Thursday 19 March 2015

Everton FC spread community spirit in Kyiv

Graeme Sharp with a local
child at Everton's training
session in Kyiv.
Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Everton Football Club

Everton Football Club's community ethos has provided inspiration to children in Kyiv during the team’s visit to the Ukrainian capital for tonight’s UEFA Europa League game against Dynamo Kyiv.

Earlier today, Everton ambassadors Graeme Sharp and Ian Snodin were joined by staff from the Club’s official charity, Everton in the Community, to deliver a series of special coaching sessions for over 70 children at School #309 in the Poznyaky district of Kyiv.

Local children also met Everton manager Roberto Martinez at the team's training session on the eve of the game in the Olympic Stadium.

The plight of the Ukrainian children at School #309 was brought to the attention of Club officials by global charity, UNICEF, which has been working up and down the country to provide children with safe and nurturing environments and opportunities.

“It has been a real privilege to work with staff from Everton in the Community to deliver these coaching sessions today and put a smile on the faces of these fantastic children,” said Sharp, an integral part of the successful European Cup Winners' Cup team in 1985.

"Community is central to Everton's identity and heritage, and meeting these children while we have been in Kyiv has been an inspiring and uplifting part of our visit.

“Making a difference at the core of a community is key to who we are as a club, and it's tremendously motivating and humbling to everybody at Everton - and Evertonians - to know that we are coming here and making a difference in people's lives.”

During the Club’s stay in Kyiv, Everton will also host children from Chernobyl, who have been invited to watch tonight’s UEFA Europa League last 16 second leg clash against Dynamo Kyiv.

A long-standing relationship between Everton and survivors from Chernobyl - forged through various charities, including Friends of Chernobyl Children, Children of Chernobyl Life Line and Chernobyl Medicine - has facilitated annual visits to Liverpool since 2003 for children from the region immediately affected by the nuclear power plant disaster of 1986.

A group of 18 Chernobyl children and four adults will be special guests of the Club at Thursday's game and will be greeted by the Everton manager on arrival.

Everton and Everton in the Community have worked closely with UNICEF and the charity Children of Chernobyl Life Line to facilitate the events planned during the Club’s visit to Kyiv.

Monday 9 March 2015

Rovers Return (Leg) For The Reds

Daniel Sturridge and Adam
Lallana line up for a first-half
corner against Blackburn Rovers.
Written By: Mark Armstrong

Result: Liverpool 0-0 Blackburn Rovers
Date: Sunday March 8 2015
Competition: FA Cup (Quarter-Final)
Venue: Anfield, Liverpool
Attendance: 43,820

Liverpool will have to wait - and wait - before knowing if Wembley is on the horizon after a goalless draw against Blackburn Rovers.

The FA Cup represents Liverpool's only realistic chance of silverware for this season, and so fans were hoping for the Reds to take a comfortable step forward; however, the Championship side put up a great fight, albeit defensively, and so a replay is required at Ewood Park.

Mind you, the return leg won't be for a couple of weeks due to fixture complications, meaning that both sides will only have ten or eleven days to prepare for the Semi-Final once this tie eventually produces a winner.

Liverpool went into this side high on confidence after some very impressive results in recent weeks, and they were buoyed further by the reduced field which meant that avoiding the winner of the Manchester United-Arsenal clash in the Semis will provide a relatively safe route to Wembley.

But that would be to discount their opponents, who aren't having the best of campaigns in the Championship but are still a tough side to break down on their day, and having nothing to lose, they employed a defensive strategy to ensure that they could either score on the break or bring the tie back to Ewood Park where they will press forward more in search of an unlikely win.

On this day, the game began on an unpleasant note when just moments in, Martin Skrtel suffered a nasty fall which left him down, surrounded by medical staff and not moving for a long time, for several minutes in a tense scene. It was a relief when Skrtel gave a thumbs-up from his stretcher when leaving to a standing ovation, and it was further good news when it was later revealed that Skrtel had suffered a concussion but nothing more.

His replacement in defence Kolo Toure actually had an impressive game, and it was Toure who put the ball in the net for the home side but an offside flag ruled it out. Toure himself later appeared to pull up with an injury but, with the game in full flow, he could do little but struggle on while awkwardly having to dispatch a ball given to him by Glen Johnson, but he appeared to get over the setback as the game progressed.

Otherwise, there wasn't too much to say about this match. Liverpool had chances but lacked the cutting edge that they possessed against Burnley on Wednesday night. They had moments where an opener seemed likely, but it wasn't to be. The introduction of Mario Balotelli didn't make much of a difference, although I think some of the criticism that Balotelli suffered after this game was unwarranted. Some people always look for a scapegoat or a reason (Johnson blamed the condition of the Anfield pitch) instead of just admitting that it wasn't your day. I personally felt that even if the match had gone on for another 30 minutes, and the Reds still wouldn't have scored under the circumstances.

This was due to Blackburn clearly setting up for a draw, and virtually having 11 men behind the ball towards the end. They did have a couple of chances themselves, mind you, the closest being an Alex Baptiste header from close range which was superbly saved by Simon Mignolet. Both sides also had penalty appeals turned down, one for Liverpool after a tackle on Adam Lallana (I thought sitting in the Kop that this was a penalty; replays later showed that it was not), and for Blackburn after an apparent handball by Raheem Stirling (which was a little harder to turn down, although I still think it would have been a harsh decision).

The game suffered from Skrtel's early injury which quietened the fans for an extended period, but it was also waiting for something to spark it into life. It wasn't a lost cause by any means, but it needed something to energise it, something to draw you in and make you believe that a goal may have been coming. Blackburn's sturdy defence ensured that it wasn't going to happen, although the Reds didn't test Rovers keeper Simon Eastwood enough to make one believe that the Reds had dominated.

Indeed, Blackburn thoroughly deserved a draw from this game; the only downer is how long fans of both sides will have to wait before knowing who will go onto the Semi-Finals. Gary Bowyer was unquestionably the happier of the two managers, although Brendan Rodgers had to be more concerned with Skrtel's health after his awkward tumble.

And so Liverpool hope to march onto Wembley having drawn their two home ties with no goals in either game (Iago Aspas is the only man to have scored for the Reds at Anfield in an FA Cup tie under Rodgers, believe it or not). Hopefully the return leg, when it finally happens, will provide an entertaining game that will give the Reds more bite in their pursuit of the FA Cup but, so long as they come away with a win, Kopites won't mind. The dream lives on, but a more ruthless approach will be needed to keep such hopes alive.

Thursday 5 March 2015

Burnley Beaten As Reds Resurgence Rolls On

He's in there somewhere: Jordan
Henderson celebrates his goal with
the other Liverpool players.
Written By: Mark Armstrong

Result: Liverpool 2-0 Burnley
Date: Wednesday March 4 2015
Competition: Premier League
Venue: Anfield, Liverpool
Attendance: 44,717

Goals from Jordan Henderson and Daniel Sturridge secured a 2-0 win for Liverpool as they easily handled Burnley at Anfield.

Liverpool came into this game with a spring in their step after a strong run of results which culminated in a victory over Manchester City last Sunday, whilst Burnley searched for an unlikely away win to boost their survival hopes after an own goal saw them lose to Swansea at the weekend.

The Reds were almost ahead inside 30 seconds as Sturridge capitalised on a one-two between Adam Lallana and Raheem Sterling, with only the reflexes of Burnley keeper Tom Heaton keeping the ball out.

Liverpool continued to create chances with Henderson coming close off a rebound, and the away side were also trying to find a breakthrough, although their opportunities were less frequent and less imposing. In fact, much of the first half was more about Liverpool controlling the game but being unable to break down Burnley's defensive approach.

But Kopites wouldn't have to wait that much longer for the opening goal: with a Philippe Coutinho effort blocked by Jason Shackell, the ball came to Henderson outside the box who pinged a sweet shot from the outside of his right foot directly into the net. Liverpool were 1-0 up, and Henderson had opened the scoring for the second consecutive match. Jordan's confidence continues to grow, and it can only benefit Liverpool; he has played a vital role in the side's revival over the last few months.

Before half time, Coutinho and Sturridge had further chances, the latter once again being shut out by a superb Heaton stoppage. Burnley raised the hopes of their travelling fans when Danny Ings earned a free kick just outside the Liverpool penalty area, but they were unable to make the most of it.

In the second half, Liverpool kept searching for a second goal to seal victory in a game that, admittedly, they were firmly in control of. That all-important second goal came around 10 minutes into the second half, as a fine Henderson cross set up Sturridge for a rare headed goal (perhaps the unlikely nature of his strike explained the unexpected absence of his traditional dance celebration, opting for a general huddle with his colleagues instead).

Not much happened in the rest of the half, bar some more chances for Liverpool by Lallana and Alberto Moreno. Burnley gave it their best shot but just didn't threaten Liverpool enough to cause any serious trouble. Given the ease at which the Reds were maintaining control of the match, it's hard to imagine that any spectators truly believed Liverpool would surrender their lead following the first goal, never mind the second. But that shouldn't discount what was a strong, unspectacular yet professional performance by the home side on the back of a major win over the defending champions three days earlier.

So, the game went as the form book would have suggested. A fairly easy Liverpool win keeps the Reds firmly in the race for a top-four finish (the only disappointment for Liverpool is that all of their rivals for the European places won in midweek as well), although their attention now turns to a home tie in the FA Cup with Blackburn Rovers on Sunday, where victory takes them back to Wembley Stadium - or Anfield South, as long-time Kopites used to call it. Burnley were obviously less happy at how things transpired, but there was no lack of effort from the Clarets and it really couldn't have been a surprising result to them. Overall, a satisfying night to be a Red.

Monday 2 March 2015

Coutinho Creativity Keeps Liverpool Climbing

Philippe Coutinho is congratulated
after the win secured
by his stunning curler.
Written By: Mark Armstrong

Result: Liverpool 2-1 Manchester City
Date: Sunday March 1 2015
Competition: Premier League
Venue: Anfield, Liverpool
Attendance: 44,590

A stunning curler from outside the box by Philippe Coutinho secured a major home win for Liverpool against Manchester City.

The victory keeps alive Liverpool's hopes of securing Champion's League football via a top four finish, but City's chances of retaining the Premier League title look slim after this result kept them five points behind Chelsea, with the League leaders still having a game in hand.

The identity of City has changed a lot in recent years due to the increase in their financial power, as has their trophy cabinet as a result, but one thing which has not changed is the club's fortunes against Liverpool at Anfield.

Before this game, they had only managed one win in their last 17 visits to the Reds, and despite Liverpool lagging far behind City in terms of points prior to kick-off, nothing would change here.

Liverpool started a little sluggish in defence but soon came to life, and after a few minutes Adam Lallana thought he had put the Reds ahead, only for his strike to be ruled out due to an offside decision.

Fortunately, Kopites did not have to long wait long to celebrate for real: less than 11 minutes into the game, a sweet strike by Jordan Henderson (captaining once again in the absence of Steven Gerrard) went in with a little help from the underside of the crossbar, and Liverpool were in front.

It was another sign of Henderson's growth as a potential future captain, and goals like this mark a nice resemblance to Gerrard and his habit of providing stand-out moments of quality in big games.

Mind you, as encouraging as this was, it would only retain its power if City were kept abay. Alas, after knocking on the Reds' door a few times, the titleholders equalised on the 26-minute mark with a straight finish by Edin Dzeko, although the manner in which City were able to carve open the opportunity gave a reminder to manager Brendan Rodgers - or The Brodge, as nicknamed by Noel Gallagher recently on Match Of The Day 2 - that whilst his side's fortunes have improved in recent weeks, his defence is still prone to the occasional bout of jitters.

Liverpool's defence remained quite shaky for the rest of the half, but they hung in there and, in the second half, the game became a more open affair on both sides, as each team took it in turns to create good chances, some - including more than one effort by Sergio Aguero - being only a whisker away from going in. Lallana actually had the ball in the net for the second time but, for the second time on the day, an offside flag made it obsolete.

It looked like anybody's game, although the neutral would have assumed by the passage of play that City would be the team to find a way through if either side was to secure three points.

Instead, with just over 15 minutes left, Coutinho set himself up with a touch and right-footed it around Joe Hart high into the net. Anfield was bouncing; once again, the underdogs were ahead, and this time they would not let the lead slip.

City continued pressing for another equaliser, and brought on Frank Lampard in an attempt to somehow get that second goal. But time was not on City's side and, with the Reds focused on denying their opponents the slightest chance at earning a point, Liverpool held on for what stands as their biggest win of the season.

Although nothing could equal the electricity and emotion of Liverpool's 3-2 win over City last April, this result came close. The reactions of the Anfield faithful indicated how important this win was in proving Liverpool's revival is for real, and puts Rodgers' team just two points behind fourth-place Manchester United.

After this defeat, Manuel Pelligrini will privately realise that it will take more than a slip-up to keep the Premier League title at the Etihad this season. For Brendan Rodgers, though, this win must have been extremely satisfying: whilst it has looked like Liverpool have been on the right track for a good few weeks now, this milestone victory proved it, and ensures that the Reds will have a busy two months on the horizon as the 2014/5 season comes to a close. Next up is Burnley: ahead of that game, the message for Liverpool after this win has to be: "We Go Again".