A brief word on Torres

I had ignored putting something up about Torres’s injury partly because it would only lead into another rant on the idiocy of midseason internationals, partly because I don’t like blaming any part of the team’s performance on injuries, and partly because I know people don’t come here for straight news, but the update posted on various sites today included a tidbit I couldn’t ignore.

Fernando sets sights on derby return

"I intend to be fit for Saturday," said Torres in an interview with Spanish radio station EFE.

"I don't want to miss out on the derby against Everton. I've been told how special the game is and I need to be ready in time.

I couldn’t possibly love him more.

Here’s a foreign player, in his first season at Liverpool and in England, and he already knows how important the Everton game is and will do all he can to be fit for it.

It’s that kind of mindset that has seen him adapt far quicker than I thought possible.

I’m still up in the air whether or not I think he’ll start, and will go back and forth in my mind all week long. It mainly depends on how his recovery goes, but Everton would kick him all over the pitch for 90 straight minutes if he starts, so maybe the best place for him is on the bench, to be used if needed.

But the fact remains that is the exact attitude you want in a player, and he’s said and done all the right things since moving to Merseyside.


Further apologies are due for the lack of content over the past week or so, but this international break has come at a time where a recharge of the batteries was warranted anyway.

I may have something up either before or after the England match on Wednesday, but normal service will resume later in the week when the important footie rolls back around.

"Harry, Harry Kewell..."

The fact that Harry Kewell is supposedly soon to return to fitness has most around the internet making the usual “what, are we near a cup final?” and “he’s still on the team?” jokes.

In my weaker moments, I find myself of a similar mind.

But there’s a reason that Benitez, who has never shied away from being ruthless (Nuñez, Josemi, Pelligrino, Morientes, Gonzalez, Kromkamp, and Paletta, among others) has kept the faith with Kewell. That he hasn’t cut ties, despite the fact that Kewell’s gone off injured in two cup finals and hasn’t been healthy aside from an extended run in 2005-06, shows that Rafa still thinks that Kewell can contribute to the team.

The quotes Benitez gives in the article linked above bear some clues.

"Harry is very important for us. A player with pace and ability who can score goals and who can also play as a second striker is always going to be important."

…

"It's clear he's someone with great quality and experience and we need these kind of players for the rest of the season," he said.

He has the versatility to play in a number of positions (left wing, right wing, second striker), which is a quality Benitez clearly appreciates, having bought both Babel and Benayoun over the summer.

He can score and create goals from midfield, which Liverpool clearly needs (especially evident last season). He has massive experience in the Premiership. And he can be an excellent all-around player.

Because of the injury problems, people forget his one good season for Liverpool (although he played very well for the first few months under Houiller also), but I still believe that Kewell on the left was one of the main reasons for Gerrard’s success on the right in 05-06.

His pace opened up space on the left and drew defenders, making more room for Gerrard to cut in off the right, but Kewell was also a threat to cut in himself. Both Kewell and Gerrard have the passing ability to find the other making a run inside into space on the opposite side. Because of the two of them, Liverpool scored more goals from midfield in 05-06 than in any season under Benitez.

Kewell’s goals against Manchester City, Spurs, and Everton were crucial to Liverpool wins in those games. Both City and Spurs were 1-0 victories, while his goal against Everton capped one of Liverpool’s best displays that season, where they won 3-1 despite Gerrard being sent off after 18 minutes. Not to mention all the assists he put in from crosses and good work down the sidelines (I can’t find the requisite stats, but the work in creating the own goal for the sixth against Birmingham in the FA Cup in a perfect example of this).

Not to mention that it seems that Riise’s best form at left back coincidences with Kewell playing regularly on the left wing.

It was less than 6 months ago that I remember the majority of Liverpool fans clamoring for his inclusion in the Champions League final.

It’s somewhat taboo to admit these days, but I’ve been a big fan of Kewell’s ability since his Leeds heyday. He’s rarely shown that ability while at Liverpool, but Benitez has to have seen something in training and in Kewell’s work ethic to make him believe that Harry still has a future.

What annoys me the most is the constant slagging that Kewell receives from all corners. He’s not sitting on his ass on an Australian beach collecting a paycheck. If that were the case, I’ve no doubt that Benitez would ship him out sooner rather than later. Rafa does not suffer fools lightly.

But Kewell’s clearly been doing all he can to return to fitness, and Benitez believes that said fitness must be attainable. I don’t believe that Benitez has put all this time and effort into Kewell solely to re-inflate his price tag and ship him out at the first opportunity. The thought process seems to be that if Kewell can return to fitness, the wait will be worth it, which I’m in complete agreement with.

I personally can’t wait to see Harry Kewell in fine form in a Liverpool shirt, especially since Liverpool hasn’t gotten the most out of the left wing so far this season, despite the purchases of Babel, Benayoun and Leto and the return to fitness for Aurelio and Riise.

Have faith.

Couple of links...

Normal service will resume shortly (stupid international breaks), but I really enjoyed this Tony Barrett article, and wanted to pass it along (although I imagine nearly everyone reads the official site).

I don’t agree with every word, but most of it is utterly spot on, and Tony Barrett is probably the best local Liverpool writer around.

So the message is simple - support the manager and support his methods. Let the critics have their say but never lose sight of the fact that we have one of the most tactically astute coaches in European football who has a record of success that few can get near and most envy.

Contrast that will the typical talking points promulgated by Kevin McCarra in the Manchester Guardian.

“The fear has re-emerged that the Spaniard's detailed, mechanistic approach is fitted to set-piece occasions but does not allow the spontaneity that made United champions last season and that has installed Arsenal at the head of the table.”

Ugh. Has he watched Liverpool on set plays?

Liverpool 2-2 Tottenham

Reina
Finnan Carragher Hyypia Arbeloa
Pennant Gerrard Mascherano Riise
Torres Voronin

Goals:
Voronin 12’
Keane 45’ 47’
Torres 90’

Disjointed and lucky to come away with a draw. And yet, it was progress.

Liverpool played better than in recent performances, but two things kept the team from coming away with all 3 points.

First, Liverpool could have been 3-0 up, if not more, before Keane’s strike on the stroke of halftime. Voronin took his chance in the 12th minute, on hand to tap in after Robinson parried Gerrard’s free kick, but Torres pushed a open shot wide from the top of the box, Gerrard hit the post with another free kick, and Torres, Voronin and Gerrard cut apart Spurs on the break, only to get too clever with the ball, and Gerrard had his strike deflected after Voronin passed instead of shot.

Second, Liverpool made two defensive errors, both of which Tottenham scored from. The first came with a minute left in the half, with Keane toeing the ball past Reina after getting between Carragher and Finnan, sent through by Berbatov’s flicked header. The second came in similar circumstances just after play resumed, with another flicked header from Berbatov from Robinson’s goal kick and a smart volley around Reina by Keane.

The high line did not work today. Both goals came from long balls pumped forward, Berbatov beating Hyypia in the air, and Keane getting behind the defense. Knowing Robinson loves to hoof it long, knowing Berbatov’s aerial prowess, and knowing how Keane can get into space, I have no idea how Liverpool failed to deal with the threat. I do know that Agger would have made a big difference; Carragher would have been the one contesting Berbatov in the air, and Agger would have kept a lot close to Keane.

I’ll reiterate that I thought Liverpool’s all-around play was better, but certain players’ were still below par.

Gerrard was influential in the first half, with the free kicks and his passing exemplified by the scoring chances listed above, but clearly faded in the second half, and clearly hasn’t been the same since the international break. Hindsight is a hell of a crutch, but he shouldn’t have taken the injection to play against Chelsea, even considering his assist for Torres’ goal in that game.

Carragher and Hyypia also weren’t at the races today, and neither did himself justice in Tottenham goals, while Riise hasn’t been at his best all season (although he did look better when he moved to left back when Babel came on for Arbeloa). Neither Pennant, Babel nor Benayoun was able to add an attacking threat when Liverpool needed it, and the most threatening play came either through the middle or from Finnan on the right.

But again, while a draw is infinitely frustrating (albeit better than a loss), and there are still many improvements to be made, Liverpool was better today. It was nothing like the Marseille game, where the team was absolutely diabolical. Players could actually put three passes together, they created more chances, got two goals, and all in all, aside from the defensive mistakes and missed opportunities (at least they’re finally getting into places to miss them!), it was a better display from top to bottom.

Two players stood out in my mind. In Voronin, Liverpool have a striker they’ve needed for a while, who gets into smart places for easy goals (whether they’re tap-ins like today or taking advantage of a lazy pass across the backline), for a few seasons now. He also worked his tail off for the 77 minutes he was on the field, especially in getting back to defend.

Finnan provided the cross (left-footed, at that) for Torres’ equalizer, and other than being partly at fault for the first goal, was very good today. He got forward more often and with better results than in earlier games this season, and actually got an excellent shot on target in the second half when Liverpool was struggling for opportunities.

Torres and Mascherano are also due a mention. Torres on the scoresheet, with a game-tying goal in the last minute, despite not having the best of games, is heartening, while Mascherano was absolutely everywhere on the field and almost got a goal of his own with a narrowly missed shot.

Liverpool’s league home record is draw, win, draw, draw, with the lone win coming against Derby. I know the away form was the biggest complaint last season, but it’s so strange to see the exact opposite happening this year. 3 draws out of 4 games at fortress Anfield? Had you said that to me before the season started, I’d have laughed for days.

There are very few positives from the results over the last few weeks. There is something wrong with this team, which is unacceptable with the amount spent and the talent available.

However, like the Villa and Wigan (and even Sunderland) games earlier, Liverpool could have easily come away with less. I realize I’m somewhat clutching at straws, but the fortitude required to get a last-minute draw is encouraging. This would have ended 1-2 last year, of that I’ve no doubt.

Maybe an international break will actually do Liverpool some good. A lot of the players will be away on international duty, but the team needs to have a look at itself and players need to get themselves sorted. I’m sick of writing how we know there’s talent in the team, how Liverpool is still unbeaten in the league, and how it’s only October. I still believe all of those things, but I’m also very unhappy with the way things are going.

The next game after the international break is the derby at Goodison. If there’s any game the players should be up for, that’s it.

Liverpool v Tottenham 10.07.07

10am EST, live in the US on FSC

Last 4 head-to-head:
1-0 Liverpool (a) 12.30.06
3-0 Liverpool (h) 09.23.06
1-0 Liverpool (h) 01.14.06
0-0 (a) 09.10.05

Last 3 matches:
Liverpool: 0-1 Marseille (h); 1-0 Wigan (a); 4-2 Reading (a)
Spurs: 1-1 Famagusta (a); 4-4 Villa (h); 2-0 Boro (h)

Goalscorers (league):
Liverpool: Torres 3; Alonso, Voronin 2; Babel, Benayoun, Gerrard, Sissoko 1
Spurs: Bale, Berbatov, Kaboul, Keane, Malbranque 2; Bent, Chimbona, Gardner, Jenas 1

Referee: Mark Halsey

Guess at a squad:
Reina
Finnan Carragher Hyypia Riise
Pennant Gerrard Mascherano Babel
Torres Kuyt

Is this Liverpool’s best XI at the moment? There are arguments over both spots on the left flank, but otherwise, I reckon it is.

I’m not sure “best XI” is a relevant question for the modern Premiership, but it’s still a lot easier to pick one for United, Chelsea, and Arsenal than it is at Liverpool. That I set up these previews by trying to guess a squad, that there’s a site called “Fantasy Rafa” this season with something like 1500+ participants, and that seemingly no one can agree on a best team are topics that can’t be avoided as much when Liverpool’s struggling.

I still believe that rotation, which is a vastly overused scapegoat to begin with, works wonders in the fitness department. But those benefits are clearly being outweighed at the moment, and the injuries aren’t helping.

I guess I was blinded by Sissoko’s performances against Sunderland and Derby, but I think we can safely rule out any Gerrard/Sissoko combinations for the foreseeable future. I hope. Mascherano’s going to have to be the one that sits deep and links the play, which was Alonso’s forte, for the next few weeks. I had hoped that Sissoko would be able to combine with Gerrard, but every time the two have played in the middle, it’s been Momo that’s played further forward with Gerrard mopping up, and that simply doesn’t work.

Liverpool may not be there yet, but it might be time to think about playing either Benayoun or Lucas in central midfield. It’s most likely too soon for Lucas, as it was for Leto on Wednesday, but both of those players look able to play a pass in midfield without resorting to the long ball, which is something the team has dearly missed in Alonso’s absence. With Liverpool’s ability to keep possession (usually) and their talent from top to bottom, the team shouldn’t need a holding midfielder every time out, no matter how Benitez prefers to set up his teams.

I didn't think Babel was injured, but there’s no other explanation why he hasn’t started in the past three games, and only made the bench last time out. If he’s fit here, I hope he plays; probably either he or Benayoun will start, with the other coming off the bench if a spark is needed.

That Riise’s healthy may mean he could start in left midfield as well, but with Bale and Chimbonda likely to line up as full-backs, there will be space to exploit, as both push forward at every opportunity. Playing both Babel and Pennant will give Liverpool the best chance to exploit this space, especially on the counter-attack, and the fact that they’ve gotten more comfortable switching flanks when needed will be even more an advantage. Plus, Riise did score from LB last year against Spurs at Anfield (on the counter-attack).

That Spurs fans are more tortured than Liverpool’s at the moment is small consolation. The trendy pick for fourth prior to the season (including by yours truly) currently sits in 18th place with 6 points from 8 games. They’ve been better in their last few games, with manager Martin Jol under obvious pressure, most recently fighting back to earn a 1-1 draw in Greece (winning 7-2 on aggregate), and coming back from 3 goals down to beat a Villa team that thought they’d had it won before an hour was off the clock.

We know Spurs have goals in them. That’s rarely been the problem at White Hart Lane (incidentally, Spurs are also the only team that would buy Bent for £16.5m with Keane, Berbatov, and Defoe on the books). I’m knocking on wood furiously as I type this, but Tottenham’s not a bad team to come up against when the goals aren’t coming.

Results have gone Liverpool’s way the last three times the two teams have met, but I clearly remember Spurs being one of those teams that Liverpool always drew against the couple of years prior. Even the 3-0 win last season saw the game at 0-0 after an hour, with Jenas missing a sitter right before Liverpool got their first goal.

Spurs aren’t going to continue to struggle as they have over the first two months. We know that they have good players up and down the roster. Liverpool will need an early goal to settle both the team and the crowd after the last couple of performances. All in all, Liverpool needs a good performance to get the team back on track.

Just win. Please.

Predictions 10/6 - 10/7

Saturday
Manchester Utd v Wigan, 7:45am, Setanta: United will miss Carrick, who's now out for the next six weeks with a broken elbow, but (not counting Coventry) United's unbeaten over the last seven games, winning six of them 1-0. I was impressed by Wigan's resilience against Liverpool last weekend, but I doubt that resilience will be enough here. United 2-0
Aston Villa v West Ham, 10am, Setanta: The only time Villa's failed to come away with all three points at Villa Park was the first game of the season, while West Ham really should have done better in their last two games (Arsenal and Newcastle). And yet I can't help but think of how Villa threw away two points at Tottenham on Monday with a three goal lead, and wonder if, like last year, they're still the team that ends up drawing with all the other mid-table sides. 1-1

Sunday
Arsenal v Sunderland, 7am, Setanta: Since I don't have much nice to say about either side, I'll just write that I'm fairly certain Arsenal's going to win this one at a canter, and I can't wait for October 28th. Arsenal 3-0
Reading v Derby, 9am: Billy Davies has come out today and said that he expects Derby to say up, primarily because it's October, and they're still not out of it. Um, okay. Reading hasn't performed to the standards they set last season, let in 7 goals last week, and won't be helped by the long-term injuries to Little and Cisse, but if I were Billy Davies, I'd hold off on making statements like that until Derby picks up their first points away from Pride Park. Reading 2-1
Bolton v Chelsea, 10am, Setanta: Yeah, Bolton's still amongst the relegation places, winless in their last 4 in the league, while Chelsea got their first victory under Avram Grant in the Mestalla against Valencia of all places. Maybe I'm hoping that Chelsea hasn't turned a corner and still thinking of last year's Bolton at the Reebok, but I think we're going to be treated to a similar Chelsea performance to that against Fulham. 0-0
Newcastle v Everton, 10am, Setanta Xtra: Newcastle at St. James' Park has been a different team than Newcastle away all season long. Like Villa, they're unbeaten at home, but Newcastle's also lost at Derby and was housed last weekend at City. Everton's still in the top five, but I still can’t believe they came back to win in the Ukraine today, and I think the long trip might take something out of the team. Newcastle 2-1
Blackburn v Birmingham, 10am: Birmingham may be the highest-placed promoted team, but that's not saying much at the moment. Blackburn’s struggled in Europe (going out of the UEFA Cup to Larissa despite winning at home today) but been tough to beat in the league, especially at home, and I imagine that trend will continue. Blackburn 2-0
Manchester City v Middlesbrough, 10am: I'll copy and paste what I wrote about Boro last week, as it's still relevant: "Yikes, Boro on the road, where their only win came against Fulham and was due to one of those disallowed goals mentioned above." In case you were wondering, Everton won that game 2-0. Yikes indeed. City 2-1
Fulham v Portsmouth, 11:10am: Draw written all over it. Fulham's been tough to beat despite only have 7 points on the board, and like last season, has earned good draws in tough venues. Portsmouth's a surprising sixth despite playing all of the "big 4," and should have enough to win given their line-up and form, but I can't bet against Fulham the way that Dempsey's playing and the fact that the game's at Craven Cottage. 2-2

Liverpool 0-1 Marseille

Reina
Finnan Carragher Hyypia Aurelio
Benayoun Sissoko Gerrard Leto
Torres Crouch

Goals:
Valbuena 77’

I know I’m stating the obvious, given that it’s Liverpool’s first loss of the season, but that was far and away Liverpool’s worst performance. Today couldn’t have been more frustrating. Liverpool was second best for nearly the entire match, lacked any sort of fluency, looked apathetic in the process, against a team that had been dire so far this season, and it all happened at Anfield.

Until Marseille scored in the 77th minute, with the move starting from yet another Sissoko giveaway and capped off by an amazing Valbuena strike from the top of the box that curled in off the crossbar, it looked like Portsmouth without the penalty save, Birmingham but with Torres in the line-up, and the first 75 minutes of the Wigan match. If only Liverpool were so lucky.

Don’t get me wrong, it was a brilliant goal, one that deserves to win a match, but also one that Valbuena would find hard to replicate. He could have easily spurned the chance and sent it into the stands, and we’d be talking about another frustrating but surmountable draw. Instead, it’s Marseille that took the opportunity, and Liverpool sits third in Group A, behind Marseille on 6 points and Porto on 4.

Just as infuriating is the fact that Liverpool came to life in stoppage time. The team that was so futile for 90 minutes managed to carve out three excellent chances in four minutes, only to see all three go begging. First, Hyypia missed with his second free header from a corner (up until that point, a Hyypia header from a corner was Liverpool’s best opportunity). Then, Benayoun’s header at the back post deflected out off a defender (it wasn’t handball). Finally, after a scramble where Gerrard was almost through on goal, Torres hits the post. Ugh.

I think very little of the blame can be placed on Benitez’s shoulders. Yes, the manager picks the team, and the manager is ultimately responsible for the team’s result. But players, all the players, are not doing their jobs. If not for some of Carragher’s defending and Reina’s save in the 13th minute, Marseille could have won by more. That’s about the only the positive that comes to mind.

Meanwhile, Torres was isolated and invisible. Crouch played better than in previous games, but wasn’t linking up with his strike partner and too often looked to head the ball back into midfield, where the play was congested and Liverpool was losing possession. Sissoko was probably the worst offender, giving the ball away more often than I can count, and what’s worse was that many of the turnovers came because he dallied in possession. It may be unfair to single him out because of his youth, but Leto was in over his head from the start, and that Benitez took him off before 50 minutes shows how frustrated he was with his performance. Gerrard’s still not playing to his best, and was bypassed by a lot of long-balls coming out of defense. None of the substitutes (Riise for Leto, Voronin for Aurelio, and Kuyt for Crouch) added much attacking drive. I mean, I don’t like to criticize player’s performances, but when everyone’s underperforming, I just can’t hold back.

It’s also odd that it’s Liverpool’s home form that’s deserted them. The draws at Portsmouth and Porto weren’t great, but Birmingham and today are the far worse results. The Derby and Toulouse matches aside (where Liverpool clearly outclassed lesser opposition), the team has not been good enough at Anfield.

I know, it’s one match, and there are still four group games left to be played. But this is the fifth game in a row, not counting Reading, where Liverpool has underperformed, and even worse, been absolutely abysmal in front of goal and in creating chances. This result has been coming.

We saw in the last 5 or so minutes of the game what Liverpool’s capable of when they’re pressing forward in desperation for a goal. Three clear chances were created in about as many minutes, and maybe it’s just that kind of night and they’re just not going in. But if Liverpool plays with that impetus and put teams under pressure like that earlier in the match, we’re not having this discussion.

I’m sick of saying that I know Liverpool can play better. I’m sick of saying that Liverpool clearly misses Alonso and Agger, because all teams have to deal with injuries. I’m sick of excuses over the amount of shots on target with the attackers in this squad. This was one of the worst Liverpool performances I can think of in the last couple of years from start to finish.

All I can say is that I hope this ends up being a lesson. Liverpool has Tottenham, Everton, Arsenal and a trip to Turkey coming up this month, with another despised international break in the middle of it, and they need to be better.

Liverpool v Marseille 10.03.07

2:45pm EST on espn2

Marseille is currently 17th in Ligue 1.

Group Stage:
Liverpool: : 1-1 Porto (a)
Marseille: 2-0 Besiktas (h)

Last 3 matches:
Liverpool: 1-0 Wigan (a): 4-2 Reading (a); 0-0 Brum (h)
Marseille: 0-2 Auxerre (a), 2-0 Besiktas (h); 1-2 Toulouse (h)

Goalscorers (Europe):
Liverpool: Kuyt 3; Crouch, Hyypia, Voronin 1
Marseille: Cisse, Rodriguez 1

Referee: Konrad Plautz (AUT)

Guess at a squad
Reina
Finnan Carragher Hyypia Aurelio
Benayoun Gerrard Sissoko Babel
Crouch Voronin

I don't really have any firm logic behind the guess -- and I'm fully aware of how often I've said that Torres needs to play as frequently as possible -- but this seems like a game for Crouch and Voronin. It's always looked likely that Crouch will get more games in Europe than the league, and it's rare that Marseille comes up against a striker with his height and touch, even if Crouchy's underperformed in his last couple of outings. Voronin hasn't started since Birmingham (and hasn't scored since Derby), but he'll continue to get games, and I wouldn't be surprised if Benitez went with his "second-choice" pairing tomorrow.

Torres will be massively influential in the upcoming stretch of games against Tottenham, Everton, and Arsenal. Time and time again, Benitez has reiterated how he's going to use all four strikers, and I think that Liverpool will have Torres on the bench on Wednesday partly in preparation for those important games in the league throughout October. Plus, and this isn't meant as a slight by any means, but like against Birmingham, Liverpool should have enough talent to challenge Marseille's defense without Torres on from the start. Let's hope the result differs though.

With Pennant suspended, Benayoun has to be in for a start following his two goals in the last two games. He's been lauded as a super-sub because of how he changed the game at Wigan, but I'm certain he'll see a fair amount of starts as well -- probably about as many as Garcia did.

Gerrard, even though he could use the rest, will probably start in central midfield, with the captain returning to fitness following his toe injury and likely to play as many matches as physically possible. The question seems to be who will partner him, and I reckon it's going to be Sissoko in place of Mascherano. Marseille is strongest playing through the middle, and Sissoko will have his hands full keeping the opposition from settling into the game.

It could be either Riise or Aurelio at left back (I still think that Arbeloa has to be rested in some upcoming games), and while Riise is probably closer to full fitness, I'd like to see Aurelio in there for two reasons. First, he's an incredible boon on set plays and in crossing the ball, which Liverpool needs regardless, but it’s even more important when Crouch is on the field. Second, we've yet to see Aurelio play with Ryan Babel, who I think will start on the left flank, and I'm curious to see how the two combine on the flank.

Marseille may have been gash so far this season, with only 7 points from 9 games, but they will have a point to prove in their first game under new manager Erik Gerets. They looked a far different team against Besiktas in the Champions League than they have in Ligue 1, and they won't be any pushovers, even at Anfield.

Maybe it's because all former Liverpool players seem to have blinders going up against their former team, but I am very afraid of Cisse, especially on the counter-attack. If Agger were healthy it wouldn't be an issue, but we know Djibril has pace to burn against both Hyypia and Carragher. He wasn't a Benitez player by any means, and frustrated me even more than Baros did, but he single-handedly won the Super Cup, and the only ill will I'll bear against him is if he scores. I expect both he and Bolo Zenden to get a deserved warm welcome.

When all's said and done, you have to win your home matches in the group stage to advance. The only match that Liverpool lost at Anfield in last year's CL campaign was the 1-0 second leg against Barcelona, and Liverpool's got an excellent record against French clubs at Anfield (the only French side to ever come away with even a draw at Anfield was the 03/04 Marseille squad that lost in the UEFA Cup final to Benitez's Valencia).

With an away trip to Besiktas, which is never as easy place to travel to, up next in the Champions League, it’s imperative that Liverpool get all three points tomorrow to get to where they need to be in the group.

Roll on Liverpool.