Saturday, December 27, 2008

Liverpool FC's Nabil El Zhar Is A Lucky Charm

He may be regarded as something of a lucky charm by supporters, but Nabil El Zhar is determined to make a more substantial contribution to Liverpool’s championship challenge.

The 22-year-old Morocco international gained his reputation after a succession of substitute appearances earlier in the season coincided with some notable late revivals from Rafael Benitez’s side.

Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Standard Liege and Wigan Athletic were all only beaten once El Zhar was thrown on from the bench to add devilment and the element of surprise to the Liverpool attack.

His cameo performances were enough to impress Benitez and he has since become a regular feature in the matchday squad.

Another substitute appearance earlier this month at Blackburn Rovers helped turn what was a frustrating goalless stalemate into a comprehensive 3-1 success.

El Zhar was handed his biggest assignment yet at Arsenal last Sunday, and almost snatched all three points with a header that flashed narrowly off target in the final minute.

“It’s not easy to come to Arsenal and win but I think we played a decent game,” he says. “I had a good chance at the end, but it was a good performance. It’s good to be at the top at the moment.

“I feel as though I am more at home at the club now. I’ve been gaining more confidence by coming on more, and now I just have to keep on going, work hard and try and get more games under my belt.”

El Zhar was signed from French side St Etienne in October 2006, and announced his arrival on the Anfield stage a year later when scoring a blistering 25-yard thunderbolt into the Kop end on his full debut in the Carling Cup win over Cardiff City.

The winger was a key member of the title-winning reserve team last season and has broken into the full Morocco team, again scoring on his debut against Belgium.

Despite the vote of confidence from Benitez this season, El Zhar has yet to start a Premier League game for Liverpool.

And the youngster acknowledges that represents the next step in his development.

“The manager has said to me that he wanted to give me more chances in the first-team this season,” says El Zhar. “He told me that I had to work hard and listen to advice and take my opportunities when they come.

“He hasn’t said anything in particular to me. I just know what I have to do, stay focused and take my chance.

“I feel that I’m doing okay, but I know I can do better. I am getting more confident and I am improving with every game, then we will see if I can start games.”

El Zhar arrived at the club having impressed as a support striker but, having been employed on both flanks with Gary Ablett’s reserve side, has fashioned a role as a wing man for Benitez.

“I used to play as a second striker but I’ve played on the left and right hand side at Liverpool,” he says. “I think I’m better down the right because I am right footed, but I will play anywhere in the forward line.

“I hope to play more games this season and prove myself. When you are playing with world class players like Steven Gerrard you can only improve.”

The 1-1 draw at Arsenal and Chelsea’s failure to win at Everton the following day meant that Liverpool were top at Christmas for the first time since 1996.

And while El Zhar reckons Benitez’s side have shown they have the quality and determination to remain ahead of the pack, he accepts the Anfield outfit must stop dropping points at home.

“I’ve no doubt that we can keep going on at the top of the league,” he says. “Liverpool are a top team, and we all know that we have to work hard. The whole squad knows that they have to be playing well and working hard to get into the team and stay there.

“By beating United and Chelsea, and the draw at Arsenal, we’ve shown that we can do well against the other top teams. But we’re going to have to start winning more games at home if we want to remain contenders for the title.

“There’s a long way to go, so we have to stay focused and try to stay at the top. As a professional you have to keep your focus for every game, and now we’re just thinking about the Newcastle game.”

And Lee says: “There are never any easy games in the Premier League. People talk about our home form, but there are opposing teams who are organised and prepared.

“We just have to make sure we are better prepared and better organised and we can impose our game plan on them.

“We are all working extremely hard to maintain where we are at the moment.”

Lee adds: “Everyone else is talking about winning the league. For me, we just have to talk about winning the next game.

“Whenever I have been involved here the mentality has been a winning one and it is all about togetherness.

“We feel being top at Christmas is an achievement, but we won’t blow our own trumpet. We are always optimistic and our aim is to win things and be at the top.

“I don’t want to sound conceited about that, but we are in a position where we expect to be in.”

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