Hyypia warns Liverpool that Birmingham will be fired up
Defender Sami Hyypia has warned his Liverpool colleagues that they
will be facing a fired-up Birmingham searching for revenge when the
sides clash in the Carling Cup this week. Hyypia was part of a
Liverpool team who cruelly humiliated Birmingham in February,
dishing out a 7-0 hammering at St Andrews in the FA Cup
quarter-finals. It was an embarrassing night for Steve Bruce and
his team and at the time threatened his job.
He has found his job under threat again this season so Birmingham
will want to get their own back on Liverpool, whose away form in
all competitions this season makes them likely candidates to become
victims of a giant-killing. Hyypia has warned of what he expects
this time around from Birmingham on Wednesday.
He said: "The Birmingham lads who played in that cup tie last
season and had to suffer that 7-0 defeat will remember the match
and they will be really up for it this time around. Theyll be ready
for the fight and Steve Bruce will tell them to be more awake than
they were last time, when we scored two very quickly. I guess Steve
Bruce will be trying everything he can to make sure that doesnt
happen again."
Hyypia added: "Maybe there was some luck in us scoring two so
quickly, but we were up for the game and we decided to start very
quickly and we got the reward. The whole 90 minutes from then on
for us was very good, we scored some excellent goals and never let
Birmingham into it. But this Carling Cup tie is a totally different
game and they will want to make up for last season as well as to
progress in the tournament themselves, we know it will be a lot
tougher this time around."
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez will probably rotate his side again
with Sundays tough trip to Arsenal on the horizon. He could well
bring back Craig Bellamy, who is now in full training after missing
three games with an ankle injury. Benitez could also include Robbie
Fowler up front with one eye on resting Dirk Kuyt and Peter Crouch
for the weekend game at the Emirates Stadium. Benitez is well aware
that Liverpools away record must improve, and quickly.
He said: "We must do better. After three months of the season we do
not want people to keep talking about us not winning away, they do
not look at chances missed just the points we do not have. We need
to score and win. We must do better away from home, we know that.
We have Birmingham in the Carling Cup this week, then Arsenal in
the league. But we have more confidence now after our four
victories at home."
