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Next we visited bottom of the pile PNE at Deepdale and took the opportunity to rest players and give a few players a start to get game time. Often these games where you rest players come back and bite you in the ass, so I told the players in no uncertain terms that they are playing for a pla

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sorry...my bad

place in the squad as a rotation player and would be given chances to prove themselves. If they failed they would be out the club or playing reserve team footy. The starting 11 answer my call and took a 4-0 HT lead but conceded 2 late goals and took the 3 pts in a 4-2 away win. Cisse took home the match ball and Garcia hit the 4th goal.

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The now 4th placed Leicester come to NA and take on my full strength first team, no resting or experimenting here. Its the games like these we need to win convincingly to keep morale up and the board of your back. Goals in each half from LB Riise give the Red a deserved 2-0 win and all the pts from the encounter.

Liverpool of the C are favourites to beat Brackburn of the PL in the 2nd round of the LC. But nothing changes and we are using this to give players a rest and chances to those on the fringes of the team. Despite losing Hyypia and Zenden to injuries in the first half, the Reds rallied and goals from Pongolle, a Crouch peanut and a Riise Free Kick, to win 3-1 after a late charge from the PL outfit. In the end it was the C team that took the spoils with the players given chances like Pongolle, Sissoko and Traore doing well and impressing.

While we got the bad news that Hyypia and Zenden were out for 2 weeks, we also got the draw for the next round of the LC. A home tie to PL outfit Cardiff.

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The game v 22nd placed Forest away would be testing to say the least. Hyypia and Zenden out injured and Ciise tired and being given a much needed rest. The strikers would be Nando and Crouch with Pongolle on the bench and Garcia playing behind the strikers. With Forest playing a defensive game at home, it was just down to Liverpool to wear them out and Garcia scored a first half penalty and Crouch doubled the lead in the last quarter to get his 5th of the season. It was little wonder Forest were so poor, they never had a shot on target all day as opposed to Liverpool 10. Riise

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Riise wins his 3rd MOM award of the season and has help Liverpool to 6 consecutive wins in the C and taken them 2 pts clear at the top with a game in hand.

Relegation canditates Plymouth arrived at NA hoping to resurect their season after balancing above the drop zone. They were boosted my my decision to rest kep players and once again give those on the fringes a chance to shine. On form Riise, the impressive Pongolle and the lanky Crouch took the score to 3-0 at the turn and from there decided to cruise and allow 2 conceded goals to make the fans sit on the edge and grind out a 3-2 home win.
Hamman and MOM Crouch both get 2 week lay offs to recover from minor injuries. With Wolves coming up we would need to be at full strength to compete.

Molineux was next stop for my high flyers. Wolves was not going to be an easy task, especially away from home. In the end, it was the home side that took the points in a 2-0 win. Liverpool spurned chances and totally dominated the game but it was not meant to be their day and a disappointed board told them the same.

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For a second month in a row Palace's defender Borrowdale has got the young player award in front of Agger and this has alerted me to the fact that this guy @ 21 could be a good player to get on my books. McCarthy @ Black Cats get the manager award for 4 wins out of six versus my 4 wins out of 5. In the senior awars, we dont get a nominee, but confidence in the squad is still high. We 3 pts clear at the top with a game in hand and won 7 from 9 with 2 losses and no draws as yet.

October still saw us on top of the pile. Doncaster are the strongest side in the league and they have to be to hold up 23 other clubs. This month on paper looked a good one for the Reds. Apart from Cardiff in the LC, the C games were against lowly opposition, only Watford and Millwall in 11th and 12th were worth a look at. But at the end of the day, we still need to put in the hard yards to get the results.

With Luton visiting NA, I gave players a chance once again, the C is much easier to do that than the PL and you expected to win and dominate the division. This was justified by first half goal by Cisse and a first ever for Hofland at Liverpool. Cisse got another from the spot before Luton pulled back a goal only for Cisse to claim the match ball in the 70th minute. Cisse picked up the match ball, MOM and his 14th of the season.
With this being the game in hand, Liverpool now held a comfy 6 point cushion at the top.

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Crouch injured and Kewell on internation duty were the only 2 out of the team for Liverpools away trip to Pride Park to take on Derby. Gone are the days of Peter Shiltons heroics in the old first division then dominated by Liverpool, they were a struggling team lucky to be in the C and only able to fight relegation season after season. Braces from Cisse and Nando ensured that Derby kept their tag and that no heroics would be performed against Liverpool on this day.

Other relegated side Fulham came to the NA with Gerrard on the bench replaced by D' Allesandro for the clash. Fulham struggling to come to terms with the C after the drop were in 12th and no signs of promotion as it stood. It took an injury time winner from Garcia to take the game 1-0 and ensure that Mo Al Fayed spends more time running the club and buying players to survive than rapping with Ali G.

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The Den was the next raod trip to be taken and in this Area of London, you have no choice but to accept the hostile reception when you run onto the field. The cries of 'No one likes us, no one likes us, we dont care, we are Millwall, we are Millwall from the den'.

Kewells MOM performance along with a brace from Nando and the other from Garcia had the travelling fans singing 'You got bark but no bite, we are Liverpool, we are the Reds and we kicked your ass at the Den'. The only sour note to the day apart from the lemon in my tequila's, was the news that Cisse would be out for a month injured.

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Another blow was delivered. Reina has also been rules out for a month and that means Crouch and Dudek will get extended runs in the side with Pongolle and Carson awaiting a slight chance of first team footy.

The 3rd round of the LC was PL high flyers Cardiff to NA. A team touted to be relegated right away was proving the critics wrong and sitting pretty at 7th in the PL. This would be Liverpools hardest challenge of the seaon. Even though a big task and ask, We have decided to keep the same ortation going and playing those in the wings. This would be a big test to the club as a whole. Goals either side of the half from now bench player D' Allesandro and Pongolle gave Reds a 2-1 win and a passage into the next round.

Liverpool draw big guns Chelski in the LC and will have to go full strength to have any chance of staying the the cup hunt.

15th place Stoke who are on a run of 4 unbeaten games come to NA for a match that all Reds players will want to impress to get a run v the Chelski. Pongolles first half opener was dampened to the injury of Garcia. With Zenden taking his place and a few other injuries, it would be closely contested in the 2nd half. Carra's assist for Nando doubled the lead and all the pts stayed at NA. Garcia injury has ruled him out for min 3 weeks and will be missed, he has been a revalation in that AMC role and it will need to be filled in his absence.

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The final game in October is a trip to Vicarage Road, where we will hopefully singing in the terraces and not listening to Watfors Elton Johns crap from the stands. D' Allesandro and Gerrard are both benched for the game to give them much needed rest. Zenden and Pongolle fill their spots in the starting XI. Watford offered little in most parts of the pitch and it was no surprise that Liverpoll trounced them 4-1. A brace from Nando, Kewell and Crouch, who even missed a late penalty (Where have we seen that before???).

After 17 games, we had won 15 and were 10 points clear at the top of the table. Things were looking bright for the Red half of Liverpool and would surely be competing against their neighbours before long.

A report from the board indicated that the club lost 1.5 million and was doing so each month with the huge wage bill. In the transfer window, a few players might have to leave to fill up the coffers, but they will be lesser players in the club if I had anything to do with it.

At the end of the month, it was Nando who got the player of the month acolade and Kewell was also up there. Agger once again was in the mix and proving to be a star for the future who had already settled in as a first team player making Hyypia and Hofland fight for the other spot. With Carra and Riise on the flanks, the defense was looking solid as a rock.

I won my 2nd Manager of the month award for winning 6 from 6 and taking 18 pts, but without the players doing their bit I am but just a pawn in the game.

With the team in such good form, the players are obviuosly enjoying life and ensuring the Reds get back where they belong.

In the nets, Dudek has prooven his ability in the absense of injured Reina and will keep the spot for the time being. Carson and Kirlland are only hoping for first team action at this point.

The defense has been solid only leaking 19 goals, less than a goal a game. Riise with 5 goals is the pick of the defense with Agger also in fine form and quickly becoming a fan favourite.

In the middle its no surprise that the AMC are the top scorers with Garcia 6 and Pongolle 4. Alonso has also won back his place and cemented with fine performances from the DMC role that he plays so well.

The strikers are on fire. Cisse who has been out for a month so far and still in the physio's room has netted 16 with Nando on 13. Crouchy has 7 while stading in for Cisse.

November is a bit quite with only 3 C games v QPR, Blades and Blackpool with the LC tie against Chelski.