Liverpool 2 (Gerrard 62, Benayoun 70)
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0
Anfield, Saturday December 26, 2009
Finally, Liverpool benefitted from a break when really needed. Right at the beginning, it may have seemed an insult to 'Pool when Wolves fielded a strong side, having given up the contest at the outset recently against another team, which we decline to mention. Whatever the case, initial enthusiasm from the players slowly gave way to the now predictable discomfort and lack of confidence characterizing all their displays of late. That is, until soon after the break. A foolish push in the back on Lucas from the Wolves left-back 5 minutes after getting his first yellow card earned him his second, and the mandatory red, though not without some confusing scenes involving the ref, his linesman,, the fourth official, Pepe Reina (courtesy of a sprint from his own area), the Liverpool bench and others. This proved the turning point, instilling in Steve Gerard, an attitude lost long since, enabling him to head in the opener with a forceful header. The subsequent improvement in display augurs well for the team, with the Villa game up soon, and may do good for the ,mental well-being of the club.
It was good that we won, but even greater that a clean sheet was kept. Hope this continues.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Apathy in the UK as resignation-infected Liverpool slump even lower
An article by Paul Doyle of The Guardian
Regeneration may be possible for Rafael Benítez's side, but a pretty vacant display at Portsmouth suggested a regime in decay.
As Portsmouth fans think about getting all Gloria Gaynor on us, it is hard not to wonder why Liverpool are so off-song. At their best under Rafael Benítez, they have been akin to the Sex Pistols – gusto and aggression overcoming a shortage of skill. Today they were plain rotten. Regeneration may yet be possible, but this pretty vacant display suggested a regime in decay.
Former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore has repeatedly told listeners to his TalkSPORT show in recent weeks that according to his sources at Anfield, the team's two local talismen, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher, have lost all confidence in their manager. This performance gives credence to that claim.
Failing to create chances or pass with precision is one thing (well, two things), but neglecting to rebel in the face of defeat is altogether more alarming - particularly just a few days after the man in charge defiantly declared Liverpool would recover from their shoddy start to the season to finish in the top four.
There were clearly question marks about Benítez's team selection – we must take the manager's word that Alberto Aquilani was unfit with a calf problem, though omitting Yossi Benayoun to give Andrea Dossena his first league start of the season demands more ample explanation – but right from kick-off the most striking trait of Liverpool was their lack of spirit. 'High tempo' is a term Benítez uses in almost every public utterance, but here his charges were pedestrian.
Most extraordinary of all for a club where solidarity is especialy celebrated was the paucity of options provided to the man on the ball. Far too frequently Liverpool players seemed abandoned by disenchanted team-mates. In the 11th minute when Fernando Torres, as ever an admirable exception (though less admirable later on when his elbow strayed into the face of Tal Ben Haim), tracked back to nick the ball off Steve Finnan before bounding forward down the right, not one Liverpool player sought to offer him support. The Spaniard did well in the circumstances to win a corner.
Three minutes later Dossena, a picture of lonely desolation for most of the match, went on a similar gallop down the left, only to look up and discover that no team-mate had bothered to put himself in a position to receive a pass. You'll Never Walk Alone indeed.
Slothful going forward, Liverpool regularly dithered in defence. Even before Glen Johnson nodded the ball to Nadir Belhadj to give Pompey their opening goal (and, perhaps, Fabio Capello an ugly premonition ahead of England's World Cup clash with Algeria, given that Avram Grant's decision to deploy Belhadj to keep Johnson on the back foot turned out to be a masterstroke), Daniel Agger had been similarly slack when presenting Frédéric Piquionne with a chance that Pepe Reina did well to thwart.
After Belhadj's goal, and after Javier Mascherano deservedly got himself sent off for a slouch's tackle on Ben Haim, Benítez might have been expected to introduce Benayoun at half-time. Instead he waited until the 53rd minute. That might have been construed as a delayed reaction. His players, even though Asmir Begovic had to produce one superb reflex save from a deflected Gerrard shot, barely reacted at all. It came as no surprise when Carragher was caught cold by Piquionne for Pompey's clincher. Resignation seems to have infected Liverpool. Calls for a sacking will intensify.
Regeneration may be possible for Rafael Benítez's side, but a pretty vacant display at Portsmouth suggested a regime in decay.
As Portsmouth fans think about getting all Gloria Gaynor on us, it is hard not to wonder why Liverpool are so off-song. At their best under Rafael Benítez, they have been akin to the Sex Pistols – gusto and aggression overcoming a shortage of skill. Today they were plain rotten. Regeneration may yet be possible, but this pretty vacant display suggested a regime in decay.
Former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore has repeatedly told listeners to his TalkSPORT show in recent weeks that according to his sources at Anfield, the team's two local talismen, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher, have lost all confidence in their manager. This performance gives credence to that claim.
Failing to create chances or pass with precision is one thing (well, two things), but neglecting to rebel in the face of defeat is altogether more alarming - particularly just a few days after the man in charge defiantly declared Liverpool would recover from their shoddy start to the season to finish in the top four.
There were clearly question marks about Benítez's team selection – we must take the manager's word that Alberto Aquilani was unfit with a calf problem, though omitting Yossi Benayoun to give Andrea Dossena his first league start of the season demands more ample explanation – but right from kick-off the most striking trait of Liverpool was their lack of spirit. 'High tempo' is a term Benítez uses in almost every public utterance, but here his charges were pedestrian.
Most extraordinary of all for a club where solidarity is especialy celebrated was the paucity of options provided to the man on the ball. Far too frequently Liverpool players seemed abandoned by disenchanted team-mates. In the 11th minute when Fernando Torres, as ever an admirable exception (though less admirable later on when his elbow strayed into the face of Tal Ben Haim), tracked back to nick the ball off Steve Finnan before bounding forward down the right, not one Liverpool player sought to offer him support. The Spaniard did well in the circumstances to win a corner.
Three minutes later Dossena, a picture of lonely desolation for most of the match, went on a similar gallop down the left, only to look up and discover that no team-mate had bothered to put himself in a position to receive a pass. You'll Never Walk Alone indeed.
Slothful going forward, Liverpool regularly dithered in defence. Even before Glen Johnson nodded the ball to Nadir Belhadj to give Pompey their opening goal (and, perhaps, Fabio Capello an ugly premonition ahead of England's World Cup clash with Algeria, given that Avram Grant's decision to deploy Belhadj to keep Johnson on the back foot turned out to be a masterstroke), Daniel Agger had been similarly slack when presenting Frédéric Piquionne with a chance that Pepe Reina did well to thwart.
After Belhadj's goal, and after Javier Mascherano deservedly got himself sent off for a slouch's tackle on Ben Haim, Benítez might have been expected to introduce Benayoun at half-time. Instead he waited until the 53rd minute. That might have been construed as a delayed reaction. His players, even though Asmir Begovic had to produce one superb reflex save from a deflected Gerrard shot, barely reacted at all. It came as no surprise when Carragher was caught cold by Piquionne for Pompey's clincher. Resignation seems to have infected Liverpool. Calls for a sacking will intensify.
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