Steve McClaren paid a visit to Rafa Benitez and his Liverpool squad at their Melwood training ground today. For the new England Head Coach, it was a chance to catch up with Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Peter Crouch and Scott Carson, as well as talk shop with the Reds boss.
McClaren said: "I see developing strong relationships with club managers as a central part of my role and I got a very warm welcome from Rafa and the players today.
"I'm very keen to get round training grounds over the coming weeks and see people face to face. Coming from club management I know what their challenges and priorities are, and it's vital to have open channels of communication.
"I'm very grateful for the positive reception and support I have had so far."
Last week McClaren was at Manchester United's Carrington training ground to see Sir Alex Ferguson and his squad before watching his former club in action against Porto in the Amsterdam Tournament. He was also at St. James' Park on Saturday to see Newcastle United draw 3-3 with Villareal.
This week he will see Liverpool's Champions League home tie against Maccabi Haifa on Wednesday and Spurs's match against Real Socieded on Saturday, before travelling to Cardiff for The FA Community Shield between Chelsea and Liverpool on Sunday.
Crouch lifts Liverpool
By Stuart Mawhinney. Sunday, 13 August 2006.
Peter Crouch scores a late winner to give Liverpool victory in The FA Community Shield.
Liverpool 2-1 Chelsea
Riise 9, Crouch 80 Shevchenko 44
Liverpool have opened the season with victory over their rivals Chelsea, by the same scoreline which they triumphed in April in The FA Cup semi-final, thanks to a late headed winner from Peter Crouch.
Despite making a number of changes to the side that played a Champions League qualifier in midweek, it was Rafa Benitez who was celebrating at the end of proceedings after seeing his side take a deserved victory.
John Arne Riise gave Liverpool the lead just as he did at Old Trafford in April, and also in the previous meeting between the sides at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium in the League Cup final.
Then with only 23 minutes played one of Chelsea's new signings Michael Ballack pulled up with a hip problem and departed the action almost immediately. Soloman Kalou came on to replace the German skipper.
It was undoubtedly blow to Chelsea to lose the physical presence of Ballack so early in the game, particularly with Sissoko performing so confidently in the new look central midfield partnership with Zenden.
Playing out their eleventh meeting in little over two seasons, it was inevitable that chances would come at a premium as both sides demonstrated a great deal of knowledge about their opponents. Yet Peter Crouch almost gave Liverpool a two-goal advantage going into the interval when he was fed by the impressive Mark Gonzalez.
Carlo Cudicini was equal to the looping finish and Chelsea survived the scare and set about levelling the scores at just the right moment, with their record signing Andriy Shevchenko providing a sublime finish to silence the Red supporters.
Frank Lampard presented the chance to the Ukrainian striker with an inch perfect lofted through pass. Shevchenko latched onto the ball and stole his way behind the Liverpool backline with deadly determination, guiding the ball into the bottom corner before Jose Reina could do anything to stop him.
Reina was called into action twice in quick succession early in the second half, as Chelsea's two strikers stretched him in a matter of moments. First Drogba's looping cross nearly caught Reina unawares in similar fashion to Paul Konchesky, then from the resulting corner Shevchenko stooped to head toward the bottom corner but Reina was again more than equal.
With the introduction of Craig Bellamy, Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso, Liverpool began to maintain a stronger attacking edge in the game and the game started to open up with the fans joining in the atmosphere.
It was Liverpool's new signing Craig Bellamy who provided the opening for Peter Crouch to win the game, a persistant threat to the Chelsea defence with his pace the Welshman took the ball to the bye-line and lifted a perfect cross to his strike partner which was powered home.
Another of Liverpool's new introductions almost made it 3-1 with three minutes of normal time remaining, instinctively firing the ball towards the bottom corner after an uncharacteristic mistake by John Terry, but Cudicini made an excellent save.
作者:
贾图 时间: 2006-8-18 11:00 标题: CROUCH AT THE DOUBLE FOR ENGLAND克劳奇梅开二度
CROUCH AT THE DOUBLE FOR ENGLAND
Paul Eaton 17 August 2006
Peter Crouch warmed up for the new Premiership season in fine style by bagging two goals for England in their 4-0 thumping of Greece at Old Trafford.
Steve McClaren's first game in charge of the national team got off to the best possible start as his side rattled in four goals without reply in a one sided first half.
New captain John Terry opened the scoring with a close range header and his Chelsea team-mate Frank Lampard added the second with the aid of a deflection.
Crouch added two more before the break as he slotted home the third from close range and headed a fourth for his country on the stroke of half time.
Anfield team-mate Steven Gerrard was delighted with England's display and believes we've witnessed the start of a bright new era at international level.
"It would have been nice to get a couple more goals in the second half, but the game was won after the first half, when we were superb," he said.
"You have to give us credit. We made Greece look a poor team because of the way we pressed them and suffocated them.
"We have set the standards and now we have to maintain them."
RAFA: WE ARE HERE TO WIN
Paul Eaton in Kiev 21 August 2006
Rafael Benitez is confident the Reds will shrug off the losses of Jamie Carragher and John Arne Riise and qualify for group stages of the Champions League.
The Reds have a 2-1 lead to protect in the second leg of the third round qualifier against Maccabi Haifa in Kiev on Tuesday night but they must do it without two players who have been regulars in the back line over recent seasons.
Danish youngster Daniel Agger is likely to start alongside Sami Hyypia while Steven Warnock will battle with Fabio Aurelio for the left-back role.
Speaking at the press conference, which was dominated by Israeli journalists quizzing Benitez on why Liverpool didn't want to travel to Israel for the game, he said: "We know how important this game is financially, for our confidence, for the club and for the fans.
"We have a couple of injured players but, as I've said before, we have a better squad this season and we can manage. Daniel Agger has done very well in the games he has played this season. I signed him because I knew he was a good player and I have every confidence in him.
"We know it could have been a better result for us on Saturday but this is a different game and we are here to win. Haifa are a good side with a good manager and good players but we know what this match means to our club and I'm confident we'll get the right result.
Answering the barrage of questioned fired at him by Israeli journalists on why the Reds wouldn't go to Israel, the Liverpool manager replied: "I am thinking only of football. It was a UEFA decision and that is why we are here."
CROUCH AND GERRARD NET IN ENGLAND STROLL
Paul Eaton 02 September 2006
Peter Crouch and Steven Gerrard were both among the goals as England's European Championships qualifying campaign got off to a flying start with a 5-0 victory over Andorra at Old Trafford.
Steve McClaren's team dominated the match from start to finish and could easily have rattled in a number of other goals.
In the end two goals each from Peter Crouch and Jermaine Defoe and a strike from Steven Gerrard were enough to give England a comfortable victory at Old Trafford.
Crouch got England off to a great start with a goal inside five minutes when he drilled a low left footed shot into the back of the net to take his international tally to nine in the last nine games.
Anfield team-mate Gerrard drilled home a second after 13 minutes to move into double figures for goals scored in his England career.
The Liverpool skipper then delivered a terrific cross from the right side to set up a simple goal for Jermaine Defoe who made no mistake from close range.
The Spurs striker added a fourth early in the second half when he latched onto Phil Neville's header forward and smashed the ball past the hapless Andorra goalkeeper.
England's fifth arrived after 66 minutes when substitute Aaron Lennon escaped down the right and crossed for Crouch to head home his second of the evening into the far corner of the net.
REDS WIN NEW FRIENDS AMONGST RIVALS
Paul Rogers 04 September 2006
Liverpool were today unveiled as England's most popular team amongst rival fans in a poll conducted by a national men's magazine.
Weekly magazine Nuts commissioned the poll to try and find out who the country's football fans considered their second favourite club behind their own team.
The results made interesting reading with 15% of all those asked revealing Liverpool would be their 'second' team or the club they'd most like to achieve success after their own side.
Liverpool topped the pool by a clear 5% with West Ham United and Wigan coming in second and third respectively. Aston Villa finished bottom of the Premiership popularity table with Arsenal and Chelsea completing the relegation places.
"Liverpool have provided a huge amount of entertainment, over the last year or so starting with the Champions League win and culminating in the stunning Steven Gerrard goal in the FA Cup Final," explains Gershon Portnoi, the Nuts Sports Editor.
"I think The Toon's popularity may have taken a dip during Graeme Souness' time at the helm. It's great to see Wigan and West Ham up there. Everyone loves an underdog and they certainly entertained and gave many of the bigger clubs a scare last season."
哈哈,非常有意思的一个调查~作者:
贾图 时间: 2006-9-5 11:39 标题: CROUCH: GERRARD IS BEST PLAYER IN THE WO
CROUCH: GERRARD IS BEST PLAYER IN THE WORLD
Steve Hunter 04 September 2006
England hero Peter Crouch has hailed the merits of Liverpool team-mate Steven Gerrard and labelled him as the best player in the world.
Crouch admits he owes a lot to Gerrard as in his own words the Reds captain has helped him more than anyone else settle in at Liverpool and improve as a player.
"For me, he has been the best player in the world for a long time," enthused Crouch. "I thought he was good when I first went to Liverpool but he is even better when you see him in training.
"He can do anything. He can pass, he can tackle, he could probably have played in goal against Andorra!
"He can do almost anything as a footballer. Rafa Benitez thinks he can get better and if he does then he will be a frightening sight.
"He helped me settle in at Liverpool right from the start and I haven't got a bad word to say about him. He is a top player and he is a top man as well. He just does what a captain should do. He's helped my performances come on so much."作者:
贾图 时间: 2006-9-5 17:42
Peter Crouch has claimed that Liverpool and England team-mate Steven Gerrard is the best player in the world.
The 26-year-old midfielder has undoubtedly been one of the finest players in The Premiership since emerging from Liverpool's youth ranks and that form has been replicated on the European stage as Gerrard has won both the Uefa Cup and UEFA Champions League.
However, his displays on the international scene have perhaps never consistently lived up to the inspirational promptings that are such a reoccurring feature at Anfield.
New England incumbent Steve McClaren has prioritised a desire to get the best out of Gerrard and in the two games thus far of a new regime he has occupied a right side berth - with licence to roam - and the results have been outstanding.
Crouch feels that Gerrard has no equal and while the likes of Ronaldinho and Thierry Henry are regularly put forward to be the world's greatest, for Crouch, the true answer is closer to home.
"Steven Gerrard has been the best player in the world for a long time," said Crouch.
"I thought he was good when I first went to Liverpool but when you see him train, you realise he is even better.
You could play him in any position on the pitch, probably even goalkeeper, and he would still look good. He can do anything.
"It is an absolute pleasure to be in the same team as him. I know Rafael Benitez has said Steven can get even better. All I can say is if he does, it will be a pretty frightening sight.
"I do not have a bad word to say about Steven. He is a top player and a top person. Right from the start, he went out of his way to help me settle in at Liverpool.
"He is the captain of our club and he does everything you would ask of someone in that position."
While Gerrard's recent displays for England have been imperious, it is Crouch that has stolen the headlines as his record goalscoring exploits have seen the bean-pole hit-man grab ten goals in his last ten appearances.
"I can't explain my scoring record," admitted Crouch. "I suppose I do enjoy playing at Old Trafford but I love playing for England more.
"A major factor is I am getting chances and I have always felt confident if opportunities do come my way, I will take them.
"The width we play with helps as well, which is probably another reason why I have scored so many times recently."
And the 34 year-old said: "We are all happy with the way we have played in the Premiership in the second-half of the season and I feel we are not too far away from winning it.
"Rafa knows what he has to do to take the club across the finishing line. If he is able to bring in quality players in the summer in one or two key positions, then we will be very close next season.
"If it doesn't happen next year, then the Premiership will be at Liverpool soon."
He added: "It makes me a little sad that I won't be here on the pitch to enjoy a title success but I will be watching from wherever I am. I will be as happy as any supporter from the Kop."