West Ham away 30/1/07

Rafael Benitez looked ahead to Tuesday's trip to Upton Park and insisted: "There's no point beating Chelsea and then losing to West Ham.

Liverpool's victory last weekend saw them climb to within five points of the Champions and the Reds have a chance to further reduce the gap when they take on the relegation-battling Hammers this week.

A win could see us go within 2 points of Chelsea, so it is a must win game.
Soft arse, money grabbing Lucas Neill is out with a poorly ankle - he has sent in a note from his Mummy to say he won't be playing.

I'm going for a hard fought 2-0 win to the mighty Reds.
Gerrard and Kuyt.

Rafael Benitez looked ahead to Tuesday's trip to Upton Park and insisted: "There's no point beating Chelsea and then losing to West Ham.

Liverpool's victory last weekend saw them climb to within five points of the Champions and the Reds have a chance to further reduce the gap when they take on the relegation-battling Hammers this week.

A win could see us go within 2 points of Chelsea, so it is a must win game.
Soft arse, money grabbing Lucas Neill is out with a poorly ankle - he has sent in a note from his Mummy to say he won't be playing.

I'm going for a hard fought 2-0 win to the mighty Reds.
Gerrard and Kuyt.

Greedy arse Neill was sh*tting himself in case he had to play against us, know way is he injured 

Exactly right Rafa. No point defeating the Chavs to throw points away on Tuesday.

We need a 14 match winning run now.  I hope Neill plays and scores an oggy or Carra gets him back

I fancy the reds to nick it 1-0.

I expect a tight game. The Irons are fighting for there lives at the proverbial business end of the season, and I do hope they stay up and wish them well for the future.................. .............the future beginning on the 31st Jan!!!!!

I'm confident we will pinch this one by the odd goal but its going to be close!!! 1-2 to the 'Pool for me! 

i think its going to be a tight game hopefully the reds can keep a clean sheet and nick a goal 1 - 0 Bellamy the scorer

We go to Upton Park in good heart, can't slip up and drop any points against a pretty ordinary West Ham side.
We've gotta put on good professional performance, doesn't have to be brilliant, just go in and leave with three points.
Most probably 2-0 (Crouchie and Kuyt)

COME ON YOU REDMEN!

  :action-smiley-065:

Of course Rafa is right with his statement and I hope he can convince his players too. This one is CRUCIAL if Pool wants to remain a tiny chance for the championship. If Pool wins, they'll be contenders (next game at home vs. Everton should be a win too). If they loose or just play remis, it's over and they should just watch out for Arsenal.

We will see what this team is all about, because a great team can come back from a heavy and important game and finish a normal contender, a weaker team normally may be capable of pulling out a surprise one against a good team, but then lacks consistency....

Does anyone know if the games on sky

yes mate, I think it's on sky sports 1 at 7.30

Thanks mrtommo i think il cheer the reds on in the pub

After a weekend of inaction the Reds must have been plotting a big trashing at Upton Park.

C'mon lads, Reading did a 6-1, I'm sure we could do way better than that!

What's the odds on a Carra hattrick?

Thanks mrtommo I think il cheer the reds on in the pub

What a Fantastic idea 

Exactly right Rafa. No point defeating the Chavs to throw points away on Tuesday.

We need a 14 match winning run now.  I hope Neill plays and scores an oggy or Carra gets him back

I fancy the reds to nick it 1-0.

Yes we certainly do. Tomorrow our 14 game run starts.
If we win all 14 games we can earn 42 points.
Who says the title battle is over?

i fancy i 2 nill win for us. kruyt with boath. i think it is called for a nice pint watchin this game. come on the reds.

Im going for a 2 - 0 to us, west ham still have players who need to gell and they lost to watford town so i think the reds will win rather easy

On Sky Sports tonight.

Looking forward to it, i'm having withdrawal symptoms !!  COME ON REDS !!

It's been a while hasn't it Smigs.  Just hope we get all three points.

With a bit of luck (and class) we should be breathing down Chelsea's necks by 10 o'clock tonight.

Im going for a 2-1 win tonight my best mate Dirk Kuyt to get both goals. With Harewood getting a concelation goal 90 seconds from the end.

im going for 3-0, i hear today that neill is out injured, tis a shame.
but then again,he's got a thing of injuring our players, so it might be a good thing he's out.

Rafael Benitez has made two changes to the Liverpool team for tonight's Premiership clash against West Ham. 
Out go Jermaine Pennant and Fabio Aurelio, with Craig Bellamy and Sami Hyypia coming in to replace them.
 
Bellamy will form a three-pronged attack alongside Dirk Kuyt and Peter Crouch as Benitez opts for the system that worked so effectively at Watford recently.
 
Team in full: Reina, Finnan, Riise, Hyypia, Agger, Carragher, Gerrard, Alonso, Crouch, Kuyt, Bellamy. Subs – Dudek, Fowler, Gonzalez, Pennant, Zenden 

LFC- 3
WEST HAM - 1

oh and poor lucas neill... thats what happens when you reject Liverpool for more pennies.

Poor old Lucas.  Let's hope Rafa goes over and decks him

Drab so far.  Usually worked this strategy of playing all three strikers.   Let's hope it continues.

plenty of possession, and getting most of the decisions, but the final ball is awful.
in saying that tho', we get 1 - we get plenty 

In a rather worrying development - it looks like Curbs has taught this lot how to defend

Does anyone think that Dirk looks a bit off tonight, he's usually sharper than this and he's give the ball away a few times, and whats happening with the corners ?  i hate it when they kick them out for a strike, they never work, just get them into the goalmouth and let Croughy sort it !!  Bellers looking very sharp tonight think he'll be our goalscorer tonight     

too be honest smiggs, all 3 front men look off tonite, but there again there not getting the service.
we just need that final ball, a decent corner or a Frank Lumpard type deflected shot.

0-0 half time.  Worried.

I hate playing these relegation threatened clubs with their cup tie atmospheres.

too be honest smiggs, all 3 front men look off tonite, but there again there not getting the service.
we just need that final ball, a decent corner or a Frank Lumpard type deflected shot.

Here's hoping in the second half eh ?  Back to it !!!  Speak later 

Hallelujah......

go on son !!!!!!
Kuyt you beauty

Kuyt read your half-time teamtalk Smigger!

Rafa's gonna sort it out i'm sure. I'm still foreseeing at least one Carra goal! Go on Reds!

Have it....!!

Get in there.  2 points behind the Chavs.  I knew once the door opened... etc etc

FCUK ME
Goals a plenty.

2-0 to the reds.  Crouch.

smiggs, thought Bellamy was going to be the special one  :

is it too early to say Reina's showing safe hands, and 13 games to glory ??

1-2 come redmen 3 points are needed.

Yeeeeeeeesssssssssssss 13 games to glory !!!!!!!!

and no nails left !

f***in get in, 3 more points in the bag.

Loved both our goals.

Great result all though typically we made it a little bit interesting at the end!!

13 games to go.  Our form of late has been superb - down to Rafa's 'rotation'?  But yet again - just like last season...

If only we had started the season just a little bit less ... sh*t.

Derby day coming up. Let's beat the blue sh*te.

Great result - thought Bellamy played very well.

Pennant's weediness cost us that goal when he was easily dispossed BUT good away performance.  A real cup tie atmosphere - teams like West Ham who are fighting for points are NEVER easy places to go to.

Good to see us avoid what we normally do after winning against a decent side and then throwing some points away.  Kuyt's goal was great - he is such a threat both inside and outside the penalty box.

Well done to the reds who made the trip down - you did us all proud with your singing.

And loved Rafa falling on his arse - can you imagine if Jose did that - he wouldn't speak to anyone for a couple of weeks.

smiggs, thought Bellamy was going to be the special one  :

is it too early to say Reina's showing safe hands, and 13 games to glory ??

What do I know ?  I thought Dirk was playing crap till he scored !!       Or was he ??   Bellers should of scored, thought he had a good game 

thought Crouchie was well worth man of the match solid peerformance great three points

bring on the blue nosers for a thrashing Saturday think we will 2nd come monday have a feeling the chavs will slip up

andy gray still a tw*t

Great result again....some really good possesion and passing shown tonight.

And I watched the game on the PC on streaming with Chinese commentary.....trust me they make more sense than Andy Gray......

probably but I'm still learning Chinese to find the right channel in the first place :'( :'(

just watching a re run of the match, got to say the second goal from start to finish is sublime.
Alonso's cute little 'round the back' pass, Gerrards outside of the boot through ball, first time passes and an accurate side foot placed finish by Crouch.
At first I thought Kuyt's was the better goal, but not now.  -  hardly complaining about it tho', they were both FANTASTIC. 

agree with you on Crouchies finish a lot of players would have leathered it over the bar for a tall player he has a great touch and Kuyts was superb and awayfrom home aswell

I expect a tight game. The Irons are fighting for there lives at the proverbial business end of the season, and I do hope they stay up and wish them well for the future.................. .............the future beginning on the 31st Jan!!!!!

I'm confident we will pinch this one by the odd goal but its going to be close!!! 1-2 to the 'Pool for me! 

HHmmmmmmmm just as I suspected! 1-2 and a wobbly bottom at the end!!!
It's not often I get the score right, their goal was off side but thats par for the course being a Reds fan!!! As well as everyone also mentioned I thought Sami had a very good game, they were big up front but it was his head that always seemed to be on the end of every ball they put into the box 

I'm very happy with the lads (again!), what a second half. this win is really putting the pressure on chelsea now. The goals were fantastic, both real team goals, exactly what we are about..LOVING IT!

Now I've had a Bevvie, but Crouch's goal was one of the greatest goals I remember! A real throw back to the times when we moved the ball with purpose! Away from home too! 

Great result with 2 great goals, agree with smig and thought bellers played very well, didnt look to happy when he came off tho.

Pennent needs to put some weight on very easily knocked off the ball!!!

i Got up at 6am adelaide time to watch the game and ive got to say the commentary was utter sh*te! it was as if west ham lost the game rather than liverpool winning it. I dont remember what his name was but he was abysmal.

On a lighter note what a start to the second half! Id like to know what you all think of the 3-4-3 system. The chavs should be worried.

We should have won this game confortably, but again we struggled to break West Ham down.  They played on Saturday (F.A. Cup) and we hadn't played for ten days.  Never the less, three points gained.  Andy Grey must of had a bet on West Ham to win - he was so negative about the team again!! Until the goals that is!!

Now as I said before - Let's catch them Chavs!! 

P.S. Loved Rafas' touchline display too