Watch Liverpool

Posts Tagged ‘dominic-fifield’

The Shed End of this arena, bedecked for the night in the visitors’ red banners, was erupting in riotous celebration as Craig Bellamy quietly turned and walked alone back to the centre circle, a player lost in his own thoughts. The architect of Liverpool’s progress into the last four of this competition had lost a close friend and mentor in Gary Speed on Sunday. Even in victory, football must still have felt trivial.

The forward had been too distraught, too overcome, to play any part in the visit of Manchester City to Anfield that day. This was a wonderful return to action in those desperate circumstances, with Bellamy setting up each of his side’s second-half goals that smoothed passage into the semi-finals at Chelsea’s expense.

When he was substituted 11 minutes from time there were handshakes of appreciation offered by all his team-mates, and a bear hug from his manager waiting for him on the touchline. Speed would have approved.

Recent contests between these sides have invariably courted controversy, though with the scrappiness of the play here reflecting unfamiliar lineups from each, the focus had initially been drawn away from those granted a rare first-team outing and on to the hugely experienced match official. Phil Dowd might have retired at the interval unnerved by a series of major decisions having justifiably drawn fierce criticism from the sidelines. There should have been a trio of penalties awarded in the opening quarter. As it was, only one was deemed worthy, with Andy Carroll duly denied by Ross Turnbull.

The non-awards were mystifying. Only 165 seconds had elapsed when a backheel from Josh McEachran, whose appearance had been eagerly anticipated only for the teenager to hobble from the fray before the interval, sent the rampaging David Luiz into the area.

Sebastian Coates’s lunge was horribly telegraphed, the Uruguayan missing the ball and making clear contact with the Brazilian as he eased beyond him, only for Dowd to deem the Chelsea player guilty of a dive. The centre-half was booked and might still have been feeling aggrieved five minutes later when he blatantly shoved Carroll in the back as the striker leapt to reach José Enrique’s cross. Yet, again, the offence was ignored.

Even the decision to grant a spot-kick midway through the first period was confused. José Enrique’s cross was aimed again at Carroll, with Alex edging in front of the forward but jumping with his left arm raised. The ball deflected off the hand only for the officials to freeze while Liverpool players screamed for an award. Indecision reigned for fully five seconds before the offence was confirmed. Carroll, a player so eager to justify his £35m worth, slapped the kick down the centre when he was permitted to proceed, with Turnbull blocking smartly as he tumbled to his right.

That summed up the farcical nature of proceedings, yet the reality was Dowd’s errors of judgment were not reserved merely for incidents in the area. Quite how Romelu Lukaku, a 6ft

• Liverpool manager says £35m striker is not fully fit
• Dalglish opens talks over two-year contract at Anfield

Kenny Dalglish has expressed concern over the prospect of Fabio Capello calling up Andy Carroll for next weekend’s Euro 2012 qualifier against Wales. The Liverpool manager urged his England counterpart to be “responsible” with the £35m forward.

Thursday’s goalless Europa League draw against Braga was Carroll’s first complete game for Liverpool after more than two months out with a thigh injury and he completed it in front of Capello. Dalglish said that the striker had not regained peak fitness. But Capello sees Carroll as a key part of his attack, in partnership with Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney.

Carroll’s England debut, against France in November, prompted controversy. Before the forward was called up his club at the time, Newcastle United, said he was struggling with an ankle injury. The prospect of his selection to face the Welsh has generated similar concern at Anfield.

Dalglish, who has opened talks with Liverpool’s American owners over a two-year deal to continue as manager after a positive start in temporary charge, said: “I don’t know if Fabio wants to pick him or not but there is no point us being as guided as we have been in his recuperation, and doing such a good job to get him to where he is now, if someone else is going to waste all that. There is nothing we can do to stop them picking him but common sense has to prevail.

“It is great to have the big fella back but

• Torres says ‘this is the top level’ after leaving Liverpool
• Striker reveals talks had been going on for 12 days

Fernando Torres last night claimed he had advanced his career by joining “one of the top-level clubs in the world” after finalising his British transfer record £50m move from Liverpool to Chelsea.

The Spain international signed a five-and-a-half-year contract at Stamford Bridge last night worth £175,000 a week and revealed that discussions had been going on between the clubs for almost two weeks.

“I’m so, so happy and so, so proud to be here, finally, after these 12 days of conversations,” said Torres on Chelsea TV. “But, at the end of the day, I can say I’m a Chelsea player and I’m really, really happy. This is the kind of team I like to play against because that motivates me, but it’s the kind of team I want to play for. It’s always very tough playing against Chelsea, it’s one of the biggest teams in Europe, always fighting for everything.

“So, after this, there are no more steps forward. This is the top level. The target for every footballer is to try and play at one of the top-level clubs in the world, and I can do it now. I have to be very, very happy as I am. The last three or four days have been very hard for me, especially after everything I have lived in Liverpool.

“But, as I said before, I can say I’m a Chelsea player now. I’m really happy and I’m sure I am doing one big step forward in my career joining a club like Chelsea. This is a great club, a real responsibility and everyone is expecting great things about me and I’m prepared and ready for the challenge.”

The Chelsea chairman, Bruce Buck, who also completed a £26.5m deal for Benfica’s David Luiz, said: “This is a very significant day for Chelsea, capturing one of the best players in the world with his peak years ahead of him. We have long admired the talents of a player who is a proven goalscorer in English football and Fernando’s arrival is a sign of our continuing high ambitions. I hope every Chelsea fan is as excited as I am with this news.”

Fernando TorresChelseaLiverpoolTransfer windowDominic Fifieldguardian.co.uk