EPL Talk » Sami Hyypia

Sami Hyypia: Leaving Liverpool

Ethan Armstrong — Wed, 06 May 2009 14:00:00 +0000

There won’t be a sympathy vote PFA award for Sami Hyypia as he ends his ten year career with Liverpool FC, but for Reds supporters his legend will remain as large as the 6′4 Finn himself.

Bought from Willem II in 1999 for a mere £2.5m, Hyypia is easily one of the greatest bargains in Liverpool’s rich history. 463 first team appearances and 35 goals. He formed brilliant defensive partnerships, first, with Stephane Henchoz and, later, with Jamie Carragher.

Jamie Redknapp’s injury troubles saw Hyypia take over as captain for most of Liverpool’s 00/01 treble-winning season. The next year he became permanant captain Steven Gerrard took over the role in 2003.

From November 2001 until February 2006, he played every minute of 57 consecutive European matches and was absolutely instrumental in Liverpool’s journey to Istanbul where they finally recaptured the European Cup.

While Hyypia’s vitality and speed have waned in the last couple of years, his keen instincts and long experience have kept him as sharp as ever. Martin Skrtel and Jamie Carragher enjoyed the most starts this year, but when Hyypia has been called into action, his always made his worth known with impeccable defending.

His unspoken message to the young, swift attackers coming at him: I may not be as fast as you, but I know exactly where you are going. I’ll meet you there. He’s lost pace, but his vision abounds.

His most important and impressive performance this season was against Manchester United at Old Trafford. Hyypia was the latest of additions to the starting XI when Alvaro Arbeloa picked up an injury while warming up for the match. Jamie Carragher was moved to right-back and Hyypia joined Martin Skrtel in central defense. With the strength and speed in United’s ranks, Hyypia was clearly not the first choice, but his outstanding display proved he can still get the job done when needed. United earned a penalty early on after Pepe Reina mistimed collecting the ball from Park Ji-Sung’s feet. But after that they had few serious chances on goal, due largely to Hyypia’s dilligence in breaking up attacks and dispossesing would-be scorers. Liverpool won 4-1. The first time they’d registered a victory at Old Trafford since April 2004.

Though defending was ever his chief responsibility, Hyypia’s goals will always stand out in supporters’ memories. With his height and heading ability, Hyypia has always been a danger off of corners and other set pieces, but he could strike well with his feet as well, evidenced in his volley against Juventus to open the scoring in the 2005 Champions League quarter-finals: one of his most memorable goals.

35 goals is a fine tally for a central defender.

Not getting regular starts this season has been difficult for Hyypia, so he will leave for Bayern Leverkusen on a two-year deal come summer. He hasn’t ruled out a return to Anfield in a coaching capacity later on, but he is intent on playing as much as possible for now. “We had a number of discussions and the possibility of a coaching role was mentioned but I don’t feel ready for that yet. I feel I still have a few more years in my legs to play football,” said Hyypia.

There will always be a place for Hyypia at Anfield. If he doesn’t come back to coach, his name will still stand among the greats as one of the finest defenders to ply his trade with the Merseyside club. Best of luck, Mr Hyypia.

Will Daniel Agger Stay At Liverpool?

Ethan Armstrong — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 18:01:50 +0000

Daniel Agger is stalling on signing a new contract with Liverpool FC. The obvious problem: his position is overcrowded with quality. The top Danish centre back must compete with Jamie Carragher and Martin Skrtel who have enjoyed the bulk of the starts this season and don’t forget Sami Hyypia.

Jamie Carragher: When Steven Gerrard comes off, Jamie Carragher inevitably takes the captain’s armband. With good reason. Carragher’s inherent leadership is as important to Liverpool’s defense as his ability to strip the ball from even the wiliest of attackers and, like Gerrard, Carragher’s play is an inspiration those around him, lifting the quality of his teammates with his passion and drive. At 31 with more than 500 appearances, it’s hard to imagine Liverpool FC without Jamie Carragher. But while he still has a few more years to give, one must wonder who will be there to fill the gap when Jamie Carragher steps down. Carragher has already stated an interest into managing after his playing days are over and one could certainly see him following in the footsteps of Kenny Dalglish and Graeme Souness and eventually taking the helm at Liverpool.

Martin Skrtel: Martin Skrtel is a rock. When he gets it right he doesn’t foul attackers: he lets them careen off of him. Despite a few missteps here and there, Skrtel adapted to his new home quickly. His impressive performances in the spring of 2008 helped Liverpool enter a string of great results, and the start to the current season was one of Liverpool’s best opening runs in nearly two decades, due in part to Liverpool only conceding 21 goals so far (only three more than table toppers Manchester United.) So when Agger became available again, he found it hard to break into the first team as Benitez understandably did not want to alter the chemistry of the back four by ousting Martin Skrtel.

Sami Hyypia: The 35-year-old Finnish defender is rightly considered a legend by the Liverpool faithful and his work this season has shown he still has much in his tanks for the club he’s served since 1999. Not the paciest of defenders, Hyypia rarely starts in the high-paced EPL, but he still shows his worth when needed. In the recent match against Manchester United, Hyypia came on in a last minute emergency roster change after Alvaro Arbeloa picked up an injury while warming up. While United might have hoped to take advantage of the reduction in pace in Liverpool’s back line, Hyypia’s cool head and great vision won out. The Fin was instrumental in breaking up United attacks and allowing Liverpool to dominate the match. Hyypia cannot always keep up with younger, pacy attackers, but he shuts them down nonetheless. He seems to say, “I can’t catch you, but I know just where you’re going and I’ll meet you there.”

Agger would probably merit a slot above Skrtel in the back line pecking order if not for the injury problems the Dane has sustained since last year. When Agger went out for the long term, Liverpool’s lack of depth in the back became painfully apparent. Arbeloa was needed in wider positions and neither Hyypia nor Carragher can offer the pace that is essential in certain contests. To compensate, Rafael Benitez broke a club defensive transfer fee record when he obtained Martin Skrtel from Zenit St Petersburg for a reported £6.5m.

Now, due to the fine form of Carragher and Skrtel, there has been no room for the gifted Daniel Agger. But when Liverpool faced Portsmouth FC in early February, Benitez fielded a surprise lineup. What appeared to be a five man back line proved to be a very attacking approach with Arbeloa and Andrea Dossena playing as wing backs, leaving Carra, Skrtel and Agger as the rear guard. While Portsmouth did score two goals and enjoy the lead twice, the Reds kept them on the back foot throughout the match, allowing Agger to do what he does best: create attacks from deep positions. His play is reminiscent of Alan Hansen’s: unafraid to push forward and penetrate gaps, Agger has the nerve and the skill to tear down the pitch, set up others and, at times, take the chance on goal himself. His 25-yard blast against West Ham was one of the best goals of that season and exemplifies the danger Agger can impose.

Agger and Skrtel are both 24 years old. When Carragher finally slows down, one can see these two building a fierce defensive partnership that could serve Liverpool for many years to come. The question is will Daniel Agger stay long enough to see that happen? Rumors abound that Benitez is sniffing out the possibility of buying Raul Albiol should Agger leave. But the qualities Agger has long displayed with Liverpool should give the manager plenty of cause to fight to keep the Dane in place.

7 Premier League Players Who Used To Be Brilliant But Now They’re Crap

The Gaffer — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 11:38:58 +0000

It’s a joy to watch players evolve in the Premier League and become world-class footballers. A few examples include Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Theo Walcott. But for every starlet, there are also shining stars who seem to get worse each week and fail to live up to the promises they showed earlier on in their career.

Here are top 7 Premier League players who used to be brilliant, but now they’re crap:

Damien Duff (Newcastle United) - Under Jose Mourinho at Chelsea, Duff was a powerhouse down the left wing, cutting back and causing all sorts of havoc for defenders. Now the Irish winger is a shadow of himself at Newcastle.
Kieron Dyer (West Ham United) – Once recognized as one of the most promising England international players when he was at Ipswich and Newcastle, Dyer’s career has plummeted from worse to worse and has been hampered with injuries galore. He was signed by West Ham for £6 million more than a year ago, but has only made two appearances for the East London club.
Alan Smith (Newcastle United) – While at Leeds United, Smith played with a passion and energy that is rarely seen in the Premier League anymore. After Leeds were relegated, Smith’s career went from bad to worse at Manchester United and then Newcastle.
Lee Bowyer (West Ham United) – When Bowyer joined Leeds from Charlton, he was a record signing for a British teenager at that time. He went on to become a key figure in Leeds United reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League and UEFA Cup, and was voted player of the year by supporters for two years. But despite playing his best football for Leeds, his career has been riddled with court cases, injuries and even an on-field brawl with fellow Kieron Dyer.
Jermaine Jenas (Tottenham Hotspur) – Some would argue whether he was good in the first place, but the frustrating thing about the England midfielder is that he shows flashes of brilliance five percent of the time, but then is practically invisible the remaining portion of time.
Darren Bent (Tottenham Hotspur) - At Ipswich and Charlton, Bent was a goalscoring machine knocking in 121 at the East Anglia club and 68 for Alan Curbishley’s side. At Charlton, he was the highest scoring Englishman in the Premier League during the 2005/2006 season. But after joining Spurs for £16.5 million, his career has slumped and he’s only scored twice in the Premier League so far this season.
Sami Hyypia (Liverpool) - Believe it or not, but there was a time when Hyypia was a rock in the centre of defense for Liverpool. In the 2000-2001 season, when he was co-captain, he helped lead the club to a historic treble, winning the FA Cup, UEFA Cup and League Cup. And he played a key role in helping Liverpool win the Champions League trophy in 2005. Since then, his performances have suffered and whenever the Finland international plays for the Reds, he appears to be a liability for the club.

Which players are we missing that should be on the list? Click the comments link below and let us know.

Warning Signs For Liverpool Despite Injury Time Winner Against Boro

The Gaffer — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 16:39:08 +0000

If Liverpool fans have dreams of winning the Premier League this season, they can kiss them goodbye. Today at Anfield, Liverpool escaped with a 2-1 win over Middlesbrough with a woeful performance that was rescued by an own goal and then an injury time goal by Steven Gerrard.

This was a cruel blow to Middlesbrough who played a strong defensive game for most of the match under a 4-5-1 formation. Despite creating far fewer chances in front of goal, Boro looked more dangerous after Tuncay spun around a Liverpool defender and his shot was saved by Reina. Then in the 70th minute, Middlesbrough took the lead after Mido struck the ball into the corner of the net.

Liverpool’s equalizer came later when Jamie Carragher’s shot took a wicked deflection off Pogatetz and into the Middlesbrough goal. Then, with the last strike of the ball, Gerrard popped up to rescue Liverpool by striking the ball into the back of the net to send the fans in The Kop into ecstasy.

While the result will go down as three points won for Liverpool, there were several major concerns about Liverpool’s performance today. After they were outplayed for portions of last week’s match against Sunderland, you would expect Liverpool to raise their standard of play for their first home league match of the new season. That was entirely not the case. Liverpool did create plenty of chances, but they were as wasteful as Arsenal are renowned for. Gerrard and Benayoun were practically invisible for most of the match, while Torres and Robbie Keane have still yet to strike up a good partnership.

But most of all, what was missing from Liverpool’s performance is their ability to strike the killer blow. For large portions of the match, especially in the first half, Liverpool almost put Anfield to sleep by playing at a slow tempo that was easy for Middlesbrough to defend against.

To me, that’s one of the major differences between Liverpool and Manchester United. With Sir Alex Ferguson’s side, you can often sense a goal when a goal is coming when they start their blistering attacks. With Liverpool, so far, they’re too predictable and will find it very difficult to outperform Man United, Chelsea or Arsenal this season.

Liverpool needs to improve considerably if they’re serious about trying to stay a top four club this season. Defensively they look strong as long as Hyypia stays on the bench, but they have issues in midfield and up front. The team is relying too much on Fernando Torres just as they did last season when they seemed to be waiting for Gerrard to create something magical.

This is going to be a long season for Liverpool based on their last two poor performances.

Middlesbrough Dazzles With Opening Day Premier League Performance

The Gaffer — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 04:15:36 +0000

The most impressive side I watched, by far, on Saturday was Middlesbrough. The link-up play between Tuncay, Alves, Downing, Aliadiere and, later, Mido was sensational. Wheater was also impressive. At times, it was like watching Brazil with all of the backheels and blistering attacks. Seriously.

While Spurs controlled a lot of the possession in this match and were doing a better job at passing the ball around, they were sloppy in front of goal and failed to create those pinpoint passes that could have led to goals.

The 2-1 win for Middlesbrough was deceiving. Wheater had a goal in the first half that was incorrectly disallowed, but even ignoring that, Boro was much more impressive than Spurs than the scoreline suggests. For Tottenham, it’s back to the drawing board.

Middlesbrough fans will probably be worrying that Boro will continue to do well against big opposition teams but poorly against weaker sides. Let’s hope Gareth Southgate can fix that because the initial signs from Boro this season are very encouraging. They look like a team reborn.

One more impressive thing about Middlesbrough: For the first time in ages, the Riverside sounded like a real football stadium with a cup final atmosphere and noise compared to the empty red seats and stone cold silence we’re accustomed to from Boro.

Here are my thoughts from the other matches:

The deafening sound of boos that erupted around Goodison Park at the end of the 90 minutes against Blackburn should worry the club and its fans. They aren’t too many things to be happy with at Everton lately with the move to Kirkby on hold, no transfer signings, injury problems, boardroom problems and a dissatisfied David Moyes.
At times, Everton’s defending was schoolboy as they let Blackburn run right through the middle of the park unopposed. The perfect example of that was David Dunn who had a lot of space to twist and turn past Phil Jagielka and slot his curving shot into the corner of the net. Joleon Lescott made a crucial mistake to let Roque Santa Cruz pass him to slot the ball into the goal. Even Jason Roberts, yes Jason Roberts, made Everton’s back four look weak by dribbling past three players and getting a shot on goal.
New Blackburn manager Paul Ince should be impressed by the spirit shown by his side. If they can keep Santa Cruz in his side, they should do well this season up front.
Sunderland’s performance at their Stadium of Light against Liverpool was impressive. The team put in every morsel of energy into this match, winning many 50/50 balls and tormenting Rafa Benitez’s side. I wasn’t impressed by Liverpool’s performance at all. Too many sloppy mistakes. Hyypia looked awful. Plessis looked very unsure of himself in central midfield and his replacement Alonso played much better.This is going to be an awfully long season for Liverpool unless they can start making immediate improvement. They created more chances in the second half mostly thanks to Steven Gerrard, but what happens when Gerrard has a weak performance?
Arsenal looked extremely comfortable and confident in their 1-0 win against West Bromwich Albion, but it was classic Arsenal who failed to find a second goal to put West Brom out of reach. Tony Mowbray’s side gave Arsenal a couple of scary moments with the very impressive Ishmael Miller coming close for West Brom. Samir Nasri did well on his first Premier League debut. Chris Brunt also played well for the Baggies, whose side became more comfortable toward the end of the first half. For the first 30 minutes, they couldn’t thread more than a few passes together.Meanwhile, Emmanuel Adebayor continued his frustrating streak of missing some clear-cut chances in front of goal. When he’s off form, the Gunners will be in jeopardy in crunch games.