Liverpool 1 Birmingham 1 - Prem (Feb 1 2006)

[TLW]

LIVERPOOL 1 Birmingham 1

Report by Dave Usher at Anfield

Scorer(s) - Steven Gerrard Half Time - 0-0 Venue - Anfield Date - Wed 1 Feb 2006 Star Man - Harry Kewell

 

 

 

 

It wasn’t meant to be like this was it? A freak own goal and a linesman’s flag ensured Robbie’s return didn’t go quite according to the script, but the reds new number eleven did more than enough to suggest that his day will come soon enough. Results elsewhere also meant that the two points dropped here didn’t prove too costly, even if we did miss the opportunity to close the gap on the mancs and even Chelsea.

Talk of the title is overly optimistic, but whilst it’s still a possibility I’m not going to write anything off. Not so much because I think it’s realistic, but because it’s nice to be able to still say we’re even in contention. It’s a long time since we’ve looked this strong. Had we seen off Birmingham, and then turned Chelsea over at the Bridge this weekend, there would have been a bit more hope with those two games in hand.

That we couldn’t finish Birmingham off was our own fault in all honesty. Yes, we were a bit unlucky with hitting the woodwork twice, being denied by some great saves and of course seeing Robbie’s last gasp scissor kick ruled out for offiside, but the bottom line is we were too casual and paid the price.

It’s not a one off either. In fact, it’s our biggest weakness. We have teams on the ropes but fail to deliver the knockout blow. For the most part, we’ve got away with it thanks to the ability of our back four to keep clean sheets. We’ve sailed dangerously close to the wind a number of times though, and that has to be Rafa’s main area of concern. We just can't kill teams off.

No doubt it was a big part of the reason he brought back Robbie. We dominate games, create chances, but simply don’t score enough goals. Hopefully Robbie will change all that. He almost did in this game, but it just wasn’t to be. He’s had one dream come true this week, maybe expecting another was being a bit greedy.

Listening to the Radio Merseyside phone in on the way home after the game, a few fans were pretty disgruntled about the team Rafa selected. I must admit I was a little surprised to see Carra and Xabi rested, but I also felt it was understandable. Daniel Agger was brought in so Sami and Carra could have the occasional rest, we all knew that so it’s a bit harsh to criticise the manager for doing just that in a game in which it made sense to do it.

I honestly don’t think Carra’s absence had any bearing on the result. Agger made a shaky start, but after Birmingham went down to ten men he had very little to do defensively and I thought he did alright. Perhaps withdrawing Gerrard when the lead was just a single goal was a bit risky, but again I don’t think that made much difference and I can see why Rafa did it.

The problem for me was the overall casual approach of the players. It was too easy for them at times, and as a result of that they lacked urgency. Look at what happened after Birmingham scored - we laid siege to their goal and could have had four goals in as many minutes. Where was that urgency at 1-0?

Morientes and (especially) Garcia were trying silly flicks and layoffs, and if you had walked in after an hour and didn’t know the score you’d assume were were three or four goals up. We weren’t though, it was just the one goal and the longer it stayed like that the more hope Birmingham would get.

The sending off probably worked against us. I doubt Birmingham will see it that way, but if it had been eleven v eleven we would have had to concentrate a bit more. The red card for Johnson was harsh, especially as we saw three far worse challenges on our players at Portsmouth at the weekend which only produced yellow cards.

Uriah Rennie is a law unto himself however, so neither Birmingham nor ourselves should be surprised by anything he does. The visitors had started the game pretty well, but the sending off forced them into their shell a little, and allowed us to dominate possession for the rest of the game.

Unfortunately we did very little with it in the first half. The one exception to that was Harry Kewell, who for me had his best game of the season so far. He’s improving every week, and from start to finish I thought he was outstanding in this game. Everything he did, he did well, and he was our best player by a distance.

Gerrard was a threat too, and went really close with a blistering free kick in the first half which was inches over the bar with Taylor beaten. That was the closest we came to a goal in a disappointing first half display. Crouch did ok (nothing more than ok though, he can do much better than this), but Morientes struggled and seemed to be getting knocked off the ball constantly in the first half. That, coupled with the fact that Garcia was having ‘one of those days’, meant that our attacking play was disjointed.

The second half was much better, as everyone stepped up their game after the break and chances began to flow. Gerrard’s cross was headed against his own bar by Melchiot, and Crouch sent a header agonisingly wide. A goal was coming, and it was no surprise that Gerrard was the one who scored it.

It was a good move which saw Gerrard play in Morientes, and the striker did well to look up and pick out his skipper who’s shot went in despite the attempts to clear by a defender on the line.

The goal was a massive relief to everyone, and within seconds there was reason for a double celebration as Fowler appeared on the touchline ready for an emotional second coming. Crouch was the man to make way, and his disappointment was clear as he discovered his fate. Rafa seems to have an obsession with taking Crouch off after an hour or so, but I’m guessing he had an eye on Sunday’s game as I’d be amazed if Crouch doesn’t start at the Bridge.

So on came Robbie to a rapturous welcome, and suddenly Anfield was alive again. The atmosphere had been shite up to that point, as clearly everyone was just waiting to welcome home their hero. In some ways the game was a distraction from the main event. Understandable, but thankfully it’s out of the way now and Robbie can just get on with getting fit and getting goals.

I thought he looked pretty sharp considering his lack of games. It took him a while to get a touch of the ball, but his movement was really good and he was taking up great positions. One of the first things he did was make a great run out wide taking a defender with him and leaving a huge gap for Kewell to surge into. That’s the intelligence that Rafa has been speaking about.

Garcia should have doubled the lead when he got on the end of a Morientes header, but his shot went wide. Kewell and Gerrard both had shots blocked when it looked like things had opened up for them, and Agger had two presentable chances from corners which he couldn’t quite take. The longer it stayed one nil however, the more encouragement Birmingham took from it.

Pennant was very lively on the right as the game wore on, although Riise generally stuck to his task well and kept him relatively quiet. The former Arsenal winger was the visitors biggest hope of providing something, and was the target for some silly abuse from the lower Anny Road end. I was sat in there for the first time in years, and after this I expect it will be some time before I go there again.

Pennant kicked the corner flag in frustration at not being awarded a free-kick, and that was deemed by those around me as being worthy of booing him for the rest of the game and repeatedly chanting “You’re supposed to be in jail” any time he came near us.

This is a boyhood Liverpool fan who has been hoping to one day sign for us. He’s done nothing to incur the wrath of Liverpool fans and yet he’s getting the Bowyer treatment. Why? It was unnecessary, but sadly not out of character for the lower Anny. I’d heard bad things from a few mates who’ve sat there, and it was exactly as they said it would be. There were chants of “We love you Blackburn we do”, “4-1 to the Blackburn” “Stand up if you hate Man U” and “Who the fuck are Man United”

At least they're singing, but leave the obsession to them eh fellas? Why sing about them when we aren’t playing them? Yeah, it was funny that they were getting leathered at Ewood, but the chants soon dried up when they got it back to 4-3. Why bother at all though?

Pennant seemed to get even more determined because of the stick he was getting, no doubt wanting to ram the taunts back down our throats. He was the catalyst for a little spell of activity which eventually resulted in their equaliser. It could have come from the head of Heskey, who was given far too much room in the box but powered a header straight at Reina.

That was a big let off for the reds, but it wasn’t heeded and needless free-kicks and corners were being conceded. As a rule, we defend set pieces well, but it’s still the most likely way we’ll concede goals. The one we let in here was terrible.

The ball sat up awkwardly for Xabi, and he was clearly in two minds as to what to do. It seemed he was hoping Reina would come for it, and when he didn’t he tried to chest it back so the keeper could collect. Unfortunately Reina had noted Xabi’s hesitation, and belatedly reacted to try and come for the ball. The confusion was fatal, and Birmingham had an equaliser which they didn’t deserve on the balance of play, but they will feel they merited for the way they hung in there.

With time running out the reds threw everything forward. Alonso had a wonderful free-kick tipped over by Taylor, Hamann hit the bar, there were two strong penalty appeals, a goalline clearance and then of course deep into stoppage time came the moment which all Kopites had been dreaming about since last Friday.

The ball was bouncing around in the box, and fell to you know who with his back to goal. A perfectly executed overhead kick later and the ball was in the net and Anfield was ecstatic. For a second or two anyway, until the realisation that the linesman had flagged popped everyone’s balloon.

I’d seen the flag go up out of the corner of my eye, so thankfully I was spared having to cut short my celebrations. My sympathy is with those listening to the game on the radio, as radio commentators have a habit of going nuts and not noticing things like offside flags! It was the correct decision, which actually makes it easier to take. Imagine how hard it would have been to accept had Robbie been onside?

The two points dropped and the manner in which it happened left me feeling empty at the final whistle. Writing this the next morning though I’m a lot more positive about it. Kewell’s form is cause for great encouragement, Gerrard is still scoring and now we’ve got Robbie back where he belongs.

There were a lot of good performances too. Kewell was the pick, but Finnan and Riise both played well I thought, as did big Sami. Hamann had a good game too, and we have a few players who will come back fresh for Sunday’s grudge match at the Bridge.

As for Robbie, he will have his day soon enough, let’s hope it’s this weekend.


Team: Reina; Finnan, Hyypia, Agger, Riise; Garcia, Gerrard (Alonso), Hamann, Kewell; Crouch (Fowler), Morientes: