The OFFICIAL Liverpool Supporters thread

[Stalin]

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=C2QEm028lKA

[Carmen Stateside]

Very good 

[supersub]

thats quality! all the accents r class!

[Mentalman]

Alonso still eyeing Juventus move


Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso says he is still tempted by a potential switch to Italian giants Juventus.
Juventus pulled out of a move for Alonso in the summer with coach Claudio Ranieri later revealing it was because the Spaniard was "too slow".
But that has not stopped Alonso, 26, reigniting the possibility of a transfer away from Anfield.
"To be honest, for my part, the attraction (to Juventus) has remained intact," said Alonso.
Instead of moving for Alonso, Juventus signed Christian Poulsen from Sevilla.
   
"One thing I can say is that I personally appreciated the honesty of the club executives," Alonso told Gazzetta dello Sport.
"They told me their tactics on the pitch were different and that is why they chose Poulsen and not me.
"These are things that happen in football and it's fine. I could have gone but I didn't because, in the end, they chose someone else."
He added: "Juventus are Juventus, the most prestigious club in Italy, but you cannot be disappointed when you play for Liverpool."

Meanwhile, former Liverpool and Blackburn defender Stephane Henchoz has announced his retirement from football.
Henchoz has not been with a club since his contract with Blackburn ran out in June.
He won the Uefa Cup, FA Cup and League Cup in 2001, going on to make 205 appearances for the Reds.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/7667146.stm

[gawa316]

SSN reporting on A. Madrid game going to be played at a neutral venue

[Kentucky Blue]

Would be sad to see alonso leave anfield, always a very effective and under-rated player IMHO.

Just on alonso, is it just me or does he look the dead ringer of Tyrone's Enda McGinley?  

[Norf Tyrone]

SSN reporting on A. Madrid game going to be played at a neutral venue

I know crime is a problem in Liverpool, but that's harsh.

[Mentalman]

Reds face Atletico ground switch

Liverpool's Champions League opponents Atletico Madrid must play their next two home matches away from the Calderon Stadium as a result of crowd trouble.

The Uefa ban follows the treatment of Marseille fans during and after Atletico's 2-1 win a fortnight ago.

Monkey chants were aimed at the French club's players, while the Marseille team bus was attacked after the match.

The Liverpool game, on 22 October, will be held at a neutral venue, yet to be chosen, 200 miles away from Madrid.

The Spanish club have also been fined a record 150,000 euros by European governing body Uefa, while the punishment could be extended to a third home match should there be further trouble at the club within five years.

Atletico coach Javier Aguirre has also been banned from coaching the side in their matches against Liverpool on 22 October and also at Anfield on 4 November for abusing a Marseille player.

A Liverpool spokesman said: "We are liaising closely with Uefa and as soon as we have any further information we will make it available to our fans."

The decision to move the game from Madrid will deny former Atletico striker Fernando Torres the chance to return to his former home ground when the Reds look to maintain their 100% start to their European campaign next month.

Atletico must also play PSV Eindhoven away from the Vicente Calderon Stadium on 26 November.

"Atletico are shocked by the news," reports BBC Radio 5 Live's Ashish Sharma.

"Basically Uefa are unhappy with the way the police treated Marseille fans. They forced them to remove banners and they refused to escort the team bus from the training ground to the stadium, which was then attacked.

A Uefa spokesman said the ruling was part of the organisation "acting with renewed strength" against racism.

News of the suspension comes a day after the Football Association refused to sanction a plan to stage an England friendly against Spain in Madrid because of the racist abuse suffered by the likes of Ashley Cole and Shaun Wright-Phillips the last time they played there.

The punishment appears to be a lot harsher than that imposed upon Croatia a month ago.

Their FA was fined just £15,000 by world governing body Fifa after their supporters aimed monkey chants at Emile Heskey during England's World Cup qualifying 4-1 victory.

However, Gaillard denied "double standards", saying: "That was a Fifa fine, not a Uefa fine.

"We have no direct influence on Fifa decisions at all. But if we had been in charge, the punishment would have been a lot heavier."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/7668854.stm

[GalwayBayBoy]

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=C2QEm028lKA

Saw that yesterday. Brilliant impersonations.

[EC Unique]

Liverpool fans' plans for next week's Champions League match against Atletico Madrid are in "tatters" after Uefa switched the game to a neutral venue.

Uefa has imposed a two-match home ban on Atletico after trouble at their last Champions League game versus Marseille.

It means the Reds' match next Wednesday must be played 200 miles from Madrid.

"It is an utterly ridiculous decision so late in the day," chairman of the Liverpool Supporters' Club Richie Pedder told BBC Sport.

"We probably have three to four thousand fans going out to Madrid for the match. The flights will have been booked, the hotels will have been arranged, and now it's in tatters. What are they supposed to do now?

"I guess we're left with two options - change the destination of where the fans are flying in to, or to arrange coaches or some other form of transport from Madrid to wherever the new venue will be.

"But who does that? Uefa? The club? The fans themselves through the travel agents? It's a mess."

Uefa communications director William Gaillard admitted that Liverpool fans would suffer as a result of the decision but insisted it could not be avoided.

"We are concerned about the fans. We know they face hardship and disruption and we sympathise with that, but we needed to punish Atletico Madrid. We have no alternative.

"We are looking at the logistics and seeing what help we can provide."

The timing of the decision to switch the match, just eight days before the game, could be worsened by the fact Atletico have the right to appeal until 17 October, meaning a final decision may not be made until the weekend.

Should the ruling be upheld, supporters will be denied the chance to witness former Atletico striker Fernando Torres turning out at what used to be his home stadium.


purescousemachine
"Don't forget this is Torres's return to Atletico and his former home ground," said Pedder, "and a lot of people will have booked to see the match on the strength of that. Now it's been taken away and that is another added disappointment.

"If Uefa were going to make this decision, they should have given some thought to the fans. Let's be honest, when it comes down to it, Uefa have erred."

Liverpool have written to Uefa to express their concerns over the switch, with chief executive Rick Parry admitting: "If the match is played at least 300km from Madrid, it will cause major disruption, inconvenience and large additional expense for our fans."

However, Pedder is keen for the club to address any potential travel and accommodation problems the fans may encounter, saying: "The hope is that the club will put out a statement looking at those issues.

"We don't want them waiting a day or two to decide what to do. All Liverpool fans will want to know what is going to happen should the game be switched as soon as possible and will want things put in motion."

[charlie stubbs]

http://www.picoodle.com/view.php?img=/3/10/8/f_Skm_12bfcdf.png&srv=img28

saw this link on football 365 the skirt be some street fighter character!!

[ExiledGael]

Torres has lasted less than twenty minutes for Spian in Belgium. Taken off injured holding back of his leg.

[Stalin]

Babel off early too

[stevo-08]

Hopefully Torres & Babel are ok for the weekend. Any reports on how bad the injurys are.
Would be a nice time for Rafa to finally get a win over Steve Bruce in the PL.

[corn02]

Torres out for next two games.