Goal Highlights: Blackpool 2-1 Liverpool

The Reds season misery continues again with Kenny Dalglish’s first Premier League game away to Blackpool yesterday. Liverpool struck early in the match at Bloomfield Road but went down 1-2 to the Seasiders yet again.

Clearly, Dalglish has had got the players’ confidence and commitment back onto the pitch but we still lack some personnel to the overall playing squad. It also shows that the Reds has missed Gerrard’s influence on the pitch.

Read the match report from LiverpoolFC.tv and watch the goal highlights courtesy of SportskeVideoVesti.

  

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Daniel Pacheco scores in front of Kenny Dalglish

Daniel Pacheco scored a superb goal in front of Kenny Dalglish as Liverpool Reserves beat Sunderland 2-1 at the Academy on Tuesday afternoon. Watch highlights now online.

Nikola Saric bagged the other goal on a day when the young Reds played some lovely football as Dalglish, Steve Clarke and Sammy Lee watched from the sidelines.

Liverpool's caretaker boss will also have been delighted to see Jay Spearing come through 90 minutes on his return from a fracture just above his ankle.

The only negative for manager John McMahon was the late dismissal of goalkeeper Martin Hansen for a foul which led to Sunderland getting a consolation strike from the penalty spot.

The result keeps the second string top of their section of the Barclays Premier Reserve League North.

The opening 20 minutes were brought to life by 17-year-old Suso, who showed off his blend of wizardry and composure alongside the returning Spearing in central midfield.

The Spaniard produced a great delivery on 21 minutes which Emmanuel Mendy might have used better.

Tom Ince, back from a loan spell under his dad at Notts County, threatened on 27 minutes with a dainty turn and shot from the edge of the box which slid just wide.

Minutes later Pacheco gained possession before taking his markers one way and then the other. His eventual shot from 20 yards forced a fingertip save from Trevor Carson in the Sunderland goal.

Ince was next up with a well-struck hit which stung the goalkeeper's palms. [Read more…]

Sources: LiverpoolFC.tv, video courtesy of OjosMagicos59

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Match Preview: Blackpool v Liverpool

Barclays Premier League
Venue: Bloomfield Road

Date: Wednesday, 12 January

Kick-off: 2000 GMT

Blackpool manager Ian Holloway will reshuffle his pack after making nine changes for the FA Cup defeat to Southampton.

Elliot Grandin is available after a hamstring injury but David Carney is on international duty at the Asian Cup.

Liverpool's Steven Gerrard is banned while Glen Johnson will be a doubt if his partner has not given birth.

Joe Cole has an ankle problem and Paul Konchesky has a dead leg - both will be given late fitness tests.

Blackpool:

Injured/unavailable: Basham (leg), Carney (international duty), Clarke, Gilks & Martin (all knee), Harewood (hamstring)

Liverpool:

Suspended: Gerrard (three matches)

Doubtful: Cole (ankle), Johnson (personal reasons), Konchesky (dead leg)

Injured: Carragher (shoulder), Spearing (ankle)

Match officials:

Referee: Michael Oliver

Assistant referees: Mick McDonough & David Richardson

Fourth official: Anthony Taylor

When Kenny Dalglish was last in charge of Liverpool, Blackpool were in the old Fourth Division - now the two Premier League teams sit side by side on 25 points.

Dalglish will find many other changes since his last stint in charge of the Reds but their spirited 10-man display in the FA Cup defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford will give Liverpool fans hope that he still retains his golden touch.

Having come away beaten but not bowed from the largest stadium in the Premier League, Dalglish now takes his side to the smallest, Bloomfield Road, in a re-arranged game after their Boxing Day clash was postponed by the weather.

It will be at places like this that Liverpool's season - and Dalglish's future - will be decided. Just one win away from home this season has left the Reds only four points clear of the relegation zone.

Blackpool, who were also knocked out of the FA Cup at the weekend, have the opposite problem - their home form is the worst in the Premier League.

Ian Holloway describes Dalglish as "an absolute hero of mine" but will be going all out for a famous double after the Seasiders' win at Anfield earlier this season, a result which contributed to the premature departure of Dalglish's predecessor Roy Hodgson.

Source: BBC Sport UK

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PFA defends Ryan Babel Twitter joke

The Professional Footballer's Association chief executive Gordon Taylor has questioned the Football Association's decision to charge Liverpool's Ryan Babel over his Twitter post on Sunday, suggesting they lack a sense of humour and have "much more serious" issues to focus on such as the assault on the Stevenage player Scott Laird.

Babel was charged with improper conduct for posting a picture and comments about the referee Howard Webb on Twitter after Sunday's FA Cup defeat at Manchester United. He sent out a mocked-up picture of the World Cup final referee wearing a Manchester United shirt and also wrote: "And they call him one of the best referees? That's a joke. SMH [shaking my head]." Babel, who has yet to respond to the charge, later apologised via his Twitter account.

"Where's our sense of humour gone in our game?" Taylor said. "He's apologised, let's move on. "I would think that Howard Webb is a big enough man, a big enough person and good enough referee to take it.

"To my mind, and to most footballers' minds, it is the same sort of stuff that flies about every weekend via mobile phones, but they are obviously taking a stance on it. I thought a warning would have been sufficient." [Read more…]

Source: Guardian UK

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Steve Clarke appointed as Liverpool first team coach

Liverpool have appointed former Chelsea assistant manager Steve Clarke as first team coach.

Clarke, who played over 500 senior matches for St Mirren and Chelsea, is the first addition to new manager Kenny Dalglish's backroom staff following the departure of Roy Hodgson on Saturday.

"Steve is a great addition to our backroom team and I'm delighted we've been able to bring him into the club," the Scot said.

"I am looking forward to working with Steve alongside Sammy Lee (assistant manager) and our other technical staff."

The appointment of the well-respected Clarke will go some way to silencing the critics who claimed Dalglish, who has not managed for more than a decade, had been out for too long and was not equipped to deal with the modern-day demands of the game.

Clarke, who was at the club's Melwood training ground this morning, was a part of the coaching set-up at Chelsea under Jose Mourinho when the Blues won two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and two Carling Cups over three seasons.

Mike Kelly, who Hodgson brought with him from Fulham as coach in the summer, was not involved with the team in their FA Cup defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford yesterday and his departure from Liverpool will be confirmed in due course.

Source: Premier League.com

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