Newcastle 1 Liverpool 5

2008 ended with a bang! If the rest needed testament about Liverpool's intention of winning the Premier League, this would be it. Playing 2 hours earlier than Chelsea, Liverpool made their message loud and clear to their rivals that they want and can win the Premier League this season. It was a five star display by the Reds. The first half was by far the best I have seen in awhile and the second half was as good to make it probably the best performance by Liverpool this season.

"Sammy 'Lone'Lee without Benitez"

I have seen reports saying a 5-1 victory flattered Newcastle and it may as well be an understatement. Liverpool could have scored as many in the first half itself. Gerrard, Kuyt, Hyypia, and Lucas Leiva had chances and were foiled by Given time after time. His saves in the first 30 minutes were absolutely unbelievable. Of course, it was equally unbelievable Leiva could have scored a hat-trick but ended up with none. After some shameful display throughout the pitch by Newcastle but for some fantastic saves by Given, Liverpool finally broke the deadlock they well deserved through Steven Gerrard.

"Hyypia still a vital player to the Reds"

He was lively throughout the game until he was substituted. It was only right that the magnificent captain ended his day with two goals and two assists. His first was Liverpool's opener. A through pass by Mascherano found Benayoun inside the box and he made a beautiful pull back to give Gerrard the opportunity to blast pass Given which he took it without mistake. It migth have came in the 35th minute but as people say, better late than never. Soon, Given was left frustrated by his teammates again as Hyypia met a Gerrard corner to put Liverpool 2-0 up. Newcastle's defence and off ball play was really awful. Maybe, it was made awful by Liverpool's fantastic display thanks to Benitez's meticulous preparation.

"Babel able to jubilates!"

Despite in full control of the game, Liverpool somehow conceded a goal right at the end of the first half from a corner to give Newcastle a life line. Despite that disappointment, Liverpool came out the second half the way they did in the first half. They continued to dominate the game and tormented Newcastle's defence. As the game went by, Liverpool went on to score three more goals through Gerrard, Babel and substitute Alonso. Babel scored his goal through a penalty box scramble. Again, a corner was not well defended by Newcastle and they were punished by it. The ball was shouldered towards goal by Leiva after Hyypia made a dummy on the ball. The ball fell to Babel right in front of goal where he tried to back-heel it but was blocked. However, too many cook spoilt the soup as the mass of Newcastle players within reach of the ball failed to clear it and Babel capitalize on it by kicking it into the net with Given on the ground.

"No way! No way anyone will be catching us!!!"

After that, Gerrard gave Liverpool a three goal lead with a great finish. Leiva made a fantastic through pass to Gerrard from distance and he raced and latched on to it before cooly put the ball beyond Given. To his disappointment though, he was substituted soon after that as I guess Benitez knew this game was dead and buried and wanted to save his captain's energy. Although without Gerrard, Liverpool went on to score another through the spot after substitute Ngog was brought down in the box. Another substitute Alonso was responsible to take it and he scored as we would expect him to. After that fifth goal, Liverpool could have gotten even more but it was not to be.

"Nearly sold but thankfully not!"

With such a convincing win, it surely gave a loud message to the rest that Liverpool are serious about winning the league and are not planning to slow down in the second half of the league. In fact, it is a statement that they are prepared to step up their game as the usually do under Benitez. The others must have cautioned that they must step up their game even more if they are to wrestle Liverpool off the top spot as the Reds would probably gain more points in the second period than the first period if they continue the trend under Rafa. Against Newcastle, it can already be seen that Liverpool's players are still fresh and very energetic. This probably is due to the "rotation" system that Benitez adopt. Some of us might have cursed him for it and may still be doing so. However, maybe we might have to thank him come May for it (fingers crossed).

Chelsea's draw with Fulham later on was probably the icing on the cake. It surely took off some pressure from Liverpool as they get a three point lead into 2009. Having said that, M*n U*d would be just one point off Liverpool if they win their two games in hand. It is time to be cautious but hopefully Liverpool will not be too cautious to the point where it affects their game. Pray hard, Liverpool would continue their impressive form and go on to win the league. This team this year has been showing some real grit, character, and hunger. In addition to that, there are true qualities all around the field and the commitment of the players can't be questioned. So far so good and I want to say the same thing game after game!


"You'll Never Walk Alone"

Liverpool 3 Bolton 0

A win to stay top on Boxing Day! Liverpool stayed numero uno after beating Bolton 3 goals to none. Goals from Keane (2) and Riera ensured the Reds end 2008 without a single lose at home. Rafa Benitez was on the directors' box only as he has yet to fully recover from his kidney stone surgery. Credits must be given to the staffs who operated so well without him and much of it goes to Sammy Lee.

"Gerrard, how did I score???"

After three consecutive draws at home, Liverpool stepped up their game to ensure they got back to winning ways. Riera took the initiative first when Liverpool gained a corner in the 26th minute. Gerrard took the corner and Riera ran in front of a defender to connect with the ball midair to push the ball into the net with the sole of his foot. Liverpool went into the tunnel at half time with the slander lead.

"No cartwheel but this will do!"

However, the victory was very much assured not long after the start of the second half. On the 53rd minute, Keane opened his scoring with a great goal to give Liverpool a two goal advantage. A through ball from Gerrard met with Keane and he made no mistake to put it into the net. Within 5 minutes, Keane sealed the victory for Liverpool with his second and Liverpool's third. It all started from Reina whose quick-thinking helped Liverpool launch a counter-attack. He caught the ball from a corner and threw the ball to Alonso who was free in the middle. He combined well with Keane and Benayoun which gave the Bolton defence no chance. Keane made a clever run to release Benayoun on the right. He received the ball from Alonso and passed it first time to Keane who slotted the ball past Jaaskelainen.

Overall, it was a dominating display from Liverpool. Everyone must be pleased with the victory having drawn three consecutive home league matches. I was pleased to see Keane scored another two goals after his equaliser against Arsenal. He showed he can play for Liverpool and score some great goals. Maybe when he arrived, he was not accustomed to Liverpool's style of play. Also, he was not used to playing up front alone. However, I think he has benefited from Torres' absence. It has created the opportunity for him to play a role he was not familiar with. Game after game, maybe he has understood the position better and is adjusting his strengths to need of the position. He has played with Torres before and I did not see much linking between both. Now that Torres is getting back and Keane has grown as a player up front, I dare to believe I will see goals from both players the next time they play together. 4-4-2 with both of them up front might be a very lethal weapon for Liverpool now on. We'll wait and see.

Up next will be the last fixture of 2008. Liverpool will face Newcastle and it will be massive if Liverpool beat them. It will place Liverpool as league leaders going into 2009. Hopefully as time pass, we would be able to say Liverpool are still top of the league until the last game is out of the way!


"You'll Never Walk Alone"

Encapsulating 2008

Goodbye, 2008! As we bid adieu to 2008, I would like to reflect back on what kept me entertained throughout the year. As with every year, I will focus on events with words starting with a particular letter. If it is still not obvious what alphabet I will be touching on, it is none other that 'E'.

Elections

"Penangites voted for a new government and a new Chief Minister!"

Nothing can come bigger than this in 2008. Election was not held in Malaysia in 2008 but also in a lot of other countries. Just to name some, the United States, Taiwan, Pakistan, Spain, South Korea, and Nepal. The theme for most elections seemed to follow that of United States. Change was the focus. Change was what people were made to believe possible. Yes, we can! United States saw a change from Republicans to the Democrats. Not only that, they voted for the first African American President, Obama. Nepal had their first parliamentary elections. Pakistan and Taiwan too saw changes in power if I am not mistaken. And of course, Malaysia's government BN lost five states to Pakatan Rakyat namely Selangor, Kedah, Kelantan, Perak, and my hometown, Penang. In addition to that, the BN administration also lost 10 out of 11 of their parliamentary seats in the capital, Kuala Lumpur. Will Malaysia face a federal government change in the next General Election? I hope so!

Environment

"Green now and beyond?"

Since when we all start to become so conscious of our environment? Supermarkets started to sell shopping bags encouraging buyers to stop using plastic bags. Starbucks even changed their serviettes into those produced through recycled papers. Also, more people became eco-friendly. More people buy only stuffs which did not use animals in their testing, consume organic food, and start to recycle things which they would not think twice throwing. It was such an eco-conscious year that fashion also took advantage of it. "I'm not a plastic bag" sounds common? 100% biodegradable plastic bags sound common? What about the term "going green"? I must say, Al Gore's effort on saving the earth really had a big impact on the world population. Media played its part and the rest was left for the people to do. Did I become any more eco-friendly or less unfriendly than I previously was? I doubt I played my part. Maybe I will start playing my part when eco-friendly stuffs become cheaper than those which are not environmental friendly.

Erosion

"Will Bukit Antarabangsa be the last victim of human neglegence?"

Malaysia definitely is not a country lacking in land erosion! The first major one came in 1993 which caused the collapse of the Highland Towers. 15 years down the line, another major one happened at Antarabangsa Hill. It truly is sad that despite having suffered such a tragedy 15 years ago, our government has failed to implement the necessary measures to prevent such events again. In a 15 year time frame, they almost did nothing but encourage such hillside development. After the latest land erosion which affected the rich Malaysians, the government has stopped all hillside projects of a certain height. How long will such development be stalled? For sure, it won't last forever. Soon, we will see more hillside projects. We will see people forgetting about the danger and fond of getting one of those luxurious bungalows or condos. Let's just not stall those projects. Come up with some rulings and more importantly, enforce it for God's sake!!!

Entertainment

"Maya Karin got hitched!"

I always love to see news from the entertainment world. On the local front, I would consider Maya Karin getting married as one of the big news. She's probably one of the few pleasant looking artiste in Malaysia and it was nice to hear that she has found her man of her life. Also if you have been following some Malay papers, you would have probably came across an article about some artiste getting conned millions of Ringgit to join some stupid religious cult which allowed them to skip prayers and have sex before marriage. I have to say, that's plain stupid because I think you can just do those without having to join any cult. It's just a matter of morally and religiously right or wrong. This year, I would say that the local industry did quite well especially the indie music. Groups like One Buck Short, Bittersweet, Estranged, and Pop Shuvit had some big gigs. Estella came into the scene and radio stations are still playing their song. It was quality! I love it. Hopefully such local indie/rock/pop bands can come into the scene and play a bigger part in 2009.

"Britney making a come back?"

On the international front or rather the Hollywood world, I just have to talk about Britney Spears. It is definitely her year, isn't it? It looks as if she has made a come back. Her life is more organized and she just released a brand new album. She still has fan base. She may not be the girl who wears the school uniform anymore but she sure is still popular despite having two kids already. Kudos, Britney! I will wait how long her sanity will last. What about the drama-filled Jennifer Aniston? Get hooked up with John Mayer, then broke up, and then back together apparently because she is pregnant with his kid. Someone has not been practicing safe sex but no surprise! It's Hollywood! It's all fine for her to have found a guy who can make her pregnant but then I don't understand why she's having such a bitch over Angie's relationship with Brad. It's over Jen, get over with!!! Let's focus on keeping John happy and forget about Brad! He isn't coming back after having tasted a girl called Angelina Jolie! I know I wouldn't if I have Jolie! Also, Heath Ledger definitely worth some mentioning for his death was such big news which broke so many hearts. Not only that, his death too helped the Batman break some records in the entertainment industry! Well done, Heath! May you find peace in Heaven.

"A sad end to Joker!"

English Premier League

"I love this sport!"

Okay, it is now called Barclay's Premier League but essentially, it's still English! I think this season is a great season. Aston Villa is now third but if M*n U*d win their two games in hand, they could take over the spot and be on equal points with Chelsea. That would put them just one point behind Liverpool. I have been following the Premier League since 1998/99 and have never seen such a close fight among the top teams. It is my tenth year watching the Premier League and it is such a joy to see Liverpool top the table currently. I am not focusing whether they will it or not but surely hope so. At the moment, I just enjoy the close fight from the top teams. I remember not too long ago people were saying that the league is always about the top four and end up being a two-horse race between M*n U*d and Chelsea. This season, it has proven that the other teams are stronger than ever and we have yet to see the top two pulling away from others. We have yet to see a clear top four shaping up. Arsenal who are usually in the top four are currently at fifth place. However, they are just 8 or 9 points off Liverpool. This is the most exciting season I have experienced and I am enjoying it. Last season, it was all credit to M*n U*d. They won the Premier League and Champions League. A lot of it was due to the magnificence of Ronaldo in front of goals. However, I still hold by the belief that Fernando Torres should be winner of the Golden Ball for he was fantastic in his first season at Liverpool, he won Spain Euro 2008, and he would have scored more than Ronaldo if we take off Ronaldo's goals from penalties and free kicks. Hopefully, he will be free injury now on and emulate his brilliance last season. If he does that, Liverpool have a great chance of achieving the doubles M*n U*d did last season this season! I sure hope so!!!

I would like to wish everyone who dropped by a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Arsenal 1 Liverpool 1

Will Liverpool remain top after tonight? Let's all just pray hard the blue half of Liverpool will do the red half a favour by beating Chelsea tonight. Against Arsenal, was it two points lose or a point gain? A draw at the Emirates is not the worst Liverpool have suffered and it's definitely a point I would be happy to take. The title is not won in December and rest assured no teams leading the league at the moment can win all their games till May.

Liverpool did not start as well as they could. However, it would be understandable as it was against Arsenal. In addition to that, I would bet Rafa's absence despite having constant contact on the phone is a huge lost to Liverpool considering his tactical ability which could definitely been better if he was there on the sideline. Nonetheless, I thought Sammy Lee did fantastic sending the messages to the players.

"Carra's mistake was Van Persie's gain!"

On the night, the first goal was scored by Van Persie for Arsenal. It was great goal by Van Persie but I have to blame it on the usual Mr. Reliable, Carragher. Van Persie was not offside because Carragher ran back to put Van Persie back onside before the ball was sent by Nasri. He saw it happening but he moved too early as he did not see that the others have put Van Persie on an offside position. Van Persie did the rest to put Arsenal ahead. It was definitely a little bit against the flow of the game.

"Keane comes good!"

Thankfully, Liverpool equalised before half time through Keane who scored his third goal in the league. It was also a great goal. The Arsenal defence was caught cold with a long ball from Agger which fell nicely for Keane. Almunia had no chance with a well taken strike. I have to say Keane played this game. His run was better timed. What was unfortunate would be the midfield did not create more chances for him.

On the other hand, I thought Kuyt was not good at all on the night. He made mistakes when put under pressure. On the overall though, the midfield was not particularly strong on the night. Liverpool depended very much on the long ball. In the second half, Adebayor got himself sent off when Liverpool were in control of the game. Somehow, this spurred Arsenal to play at a much higher tempo and fight for every ball. It made Arsenal play much harder and the players put in much more commitment.

Wenger said he was sure if they had 11 players, they would have won the game. He surely has not taken into account the domination Liverpool had over them when they were playing with 11 players. It was Adebayor's dismissal which spurred the players. It also energized the fans to support their players. Before that, I could hear Liverpool supporters singing their songs in the Emirates. Arsenal could have lost if Adebayor stayed on.

Anyway, a draw was the result and it can't be changed now no matter what. Again, let's just hope Everton come good tonight and give Chelsea a beating. The Premier League is definitely tight this season. Will Liverpool remain top on Christmas Day? Will Liverpool remain top on January? Will Liverpool still be top come March? Will Liverpool win the Premier League? We'll only know as the games go by.


"You'll Never Walk Alone"

Liverpool 2 Hull City 2

Liverpool still top!!! Okay, it was not the results many would have expected. Fourth consecutive draw at home. Another two points "dropped". So was the case for Chelsea, M*n U*d and Arsenal. I remain optimistic. So far, it is still the best season Liverpool have enjoyed that I could remember.

"Mr. Reliable slipped up but he still gets my support!"

The game against Hull was what I expected. Hull did not sit back like Stoke. The game was open and had plenty of chances. It was a much better game for Liverpool than the previous draws. I thought it was a good performance in the attacks. Gerrard pulled the strings, linked well with Benayoun, Kuyt had chances. It was not as bad as some comments I have read. The credit must be given to Hull's defenders. They made some last ditch challenges which saved them the early blushes. Kuyt did not play as bad as some people ranted. I take that as just some furious fans for not seeing Keane starting in place. I back Rafa for that. Keane would not have played any better from what I saw from him. It could have been worse. I could not see him making the contributions Kuyt made which led to Gerrard's brace.

"Captain Fantastic was truly fantastic!!!"

I would just say the game was not as bad as people said. Liverpool actually played well due to Hull's attacking mind set. It was just that their defenders who did well with those challenges when Liverpool went into the final quarter. Liverpool had a lot of chances in the second half but the ball either went to the wrong side of the post or hit the post. I will not say more about their performance. I was happy too that the fans started to really support the players once they conceded the first goal. I did not hear the moans early on. I thought Liverpool needed that backing and the noise truly did contribut to the fighting spirit which saw Gerrard pull them back into the game. I just hope to see the same support throughout the match and in the future as well.

"Gerrard's importance for Liverpool can't be doubted!"

Some fans are saying if Liverpool have beaten Stoke, West Ham and Hull, Liverpool would be more points clear at the top. What can I say about this mindset? I am sure many of Chelsea's, M*n U*d's, and Arsenal's fans would have said the same "if's" a lot of times. If those "if's" are reality, then all of them would have won all their games, on equal points only be divided by goal difference!!! I will say the same with some pundits and commentators. I have read about how they think these draws at home will come back and haunt Liverpool. Isn't the same happening with Chelsea?

Truth is, we should stop making assumptions and presumptions about results. Premier League these days are not as plain and simple as we like to see. We tend to think if Liverpool are playing against a team outside the top four, it should be a win. It has been proven this will not be the case this season. All top fours have conceded points to the rest. I am very convinced this trend will continue until May. I just hope at the end, it will be Liverpool who drop the fewest points and remain top. No team ever tops the league without depending on others. So let's not say Liverpool are top just because the others dropped points too. All champions need the rest to draw more than them or lose more than them. If not, again, everyone will end up on equal points only be separated by goal difference.

This season is still very exciting and Liverpool are still in with a big say. They are top and the others are still chasing. I choose to remain positive because there are really a lot of positives to be taken from compared to previous seasons. I say again, Liverpool were good against Hull and let's keep things into perspective!


"You'll Never Walk Alone"

Nyanyuk

It's confirmed! Both Abdullah Badawi and Mahathir suffer from dementia. It's such a shame that Malaysians have two very unforgettable forgetful big shots. One is the current Prime Minister who people claim he likes to flip and flop. He always say one thing today and the opposite tomorrow. I don't think he simply likes to flip and flop. I think it is just that he forgets. The second person suffering from dementia would be our former Prime Minister who now doubts his vision, Vision 2020. Of course, he forgot he made an impossible vision to start of with. In Malaysia Language, we call these people nyanyuk!

First of all, let's talk about the current Prime Minister. In The Star Online, he told the Pakatan Rakyat Selangor Government not to push the blame to others but to just get on with the job to restore Bukit Antarabangsa which suffered a major landslide last week. So is he saying that this tragedy has nothing to do with the previous state government under Khir Toyo? No, it wasn't the buyers fault to choose to stay there. No, it wasn't the developers fault to build bungalows there. No, it wasn't any of the Selangor's past government's fault for approving all the projects there. It simply is the state government in power since 9 months ago which caused this disaster which killed 4 people. No? Oh, he is saying no matter who did the mess, you clean it up as you are in charge now. If not, someone please challenge me that I misinterpreted him and make it clear to me what he meant.

Khalid Ibrahim said the previous government approved 99 hillside projects. Then Badawi came out and simply told him to get on with his job which is cleaning up the mess. Now I know we have a very irresponsible Prime Minister in charge! He forgot it was his party members in the previous state government which approved all these projects and led to the landslide. If not that, he is just not taking the blame. Is it really that hard to just accept the responsibility and apologize?

I am disgusted time and again for the very same reason that the UMNO government does not know what is called apology and responsibility. Whenever there's a mistake, a major mistake which can't even be dismissed, will simply be put aside and not bothered with. Even when challenged, they have this nonchalant attitude towards it, turning a blind eye and not doing anything to restore their image. That's how powerful they are that they do not fear being challenged. They simply won't accept anything against them. You say them bad, you are mad! It's never ever their fault.

Then let's talk about Tun Mahathir. He came up with Vision 2020 which also talked about national unity. He wanted to see Malaysians unite as one. Then, he was a member of UMNO who always parade their Malay Supremacy which put the other races on unequal footing. It can't be challenged as they always say it is in unconstitutional. Yet, this smart guy came up with a vision to get the support of the whole nation for 22 years. People see him so unique as if he is the only Muslim who has a vision. People bought his vision, just to be called stupid. From start, the vision was never one which can be achieved. It simply is unconstitutional if pursuit. Now, he said he is doubtful if it can be achieved. I think he forgot that he made the vision to coy people into supporting him only rather than truly wanting to achieve it. Yet, he currently doubt it can be achieved. It never was designed to be achieved.

I am so proud to be a Malaysian. So happy to be born and live under such forgetful idiots. Maybe they are not nyanyuk at all. They simply play stupid. Why this situation changed so little? The answer would be we are more stupid than those fools. Let's prove we are not and challenge them till they fall apart!!!

PSV Eindhoven 1 Liverpool 3

Liverpool top Group D! Liverpool have done it with their so-called "fringe" players. With the second leg at Anfield, it sure is an advantage. However, there's sure to be no easy opponents here on. Who I want next? I just hope Liverpool win till the end. Deep down, I feel Liverpool will meet Lyon, which was my hope when Houllier was still Lyon's manager. For interest sake, I hope Liverpool face Inter, which is now under Mourinho! If Liverpool win against them, the confidence and mood at Anfield will go sky high again.

"Select me in place for El Nino!!!"

It was not a spectacular game but football doesn't always happen that way. With seven changes made to the squad, Liverpool still looked a very strong team. Riera, Babel, Keane, Mascherano and Carragher were in the line up. For the first half, nothing much happened. Liverpool controlled the game and were on top of PSV. However, the first goal came against the run of play when Lazovic scored for PSV in the 36th minute. Thankfully, Babel snatched the equaliser just in time before the end of the first half. Lucas Leiva took a well taken free kick which was met by the unchallenged Babel.

"Riera scored a screamer!"

In the second half, the same continued as Liverpool were the better side. Still, there were not many goal mouth actions. However without warning, Reira took a shot at goal from 30 yards out to put Liverpool ahead when 20 minutes were left. It was a beautiful shot. The goal spurred the others to score as well. Ngog was taking shots at goal. Keane were constantly yelling for the ball just to be annoyed by Babel. With Keane looking absolutely angry with Babel, I did not like it at all. He was calling for the ball even when he was in a bad position. He made some good runs but nothing near Torres' standard.

"Ngog got his goal!"

Soon, he got frustrated and start running the midfield more. Instead of waiting for an assist, he turned to making an assist himself to show the others what kind of ball should be sent to him. His first great pass went to Ngog beautifully and Ngog made no mistake to secure the win. Then moments later, Keane tried again and found Lucas but he failed to control the ball. Throughout the match, I thought Keane was only good after Reira scored. Before that, I didn't see him contributing a lot.

Thanks to Marseille who drew with Atletico Madrid, Liverpool topped the group with 14 points and will now await their next opponent. Their next Champions League game will be three months from now. Liverpool topped the Champions League group and the Premier League table. Now, that's an indication to me that Rafa is doing things right although may not be doing things the most convincing of ways. I can't remember when was the last time Liverpool were in this position. Now that they can fully concentrate on domestic football, I hope Liverpool see through Christmas unscratched. They say January will be the time to see if Liverpool will still stay top as an indicator that they are real contenders this season. To me if they stay in contention by then, they stand a great chance to win the title as they always performed better than the rests in the second half of the season!


"You'll Never Walk Alone"

Liverpool 0 West Ham 0

Liverpool took over Chelsea as leaders of the BPL! However, it was not the best result Liverpool could have hoped for. Despite a point more than Chelsea, it was very disappointing not to win against West Ham at home. Throughout 90 minutes, West Ham played for a draw and they achieved it. On the positive, Liverpool can aim to stay above the rest throughout the season now on.

After some disappointing display against Fulham and Marseille, I was looking forward for a much improved performance. Liverpool played better. They passed better and were in full control of the game. However, they failed again in the last quarter and that has reduced their advantage over Chelsea. West Ham was putting everyone behind the ball. It clearly achieved in stopping Liverpool. I can't remember the last time I saw that many long shots from Liverpool. I guess I must go back to the days Berger, McManaman and Redknapp were in Liverpool's midfield.

I do fancy long shots when opponents are hard to breakdown. However, Gerrard just could not find his strides on the night. He was probably too anxious of getting the winner. I thought he was pushing it too much to the point he compromised his game intelligence. I felt he could have done better in certain situation than simply having a go at the ball despite under pressure. On the night, Rafa got it right. He must have knew West Ham would be there to defend. That's why he started Hyypia behind. He played well on the night too defending well and attacking corners with his headers. It was just the players who failed to break West Ham's defence. I am already starting to miss Torres. I hope I don't have to feel this way until he comes back!

"Where was I?!!"

Keane was totally out of synch with Liverpool's game. I am really starting to think he is a waste of money. He did not do enough to challenge for the ball. When he got the ball, he lost posession of it. His runs were never close to anything Torres would do. Maybe in Torres' absence, Rafa should start considering putting Babel up front. He may not give a consistent preformance but I would prefer that than someone who consistently failed to perform.

The result could not be solely blamed on Liverpool. I thought Green did some fantastic save to secure the point for West Ham. Benayoun did nothing wrong with an opportunity in front of goal. Yet, Green was up to it and managed to save the shot. It was just a frustrating night for the Reds. This season, Liverpool have been playing better away than home. When I saw the match, I think I know why. Away from home, there was less pressure from the fans. They could play their normal game. At home, especially like last night when Chelsea dropped points, the fans were just impatient to see Liverpool score. The moans could be heard so loud. In the first half, I heard some Christmas tunes. In the second half, I felt Anfield was a horrible place whenever a player did not make a sprint with the ball. I felt their moans caused the players to be under extreme pressure. Ironically, the pressure comes from the ones who call themselves world's best supporters.

I understand it is irretating when the opportunity is there to be grabbed and the players failed to do so on the pitch. However, we must remember they need our support. We want them to play as well as they could at home, with the pleasure of the support from the fans. Not the pressure from the fans. I thought the support was unconditional. At times this season, I felt I was wrong. Maybe after nearly two decades of not winning the league title, everyone just couldn't wait. Let's all stop moaning and back them up like we used to when they needed it. They need it to stay top till May. If we want to see an improvement in their matches, I think fans should start supporting them unconditionally to get their spirit and confidence up. Reds, Come on!!! In Liverpool, I believe!!!


"You'll Never Walk Alone"

Liverpool 1 Marseille 0

Liverpool through to the knockout stage! Despite not playing up to par again, Liverpool managed to pull off the victory thanks to a superb header from captain Steven Gerrard. With qualifications secured, Liverpool can now concentrate more on the league. Having said that, I am sure they are still gunning for top spot in the Champions League group for the advantage of having the second leg at Anfield.

"There's only ONE Stevie G!"

It was another nervy performance by Liverpool. They were not getting their passing right and were under constant pressure from Marseille. Thankfully, they saw it through and a moment of brilliance from Gerrard was the difference. Alonso found him and crossed a beauty for him to score the header. It was a very good header indeed.

After the goal, Liverpool failed to score the second and it really caused Liverpool to be under pressure. Liverpool seriously need to be more clinical up front. If not, games will never be ended before the final whistle and that will wear out Liverpool. Players are already showing signs of fatigue due to the matches where they had to fight till the end to win the games earlier in the season. Now, they still have to fight till the end despite not conceding because they cannot finish.

"Reina keeps another clean sheet!"

Torres has yet to find his match fitness. And after the game, it was such a disappointment to know that he injured his hamstring again. It was the third time this season. Liverpool will be without him for another month. I fear Liverpool might really miss him. The others especially Keane just do not impress in the final quarter.

Despite not playing well against Marseille, I am thankful Liverpool won. This season has been good in terms of results. Their performance has not been great but I would be very happy if they just continue winning.


"You'll Never Walk Alone"