Anfield Red

Liverpool Football Club have confirmed the extent of Martin Skrtel’s knee injury, and the good news is he does not need surgery on his posterior cruciate ligament injury.

Skrtel fell awkwardly in Liverpool’s 3-2 win over Man City, and was expected to be ruled out for some time, but today LFC confirmed he could be back by Christmas : ” Martin was examined by a specialist today, who confirmed the player does not require surgery and is expected to be back playing by Christmas.”

Rafael Benitez also added praise for Skrtel; who will now be replaced by Agger or Hyypia in the Liverpool line up : Everyone can see that the understanding between Martin and Carra is becoming really good, To lose a player who is doing well is always a problem. It’s bad news, but we have other options.

“Martin has learned a lot. He already had good qualities and potential when we decided to bring him here. We had a lot of confidence in him but you can always improve, especially playing alongside experienced players and working under the staff here. He has done that.

“He has given me a selection headache this season but that is a good problem for me as a manager.”

Daniel Agger has once again confirmed he is happy at Liverpool, despite being linked with a move to Real Madrid recently.

Agger was struggling to break up the defensive pairing of Skrtel and Carragher, but with Skrtel now injured and expected to be out for a while, Agger has said he is ready for the opportunity to prove himself and also stated he is happy at Anfield.

“Of course I hope to get some playing time, but this is not exactly the way I wished to get it. I know Martin very well because I share a room with him when we travel.”

“I hope to get my chance and then I will prove that it’s my place. On the other hand, it might as well be Carragher’s place because I don’t know why people only say it is me or Skrtel who are fighting each other for a place in the team. I have had to be patient this season and wait for my chance, I know how things are.

“The team have been playing really well and the results have been great, so I couldn’t really expect the manager to make too many changes.”

“The only thing for me to do was get my head down and concentrate on getting as fit as possible, so that if an opportunity came along, I was ready to take it. When you have been out injured for 10 months, you know you are going to have to work really hard to get back into shape. That’s why I have been putting extra sessions in at Melwood this season.

“I have been out there on the training pitch when the other lads have finished, because you never know when the call might come. It has been worth the extra effort, too, because I feel really fit and strong and ready to step in.”

“There have been a few stories about me recently, but I couldn’t be happier. I’m really glad to be a Liverpool player, and all I want is to play a part in a great start.”

Did you miss the goals from today’s great game against Man City? If so, watch them here!

Liverpool were 2-0 down at half time, and came back to win 3-2 with Dirk Kuyt scoring the winner in injury time. Watch Torres and Kuyt give us the win :

Despite misleading headlines with the main part of quotes missing, Harry Redknapp is NOT looking to make a £6million bid for Jermaine Pennant.

The offenders know who they are, and are coming out with the same crap on a daily basis, only this time they forgot to include the part where Harry Redknapp says he is not thinking about buying Pennant.

Here is what Redknapp said : “I like Pennant. He’s a good player, a great crosser of the ball and he’s definitely got quality.

“But I can’t say I have thought about signing him. In fact, I have not thought about anybody really, to be honest.
“The transfer window has just closed and the next one isn’t open until January, other signings are not really in my thoughts this early.

“As far as I’m concerned, I have got my squad here, players I’m happy with.”

“I just need to get on with it now. It’s like any transfer, I’ll see how we are going closer to the time and if we need something. You never know, you may get an injury in a certain position, something might need freshening up.

“I’ve got to see if everything is going okay. If everybody is doing well it’s not a problem and I won’t need to bring in anyone at all.

“But at the moment I’m not even thinking about that.”

Lucas Leiva spent 15 minutes on the pitch last night when the game was already won against PSV, but that has not stopped some idiot hiding behind the name “Hatchet Man” sticking the boot in and slagging the Brazilian off.

Here is what the Hatchet Man had to say : “Liverpool enjoyed a fine night in the Champions League against PSV but one of their substitutes should be ashamed of himself. Not for anything he did though, as Lucas did very little of note, and that is the problem. The Brazilian has done nothing remarkable since joining Liverpool a year ago and is still hiding behind his foreigner tag”

‘Lucas should be ashamed of himself’?! what a load of crap. He spent 15 minutes on the pitch, the game was already won, the substitution was a tactical one to push Gerrard forward, and to give Robbie Keane a deserved standing ovation from the Anfield crowd.

Leiva has made 36 appearances, most of them as a sub, some in the Carling Cup/FA Cup games, and the odd league/European game, primarily as a defensive midfielder. What does this ‘Hatchet Man’ expect Leiva to do? There is no point bombing forward just to satisfy some idiot at the Daily Mail, so why come out with such sh*te?

Lucas is never going to be a first team regular while we have Mascherano, Alonso and Gerrard in the centre; so if we have someone who can slow the play down and chip in with the odd goal then im sure Rafa is happy with that.

Don’t forget, Lucas was awarded the Bola de Ouro , for being the best player in the Brazilian championships; previously awarded to Romario, Kaka, and Carlos Tevez (who plays for the team the media masturbate over).

Rafael Benitez has hailed Steven Gerrard as one of the best offensive midfielders after the Liverpool captain scored his 100th goal for the club last night.

Gerrard had his 100th goal ruled out against Stoke a few weeks ago, then after a quiet and frustrating game, Gerrard slammed home a free kick that was passed to him, to score his 100th infront of the Anfield crowd; much to the delight of his boss Rafa: “100 goals is always a very good figure, but it is especially good for a midfielder,”

“He is one of the best offensive midfielders in the world and hopefully he will go on to score many for us in the future”

Robbie Keane scored his first goal for Liverpool last night against PSV in the Champion’s League, watch it here!

Keane bagged his first goal since joining from Tottenham, then did his famous cartwheel celebration as Anfield erupted! Here’s the goal from last night:

Liverpool are unbeaten so far this season and the comfortable 2-0 victory over rivals Everton at the weekend meant that it was their best start ever to a Premier League campaign. Rafa Benitez’s men sit joint top of the table and have won their only Champions League game so far. All in all, things are looking extremely rosy for the Merseyside club.

However, ahead of tonight’s clash with PSV Eindhoven at Anfield, Bentiez has encouraged fans to ‘calm down’ slightly. Of course, when things are going this well, it is a fans right to start talking about what the future may bring – Could this be the year Liverpool challenge for the title? Can they be Champions of Europe again?
It is on the back of such talk that Benitez has stated that people should only discuss the next game. He doesn’t want people getting carried away just because a good start has been made. However, he does admit that he would rather be under this pressure to for fill expectation than fighting for motivation at the wrong end of the table.
Of course, Benitez is bound to brush off talk of future success. However, I think everyone knows Liverpool have the best squad they have had for quite some time. Therefore, the current crop were expected to deliver at the start of this season. Now, after the start the team has made, the players have shown they can turn it on consistently. Victories over Manchester United and Everton mean that it should be the start of a memorable campaign and many football odds are starting to reflect Liverpool’s increased title chances.
It has been mentioned on a previous Anfield Red post that the team which will line up against PSV tonight is a vast improvement on the one that played them in April 2007. The likes of Craig Bellamy, Jermaine Pennant and Mohamed Sissoko have been replaced by the quality of Fernando Torres, Javier Mascherano and Dirk Kuyt.
Liverpool now have a team that not only has the ability to win the Premier League, but has the belief they can win the Premier League. Torres, Gerrard, Mascherano and co are born winners. A poor start has often meant the title charge is over before it begins, however after the excellent start this time round – they should at least challenge Chelsea and Manchester United.
Attention is away from the Premier League tonight though as Liverpool face PSV in the second Champions League game of the season. Huub Stevens’ team suffered a disappointing 3-0 home defeat to PSV Eindhoven in their first Group D game and they will be determined to respond in a positive fashion at Anfield.
Stevens states that his team will rise to the occasion though and is confident they can go back to Holland with a decent result. He has also encouraged his side to ‘play the way we want to play’. However, this Liverpool side can adapt to fit many tactics right now and with the feel good factor surrounding Anfield, an early goal for the hosts should lead to another comfortable victory.
By Thomas Rooney – a sports writer who blogs about football betting

Watch Ryan Babel putting himself forward for as a candidate for the new Anfield Rap with this video of him Rapping under the nickname ‘Rio’!

The lyrics are a bit explicit:

Rappen is my hobby
Rappers dont want trouble
I’m the Liverpool-star those bitches are giving me Love
I know what time it is, I’ve just buy a new watch
I give you a punshline, 8 seconds, you are knocked down
Towel in the (box)ring, My family in the V.I.P
No Kaviaar for us, Surinamers eat chicken
Ya’ll no nothing, this is the Premier League
Represeting the G
Yo can see this n*gga with number 19
Ya’ll can f**k off, I f**k witch a whole team
Ya’ll can talk but you dont get anything with it
Ya’ll can’t be like me, my status is to high
If rappers come to close I have to take space
People watch Youtube to learn my actions
I have those skills, try some tricks I was a poor n*gga
Now I make f**king Money
I went from the Euro to the English Pound
I put money in my pocket, now I spend money on nothing
I Like it this way, I’m sure you like it
If somebody want beef, well come on
I like it with some pepper, homie I’m sure in my life
Give me the f**king ball, you loose booth legs
And now my competition is past
If you hate me because of that, I say your right
If I was you I will hate myself too, I have the shit homie
I even cant spend al my money
Keep your daughter insite or you will be my family
I take your daughter and let her make clean
101 Barz, this is the first time but I came hard!
I came alone, I don”t have a back-up
I came because I mean it, Check It