OYB Awards 2010

Third year running. Can’t let anything like an awful season spoil tradition.

Leave your own awards in the comments. You know, when you're in the mood to relive this glorious campaign.

Player of the season:
1) Pepe Reina (Without a doubt. Unanimous decision.)
2) Javier Mascherano (His usual monstrous self once Argentina qualified for the World Cup.)
3) Fernando Torres (Let’s not imagine what would have happened had he been fit the whole time.)

Most pleasing result:
1) Liverpool 2-0 United
2) Liverpool 1-0 Everton
3) Liverpool 4-1 Benfica

Most dominating performance:
1) Liverpool 6-1 Hull
2) Liverpool 4-0 Burnley (h)
3) Liverpool 3-0 Sunderland

Most entertaining game:
1) Liverpool 4-1 Benfica
2) Liverpool 2-0 United
3) Liverpool 3-0 Lille

Most underrated player:
1) Sotiros Kyrgiakos (Direly needed his aerial ability after Sami's exit.)
2) Pepe Reina (Will be on this list until everyone recognizes he’s the best keeper in the league and one of the top three in the world.)
3) Lucas (Sorry. Had to. It's true, though.)

Young player of the season (PFA does 23 or younger, I’m using 21):
1) Emiliano Insua
2) David Ngog
3) Daniel Ayala

It’s a close call between Ayala and Pacheco, both only 19. While the glimpses of Pacheco tantalized, Liverpool only let in one goal during the 234 minutes Ayala played over five games. And that goal came with nine men on the field. Otherwise, two clean sheets in starts against Stoke and Burnley, while he steadied the ship as a substitute against Spurs and Chelsea. Had Kelly stayed healthy, he’d probably be #3, though.

Also, I’d rather not start more fights over Insua; I know he was skinned often and got worse as the campaign went on. But he was absolutely thrown in the deep end with a brick tied to his ankle because of injuries and a lack of resources, and performed adequately – despite his struggles since mid-season – for his age and experience. Baptism by fire.

Best Signing:
1) Sotiros Kyrgiakos
2) Glen Johnson
3) Maxi Rodriguez

So, yeah, Liverpool barely made enough signings to have this list. Yes, I know Aquilani’s missing. Next season will be his true test. And two consecutive years where I struggle to fill out this category – two seasons where Liverpool’s been ballin’ on a budget – probably isn’t a good thing.

Best Goal:
1) Torres 1-0 Sunderland
2) Aquilani 3-0 Portsmouth
3) Kuyt 3-0 Stoke

The annual Top 10 video will be up in the next couple of days. Yes, I’m surprised Gerrard’s not in the top three.

Worst performance of the season:
1) Liverpool 0-2 Pompey
2) Liverpool 0-1 Wigan
3) Liverpool 0-2 Fiorentina

Toughest category by far.

Stomach punch of the season:
1) Liverpool 2-1 Atletico aet
2) Liverpool 1-2 Reading aet
3) Liverpool 1-1 Lyon

Unsurprisingly, this was the second-toughest category.

Daylight Robbery:
1) Liverpool 0-1 Sunderland
2) Liverpool 1-2 Spurs
3) Liverpool 1-2 Fiorentina

Also difficult.

False Dawns/Non-Turning Points:
1) Liverpool 2-0 Everton
2) Liverpool 2-0 Spurs
3) Liverpool 2-0 United

Sigh.

Reading too much into Carragher’s call-up

I’m late to the party, but I wanted to wait until the England squad seemed certain before jumping the gun. Admittedly, it’s a bit surprising to see Jamie Carragher’s name back in an England line-up. And Carra’s return from the wilderness, accepting Capello’s invitation after repeatedly spurning McClaren, probably isn’t good news for Liverpool, at least on the face of it.

First, it’s yet another player who’ll sacrifice rest for a chance to represent his country, which we can’t begrudge. But it means less recovery time for an aging defender, and every Liverpool fan will spend June fearful of injuries – whether it’s Carragher, Torres, or whomever. In theory, Carra won’t be first choice at any position in South Africa, but chances are he’ll start at least one game. And regardless, he’ll be far more physically active than if he took the summer off.

But what’s total speculation on my part (yes, I’m a hypocrite) seems more significant, and far more worrying. Carragher retired from international football in 2007, basically saying that club came first. Even if it’s not true, that he’s willing to return implies Liverpool isn’t first and foremost anymore. So much for “Fuck it, it’s only England.” And that’s a frightening prospect after a season full of rumors and innuendo about dressing room discord.

Let me make it clear. I’m not condemning Carra’s choice one bit. Very few get to play in a World Cup; it’s a life’s ambition for every professional footballer. Carragher probably wouldn’t come out of retirement for the Euros and definitely wouldn’t for a friendly. The World Cup will always be different. Plus, playing for (and learning from) a manager of Capello’s caliber is an extra enticement.

And there’s an identifiable place for him in the squad, with a very good chance that Carra will actually play. England’s weak across the entire back four, and Jamie can handle all four positions. Johnson’s less than fit on the right, no center back has stood out this season, and Ashley Cole’s just returning from an extended injury while Bridge hasn’t looked the same since the scandal on the left. Wes Brown and Joleon Lescott will likely miss the tournament. As it often was under Houllier, Carragher’s Jack-of-all-Trades versatility will be his biggest asset. Jamie is a pair of safe, steady hands, and that's massive in a tournament of this importance.

I just hope I’m reading too much into this decision. No matter Carragher’s bad spells this season and the murmurs of dissension behind the scenes, he’s still a moral center at this club – just as important a talisman as a player. He has to be on board with Liverpool’s future.

Stats Comparison 09/10

Like last year (and the year before...), I want to start off the season review posts with a comparison of campaigns under Benitez. No prizes for guessing which was the worst of the six. The first one! This year was only second worst in most categories! Hooray!

Liverpool’s league record under Benitez:
04/05:
Home: 12 wins, 4 draws, 3 losses
Away: 5 wins, 3 draws, 11 losses
58 points
05/06:
Home: 15 wins, 3 draws, 1 loss
Away: 10 wins, 4 draws, 5 losses
82 points
06/07:
Home: 14 wins, 4 draws, 1 loss
Away: 6 wins, 4 draws, 9 losses
68 points
07/08:
Home: 12 wins, 6 draws 1 loss
Away: 9 wins, 7 draws, 3 losses
76 points
08/09:
Home: 12 wins, 7 draws
Away: 13 wins, 4 draws, 2 losses
86 points
09/10:
Home: 13 wins, 3 draws, 3 losses
Away: 5 wins, 6 draws, 8 losses
63 points

Away record, away record, away record. I’ll be beating that drum a bit over the next couple of weeks.

League goals for and against:
04/05 – 52 scored, 41 conceded (82 for in all competitions)
05/06 – 57 scored, 25 conceded (104 for in all competitions)
06/07 – 57 scored, 27 conceded (90 for in all competitions)
07/08 – 67 scored, 28 conceded (119 for in all competitions)
08/09 – 77 scored, 27 conceded (106 for in all competitions)
09/10 – 61 scored, 35 conceded (84 for in all competitions)

Top scorer:
04/05: Milan Baros - 9 in the league, 13 in total (Gerrard and Garcia also finished the season with 13 goals)
05/06: Steven Gerrard - 10 in the league, 23 overall
06/07: Peter Crouch - 9 in the league, 18 overall (Kuyt was top scorer in the league with 12)
07/08: Fernando Torres - 24 in the league, 33 overall
08/09: Steven Gerrard – 16 in the league, 24 overall
09/10: Fernando Torres – 18 in the league, 22 overall

Players with double-digit goals in the league:
04/05: 0
05/06: 1 – Gerrard
06/07: 1 – Kuyt
07/08: 2 – Torres, Gerrard
08/09: 3 – Gerrard, Torres, Kuyt
09/10: 1 – Torres

This stat might be the most disappointing regression. Except, of course, the away record.

Clean sheets:
04/05: 7 in the league, 18 overall
05/06: 22 in the league, 33 overall
06/07: 20 in the league, 28 overall
07/08: 18 in the league, 25 overall
08/09: 20 in the league, 26 overall
09/10: 17 in the league, 22 overall

Points behind the league winners:
04/05: 37
05/06: 9
06/07: 21
07/08: 11
08/09: 4
09/10: 23

Liverpool 0-0 Hull

Reina
Mascherano Carragher Kyrgiakos Agger
Gerrard Lucas
El Zhar Aquilani Babel
Kuyt

Good riddance, 2009-10.

It took 35 minutes to find an internet stream that actually worked, and other than an El Zhar shot saved, it doesn’t look like I missed much. Of course, I wouldn’t have missed much had I not seen any of it.

Even though a win would allow the team to start three weeks later thanks to Villa losing to Blackburn, a relegated Hull in front of its own fans was the only side with any impetus. We saw more passion from Liverpool during some of the preseason friendlies.

The away side only looked themselves in the final seconds of either half, hitting the frame of the goal in the 46th and 91st. Even though, depressingly, Hull were the better side for long stretches, and Pepe earned the clean sheet which sees him finish the season level with Cech (winning the Golden Gloves for the fourth of his five seasons), those two opportunities should have seen Liverpool undeservedly win. No such luck this season. Duh.

Right before the intermission, Aquilani hit the crossbar, moments after Kuyt’s center narrowly missed an on-rushing Agger. The makeshift left back toed the rebound for Aquilani’s shot embarrassingly over from eight yards. Right before the final whistle, Gerrard hit the foot of the post after finally trying to finish a trademark run forward. But in between, Hull “took” the game to Liverpool, as much as Hull could.

Their young players – Cairney, Cullen, and Atkinson – had a point to prove, while Mendy was excellent. But the home side was mostly limited to a couple of scary crosses (usually Mendy), a few dangerous free kicks not good enough, and a shot from distance straight down Reina’s throat.

It was evident that a fair few senior players couldn’t be bothered for long stretches today, especially since the best and only chances came near at the close of the halves, like a switch was flipped. Pacheco (for Aquilani in the 74th) and Robinson (for Babel in the 88th) both came on, but that the youngsters had more to play for should have seen them on sooner. If we’re going down in flames, go down in style. At least Robinson takes Owen’s name out of the record books for youngest league debutant. If Liverpool’s as bad off financially as we think, the 16-year-old might get a few more games next season.

We’ll have lots of time to fully eulogize and dissect this piss-poor season during the coming weeks. I'll probably roll out the usual end-of-year stuff over the next couple. For now, suffice it to say that it certainly wasn’t good enough – just like today's display – and I couldn’t be happier it’s over. Any writer who had guessed this team would finish 7th would have been laughed out of the press room, and I'm not the only idiot who thought they'd have a chance at the title (but I am still an idiot). Yes, Liverpool looks to be on the precipice of mediocrity – at best! – if matters don’t change off the field. But even after eight months of disappointment after disappointment, I’m still adamant there’s a real team in there somewhere.

Let’s see what the next step off the pitch entails before we start covering the coffin with dirt.

Liverpool at Hull 05.09.10

11am ET, not on TV in the US. Don’t even think it’s delayed anywhere, which doesn’t bode well for streams tomorrow. RAWK and Twitter are usually helpful, but your best bets are probably MyP2P.eu and Empire of the Kop

Last 4 head-to-head:
6-1 Liverpool (h) 09.26.09
3-1 Liverpool (a) 04.25.09
2-2 (h) 12.13.08
4-2 Liverpool (h; League Cup) 09.21.99

Last three matches:
Liverpool: 0-2 Chelsea (h); 2-1 Atletico aet (h); 4-0 Burnley (a)
Hull: 2-2 Wigan (a); 0-1 Sunderland (h); 0-2 Villa (h)

Goalscorers (league):
Liverpool: Torres 18; Gerrard, Kuyt 9; Benayoun 6; Ngog 5; Babel 4; Johnson 3; Aquilani, Kyrgiakos, Maxi, Skrtel 1
Hull: Hunt 6; Bullard 5; Geovanni, Vennegoor of Hesselink 3; Fagan, Folan, Zayette 2; Altidore, Atkinson, Boateng, Cairney, Cullen, Dawson, Ghilas, Kilbane, Marney, Mouyokolo, Olofinjana 1

Referee: Andre Marriner

Guess at a squad:
Reina
Mascherano Carragher Ayala Agger
Gerrard Lucas
Benayoun Aquilani Babel
Kuyt

It’s almost over. Finally.

I again apologize for the extended silence, but there’s been little to do but speculatively worry about the future. A moot game is actually a welcome distraction, especially if it carries the bonus of seeing some youth players. Getting time for the likes of Ayala and possibly others, as well as keeping a clean sheet so Reina ends the season with the most in the league, is all I really want to see out of tomorrow.

Unsurprisingly, more injuries will impact the starting line-up. Maxi and Carragher went off last weekend, with Carragher’s twisted ankle less likely to keep him out than Maxi’s thigh problem. At the same time, both Johnson and Ngog are carrying knocks which could preclude their participation; I especially doubt Johnson will play with the World Cup imminent.

Were Ngog fit – and honestly, I haven’t seen any new news on that front – I’d guess him up top with Kuyt on the right. But there are few other spearheads than Dirk if the young Frenchman’s missing. It’d also allowed both Benayoun and Babel to start on the flanks. While I’d be thrilled to see Pacheco start, I doubt it’s likely. He plays the same position as Aquilani, and I don’t think the Spaniard can or will start on the flanks. But I’ll be thoroughly annoyed if he doesn’t come off the bench.

And if I could suggest someone other than Masch at right back, I would. But Johnson’s injury lingers, Kelly’s out, and Degen’s Degen. That it’s Hull and the last game of the season may make Degen more likely (in what would probably be his last match for the club), but I’d still rather Mascherano play there instead, especially since it’d allow Gerrard, Lucas, and Aquilani to all start as well.

Thanks to Georger for the heads-up that Under-18s left-back Jack Robinson will be on the bench, hopefully joined by Pacheco and possibly Amoo. The fullback crisis and that it’s the last game of the season are why young Robinson’s making the bench, but I’m thrilled none the less. He’s been highly-touted in the Academy, and has been earning rave reviews for nearly 2 years now. In November 2008, The Times speculated he’d be a member of the 2018 World Cup – the youngest forecasted starter, no less. Were he to play, he’d be Liverpool’s youngest debutant, beating that Taffy Judas Midget Manc.

Hull, already relegated, will look to save a little face by going out of the Premiership with a bang. And caretaker manager (or whatever his title is) Iain Dowie will be looking to keep his job next season. Folan and Bullard are injured, in addition to long-term casualties Zayette, Ashbee, Garcia, and Hunt. US striker Jozy Altidore remains suspended for the rest of the season after hilariously head-butting Alan Hutton two weeks ago. Rightly, Hull will continue to give young players like Atkinson and Cullen a look-in, which hopefully will be mirrored by Liverpool including the likes of Ayala and Pacheco – or even Robinson – at least at some point.

The last game of the season is usually played at friendly pace, and I doubt this’ll be much different. It’s been a long, disappointing season that every player (and fan) will be glad to see the back of. At best, Liverpool can finish sixth, and only if Villa lose to Blackburn while Liverpool beat Hull, which would push the Europa League campaign forward a few much-needed weeks, the difference between starting in July and August. That, coupled with some pride, will hopefully be enough motivation.

Just Because You Keep Repeating It Doesn’t Make It True

The anglophile and political junkie that I am, I watched the BBC’s streaming coverage of the UK election for more than a few hours last night. I can’t help these masochistic tendencies. And even knowing what I know about the media, I was still amazed to see a narrative fully created with less than a quarter of the results in.

With hours of airtime to fill, politician after politician was interviewed, and every one was forced into the cliché of ‘we’ll have to wait for the full numbers’ while the hacks fumbled for a storyline. David Dimbleby et al went with whether Gordon Brown “had the moral right” to form a government with a hung Parliament imminent and the Tories with more seats. Evidently, it’s still going on this morning, although I haven’t fully caught up on the “news.”

By midnight US time – seven hours after polls had closed – I was screaming at the computer for one of the random Labour stuffed suits to respond, “Look you nitwit, numbers don’t lie. If no party has a majority, we get first chance at a coalition. It's not rocket science.” Never happened. It didn’t fit with the “Tory wave” narrative that’s been lovingly built for more than a year. If there was any narrative, it should have been “A pox on all your houses, third parties never win, and all politics is local.” But that’s too stunningly simple. It’s evidently easier, and more fun, to fit the facts to the story rather than the story to the facts. As Liverpool fans, we should be used to that.

We’ve watched a narrative forced on Liverpool all season long, one in a long line of unfair criticisms of this club and manager. I hate drawing any parallel between Gordon Brown and Rafa Benitez, but the hacks have long been planning both men’s downfall (a downfall partly of each’s own making, but that’s another essay), and have been willing to mold the “news” – any news, even speculation – to make it fit. Speculation like what we’re frequently forced to rely on in football, and which the pundits had to rely on last night while waiting for winners to slowly arise.

We all succumb to the narratives around Liverpool, and I’m admittedly as reactionary as most. Neither Benitez nor Liverpool has said anything concrete about Juventus or buyouts, but every word from either is diagnosed in great detail for a clue. The recent club statement – or what was lacking in that statement – on the meeting between Benitez and Broughton (and Purslow!) has invited even more. That the Guardian’s article states Benitez won’t hold a press conference before the Hull match invites even more speculation that feeds into the frightening storyline.

It’s little use listing the misguided narratives and half-truths used to bash Benitez, but it makes me feel better: zonal marking, rotation, transfer spending, poor man management, too defensive, never plays young players, etc. Yes, there are truths in many of them, but a quick search of my archives hopefully demonstrates that there are arguments against those myths, as well as arguably more important reasons why he needs to stay.

I should apologize for the weeklong silence, but I’ve been hard-pressed to write anything about the club. Morale is still in the toilet after a long, disappointing season with zero light at the end of the tunnel. Off-field turmoil is as virulent as ever, unabated after the aforementioned meeting. I just haven’t had the stomach for it, and I’d rather wait for reality to play out instead of forcing a narrative into words for once. Otherwise, it’s shouting into the wind.

The preview of Sunday’s match, thankfully the last of the season, will be late tomorrow or early Saturday.

Liverpool 0-2 Chelsea

Reina
Mascherano Carragher Kyrgiakos Agger
Gerrard Lucas
Maxi Aquilani Benayoun
Kuyt

Goals:
Drogba 33’
Lampard 54’

This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.
- T.S. Eliot, “The Hollow Men.”

The culmination of a season full of melodrama is probably what’s inspired the poetry references, and today was the epitome of going gently into that good night. Comical too, as if it’d go any other way.

I hope all who wanted Chelsea to win in the hopes of keeping Manchester from the title are happy. Maybe Gerrard was one of you. While Chelsea cantered by the end, they were handed victory on a platter. At least at this stage of the season, it’s no great matter.

Honestly, the first 30 minutes weren’t bad. Liverpool stifled Chelsea and created a couple of chances from distance, most notably Aquilani’s 11th minute effort that just whistled over the bar. But then familiar calamity rose its head.

A ridiculous back pass from Gerrard, under little pressure, allowed Drogba to nip in and easily round Reina. It was a carbon copy of when Captain Fantastic set up Henry for a late Arsenal winner in March 2006 and handed France a 93rd-minute penalty in Euro 2004. And that it was from Gerrard will prompt some especially amusing conspiracy theories I’m sure. But, really, it’s just emblematic of Liverpool and Gerrard’s seasons – questionable decision-making and a whole heap of bad luck.

From there, there was only going to be one winner. Liverpool’s sole motivation prior the match was pride; going behind in such a manner surely sapped any remaining morale. And Maxi’s injury five minutes from halftime was a further blow, with Babel taking his place.

Liverpool need not have bothered coming out for the second half, while Chelsea clearly looked to remove any doubt, taking the game to the home side for the first time in the match. Kalou beating Mascherano down the flank, only for Anelka to miss his clever center across the box and with Carragher injured moments later, was the prelude to Lampard’s strike. This time, Chelsea came down the right, with Anelka played onside by Mascherano and Carragher barely able to stand (Ayala came on immediately after), with Lampard sliding into the six-yard box to meet the center.

The last 35 minutes were a formality. Babel’s deflected shot in the 59th and Agger’s blast from distance in the 83rd were the only Liverpool “chances” worth mentioning, while Reina had to make some big saves on Malouda, Ballack, and Anelka. As usual this season, Pepe’s the only one coming out the match with much credit. This result means he's now level with Cech for most clean sheets.

A fitting final home match of the season, I guess. Little more needs to be said. The effort was there from most, with Kuyt, Mascherano, Lucas, and Benayoun willing runners, but Liverpool were impotent at the best of times, pathetic at the worst, and massively unlucky to boot. Thankfully there’s only one match left in this horrific campaign. Unfortunately, it looks like the summer will be fairly horrific as well.

This is the way the world ends.

Liverpool v Chelsea 05.02.10

8:30am ET, live in the US on Fox Soccer Plus

Last 4 head-to-head:
0-2 Chelsea (a) 10.04.09
4-4 (a; CL) 04.14.09
1-3 Chelsea (h; CL) 04.08.09
2-0 Liverpool (h) 02.01.09

Last three matches:
Liverpool: 2-1 Atletico aet (h); 4-0 Burnley (a); 0-1 Atletico (a)
Chelsea: 7-0 Stoke (h); 1-2 Spurs (a); 1-0 Bolton (h)

Goalscorers (league):
Liverpool: Torres 18; Gerrard, Kuyt 9; Benayoun 6; Ngog 5; Babel 4; Johnson 3; Aquilani, Kyrgiakos, Maxi, Skrtel 1
Chelsea: Drogba 25; Lampard 20; Malouda 12; Anelka 9; Ballack, Kalou 4; A Cole, Essien 3; J Cole, Deco, Terry 2; Alex, Sturridge 1

Referee: Alan Wiley

Guess at a squad:
Reina
Johnson Carragher Kyrgiakos Agger
Gerrard Mascherano
Maxi Aquilani Babel
Kuyt

Emotionally exhausted and physically spent after a crushing European exit and the season from hell. Stories about Benitez’s “imminent” departure to Juventus have intensified in the last 24 hours. And a win tomorrow could help hand United the title that sees them overtake Liverpool in number of championships. So, everyone’s all excited for a huge match against Chelsea? Super.

It’s a complete surprise to see malignant articles about Benitez’s future the day before a big match. That’s never happened before. But it’s hard to dismiss rumors that haven’t been fully dismissed by those involved even though they’ve been public for months, and especially when written by credible journalists like Barrett and Kay. Sigh. Hopefully that Sword of Damocles can wait for another day; let’s get to the others…

When the fixtures came out in August, everyone circled this as a potential title decider. It might decide the title, but Liverpool won’t be involved. I can’t blame people for not wanting a Chelsea win tomorrow – damn United, save the Empire – but I can’t do it. Yes, I’ll be furious to see United pass Liverpool’s record mark, but it’s seemingly inevitable. And I can’t bring myself to root against this club. Plus, in a perversely comical way, handing the Mancs this title would be a fitting final act for this awful, awful campaign.

As for the squad (yes, I’m embarrassed I’ve gone more than 200 words without discussing the possible team), I’ve little idea how Liverpool will approach the match, tactically or psychologically. It’s been a tough two weeks, physically and mentally (in contrast to the rest of the season, natch), with four games in ten days capped off by Thursday’s tragedy.

I’m tempted to just say ‘fuck it,’ and suggest ‘fan favorites’ and youngsters. The slight mathematical possibility for fourth is so massively slight (and might be gone in two hours), and so many senior players are either injured or jaded or both, that maybe it isn’t worth it. Play Pacheco, play Aquilani, play Babel, play Ayala; give the fans something to cheer for. But it’s not in Rafa or Liverpool’s DNA. Even given circumstances, I’ll be surprised if there’s much deviation from the norm.

And the norm in these matches is a tight, physical battle with only a smattering of half-chances. The above isn’t even my best guess at a squad – although it’s a better possibility with how coherent the attack looked at times on Thursday. Lucas in place of Aquilani, with Gerrard further forward, is. No surprise.

Benayoun’s unlikely to play after such a long shift on Thursday. The same might go for Kuyt with his calf strain, in which case Babel would probably play up top. Kyrgiakos seems almost certain to come back, and hopefully he’ll offer Spartan protection against a Chelsea team that ran riot in its last match.

A seven-goal demolition of Stoke, led by a hat-trick from Kalou and a brace from Lampard, was the right reply to a surprising loss at Tottenham the week before. It’s been a strange month as they fight for the title: they beat United at Old Trafford to secure pole position, then stuttered to a narrow 1-0 home win at Bolton in their next league outing before losing to Spurs. And when you’d assumed Chelsea had thrown away their advantage, they utterly annihilated the Potters.

John Terry will return from suspension, while Ashley Cole will be back in the side after an extended injury. Essien, Mikel, and Boswinga are the only players assuredly out. Drogba always has engrossing battles with Agger and Carragher, and it should be interesting to see how Kyrgiakos copes with the beast if he plays.

All I’m hoping for is what Reina’s been quoted saying in the press. Fight for pride, fight for the shirt. It’s the last home game of the season, and if rumors are true, could be Benitez’s last match at Anfield. Make it count.