of untiring runnings. This morning's goal is just a sweet reward for our workhorse!

So, another assault on the European stage is on the card. What worries me is the laboured performance to produce goals against well organised teams. Sunderland, Boro and now Leige has proven to be tough cookies for us. Luckily, the lads kept on pushing til the last minute.

What spoilt the night for us is the loss of captain Gerrard to a groin injury. He hasn't been 100% and needs to be operated on ASAP. Might miss our blockbuster game against ManU.

Just hope he'll be back soon and back with a bang. As for now, let us all savour another European win.

You'll Never Walk Alone!

Liverpool vs Leige

YNWA!

Well, tonight will be one of the biggest home game since the season begins. A must win match against Belgian champion; Standard Leige.

Rafa's team has been winning 2 league matches on the trot but their performance have come under heavy fire. Scrappy at best against teams (including Standard) they are supposed to steamrolled over. Last weekend home match against Boro is a good example. We gave away possession too many times too easily and our set pieces are crap! Even Xabi had a nighmare game. Only intervention from the vice captain and the captain ensured a dramatic last minute come from behind win. Frankly speaking, Boro deserved at least a point!

Such were our poor show, the only positive that we can take is that the mentality to win has improved. Never say die attitude and make your own luck. Rafa has gave assurance that tonight the team will play much better and deliver! A scored draw will mean end of the road for us.

With basically a full team to pick on and playing at Anfield, I'm sure we'll progress to the group phase. Going past this hurdle will bag us 16million pounds! So much riding on it but with our European pedigree, I'm 100% sure we'll make it!


You'll Never Walk Alone!

1st Home Game!

It's BPL time again!

Well, it's weekend again! Yahoo! Time for BPL watching is here again... actually, it started last week but for me, the season starts now for our 1st home game against Boro.

The away game against Keano's Sunderland was scrappy at best. But what's important was the 3 points; courtesy of a screamer by Torres. So this weekend game at Anfield will definitely see a better side; hopefully another 3 points on the table.

With some Olympians coming back and reporting for duty, I bet the formation adopted by Rafa will be a more attacking one. Babel is here. Only Masch is still duty bound in Beijing. With the Barry transfer saga closed, I hope that Rafa can concentrate fully on this assignment.

What's interesting is that Boro's winger, Downing is a target for us since Barry's move has collapsed. After this match he might be wearing Liverpool's Red! Hope he got a good match but a bad result!

You'll Never Walk Alone!

My weekend.....

My heroes this week!

Well done Chong Wei! You have done us proud by winning a silver at the Olympics! Many Malaysians were glued to their seats to see you at the podium for this historic feat!

So, for once the nation is united and being colour blind. Even the warring parties at Permatang Pauh stopped their activities for a while to watch the game.

So, it's been a good weekend for me. Liverpool opened the 08/09 season with 3 away points in the pocket when Torres struck a late winner against a much improved Sunderland. The most expensive player in Liverpool's history seems to be a bargain buy!

The only damper is that I've lost my voice on Sunday. Was working and bringing a group of Chinese tourist. All seems OK in the morning but disaster struck after lunch. Suddenly, my voice becomes coarse and in the late evening, it's all gone! First time in my life I have to communicate with my guests in sign language! No, not those used by the dumb and deft, but 'normal' signs. Funny but not funny at all.

So, I got to call up the company and get a urgent replacement to take over. Just too bad, but I can't work without my voice. So, now I'm back to my office..... Just hope with lots of water, normal service will be resume soon!

Not A Good Start

Well, Liverpool's first competitive match; the Champions League Qualifying match in Belgium ended in a poor 0-0 draw. Even though the opponent, Standard Leige is the Belgian Champ, with our quality, we should have got the job done.

Instead, it was the home side that pressed on, and only Pepe's heroics earned us a undeserved draw. Rusty? Well, we played some good footie in pre-season friendlies. Lack of fire-power? Keane and Torres were there! Maybe it's the 'ugly' Green away jersey. Yuck! Just like their performance. Yes, I'm disappointed, but I still have faith in Rafa and the boys!

So now, we are the favourite to go through with the home match. However, we can't let Standard set the standard. If they score once, we need 2 goals to go through. So, we need the goals with big money at stake. Watch out Standard, we gonna kick your ass!

Go Reds! Give us a champion performance.

You'll Never Walk Alone!