Make no mistake, tomorrow at Stamford Bridge, the game against West Ham is a MUST WIN and we need to take our good form of the last two games into this one. With Tottenham's defeat to Liverpool last week, we have to keep up the pressure on them and maintain our position of being at least within two points before we play our game in hand to hopefully, win it and move back into third place.
Gareth Bale of Tottenham Hotspur (Photo by Jamie McDonald/Getty Images)
Tottenham's Welsh youngster, Gareth Bale, continues to look the part of the English Premier League's next superstar coming into his own. The 23-year-old left winger has been on a ravenous run of form for the North London club and has his eyes fixed on the coming weekend's North London Derby against close rivals, Arsenal.
QPR boss Harry Redknapp has admitted he would love to bring out-of-favour midfielder Joe Cole to the club in January, but only if a cut-price deal can be struck with Liverpool. The Hoops are currently rock bottom of the Premier League, eight points adrift of safety and are strong favourites for the drop.
1. It's well known that Manchester City have money to throw around, but coppers aimed at Rio Ferdinand's eye is taking things a bit too far. Bound to fall foul of the Financial Fair Play regulations. 2. Fernando Torres is scoring goals and smiling. That makes at least one person at Stamford Bridge who's delighted [.
Daniel Sturridge-Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images
Brendan Rodgers' new-look Liverpool side have been making great strides after a rocky beginning to their campaign. They have been playing some very attractive football, and they are within shouting distance of the Premier League's fourth place and its accompanying ticket to the UEFA Champions League.
Lewis Holtby/Photo via: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
With the first week of the January Transfer Window in the books, let's examine the biggest moves thus far and rate the recipient club's savvy on a four star scale.
Demba Ba Chelsea (£7.5M from Newcastle)
The signing of the window so far, Ba's power, pace and ability to finish from the most unlikely of situations make him one of the league's elite strikers.
In my weekly column on SWOL, I take a look back at the weekend's English Premier League (and/or domestic cup) action and talking points, as well as any significant news related to English football. We welcome your thoughts in the comments section below.
Frank Lampard of Chelsea (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
FA Cup Third Round Review: Brighton's Upset, Robin's Equalizer, Suarez's Handball
We cannot talk about the FA Cup without mentioning the "magic" that it brings, right?
Joe Cole marked his West Ham return with the two assists which resulted in James Collin's two headed goals against Man Utd in the FA Cup at Upton Park on Saturday evening.
No, I'm not saying we shouldn't have let him go after that performance, I am happy for him in a way, as he endured a miserable two years at Anfield.
With the first week of 2013 still not yet consigned to the history books, already Liverpool Football Club have made moves in the transfer market. After what happened in the summer, more specifically deadline day itself, it was not so important the names of certain players involved in arriving at Anfield but that there would be some immediate progress on that front rather than there to be seen any kind of dalliance on the matter.
Premier League side West Ham United today confirmed the signature of midfielder Joe Cole from Liverpool, bringing the 31 year old back to the club where he began his career.
"It is a great move for me," he was quoted as saying on the club's website whufc.com.
"Coming back here brings back all the memories of the pitches I learnt how to play on.
Marouane Chamakh to revive his career at West Ham - originally posted on Soccerlens.com
Few months back Arsenal striker Marouane Chamakhwas sitting on the thorns beseeching for chances in the first team and hoping to find an escape route. Now he finds a ray of hope of reviving his career again with West Ham after completing his loan move until the end of the season.
Joe Cole of West Ham United in 2003 (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Long before he was the dynamic Chelsea winger that defines his career, Joe Cole was a member of West Ham's elite and perhaps greatest run of academy graduates alongside Frank Lampard, John Terry Jermaine Defoe and others.
Joe Cole's transfer to West Ham United has finally been wrapped up, it has been confirmed. The midfielder has left Liverpool on a permanent transfer, signing a two-and-a-half-year deal with the club where he first got his footballing breakthrough. The deal is believed to be a free transfer, although there have been suggestions that Liverpool have handed him a payoff to allow the move to go through.
Looks like Joe Cole's disappointing time at Anfield could soon be over after he has been told he is free to find another club.
West Ham appear to be the front runners for his signature and have started talks. Reports are he will be available on a free transfer, Liverpool will have to pay Joe Cole a settlement tho to cancel his current deal and get his £100,000 a week salary off the wage bill.
Sky Sports understands Queens Park Rangers are in talks with Liverpool over a move for Joe Cole. The former England international, who earns a reported £90,000 a week, is expected to leave Anfield in January as he does not feature in boss Brendan Rodgers' long-term plans. QPR manager Harry Redknapp hopes to take advantage and take former West Ham United colleague Cole to Loftus Road to help in their fight against Premier League relegation.
Joe Cole is requesting a £3.6m pay-off from Liverpool to quit the Merseyside club in January. The former Chelsea and West Ham midfielder joined the Reds in 2010 but has failed to make an impact at Anfield – with just 42 appearances in his two-and-a-half year spell at the club – and spent last season on loan at French side Lille.
Joe Cole of Liverpool (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Compared to recent transfer windows, Liverpool has been relatively quiet when it comes to rumors for the upcoming January window.
It seems an almost certainty that the Reds will sign Daniel Sturridge from Chelsea and Tom Ince from Blackpool for a combined 18m as early as the first week of January.
Out of favour Liverpool midfielder Joe Cole is set to be Harry Redknapp's first signing as QPR manager when the January transfer window opens. The 31 year old has struggled to establish himself under Brendan Rodgers after he returned from a season long loan spell at Lille in the summer and now Redknapp hopes to take Cole to Loftus Road on loan for the rest of the season according to the Daily Express.
So far this season, Liverpool have depended too much on their Uruguayan talisman Luis Suarez. Although Jonjo Shelvey and Raheem Sterling have continued to progress and increase their presence in Brendan Rodgers' side, the manager should look to strengthen his attacking options in January.
Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers admits Joe Cole's future prospects with the club ultimately depend on the player himself and said he can offer no guarantees regarding Cole's future at this stage.
Joe Cole, 31, scored his first Premier League goal since April 2011 as Liverpool won 3-2 at West Ham on Sunday.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has said that Joe Cole's future prospects with the club depend on the player himself. The 31-year-old midfielder scored his first Premier League goal since April 2011 in Sunday's 3-2 victory at his old club West Ham, but has not featured regularly for the Reds this season.
Joe Cole has indicated that he is not looking to leave Liverpool in the January transfer window, insisting that he wants to fight for a first team place at Anfield. The former West Ham Ham and Chelsea attacker has been linked with a number of moves away after a relatively poor first half of the season, most notably with a chance to reunite with Harry Redknapp at Queens Park Rangers.
In my weekly column on SWOL, I take a look back at the weekend's English Premier League action and the talking points that it throws up, as well as any significant news related to English football at large. We welcome your thoughts in the comments section below.
Robin van Persie of Manchester United celebrates (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
Liverpool collected all three points at Upton Park on Sunday but it was close to being a different story for the Reds when they lost their lead in the first half.
Joe Cole (L) of Liverpool celebrates his goal with Jonjo Shelvey (Photo by Scott Heavey/Getty Images)
Sam Allardyce has gone about fashioning a proper team at West Ham United.
The telling indication of this has been the source of their goals, something Allardyce brought up in a roundabout way in his interviews with the Sunday newspapers in England.
Liverpool proved they could win without talismanic striker Luis Suarez as they fought from behind to take three points from Upton Park. Uruguay international Suarez was serving a one-match ban but the Reds struck twice late in the game to seal a win that sees them leapfrog West Ham in the table.
Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers hailed Jonjo Shelvey after the Reds came from behind to beat West Ham 3-2 at Upton Park. Glen Johnson fired Liverpool ahead with the best goal of the match in the 11th minute, before a Mark Noble penalty and an own goal by Steven Gerrard allowed the Hammers to reach half-time 2-1 in front.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has revealed that midfielder Lucas will be in the squad for the visit of Southampton on Saturday after being out through injury since 26th August. The Brazilian had missed the majority of last season through injury and his availability will be a huge boost to the Reds.
Maligned midfielder Joe Cole was denied his chance to be hailed a hero after Liverpool conceded a late equalizer to leave their Europa League challenge in the balance. The 31-year-old's first Liverpool goal in 19 months appeared to have secured the victory over Young Boys to ensure progress to the knockout stages from Group A.
Liverpool midfielder Joe Cole insists he still has plenty to offer the club as he fights to save his Anfield career. Cole, 31, scored his first goal for the club in 19 months as they drew 2-2 with Young Boys in the Europa League on Thursday night. The former Chelsea man has struggled for form and fitness since returning to Liverpool in the summer, following a season on loan at Lille.
A very class act from the Young Boys fans, thank you #JFT96... Image: mirror.co.uk
The Reds had to settle for a draw with visitors Young Boys on Thursday evening after a very good performance with a bit part team nearly saw them take all three points and cement their place in the knockout stages of the Europa League.
Liverpool twice threw away a one goal lead at Anfield to end up drawing their crucial Europa League game against Young Boys, when a win would have ensured qualification to the next stage for the Reds.
An experimental Liverpool team without Gerrard, Suarez or Joe Allen scored through a Johnjo Shelvey header on 33 mins.
Loic Remy of Queens Park Rangers and James Tompkins (L) of West Ham United-Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
QPR visited Upton Park having held their opponents scoreless for two matches running, while the Hammers had earned just 4 points from their previous 5 matches coming in. The West Londoners were hoping to build on their platform of recent defensive stability to claw their way out of the bottom of the table, while the East Londoners were hoping to halt their slide down the league table with a good home performance.
Late Robin Van Persie equaliser sends FA Cup tie to a replay
A late Robin Van Persie equalizer for Man Utd against a sturdy West Ham United team at Upton Park tonight, saved manager Sir Alex Ferguson's blushes yet again. His 91st minute shot forced a replay at Old Trafford in their 3rd Round FA Cup Tie.
Manchester City's Joe Hart, Gareth Barry and James Milner challenged themselves to a round of FIFA 13 at Manchester City's Carrington training ground this week. Of course, it was only to see if they could defeat their teammate the reigning FIFA 12 Pro Player Challenge champion Joleon Lescott!
Wait until we really hit form – that was the message from Reds boss Brendan Rodgers after his team claimed back-to-back league victories for the first time this season and climbed into the top half. A stirring second-half comeback saw Liverpool triumph 3-2 over West Ham at Upton Park, with early substitute Joe Cole and an own goal filling the absence of suspended striker Luis Suarez.
QPR manager Harry Redknapp has called Liverpool midfielder Joe Cole a top player but insists that he has not made an enquiry for him yet. Redknapp bought Cole through the youth system into the first team at West Ham and now as he looks to save West London club Queens Park Ranger from relegation he has praised the former Chelsea man but says that he has not made enquiries about any potential transfers.
