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Ok. There’s a fair chance that quite a few of the people reading this are either deliriously happy, or are busy pinching themselves out of sheer disbelief that, come November, here we are sat near the top of the league, and looking pretty! This was supposed to be a season of progress – not one where we suddenly get turned from a mid-table side into a team that, you know, might just nick it. That we are looking so confident of Champs League football is, quite simply, outstanding. You can give the credit to Suarez and Sturridge, give thanks for Henderson finally coming good, praise Mignolet, or any other of the new signings – but at the end of the day, it all comes back to one man who has revolutionised the Reds from within: Brendan Rodgers has galvanised this squad, and fans, into people who genuinely BELIEVE. You’ll note that I mentioned the fans in that last line, and it’s been noticeable: all my mates are so much happier now, and Red shirts are back out in public a lot more often than they were in the dark days of yesteryear. Everyone wants to talk to me about LFC, and, you’ll even notice that this month is a bumper edition of this online-fanzine: that’s because so many of writers can’t help themselves: some wanted to write about LFC so much that they even wrote two articles this month! And with Everton away on the cards, there is no better time to be confident, on form, and ready for battle. Win this, and our run into Christmas is relatively straight-forward… With Arsenal showing patchy form, us being top of the league on the 25th really would be something to celebrate…! There’s a lot of love for the club, but this issue there is also a rallying call to our fans at Anfield: let’s get rid of the quiet and glumness for ‘small’ games at Anfield, and instead turn it into the cauldron of old… Let’s all do our bit!
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Message from the Editor
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Excited for the new season!
Postbox
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Fan rants and opinion
Still There
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We’re still at the top of the table, but is it too early to start talking about titles?
No Fear
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On our day we can beat anyone—it all just depends on keeping our first XI fit...
Top, Top Player
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Fergie tried to sign him, and then claimed he isn’t a ‘top, top’ player. Is he?
The SAS
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Brendan Rodgers reckons we’ve got the finest strike-partnership in the Premier League.
Signed for a Big Club
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They could have been world-beaters, but instead they ended up playing for Everton…!
Stadium: Building for the Future
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The first stadium plans were unveiled in June 2000, how far have we come since then?
Stadium: Just Cheer Are stadiums getting quieter? What can we do to intimidate the opposition?
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Stadium: Mega Money
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It’s not just on the pitch that Liverpool have a bright future - we’re doing well off it too...
On the Pitch
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A look back on the last month’s games. We’re in it to win it!
What Went Wrong?
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We had a chance to go top of the league against Arsenal? What happened?!
Focus on: Jordan Henderson
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Last season he was a bit-part player, but this season he’s been a revelation.
Focus on: Daniel Agger
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There have been transfer rumours, but with Agger back playing, we can put those to rest.
The Month Ahead
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We preview the big fixtures, and predict the results (and we’re only slightly biased!)
Best of Youtube
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Our pick of the best Youtube footage of the Liverpool vs Arsenal matches
Kop Hero
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How can someone win Championships with Liverpool, and then go and play for Everton?!
As Clear as Day Is the obsession with Suarez and Sturridge harming our creativity?
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Dear Anfield Roar, Daniel Agger missed a few games recently because he was injured, as he himself confirms in the above article. Liverpool tried to bring him back into the team as soon as possible but he suffered a setback and so they took it a bit easier the second time around. This was confirmed by Agger himself in the above article, too. With the three other international-quality centre backs that Brendan Rodgers had used in his absence all having played well, Martin Skrtel especially, it's understandable why Agger was worried about when he'd get a chance to get back into the team. Personally, I would have brought Agger back a match earlier, against Arsenal, and reverted from 3-5-2 to 4-4-2 at the same time but obviously I don't know just how ready Agger was to face Arsenal. Perhaps he was completely fit, perhaps he wasn't. We'll never know. What we do know is that Agger, like Skrtel before him, isn't satisfied with sitting on the bench just collecting a pay cheque and is hungry to play for Liverpool every chance he gets, which can only be a good thing for Liverpool. By the way, it's ridiculous to label a manager whose team has scored more league goals this calendar year than anybody else's as "defensive". Next of all you'll be telling us that the Pope doesn't really care that much about religion. Adam Brown, Liverpool
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POSTBOX Dear Anfield Roar It's good to see the Rodgers is getting some plaudits. The fact that we are rolling over the "smaller" teams at Anfield is a strong indicator that Rodgers' ideas are working. We all know there is a long way to go, but there is an expectation that we will win these games now, and it has been a while since that happened. I think that if this season does turn out to exceed expectations (ie the gaining of a top four place), then the manner in which we thrashed West Brom - who should have won at Chelsea on Saturday, and who have already deservedly won at OT - might be the point where it started clicking into place.
Thumbs Up!
I keep banging this drum - the second half of December will define our season. We have an horrendous run of fixtures, and if we can get through them well placed, then I think we can say we are genuine contenders for a top four place. I know the trolls are hating it, but it turns out that Rodgers' appointment could have been a stroke of genius. We are way ahead of where we thought we would be. At the moment - happy days. Alan Carter, Liverpool _________________________________________________________________ Dear Anfield Roar, The derby result itself will go a long way in telling us whether we are title contenders or not. In the last few years whenever there was a match where winning it would take us to the top of the table or into the top 4 places or even a few places up we always lost that match, so if we win on Saturday and go top then we will be contenders. 7
POSTBOX Another sign being in the past whenever we lost the other top teams always won on that weekend. But now when we dropped points so far other top teams are also dropping points on the same weekend. Losing to Arsenal could have cost us quite a few places but it didn't. The league has changed so if we win on Saturday then we have surely become title contenders! Tommy , Doncaster _____________________________________ Dear Anfield Roar, Are we title contenders? There have been some strange results in the first half of the season....anything can happen, but to start talking about title challenging in November is a little premature! Between now and Xmas will tell a lot, away to Everton, Spurs, City and Chelsea! Not forgetting away to Hull, home to Norwich, West Ham and Cardiff! We really need to take maximum points from the second set of games! As for the "top teams" we need to play, we cant afford to lose too many of them, but if we get away from those games with 6 or 7 points we should still be in with a shout. Then we will have to perform to the same level for the second half of the season! There are too many games left to call us title contenders.....lets just hope come March we will still be discussing Liverpool’s title credentials!! Peter Jones, Northampton Red
Contact us Email: editor@anfieldroar.com Tweet: @anfieldroarmag Web: use the contact form on our site
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This is a new community section of our Fanzine, where we highlight issues or news on behalf of other LFC fans around the world to show that we are, indeed, not walking alone. Lucky Escape? Sven Goran Eriksson seemed to have it all at the start of the last decade, but he never quite landed his dream job - managing LFC! Eriksson has revealed his sadness at never landing his dream job – becoming manager of Liverpool. The 65-year-old, claimed that as a lifelong Reds fan, it was always his ambition to manage the Reds. ‘In the past, it was always a dream to manage Liverpool but that will not happen. I’ve always been a Liverpool fan. My father was a Liverpool fan so it’s in the family. Liverpool have been doing rather well this season, better than for many years, and I hope they can compete this year.” Seeing the Kop A boy who could lose his eyesight in the next year has been on a dream trip to see the home of Liverpool FC. Yasar Atta, 16, of Scholemoor, Bradford, said it was a “dream come true” to visit Anfield, where he stood on the Kop, had a look around changing rooms and trophy rooms, touched the famous ‘This is Anfield’ sign in the tunnel and met staff. Matthew Milnes, development worker at Scholemoor Sport said: “Yasar is a massive Liverpool fan. It made his day – he really enjoyed it. It was a dream come true for him. He could potentially be fully blind in the next 12 months or two years, so he was really thankful to get to Anfield before he loses his sight." If you have an issue or idea that you would like to share with fellow LFC fans, then please get in touch!
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STILL THERE…! We’re still there, and can even go top with a win at Everton! Paul McFarland dares to dream... Well, it's eleven matches into the premier league season and Liverpool are still there and holding their own. Compared to last year it's absolutely fantastic, but when you look at some of the games so far this season I am sort of thinking, yeah we are doing great but we should be higher. And but for a bit of luck, we probably would be. I really don't want to start going on about hitting the woodwork etc. because when I see things like that on Liverpool fan sites, facebook or other places stating Liverpool statistics – “hit woodwork most times” - I'm thinking, that's great - where's the trophy for that then...? oh don't be silly there isn't one...ok then shut the ----- up with you're pointless statistics! To me, it's not something to highlight. For me, it's get the people shooting to put it between the sticks not bounce the ball off them. But anyway, the question for me is: do I think Liverpool will be up there at the end of the season? (And by up there I mean top four). 10
STILL I really hate to tempt fate, but screw it I'm going for it..... Yeah, I do think we will be in the top four come the end of the season, and I don't know or care at who's expense - be it Scumchester, Chelsea or Man City - I just don't give a flying rats arse, so I'm not going to say who's going to be left out for us to qualify!
I really hate to tempt fate, but screw it I'm going for it..... Yeah, I do think we will be in the top four come the end of the season! In all seriousness, it will be a tough ask. But first of all, I think if we keep this form up to Christmas and remain in the top four or five until the transfer window opens then we will be in with a great shout. Looking at the fixture list and league table I can't help but be filled with optimism. As I’ve said, we are 11 games in and sitting second with 23 points, just 2 points behind Arsenal and now once again we have gone into an international break looking good. Our last 11 games (won 7, drawn 2, lost 2) there's an argument to say we could/should have picked up maximum points from all of the games apart from Arsenal because in truth we were woeful for that one. But it’s gone now, and the players picked themselves up for the Fulham match and went out and tore them to pieces so say no more.
Our run in of matches to 1st of January is Everton (a) hull (a) Norwich (h) west ham (h) Tottenham (a) Cardiff (h) Man City (a) and Chelsea (a). 11
STILL I'm looking at those fixtures and think how good would it be if we come out of these fixtures unbeaten and with 18 points because, looking at the rest of the teams around us, it's not beyond us. I think we could beat Hull, Norwich, West Ham, Tottenham and Cardiff and then hold Everton, Man city and Chelsea at theirs to a draw. That would bring us up to the transfer window and hopefully a few players to strengthen the team/squad. Then the next 5 games are Hull (h) Stoke (a) Aston villa (h) Everton (h) Westbrom (a) and if we do add a bit of strength to the team I don't think it would be too much to ask for maximum points from these 5 matches.
The next 5 games are Hull, Stoke, Villa, Everton & WBA. I don't think it would be too much to ask for maximum points from these 5 matches. For me the big tipping point will be if we get one possibly two midfielders in because that's where I feel we really need to strengthen - a really tough battling midfielder something in the Javier Mascherano mould, and a playmaker, someone to give us strength in depth and for once to be able to look at the bench and think ‘yeah, this guy can come on and change the game for us’. Again, this will depend on where we are in the league table, because if Brendan has his eye on some decent players for the transfer window, how much easier would it be to get/ persuade them to join us if we are really in with a fighting chance of getting a Champions League spot? I know a lot of people don't like buying players in January because you always pay over the odds for them as January-shopping usually means desperation and most clubs will give that extra few quid to try and turn their season around. 12
STILL I'm hopeful, and from what I've seen and heard on the rumour mill, BR has his eye on a few midfielders so let's hope that if we are going shopping in January that Brendan brings a good shopping bag and doesn’t let anything slip through a hole in the bottom to let Chelsea or spurs come in from behind and steal them again.
Linked: Cerci & Hughes
Then come February, and we're still there in the top four, I think it'll be a case of whoever wants it more, and you have to think that Liverpool haven't been there since 2009/2010 season, so I would like to think the hunger, passion and desire to get to the finish line will be there. And you never know, maybe, just maybe, we could go that bit further... So come the new year I'll maybe visit this piece again and see how close or how far off the mark I was for the next few months ahead. If I'm close, then I'll see if i can do another piece to take us to the end of the season and if not... well I think I'll wind my neck in and just talk about the best place to watch the world cup on holiday or something :-).
Expertly written by: Paul McFarland Feedback? Send your feedback to : editor@anfieldroar.com
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NO FEAR On our day we can beat anybody, says Arun Kannan. We can be sensational! We Liverpool fans know our football. Today, there is quiet belief within this group of long suffering loyalists. Yes, we have been here before, challenging at the right end of the league table. So what is different now? You just have to look at how we play nowadays to understand the faint optimism that resonates among most Liverpool fans these days. There seems to be a plan to Brendan Rodgers team nowadays. Every time we step onto the grass, we play with a panache and belief that we did not seem to have before. What am I on about? Remember the Kenny Daglish era? How many times did we seem to play with no particular system under the stewardship of our legendary 'no 7'? Fast forward to the Liverpool team today and don't ever doubt that this is Brendan's team. Remnants of Daglish's regime are still around but they are few and far between. Jordan Henderson, who cost Daglish a hefty 20 million pounds, has reinvented himself. Dare I say he reminds me of a certain Ray Parlour, tireless in midfield and with an engine that seems to be powered by not one, but two hearts! So how good are we? On our day, we are sensational! 14
NO FEAR The team plays fluid passing football and we leave most Premier League midfields chasing shadows. Recently, the team has been doing so in sustained periods during games, which utterly batters opposition defences. The progress of our young team is definitely going in the right direction. The Liverpool team to me is a few quality players short of being genuine title contenders, but I think we are well established this season to be a top 4 team.
Our starting eleven is easily one of the most intimidating line-ups in the league Our starting eleven is easily one of the most intimidating line-ups in the league: in goal, Simon Mignolet is currently faultless despite a shaky start to his Liverpool career, especially with his clearances and flapping at collecting high balls. In defence, we are well stacked, especially at the centre. I personally think we are well balanced when Agger is playing as he has more ability on the ball compared to the likes of Skrtel, Toure and Sakho. Liverpool’s first choice fullbacks are in my opinion two of the very best in the league, especially from an attacking perspective. Glen Johnson has matured over the years and now plays like the consummate professional. The value of Jose Enrique to the team was highlighted when he was recently deputized by Ally Cissokho during an injury layoff. Cissokho, despite being a one-time capped French international, could not provide the dynamism that Enrique can give on the left flank. Yes, Enrique’s defensive qualities and sometimes poor possession play do let him down, but what he offers the team otherwise makes him a valuable asset. It is in the midfield engine room in which I feel we have some failings. Steven Gerrard is a Kop legend and I think he has adapted his style of play to suit his age and can play the deep playmaker role. Imagine Gerrard in the Alonso-esque role. I’m a big fan of Lucas but I believe that he and Gerrard cannot play together in the heart of the Liverpool engine room with Gerrard 15
NO FEAR playing in his new role. Liverpool need to have a more physical and mobile midfield enforcer to complement Gerrard in a deeper role. Imagine the scenario: Stevie will be looking to ping the ball out from deeper positions and would not have the legs to track back if his delivery fails to find its target. The midfielder enforcer needs to have the legs and the tactical nuance to read the passage of play and cover all opposition threats in the channels. The mobility, tenacity, reading of the game, flair and tackling ability of a player like a Paul Pogba would be the perfect foil for Steven Gerrard. Just look at how Andrea Pirlo thrives with Pogba covering him and allowing him to play his majestic game.
Another target?
In the final third of the field, I think we are well equipped especially with the front 2 being supported by the Brazilian pass-master. Jordan ‘Ray Parlour’ is creating a niche position for himself by just being the tireless foil to the aforementioned threesome. The attack supported by our magnificent wingbacks seem to have the width and balance to terrorize any team on their day. The Liverpool first eleven can beat anyone on their day and, with some tweaking to complement Steven Gerrard, can even challenge for the title this season. We can be a real handful for other teams for seasons to come with some quality additions to the squad especially with options up front, centre midfield and in the wingback area. It’s a funny game this, and dare I say it, we are going to be up there come May next year and with the right results going our way we may even end our 23 year wait. YNWA.
Expertly written by: Arun Kannan Tweet us your thoughts - @anfieldroarmag
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Available NOW at Liverpoolshirts.com Liverpoolshirts com
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TOP, TOP PLAYER? Ronan McCourt settles the score with old Lord Bacon Face— not a top, top player indeed!? In a publication absolutely brimming with mistakes, drenched in the juice of the sourest grapes and full of shots in the dark and countless backstabs against almost everyone within the game whose path he crossed, there is one quote that stands out from the crowd in the no holds barred bitchfest that is Fergie’s autobiography:
“I am one of the few who felt Gerrard was not a top, top player.” Sir Alex Ferguson, October 2013 Not that anyone reading this will need evidence that the above quotation is incorrect, but let’s review the “facts” as his old foe Rafa Benitez would say, that disprove the statement made in the book. Two FA Cups, three League Cups, two Community Shields, one Champions League, one UEFA Cup, two Super Cups. UEFA Club Footballer of the Year and Ballon d'Or Bronze Award Winner in 2005. PFA Team of the Year member seven times, UEFA Team of the Year and FIFA World XI member three times. PFA Player of the Year in 2006 and the FWA Footballer of the Year in 2009. 18
TOP PLAYER Included in The Guardian’s World XI team, which compiled the greatest footballers of all time onto one squad. He is the only footballer ever to have scored a in an FA Cup Final, a League Cup Final, a UEFA Cup Final and a Champions League Final. 639 club appearances, 107 international caps, Captain of both club and country, the former since the age of 23. One of the most complete midfielders on the planet, and arguably the most complete English one there has ever been, and widely heralded by his peers as one of the best players of his generation. Even Zinedine Zidane in 2009 hailed him as the best midfielder in the world at the time. FACT. Whilst everyone is of course entitled to their opinion, this opinion of Gerrard reeks of jealousy, of a disregard for a clearly great player because of who he is and the club he represents. And in my own humble opinion, is blatantly wrong. And nothing annoys me more than someone as opinionated as Fergie being as wrong as he is in this instance, especially when he knows the opposite to be true.
“He has become the most influential player in England, bar none. Anyone would love to have Gerrard in their team.” Sir Alex Ferguson, May 2004 It also makes me wonder what constitutes a “top, top player” in his eyes. Robin Van Persie, in terms of major titles, was a perennial underachiever until last year when he finally won the league at United. Is he a better player than Gerrard in his eyes?
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TOP PLAYER And what of someone like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, a man constantly berated by the English media as a big game flop, but who has won the League with every club he has ever played for, making decisive contributions and scoring ridiculous amounts of wonder goals along the way. Is he in the same category as Gerrard? Ask anyone, even those of a United persuasion, what they think of Gerrard when he hangs up his boots, and you will get the same answer. A legend. An icon. A local hero. Whomever Fergie dictated that now infamous remark to would even have thought “what?!” when he said it (let’s be honest, he clearly didn’t write the book himself, he’d probably have fallen out with the pen about half-way through if he did). So this is simply the crooked opinion of a bitter, sad man.
On a personal level, Gerrard is, and probably always will be, my biggest sporting idol. He could yet still claim that elusive League title before he retires. If he does, or even if he doesn’t, no one can deny that in the pantheon of top, top players that have ever graced the game, Gerrard’s place is already assured. Expertly written by: Ronan McCourt You can tweet your responses to @anfieldroarmag
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The
SAS Are they the best in the Premier League? Emma Rhodes looks at the stats and potential of our SAS strikeforce! Since Luis Suarez’s return to the pitch after his 10 match ban, he has joined Sturridge to create possibly the biggest threat within the Premier League, becoming a force to be reckoned with, better known as Liverpool’s own SAS! It appears to be the season for striking partnerships, and Liverpool are not the only club to bring back this trend: Manchester United have Wayne Rooney and Van Persie who in 10 games have created 12 goals and 6 assists. As impressive as these statistics are, after playing only 5 games together, Suarez and Sturridge had scored 10 goals with 3 assists and averaging a goal every 45 minutes! Since January 2013 Van Persie goals as teammate Rooney has played 29 and scored 14. Suarez has scored 20 in only 23 games whilst Sturridge has netted 21 goals in 27 games. The statistics cannot lie and nobody can deny the impact on the team the duo has created.
has played 34 games and scored 19 Name
Played
Goals
Suarez
23
20
Sturridge
27
21
Rooney
29
14
Van Persie
34
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SAS Last season Suarez scored 30 goals in 44 appearances and Liverpool did not appear to miss him too much as they sat at the top of the table, but Luis has certainly returned with a fire in his belly. Not being one to sit in the background, he has embraced having Sturridge there to attack with. On Luis’ return, he scored twice in the victory at Sunderland with a 3-1 win as Sturridge assisted both goals. This has certainly not gone unnoticed and even manager Brendan Rodgers has described the return of Suarez like having a “new signing” as Rodgers goes onto claim they are better than the Manchester duos,
“I'm not sure there's a better front two in the league." SBrendan Rodgers on SAS However not everyone is convinced by Suarez, and are still doubtful of his loyalty to Liverpool despite his constant hard work on the pitch. Pundit Mark Lawrenson has admitted he believes if Liverpool do not finish in the top 4 at the end of the season, then Suarez will definitely go to ensure he gets the European football he so craves. Daniel Sturridge was a big signing for Brendan Rogers, and he has certainly proved to be a very successful one so far. Sturridge has thrust his name into the spotlight this season, not only in the Premiership but for the club itself, becoming the fastest player in Liverpool history to reach 20 goals. Whilst Suarez stands as 49 games to reach the 20 mark, Torres took 31 games, Owen took 38 games and Dalglish took 45 games, however Sturridge has managed to reach the 20 mark in only 26 games, proving that he has the potential to be great for the club, especially as he works together with Suarez in this SAS partnership. 22
SAS Recently the SAS have also helped Liverpool maintain a 4-0 win over Fulham which has helped us close the gap on top of the table Arsenal, with just 2 points between us. Reds skipper Gerrard has reportedly said to be thrilled with the new partnership that has formed this season and believing the pair can only get better, “It's a dream, an absolute dream.” Gerrard also explains how the partnership is almost effortless, “it has clicked without much work in training.” As the league appears to be very tight, we all hope that the SAS partnership can flourish further to try and close the gap at the top and eliminate those chasing us with games against Hull, Norwich, West Ham, Tottenham, Cardiff and Manchester City.
“Daniel & Luis - most dangerous tandem in football. Could dominate PL playing as brothers. Extraordinary fun to watch.” JWH on SAS The club and its officials are thrilled with the duo which is giving all fans that belief that this could be ‘our year’ as well as the potential of European football at the end. Owner John W. Henry has taken to Twitter to express his delight with his favourite partnership “Daniel & Luis - most dangerous tandem in football. Could dominate PL playing as brothers. Extraordinary fun to watch with Philippe & Co.” Expertly written by: Emma Rhodes Feedback? Send your feedback to : editor@anfieldroar.com
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Should have signed for a big club! With the Derby coming up, Janoo Wasan takles a closer look at some of the players who failed when they went to Goodison... Ahead of the much awaited Merseyside Derby, lets look back at some current and former Everton players who either supported the mighty reds or had mediocre careers with the Toffies, probably wishing they were winning trophies on the other side of the Mersey! Leighton Baines Leighton Baines moved from Wigan to Everton. Being a boyhood Liverpool fan, he probably wished that Liverpool would’ve made a move for him at the time to save him from his miseries at Everton. The established left-back, who is slowly replacing and overtaking Ashley Cole for the England side, hasn’t tasted the success of a trophy in his 210 games! He may be a standout player for Everton, but only in an average side, totally incapable of challenging for trophies. It is a bit of a shame that Baines hasn’t been rewarded better - he probably will have to leave Everton if he wants to taste trophy success. If he had followed his dream and managed to join Liverpool, who knows, he may have won a couple of trophies… 24
BIG CLUB Tim Cahill During his time at Everton, the Australian played over 200 games scoring over 50 goals. None of them were really vital though, as Everton failed to win any trophies during Cahill’s time at the club. He was a dedicated player, who scored supposedly crucial goals… none of them crucial enough to even challenge for a trophy though. Whilst Everton were facing a trophy drought since Cahill joined in 2004, Liverpool had won the Champions League, League Cup & FA Cup.
Marco Materazzi Believe it or not, before joining Inter in Italy, Materazzi had a short stint at Everton. He never came back for English club football after. It’s safe to say that Materazzi’s 27 game stint at Everton was a bit of a disaster. He received 4 red cards, not helping the Everton cause, and was sold after just one season. Hard to believe that an established centre-back like Materazzi played for Everton! It seems like the Everton staff and team weren’t able to help him gel and reach his true standard. It could’ve been a different story had he moved to Liverpool. 25
BIG CLUB Stephen Hughes Everton signed Stephen Hughes, a highly promising young talent, from Arsenal. They tried to nurture this young talent who had found his way, on many occasions, into a title-contending Arsenal first team side. Hughes was released on a free transfer just 16 months after his signing and his career never really got back on track. In signing a highly promising player, in effect, Everton ruined his career. Hughes’ career could’ve panned out so much differently had he not joined Everton. He couldn’t really recover after being released by a poor Everton side. Who could? James Beattie Beattie joined Everton when he was 27 after his successful time at Southampton where he scored over 70 goals in just over 200 games. Beattie will probably regret moving to Everton, for his goalscoring record took a turn for the worst…In his 76 games for Everton, he managed only 13 goals. After his spell at Everton, he too (like Hughes) couldn’t really recover and only managed to play for lower league sides. Not only was Beattie’s club career ruined, but his international career suffered further. Expertly written by: Janoo Wasan Tweet Janoo - @janoow10 26
BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE Paul Baker takes a closer look at how the stadium plans are progressing - will we finally start building soon?
A lot has happened in 13 years, when in June 2000, the club set out plans for a new 70,000 seat stadium on Stanley Park. The plans then changed for a number of reasons, to a stadium in the Kings Dock, or even the simply crazy idea of moving to Speke, which the fans immediately opposed, it now seems that the club are committed to doing the right thing, in terms of history and finance and are going to develop the stadium and surrounding area in a £260 million development. In the last few weeks, the council have given themselves the power to force the landlords to sell the remaining properties needed to regenerate Anfield. The use of compulsory purchase orders if required could take place within the matter of three months, for the six houses on Rockfield Road, four of which are derelict. The council are currently seeking to negotiate with the owners, who are looking to delay and get the best possible price, even if this causes delays to the redevelopment of the area. Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson said “action was required to ensure a handful of property owners did not stand in the way of a £260 million regeneration of the whole of Anfield” Cllr Ann O'Byrne said “the prices that some owners were asking for properties, made some projects unviable.” 27
BUILDING An overwhelming number of residents in the area are in favour of the redevelopment plans, which will include, the 60,000 seat ÂŁ150 million stadium, the building of 700 new homes, a 100 bed training hotel and a 10,000 square foot of shopping area. Up to 700 new jobs could well be created, hopefully for local residents and young people. The club may have taken its time, the last owners can be blamed for some of the delays, but the decision taken last year to stay and redevelop Anfield is the right decision.
The decision taken last year to stay and redevelop Anfield is the right decision. First of all, the fans want to stay at our spiritual home, where we have experienced some amazing nights and the scene of some of our greatest triumphs, think back to 2009 where we beat Real Madrid 4-0, with the captain Stevie G scoring twice. It has been three years since the Fenway sports group brought the club. In terms of finance required for the project, the owners have stated that they will be able to finance the ÂŁ150 million needed to complete the redevelopment. The plan will be to generate additional revenues long term, which will cover the initial costs. What the club do not want, is a huge debt attached to the club, which requires a great A good plan? need of cash taken from the club just to service the debt. This money would no doubt end up coming from the transfer budget. We can all be thankful that we have new owners, as the previous regime were planning on borrowing an enormous amount of cash to build a new stadium, in an area that the fans did not want it to be. The planned changes to Anfield, will lead to an extra 15,000 seats, in the main stand and the Anfield Road end. This will give the 28
BUILDING chance for more fans to buy match day tickets, which can be difficult to at the moment, as supply cannot match the demand. Let’s hope that the tickets will be priced so that they are affordable to all. We cannot afford to lose the spirit and atmosphere which Anfield currently has. As of yet, there is no set date when a planning application will be applied for. John Henry told the Liverpool Echo: "We have always said you have to have certainty with regard to the properties because of the height of the stand and all of the issues regarding that. So that’s been the biggest issue. We need certainty on that. But we are making progress”. When the work finally starts, the club are planning on still being able to play at Anfield, while the work is on-going. This is an #important point, as I for one would not want us to play our home games anyway else, even if it was temporary! One thing which can be certain about the project is that the Hillsborough memorial will form part of the ground.
Was this better?
The club have stated and have in the past show the maximum amount of respect towards the families. All Liverpool fans will be pleased about this. It will be a interesting next few weeks and months to see how the plans develop and how long it takes for the club and council to acquire the remaining houses and land needed, to enable this project to move forward. One thing is certain, this will not be straight forward, unless the club, council, the local community and the landlords can find some common ground and work towards the greater goal: the vital regeneration of the stadium and area. Expertly written by: Paul Baker Feedback? Send your feedback to : @paul_baker
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JUST CHEER! Aiziz Sheik loves it when Anfield is rocking, but wants fans to bring European Nights atmosphere to Saturday afternoon... For the generations that grew up listening to tales of St. Etienne and Inter Milan, the mid-00s provided a much appreciated crash course in to one incredible intangible: the incomparable atmosphere at Anfield. We all know which nights we are talking about - Olympiakos, Real Madrid, Arsenal and of course, Chelsea. Twice. (Apologies that these are all European nights at Anfield, but to prove the point, the best examples are needed!) Speak to football fans around the world, and they all unanimously agree – Anfield, and The Kop are amongst the very best in the world for a hair raising football experience. The question is, have any of these people been to Anfield on a Saturday for a 3pm kick-off, where we are expected to win convincingly, and the visiting team is expected to come and ‘park the bus’, or attempt a ‘smash and grab’? Probably not, because one thing is for sure – there is nothing iconic about the atmosphere at the 60 minute mark when Liverpool have been wasteful/have not been able to break down resolute defending, or worse, are trailing. Far from it! You can listen to fans, former players and the media, both general and Liverpool specific, and they all have their theories as to why this happens.
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ATMOSPHERE You hear blame attached to ‘out-of-town-day-trippers’ or ‘the prawn sandwich brigade’. There is also a very valid argument about the young generation being priced out of football, causing a major generational gap. Most football fans are now older, and perhaps more established than those that provide the most energy, but this doesn’t hold up. How do they suddenly rise to the occasion on major European nights? Or, how do younger fans suddenly get hold of tickets that are harder to come by?
There is nothing iconic about the atmosphere at the 60 minute mark when Liverpool have been wasteful and unable to break down the opposition Yes, all those points are well taken, and can be a factor. But, let’s not make any bones about it – whatever the reason, to the 40,000 lining up the seats inside Anfield, you are failing both as individuals and a collective if you fail to make our ground the intimidating atmosphere it has the potential to be. People often talk about how Liverpool cannot compete with the clubs that generate substantially more revenue than they do, nor with those that are indulged by sugar daddies. Again, yes, there is absolute truth in that. But, if you go to the game, and are not making every effort to make sure you are on the cusp of losing your voice in support of your team, and trying to intimidate our opposition at the same time, then perhaps you don’t have the right to discuss how the club’s management, or the manager and players are letting us down, or making us fall further behind. Just listen to some greats of the game that have played under the cauldron-like atmosphere that Anfield has the ability to be, and they all speak about the difference the crowd makes. They are all human beings – and most of us are easily unsettled under hostile environments. So, as simple as it is to say ‘if we had better players, we would be a better team’, which again is a very valid point, it is impossible to argue that we would be a better team if we are able to reduce the effectiveness of our opponents, and give our own team a boost at the same time. 31
ATMOSPHERE So, are the executives, staff and players the only ones letting our great club down? What role are we playing? Of course, there is a chicken and egg situation to this whole conundrum. If the players give us something to cheer about, we always cheer, right? But, isn’t that the fan’s version of living handto-mouth? Imagine Henry and Werner said the same thing about player recruitment or Brendan about player training and selection. We, as the fans, would be outraged.
It is a fact - we all want new investment, on our terms. We want cheaper tickets, and more availability. And yes, we are not actually asking for too much. And yet, people who have purchased tickets, who have already done the hard part, are simply not delivering on their promise by showing up and making no noise, booing our own players, or only cheering when there is something to cheer about. Isn’t that like Henry and Werner deciding, after buying the club, that they don’t need to finish the job they promised us they will do? If you are going to the game soon, please have a little think about these words. Your club needs you to play a major role ON the pitch. To raise our team, and knock down our opponents. Your club needs you. Don’t fail them, and hopefully we can all rise together. #YNWA
Expertly written by: Aiziz Sheik Tweet us your thoughts - @anfieldroarmag
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MEGA MONEY Paul Baker looks at Liverpool’s growing commercial revenues, and sees a bright future... If you ask any Liverpool fan who has been to the Mega Store at Anfield on a match day, they will tell you that it is usually very busy with fans buying club shirts and merchandise. A large number of the customers are first time visitors to Anfield. There can be a wait to get into the store and there can be a queue at the checkouts. The club have recently opened a new Mega Store in Birkenhead, in the Pyramids Shopping centre. It will sell official LFC goods and merchandise. I have not yet visited the store, but if it's as busy at the other club stores, this can only be positive news for the club. This will be the clubs sixth store, with the others in Chester, Liverpool One, Williamson Square, Belfast and of course Anfield. The club plan for this type of Mega Store to be rolled out across the world to sell goods to new and existing LFC fans. With the way the game has changed and the amount of money going in and out of the club, the commercial side
Official Umbrella anyone? 33
MEGA MONEY of the business is now as vital as ever to the ongoing success and well being of the team. For every £1 the club earns in match day, commercial and broadcasting revenues, 70p is spent on players wages. Of course the club have to pay the going rate to be able to sign and keep the best players, but some of the past transfers have left the team with overpaid players, tied to long contracts. This season has seen some of these players thankfully leave the club. Commercial Perspective: In financial terms, Liverpool are normally in the top 10 of European clubs in terms of revenue. Broadcasting and match day taking account for over half of the clubs annual turnover. The commercial side of the business is not to be understated. In 2010/2011 the club did not play in the Champions League for the first time since 03/04. However the loss of revenue was nearly offset by a large increase in commercial revenue. (£77.4m) This was in part due to the new shirt sponsorship deal with Standard Chartered Bank, worth a reported £20m a season, at least £12m more than the previous deal with Carlsberg. 34
MEGA MONEY In the 2012/2013 season Liverpool signed a 6 year deal with Warrior Sports, worth another ÂŁ25m per season. The club have continued to sign new sponsorship deals across the globe, to raise revenue and increase the number of Liverpool supporters. This commercial actively is vital to the health of the club, especially as we have been out of the top 4 in the Premier league and are still a work in progress under Brendan Rogers. If the good start to this Season continues and we qualify for next seasons Champions League, the club should feel the confidence to give the manager the backing in the transfer market, to take us onto the next level, a real shot at winning the Premier League. After the World Cup, the club will want to be able to be in a position to sign some of the star players that usually become available after a major tournament. Expertly written by: Paul Baker Feedback? Send your feedback to : @paul_baker
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How did Liverpool do on the pitch over the last month? George Way guides us through our wins, draws and losses... Newcastle 2 - 2 Liverpool 19/10/13 Following the win at Crystal Palace last month, it is safe to say that spirits were high all around the club; we were still in and around the top of the league, and our good form had shown no signs that it was going to end soon. Having said that, the game against Newcastle provided a challenge that we perhaps did not expect. Although they had just won, Newcastle had not had their greatest start to the season, losing to Everton just two weeks before we went to St. James Park. The game itself was of high intensity, and from the off Liverpool seemed to get a foothold, and we were in the ascendancy. However, after showing glimpses of attacking promise, Newcastle took the lead, with a 30 yard strike from Yohan Cabaye that crept in past an unsighted Mignolet. However, the Reds had to wait only until just before half time for an equaliser; Gerrard converting a penalty that had been won by Luis Suarez.
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ON THE PITCH For the challenge, the magpie’s French defender Yanga-Mbiwa was shown red. As the teams emerged from the tunnel for the second half it seemed likely we would collect all three points. However, after Dummet’s goal from the back post, a draw was all we could manage, after Sturridge headed home from a well worked move the game went on to finish 2-2. MOTM: The Red’s MOTM for me was Luis Suarez, after a series of
Liverpool 4 - 1 West Brom 26/10/13 A week on from the draw at Newcastle, and we were looking to bounce back with a win at home to West Brom, who had picked up good results at Arsenal and Old Trafford in previous weeks. We however, suffered no such upset; from the off Liverpool dominated the Baggies, maintaining the ball excellently and repeatedly threatening the away side’s goal. It was not long before Suarez found the back of the net following an excellent turn and finish. But the Reds continued to pressure the Baggies, and it was clearly showing, as within 5 minutes Suarez had his second, with a sublime header after Cissokho had picked him out on the edge of the area. The rest of the first half was a little more laid back, and there were times when West Brom pushed forward and almost threatened Mignolet’s goal. The second half followed the first almost identically, Henderson coming close with a curling effort before Suarez completed his hat-trick, converting another header from a Gerrard free kick. Following this, James Morrison pulled one back, tucking away a penalty. But it was Sturridge who had the last laugh – in a contender for goal of the month he chipped the ball way beyond the reach of the ‘keeper from a considerable range – the perfect way to top off what had been an excellent 4-1 win. 37
ON THE PITCH
MOTM: Again, for his hat-trick, Suarez has to be my man of the match.
Arsenal 2 – 0 Liverpool 2/11/13 Widely anticipated as the most important game of the season as yet, Liverpool travelled to the Emirates for a top of the table clash. Going into the game, Arsenal had been beaten at home in the League Cup by Chelsea, and so were determined to re-find their form. On a day that saw Coutinho return to the squad, the Reds suffered our biggest defeat of the season so far, as Arsenal ran away 2-0 winners. However, the game was not without its positives; Henderson being one of them, and very early on he saw his shot go wide as the defenders backed away.
Back! :)
In spite of this, Arsenal soon capitalised on their own pressure, Santi Cazorla finishing smartly after his previous shot deflected back into his path. Between the goal and half time little happened to make the crowd get out of their seat, though young Jon Flanagan appeared to be coping well with the likes of Mesut Ozil. 38
ON THE PITCH Half time itself saw Coutinho return to the pitch as he replaced Cissokho, who had been struggling with Arsenal’s outstanding play in the midfield. Coutinho settled quickly, and was soon back playing intelligent balls through, but Suarez and Sturridge were (for the first time all season) struggling to convert. This was not an issue that afflicted Aaron Ramsey, as his volley swerved into the net past a helpless Simon Mignolet. MOTM: Man of the match for me was probably Henderson due to his incredible work rate. Dogged performance
“The players had great endeavour, they worked very hard - they always do - but Arsenal’s quality came through in the end. I’ve got no complaints, I think we’re maximising what we’ve got in the squad and this result shows where we need to get to, in terms of the quality of our squad and our depth.” Rodgers Liverpool 4 - 0 Fulham 9/11/13 If the morale was down after the defeat at Arsenal, it certainly did not show when Fulham were the visitors at Anfield. It was a game that we should’ve expected to win, as many teams including Leicester had beaten the cottagers in recent weeks. After only 20 minutes we were in the lead, after Gerrard’s brilliant free kick lead to an Amorebieta own-goal. It was clear that this had dropped the heads of the Fulham line-up, and Martin Skrtel quickly made the most of the pressure, with an emphatic header that left Stekelenburg in the goal without a chance of keeping it out. 39
ON THE PITCH If they were down after the first goal, Fulham were out following the second, as the pressure continued to be piled upon them by Liverpool, notably Coutinho coming close with a great effort. Nevertheless, the Reds did not relent, and Henderson soon slid a pass into Suarez and the in-form Uruguayan had no trouble dispatching the chance for his first goal of the game. Following the high tempo of the first 45, the second was relatively quiet – Anfield certainly was not however when in the 54th minute Suarez tucked away his second of the game. In the remaining minutes, we continued to press but there was not to be a fifth. This had little effect on our league position though, as many teams around us, Arsenal, Tottenham, Everton and Chelsea for example had all failed to pick up 3 points. So, a 4-0 win left us 2nd in the table going into the next month. This could get interesting! YNWA
MOTM: For me Luis Suarez put in a 3rd man of the match performance in
Expertly written by: George Way - you can send your feedback to us and we’ll pass it on - editor@anfieldroar.com
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www.liverpooltees.com 41
What WENT WRONG?! We were doing so well…!? TJ Jordan looks at where it all went wrong against a Gunner side that are topping the table. Judging by their performance against Liverpool, Arsene Wenger may have finally built an Arsenal squad that can challenge for the title once more. Despite lacking any decent back-up up front (sorry Nicklas), their depth in midfield now rivals the Wenger teams of the late 90’s and early 00’s. The breadth of creative talent in the centre of the pitch more than makes up for their want of wide players through injury, proven by the unimportance of Wilshere's absence in the middle from their comfortable 2-0 victory. Unfortunately for Brendan Rogers, this loss harshly showed the large gap between the two teams in this area. With three at the back, and two unproven wing-backs in Cissokho and Flanagan, Liverpool were outnumbered in midfield and lacking in creativity going forward. Having shamelessly switched formation to incorporate the Sturridge-Suarez partnership, Rogers was entrusting the control of the game to Gerrard, Lucas and Henderson, up against Ozil, Cazorla, Ramsey, Arteta and Rosicky.
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ARSENAL Regardless of the numerical advantage, it is clear that this is a mismatch. None of the Liverpool trio have enough quality going forward in comparison to the Gunners' midfield: Lucas is a defensive screening player, Gerrard is now lacking in attacking power and potency, while Henderson does not possess the creative flair to unlock a defence. Thus, with the inexperienced wing-backs an unreliable outlet, far too much responsibility was shifted to the front two and the pair were often left with too much to do from poor service. In fairness to the Liverpool gaffer, 45 minutes was enough for him to see this and Philippe Coutinho was introduced at half-time along with a reversion to 4-4-2, followed by the pace and power of Victor Moses. It quickly became clear that these two, Coutinho in particular, brought far more innovation to the Liverpool midfield and gradually opportunities began to be carved out. Unsurprisingly, it was the little Brazilian who fashioned the best Liverpool chance of the evening with a through-ball for Suarez, who failed to hit the target. Yet, even with the presence of Coutinho and without three at the back, Rogers' understandable insistence on playing two up top is still hindering the creativity of the Reds' midfield.
Rogers' understandable insistence on playing two up top is hindering the creativity of the Reds' midfield. With no space for a floating player in a 4-4-2 formation, the Liverpool manager is forced to push Coutinho out wide, restricting his impact.
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ARSENAL The former Inter Milan player is most effective when playing as the most advanced of the central midfield players, picking through-balls and crafting short passing combinations in and around the box. Instead, he was wasted and isolated out wide, attempting to drift in occasionally but only causing a lack of width as a result. It is a measure of Coutinho's talent that he was able to significantly affect the game despite being stranded on the left wing. Thus, Rogers must re-think the arrangement of his midfield to make best use of Coutinho's desperately needed creativity. However, this will be a difficult task if he insists on maintaining the 'SAS' partnership. Expertly written by: Thomas Jordan Tweet Thomas - @teejbusbys1
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Focus on: Jordan
HENDERSON Michael Reid checks on the progress of the man who looks like he’s gained BR’s trust... Since playing for England in Roy Hodgson’s first major tournament as England manager in Poland/Ukraine 2012, Jordan Henderson has been seemingly demoted, if that is an appropriate term, to Under 21 International duties, most recently captaining the young side in their ultimately failed attempt to win The U21 Euro Championships in Israel 2013. After this competition, the now 23 year old Geordie has been seemingly off Roy Hodgson’s international radar. England friendly upon friendly; World cup qualifier upon qualifier. I, on top of many other die hard Liverpool supporters, have been wondering why Jordan Henderson can’t get into the England squad. The likes of Tom Cleverley, Ashley Young and even Raheem Sterling, who isn’t in Liverpool sides ahead of Henderson, have been in senior England squads in 2013 before our number 14.
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HENDERSON Now, for the friendlies against Chile and Germany, Henderson was back and available to play for his country. And quite rightly so! Henderson is undoubtedly one of my favourite Liverpool players. I can’t remember a harder working individual being at the club. He has improved drastically not just since his £15.84m move from Sunderland in 2011, but particularly with the arrival of Brendan Rodgers – and the stats back this season by season enhancement up without a shadow of a doubt. Of Liverpool’s first 11 Premiership games of the 2013/14 season, Henderson has played every minute in every single one of them. Look back to last season and Henderson made just 16 starts (only 5 more than he already has this campaign), being subbed off in 9 of these and being used from the bench in 14 additional matches. All in all, he played an average of around 50 minutes per Premier League game last season. To have increased that by 80% this season is testament to his work rate and improvement, both on the pitch and at Melwood.
Henderson has played every minute in every single Premier League match this season. Now let’s examine his comparison in game stats between this season and last. Passing accuracy up from 84.5% to 87.4%. Tackles per game up to 2.5, a significant margin above the 1 a game he averaged last season. Duels won up from 44% to 50.8% (infact Henderson is currently only two more ground duels victories of winning as many as he did in the whole of last season!) And there’s more. Shots per game up from 0.8 to 1.1. Crosses up from 0.5 to 2.5 every outing. Clearances up from 0.4 to 2.3 per match. Through fear of making this article become more like a school kids maths homework, I’ll stop – I’m confident you understand the upwards trend here. 46
HENDERSON It’s clear that Henderson has worked incredibly hard to develop his game. Be it defensively, with clearances and tackles, or offensively, with passing and shooting, the numbers make for more than pleasing reading in terms of increases with our young midfielder. And with Jordan Henderson, nobody should rule out these statistics improving even further.
“At 23 years of age, he has got his whole career in front of him. It is thanks to his quality and professionalism that he is making marked improvements." Rodgers When looking back through Liverpool’s 11 Premier League games this season, there are clear instances where Henderson has stood out. For example, most recently at Anfield against Fulham in our 4-0 victory, Henderson assisted Suarez’ first goal with a sublimely weighted and timed through-ball, splitting four Fulham defenders to create the chance for his Uruguayan teammate. The touch away from his marker before playing this pass also shows an indication of the way Henderson has learned to read the flow a game and get on the same wavelength as his fellow Reds. Another game in which he stood out has to be against Crystal Palace in a 3-1 home victory for Liverpool. Shifted from the right sided role Rodgers played him in for the majority of the start of the season into a more natural central role in the absence of Lucas.
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HENDERSON Henderson pulled off an impressive 92% pass accuracy, higher than every other Liverpool midfielder. The 23 year old also won every one of his aerial duals, 91% of his ground duels, and made two interceptions, bettered only by Mamadou Sakho out of every other Liverpool player. There is one monkey I feel Henderson needs to get off his back this season, however, and that is his end product. He acquired 6 goals and 6 assists in all competitions last campaign, and even at this early stage in 2013/14, no disrespect to these clubs intended, one goal against League One Notts County in the League Cup and one Premier League assist against struggling Fulham doesn’t make for as positive viewing as his production last season.
If Henderson can get the goals and assists he got last season back into his game come the end of this one, the signs are there to suggest he will be a top midfielder not just for Liverpool for many years, but also for his national side on evidence of this inclusion in the national squad ahead of a World Cup year! Expertly written by: Michael Reid Feedback? Send your feedback to : editor@anfieldroar.com
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Focus on:
Daniel
AGGER Will Daniel Agger still be at Anfield once the January transfr window has closed? Ross Webber looks a little deeper... Daniel Agger’s lack of first team opportunities for Liverpool this season has led to questions over the Danish defender’s future at the club. Some reports in October suggested that Agger would be willing to leave if he fails to force his way back into the side. However, the man himself quickly jumped to quash these suggestions. During his time at the Reds, Agger has endeared himself to the fans, cementing a place in the first team soon after joining the club back in 2006, and this summer becoming the new vicecaptain. The ‘YNWA’ inked across his knuckles would also suggest his commitment and loyalty to the club and is just another example of why the Dane is loved so much at Anfield.
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AGGER
No fan would like to see Agger leave the club, and it surely is just a matter of time until fans see him playing regularly again. Given the form of Liverpool’s new back three, it is understandable why Brendan Rodgers has had a hard time of fitting Agger in since returning from his bizarre injury involving gym equipment. Martin Skrtel has looked as solid as he ever has done in a Liverpool shirt so far this season, while new signings Mamadou Sakho and Kolo Toure have fitted in very nicely, giving Liverpool the perfect mix of pace, power and strength in defence. With a busy Christmas schedule on the horizon however, Rodgers will need to rotate his squad and it is likely Agger will be given his chance to reclaim his place in the side back. The silver lining in the current situation involving Agger is that it shows the vast quality in depth that Liverpool have at the back and the options available to Rodgers.
“Please stop all the tweets about me leaving! I’m not going anywhere! Will be back in the team soon :) YNWA”. Agger on Twitter The media typically misconstrued Aggers quotes to a Danish TV station, and the defender quickly took to Twitter to rubbish the reports that he was considering leaving the club. The Dane Tweeted: “Please stop all the tweets about me leaving! I’m not going anywhere! Will be back in the team soon :) YNWA”. Agger’s comments should put the speculation to bed and again continues to illustrate his fidelity to Liverpool. 50
AGGER The Danish defender still has a vital role at the club. He is now one of the longest serving players in the current squad and therefore understands the club as both a player and as a fan. It would be devastating to see Agger leave; not just because a world-class defender would be departing the club, but also because the Dane has rapidly become a fan favourite due to his commitment on and off the field. Agger being given the vice-captaincy also goes to show how far he has come since joining Liverpool back in 2006 and his importance to the club. Having only signed a new contract with the club a year ago, Liverpool fans can expect to see Agger in a red shirt for a few more years to come yet. His recent absence from the first team is by no means a permanent fixture and the Dane will be itching to get back on the Anfield turf and do what he does best. Expertly written by: Ross Webber Ross’s site is liverpoolnewsandviews.tumblr.com
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Gary McParnaby looks at the matches coming up - will we still be in with a shout after these…? Where were we? Just before the International break, we’d classily dispatched Fulham with ease, and we were in the middle of a rich glut of form... Expect that to continue at Goodison this weekend: Everton are a bunch of mediocre players, with an average manager, a victorian stadium and the worst fans in football. Quite simply no match for the Greatest team on Merseyside since the 1980’s… Copyright, trademark, etc… And after Everton, the month just keeps on getting easier! Facing the mighty Hull, even at their place, is likely to bring a massive smile to the faces of Suarez and Sturridge: they won’t be worried about picking up three points. No, instead, they will be wondering just how many they can bag in order to become the Greatest strike partnership in Europe… Copyright, trademark, etc… Next up is Norwich. At Anfield. Erm..? Hello? Bloodbath. Should that even be allowed in modern sport? Before you know it, there will be do-gooders outside Anfield protesting about this sort of thing. It’s not sport: it’s just cruel. Norwich may as well roll over now, and we’ll all make other plans instead. We can go and get a head start on the Christmas shopping or something. Yes, Christmas 2013 is going to be different this year… 52
FIXTURES And speaking of early Christmas presents, along come West Ham for their turn to take on the SAS. By this point of the season, it is likely that we might need to start to worry about Luis – not because he might be on the move (because he won’t), but because, put simply, if he scores too many more, then he might get so bored of football that he’ll just jack it all in. So four games, four wins, and one happy, happy bunch of Scousers! :)
Comp Prem
Opposition Everton (a)
Date Sat 23rd Nov
Time 12:45
Predict WIN
Prem
Hull (a)
Sun 1st Dec
14:05
WIN
Prem
Norwich (h)
Weds 4th Dec
19:45
WIN
Prem
West Ham (h)
Sat 7th Dec
15:00
WIN
Expertly written by: Gary McParnaby - you can send your feedback to us and we’ll pass it on - editor@anfieldroar.com 53
Our bi game this month is against Arsenal. We look back at some classic moments in matches against the Toffees
Everton 0 Liverpool 5
Ian Rush terrorises Merseyside rivals with four goals and remains to this day the only Liverpool player to have scored a hat-trick at Goodison Park. 54
YOUTUBE Gary McAllister nets 44-yard winner
Liverpool won a free-kick 44 yards out, and had thrown everyone into the box with seconds remaining. McAllister was expected to cross the ball, but instead curled it sweetly into the top corner. Steven Gerrard
Another moment of confirmation that Steven Gerrard was one of the brightest talents in the country. 21 years old at the time, Gerrard had developed a penchant for netbusters. The special nature of this goal, was that it looked almost inconceivable to score from his position.
Send us your favourites - @anfieldroarmag 55
KOP HERO Emmanuel Ivan takes a closer look at the man who made the move across Merseyside, but remains a club legend. It's quite funny how sometimes, when we take an overview of our lives, we realise how the radical decisions that we made, changed our lives forever. Because whether we were influenced by some certain factors or not, the results will stay same. No excuses, no 'try agains' or 'let's give it another shot'. Sometimes it doesn’t workout as we planned, but sometimes, although everything might seem lost, it does. Within these same rules, Peter Beardsley had to take a damn tough decision - sportwise and mentally - when he was forced to decide what colour his shirt would be the next season: red or blue. Beardsley played for several different clubs until he returned to Newcastle United, his hometown club. In the 1987-88 season he joined Liverpool, for a then-record transfer fee of £1.9million. It was a brilliant attacking partnership that was formed between the fresh faces of John Barnes, Peter Beardsley and the familiar John Aldridge.
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BEARDSLEY During his Anfield career (1993-97) in which he won six trophies, Beardsley scored a total of 59 goals in 175 appearances. But it was his guile with the ball and his well known dip of the shoulder to fool the opposition, that made the Kop so full of admiration for Beardsley. As Graeme Souness took over the club, it was obvious that Beardsley's time at the club was over. He joined Everton! It was a controversial decision. Still, it was a wise one because he had a young family and he also had to decide between starting on the bench for Liverpool or playing for another club. During a 2-year spell at Everton, Beardsley played 95 games and scored 32 goals. When a player moves directly to a rival and a neighbour club, you expect him to be unwelcomed in one way or another by both sets of fans. But this wasn't the case for Beardsley, as the diminutive English footballer seemed to have won the hearts of the whole Merseyside with his humble ways:
“I must have received about 1,000 letters from both Reds and Blues when I moved and only one was bad. The single bad one told me how I’d made a bad move or something but a lot of the letters I received from Liverpool supporters told me how disappointed they were that I had left but that they wished me good luck in the future." Beardsley Peter Beardsley has since been placed 19th in the 2006 edition of the 100 Players who shook the Kop pool, where over 100,000 supporters worldwide voted for their favorite Liverpool players. Expertly written by: Ivan Emanuel You can tweet Ivan at @emy_2good 57
There are two distinct ways to approach implementing styles, tactics and formations in football; adapt/amend the players at your disposal to the requirements or alter the requirements to suit the players. Of course there are numerous variants of each facet but managers, especially when new to a club, constantly assess the suitability of their squad to play a certain way. Most managers are synonymous with a particular approach, whether it be direct and physical or short and technical, but sometimes the personnel at hand are just not conducive to fulfilling their intentions. Given winning is the be-all and end-all, the majority of managers are magnanimous enough to forgo their principles from time-to-time and find a compromise which can best achieve the fundamental aim of picking up three points. It might be a short-term solution, until they can bring in new players or to counteract a specific opponent for example, but being able to adapt to the situation presented is a big part of building a successful football club. Although Brendan Rodgers has in no way budged from his original philosophy for pressing the opposition and retaining possession, the recent adoption of a 3-5-2 formation certainly passes the adaptability test. Since implementing the formation instead of his favoured 4-3-3, following the 1-0 loss at home to Southampton, results and performances were a quantifiable success. Until the recent defeat to league leaders Arsenal, at least.
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CLEAR AS DAY The big benefit of the formation is that it stretches the width of the play but in a manner that still leaves you with plenty of players in key central areas. On the negative side though, it relies heavily on good communication, especially at the back, and can be self-destructive when faced with certain opposition line-ups.
The big benefit of the formation is that it stretches the width of the play but in a manner that still leaves you with plenty of players in key central areas. Chief of which, ironically, is a 4-3-3 that utilises one main striker supported by wide attacking players; a system not too dissimilar to the approach Rodgers usually takes. Coincidently that is also exactly how Arsenal operate with Olivier Giroud up top and support coming from the likes of Mesut Ozil and Santi Cazorla.
At the Emirates the back three, faced with only one forward, had no idea who to pick up and Arsenal's midfield ruthlessly exploited the uncertainty, in addition to the space in behind wing-backs Jon Flanagan and Aly Cissokho. The Reds did of course subsequently bounce back emphatically with a return to both winning ways and Rodgers' original tactics, in the 4-0 victory over Fulham.
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CLEAR AS DAY Presumably, as a result, 3-5-2 will now revert to little more than a backup plan but there were two obvious reasons for bringing the formation, not seen regularly at Anfield since the days of Evans' stewardship, out of retirement: 1. The desire to get Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge to function more as a partnership up front rather than one playing from a wider, or deeper, area. 2. To utilise the increased strength and depth the squad now has in the centre-back department. Regardless of formation, the Reds will go into the first Merseyside derby of the season this weekend with confidence soaring. Rodgers' men are currently riding high in second spot but the blue half of the city are also enjoying an impressive campaign under new boss Roberto Martinez. Martinez, who was heavily linked with the Anfield vacancy last summer, shares many similarities with Rodgers and it will be intriguing to see which side comes out on top at Goodison Park. Both men are 40, previously enjoyed spells honing their skills at Swansea City and employ an aesthetically pleasing brand of possession-based, short passing.
The best formation?
So far they have locked horns on five occasions in their respective careers and Rodgers is yet to lose with four wins and a draw. Hopefully that record will remain intact come the final whistle on Saturday! Expertly written by: Gavin Day - tweet him @superbag Visit Gavin’s site at http://www.liverpool.vitalfootball.co.uk
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