EPL: West Ham v Liverpool (30.01.08)

[Mighty T.A.L.]

West Ham host Liverpool in the Premier League on Wednesday hoping to increase the pressure on Rafa Benitez.

The Liverpool boss has endured a torrid season as the Reds - who were tipped to be major title contenders after heavy summer investment - have stuttered on the field, while uncertainty continues behind the scenes.

Reds owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks appear to be growing increasingly unwelcome on Merseyside amidst ongoing rumours that the Americans are keen to sell the club.

And West Ham will hope to make the most of the Reds' woes by collecting three points at Upton Park.

Top six target

Hammers boss Alan Curbishley has spoken of his side's need to focus on a place in the top six this season and three points against Liverpool would certainly help this cause, while also severely denting their visitor's UEFA Champions League aspirations.

If Portsmouth slip up away to Manchester United, a victory for Curbishley would see his side quietly move to within one point of Pompey in ninth place.

And the Hammers will welcome back Dean Ashton and winger Matthew Etherington as they go in search of a rare victory against the Reds.

West Ham are on a run of 11 games without success against Liverpool, but Curbishley will hope star striker Ashton can produce a performance to mirror that of the 2006 FA Cup final when the forward terrorised the Reds backline in a narrow defeat in Cardiff.

Gerrard return

Etherington will also return to the Hammers starting line-up after joining Ashton on the sidelines for the 1-1 draw with Manchester City, while former Red Craig Bellamy and Nolberto Solano have also regained match fitness.

However, summer signing Julien Faubert is set to miss out as the midfielder is struggling with a calf problem.

Benitez is expected to name a strong XI after watching his second string side flirt with the romance of the FA Cup and narrowly avoid a humiliating defeat to Havant & Waterlooville on Saturday.

The Reds were twice forced to come from behind in a hard-fought 5-2 victory against their non-league opponents and Benitez, who has yet to see his side record a league win in 2008, will be demanding improvements.

Andrei Voronin, Daniel Agger and Alvaro Arbeloa are all absent through injury, but Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres, Jose Reina and Jamie Carragher should return as Liverpool seek a victory which could see them reclaim fourth spot - should Everton fail to beat Tottenham.

Source: Skysports

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Liverpool Team:
Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypiä, Aurélio; Benayoun, Gerrard, Alonso, Kewell; Torres, Kuyt

Subs:
Itandje, Skrtel, Lucas, Babel, Crouch

[Dellas]

Oh dear:

Mark Noble's injury-time penalty gave West Ham a deserved victory over Liverpool at Upton Park.

Noble slotted the ball low past Pepe Reina with virtually the last kick of the match after Jamie Carragher had brought down Freddie Ljungberg.

Earlier, West Ham's Luis Boa Morte twice missed from six yards out while Xabi Alonso headed on to his own bar.

Lucas Leiva missed from eight yards for the Reds while Fernando Torres' shot was saved by Robert Green.

source: BBC SPORT | Football | Premier League | West Ham 1-0 Liverpool

I think now Liverpool have dropped to 7th position (they do have a game in hand tho)...I can seee Benitez being sacked any time now.

[Podolski]

90th minute penalty.. sucks for them
they have gone downhill ever since they lost to united
more pressure for benitez

[verde-rubro]

only 3 words from me
























José Mourinho NOW!

[Vargas_4]

What a heart-breaker.

I feel bad for Benitez. He's really trying to find the solution. I dunno who's to blame cause the players have also put some effort into it.

Plain old bad luck, i guess.

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Why do Kuyt play? He never do much than losing the ball. Rafa is not much fair against Crouch. He have to sit on the bench and watch Kuyt play shit, game after game. Kuyt is at the bottom at the moment and he don't have what it takes to struggle back. So fucking slow and his head seems fucked up. No football brain at all.

Yesterday it was very clearly why Liverpool ain't a challenger with players like Aurelio, Kewell, Benayoun and Kuyt who all is quite average.

Torres and Alonso looked absolutely awful also. Who on Liverpool seems to be on form these days? Gerrard, Hyypia, Lucas, Babel...? Who else? 4 players who can deliever. That's sounds like a team who will end up in the middle of the tabble if this form of players continue. If you don't have self esteem then you have to find yourself a new club who don't expect that much...

[Pennywise]

Why do Kuyt, Kewell, Arbeloa, Auerlio, Benyajon, etc.. play? Liverpool won't win the league with B-players like this and all that rotation through a season will only destroy. Benitez has to see that pretty soon.

The Reds are great Cup team and IS a team in the top of PL...but they are too far away the three best and to fight for the title. I don't know your injure list but you haven't won since the early '90s or something...so something must happen if the goal is to win the league.

Always play the best team and start using Babel as regular ffs

[NJ10]

Was just awful. Pathetic surrender to a pretty shit side in truth. No confidence or leadership, players looked like they had been sent out with blindfolds on. Kuyt and Aurelio being the worst offenders.

4th place is genuinely in jeopardy at the moment....fuck me.....6th place is.