Carling Cup Final Preview: Cardiff v Liverpool



The first final of the footballing season is upon us and the first piece of silverware is available to win. The Carling Cup final isn't the biggest competition to win but for the two clubs in this year's final, winning the tournament would be great for different reasons. Premier League side Liverpool have not won any silverware since the FA Cup final of 2005/06 season where they beat West Ham on penalties. A win on Sunday would give the club a much needed boost and something to show for their excellent cup campaign this year. Championship side Cardiff City are battling for an automatic position for promotion to the Premier League and the Carling Cup final offers them a nice distraction from the promotion race. There are a few reasons why Sunday's final will be one to watch. Craig Bellamy will be playing against his boyhood team Cardiff for the first time in his career. Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard will be up against his cousin Anthony who plays in central defense for the Bluebirds. Finally Kenny Dalglish will be up agaisnt fellow Scot in the dugout meaning that Wales, England and Scotland will be represented at Wembley come four o'clock.

Liverpool:

picture: liverpoolecho.co.uk

For the first time in six years Liverpool have reached a cup final. The Carling Cup will never be the biggest tournament to win but for the Merseyside club, a win would show and start to prove that they are back on track to become one of England's best teams. Having beaten clubs such as Stoke, Chelsea and Manchester City, Liverpool have not had an easy run to the final. The semi-final win against Manchester City over two legs showed that Liverpool are beginning to play like the top side they have proved in the past. The defence is alot stronger and with star striker Luis Suarez back and scoring goals, the team go into the final as strong favorites. The last time Liverpool won the Carling Cup, they came up against rivals Manchester United in the 2002/03 season where they came out winners 2-1. The last time they played a Championship team in the final was in the 2000/01 season where they beat Birmingham City on penalties.

Cardiff City
Malky Mackay's Cardiff City are once again battling for an automatic place in the Championship in their bid to reach the Premier League. After the success of fellow Welsh team Swansea City last year, the fans of the Bluebirds will want their team to achieve similar success. Cardiff's run in the cup this year has seen them overcome the likes of Blackburn Rovers, Leicester City and Huddersfield Town. The two legged semi-final against fellow Championship side Crystal Palace was welcomed by football fans as it guaranteed a Championship club into the final. Cardiff were the team that took the opportunity beating their opponents in a penalty shoot out which saw Palace miss three of their penalties. This will be the third time Cardiff will have played at the new Wembley with past occasions seeing them defeated in an FA Cup final and in the play off final of the Championship two years ago.

One to watch: Luis Suarez (Liverpool)

picture: mirror.co.uk

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has been in the media spotlight continuinely for the last few months for the wrong reasons. Scoring two goals in his last two appearences, Suarez will want to carry on showing the footballing world why he is so highly rated. The Uruguayan has scored three goals in this years competition netting one against Exeter and two against Stoke. The first of two goals against the Staffordshire club will be one of the most memorable goals in this years competition. Suarez took the ball on the left side of the 18 yard box, nutmegged a defender and then unleashed a swerving shot over the keeper and into the far corner of the goal. This goal showed what Suarez is about and on his day he is one of the most dangerous players in the box. If selected, he will be on a big stage playing at Wembley and the opportunity to win the game for Liverpool.

One to watch: Peter Whittingham (Cardiff City)

picture: bbc.co.uk

After a slow start to his career, Peter Whittingham is now the heart of Cardiff City and will need to perform to his best if the Welsh team are to come out victors on Sunday. The former Aston Villa player has 10 goals and 12 assists in all competitons this season for Cardiff. His delivery from set pieces and his quality passing have seen Whittingham become one of the best players on the Championship.Whittingham is well know for his free kick ability, most notably his 35 yard effort he scored against Reading this season. Most recently Whittingham has been nominated in the category for Championship player of the year award. An award that is well deserved and if he wins the midfield battle on Sunday then the Welsh side will be well within a chance of victory.

Prediction:
For both teams and sets of fans this is a massive game. The opportunity to win silverware will be boosts for both clubs. The winners also get entry into next years Europa League and if Liverpool miss out on a Champions League place this year then the opportunity to play in the Europa League will be welcomed. There will be significant battles on the pitch most notably the midfield battle. With Steven Gerrard and Charlie Adam most likely to start for Liverpool, Cardiff will have to keep the ball in the early stages of the game otherwise they will come out second best. Kenny Miller normally plays as a loan striker for Cardiff and will struggle without support against a Liverpool defence that has been one of the best in the Premier League this season. Cardiff will go into the game as underdogs and if Liverpool play the way we know they can then the Premier League side will come out winners. If Cardiff get under the skin of Liverpool and not allow any space then the Bluebirds have it in them to beat their opponents.

Prediction: Liverpool 2-1 Cardiff City

FA Cup Fifth Round: Ones to watch

League action takes a break this weekend as we see the fifth round of the FA Cup take centre stage. With some big results in the last round, there are only 16 sides left in the competition to become winners of this historical competition.

#1 Chelsea v Birmingham City

City Striker Marlon King has scored
11 goals for the blues this season

Chelsea have a big week ahead of them especially if they are to have anywhere near a successful season. A home tie against Birmingham who are currently in unstoppable form in the FA Cup is followed by the first leg tie away at Italian side Napoli. Chelsea are currently having an odd patch of results and are nowhere near showing the real quality the side possess. After throwing away a three goal lead at home to Manchester United two weeks ago, Chelsea lost to Everton in an with an awful performance. Pressure is mounting on Chelsea boss Villas-Boas and anything but two cup wins this week will further pressure the Portuguese man. Strikers Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou will still not be available for the lunchtime clash on Saturday so responsibility will continue on striker Fernando Torres to end his four month goal drought. Championship club Birmingham City are in excellent form at the moment and sit on the play off's and are currently 13 games unbeaten in all competitions. The Midlands side will have nothing to lose and after beating rivals Wolves in the last round, Chris Hughton's side will go into this clash with every hope of progressing.

Prediction: Chelsea 3-1 Birmingham City

#2 Crawley Town v Stoke City

Matt Tubbs celebrates his winner for
Crawley against Hull in the last round

League 2 side Crawley are the lowest side left in the competition and they will not want their journey to end as they come up against Premier League side Stoke City. Crawley have beaten Championship sides Bristol City and Hull City in their campaign so far and have been rewarded with a big home tie against a Premier League side. Stoke have not been in the best form of recent and will be taking on the West Sussex side after their Europa League clash at home to Valencia. Tony Pulis will look to rest big stars after their efforts against the Spanish side and give the rest of the squad a chance to play. The Staffordshire club have not won a Premier League game since the 2-1 away game at Blackburn at the beginning of the year and will want to carry on their involvement in the cup. For Crawley it is the biggest home tie they face in the club's history and with the television cameras present, the League 2 side will want to show viewers their capabilities. Star man and striker Matt Tubbs was the key man for their side but after Tubbs had bigger ambitions and moved to Bournemouth, Crawley will rely on striker Tyrone Barnett who has netted an impressive 15 goals in all competitions this season. 

Prediction: Crawley Town 1-2 Stoke City

3# Stevenage v Tottenham Hotspur

Louis Saha scores his first Spurs goal
against Newcastle at the weekend

Alongside the Crawley game against Stoke, this fixture stands out as well. League one side Stevenage have reached the fifth round for the first time in the clubs history and take on high flying Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs are currently third in the league chasing both Manchester clubs in a bid to win the Premier League title. Stevenage sit in the play off's of League one after gaining promotion from League two last season. New manager Gary Smith took the reigns after former manager Graham Westley went to fellow League one side Preston last month. Since taking over the club, Smith saw his side beat Notts County ion the fourth round of the cup and then beat Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 away from home. The Hertfordshire club beat Newcastle United at home in the third round last season so for the fans there is no reason why the League one side can't achieve a similar result this weekend. Harry Redknapp's Spurs come to Stevenage after thumping Newcastle United 5-0 at home last Saturday evening. Redknapp will more than likely rest his bigger stars with the North London derby in mind a week later. The likes of Bale, Adebayor and Luka Modric will sit on the bench allowing the younger stars of Spurs a run out and  a chance to shine. Striker Louis Saha is more than likely going to play a part. Two goals in the victory at the weekend for the Frenchman will give him a much needed confidence boost after only scoring two goals for former club Everton this season. With the television cameras present at the game on Sunday, Stevenage will want to show the football world just how good they are. 

Prediction: Stevenage 0-3  Tottenham

#4 Liverpool v Brighton

Kuyt scores Liverpool's second in
the 2-1 win over Brighton last year

For the second time this season, Liverpool and Brighton play each other, this time in the FA Cup. The two played against each other in the third round of the Carling Cup at Brighton last September with the Merseyside club winning 2-1 thanks to goals from strikers Craig Bellamy and Dirk Kuyt. With a Carling Cup final to look forward to in a week, Liverpool will want to book themselves at Wembley again for a second time this season in the FA Cup. A 2-1 victory at Anfield three weeks ago against rivals Manchester United in the fourth round, Liverpool will want to continue their form in the competition this season with victory over the Championship club. Kenny Dalglish has put out strong teams in both of their FA cup games this year and the game on Sunday will be no different. Bad boy Luis Suarez may set to start on his third game back from his 8 game ban. Craig Bellamy is the clubs top goalscorer this season and alongside fellow forward Dirk Kuyt, the pair have scored critical goals in cup games this season. Dutch striker Kuyt has come under some criticism this season due to lack of goals but two goals in his last four games for the club have shown he still has his predator instinct. Championship side Brighton started the season with a bang and went unbeaten in their first six league games. Since then form has dipped for the club and for striker Craig Mackail Smith as well. The Scotsman had not scored in his previous twelve games before netting in the 2-1 away win at Leeds last week. They sit ninth in the table at the moment only two points from a play off place and a cup game at Anfield will be a nice break from the league and be sure to be a grand day out for the travelling fans. Having disposed of Newcastle United in the last round of the cup, the Seagulls will go into the game knowing that if they perform to similar standards anything is possible.

Prediction: Liverpool 2-0 Brighton

Other fifth round ties:

Everton v Blackpool (Prediction: 2-1)

Norwich City v Leicester City (Prediction: 3-2)

Millwall v Bolton Wanderers (Prediction: 1-1)

Sunderland v Arsenal (Prediction: 1-1)

Fernando Torres: Finding his way back to form?

It's been over a year now since Spanish striker Fernando Torres made his big £50million move from Liverpool to Chelsea and it's fair to say he has not performed anywhere near what he showed the football world when he was at the Merseyside club. However over the past few games Torres has been playing, there have been signs that the forward may be returning to the world class player he is.

With only three goals in his Chelsea career so far, it's very obvious that things have not gone his way. Since his massive move to the London club, the spotlight was quickly upon him. At Liverpool, Torres was quick to show the football world what a quality player he is. In his first season for Liverpool, Torres scored 29 goals in all competitions setting a new record for the club. In his second season, Torres continued with his goalscoring managing to reach 50 goals for the club. It was clear to see how quick Torres had adapted to the Premier League, making him a handful for defenders.

picture: thisislondon.co.uk

Since his move to Chelsea, Torres has struggled finding the net. The Spanish number nine has currently gone four months without scoring a goal. With the European Championship's over the horizon, Torres has to start hitting the net, otherwise his hopes of going to the tournament will be slim.

But over recent games, there have been some signs that Torres may start finding some form and start scoring more regularly for Chelsea. With Drogba still playing for the Ivory Coast in The African Cup of Nations Torres is currently the main striker for Chelsea at the moment. He may not have scored in the games Chelsea have been without Drogba but Torres has found himself in positions in games where he has struggled to in games gone by. In the home win over Sunderland last month Torres attempted an unthinkable scissor kick which crashed against the bar and then resulting in Lampard scoring the rebound. Against Norwich, it took a great save from Canaries keeper John Ruddy to deny an effort from Torres, who then went on to miss an easier chance later on in the game.

It was the game last weekend against Man Utd where Torres looked like he maybe getting nearer to finding the net. The chance that stands out was Torres running through on goal where he had three or four opportunities to strike the ball but instead tried too hard to take the defender on and eventually lost the ball. Yes some may say that this is typical Torres fluffing his lines once again, but as a striker if you are getting chances then you must be doing something right, or getting into the right position. Sometimes all a striker needs in these situations is a slice of luck.

picture:bleacherreport.com

Take for instance Peter Crouch. Signed for 7 million pounds at Liverpool after impressive seasons at Southampton. Crouch went four months at Liverpool without scoring a goal. His first goal came at home to Wigan. After turning on the halfway line Crouch took the ball to the edge of the box where his long range effort took an enormous deflection off defender Leighton Baines and ended up looping over goalkeeper Mike Politt. There came Crouch's first goal for Liverpool, and after this game, Crouch became more regular on the score sheet for them. Now Crouch and Torres are completely different players and the price paid for each player is significantly different, but Torres is in the same predicament now for Chelsea.

Goals will come for Torres, it's only a matter of time before he get back and scoring regularly for Chelsea. He has proven with Liverpool  that he is more than capable of performing in the Premier League. Whether it's the formation Chelsea play that doesn't suit Torres's strengths or it's a matter of confidence, Torres goal drought is one that will hopefully end for him and get the critics off his back.

Jordan's on the Rhode to the Olympics

Huddersfield striker Jordan Rhodes has been in incredible form this season scoring 27 league goals in only 24 league games. The Scottish international is only 21 years old and has proven this season what a goal threat he is. With the Olympics closing in, names will be thrown around for the British football team and Rhodes will surely be included in those names.

The former Ipswich man has shown this season he is a predator in the box. Scoring four goals away at Sheffield Wednesday and an incredible five goals against Wycombe, Rhodes certainly knows where the goal is. With back to back hat tricks against Exeter and Preston this season, the Scotsman became the first Huddersfield player to achieve this since the 1920s.

Rhodes has not only been scoring goals for Huddersfield this season, but has been firing them in for the Scotland U21 side as well. Six goals in six appearances for the Scottish U21's has made Rhodes the all time joint top goalscorer for the team.

picture: yorkshirepost.co.uk

Rhodes has yet to receive any letter or notification asking whether he is willing to play for the British side at the Olympics, but if he was to be given the chance to play, he would definitely be a good player to have in the side. Manager of the GB football team, Stuart Pearce was in attendance when Huddersfield put 6 past Wycombe when Rhodes scored five goals, giving the view that Pearce may have Rhodes in his Olympic plans.

The majority of the British squad in the Olympics is more than likely going to contain English players alongside the likes of Gareth Bale and perhaps Wales captain Aaron Ramsey. It will be difficult for players from Scotland and Ireland to get their chance as England have a lot of players from their U21 side that will get into the Olympic team with ease. The likes of Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck would be definite selections if the two miss out on a trip to the Euros this year.

If Rhodes continues with his goalscoring into the second half of the season, there is no reason why the striker can't make it into the Olympic side. He has shown in his short career, that he is lethal in the box and can score any type of goal. He has proven that he can cope at international level even if it is for the U21s and it wont be long until you see him starting and scoring for the senior team.

FA Cup Fourth Round: Ones to watch

We see the fourth round of the FA Cup take place this weekend and after some top quality ties in the last round we are sure to see more the cup throw up more shocks and controversy this weekend. Below are the stnad out fixtures to look out for, for the fourth round.

#1 Liverpool v Manchester Utd

picture: dailymail.co.uk

Two giants in English football come head to head in the FA Cup once again. Man Utd came out 1-0 winners when the sides met last season in the third round at Old Trafford. An early penalty from Ryan Giggs ensured progress for the Red Devils in what was Kenny Dalglish's first game back as Liverpool manager. The last time these two met at Anfield in the cup was in 2006  in the fifth round when a Peter Crouch header was enough to take them through and eventually win the competition. Liverpool will take great confidence into the game after a hard fought draw against Manchester City in the week which took them through to the Carling Cup final. Craig Bellamy has been in fantastic form for the club and will want to continue that against an injury stricken United side. Man Utd have had terrible luck this season with injuries as seen against Arsenal when several players picked up knocks. But after beating rivals Manchester City in the last round, they won't fear anyone and will be determined to progress to the fifth round.

Prediction: Liverpool 1-0 Man Utd

#2 QPR v Chelsea

picture: dailymail.co.uk

Another all Premier League tie in the fourth round of the cup. These teams meet for the first time since the allegation made against Chelsea captain John Terry for racially abusing QPR defender Anton Ferdinand. Terry will be sure to receive abuse from the Rangers fans but this won't affect the England captain as he will want to guide his team to glory in this seasons competition. Striker Fernando Torres has gone more than 15 hours of football now without finding the net. With only 3 competitive goals for the club, the Spanish striker will want to start scoring especially with the Euro Championships only months away and his place in the national side at stake. Rangers have started to look like the side we thought they were. Mark Hughes has given the London side a big lift, with two wins in his opening three games, the Welshman will want his side to continue his good start with victory over their London rivals. 

Prediction: QPR 1-2 Chelsea

#3 Leicester City v Swindon Town

Swindon Town are the lowest ranked team left in the competition, and with a third round victory over Premier League side Wigan, they won't want their run to end just yet. They come up against a strong Leicester side who have only lost one game in their last seven in all competitions. Nigel Pearson's side disposed of neighbours Nottingham Forest in the last round and after beating Southampton away from home on Monday, the Foxes will be full of confidence towards this tie. Paolo Di Canio's Swindon side currently sit fourth in League 2 and are unbeaten in their last six games in all competitions. After beating Wigan in the last round, the Robins won't fear their opponents and will go into the game knowing they can progress further.

Prediction: Leicester 2-1 Swindon

#4 Brighton v Newcastle Utd

picture: thesun.co.uk

It's the Seagulls against the Magpies in this fourth round tie and the latter will definitely find their opponents tough to beat. Brighton needed a replay and a penalty shoot out in the last round to beat conference side Wrexham. The Premier League side have had quite a season and progress in this competition will be definitely in the mind of manager Alan Pardew. His side are still without striker Demba Ba but the form of midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa has been pleasing to the eye of the Geordie fans. Brighton have had another good season with Gus Puyet's side currently sitting tenth in the Championship and are on a five game unbeaten run. Striker Craig Mackail Smith last goal came at the end of November so the former Posh man will want to return back to finding the net. A game Newcastle will find tough but with the experience of their team and Premiership quality, the fifth round beckons for them.

Prediction: Brighton 0-2  Newcastle Utd

#5 Sheffield Utd v Birmingham City

Definitely one of the ties to keep a look out for. Sheffield United may be a division below the Blues, but the League 1 side will have a lot of belief they can win the game and progress to the fifth round. City beat rivals Wolves in the last round and are on an eight game unbeaten run, scoring 12 goals in their last four games. Striker Marlon King has been regularly finding the net for the Midlands side and will be looking to continue his goalscoring this weekend.  United have been hot on the heels of League 1 leaders Charlton all season and currently sit in third place. Veteran striker James Beattie has recently signed a new deal with the club and with the his experience and leading of the line will be critical for his side. Scoring has not been a problem for Danny Wilson's team this season with the away defeat to Charlton at the weekend was the first time not scoring since the beginning of October. A tough game for the Championship side especially as their record away from home this season has been poor, something Sheffield United will pick up on. 

Prediction: Sheffield Utd 2-2 Birmingham City

Other fourth round ties:

Arsenal v Aston Villa (Predcition: 2-0)

Bolton v Swansea (Prediction: 1-2)

Derby County v Stoke (Prediction: 1-1)

Watford v Tottenham (Prediction: 0-3)

Hull City v Crawley Town (Prediction: 2-1) 

Sunderland v Middlesbrough (Prediction: 2-1)

Blackpool v Sheffield Wednesday (Prediction: 2-1)

Millwall v Southampton (Prediction: 1-3)

West Brom v Norwich (Prediction: 1-2)

Stevenage v Notts County (Prediction: 1-1)

Everton v Fulham (Prediction: 1-1)

Dirk Kuyt: End of an era for the Dutchman?

picture: zimbio.com

Take your minds back to Saturday 6th March 2011. A lunchtime kick off at Anfield between bitter rivals Manchester United and Liverpool saw the Merseyside team run out 3-1 winners thanks to a hat trick from striker Dirk Kuyt. This was Kuyt's first hat trick for the club and came at a time when goals were flying in for the Dutchman. Kuyt's good run of form last season saw him score 15 goals for the club, equalling his best total of goals for the club in a season.

Kuyt is now currently in his sixth season of being a Liverpool player and under the reign of Kenny Dalglish, the striker has become a regular on the substitutes bench this season. With the arrival of new strikers Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll, as well as the return of Welshman Craig Bellamy, Kuyt has not played as much as he will want to. The Dutchman has not been helped either with the arrival of Jordan Henderson who plays on the right side of midfield a lot, a position Kuyt has made his own over the past few seasons.

Kuyt has only scored one goal this season for the club in the Carling Cup away at Brighton. With the team currently struggling to find the net, Kuyt's lack of goals has not helped. It has been seen in the past that Kuyt's goals have been valuable to the team on many occasions. His run of goals at the end of the 2010/11 season helped Liverpool to a strong finish to the season. He may not be a 20 goal a season striker but fans of Liverpool will tell you his goals have helped significantly.

But currently Kuyt is not finishing chances that a year ago he was putting away with ease. One of the most recent games at home to Stoke, Kuyt was standing 6 yards out from goal. Jose Enrique's cross fell to Kuyt who somehow managed to head horribly wide with the goal at his mercy. Any Liverpool fan would expect him to finish that sort of chance especially considering Kuyt scores a lot of his goals in the six yard box.

It now comes to the time where fans are looking at Kuyt now and thinking his time may have come to leave the club and start afresh elsewhere. With 35 million pound man Andy Carroll more likely to start ahead of him, Kuyt has to fight with Bellamy and Suarez for the other front position. Dalglish may go in for another centre forward in the summer and Kuyt would be the player to make way if this was the case. There have already been rumours during the transfer window of possible suitors for the Dutchman so this may be the last season we see Kuyt in the Premier League.

With the club so close to a cup final and a chance for silverware, Kuyt will be sure to work hard and fight for his place in the team. With goalscoring an issue at the moment for Liverpool, Kuyt needs to take any chance he gets to play and to start scoring otherwise it will be more likely he will be shown the door.

Carling Cup: Semi Final Previews

After the drama of the third round of the FA Cup, attention turns towards the Carling Cup. Which sees the first legs being played on Tuesday and Wednesday. The draw for the semi's threw up an all Championship tie with Crystal Palace facing Cardiff. The other tie put the big teams left in the competition together, Manchester City facing seven time winners Liverpool

#1 Crystal Palace v Cardiff City

picture: zimbio.com

This all Championship game gives one of the teams a great opportunity to play in a final and to grace the pitch at Wembley Stadium. Both sides beat Premier League opposition in their quarter finals and will be pleased to have avoided the big boys left in the competition. The first leg takes place at Selhurst Park, the home of Crystal Palace and Dougie Freedman's men will look to gain a solid first leg advantage before the teams meet again in two weeks in Cardiff. But after comfortably disposing of Blackburn Rovers in their quarter final, Cardiff City will make life very difficult for their opposition. Malky Mackay's men currently sit third in the Championship having lost only one in their last thirteen league games, and after defeat in the FA Cup at the weekend, the Bluebirds will want victory over their Championship rivals. Victory for Palace over Manchester United at Old Trafford in their quarter final will have certainly been the highlight in their season so far for Palace but for a team currently sitting in mid table a chance to play at Wembley will surely better that.

#2 Manchester City v Liverpool

picture: guardian.co.uk

After defeat to rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup on Sunday, Roberto Mancini's side will be looking to bounce back and will want to secure their first silverware of the season. A 3-0 defeat to City just over a week ago in the league will give Liverpool that added determination to want to win at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday. Kenny Dalglish's side did not turn up then and with the returning Steven Gerrard in goalscoring form, the Merseyside club will be out for revenge. City look set to be without captain and centre back Vincent Kompany after he was sent off at the weekend. Midfielder Yaya Toure, who has been one of City's star players this season has linked up with the Ivory Coast in preparation for the African Cup of Nations. Both players will be massively missed by City who will look towards playmaker David Silva and the natural goalscoring of Sergio Aguero for the team's inspiration. Liverpool are still without star striker Luis Suarez who continues his ban but fans will be pleased with the goalscoring form of Craig Bellamy who has scored 3 goals in his last 3 games in all competitions. Captain Steven Gerrard is a welcoming site to red's fans and his strength and prowess will certainly give the team a much needed boost