Liverpool 5 Havant & Waterlooville 2 - FA Cup 4th Round (Jan 26 2008)

[TLW]

LIVERPOOL 5 Havant & Waterlooville 2

Report by Dave Usher at Anfield

Scorer(s) – Yossi Benayoun (3), Lucas, Peter Crouch Half Time - 2-2 Venue - Anfield Date - Saturday 26 January 2008 Star Man – Jermaine Pennant

 

 

 

 

There was never any danger that we’d actually lose this game, even though we fell behind twice and were level at 2-2 at half time. They were always going to tire, and we had Gerrard and Torres to call on if needed, so losing was never a real possibility. However, that opening 45 minutes was absolutely appalling and a number of the players involved should hang their heads in shame.

The 2nd half was considerably better and obviously we’re through so there’s no harm done, but I’m sure Rafa Benitez will have taken note of the lack of appetite shown by some of his squad.

Having said that, Havant’s players were brilliant and deserve great credit. They were assisted by the lacklustre approach of some of our ‘stars’, but take nothing away from the efforts of the non-league side, who showed far more adventure than many Premiership sides who visit Anfield. They played two up front, and they played two wingers. They weren’t shy throwing players forward, and they were rewarded with two goals at the Kop end.


They defended very well too, and multi million pound international strikers such as Babel and Crouch were handled with an ease that I imagine will have alarmed and angered Rafa as much as it did a lot of the fans. Babel says he is a striker, not a winger. Most people would probably agree with that, I definitely would. I wanted to see him fgiven a go up front, but as a striker in this game he was so ineffective that Benitez ended up moving him back out to the wing and shifting Benayoun inside to play off Crouch.

I expected Babel to run riot in this game, it was the ideal chance for him to stake a claim to play as a striker, but he blew it. Still, he was miles better than Crouch, and at least he looked like he was trying. Crouch simply wasn’t interested, he was a disgrace. I’ve probably been his most vocal supporter ever since he’s been here, but after witnessing the completely disinterested way he strolled about in this game I find it hard to say anything positive about him. When he scored at the end I just thought ‘you really didn’t deserve that’.

He hardly won a header all afternoon, he didn’t hold the ball up, and most of the time he wasn’t even showing for the ball. He just didn’t look arsed, and I bet that was one of the easiest games those Havant central defenders have had all season. It was almost enough to make me understand why Benitez continually selects Kuyt over him. At least Kuyt’s attitude and commitment can never be questioned, even if his ability can. Crouch’s attitude was one of the things that made him so popular, so this was very disappointing.

As you’d expect, we dominated possession and bossed the midfield. In fact, the midfield four are probably the only players to emerge from this game with any credit. The problem we had was that the strikers weren’t posing a threat, and the defence and keeper were dodgy as hell.

It was a shock when Havant scored, but it wasn’t totally out of the blue as they’d already gone close before that after some lovely football. I think it was Skrtel who made the block to deny them that first time, but it was probably the only thing the lad did right in the first half. He was absolutely awful, and any time the ball went near him I was shitting myself.


It was his error that led to the opening goal. He badly overhit and misdirected a backpass that gave Havant a cheap corner. Their fans went wild in celebration, but it was nothing to what they were feeling seconds later when Richard Pacquette rose highest to head the ball in.

The goal was met by applause all around the ground, as let’s be honest, none of us were remotely worried and in a way it was pleasing that they’d gotten this moment, it was nice for them. Besides, it was only a matter of time before we would rip them apart with an avalanche of goals. Wasn’t it? Well no, it wasn’t.

What we saw was a spell of terrible football and virtually no threat to the non-league side’s goal. Mascherano and Lucas were busy enough, their commitment can’t be faulted, and Pennant did get down the wing and deliver several crosses into the danger area. The problem we had was not enough player’s in the box, and those who were in there – ie Crouch – just didn’t have the desire to get on the end of things that the Havant defenders did.

Tempers were becoming frayed in the crowd, and lots of abuse was beginning to be hurled in the direction of the players. It was mainly Riise who copped it by me, partly because he was nearest to where I sit, and partly because he’s everyone’s favourite whipping boy at the moment. I didn’t think he was especially bad, in fact he was probably the pick of our back four in the first half. That’s not saying much like.

Skrtel was really worrying me. He was nervous in possession, but more alarming for me was the way he seemed completely unsure of what he was supposed to be doing. I watched him closely whenever Havant got the ball forward, and often he didn’t seem to know whether to get tight to his man or let him run in behind into an offside position. He was hesitant, nervy, and it was a debut to forget. Like the rest of the side, he was significantly better after the break, and it’d be unfair to judge the lad just on the one game, especially as his last competitive game was several weeks ago (which makes it baffling that he hasn’t played in either of the two friendly games the reserves have had recently). As far as first impressions go however, he couldn’t have made much of a worse one.

Havant had a chance to go two up when Itandje twice flapped at crosses causing an almighty scramble to ensue. When the ball broke to a yellow shirt, thankfully the lad blazed his shot over the bar. Itandje wasn’t inspiring confidence though, and the atmosphere was beginning to get a bit tense to say the least.

Then out of nothing, normality was restored. Finnan played a long crossfield ball to Babel on the left, and he laid it back to Lucas 25 yards out. The young Brazilian moved centrally with the ball, and when it opened up for the shot he delivered a stunning strike into the top corner. Not a bad way to open his account.

Like I said, normality restored. Not for long though. Four minutes later we were behind again, in farcical circumstances. A cross was cleared to Finnan, and as we looked to launch a counter attack, inexplicably the normally ultra reliable full back stood on the ball and presented left winger Alfie Potter with a sight of goal. Skrtel came across to block, but the ball deflected off him and wrongfooted Itandje. Again, applause rang out around Anfield, but if the first goal had been somewhat amusing (the wrong word perhaps, but I don’t think anyone really begrudged them scoring first), this was definitely not. Now it was becoming embarrassing.

They deserved it though, I can’t deny them that. Their attitude was fantastic, and they played the ball on the floor and weren’t overly aggressive either. They came to Anfield and had a go, and played football the way it should be played. I give them all the credit in the world for that, and I wish them success in the future.

From our point of view however, it just wasn’t acceptable. Thankfully, we drew level before half time, meaning the boos weren’t too bad. It wouldn’t have been pretty had we gone into the break behind.

It was a good goal too, Pennant did well to find Yossi, and he finished superbly. You can make an argument that he’s perhaps the best finisher at the club at the moment, as he seems to keep a cool head and pick his spot. Like Pennant, he hadn’t been brilliant in the first half, but at least both of them showed the desired attitude.

It was those two who made the difference after the break too. Our players are several classes above theirs, but only Jermaine and Yossi (Mascherano up to a point as well) actually went out and proved it. Pennant ran the full back ragged and delivered a lot of quality into the box, whilst Yossi thrived on the central role he was given and went on to claim his second hat-trick of the season.

The decisive goal was his second, as it came early in the half and relieved a lot of the pressure we were clearly feeling. Once again, Pennant was the provider, and once again Yossi finished it superbly. His hat-trick goal was more of a bread and butter strike, following up sharply after the keeper could only parry Babel’s shot.


He nearly added a fourth with a well directed volley from Riise’s excellent cross, before he was replaced by Kuyt. Not much was happening at this point, other than Mascherano desperately trying to score and failing miserably!

Havant were really close to scoring again, when one of their lads rose well at the far post to meet a long free-kick, but Itandje made a fine instinctive stop and the defence managed to smuggle the danger away. Carragher and then Gerrard were brought on, presumably just so the Havant lads could say they played against them, and Gerrard showed in the five minutes he was on the field exactly what we’d been missing previously.

Had he started, we’d have annihilated H&W. We should have been able to do it without him anyway, but couldn’t. In the short time he was on, he made a goal for Crouch, created another glorious chance that Kuyt and Crouch conspired to mess up, and he forced the keeper into a fine save.

Crouch was clearly offside when he scored, and a big part of me wanted the linesman to flag, simply because he didn’t deserve that goal. Usually I’m made up for him when he gets on the scoresheet, but I can’t begin to describe how disappointed I was with the attitude he showed in this game.

Still, alls well that ends well I guess, and when the dust settles on this the only things that really matter are we are in the hat for the next round after a relatively comfortable victory (in the end anyway), and Havant had the biggest day of their lives and produced a performance that they will talk about for years to come.

The atmosphere between the fans was good, with them joining in YNWA and even singing ‘Stand up if you hate Man U’, which was pretty funny on their part really. Their players were given a great reception from our fans, and you could see how much that meant to them. I hate all that ‘magic of the cup’ clichéd bollocks, but you’d have to be pretty heartless not have enjoyed seeing the performance they put on.

One thing is for sure, the next round won’t be as much fun.


Team: Itandje; Finnan, Skrtel, Hyypia, Riise; Pennant, Lucas, Mascherano (Gerrard), Benayoun (Kuyt); Crouch, Babel: