Liverpool Struggled Past Marseille

Liverpool will have their skipper to thank for as they sealed their passage to the last 16.

After the disappointing home draw against Fulham, Liverpool was expected to win this match with style. However it was not a performance that made any Reds proud.

Marseille could have snatched a draw if Lady Luck had smiled on them last night. Liverpool was lucky that Gerrard header was enough to give Liverpool the victory.

In this match, only Torres and Gerrard impressed. The defence looked nervy, the midfielder could not win the battle in the middle of the park and poor Torres was isolated alone.

Mascherano had his worst game in Liverpool shirt. His form has dipped eversince appointed the captain of Argentina.

Maybe Rafa could well to rest him for some matches. I hope Rafa will start Babel and Benayoun in the match against West Ham.

Liverpool need some creativity in midfield.

Indeed, the result was good but the performance was ugly.

Liverpool Denied Victory

After watching last night match, I fully with Rafa's post match interview.

Rafa said" If anyone comes to me and said we will have 7 points after tonight's game, I will be very happy but after watching the match, I feel that it's 2 points dropped." Rightly so.

Liverpool dominated the match in the first half with Keane scoring in the 14th minute. Keane could easily scored his second and sealed the game after a superb cross from Gerrard. Instead of tapping the ball into goal, Keane opted to aduciously flipped the ball into his net. However Keane missed the ball completely. Rafa was absolutely livid with Keane. Just what on earth was going through Keane's mind when he attacked the ball?

In a tough away game like this at the Stadium of Vicente Calderon and 1-0 to the good, Keane should have buried the ball into the back of the net.

There were some bad decision from the lineman not to allow Benayoun's goal to stood. Replay showed Benayoun was clearly onside. However Mainche goal's should have stood as well. Babel nearly gave Liverpool the victory when his header flashed past the goal.

The failure to convert chances haunted the Reds when Simao levelled in the 83rd minute. Both Carragher and Aberloa should share the blame in the manner they conceded the equalizer.

Nevertheless it was an encouraging display from Liverpool in such difficult match away.

Liverpool can held their head up for this Sunday top of the table clash against Chelsea.

Portsmouth - FA Cup Winner 2007/2008

Congratulation to Portsmouth FC for winning this season FA Cup after a 1-0 win over Cardiff City.

It was an entertaining open game. In the end, class and experience made the difference. Cardiff made life difficult for Pompey but a goalkeeping error by Enckelmann allowed Kanu to hook the ball into the net.

It was Portsmouth's day and it was Harry's day. They will be playing in the UEFA next season.

How I just wish that the holder of the Cup is my Liverpool FC.

Weekend of Upset

After Man Utd and Chelsea were knocked out from the FA Cup by lesser fancied opponents, it was left to Boro to avoid the same fate against Cardiff at the Riverside.

After the first half, the scoreline read Boro 0 Cardiff 2. Boro's chance was effectively over by then. Another shock in the making. Boro could not recover and the score remained until the final whistle.

This season's FA Cup is without a doubt shocking in recent years. The last time a non EPL team played in a FA Cup Final was in 3 years ago when Millwall played Man Utd. After West Brom won the last quarter final against Bristol City, only 1 EPL team was through to the semi-final. Portsmouth meets the Baggies while the Tykes will take on Cardiff. I won't be surprise if 2 non EPL teams played in the final. To me, this is the most exciting FA Cup in recent times. I prefer to see other teams play in the final rather than the Big Four with the exception of Liverpool.

The winner of the FA Cup goes into next season UEFA Cup. Just imagine Barnsley in the UEFA Cup or Cardiff in the UEFA Cup? Not many people can imagine. Not even the team. The four teams are just 180 mins away from lifting the Cup and into the UEFA Cup.

Can Barnsley, West Brom or Cardiff achieve the impossible? Nothing is impossible if you dare to dream!

Stay tune.

Romance of FA Cup

This year FA Cup will be truly be called "Fairytale Cup". After Liverpool was shockingly eliminated by Barnsley, only Man Utd and Chelsea are the only big guns left in the competiton. They are the favourites for the final after meeting drawing Portsmouth and Barnsley respectively.

Portsmouth then produced a shocked at Old Trafford by snatching a 1-0 win. It was left for Chelsea to conquer the competition. In shock of shock and horror of horror, Barnsely stunned the football world by beating the multi-millionaires by the same scoreline at Oakwell Stadium. So now who do we left with? No Big Four...the list goes:

Portsmouth....Barnsley, Cardiff or Boro and West Brom or Bistrol City. Imagine Cardiff or Bistrol Rovers or even Barnsley winning the FA Cup?

Don't write them off. After Barnsley defeat of Chelsea, all the other 4 teams are more motivated to win their respective ties.

This is truly Romance of the FA Cup....

Utterly Disgraceful

Out of the title running, out of Carling Cup, struggling for the fourth spot, facing a tough Champion match against Inter Milan and now dumped out of the FA Cup 5th round by Barnsley at ANFIELD!

It was an embrassing result! When 5th round draw was made, I was delighted. The truth is Liverpool is in crisis. There's no two ways about it. If Liverpool fail to prgoress to the quarter final of the Champion League, it is the end of Rafa at Anfield.

When I was watching the game, there is no urgency from Liverpool. Perhaps their mind is on the Champion League match coming midweek or they are short of confidence. I am surely losing confidence in Rafa. The players played some part at the humiliating exit. Players like Alonso should not be wearing the Liverpool shirt again. He is often guilty of giving the ball away. Why did Rafa replace Babel with Kewell when the former was easily the best players on the pitch? What about Crouch? I forgotten if he was playing the match last nite.

The decision to give Rafa the sack will much depend the CL progress. Whatever it is, Rafa is not the man to lead Liverpool for the 17th title.