Liverpool’s most assuring record of the Premiership season so far is now over. Liverpool did stutter in the process, drawing six games out of fourteen, but by hook or crook they have always made a point and took at least one. Such a record got crooked at a time when they were showing their best football and after earning three consecutive Premiership victories. In such form, an away tie at the Madjeski Stadium at Anfield looked as ominous as the sighting of a star in the sky, rather than a bank of dark clouds. It feels like Liverpool got bitten by a pet dog rather than a stray dog.
In a season, where Liverpool only conceded two goals in their previous seven away ties, and coming from four consecutive clean sheets a 3-1 reversal makes the pet dog bite even more unfathomable. As Rafa Benitez himself stated, certain decisions did go against Liverpool. Their first goal came through a disputed penalty and with the score-line at 1-1 Torres was clearly tripped in the penalty area. The biggest turning point of the game though was their second goal. The highly dependable Pepe Reina let a floated free-kick and a crowded six yard box get the better of him. The politics of Champions League qualification got in the way of Liverpool’s response. Fernando Torres got subbed.
Slightly after Steven Gerrard was unlucky to hit the cross-bar after a vicious shot outside the D area. From the same action, Liverpool got caught flat-footed as a very quick counter-attack was concluded by James Harper as he coolly got round Reina and finished in an empty net. With such a deficit and twenty-three minutes left to save something, the response by the manager was once again taken with the thought of Marseille at the Stade Velodrome and Champions League qualification in three days time. Steven Gerrard, who looked the most likely lad to score got subbed by Ryan Babel. The last substitution of Sami Hyypia for Jamie Carragher was as stimulating as a yawn.
As a proper fight-back got rather sacrificed, a meeting with the so called new custodians now very near, the balloon of next week’s commitments got pressured even more. It is now up to Rafa and his chosen eleven to firstly lower such pressure and direct his balloon in the pots of the last sixteen in Nyon and then hype up the pressure once again for the visitors at Anfield next Sunday. Bartering in the meeting should come easier with the success of both tasks.
In a season, where Liverpool only conceded two goals in their previous seven away ties, and coming from four consecutive clean sheets a 3-1 reversal makes the pet dog bite even more unfathomable. As Rafa Benitez himself stated, certain decisions did go against Liverpool. Their first goal came through a disputed penalty and with the score-line at 1-1 Torres was clearly tripped in the penalty area. The biggest turning point of the game though was their second goal. The highly dependable Pepe Reina let a floated free-kick and a crowded six yard box get the better of him. The politics of Champions League qualification got in the way of Liverpool’s response. Fernando Torres got subbed.
Slightly after Steven Gerrard was unlucky to hit the cross-bar after a vicious shot outside the D area. From the same action, Liverpool got caught flat-footed as a very quick counter-attack was concluded by James Harper as he coolly got round Reina and finished in an empty net. With such a deficit and twenty-three minutes left to save something, the response by the manager was once again taken with the thought of Marseille at the Stade Velodrome and Champions League qualification in three days time. Steven Gerrard, who looked the most likely lad to score got subbed by Ryan Babel. The last substitution of Sami Hyypia for Jamie Carragher was as stimulating as a yawn.
As a proper fight-back got rather sacrificed, a meeting with the so called new custodians now very near, the balloon of next week’s commitments got pressured even more. It is now up to Rafa and his chosen eleven to firstly lower such pressure and direct his balloon in the pots of the last sixteen in Nyon and then hype up the pressure once again for the visitors at Anfield next Sunday. Bartering in the meeting should come easier with the success of both tasks.
posted by jean paul at 9:53 am
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