Congratulations to Slovenia, a pair of bad managers, strange cures and daylight robbery all feature in this week's good, the bad and the ugly. Vocabulary support can be found for the words in bold at the foot of the post.

Good

It's been a good week for Uruguay, Algeria, Portugal, Greece, France, New Zealand and Slovenia as they all booked their places in next year's World Cup finals with play-off victories over the past few days.

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The first Premier League match of the weekend also happens to be one of the biggest, as Liverpool look to revive their season when they take on top four chasing Manchester City.
The Reds' 2-2 draw with Birmingham City last time out stretched their horror run to one win in nine games. With five league losses already, it would appear that their title race is all but run. Click to continue reading...

Rafael Benitez acknowledges that Liverpool's clash with Manchester City on Saturday is 'make or break' to their hopes of ensuring Champions League football next season.
The stakes are very high for boss Benitez, who has sent four players - Yossi Benayoun, Albert Riera, Glen Johnson and Fabio Aurelio - to Belgrade this week for unorthodox placenta cell treatment on their injuries. Click to continue reading...

Liverpool were handed a massive boost when four players made a rapid return from injury to be available for tomorrow's game against Man City.
Glen Johnson, Fabio Aurielio, Yossi Benayoun and Albert Riera were all sent to a physiotherapist, Marin Kovacevic, in Belgrade.
There they were given an unusual and highly unorthodox treatment of a cream made from Horse placenta combined with wave-treatment. Click to continue reading...

Great news, all Liverpool fans! Injury treatment in Serbia has reaped handsome rewards and the injured are now fighting fit!
Albert Riera, Yossi Benayoun, Fabio Aurelio, Steven Gerrard, David Ngog and Glen Johnson are all declared fit and ready to take on draw specialists, Manchester City. Click to continue reading...

Alberto Aquilani is in contention to make his long-awaited full Liverpool debut on Saturday as Rafael Benítez looks to the £20m summer signing to reinvigorate the club's season against Manchester City.
The Italy international has played only 21 minutes for Liverpool since arriving from Roma in August, as a substitute against Birmingham City and Arsenal, because of his recovery from ankle surgery plus illness. Click to continue reading...

Glen Johnson and Fabio Aurelio have become the latest Liverpool players to visit radical therapist Mariana Kovacevic in an attempt to end their injury problems.
Albert Riera and Yossi Benayoun flew to Belgrade earlier this week to see Kovacevic, who has become famous for treating sportsmen with the liquid from horse placenta. Click to continue reading...

Yossi Benayoun and Albert Riera are in contention for a surprise return to the Liverpool squad for Saturday's clash with Manchester City after some controversial therapy.
They have been treated by a Serbian physiotherapist credited with accelerating recovery from injury with the use of placenta cells. Click to continue reading...

Liverpool have been given a boost ahead of their crucial Champions League tie with Debrecen by the news that captain Steven Gerrard should be back for the game.

The club currently sit in third place in Group E on four points and are five behind Fiorentina in second place with only two games remaining.

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Steven Gerrard is confident of making his first Liverpool start for a month against Manchester City on Saturday after revealing an anti-inflammatory injection has alleviated the need for groin surgery.
The Liverpool captain had the injection almost two weeks ago in an attempt to avoid an operation on the adductor problem he suffered playing for England against Ukraine on 10 October. Click to continue reading...

Liverpool FC boss Rafa Benitez believes there are only minor issues to address with his faltering side and has urged his players to start their season afresh after the international break.
The Reds have already lost five Premier League matches - three more than during the whole of the previous campaign - and critics have already written off their title hopes. Click to continue reading...

Liverpool have been dealt yet a further injury blow after it emerged that Fabio Aurelio has been cut from the Brazil squad because of his calf injury.
Reds boss Rafa Benitez has also announced that Yossi Benayoun and Albert Riera could be out for at least three weeks with hamstring injuries, adding to a lengthening injury list which includes star players Fernando Torres and captain Steven Gerrard. Click to continue reading...

If only those scarves were bandages
Fresh news out of Anfield is reporting that Albert Riera and the Israeli Landon Donovan (Yossi Benayoun) are going to be out for a month with muscle injuries.
It's been a rough season for the Merseyside Reds, with most of their stars having sat out for at least a few games. Click to continue reading...

Define Irony : A bunch of football players missing Internationals for an injury they got introduced in the previous Internationals.

So finally we get to watch some International action. And boy, don't I love it. England versus Brazil yeah. Does it get better than this.

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The latest names to the physio table include the likes of Yossi Benayoun and Albert Riera, both of which are dealing with knocks that could see them miss matches after the international break. With the injuries mounting and the quality names on bench and in the starting XI dwindling, it would appear that it's [. Click to continue reading...

The international break means that Rafael Benítez has ten days to work out what is going wrong for his underperforming team.
Eleven points behind Chelsea in the Barclays Premier League and facing elimination from the Champions League, the Liverpool manager has a lot on his plate. The Times has identified five things he must do to get their season back on track. Click to continue reading...

Albert Riera admits Liverpool FC are suffering from a mental block as they struggle to overcome their poor run of form and a crippling injury list.
The 2-2 draw with Birmingham City on Monday means the Anfield outfit has won only one of their last nine games to fall 11 points behind Premier League leaders Chelsea. Click to continue reading...

Liverpool will work feverishly during the international break to find a solution to Daniel Agger's on-going back problem.
The Denmark international played in last week's Champions League 1-1 draw in Lyon, and also in Monday's stalemate with Birmingham.
But boss Rafa Benitez revealed his concerns about the player's injury problem that has dogged him all season and needed an operation during the summer. Click to continue reading...

What's been in Butt's Brain over the past few days...

• Benni McCarthy says he has no future at Blackburn under Sam Allardyce. Pompey seem to be in the running for the South African superstar - he would join compatriot Aaron Mokoena at Fratton Park if the move goes through in January [Times Live]

• Only a few days left for you to participate in our World Cup prediction contest and win some great free soccer gear from Soccer Pro [Butt Buddies WC Contest] and [Soccer Pro]

• Liverpool's injury woes continue.

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Rafael Benitez will be a relieved man that the international break has finally arrived, hopeful that some of his injured players will return to fitness ahead of a crucial clash against Manchester City at Anfield on November 21.
Liverpool suffered more injury woe in the disappointing 2-2 draw at home to Birmingham City on Monday, with Albert Riera and Yossi Benayoun both forced off. Click to continue reading...

When David N'Gog scored so early on, the game opened itself perfectly for Liverpool: this was the ideal starting point, the launching pad that could lead to a much needed win. Then came the inevitable defensive lapse that resulted in a conceeded goal which was followed up by the sucker punch of Cameron Jerome's splendid but somewhat fortiuitous goal and suddenly it was a repeat of so many games this season. Click to continue reading...

Confidence and luck running low at Anfield.

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27 shots to 5. That's the real story of last night's match.

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Steven Gerrard's hotly-disputed second-half penalty rescued a point for Liverpool but did little to lift the pressure on boss Rafael Benitez.
It is just one win now in nine matches for the Reds and they must be grateful for the two-week international break which will allow the dust to settle on their faltering season. Click to continue reading...

For those wondering if things in the Merseyside could get any worse... we now know the answer. It's a resounding YES! Steven Gerrard converted a penalty that shouldn't have ever been given and yet it wasn't enough as Liverpool only managed to draw with lowly Birmingham City, 2-2, at Anfield on Monday night. Click to continue reading...

David N'Gog won a controversial penalty that spared under-pressure Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez a humiliating home defeat to Birmingham in a 2-2 draw at Anfield. The draw means Liverpool, with only one win in nine matches, are seventh but 11 points behind leaders Chelsea. Birmingham stay 15th, two points above the drop zone.

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Liverpool failed to close the gap on Chelsea tonight as they could only manage a two all draw against Birmingham at Anfield.
David Ngog opened the scoring for the Reds with a thunderous volley into the roof of the net on 12mins.
However Birmingham were soon level when Christian Benitez Headed a goal from a free kick on 28mins. Click to continue reading...

To recap:

* David Ngog opened the scoring with a stunning volley from six yards after some good Liverpool pressure.

* Liverpool concede the equalizer from a set-piece: Brum get three headers in the box, the last by Chucho Benitez past Pepe Reina.

* Albert Riera aggravated his hamstring injury (again) and had to come off.

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Rafael Benítez believes that Liverpool have been the victims of bad luck this season and has spoken of his conviction that the club will have significantly improved their league position within "one or two months". The Liverpool manager, who has presided over six defeats in the last eight matches ahead of Birmingham City's visit tonight, claimed he was "100% sure" his team would start to climb the table. Click to continue reading...

Time these players were given their marching orders.

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Albert Rieira

I had high hopes for Albert Riera when he first arrived from Espanyol but other than a couple of decent games and a decent finish here and there I really have been consistently wanting more from the winger.

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Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez believes that the injury plague that has struck his squad is finally beginning to show signs of abatement.
Fabio Aurelio, Albert Riera and Martin Skrtel have returned to training, as has Steven Gerrard after being unable to train for a fortnight owing to his groin injury. Click to continue reading...

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has insisted that he would like to remain as the tactican of the Merseyside club for many more years to come.
The Reds are in a serious crisis, as six losses in seven games has threatened to throw the club's ambitions out the window. A seventh loss - against Olympique Lyonnais in the Champions League - would be catastrophic for the Anfield outfit, as it would be their worst run since the appointment of the legendary Bill Shankly as manager of the club. Click to continue reading...

Fernando Torres has a hernia that could require surgery if he is overplayed, Rafael Benítez has been warned.
Liverpool's medical staff delivered the worrying prognosis during the build-up to the club's crucial Champions League match against Lyons on Wednesday.
Steven Gerrard is definitely out of the group E tie at the Stade Gerland because of a groin problem. Click to continue reading...

Norweigan wants to stay in Serie A.

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Roma wide-man John Arne Riise has hit back at newspaper reports claiming the Norwegian had asked to return to former club Liverpool.

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Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard, midfielder Albert Riera and defenders Martin Kelly and Martin Skrtel will all miss Wednesday's decisive Champions League match at Olympique Lyon, manager Rafa Benitez said on Monday.
However, Benitez added that he was hoping Italian midfielder Alberto Aquilani would recover from a virus that kept him out of Saturday's 3-1 defeat at Fulham for the Group E match. Click to continue reading...

I was going to open by stating with a certain level of confidence that should Arsenal and Tottenham draw, Liverpool would leapfrog both in the table with a win today at Fulham. Then Arsenal scored two goals in two minutes. So let's focus on Liverpool, shall we?

The Steven Gerrard groin injury saga spirals further and further down the rabbit hole, with worries now that he'll need surgery to repair his injured man zone.

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