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Liverpool 0 Bolton 0 (Jan 24 2015)


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Report by
Dave Usher at Anfield
 
 
 

We could have done without having to play an extra game, but aside from that I don’t think there’s too much to be disappointed with after this. That’s probably a strange thing to say about a 0-0 home draw with a Championship side, but we’ve been doing quite well of late and nothing I saw in this game did anything to dishearten me.

 

It wasn’t a bad performance, we did plenty of things well and on another day we’d have won by two or three goals. A combination of things meant we didn’t, but - without wanting to tempt fate too much - I reckon we’ll come through the replay fairly comfortably.

 

Brendan predictably made a few changes but I’d say he got the balance right overall. He rested Skrtel, Moreno, Gerrard, Lucas and Markovic but kept the same system and put enough of our best attacking players on the pitch for us to win the game. If he’d left out Sterling and Coutinho for example then I’d point the finger at his selection, but he didn’t and the failure to win was nothing to do with the team selection, it was mostly a result of not converting chances.

 

Playing Sterling up front has served us well but games like this are going to happen from time to time, simply because he isn’t a 30 goal a season striker. We had two of those last season which is why more often than not we won these kind of games. Take that away and it’s obviously going to be more difficult. It’s simple really.

 

If we hadn’t created chances I’d have been disappointed and worried, but we created plenty, especially in the 2nd half when we stepped it up considerably. The first half wasn’t particularly good, we had enough openings to have created far more attempts on goal than we managed, but the decision making (especially from Sterling) was not good enough. So many times we were able to send him clear in the inside left channel with grass in front of him and just one defender to beat, but it never amounted to anything. They defended very well and usually got a second player over to block any attempted shot, but Sterling is generally better than that.

 

The good thing is that defensively we never looked in any danger and that’s a big plus considering how leaky we’d been until recently. For the second game in a week Mignolet never had to make one save. He still had a bit of a mad moment when he did well to come off his line and control the ball on his chest to cut out potential danger, but then he ruined it by taking forever to decide what to do and almost lost it. It’s an encouraging sign that he’s starting to come out and deal with these situations though. He did it against Chelsea too the other night. He’s looking a lot more positive in everything he’d doing now. That injury to Brad Jones on Boxing Day has done us a real favour, it’s hard to comprehend how Brendan could have even contemplated riding with Jones. It’s a scary thought.

 

Rodgers said the problem in the first half was we had “too much movement”. Not really sure exactly what that means, but one thing that was obvious was that we were not getting anything from the wide positions. Manquillo was his usual self and Enrique was a shadow of his former self. Some of his tracking back was a little half arsed, and his delivery into the box was erratic. He did play one perfect ball to send Sterling clear and delivered a brilliant first time drilled ball into the box from out wide, but he also ballooned one cross into the Anny Road and then launched a long diagonal pass straight to the keeper. Brendan turned away in disgust after that and he hooked Enrique at half time for Markovic. He could just as easily have taken off Manquillo as neither gave us anything.

 

We were much better in the second half and forced the keeper into a number of good saves. Markovic made a huge difference and was involved in the most contentious moment of the game when he took Hendo’s glorious pass on his chest and drove towards the box before taking a tumble. This was either a foul and a red card for the defender, or a dive and a yellow for Markovic. There was no grey area, it was one or the other (it was actually a foul, that’s not my point though). Kevin Friend gave neither. Kevin Friend is an incompetent twat, the worst ref in the league by a mile. And no, I haven’t forgotten Lee Mason. That’s how bad Friend is.

 

Bolton had a couple of efforts from Gudjohnsen that missed the target (one was actually a really good chance) but generally they were not getting any joy out of our three man defence in which Sakho and Can stood out again. Johnson had a poor first half when it seemed like any time he went across the halfway line he lost the ball, but he was better after the break and defensively at least he was fine throughout. He better not be anywhere near the side on Tuesday night though, and as for a new contract…. fuck off.

 

Big Emile Hesk*y (had to do that, just for old time’s sake!) was brought off and got a nice reception, and shortly after Jay Spearing came on to an equally nice reception. Brendan made more changes too, sending on Lucas and Borini for Manquillo and Allen (who overcame a wretched opening 10 minutes before settling down to turn in an average performance). That meant Sterling switching to right wing back, although he wasn’t there for long before Rodgers switched him and Borini over. Not sure what the thinking was there, but Sterling barely got a kick when he moved wide so maybe it was just a case of trying to get him involved again.

 

Borini, as he tends to do, had himself a couple of chances by getting on the end of things but, as he tends to do, missed both of them. One forced a good save from Bogdan and the other went wide. He should have done better with both really, but he does have that habit of being in the right when the ball comes in, you have to give him that.

 

The goal just wouldn’t come but at least we never looked like we would leave the back door open and lose the game. So often in these kind of games we’d end up losing, so in the end I was happy enough to still be in the hat for the next round considering the way other results went. We moved the ball well, we pressed well, we defended well and we had more or less total control of the game throughout. We just didn’t put the ball in the net, but hopefully we’ll rectify that in the replay. I quite enjoyed the game though, we’re good to watch again after that wretched three or four month spell.

 

The weird thing is, as well as we’ve been playing since the switch to three at the back, we’ve only won one in five home games. At this point I’m putting that down to bad luck as we should have won all of them except Leicester, when we were lucky to get a point. The other results haven’t reflected the performances but I expect that to change, especially with the imminent return of Sturridge. If he’d played in this one I expect we’d have won by two or three no problem. By the time of the replay he should be back, assuming he doesn’t break down again.

 

He may even make the bench for Chelsea on Tuesday. It’s probably come a little bit too early, but having seven subs does allow you a bit of leeway to include Sturridge with a view to using him if the game goes to extra time. I was feeling bullish after the first leg and I’m still confident we’ll go there and get the result we need, assuming Brendan picks the same team that played in the 1st leg. It can’t be just me worrying that he’s going to bring Johnson back in?

 

 

Team: Mignolet; Johnson, Can, Sakho; Manquillo (Borini), Allen (Lucas), Henderson, Enrique (Markovic); Lallana, Coutinho; Sterling:


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Aren't you forgetting the blatant penalty??

 

Fucking hate Kevin friend

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Aren't you forgetting the blatant penalty??

 

Fucking hate Kevin friend

 he mentioned the foul on Markovic, what one are you talking about?

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Spearing on Henderson.  Clearest penalty you'll see all season.

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Spearing on Henderson.  Clearest penalty you'll see all season.

 

It's not the clearest penalty you'll see all season (that's reserved for the moment when Man Utd, City or Chelsea need a result to go in their favour later in the season) but I agree it should have been given as the contact was far more obvious than the one by Can on Hazard earlier in the week.

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If only Borini could magically turn into, say, Robbie Fowler every time he finds himself "in the right place when the ball comes in".

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