Chelsea 2 Liverpool 0

Premiership Match report
Reporter: The Main (Stand) Man




After the woeful display in Florence during midweek, Steven Gerrard had challenged himself and his Liverpool colleagues to ‘react’ in the correct way against a Chelsea side looking to capitalise on Manchester United’s slip up against Sunderland (and as an aside, why hasn’t the word ‘rant’ yet been applied to the old tramp-in-a-suit from the other end of the East Lancs following his outburst against Alan Wiley on Saturday?). What transpired at Stamford Bridge, in truth, was a game that could easily have gone either way but unfortunately ended up with three points for the home side.

Benitez had the return of Mascherano to bolster a midfield that had looked weak against Fiorentina, the Argetinian replacing Aurelio who was not even able to displace Emiliano Insua in the favoured right back position. There rest of the team was, for a change, fairly predictable, with Gerrard supporting Torres and Riera and Kuyt on the wings. Daniel Agger was also included in the squad although he had to settle for a place on the bench with Carragher and Skrtel ahead of him in the pecking order thanks to their match fitness.

Liverpool started the brighter of the two teams, with some sharp passing movements causing some problems for Chelsea in the first five minutes. With Cech suspended following his sending off at Wigan last week, the reds decided to try and test replacement Hilario early on, and several moves down the left hand side proved fruitful in the first five minutes. John Terry and co. however were able to assist their keeper in clearing any danger that Liverpool crosses posed, and the home team seemed to take heart from this as they began to establish some dominance in the midfield.

The first quarter of an hour passed without clear chances for either team, though, and as is so often the case in these games, neither side was looking likely either to concede or to create enough to seriously trouble the opposing defence. The nineteenth minute brought the first controversial moment of the match, when Essien decided to undertake his usual stamping manoeuvre on Javier Mascherano (I’m sure we all remember the challenge on Didi Hamann several years ago which could have left him crippled), and fortunately for Mascherano he failed to connect with the shinbone. Unbelievably, however, the referee simply told Mascherano to get off the floor and stop faking, a move which he seemed strangely unable to replicate later in the match when terminal grass-muncher Drogba was flinging himself to the ground at every opportunity. The ball eventually fell for Riera whose well hit left foot shot was drilled just a couple of yards over the bar.

The Liverpool rearguard was still looking comfortable after 25 minutes, however, when Chelsea created their first real chance of note. A cross from the left found Drogba and Ballack both looking to head home, and Drogba’s eventual header was ill-advised as he took it off the head off Ballack who was better placed. Anelka soon went close for the London club with a free header having evaded Insua’s marking at the back post, before a free kick from Gerrard went disappointingly high over Hilario’s crossbar. Some good keeping from Reina then denied Essien when the Chelsea man fired in a low shot following a corner.

Nearly 40 minutes were on the clock when Liverpool created their best chance of the half. Dirk Kuyt found himself in space on the right with Gerrard and Torres making their way into the box. A neat forward run in between the centre-halves enabled the Spaniard to create a yard of space, but his header lacked the necessary power and direction to seriously trouble the Chelsea keeper. The final five minutes of the half were played out with Liverpool having almost able to break the deadlock. Essien was booked for a late challenge on Lucas, and the resultant free kick was fired in low towards the back post by Riera. Hilario reacted extremely late, possibly expecting a touch from a Liverpool runner, and in the end he could only divert the ball round his post with a last ditch dive. Liverpool had a clear penalty appeal turned down from the resulting corner as Drogba impeded Skrtel from getting to the ball.

At half time, Benitez would have been a lot happier with his side’s performance than at a similar point during the midweek fixture, but it was proving a tight affair with chances hard to come by. Mascherano was the player of the half for me, slotting seamlessly back into the heart of the midfield and breaking up play in his usual combative manner. Only Insua had a particularly poor first half, too often being left by markers or failing to win the ball in the challenge, which is uncharacteristic of the youngster’s performances so far this season. The vocal reds support had been given a decent display with the potential promise of leaving the ground with at least a point to show for their side’s efforts.

The second period began in much the same way as the first had ended, with the tight midfield tussle immediately resuming. A long-range effort from Gerrard was the only real moment of note in the first five minutes but he sent the ball fizzing over the crossbar from 25 yards. Chelsea soon began to get into their stride, however, and Reina had to be alert as Essien again drove the ball towards goal. As the ball moved in the air, the reds stopper did well to get down as take the sting out of the shot to prevent a rebound opportunity for any of the attackers bearing down on him.

Again, though, neither team was looking particularly like opening the scoring, with the majority of the play being conducted in the middle third of the field, although there was a growing sense that just one goal may be enough to take the three points. On the hour mark, Chelsea found another gear which proved good enough for the first goal of the game. Mascherano, excellent until this moment, was caught dawdling on the ball by Lampard whose challenge directed the ball into the path of Essien. He passed to Deco who followed up by sliding the ball in front of Drogba’s run down Liverpool’s right hand side, and his cross found Anelka in space. Whilst not making the cleanest of contacts, the Frenchman diverted the ball past the helpless Reina from less than six yards having again lost Insua earlier during his run.

Liverpool looked for an immediate response, a run from Lucas into the area being stopped only at the last moment by a challenge from Carvalho. The rest of the match was to be effectively ruined, however, by the ridiculous play-acting and diving of Didier Drogba. This was something that, having watched the game back on the television, was not only picked up on by the constant reds-basher Andy Gray, but even the Chelsea skipper John Terry was seen to give his team-mate a few harsh words at one point. The text messages I received following the match all had the same theme, that if the man is not stopped from undertaking this practise match after match, then the game as a whole will suffer for it as others see him profiting. Perhaps a montage of his activities needs to be created and sent to the F.A. for review, although undoubtedly this would only lead to a rebuke for the sender trying to show the game being brought into disrepute. I want Liverpool to win every game we play, and whilst I can see the funny side when we get a decision which we clearly should not have, if I ever see a Liverpool player behaving anything like Drogba, who possesses undoubted talent with his strength and pace, then that individual may well find themselves without my support until it stops.

Enough rambling for now and back to the game!! The second half continued with Liverpool in fact looking the more likely to provide the game’s second goal. Chances for Kuyt and Johnson went begging, the latter in particular really should have done better when left in space just outside the Chelsea penalty area, and Gerrard was stopped only by a last second challenge from Ashley Cole. The Liverpool captain then found himself in the referee’s notebook for a challenge on England team-mate Frank Lampard, and Drogba went close with the freekick although Reina seemed to have the ball covered at his near post.

Chelsea began to sit back on their lead, conceding more possession in the centre of the park, and this almost proved fatal as Liverpool looked to take advantage. A flowing move led to the ball at the feet of Gerrard in the box. John Terry came out to block his effort but the ball ricocheted towards Torres, but the ball bounced just a little too high and the number nine could only connect with his shin and the effort went wide of the left upright. Aurelio came on to replace the ineffective Insua, with Benayoun having replaced Riera and Babel coming on for Lucas earlier on as Benitez encouraged his side forward. Aurelio had an immediate impact, getting forward on several occasions and providing decent crosses into the area, but on each occasion it was a blue shirt that reached the ball first. As the clock ticked onwards, Chelsea were looking only at counter-attacking to bring them out of their own half, and unfortunately the ‘sucker punch’ came in the third minute of time added on. Drogba served to highlight his earlier antics with a superb show of strength to hold off challenges from both Aurelio and Carragher, and as he reached the byline he cut the ball back for Malouda to finish the game off. The question remains why Drogba goes down so easily when he has the ability to stay on his feet under such pressure if he feels he has the opportunity to head towards goal.

There was still time for Liverpool to go close, however, as Benayoun missed easily the best opportunity of the game for the reds. He brilliantly controlled Aurelio’s cross after Cole missed his header, and after feinting to shoot and putting Hilario on his backside, he inexplicably dragged his shot inches wide of the left post. Gerrard stung the palms of the Chelsea keeper with a crisp shot from the edge of the box, but this was the last attempt as the referee blew the final whistle shortly afterwards.

A game, then, with plenty of talking points, but a final word about the post-match thoughts from the television commentators. The claim that Drogba had ‘won the battle of comparisons’ with Fernando Torres is a frankly misguided way to interpret the overall contributions that each had made on the day. True, if we look solely at the footballing efforts of each on the day, then Drogba, having been heavily involved in both Chelsea goals, must be said to have had more of an impact. There is a dangerous precedent being set, however, by this interpretation. If the blatant and repeated attempts to con referees into awarding freekicks by Drogba continue, and are rewarded with the desired result, then games will be dominated by players who pick up on the benefits of following his example. This is a contact sport, and Drogba’s efforts will only serve to hinder games from flowing as they should, which cannot be good for the national sport. Liverpool will go to the Stadium of Light following the international break looking to embark on a run of victories to close the gap between themselves and the top two, as well as hopefully distancing themselves from pretenders for the champions league spots such as Tottenham and Manchester City.

Match time and date: KO 16:00. 4 October 2009

Goals: Anelka 60, Malouda 90

Yellow cards: Chelsea Essien; Liverpool Gerrard.

Referee: M Atkinson (Leeds).

Attendance: 41,732.

Chelsea (4-1-3-2): Hilario; Ivanovic, Carvalho, Terry, A Cole; Essien; Ballack, Deco (Malouda, 76), Lampard; Anelka, Drogba. Substitutes not used: Turnbull, J Cole, Zhirkov, Kalou, Sturridge, Belletti.

Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Reina; Johnson, Carragher, Skrtel, Insua (Aurelio, 83); Mascherano, Lucas (Babel, 76); Kuyt, Gerrard, Riera (Benayoun, 67); Torres. Substitutes not used: Cavalieri, Agger, Kyrgiakos, Ngog.

Liverpool 4 Burnley 0

Premiership Match report

Reporter: The Main (Stand) Man





Against a side that have already turned over both Manchester United and Everton, the reds were looking for a convincing display to follow up the hard fought win over Bolton prior to the international break. Enhancing the incentive for the players to put on a good show was the welcome return to Anfield of Michael Shields following the rectification of one of the most glaring miscarriages of justice of our times.

Javier Mascherano was missing after his long trip back to his homeland, with Steven Gerrard dropping back into a central midfield role alongside Lucas, with Benayoun supporting Fernando Torres up front and Riera and Kuyt on the wings. The only change to the back four from the Reebok was the return of Martin Skrtel in place of Kyrgiakos.

It was the visitors who created the first chance with a decent passing move opening up the Liverpool defence with barely a minute on the clock, but Blake could not direct his low shot inside Pepe Reina’s left hand post. It took another five minutes before Liverpool created anything of note, with the ball ricocheting to Dirk Kuyt after Riera’s run into the box. His shot was saved easily enough, though, by Jensen in the Burnley goal, the man known affectionately by the travelling support as ‘The Beast’. The home side were struggling, though, in the opposition half as Burnley repeatedly got numbers behind the ball to thwart any attacking intent. As the clock ticked past the half hour, the reds midfield were starting to enjoy some lengthy spells in possession without the required penetration, and in all truth the away team were coping admirably as they had done recently at Stamford Bridge almost until half time.

An effort from Kuyt after 20 minutes, though, seemed to signal an increase in tempo from the Liverpool team. His effort was marginally wide of the goal, but within 2 minutes Benayoun went close with a header from a Riera cross. Burnley were offering little going forward by this stage, and seemed to be content with attempting to frustrate Liverpool rather than look for opportunities to move ahead. This was soon to prove a flawed tactical outlook, however, as Liverpool finally got the breakthrough in the 27th minute. The ball went out to Johnson on the right flank, and his sidefooted pass was perfectly into the stride of Benayoun. His quick feet found a yard of space and a beautifully placed shot went just inside the far post leaving Jensen with no chance. It could have been two moments later, as an excellent cross from Riera found Benayoun diving in at the front post, but his header was straight at the Burnley keeper and Kuyt was unable to profit from the rebound. The little Israeli then put an effort straight at the keeper from the edge of the box, and by now Liverpool were making all the running. Lucas found himself in yards of space outside the penalty area, and his shot was well saved by Jensen, and Riera’s effort followed this up by going just wide of the keeper’s left upright.

With all this pressure, it was perhaps inevitable that Liverpool should double their lead before the break, and this proved to be the case. A swift move from the Liverpool half left the ball again at Benayoun’s feet. He was not closed down and took a speculative effort from 20 yards, which the goalkeeper was only able to palm down in front of him. Kuyt was alive to the possibility of a rebound and darted in to slot past Jensen. The keeper then spilt another effort from Johnson, but was able to recover before Benayoun could benefit. Jensen was able to atone for his earlier error, though, with a wonderful diving save from Gerrard. The reds skipper found himself in an empty space bigger even than that contained in the Everton trophy cabinet, and as the ball came along the ground to him, he curved a wicked effort towards the top corner, but Jensen sprang to his left to divert the ball around the post.

The referee soon blew the whistle for half time, with Liverpool looking comfortable to say the least. After a start which was worryingly devoid of decent chances, the home side had made the obvious gulf in ability of the two teams pay to establish a lead from which it was unlikely that Burnley would be able to recover. They re-emerged into the bright Anfield sunshine with no changes to the line-up, and with the crowd looking for them to press home their advantage with more goals.

Liverpool were again a little slow to start the half, though, with no clear chances in the first five minutes of the period. A burst from Gerrard brought appeals for a penalty from the Kop, but the captain helpfully left a boot where the challenge had been made, and the referee awarded a freekick outside the box which came to nothing. A tame effort from Kuyt followed after a low centre from Benayoun, and shortly afterward Torres drew a challenge from Howard which brought the first yellow card of the game. Again Liverpool were looking comfortable in defence, and this was allowing forward runs from Lucas, Kuyt and Riera to provide more bodies in attack. The response from Owen Coyle was to bring on Chris Eagles, an ex-Manchester United player who drew a typically warm response from the Anfield crowd.

It was on the hour mark that Liverpool finally killed the game off with a superb third. Fernando Torres picked up the ball on the right corner of the penalty area and he slipped the ball to Gerrard who was moving at pace towards the box. With tremendous control, the skipper brought the ball from under his body to out in front of him, and he had the presence of mind to slip the ball to a completely unmarked Yossi Benayoun to slot home the simplest of goals for his second and Liverpool’s third. Phillipe Degen came on to replace Glen Johnson for the last third of the game, with the England full back looking a little fatigued after his international exertions of the past week.

With this added cushion, Liverpool took their foot off the gas somewhat, and the next ten minutes saw Burnley improving their possession statistic without ever threatening Reina’s clean sheet. Benitez brought Voronin on for Dirk Kuyt in an attempt to provide more attacking threat and hammer home the gulf in class between the sides. Soon after, Liverpool were denied a fourth by the linesman’s flag. Gerrard’s 25 yard effort was again fumbled by the Burnley goalkeeper, but as Benayoun tapped the ball home from the rebound for what he thought would be his hat-trick, he was adjudged to have drifted offside. Gerrard then again went close as he piled through the Burnley defence after a ricochet, but he chose to round the keeper rather than shoot and found the angle a little too acute, his effort hitting the outside of the post.

The final Liverpool change took place as a strangely out of sorts Torres was replaced by David Ngog up front with 15 minutes to go. The Frenchman spent the next five minutes trying to backheel his way into the hearts of the Kop, a series of flicks failing to provide the intended result by setting up more chances. Inside the last ten minutes, however, the game’s outstanding player did get his hat-trick, Benayoun finding himself the beneficiary of some more poor defending by Burnley. After a lucky rebound off the referee, Riera came forward and a series of passes between him, Voronin and Gerrard saw the ball eventually slipped forward to Benayoun. The entire Burnley defence stopped, assuming that the flag would go up for offside, little realising that Jordan had played him on. Benayoun kept his composure, however, and slotted the ball past the helpless Jensen for the icing on the Liverpool cake. Gerrard then went almost made it a five after being released by Voronin, but Jensen was equal to the effort and turned it round the post. Burnley then finally created an opportunity, Nugent was unable to keep his header down from a corner.

Andriy Voronin should then have extended the lead even further after he was sent clear for a one-on-one with Jensen. Gerrard collected the keeper’s clearance and slotted the ball through for the Ukrainian, but he was unable to direct his shot on target, instead chipping the ball wide. Two minutes of injury time went by without further incident, and the referee brought an end to a satisfactory afternoon for Liverpool.

Whilst there are still concerns over the slow starts we have experienced in most games so far this season, the signs are encouraging. We can all hope that the woeful defeat against Aston Villa was the low point of the season, and that further below-par performances can be avoided for the remainder of this period. Some major positives can be taken out of the game, though. Another mention must first be made of Yossi Benayoun, who provided yet another man of the match performance with a display of creativity, guile and skill which only enhanced the game-changing reputation he garnered for himself during the second half of last season. A second clean sheet of the campaign should also not be undervalued, as the defence will thrive only by shutting out opponents for 90 minutes and evading troubles from set-pieces that have plagued us so far this season. Whilst Liverpool would always have been expected to win the three points in this fixture, in truth the margin of victory could, and should, have been much greater, an encouraging way to go into our opening Champions League encounter with Debreceni on Wednesday evening.

Liverpool 1 Aston Villa 3

Premiership Match report
Reporter: The Main (Stand) Man





I’ve held off writing this for a couple of days, in the hope that time might give me a little more perspective when reflecting on events at Anfield on Monday evening. It hasn’t. I’m still rattled by the outcome and more importantly the underperformance of the reds against a team that was beaten 5-0 here last season and who lost their talisman and captain in the summer. Whilst none of this is ever going to guarantee a victory, of course, Liverpool should have been heartened by their hammering of Stoke City a few days earlier and been right up for this one from the first whistle, but what the crowd actually got was a disjointed, submissive and uninspired 90 minutes of football from the home side. We were criticised last year for the seven home draws that ultimately cost us the league, and the hope was that this season would see us turn them into wins to give us that extra push up the league into top spot. On this showing it’ll go the other way and we’ll be lucky to get into the top four.

Benitez brought back Martin Skrtel to replace the impressive Daniel Ayala, who had made such a strong debut against Stoke. No other changes were necessary, with Riera and Babel being kept company on the bench by some of the youngsters on the fringe of the first team squad.

Surprisingly enough, Liverpool started the stronger of the two teams, going close after just thirty seconds. Torres cut in from the right and, looking up, he saw Benayoun making a run in behind the defence. He lobbed the ball up and the diminutive Israeli got to the ball in front of Brad Friedel but nodded it just wide of the post. Some of the issues began to show through soon after, however, when Villa were ludicrously awarded a corner despite Agbonlahor clearly pulling Skrtel’s shirt as he attempted to shepherd the ball out for a goalkick. As it came across, the reds crowd was amazed to see Fernando Torres virtually on his own goal-line to head clear. As the clearance came back across, there were three Villa players waiting to head the ball towards, but in the end Liverpool were lucky that Curtis Davies’ effort was directed straight at Reina.

Liverpool went up the other end, and promptly saw fit to deny Rafa’s insistence this week that we need to be more clinical in our finishing. Three reds players had a total of four chances within the space of five seconds to put the ball in the back of the net, with Torres, Benayoun and Gerrard (twice) being the culprits. The last, in all fairness was an excellent save from Friedel as he spread himself desperately in front of Gerrard to try and deflect it away from the goal. In general, though, the first 15 minutes served only to hide what was coming, with Liverpool marginally the better of the two sides going forward.

Villa soon began to put some passes together, and started to gain some momentum. In fact, it was Liverpool who were responsible in part for this as they began to give the ball away time and time again. Torres also went against Benitez’s advice as, sometimes justifiably, he started compaining to the referee about challenges from the Aston Villa defence rather than looking to play the ball. As the clock ticked round towards the half hour mark, the crowd were beginning to sense that all was not right in the Liverpool camp, with the away supporters beginning to be heard in their devoutly religious version of ‘Kum Ba Yah’ in which they seem to just recite a list of their players names.

On 32 minutes came the first goal of the game, and once again it was the reds who presented Villa with the means by which to score it. A run from Petrov towards the Liverpool box found him devoid of ideas and looking for a way to either release the ball or turn into space. As he slowed down, Lucas took the bait and challenged, with Petrov only too happy to hit the ground given his lack of options. From the freekick, it was the Brazilian who was made to pay for his error, as Ashley Young’s effort deflected off him and gave Pepe Reina no chance to save.

Liverpool, to their credit, did fashion their best chance of the half a few minutes later as they attempted to get back on terms. A (for once) good passing move saw the ball find its way out to the right flank with Benayoun, and he found the run of Glen Johnson with an intelligent backheel. When Johnson found Torres in the box, the Spaniard took one touch and fired towards goal, only to find Friedel perfectly positioned to parry the ball for a corner. With the last effort of the half, though, Villa double their lead.

When Sidwell took a potshot at goal, the ball went about 20 yards wide of the goal, and the Anfield crowd thought that a goalkick would be the final kick of the first half. When Sidwell appealed, however, the referee inexplicably saw fit to award a corner as he deemed that the ball had been deflected off Martin Skrtel. The ball was swung across and Curtis Davies found himself unmarked after no-one tracked his run to the near post, and he was able to glance the ball past Reina to leave Liverpool bemused.

No changes at half time, and Liverpool kicked off the second half heading towards the Kop end, with no-one under any illusions as to what was required. In truth, the second half would prove to be better with regard to the number of chances created, but still the inability to keep possession was evident for all to see.

Within the first couple of minutes, Johnson again went surging forward and found a clever through ball to Gerrard, but the skipper’s shot was at a good height for Friedel to pull off a smart reaction save. Mascherano’s long range follow up shot went straight into the keeper’s arms. Friedel then denied Kuyt from a Liverpool corner, tipping the ball over the bar when the Dutchman met the ball with the centre of his forehead. From the second corner, Kuyt hit the post as he stooped to head the flick on from Benayoun towards goal, and the ball ran for a throw in to the visitors.

With 25 minutes left, Liverpool had a decent shout for a penalty turned down, when Johnson slid the ball through for Torres inside the box. Facing away from goal, Reo-Coker came in seemingly from behind Torres, but the referee waved away the shouts of Liverpool players and fans. Voronin replaced Lucas soon afterwards, with Rafa looking to apply more pressure in the final third than the Brazilian had shown during the game. Gerrard stung the palms of Friedel shortly afterwards with a rasping shot from 25 yards out, and just a couple of minutes later Liverpool got the goal that brought them back into contention for the available points.

Some slick interpassing from Benayoun and Kuyt just outside the area left the ball running directly into the path of an excellent forward run from Insua. The young Argentinian found himself on the edge of the six yard box, and he had the presence of mind to play the ball across the face of the goal. Fortunately for Liverpool, Torres was standing just five yards out with no Villa player in his vicinity, and he rifled the ball into the roof of the net to give hope to the home crowd. Unfortunately, however, the game’s resurrection did not last five minutes before a moment of madness put the game beyond the reach of the reds.

Playing the ball across the field, Villa created some space outside Liverpool’s 18 yard area into which Reo-Coker made a clever run. Having effectively lost control of the ball with his touch, Gerrard came flying in with a lunge from yards away, which upended the Villa man and left the referee with no option but to point immediately towards the spot. The response from Benitez was to bring Ryan Babel on for Benayoun.

Villa were now content to sit back and let the Liverpool shirts come forward at them, a ploy which with some better finishing could have been disastrous for them. As the final ten minutes began, Torres went close from an Insua cross and then Kuyt was unable to convert a decent chance from a Babel cross. A flying run down the wing from Jamie Carragher then almost found a breakthrough, he slid the ball across the goal and Ryan Babel slotted home unchallenged, but the defender had been flagged offside after being unable to check his run for long enough. Torres again went close with his head, but found Friedel in exactly the right place again, and then a piledriver from Glen Johnson was again beaten away by the ex-Liverpool keeper.

Despite the chances, however, most Liverpool fans understood that the team from Birmingham had been far more clever in their approach to the game, and that tactically Martin O’Neill had outwitted Rafa. Again the problem with defending set-pieces was highlighted for all to see, with the zonal marking system obviously coming under heavy fire. The state of the substitute’s bench also showed the weakness in the strength of the overall squad, and if Liverpool fans expect to win the league then we need more inspiration to come off the bench. The two changes that Benitez made in the game saw Voronin and Babel come on. The Ukrainian in particular is clearly not of the required standard to play in a Liverpool shirt, and he never looks like producing a moment which can change a game. My thoughts on Babel are well documented by those who know me, but a player unwilling to challenge for the ball or even jump for a header has no place on the Anfield turf and should be sold for as much as we can get for him. Even the forward runs he undertakes seem to resemble the headless chicken more than the headstrong youngster, and after so long to develop since Benitez saw whatever he saw and signed him, it is time to admit defeat in our efforts to develop him into a top class player.

There were positives, however, to take from the game. The performance of the two full backs, Insua and in particular Johnson, was notable. Both were willing to get forward and support the attacking efforts without sacrificing their positional responsibilities in defence. Aurelio may well have a fight on his hands to retake the left back role from Insua. Another positive should be taken from the second half performance, which, whilst lacking the quality and penetration, at least displayed some drive and determination in the efforts to get back into the match.

A final word to the fans who saw fit to leave after the Aston Villa penalty, seventeen minutes from time. The sight of this kind of desertion provides a detriment to the club’s name. As we all know and have seen countless times over the years, magical things can happen on the field when Liverpool are playing, cast your mind back to Istanbul where three goals in six minutes won us the European Cup for the fifth time, the two goals scored in the last three minutes versus Charlton a few seasons back, and the similar effort in the home game against Middlesbrough at the start of last season. Next time, don’t bother spending your money on a ticket which could be happily filled by someone who understands the meaning of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’.

Match time and date: KO 20:00. 24 August 2009
Goals: Lucas 34(og), Davies 45, Torres 72, A Young 75(pen)
Yellow cards: Liverpool Reina, Torres, Skrtel; Aston Villa A Young, Reo-Coker
Referee: M Atkinson (Yorkshire).
Attendance: 43,667

Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Reina; Johnson, Carragher, Skrtel, Insua; Lucas (Voronin, 66), Mascherano; Kuyt, Gerrard, Benayoun (Babel, 75); Torres. Substitutes not used: Cavalieri (gk), Riera, Kelly, Dossena, Ayala.

Aston Villa (4-5-1): Friedel; Beye, Cuellar, Davies, Shorey; Milner, Reo-Coker, Petrov, Sidwell, A Young (Heskey, 80); Agbonlahor. Substitutes not used: Albrighton, Delfouneso, Delph, Guzan (gk), Gardner, Lowry.

Tottenham Hotspur 2 - Liverpool 1

Premiership Match report

Reporter: The Main (Stand) Man




With all reds fans heartened by the drubbing handed down to our blue brethren a day earlier, Liverpool travelled to White Hart Lane to commence their Premier League campaign in the London sunshine. Several questions remained until shortly before kick off when the team was announced, not least who would form the central defensive partnership given the injuries to Carragher, Skrtel and Agger during the pre-season. In the end it was Carragher and Skrtel who made the line-up, joined by Insua and Johnson as the full backs. The midfield saw Kuyt, Mascherano, Gerrard, Babel and Lucas take to the field, and Torres was passed fit to play leaving Voronin and Ngog on the bench.

Spurs started the brighter of the two sides, forcing a corner within the first three minutes after some sloppy play by Liverpool near to their own corner flag. Liverpool soon began to show some promise, however, Torres looking eager to drive at the heart of the Tottenham defense and Babel unlucky not to go clean through after he failed to control a difficult long pass from Carragher. Johnson then linked up with Kuyt down the right to win a corner, but the resultant cross came to nothing, sailing as it did over all heads in the penalty area. The game settled down after these initial exchanges, with both teams finding space at a premium thanks to some hard work to close each other down.

A bizaare incident then threatened to leave the reds without any centre halves on the pitch at all. Carragher and Skrtel both went for the same high ball under no pressure from any Spurs players. The two collided with Carragher ‘heading’ the underside of Skrtel’s jaw, leaving both prostrated on the turf. Thankfully, Skrtel was able to continue and Carragher returned to the fray after a couple of minutes with a Terry Butcher style bandage round his head. Moments later a half chance for Tottenham saw Lennon and Keane getting in each others way with the former ready to pull the trigger.

Lennon was then booked for a late challenge on Skrtel, leaving his foot in after Skrtel had manoeuvred the ball round him. In all truth, moments like these were to prove the only interesting moments of the first 30 minutes, with no clear chances created by either side. Shortly after the half hour mark, Gerrard let fly with a 25 yard shot which went narrowly wide. Pepe Reina then proved the hero with a stunning save from Keane. A long cross found Modric at the far side of the Liverpool box, his control was good and he stabbed the ball back across the goal to find Keane in yards of space. With the goal at his mercy, Keane did as the textbooks say and directed his header downwards, but it went too close to Reina who showed good reactions to dive to his left and claw the ball clear. Mascherano was then ridiculously booked for not being able to get out of the way of Lennon as he made his way across the field in front of the Liverpool penalty area. Reina then made a second great save as Modric’s ball found Keane racing through. His attempted chip found Reina standing tall and he was able to parry the ball to safety.

Liverpool’s most promising move of the half resulted when Gerrard picked the ball up in midfield. A typical driving run towards the Spurs box allowed him to find Babel on the left but the Dutchman was unable to find Torres in the middle after the striker had made a good run in front of the defender. Assou-Ekotto then attempted to get Kuyt booked with a dive more deserving of an Oscar than a freekick, but thankfully Phil Dowd had the sense to award nothing more than. Unfortunately, the defender was then able to put Spurs ahead with an unstoppable shot.

Skrtel fouled Palacios on the edge of the area, and the subsequent shot from the set-piece rebounded off the wall to Assou-Ekotto. He unleashed a left foot shot which gave Reina no chance from all of 25 yards out right into the top corner of the net. Liverpool looked to respond immediately, with Skrtel’s long ball finding Kuyt just unable to control the ball for a one-on-one situation. All of a sudden the reds began to come forward with more purpose, looking to attack the Spurs defense at last. The referee, though, blew the half time whistle with all of the Liverpool players no doubt fearing some harsh words from Benitez in the dressing room. In truth, it had been an extremely disappointing 45 minutes, with poor passing, no penetration and, from some, a lack of desire seeming to show through.

Liverpool won an early corner following the restart, which Gerrard took and swung out to the edge of the area. The ball ended up close to the opposite corner, and Insua was dispossessed, with Lennon picking up the loose ball when played forward. The youngster went on a surging run, skipping past three Liverpool players before finally being robbed of the ball by Lucas on the edge of the reds area. Liverpool then went close themselves, with Kuyt finding Torres who laid off for Gerrard, but the skipper’s shot went inches wide of the upright.

It was beginning to look like more of a contest, although still Liverpool’s passing play was not good enough to provoke hopes of an equaliser anytime soon. It was Spurs who again went close on 53 minutes, with Defoe finding Palacios in acres of space just outside the Liverpool area. His rasping shot was just within reach for Reina, however, and his outstretched arm tipped the ball over the bar.

The reds were awarded a penalty moments later, though, after a jinking run from Johnson led him into the area. With Gomes rushing from his line to challenge, Johnson flicked the ball past him leaving the keeper with no chance of avoiding a collision. Gerrard stepped up and dispatched the penalty with aplomb, despite the taunts of the Spurs fans attempting to distract him.

The referee then put Jamie Carragher’s name in the book for a foul on Defoe, and from the freekick Spurs retook the lead. A floated ball into the box found Bassong’s head highest and his flicked effort went past the despairing dive of Reina. Benitez soon after decided to introduce Yossi Benayoun into the proceedings in an attempt to spice up Liverpool’s attacking play. Babel was sacrificed having failed again to make any kind of significant contribution to the game, although in his defense he was far from the only one. Peter Crouch also came on for Robbie Keane, the two ex-Liverpool players swapped in a tactical move from Harry Redknapp.

Torres then went close from a Glen Johnson cross following the best passage of play in the entire match from Liverpool. Some fluent passing went through much of the team before the chance was created, and this seemed to inspire the reds that they could actually get something from the game. Another good move ended with a shot from Gerrard’s left foot, and although he was able to draw a save from Gomes, the shot from his weaker side did not carry the required pace to seriously trouble the keeper.

Daniel Ayala then replaced Skrtel at the heart of the defence, the Croatian still troubled by the head injury received earlier in the game. Kuyt was replaced by Voronin soon after in an attacking move from Rafa, with Spurs just starting to sit back on their lead leaving a little more space in the middle of the park for Liverpool to work in. The home side had begun to look to floating balls up to Crouch to keep the ball in the Liverpool half, a move which would seem to provide hope that Liverpool could begin to pick up more possession. This proved to be the case, with Gerrard swinging in a ball towards Torres which King was lucky to deflect back into the arms of his keeper with his outstretched leg.

O’Hara replaced Modric for Tottenham, with the clock ticking ominously onwards towards the final whistle. A shout for another penalty soon followed, with a beautiful ball from Benayoun almost finding Voronin on the end of it. The forward was bundled over with no attempt by the Spurs defence to play the ball, but Phil Dowd shook his head and refused to grant the spotkick. When Assou-Ekotto was struck by the ball in his penalty area shortly after, again the Liverpool players were vocal in their appeal for handball which was again turned down. Sammy Lee was then dismissed from the bench for complaining about the decisions a little too vocally for the liking of the officials, which only served to waste more time. As the game went into time added on, Redknapp brought on Pavlyuchenko to waste a few seconds, and shortly afterwards Dowd blew the whistle to condemn the reds to their first opening day defeat for seven years.

All in all, Liverpool did not deserve to take three points from this game, taking too long to get into their stride and allowing Spurs far too many opportunities after surrendering possession too easily and standing off the attackers for too long as they surged forward. With a home game against Stoke to come on Wednesday night, Liverpool will need to kickstart their season immediately to prevent a gap opening up this early in the season, and to do this there must be a more concerted effort from all concerned. It was only the introduction of Benayoun which seemed to open the game up, with Torres hounded off the ball on many occasions and Gerrard unable to exert too much influence from his advanced midfield position. Whilst the nay-sayers will no doubt imagine their opinions surrounding the departure of Alonso to be reaffirmed by this result, in truth the Spaniard would have been unlikely to be able to provide inspiration for the entire team, and this collective lack of drive is the true reason that Liverpool lost today.

Match time and date: KO 16:00. 16 August 2009

Goals: Tottenham Hotspur: Assou-Ekotto 44, Bassong 59. Liverpool: Gerrard (pen) 56

Yellow cards: Gomes, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Mascherano, Skrtel, Carragher

Referee: Dowd

Attendance: 35,935

Tottenham Hotspur: 01 Gomes, 19 Bassong, 22 Corluka, 26 King, 32 Assou-Ekotto, 06 Huddlestone, 07 Lennon, 12 Palacios, 14 Modric (O'Hara 83), 10 Keane (Crouch 68), 18 Defoe (Pavlyuchenko 90+2)
Substitutes: 23 Cudicini, 02 Hutton, 16 Naughton, 05 Bentley, 24 O'Hara, 09 Pavlyuchenko, 15 Crouch

Liverpool: 25 Reina, 02 Johnson, 22 Insua, 23 Carragher, 37 Skrtel (Ayala 75), 08 Gerrard, 20 Mascherano, 21 Lucas, 09 Torres, 18 Kuyt (Voronin 79) 19 Babel (Benayoun 67)
Substitutes: 01 Cavalieri, 34 Kelly, 38 Dossena, 15 Benayoun, 26 Spearing, 40 Ayala, 10 Voronin

The Main (Stand) Man Speaks: Opportunity for a good start

'The Main (Stand) Man's' 5 part article comes to an end with his last instalment here. Reflecting on the pre season and what positives should be taken into the new season TM(S)M takes a look at the first few fixtures for the Reds and why its imperative for the team to light the touchpaper as soon as the whistle blows...

Opportunity for a good start:
as any football fan will know, any significant title challenge needs a decent start to the season. The fixture list, as opposed to previous seasons, has provided Liverpool with the opportunity to achieve this and boost confidence following the generally poor pre-season performances. Whilst going to White Hart Lane can never be described as easy, Spurs in the last few seasons have been notoriously slow starters (in particular last season with just 2 points from the first 8 games), and so perhaps this is not the worst time to face them. Following this are two home fixtures which most fans would expect six points from. Aston Villa, despite their recent expenditure under the reign of Martin O’Neill, will have been weakened by the departure of their most influential player in Gareth Barry, and the Stoke fixture three days later is one which most Liverpool fans can use as a barometer of home form given the inability to break the deadlock against them home and away last season. An away trip to Bolton is no longer the difficult fixture it was when Sam Allardyce’s bullying tactics were in effect at the Reebok, and there is no reason why Liverpool cannot go there and pick up all three points. Newcomers Burnley complete the first five fixtures, a match which all Liverpool supporters will expect them to win. It is entirely possible, then, that the reds can take all of the first 15 points available to them, and have the competition chasing from the off. The confidence this would bring to the squad as new signing Alberto Aquilani nears match fitness and a debut for Liverpool.

'The Main (Stand) Man' Speaks!: harmony behind the scenes

Regular contributor 'The Main (Stand) Man' has been giving us his daily run down of the positives from the Pre-Season, that can be taken into the new Premiership campaign. Today he turns his knowledgeable attention towards...


Returning harmony behind the scenes:

If we look back at the situation this time last year, the Xabi Alonso situation this summer and its potential detrimental impact on the morale of the squad pales into insignificance compared to the in-fighting and squabbles that plagued the club through the Gareth Barry saga and the subsequent reports surrounding the eventual signing of Robbie Keane. It was clear that Benitez was at odds with the one person who should have been his most trusted ally, Rick Parry, whose contributions in the transfer market have been widely reported as surpassing his authority. Whether this is true or not (and it is unlikely that many people will ever know all the goings-on during his tenure), his departure from the club at the end of last season was greeted with smiles from most Liverpool supporters. In addition, it seems that our American owners may finally have realised that Liverpool fans will not tolerate our dirty linen being aired in public. The policy has always been that any problems within the club remain there, without the ‘outside world’ getting wind of the internal machinations of the organisation and any issues that exist. The owners have been silent for some months now, and while it is possible that this is an attempt to stave off further criticism from fans groups as to their financial management of the club, it is possible that they are finally beginning to understand the unique nature of this club of ours. I think as we head into the new season, I will choose to interpret the silence in this way.

'The Main (Stand) Man' Speaks: Emerging Talent

In part three of our series about Pre Season positives to take into the new Premiership campaign, 'The Main (Stand) Man' turns his watchfull eye towards the new talent emerging through the ranks...


Progress of youngsters

As always, the pre-season schedule has been used to involve many of the reserve and youth team players in several matches. Good displays have been seen from the likes of Jay Spearing, Mikel San Jose, and Damien Plessis among others. Rafa will no doubt have his own thoughts on the matter, but in my opinion the youngsters have slotted in well with their more experienced counterparts in the majority of instances. Particular mention, though, should go to Martin Kelly, whose outings have been particularly impressive despite not playing in his preferred position of centre-half some of the time. Whilst still unlikely to be in the first team squad for extended periods of time during the coming season, his showings during the pre-season will certainly have given Rafa confidence that he can do a job for the team if required. If he continues to progress as he has been, then it will not be long before the first team squad is more regularly inclusive of his name.

The Main (Stand) Man Speaks: Gerrard & Torres

'The Main (Stand) Man' brings us part two of his week long analysis of the Reds up-coming Premiership Campaign. His thoughts yesterday viewed the resurgence of Lucas Leiva as an added bonus for the new season, now he turns his attention to...

The Gerrard-Torres combination:

Following the injury issues to both of these players last season, and the limited number of times that Benitez was able to field both in the same game, it is to be hoped that they can both stay fit for the majority of the coming campaign. Certainly on the evidence of the Atletico Madrid game, where they were at times going through the defence at will, it seems they have lost none of the enthusiasm that they seem to exude when playing alongside each other. Given the lack of qualified cover for Torres as an out-and-out striker, a lot will rest on the proficiency of the duo to enable the club to again challenge meaningfully for the title.

The Main (Stand) Man Speaks!

Regular contributor 'The Main (Stand) Man' has delivered his Pre Season match reports, now he turns his attention (& vast Kop knowledge) towards the positives of pre season...




On paper, it would seem as though the pre-season has been almost devoid of positives for Liverpool, with a string of unconvincing results punctuated only by a large win against Singapore and injury worries to some key players particularly in defence. However, if we delve a little deeper, we can find some reasons to be cheerful in advance of the new season. I'll be running my top 5 every day this week and the first one is:

1) The form of Lucas Leiva: the Brazilian has been one of the most impressive performers throughout most of the fixtures to date. His form had shown signs of improving towards the end of last season, with good performances against the likes of Manchester United at Old Trafford and Chelsea in the Champions League Semi Final second leg at Stamford Bridge. Whilst he has still not won over most fans completely (and yes I include myself within that), he should be commended for his courage in coming through some of the criticism he has faced in the last 18 months. It seems that he is now playing the kind of game that won him the captaincy of the Brazil Under 21 side, playing the easy ball instead of looking for the perfect pass too often. This is a style of play that suits him better than an all-action outlook, a role which can be filled by Mascherano. Whilst it is unlikely that Lucas will ever be a direct replacement for Xabi Alonso, Liverpool fans can at least expect to see him provide some positive contributions to the side.

Liverpool 1 - Atletico Madrid 2

Pre-Season Match 2009

Well, 'The Main (Stand) Man' has certainly clocked up his air-miles and he makes a welcome return back home to turn in his match report for the last pre-season game before the Reds mount their premiership campaign. It was a special occasion for Torres: the adopted son of the Kop, as it was the first time he's been pitted against his old club since joining two summers ago....

The final game of pre-season saw the strongest possible starting 11 named by Rafa for what was expected to be the stiffest test yet faced by a Liverpool side that has hardly shown scintillating form. The line-up of Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Ayala, Insua, Kuyt, Benayoun, Lucas, Mascherano, Gerrard and Torres took to the Anfield turf to face an Atletico team including ex-Manc Diego Forlan, who was roundly derided by the majority of the home crowd for the entire game, and Maxi Rodriguez, scorer of the Spanish side’s excellent goal at Anfield during the Champions League encounter of last season.

The opening exchanges saw some crisp passing and movement from the reds, and a looping first time cross from Kuyt soon had Asenjo at full stretch to prevent an easy chance for Torres. Liverpool settled quickly into their rhythm, a positive sign given the slow starts in all of the previous fixtures to date, and the visitors were unable to provide any real depth and penetration in the first quarter of an hour. Gerrard was finding some space in between the Atletico defensive and midfield quartets, with Benayoun and Kuyt providing good width although again the quality of balls into the box was often not of the required standard.

The promising start was soon to take a worrying turn, however, as Carragher went down after challenging Aguero for the ball. Having screamed at the physio who was loitering at the side of the pitch, the decision was taken to remove the influential centre half as a precaution. His replacement was Mikel San Jose, but before the reds could get him onto the pitch, Atletico went a goal ahead. The ball was worked onto the left flank, where Lopez picked it up and was able to approach the Liverpool box without a challenge. His pinpoint cross found Aguero unmarked on the edge of the six yard box, and his glancing header left Reina with no chance.

Liverpool looked to respond positively, perhaps the more senior players in the side recognising that attack was the best form of defence, particularly with such a young pairing now in operation at the heart of the back line. Within minutes Torres went through following a decent passing move. The threaded throughball from Mascherano left the ball slightly underfoot, however, and as the Spaniard dragged it forward the keeper was able to advance and smother the effort, with Kuyt unable to profit from the follow up. Again, Torres threatened moments later, some sublime skill close to the byline taking him clear of the defender. When he went down under the challenge, referee Phil Dowd turned down what appeared to be a decent shout for a penalty from the partisan Anfield masses. Johnson then found Gerrard surging into the box after cutting in from the right touchline, but the skipper’s first time effort could only find the side-netting.

The Torres-Gerrard combination then almost created another good chance, but the number 9 couldn’t quite find his colleague with his pass. Atletico then went down the other end of the pitch and almost extended their advantage. San Jose was beaten for pace down the left by Aguero, who cut into the box and attempted to slot home, but Reina was equal to the effort and fortunately for the reds the only benefit from the chance was a corner to the visitors. Just past the half hour mark, though, Atletico did double their tally with an annoyingly superb effort from our former ‘neighbour’ Forlan. His ball found Aguero on the edge of the Liverpool penalty area, and he followed it up with a run behind his fellow striker into space. A clever backheel found him just inside the area and his deft first time shot into the top right hand corner left Reina flying through the air without any real hope of ever getting a hand on it. The only comfort for reds fans should be that Forlan never showed that kind of form for Man Ure. The inexperience in the Liverpool backline was being ruthlessly exposed by two top quality strikers.

Liverpool again looked to work their way back into the match quickly, and indeed they should have done. A slide rule pass from Gerrard sent Torres racing through with only Asenjo to beat, but while his shot did make it round the keeper the post denied Liverpool their first goal and the ball rebounded to safety. The clock then began to tick on towards half time, and a lack of chances in the remaining ten minutes of the half did nothing to calm the disquiet in the crowd at the scoreline. Some good running from the front pair showed promise but on each occasion the end product was missing as the final pass went astray.

Benitez made no changes at the start of the second half, choosing instead to let his key players develop their match fitness ahead of next Sunday’s season opener. Liverpool soon threatened from their first corner of the half, a pacy ball swung across and was glanced on by Lucas at the near post, but neither Kuyt nor Ayala behind him were able to get anything on the ball to divert it into the net. A Kuyt cross from the right then found Torres on the penalty spot, but his header was from a standing start and he could not get the required pace on the ball to seriously trouble Asenjo.

Some good work from Johnson down the right then left Torres in space on the corner of the Atletico box. His curling ball into the six yard area was almost diverted into the net by Gerrard, but his effort under the challenge of Ujfalusi. Gerrard then had a penalty appeal again turned down by Dowd, as his attempts to get clear of the defence were thwarted by an outstretched arm. In all honesty, a penalty award would have been harsh as the ball cannoned onto the outstretched limb with no chance for the defender to get out of the way. A cynical challenge on Gerrard then saw Heitinga booked but the reds captain was unable to make anything of the resultant set-piece.

So far, all of the reds’ efforts to reduce the deficit had been in vain, and Benitez decided to make a change in bringing Babel on for Dirk Kuyt with an hour gone. The chances began to dry up a little, though, and even the Kop was uncharacteristically quiet as time went on without further opportunities presenting themselves. Torres was trying to create space for himself, and after taking on four defenders with ease he attempted to drag the ball round the keeper when a cutback would likely have been the better option with Babel and Benayoun in attendance. A cross from Benayoun then found Torres again in the middle, and whilst the Spaniard was able to get more power on his header this time, the effort was still relatively easy pickings for Asenjo. Forlan then got himself booked for a ridiculous bit of time-wasting, kicking the ball away for no apparent reason, and the yellow card was met with delight from the Anfield faithful.

Martin Kelly, one of the most impressive of the youngsters during this pre-season, then came on for Glen Johnson. A nervous piece of play from Pepe Reina almost gifted another goal to Aguero, but the Liverpool keeper was able to recover just in time. The entrance of Florent Sinama-Pongolle then resulted in a warm reception from the crowd, still keeping in mind the match-changing substitute’s appearance he had made in the Champions League versus Olympiakos in 2004. Liverpool again began to come forward with more purpose, runners from midfield causing the majority of the problems. Both Benayoun and Mascherano went bursting through having stolen the ball from opponents, but Assuncao snuffed out one attack with an awesome bit of defending whilst on the ground and Mascherano was unable provide an assured touch and ending up running out of pitch. Spearing and Voronin were introduced just prior to Gerrard’s accurate pass through to Lucas providing the catalyst for a goal for the reds. The Brazilian, who looked offside but was later proven to have been played on by the last defender, controlled well and slotted home comfortably to make the last 10 minutes more interesting. Moments later it was Gerrard again whose pass found Insua bombing forward, and his cross was not cleared at the first attempt by the Atletico defence. The ball ricocheted up into the air, and the keeper flapped at the ball before it dropped at the feet of Ngog. The ball was just too far under his feet, though, and his effort ended up with a throw in for Madrid.

The clock was against Liverpool by this point, and a corner on the left provided the last significant chance of the game. It was swung in by Gerrard, and Daniel Ayala rose well to get his head on the ball but was unable to direct it on target. Mr. Dowd blew his whistle to signify the end of proceedings for the day.

So again, despite an improved performance, Liverpool fell to Spanish opposition, and I must confess to having concerns with the season now so close to us. There were plenty of positives to take away from this encounter, but the most worrying aspect is the failure to take more of the decent chances that were created. This proved to be our downfall last season, with creativity not being matched by clinical finishing during home games leading to dropped points against lesser opposition. Still some work to do then for Rafa and the coaching/medical staff this week, although the good news is that the injury to Jamie Carragher is not thought to be serious at this point and he should be available next Sunday at White Hart Lane.

FC Lyn 0 - Liverpool 2

Pre-Season Match 2009

The Main (Stand) Man has certainly been clocking up the air miles this pre season! Following the Reds friendly in AT-AT country, he was even sober enough to send his Nordic match report from the 'Hurdgurdy Flurgjurgersson Internet Cafe' in Oslo! Enjoy.

I hate airplane food. And when it’s followed/preceded by some of the performances that the reds have managed so far during this pre-season tour, it is literally even more difficult to swallow. So my hopes were high that after the disappointment of Espanyol, Liverpool could come up with the sort of football that would inspire optimism in the face of the red-faced one’s attack on our club earlier today. With the Alonso ‘saga’ coming to an end, and the imminent arrival of Alberto Aquilani to replace him subject to medical, it is hoped that the main distraction faced by the players thus far is now concluded and the football can begin.

The line-up for kick off consisted of Cavalieri, San Jose, Kelly, Johnson, and Dossena in the defence, Spearing, Babel, Kuyt and Lucas in the midfield with Voronin and Ngog spearheading the attack. A mixture of youth and experience then, which seemed quite strange given the proximity of the competitive season, perhaps indicating that again players will be rotated this season according the demands of the fixture list.

The reds began well against a Lyn Oslo side that has only won one game thus far in the Norwegian League. Some clever passing almost had Ngog through within the first two minutes, and a chip forward almost found Spearing bursting forward. The home side then produced a moment of worry, as they broke clear down the right flank and fired a shot on goal which Cavalieri could only parry for a corner. Little else of interest was to be seen in the first quarter of an hour, both sides surrendering possession far too easily and Liverpool’s full backs, whilst admirably trying to get forward with pace, overhitting crosses on several occasions.

The next Liverpool attack was to originate on the right wing. Some interplay between Johnson and Kuyt led to the former slipping the ball inside to Spearing. The youngster controlled well with his first touch and then struck a decent shot which curved just wide of the upright. Kuyt then went close with a scuffed effort and had a delicate chip plucked out of the air by the keeper just a minute later. The signs were promising and Voronin took a potshot moments later which failed to threaten the net, but soon Cavalieri was called upon again. The ball found its way to the left hand side of the Liverpool penalty area, and Cavalieri was tested down to his left hand side, and a rasping shot from Ohuba then sent the reds keeper flying through the air to tip round the post. Lucas then went close with a powerful effort from outside the box, and this was followed by an excellent save at the feet of Ngog when he was sent clear by a slotted through ball from Johnson. The young Frenchman then almost created a chance for himself with an excellent flick between the legs of a defender, but the ball travelled just too close to the keeper who gathered.

With ten minutes left in the half, a flowing, first time passing move following good work from Lucas led to Voronin being sent clear. The Ukrainian attempted to scoop the ball over the onrushing keeper, and to be fair he did, however the ball also found its way about three feet over the crossbar. The reds defence then lost concentration momentarily, allowing the home side far too much space as a shot fired against the post. Again Lucas was involved shortly afterwards, when a seventy yard ball from Cavalieri found Kuyt on the right wing. His instinctive pass inside the defender found the Brazilian surging forward, but he was just unable to take the ball outside the defender. From the resultant corner, the ball found Voronin whose initial shot ricocheted back to him off Babel, but his second proved a deft chip which would have sneaked in under the bar had the keeper not tipped it over. Soon after the reds were in the lead, and on the balance of play it was well deserved. Ryan Babel set off on a trademark twisting run, pushed the ball outside the full back and pulled the ball across the goal line to find Voronin in the right place at the right time.

The referee blew the whistle for half time, and Liverpool trudged off with a narrow lead which should have been more. Rafa made five changes, Riera, Benayoun, Mascherano, Plessis and Degen replacing Babel, Spearing, Lucas, Kuyt and Johnson.

The first fifteen minutes of the second half reflected those of previous half, dull. There’s no getting away from the fact that sometimes this Liverpool squad can make the game look more difficult than it should be. However, from nothing, the reds gave themselves a two goal cushion. A raking cross-field ball from Mascherano found Dossena racing forward. The Italian took it past the full back and slid a ball across goal to leave Ngog with a relatively simple finish, slotting home into the bottom right hand corner of the net.

Soon after, Torres and Gerrard made their entrances alongside Ayala and Insua, with Voronin, Ngog, Dossena, and San Jose. The rapturous applause given to the two main attractions, though, did little to spur on the team in the immediate aftermath, and again the game descended into mediocrity for the next ten minutes. The next opportunity to extend the lead arose with just quarter of an hour remaining. Some slick passing between Torres and Gerrard was unable to break through the Lyn Oslo back four, but the ball fell to Martin Kelly who had ventured forward. The youngster showed good composure to lift his head up and he sidefooted a shot agonisingly wide of the post. Benayoun was then able to shift the ball onto his left foot and fire a shot towards goal, but the ball was too central and the keeper gathered with ease.

An injury to Albert Riera led to the introduction of Jamie Carragher as the only substitute remaining with 5 minutes left on the clock. Riera’s foot slid out from under him as he went to cross the ball and he was taken off as a precaution. The game wound down with little else of note, some potential chances being snuffed out at the last minute and some quick passing proving fruitless. At the final whistle, the reds had secured a comfortable victory against a generally poor Norwegian side.

Still, however, I find it perplexing that Rafa, in this penultimate pre-season game, found it better to go for the ‘pick and mix’ approach to his team selection. It is always nice to see younger players being given their opportunity, however with just the game against Atletico to come, I feel that the strongest side needs to be given more opportunity to rediscover their understanding in these semi-competitive fixtures before the season opener at Spurs. The performances of Ngog, Spearing, and Kelly in particular tonight were extremely pleasing, but the likelihood of any of these players getting a regular run out in the Premier League is minimal, so why are they spending so much time on the pitch now? I could understand better a decision to play the best team for the first 60 minutes and then effect a mass change to give a ‘second eleven’ a chance to show what they can do. With all this being said, we must have faith that Rafa has been through enough of these pre-seasons now to have a pretty good understanding of what is required.

To summarise then, hardly a scintillating performance at times, but two well created and well taken goals to look back upon. Perhaps the godawful Chicken Chasseur on the flight home might not be too bad now……….

Thailand 1 Liverpool 1

Pre-Season Match 2009

The Main (Stand) Man Match Report:

A 70,000 crowd awaited the Liverpool starting line-up upon their emergence from the tunnel to face Peter Reid’s Thailand national side. Rafael Benitez chose probably the strongest initial XI of the pre-season so far, none more so than in defense where Daniel Agger and Jamie Carragher teamed up for the first time. Insua and Degen were again chosen to continue in the full back positions, Lucas Leiva and Damien Plessis began at the heart of the midfield flanked by Ryan Babel and Dirk Kuyt with David Ngog and Kristian Nemeth completing the outfield line-up. A strong bench included many of the Liverpool’s international contingent after joining the rest of the squad just three days earlier,

The game began with a worrying moment for Diego Cavalieri, his first clearance of the match going straight to one of the Thai midfield. The resultant shot, however, was poorly hit and the Liverpool keeper breathed a sigh of relief as it drifted aimlessly wide of the mark.

However, after just 6 minutes, the reds finally got their first goal of the pre-season. Picking the ball up in his own half, Carragher lifted his head and saw a run inside the Thai right full back from Babel. The chipped through ball was not immediately controlled by the Dutchman, but he got enough on it so that he could simply run onto the bouncing ball and slot home past the onrushing keeper. It was a goal that seemed to expose a little naivety in the home side’s defensive strategy, with the central defenders having pushed out in search of an offside decision, leaving room at the back for Babel to run into.

There were shortly to be chances at either end. First, Thailand fashioned a clever move which, had the linesman’s flag not gone up immediately, would have required the good save that Cavalieri produced. Momentarily, Babel was clean through on goal, although the ball ran slightly too far ahead of him and the goalkeeper was able to smother his effort relatively easily. A jinking run from Nemeth then almost left him with a simple tap in, but again his final touch was a little too heavy and the danger passed. Insua then won the ball by his own corner flag, and following a swift interchange of passes down the left, Lucas floated across an excellent ball, finding Babel again in space at the far post. Babel’s effort on the volley, though, was weak and went well wide of the post.

After this promising initial period, the game began to get more scrappy as the half progressed. In truly difficult circumstances thanks to the downpour that beset the game halfway through the first period, the quick passing and attempted through balls were replaced with poor control and mistimed challenges. It took until the 42nd minute for Liverpool to threaten again, largely thanks to some tenacious work from Dirk Kuyt. As a Thai defender looked to let the ball run out of play for a goal kick, Kuyt caught him napping and was able to hook the ball free with his right foot. A delicate chipped ball almost found Ngog at the back post, but he was blocked by one of the home defenders.

After a mystifying three minutes of injury time at the end of the first half, the referee called a halt and some tired legs trudged off, the combination of the humid conditions and wet playing surface serving to provide probably the best workout for the Liverpool players so far during the pre-season.

Ten substitutions again took place, the team for the second half including Glen Johnson, Jay Spearing and Javier Mascherano playing his first full half since returning after international exertions in the close season. The Pacheco/Voronin pairing was again given the responsibility up front to try and extend the Liverpool lead from the first half.

A setback shortly into the half saw El Zhar injure himself in a bizaare attempt at an overhead kick on the edge of the Thailand box. He could only kick the defender who had gone up for a header to clear the ball, and the impact left the young midfielder on the floor. Martin Skrtel was forced out of the game moments later, with a suspected hamstring injury, and he was soon followed by El Zhar who looked in genuine pain. Martin Kelly came on for Skrtel and a welcome return for Alvaro Arbeloa was the result of El Zhar’s enforced withdrawal.

Overall, however, the second half proved to be a dour affair, punctuated only briefly by some promising passing movements and half-chances. The sight of Fernando Torres warming up on the touchline was greeted by a massive cheer from the Thai crowd (some of whom were in protective masks, presumably to guard against swine flu), who had little else to shout about for much of the half. The home side defence was not put under anything like enough pressure, with long range efforts providing the only real threat to the opposition net. Perhaps the best of these came from Javier Mascherano just after the hour mark, a fierce effort met with two fists from the Thai goalkeeper.

The setback in losing Martin Skrtel was then compounded when the Thai’s were able to fashion an equaliser. With 72 minutes on the clock, a superb move sliced through the makeshift Liverpool backline, a one-two leaving Sutee racing clear and he provided a neat finish down to Gulacsi’s left which rolled into the net off the post. As the rain became even heavier and was joined by some gusty winds, the umbrellas went up in the crowd and Liverpool at last began to venture forward with more consistency and Benitez decided that Reina, Torres and Riera should be introduced. The substitutes, in particular Albert Riera, though, had to wait longer than expected as the fourth official struggled to get the numbers correct on a Velcro board to indicate who was coming off. Torres immediately went running through the Thailand defence, but unfortunately his shot was a weak one that proved easy for the keeper to save. Torres again then became involved and threaded a superb throughball on to Voronin who held his head in his hands after putting the ball wide with only the keeper to beat.

The second half ended as it has begun, though, and petered out with some of the reds players tiring visibly. Johnson found time for one more effort, however, cutting in from the left hand side to get the ball on his right foot, he curled a dangerous looking shot just wide of the upright. The whistle went with another disappointing result, but the most strenuous workout for the Liverpool players thus far on their travels. The injuries to Skrtel and El Zhar will be worrying for the reds camp, as will the large periods of ineffective play which peppered the match. Coming so soon after a 10 hour flight as it did, perhaps this result should not be viewed with too much scepticism, though, and we can all hope that the reds can gain their first victory of the pre-season when they play the national side from Singapore on Sunday.

Match time and date: KO 14:00. 22 July 2009

Ground: Rajamangala Stadium

Goals: Babel, 6 (Liverpool). Suksomkit, 72 (Thailand)

St. Gallen 0 Liverpool 0

Pre-Season Match 2009

The Main (Stand) Man has delivered his always insightful match report for last nights pre-season friendly. Read on:

The pre-season began tonight in a sunbathed St.Gallen, Switzerland with a capacity crowd and the travelling reds fans in good voice. Rafael Benitez selected a starting line-up with a good mix of youth and experience, with the likes of Mikel San Jose, Jay Spearing and Kristian Nemeth taking the field alongside the likes of Jamie Carragher, Steven Gerrard and the returning Andriy Voronin and Phillipe Degen, who will be looking to re-establish themselves within the squad following a year on loan and long term injury respectively.

Liverpool began the game quickly, with brisk passing movements accompanied by some strong forward running from the midfield by Gerrard and Ryan Babel. It was the Dutchman, in fact, whose jinking run gained a freekick just outside the opposition box after four minutes, although the resultant shots on goal from Gerrard were easily dealt with by the home defence. Shortly afterwards, some hesitant defending allowed Nemeth to get deep inside the penalty area, but the ball dropped just too far in front of him and the stretched shot was sent wide by the goalkeeper.

The reds were able to settle into their rhythm surprisingly early for the first game of the pre-season, and it took until the 15th minute for the home side to offer anything of note going forward. Some slick interchanges down the right flank allowed the Frei to get to the byline and cut the ball back, but the danger was well anticipated by Phillipe Degen who cleared. The Liverpool defence was caught short again within the next five minutes, a poorly hit cross somehow finding its way across the six yard box. With only Diego Cavalieri to beat, the effort was hurried and brushed the outside of the post.

There was little more of note until the reds defence again came under pressure just after the half hour mark. A disputable freekick awarded to St. Gallen was swung deep to the Liverpool back post. The ball was nodded back across the face of goal and Carragher had to be sharp to clear the ball over the bar before any of the St. Gallen forward line could tap home. Jay Spearing began to see more of the ball during the period that followed, playing in a holding midfield role as well as looking to get forward. The young midfielder was the focal point for many of the passing moves, although little penetration was found as the reds continued to look for the intricate final ball too often. St. Gallen had a goal from Costanza ruled out for offside with 5 minutes remaining in the half, again finding the Liverpool defence a little static before the final ball was delayed a fraction too much.

All in all, the first half proved typical of so many early pre-season friendlies, with some good effort but little of note to show for it. Degen and Insua showed good energy to get forward but on too many occasions the crossing was ineffectual against a tall St.Gallen backline. The midfield huffed and puffed but overall the passing from Gerrard, Babel and co was not of the required standard to trouble the home side, who in fact finished the half stronger than their visitors.

As most people would have predicted before the match began, the team that emerged for the second half bore little resemblance to that of the first half, despite the continued absence of the Spanish contingent following their efforts in the Confederations Cup during the summer. A debut appearance for Glen Johnson, a new centre back partnership of Skrtel and Martin Kelly, and the introduction of some more established first-teamers in Lucas, Benayoun and Kuyt were complemented with more promising talent in the form of Damien Plessis, David Ngog, Stephen Darby Daniel Pacheco, and David Martin in goal.

The half began in much the same way as the first, with some incisive passing from the reds, although within five minutes the reds had managed their best chance of the match. A clever ball found Glen Johnson bursting through into the box, but he dragged his shot wide from about ten yards. A great first-time throughball from Kuyt then encouraged Pacheco to surge forward, only to be robbed of the ball as he twisted and turned inside the box looking for an angle.

Benayoun was the next to threaten, a pass from Pacheco finding him on the edge of the box. After a trademark turn, he shot high and the ball was turned over the bar by the St. Gallen keeper. A glimpse of the future was the next moment of note, a thunderous but entirely fair challenge from Martin Kelly calling an abrupt end to a run from Pamarou. Again Johnson then came forward, turning inside onto his right foot on the angle of the penalty box. His delicate cross looked tantalising but unfortunately none of the Liverpool forward line had gambled and the ball drifted wide for a goal kick.

A flowing move at speed from their own corner flag then enabled Liverpool to create their next chance. Johnson, Benayoun and Pacheco opened up the home midfield and surged forward looking for an opener. Perhaps inexperience meant that Pacheco chose not to play Benayoun in on goal, but he opted for the shot himself which deflected off a defender and created an awkward save for the St. Gallen goalkeeper.

Liverpool were looking far more comfortable at the back than they had in the first 45 minutes, which had the effect of allowing some creative and penetrating moves from the reds further up the pitch. A couple more youngsters in Ayala and Gulacsi were introduced with ten minutes remaining, a move in all probability decided prior to kick off. Yet again Johnson turned provider, some neat passing creating space for him on the left hand side of the opposition goal. Another teasing cross almost found Lucas flying in at the far post, but his dive was in vain and the ball rolled out for a throw in.

The pace of the game began to slow, with both sides looking more and more tired as the clock ticked into the final five minutes, hardly surprising at this stage particularly with young players. However, there was still time for the home team to create the best chance of the entire game, as a curled centre found Frick totally unmarked in the Liverpool area. Perhaps surprised at the abundance of time he had to pick his spot, the Swiss forward contrived to direct his header agonisingly wide of the upright. Another cross shortly afterwards required Dirk Kuyt, typically energetic having tracked back from the opposition half, to divert the ball away from Pamarou who was lurking dangerously at the back post. There was still time for Benayoun, pouncing on a wayward clearance, to fire a fierce volley towards the St. Gallen net, only for the keeper to pull off a decent save.

The final whistle confirmed the stalemate, with the match having provided a good workout for the team if not the goals they would have hoped for. High points were Glen Johnson’s impressive debut, full of powerful running and creativity whilst being solid at the back, and some professional, though not exhilarating, performances from many of the younger members of the squad. Liverpool fans will be hoping for their side to keep the ball a lot better as pre-season progresses, with the next outing coming in Austria against Rapid Vienna on Sunday at 6.15 p.m.

Match time and date: KO 19:00 (UK). 15 July 2009

ST GALLEN: Bolli, de Souza, Schenkel, Nushi, Vitor, Caceres, Frei, Zellweger, Koubsky, Costanzo, Merenda.

(second half): Bolli, Oehri, Lang, Jagne, Frick, Graf, Ciccone, Hammerli, Abegglen, Martic, Frrokaj.

LIVERPOOL: Cavalieri, Degen, Carragher, San Jose, Insua, El Zhar, Spearing, Gerrard, Babel, Voronin, Nemeth.

(second half): Martin (Gulacsi, 80), Darby, Skrtel, Kelly (Ayala, 80), Johnson, Kuyt, Plessis, Lucas, Benayoun, Pacheco, Ngog.

REFEREE: Cyril Zimmermann.

West Ham 0 – Liverpool 3

Once again we welcome the excellent match report from The Main (Stand) Man.

Premiership Match Report

An excellent performance that mirrored the scoreline from the previous week, and continued the superb goal-scoring form that, had it come a couple of months earlier, may have led to the title being headed up the East Lancs to Anfield.

The atmosphere at the ground reverberated around, with Liverpool’s travelling army keen to match the Hammers fans eager to urge their team towards Europe. It was not long, however, before the home fans were silenced by an excellent move that led to the first goal. With barely a minute on the clock, Torres found himself in yards of space just inside the opposition half. Spotting a run from Gerrard which left Lucas Neill rooted to the spot, Torres threaded an inch perfect ball through for the Liverpool skipper, leaving a relatively simple finish as he rounded Robert Green and slotted home comfortably.

This was to set the tone for the match, with Liverpool dominant throughout despite pockets of resistance from West Ham as they looked to get their passing game going. It was Liverpool, though, who scored the second as Gerrard saw his penalty saved but was able to capitalize on the rebound for simple tap in. The penalty came after Luis Boa Morte, disgruntled after not being awarded a just free-kick following a challenge by Javier Mascherano, followed Torres into the box and blatantly tugged his shirt. Torres was looking to latch onto a delightful chipped through ball from Yossi Benayoun, and given the extra cover arriving to stop Torres had he been allowed to continue, there was no need for Boa Morte’s transgression.

Shortly afterwards, David Di Michele should have got the home team back into the match following an awful error by Jamie Carragher. In his attempt to pass the ball back to Reina under pressure from the Italian, Carragher’s standing foot clipped the ball and knocked it to the side, allowing Di Michele to race through on goal. Upon arrival into the penalty box, however, he seemed unsure as to the best course of action and ended up stumbling over. Unbelievably, he then claimed that Reina had tripped him and turned round to appeal for a penalty from Alan Wiley, who promptly, and correctly, booked him for simulation.

Following the break, the match continued in much the same vein, with Liverpool providing the bulk of the attacking menace. Efforts from Kuyt, Torres and a lively Benayoun were unsuccessful, and it seemed a matter of time until the third goal came. However, it proved a long wait as Liverpool were unable to break down the Hammers defence again until 5 minutes from time. Following a West Ham corner, Gerrard won the ball half way inside his own half. After surging forward in typical style, he found Kuyt on the right wing in space, and his cross found Babel, a second half substitute for Torres. His header was well saved by Green but the rebound came straight back to him and he slammed past a stricken Green to complete the victory.

All in all, another satisfying victory for the Reds, who have proven to be a formidable force on the road this season. The lack of creativity at home during the awful spell following Christmas will ultimately prove to be our undoing this year, and Benitez needs to bring in players that can unlock opposition defences that come to Anfield simply to play for a point. This being said, the season should be seen as one of progression, and if two more wins come from our remaining games then 86 points is a respectable haul even if it does not return the title to its rightful home.

Match time and date: KO 17:30. 9 May 2009

Goals: Gerrard 2, 38, Babel 84.

Yellow cards: West Ham: Boa Morte, Kovac, Di Michele. Liverpool: Aurelio, Mascherano.

Referee: Alan Wiley

Attendance: 34,951

West Ham: Green, Neill, Tomkins, Upson, Ilunga, Boa Morte (Payne 80), Noble, Kovac, Stanislas (Collison 59), Di Michele (Sears 70), Tristan.Subs Not Used: Lastuvka, Lopez, Nsereko, Spector.

Liverpool: Reina, Arbeloa, Skrtel, Carragher, Aurelio (Insua 54), Benayoun (Dossena 82), Mascherano, Lucas, Gerrard, Kuyt, Torres (Babel 72).Subs Not Used: Cavalieri, Hyypia, Ngog, Degen.

How the match has been reported in the papers:

The Telegraph: Liverpool back on top of Premier League

The Guardian: Steven Gerrard double gives Liverpool faint hope of title tilt

The Times: Steven Gerrard eases Liverpool back to the top

The Independent: Gerrard double keeps Liverpool in contention

Sky Sports News: Gerrard keeps up title tilt

Sunday Express: Gerrard’s red hot for Rafa

Daily Mail: Gerrard fights to finish but reds still need a miracle

Daily Mirror: Steven Gerrard puts Reds on the road back to top spot

Daily Star: Super Stevie double tops for Benitez

BBC Sport: West Ham 0-3 Liverpool

Liverpool Echo: West Ham 0 Liverpool FC 3 - final whistle match report

Thanks again Main (Stand) Man, we look forward to hearing more match reports!