VIDEO : Funny own goal

Check out this own goal by Jurgen Sierens.
Thanks to @abelestefanero for submitting this.

Fri 27th Nov 2009 Liverpool News, Rumours and Rants

So the big story this morning is that Patrick Viera is being linked with Liverpool more…
(The Daily Mail started this story so I do not know how much weight it carries. He is still under contract with Inter which would mean that unless we get him on loan we would have to pay money which we do not have. Do you think Jose Mourinho will let someone go to Liverpool on loan? The newspaper is also claiming that Spurs are also in the running for Patrick, give me a break. Viera has more class than that, he will not go to Spurs)

Pepe & Nando back Rafa more…
(Bounce, bounce & keep bouncing)

Unlike this blogger on CNN who claims to be an expert more…
(Give me a break with all the Rafa must go cr*p)

According to these folks in Australia, Aquiliani will start against Everton more…
(The game is on Sunday BTW, Monday in Australia)

The Toffees have been in a slump too lately more…
(Unfortunately their fans do not know it. They have been too busy gloating about our C.L. exit)

On the comedy front, Frankie says no to Placenta more…
(Too many horses, too little time)

Here is a story that I missed yesterday, Good Olde Gary Neville taunting us for our CL exit more…
(What a classless, primitive, arrogant son of a bitch, you will never hear Stevie G say anything like this)

El Nino wins an award more…
(LOL, 10 goal landmark, first time I heard about this. Congrats Nando, get well soon so you can score another 10 fast)

Capello wants to face Argentina more…
(As much as I hate friendly Internationals I will have to watch that one)

And we will have a new stadium by 2018 more…
(H&G, start digging that hole you promised!!!!)

And finally, this professor believes that Liverpool will make millions with a good Europa cup run more…
(Why doesn’t this professor go work with the London based tabloids who predicted all that gloom on Wednesday morning?)

Sins of the Father

Let’s get a couple of things out of the way. I’m gutted about being out of the Champions League – but the Europa League is still a trophy, so let’s win it. And I still want Rafa to stay.

But I’ve been thinking about just how abominable our form and also our luck has been this year. Late goals have gone in, in the Champions League especially, Inanimate objects have helped other teams beat us ( and I mean the beach ball, not Darren Bent ), the injury list is truly dreadful, and even those who have been on the pitch have been barely fit.

This isn’t an ordinary run of bad luck. In an ordinary season, even playing badly as we are, we’d have scraped a couple of draws from the defeats, or a win from the Birmingham game. I don’t think even the most hardened anti-Liverpool football fans would begrudge us a little bit of sympathy.

Why is this, do we think ?

Well, here’s a theory. And it really is just that, because I for one don’t believe in fate and the like. But the more this goes on, the more I feel like it’s some sort of payback. Liverpool Football Club hasn’t been well run in a long time. But recently it has become more and more difficult to like the club ( not the fans or the players, but the club. Consider, in the case for the prosecution

1. Not supporting the Royal British Legion on Remembrance Day. Yes, we have a red kit, yes we supported them on other ways. But can someone tell me why we didn’t see fit to support them in the same way that all the other Premier League teams except Man Utd ?

2. The PTS scheme. Now I’m a little bit biased about this, because I was on the PTS scheme. I do appreciate that there is now wider access to tickets and that is a good thing. But whatever way you look at it, the disbanding of that scheme was a shabby way to treat people who had been shelling out £50 for 6 years and buying match tickets.

3. Rafa. I wouldn’t swap him for anyone. But he treated Xabi badly. He isn’t close to the players. And he isn’t friendly with other managers. He is a brilliant manager, but he is also aloof and distant and single-minded.

4. David Moores. He sold out. I understand the reasons why, but it is nevertheless true that we went from being a family run club to a corporate entity, with all the good and bad that entails.

I love the club, and it’s the fans that are at the heart of it – that is something that won’t ever change, we won’t let it. But I really feel that the club as the institution has lost it’s heart of late, lost its joie de vivre. And that we are somehow being punished for that. Odd things are happening – how many teams have turned us round recently so that we attack the Kop End in the 1st half – Everton and Man U aside, I don’t remember that ever happening before. There is dressing room unrest and some pretty lost souls on the pitch. Quiet in the stands.

I understand this isn’t a fully formed argument, but it’s a feeling I’m trying to articulate that maybe we need to be a family again before we can share success.

Thur 26th Nov 2009 Liverpool News, Rumours and Rants

First and foremost I want to wish a Happy Thanksgiving to all those celebrating the Holiday today (except for Tom Hicks & George Gillett). I am thankful to support a great club which has a very large and proud history and also a huge fan-base around the world. Thanksgiving is the largest Holiday of the year in the US, we celebrate it by stuffing our bellies up with turkey and getting together with our families.

Speaking of Turkey, Turan is being linked with Liverpool more…
(I seriously doubt this given that Rafa will not have any money for signings in January)

More talk of Van Nisteroy coming to Anfield more…
(I am starting to believe this story, the loan deal sounds like it could be something we can afford)

Liverpool Legend Tommy Smith blames the owners for our CL exit more…
(Thank you Tommy, in America we have an expression “Champagne on a beer budget” and that is what everyone expects from Rafa)

Here is an article talking about the financial impact of not being in the Champions League more…
(However if we go all the way we might end up making more. Juventus might join us in the Europa now)

Everton’s stadium plans were rejected, now there is more sh*te talk about the whole stadium sharing thing   more…
(H&G don’t get any stupid ideas!!!! Everton have a history of not paying rent)

I missed this story yesterday but Lyon want us to do them a favour more…
(Thanks for nothing Lyon, you surrendered to Fiorentina. We will beat the Viola not to do you a favour but because of our pride)

Ryan Babel looks like he is back on Twitter under the handle @Protunez
(He is using the name Rio? What is up with that? Rio = River.  River of Bablyon?)

And Rafa wants to have a word with Ryan over his comments to a Dutch Magazine more…
(It was a Dutch magazine that Ryan give his interview to and not The S*n. The S*n have folks on their editorial board who speak fluent Dutch probably due to the time they spend in Amsterdam Red Light district. I just made the Red Light story up but hey The S*n lies, so for once I wanted them to be on the receiving end)

More Sh*te linking Mourinho to Liverpool more…
(These people do not have a clue)

And finally, something for the Rafa bashes to ponder more…
(You do not see a story like that in any London tabloid)

Is The S*n seeking revenge?

I use Google Adsense to generate a little money to offset the costs of running the site. These adverts are based on a pay-per-click basis so we do not make any money unless someone clicks on the banners or links.

Over the last week, we have been very involved in attacking the S*n and readers of this site know we would never accept any advertising from the Scum. We were very instrumental in getting #dontbuythesun trending on Twitter and I must admit that I taunted the newspaper with my Tweets. But hey, they deserve it after all the Cr*p they have written in their 40 year history.

So this is what they did to get back at us, they purchased advertising on Google’s Adsense and ensured that their banners specifically appear on our site to get LFC supporters upset at us. Well, got to give the scum credit because they were partly successful. Check out the banner above;  to make it worse for me, they targeted the banners to appear in the UK only so I could not see them. Thanks to Grant Barnett who informed me. I was able to put a block on the adverts. If you see another S*n advert popping up please email me antoine@empireofhtekop.com

YNWA

Justice for the 96

-Antoine

antoine@empireofthekop.com

Why the Europa League deserves respect

I received the following article from Alain Grimaitre, he is a Swiss LFC supporter.

No, Lyon didn’t make themselves proud in Florence but we should have never been in the situation of having to rely on others. In the end, one late goal cost the Reds the qualification. After featuring in the CL knock out stages in each of last 5 consecutive years, having reached 2 finals and a further semifinal, this comes as a big blow.

Still though, there are two positive aspects from that matchday: first, Liverpool finally won a game again and hopefully picked up some confidence. And second: it raised our chances of winning silverware this season. Winning the Champions League was always going to be very difficult and I never expected us to do so this season. But elimination from the Champions Leauge means qualification for the Europa League and while we all agree that the Europa League lacks the glamour of the CL it gives us a new chance of winning silverware. I am fully aware that in the heat of the moment some supporters would prefer not to enter the Europa League at all. Sure, the exit hurts but can we really afford being too proud of trying to win a trophy? I don’t think so. We have a rich tradition in this competition, it is one that added to our reputation as one of Europe’s finest clubs over the years and definitely deserves our respect. Yes, it is a 2^nd class cup these days – but so are any other trophies that have not Premier League or Champions League written on it. Let’s face it, it all went wrong this season so far but as long as we have the chance of winning silverware, I want us to win it, no matter what the name of the competition is. I love the excitement of knock out games and reaching finals. And while it is not “Big Ears”, there are still some interesting aspects about this trophy:

…Liverpool have won the cup under its former name 3 times already – if we win the competition again, we would be record winners and make it a total of 9 European trophies (in other words: as much as Manchester Utd, Arsenal, Chelsea and Everton have won altogether…)!

…It is the very first time the competition is called “Europa League” and therefore it would be nice to be first the winners and write history!

…Personally I rate it higher than both domestic cups because it is an international trophy, more difficult to win and we can again catch Europe’s attention and make up for the early CL exit.

… Other teams such as the newly-rich Manchester City, Tottenham or Everton would all love to win it.

…The last time we won it, it was a helluva final and until Istanbul, the greatest Liverpool final I have experienced! So I’d just love us to do it again!

The first few knock out rounds will doubtless be a real test of character for the side – the wrong attitude and we’re out. Only because we are the favourite doesn’t mean we gonna win it (just ask Bayern Munich or AC Milan). But the closer the final will come, the more the players will want to be in it. Anything but showing the absolute will to bring the trophy to Anfield would hugely disappoint me.

Yes, we should be disappointed about being knocked out of the Champions League. But we  should not forget what football is about: winning trophies. And in this case an international one – something millions of supporters from other teams will never experience. So let’s go for it!