Liverpool 4 West Ham 0 (Mar 5 2008)

[TLW]

LIVERPOOL 4 West Ham 0

Report by Dave Usher at Anfield

Scorer(s) – Fernando Torres (3), Steven Gerrard Half Time - 1-0 Venue - Anfield Date - Wed 5 March 2008 Star Man – Fernando Torres / Steven Gerrard

 

 

 

 

We’ve waited a hell of a long time for this 'game in hand' to be played, but few will argue that it was worth the wait. A highly accomplished performance on the pitch, and a much improved one of it. Torres bagged yet another hat-trick, and a message was sent out across the Atlantic by the Kop on a good night all round for the reds.

There have been some encouraging signs of late that this system we’re employing now could really take us places. It’s not perfect yet, and we can improve on a few positions in it, but by and large we’re playing better football now than we have for most of the season. The Gerrard / Torres combination is showing signs that it could become as good as anything we’ve ever had, and personally I think the spine of this side is as good as anything out there.

It was too good for West Ham anyway, which makes it highly irritating that a few short weeks ago we lost the Hammers. Since that game we appear to have gotten our act together, and with Everton showing no signs of dropping the pace, we need to keep this up.

If we keep the same formation and more or less the same players, there’s no reason why we can’t do that. My worry is that every time we get in a nice little run like this, Rafa seems to get a bit over-confident and does something daft. I keep thinking back to the game at Reading, when we were flying and looking like we were going to mount a title challenge. He changed a winning formula, we lost, and it killed the momentum we had been building up. We never really recovered from that, although it can be argued that off the field events played a big part in it too of course.

If the manager can resist the urge to ‘rest’ players and just keep his best players on the pitch in their best positions, then we could yet enjoy a good end to the season. A few weeks ago I just wanted the season over, as it was bringing more misery by the week. Things have changed a lot since then though, and I’m now looking forward to games instead of dreading them.

Just as he was in the last home game, Torres was the match winner. The difference between the performance against the Hammers compared the Boro game however, was huge. Against Boro we were poor, and Torres won the game more or less on his own. His goals owed more to the generosity of the Boro defenders than the creativity of his own team mates.

Against West Ham however, the team functioned very well and Torres received some good service from his colleagues. Everyone played well, even Riise, who turned in his best performance in some time.

Despite the excellent result at the Reebok at the weekend, Benitez made two changes to his side, both in defence. I don’t mind that too much, as rotation is fine if you’re swapping players of similar standard. Bringing in Riise and Arbeloa for Hyypia and Aurelio isn’t going to make too much difference to how the side plays, especially as the midfield and forwards were unchanged.

We started well, and it didn’t take long for us to go in front. Torres had already threatened before he opened the scoring with a crisp half volley from a Kuyt cross. The keeper didn’t even see it until it was past him, it was a great finish. Kuyt had been the provider for the earlier chance too, when he nodded back a brilliant cross from Riise into the path of El Nino. Dirk’s contribution of late has been very good, and he looks to have put that dreadful run of form behind him now.

We continued to create chances, and surprisingly we looked very threatening from corners. Alonso and Gerrard delivered some excellent balls in, and West Ham were finding it difficult to deal with. Skrtel and Carragher both had chances from corners, and it makes a refreshing change to see as generally our set pieces are shite.

West Ham only really created one serious moment of danger when Boa Morte got in behind our backline and rounded Reina, but Arbeloa got back superbly to deflect his shot over the bar from virtually on the goal-line. Arbeloa’s hesitancy had allowed the winger to get in, but full credit to him for his recovery. Reina did well too, because it was clear Boa Morte was getting there first and had he dived in he would have been sent off.

That would have been catastrophic, as the hapless Itandje had been recalled to the bench, and the idea of him seeing any playing time fills me with dread. Pepe made no attempt to challenge though, which was the correct decision. It was the only moment of concern he’d have in the entire game.

Reina’s comfortable evening owed plenty to the sterling work of the men in front of him. Carlton Cole is a big awkward bastard, but Carragher and Skrtel stuck to their tasks diligently and matched him physically. I was more worried about the Main Stand side linesman than I was about any of their players. He missed a few offsides that could have proved costly but for two fine interventions from the pacey Skrtel.

At the other end, we were playing some nice stuff and ‘controlling the game’ without threatening the goal too much. Babel was looking lively on the left, and was giving Lucas Neill plenty to think about. Had he not been such a mercenary twat, Neill could have been lining up in red for this fixture. We got Arbeloa instead, and thank Christ we did. ‘Bob’ has been an excellent signing for us. As for Neill, well it looks like he’s been making the most of his extra cash and East End lifestyle by gorging himself on Jellied Eel Pies. He’s definitely carrying more timber than he should be.

Some terrific play from Babel almost created a goal for Gerrard. The Dutch winger tricked his way to the byline and cut it back into the centre, where the skipper did well to get in front of his man and get a tow on the ball. It was headed for the bottom corner before a fine stop by Green kept it out.

Cole was yellow carded for an elbow on Alonso, and he was maybe a bit fortunate as another ref may have sent him off. It looked bad, but to be fair I thought it was just a little clumsy and looked worse because Xabi had been moving towards him and collided with his elbow. I didn’t think he tried to take him out, but I’d need to see it again to be sure.

Xabi didn’t make much of it anyway and was back on his feet after a few seconds. Hopefully he hasn’t picked up another scar, or people will start confusing him with Joleon Lescott.

Half time arrived, and it was the turn of the fans to take centre stage. The Kop’s protests against Gillett and Hicks were loud and proud. The rest of the ground didn’t join in much, but unlike the after match protests we’ve seen, this wasn’t just a small group of hardcore fans. It was most of the Kop, so the decision by the Spirit of Shankly to switch the protest to half time was clearly a successful one.

It looks increasingly likely that we will get our wish and be rid of at least one of the Americans, with Gillett on the verge of selling and Hicks hopefully following suit. If DIC get Gillett’s half, I don’t see how Hicks could possibly stay. You never know with that greedy, stubborn prick though.

The protest was good, despite the efforts of George Sephton to drown it out by cranking up the volume on the latest piece of shite scouse music he insists on playing. Just because it’s local doesn’t mean it’s good, George. And call me cynical, but sticking Ring of Fire on was also a bit dodgy, given how he hardly ever plays it anymore. Why play it this time?

There was also a lady on the pitch from the disabled supporters club or something, trying to give a speech about what the club have done to help them out or something (I don’t know as like 40 odd thousand others I wasn’t listening). I felt sorry for her, she couldn’t have been put out there at a worse possible time. I don’t think there was anything sinister in that though, as I’m sure that was arranged before the protests.

Anyway, the singing at half time seemed to get the crowd warmed up, as the atmosphere in the second half was the best we’ve had at a league game in months. The performance was excellent too, as we attacked with a fluidity and directness that has been lacking for much of the season.

With Gerrard in an advanced role, and with Torres and Babel on the field too, we actually have pace to hurt teams now. When Pepe gathers the ball and looks upfield for options, he has them. We had one blistering counter attack involving Babel, Torres, Gerrard and then ended with Torres almost latching onto a pass through the centre. It was exhilarating football, exactly what we want to see.

Another move saw Babel commit defenders before feeding Gerrard. The skipper disguised a terrific pass back to Babel, and his shot was saved by Green. It would have been a wonderful goal.

The crowd were getting into it more and more, with the new Torres song getting repeated airings, whilst the Mascherano song also echoed around the stadium with every interception, tackle and surging run from the little Argentine.

It was turning into an enjoyable evening, but with just a single goal to show for our dominance, it’s always a little uncomfortable. Thankfully Torres ensured we didn’t have to worry for too long. Gerrard’s corner found Kuyt at the back of the box, and he twisted and turned to find space to pick out a cross, and pick out the unmarked Torres, who steered the ball expertly with his head into the top corner.

It was a fantastic finish, and excellent set up play from Dirk too, who is making significant contributions in every game since the change in formation. Immediately after the second goal I said to my arl fella that he'll get his hat-trick, and that I fancy him to get another on Saturday. Jackie Balmer once scored three consecutive hat-tricks for the reds, and although Torres can't do that because he didn't score at Bolton, he could do it in three consecutive home games.

West Ham’s fans had been getting increasingly irritated by Alan Curbishley, and at 2-0 they let their feelings be known. As they saw defender Johnathon Spector preparing to come on, chants of 'Boring Boring West Ham' came from their end. In their manager’s defence, Upson was injured so that’s why he was bringing on another defender. The Hammers fans wanted another striker on, and they weren’t impressed seeing a like for like defensive change.

Their fans were pretty funny I thought. I love that Lampard song of theirs, and they also had a Chelsea song similar to our ‘You ain’t got no history’. They also seemed to be targeting a red in the Main Stand who was giving them some shit. Presumably the guy was a bit portly, as you could hear the Hammers chanting ‘Are you Lampard in disguise’. And when the fella came back from having a piss they chanted ‘He’s only been for burger’.

They blotted their copybook a bit with the ‘USA’ chants and the laughable ‘Gerrard you let your country down’, but they were better than most visiting fans. They aren’t happy with Curbs tough, as they’ve spent a few quid but are still no more than a lower mid table side. They got spanked by Chelsea, and now we battered them too, so it’s not been a good work for the Happy Hammers.

Torres almost bagged his hat-trick with a diving header from a stunning cross from Gerrard, but the ball hit the inside of the post and rolled across the line before being cleared. Gerrard delivered several of that kind of cross in the second half, and everything he did in this game had class written all over it. Torres will get all the headlines, but I thought Gerrard’s performance was as close to perfect as you can get.

Rafa introduced Yossi for Kuyt, who got a tremendous reception as he went off. It’s pleasing for him that he’s come through that awful spell and is now showing what he can do again, and he deserved the applause that rang around Anfield. No matter what, he always puts a shift in does Dirk, and with two assists under his belt it was a good night’s work from him.

Pennant then came on for Babel, and Crouch was warming up too, and I said to my dad if he was going to get that hat-trick he’d have to do it in the next couple of minutes. Time looked to have ran out as Crouch stood on the touchline waiting to come on as soon as the game stopped, but then Riise nodded the ball into El Nino’s path, and with one deft touch he was away from Lucas Neill and bearing down on the Kop end net. A cool finish later and it was his third hat-trick of the season. Given Newcastle's historical problems of coping with pacey Liverpool forwards, I wouldn’t bet against him making it three this weekend.

He’s just so good. It was almost as if he saw Rafa was about to sub him, and he said ‘Yeah just give me a sec’ before bagging his third goal. It was similar to what Gerrard done earlier this year (against Luton I think). He was subbed immediately after the goal, to thunderous applause.

With Torres off the field, it was Gerrard who took centre stage. Alonso won the ball in West Ham’s half and the ball broke to the skipper. He drove forward, made space on his right foot and hammered a shot into the top corner. It was brilliant, and in no way surprising. As soon as he opened up the space to shoot I think most of the stadium expected it to end up in the net. He’d just been so good all night it was almost inevitable.

The scoreline didn’t flatter us, and it could have been more. We’re playing with confidence now, which we weren’t a few weeks ago, and we’re coming into form at an important point in the season. The next two league games are crucial, as they should be a comfortable six points.

We need to be ahead of Everton after those two games, as we’ve a difficult run coming up after that. The temptation will no doubt be there for Rafa to rest Torres ahead of the Inter Milan game, but for me he should just keep playing him. Keep the spine of the team settled – injuries permitting - and limit any changes to the flanks.

The only sour note was the injury to Mascherano. It didn’t look serious, just a dead leg by the looks of it, and it might be better to bring in Lucas for the Newcastle game as Mascherano will be a key man in the San Siro. No point taking any chances with the Chief.

I’m sure everyone will have Torres as their star man, and I can’t really argue too much with that. I’d say Gerrard was every bit as impressive though, so I’m going to sit on the fence and give a joint award. I’d also single Riise out for some praise, as he performed very well in defence and attack. I’m quick enough to have a go at him, so it’s only fair to praise him when he plays well.


Team: Reina; Arbeloa, Carragher, Skrtel, Riise: Alonso, Mascherano; Kuyt (Benayoun), Gerrard, Babel (Pennant); Torres (Crouch):