EPL ~ Benitez considers 'big' Torres risk
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Saturday, 7 February 2009
Channel 27: "Live"Portsmouth v Liverpool - 1:30 am (Sun morning)Rafa Benitez admits he will be taking a ‘big risk’ if he plays Fernando Torres against Portsmouth this weekend.
Torres played all but nine minutes of Wednesday’s FA Cup tie against Everton, a tie that went into extra time before The Toffees triumphed 1-0.
Both Xabi Alonso (ankle) and Torres (tiredness) came out of the match as major doubts to face Pompey, and Benitez admits he will wait until the eleventh hour before making a decision.
"Torres is fit but tired. We will see if he can be ready for tomorrow,” the Liverpool boss told Friday’s press conference.
“When you have some players playing a lot of games in a row - normally two games in a week - it is difficult for them to manage. You have to rest players and, if you cannot, there is a big risk.
"It depends on him. We will talk with him in training today. All the players are a little bit tired so we have to make decisions - Torres will be one of the big decisions.
"Xabi had a knock on his ankle so we will have to see. We are also without Lucas (suspended) and Degen is injured."
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Now he is coming up with this "everybody is tired" excuse.
Wtf, he rotates so many players.
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If Portsmouth was still under Harry I say got chance for an upset or draw but Adams is a hopeless manager waiting for the chop only...
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Just deploy Robo and Penny against Liverpool tonight.
You will get a result.
Ah Ben have already bought his coffin with the money earned from selling Keane.
None of his guns are on fire or on target.
Liverpool is unlikely to get a victory or a draw as Ah Ben will be using his "good" enough reserves for this game to protect his key players.
Ah Ben have lost his plot after his kidney operation.
I dun think Liverpool can create any form of surprises after being played extra time with everton.
All the players are "tired".
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lolx Rafa , call Babel lor, if Torrres is exhausted
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Don't worry lah, Portsmouth are a weak side these days... It would be like taking candy from a kid... Don't tell me like that also Rafa cannot meh...
If Portsmouth had change manager before this weekend, I think still got fighting chance, cos the players will want to impress the new manager but Adams... They don't seem to bother, If anything... I think some of them even want him to get the sack asap... lol
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Tony Adams: Portsmouth boo boys will not force me out of club
Tony Adams insists the Portsmouth boo-boys will not force him to quit - after being abused by his own fans for the first time in his career.
Pompey boss Adams was targeted as he boarded the team coach after Saturday's 3-1 defeat at Fulham. But the former Arsenal and England captain insists the taunts will not drive him out.
Adams, whose strugglers are at home to Liverpool tomorrow, admitted: "I received verbal abuse getting on the bus after the game on Saturday and that hurt.
"There were a couple of fans who were not happy over the way the team is playing and the results. "They shouted they did not want me at the club again.
"To be honest it was put stronger than that. I tried to explain to them but they were not listening.
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There will be plenty of Liverpool fans shaking their heads in disbelief at this one.
Rafa Benitez has named no less than six defenders in his Liverpool side to face Portsmouth at Fratton Park, while Fernando Torres is on the bench. Apparently the poor lamb isn't yet ready to play three games in a week, so David Ngog starts in attack, and Fabio Aurelio will be in midfield. while Torres and Xabi Alonso start on the bench. Interesting.
Tony Adams desperately needs to get his side out of a slump after losing six of the last seven Premier League matches.
Referee - Howard Webb
Teams - Liverpool: Reina, Carragher, Skrtel, Agger, Dossena, Arbeloa, Mascherano, Aurelio, Babel, Ngog, Benayoun. Subs: Cavalieri, Hyypia, Torres, Riera, Alonso, Kuyt, El Zhar
Teams - Portsmouth: James, Johnson, Campbell, Distin, Hreidarsson, Basinas, Davis, Mullins, Belhadj, Crouch, Nugent. Subs: Begovic, Lauren, Mvuemba, Pamarot, Kanu, Kranjcar, Gekas
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CROUCH NOT KEEN ON RAFA`S METHODS
Portsmouth striker Peter Crouch has sympathy with Robbie Keane over his treatment at Liverpool, labelling Rafael Benitez's methods as "frustrating".
Keane was largely a bit-part player in his short stay at Anfield, scoring seven goals in 28 games before securing a move back to Tottenham. And Crouch, who suffered similar treatment before joining Portsmouth last summer, said he felt for the Republic of Ireland striker.
"There are a few similarities between what has happened with Robbie and my own situation. I feel sorry for him," Crouch told the Sun. "We all know what a great player Robbie is but he didn't get a fair crack of the whip at Liverpool. "But that is the way Rafa operates and it can be very frustrating because, when I was there, he never really explained why I was not playing.
"There were times when I thought he didn't fancy me but then he'd start me for two or three games on the spin. "It got to the stage where I gave up second guessing which games I would be playing and which ones I wouldn't.
"The biggest letdown for me was the Champions League final against AC Milan, when Rafa went with one up front and played Dirk Kuyt, as I was desperate to show what I could do on the big stage.
"The Liverpool fans won't care about what Rafa is like as long as they keep winning and you cannot argue with his record but, at the same time, it can be very frustrating."
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It is a ploy by Rafa. He does not want Torres to go for international friendly, stating the reason that he is not fit and did not play for tonight match.
Poor starting lineup by liverpool. Alonso, Torres and even Reira rested. Portsmouth can win.
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If Portsmouth get their act together, they can actually pull off this one... But if only they can get their act together lah... losing six of the last seven don't look like they can... They best they can hope for is a draw but even then, chances very slim on their current form...
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1-0> 1-1> 2-1> 2-2 > 2-3. benitez played torres at a very late stage. torres is really a key in liverpool winning matches. he scored the last goal. well benitez have to be happy, winning portsmouth so closely. 1st 2 goals is really really heng. 1st 1, indirect free kick in penalty box cause of backpass. but have to admit Aurelio really delivered a nice free kick.
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Lolx Comeback Kings is the Comeback Kings
3-2 agn lolx -
I watched the comeback since the second half.
Liverpool was not effective without Alonso and Kuyt.
This is the state of Liverpool - not here not there and not convincing.
Liverpool is lucky to have benny up front to create the chance for torres.
He and Kuyt will make the difference for the future matches.
I am curious whether ah ben will boast about his tactics when interviewed by sky sports.
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Pool were very, very lucky...
Ah ben almost had eggs all over his face...
And Ngog confirm he is a waste of time to be in the squad...
Adams proved that he is a very bad manager... He should have taken out one of his striker perhaps Crouch and put in a fresh leg defender when Portsmouth re-taken the lead in the 78 mins... What was the point of keeping 2 strikers on the field with 12 mins to go? An additional defender would have made it more compact at the back... Thats why I said if Harry was still the manager, Portsmouth got a good chance for an upset or a draw, Adams is hopeless...
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Originally posted by zocoss:
Pool were very, very lucky...
Ah ben almost had eggs all over his face...
And Ngog confirm he is a waste of time to be in the squad...
Adams proved that he is a very bad manager... He should have taken out one of his striker perhaps Crouch and put in a fresh leg defender when Portsmouth re-taken the lead in the 78 mins... What was the point of keeping 2 strikers on the field with 12 mins to go? An additional defender would have made it more compact at the back... Thats why I said if Harry was still the manager, Portsmouth got a good chance for an upset or a draw, Adams is hopeless...
every team get their fair share of luck, the `other team' included.