2013/14 Pre-Season Begins At Deepdale

Liverpool's preparation for the new season began perfectly with a 4-0 victory away to Preston North End to win the Shankly Shield.

The friendly was arranged to celebrate the impact that Bill Shankly made on both teams, as a player at Preston and as the legendary manager at Liverpool in the year that he would have celebrated his 100th birthday.

Liverpool gave starting debuts to Simon Mignolet and Kolo Toure in a side of youth and experience but it was the youth that shone the brighter early on as Coutinho forced former red John Welsh to concede a penalty and the Brazilian stepped up to cooly slot home to open the scoring.

The lead doubled in the 36th minute via a superb long range strike from Jordon Ibe who notched his first goal for the club and Liverpool went into the break with a 2-0 lead.

The second half saw Luis Alberto and Iago Aspas make their debuts as part of ten changes which meant only Mignolet would play in both halves.Aspas was influential in Liverpool's third in the 64th minute through fit again Raheem Sterling who linked with Aspas before sliding the ball home for a well taken goal.

Aspas was rewarded for his earlier assist with the fourth and final goal of the afternoon in the 74th minute with a sweet strike from 25 yards which looped in and capped a good performance for Liverpool.

Season Results Magnetised

Carragher Bids Farewell On A High

An emotional farewell by Jamie Carragher in his 737th and final game for Liverpool saw a victory over QPR end his glittering seventeen years courtesy of a super strike by Philippe Coutinho.

A surprise entry on the final team-sheet was 17-year old Jordan Ibe who has impressed in the youth ranks this season and will hope to repeat the feat of one Michael Owen who's debut on the final day in 1997 began an amazing career which incidentally came to an end today as he retired at Stoke.

Liverpool came out of the blocks quickly as Coutinho was unlucky to be denied a goal by the official as he connected to a Downing corner with a header which appeared to cross the line but appeals were ignored.

As has been a tradition recently, Coutinho was the driving force for Liverpool and set himself up in the 18th minute as he evaded a challenge with ease before sending a shot wide of the post but he avenged the wayward shot with a stellar strike five minutes later as a cool assist by debutant Ibe saw the Brazilian waste no time in unleashing a 25-yard bullet that flew past Green and into the corner to send Anfield wild.

Liverpool pushed for a second as they maintained their pressure on the already relegated QPR and a surging run by Johnson saw him lift a left footed chance over the bar while QPR had a chance via Townsend from long range which blazed wide of the target.

A good debut for Ibe nearly became great as he swished down the left and aimed a bullet of a shot that flashed narrowly across the face of goal and saw the Reds go into the break at 1-0.

Five minutes after the restart and Green was called into action as Johnson hit a strong shot which arrowed towards the top corner forcing a improvised palm from the England stopper.

One dream that everyone in Liverpool red had in their mind was a Carragher goal in his final match and only the upright of the post denied the dream as an uncharacteristic screamer of a shot from the legendary number 23 agonisingly crashed back from 25 yards out to deny him a magic farewell.

Ten minutes to go and Suso stung the palms of Green from a tight angle only for the rebound to go to Downing who's goalbound shot was duly blocked.

As the end approached, Anfield saw a standing ovation as the stalwart Jamie Carragher was replaced by Sebastian Coates to bring an end to his amazing career as he bid farewell to Anfield for the final time before retiring to go into a media career for Sky Sports next season.

As the final whistle went, Liverpool had secured the win to end the season on a high and send Carragher off on a high as the future looks bright for the club with the hero again being the 20-year-old Coutinho who with Sturridge has turned the fortunes of the club around in recent months and makes many wonder how the season would have gone had they both been signed last summer rather then midway through the campaign.


Hopefully, I will sign off 2012/13 with a review and compilation of my magnetised scores within the week so watch this space....

Sturridge Treble Stuns Cottagers

Daniel Sturridge's first hat-trick for Liverpool proved the catalyst for a 3-1 victory over Fulham in the penultimate game of the season despite a superb goal by Berbatov.

Liverpool started well and Coutinho was the instigator of two good chances, the first saw an exchange between him and Shelvey which saw the England U21 midfielder drill a shot at goal only to have it blocked and the Brazilian tried with a solo effort.

The pressure continued as Sturridge had a good sight at goal but the chance was rushed and the ball slipped past the far post but as Liverpool were dominating possession, Fulham broke the deadlock just after the half-hour as the unmarked Berbatov latched onto an exquisite cross from Riether with a cool header into the corner past Reina.

Fulham's lead lasted barely three minutes as Liverpool equalised via a careful but concise pass from Wisdom found Sturridge and he swished past Hughes easily before a pinpoint strike past the ailing Schwarzer sent the 'travelling Kop' wild as it hit the roof of the net.

After the break, Liverpool came out firing on all cylinders as after Enrique replaced Wisdom - he curled in a crisp cross for Sturridge who met it well but the resulting header soared over the bar.

As the hour approached it seemed more likely for Liverpool to score than Fulham and as Coutinho hit a sharp shot, it deflected into the path of Sturridge who made no mistake in slotting a side-footed chance past Schwarzer to give his side a 2-1 lead. The lead could have been by three within minutes but two expert saves from Schwarzer denied Sturridge his hat-trick.

Fulham had a great chance to equalise from a corner as Hughes met the cross with a glancing header aimed at the far post and a textbook palm from Reina prevented an excellent leveller which could have soon been cancelled out by Borini, who came so close to matching his substitute heroics from the Newcastle game as he raced clear before smashing a shot that cannoned off the post followed by a good save from Schwarzer to keep the score at 2-1.

Liverpool sealed the win with five minutes to go as the lethal combination of Sturridge and Coutinho struck again as a super pass from the Brazilian playmaker found the England striker who lifted the ball over the onrushing Schwarzer and into the empty net to secure a well deserved three points for his side.

Merseyside Derby Ends In Stalemate

After a crushing win over Newcastle,Liverpool were forced to settle for a goalless draw against Everton after a tense Merseyside derby at Anfield.

On a day that was Jamie Carragher's thirtieth and final Merseyside derby, Liverpool failed to secure a vital win that would have closed the gap on their city rivals.

Liverpool started the better as Sturridge sent a half-volley wide from 20 yards out but despite that opening it was Everton who came closest to opening the scoring as Fellaini met a free-kick in the 17th minute with a volley which inched past the post.

On the half-hour, only a superb intervention by Jagielka prevented Gerrard from breaking the deadlock as after controlling a Downing cross, Henderson created a chance for the captain which found a strong block.


Jagielka denied Liverpool again as Sturridge failed to control a pass which found its way to Coutinho and he burst into the box but a last-ditch tackle by the centre-back cleared the danger.

After the restart, the combination of Sturridge and Coutinho came close to a crucial impact as a defence splitting pass gave Sturridge a view at goal but as he attempted to go round Howard, the Everton stopper anticipated the move and quelled the attack.

Everton found the back of the net on the hour mark but the goal was chalked off after Distin headed a corner past Reina but an obstruction in the area kept the score level. Coutinho came close after Johnson's cross from the right found no contact and strolled to the Brazilian but he drilled a shot that went straight to the arms of Howard.

Liverpool surged forward as Sturridge hit a nice pass to Gerrard but he went past Howard and from a tight angle created a chance which was cleared by the defence, both sides pushed for a winner and Agger failed to connect to a Gerrard free-kick before Anichebe hit the woodwork as the game neared the end. 

As the final whistle blew, both sides accepted that a draw was a deserved result as they took away a point each.Liverpool move onto face Fulham next week in their penultimate game of the season.

Liverpool hit Newcastle for Six

After a big week for Liverpool over the Suarez bite incident, many thought that they would struggle without the 30-goal superstar but how wrong they were as the Reds swept six past a woeful Newcastle.

The main change was Sturridge replacing the suspended Suarez who will sit out the next ten games so Sturridge will have to lead the line alone for a while.

Liverpool flew out of the blocks as Coutinho slid a ball to Johnson in space who squared to Sturridge but Taylor in the Newcastle defence quelled the danger but in clearing the box they left Coutinho and Agger open and the Dane rose to head past Elliot to open the scoring in the 3rd minute.

Liverpool bossed Newcastle all over the park and added to their lead after a sweet run from Coutinho towards goal saw him roll the ball through to Sturridge who picked out Henderson who tapped home from close range and raced away in celebration.

Newcastle should have pulled one back in the 38th minute as Perch smashed over a free header from barely a few yards to leave the Geordies still two behind into the break.

Newcastle came out firing on all cylinders and only Johnson's quick block denied Cabaye a certain goal from close range which was costly for the home side as Liverpool scored a third, Coutinho involved yet again as he lifted a ball over the defence where Sturridge deftly collected and smashed past Elliot for 3-0.

An hour gone and the game ended as a contest as Gerrard's exquisite pass over the top for Henderson allowed him to roll the ball across the box to the unmarked Sturridge who tapped home for his eighth Liverpool goal in 2013.

Gerrard departed in the 72nd minute and replaced by the returning Borini who had come back from shoulder surgery and a long time on the sidelines but he made an instant impact after latching onto a cross from  Downing to smash home his first league goal in the Liverpool red and give Liverpool a 5-0 lead.

Debuchy who had been booked in the first half for a scuffle with Sturridge received his marching orders in the 75 minute for a dangerous two-footed challenge on Coutinho and from the resulting free-kick, Henderson swept in a sweetly curled effort which evaded everyone and flew past Elliot for his second goal and Liverpool's sixth.

All afternoon for Liverpool it was Coutinho who was the most deserving of a goal for his efforts and he came so close with a super strike which was tipped onto the bar by the diving Elliot and kept Liverpool from a magnificent seventh.

Full time and a crushing win for Liverpool to quell doubters that they would struggle without Suarez and show that without the Uruguayan, their attack is just as potent which is good timing with the Merseyside derby against city rivals Everton on the cards for next Sunday.

Suarez goes from Villain to Hero to Deny Chelsea

 Liverpool played host to Chelsea on an afternoon that saw the first return of fans favourite Rafa Benitez and the pre-match hype certainly lived up in a frantic 90 minutes.

Both sides started well but it was former Chelsea man Johnson who had a toe-poke which strayed wide and former Anfield hero Torres had a chance in the 11th minute but luckily Enrique's diving interception quelled the danger. 

Chelsea then took a surprising lead in the 26th minute as Oscar rose from a corner to head past Reina and stun the Anfield faithful but the lead could have doubled within minutes after a trip on Hazard by Henderson led to a booking and Luiz belting the resulting free-kick at Reina which was spilled but soon recovered before an advantage could be taken.

Torres recieved a booking for a harsh elbow on former team-mate Carragher and Suarez fired a powerful shot at Cech in what was the last action of the half.

Liverpool's lack of attack saw the introduction of Sturridge but with a surprise exit with Coutinho leaving the field rather than Henderson who had a really poor first 45, Sturridge made an instant impact as 30 seconds in he found Gerrard who hit a in-swinging shot which was only denied by a good save by Cech.

Seconds later, Sturridge unleashed a shot from 25 yards only to see it ping back off the post but his luck was soon to change as in the 52nd minute, Suarez swung in a pinpoint cross that Sturridge met at the back post and sent past Cech to level the score and send the Kop wild.

The tide swung again four minutes later as a cross from the right side was hand-balled by Suarez and from the resulting penalty Hazard sent Reina the wrong way to regain the lead for his side at 2-1.

Minutes later, Suarez seemed to show his frustration as when Liverpool attacked he scuffled with Ivanovic and looked to have grabbed his arm and bit into it leading to the Chelsea defender going down and complaining to the referee but no action was taken but the TV cameras got a good look and it seems Suarez will face a witch-hunt after the game. 

The battle between Torres and Carragher saw the latter barely touch his former team-mate but the Spaniard's theatrics saw a booking for Carragher who didn't hold back with his opinion on the decision to referee Friend.

Liverpool had a great chance to equalise via Shelvey but he dragged his shot wide and shock ensued at the announcement of six minutes of added time and at the end of which the inevitable happened as the villain of the afternoon Suarez popped up with a glancing header which beat Cech after being provided with the chance by Sturridge and meant the game finished level at 2-2.

Sadly the headlines of the game were focused on Suarez who admitted his crime and apologised but will face serious action mainly due to having being banned for the same offence while playing for Ajax  and was banned for seven games.

As Liverpool only have four games left this season, it is doubtful that we will see Suarez grace the field again and may have to wait longer if he is banned for the start of next season.