Featured: West Ham 1 Liverpool 2 (Apr 6 2014)

[tlw content]

 
 
Report by
Dave Usher
 

 

 
Any chance we could just play Tottenham every week? Or better yet, those Arsenal losers? I’m not sure how much more of these difficult ones I can take to be honest, this was absolutely torturous at times. Well it was for those of us watching, I don’t think it was actually too bad for the players as once they’d re-established the lead they looked to be in complete control, but it only takes a second to score a goal and when the stakes are this high… well it’s almost impossible to watch isn’t it?

Much like the Sunderland game, the closing stages of this one were completely nerve shredding, I was sending a text and noticed my hands were shaking uncontrollably and I could feel my heart rate had increased as it thumped in my chest. Every time the ball was launched towards our box I could barely watch, but looking back on it now that it’s over I’d have to say that it was as comfortable as you’re ever going to get when protecting just a solitary goal lead. It doesn’t feel like it at the time, obviously, but in the cold light of day - with the result in the bag - you have to say that West Ham didn’t ever look like they would force an equaliser as we defended resolutely and showed great composure.

This was a great win, a real show of mental strength and bottle. I know it’s a cliché but a year ago or two we wouldn’t have got the result in a game like this; the unjust setback on the stroke of half time would have killed us and we wouldn’t have recovered from it. That was our excuse for not winning it right there, and previously we’d have clung to that excuse like some kind of comfort blanket. “oh how can we expect to win when we hit the bar twice and have a decision like that go against us’. We had so many of those hard luck stories, but we’re made of much sterner stuff these days. Rodgers has done an incredible job on that side of things (as well as everything else of course) and the players simply put that awful decision behind them and just went out and completely bossed the second half and picked up the win they needed.

It wasn’t a day when our free flowing football ever really clicked and in a way it’s encouraging that we were able to still win the game in spite of that. Our much maligned defence stepped up when they were needed and it’s good to see that we can win however necessary. We had our moments in attack of course, but for once it wasn’t the flair players who caught the eye for us, it was the defenders and those charged with protecting them. Steven Gerrard was simply imperious, an absolutely majestic performance from him. He was clearly the stand out performer, but both Martin Skrtel and the recalled Mamadou Sakho were fantastic too, and dealt with the threat of Andy Carroll about as well as you can expect anyone to.

Carroll was fired up for this one, he may have said plenty of kind things before and afterwards but there was no question he wanted to prove a point and he was all over the field putting himself about. He played quite well in terms of winning his flick ons and holding the ball up, yet he only had one real threatening moment all day, when for once he was allowed an unimpeded run at a cross and soared above Glen Johnson at the back post to thump a header against the bar. That was the only time he was able to escape the shackles put on him by Skrtel and Sakho, and I think that only happened because the cross took them by surprise and Carroll was able to find space as a result.

If that had gone in then who knows what may have happened. It was 1-1 at that stage and we may have found it very difficult to win from there given how tough the Hammers were proving to break down. Any side that wins a trophy can point to pivotal moments along the way, the last time we were in a title race United had several of them - Howard Webb’s assist against Spurs and that late goal by that fucking nomark Federico Macheda immediately spring to mind - and if we win the title this year there’ll be several moments that I’ll think back to. Mignolet’s penalty save on opening day, O’Shea’s late miss at Anfield, the stoppage time pen against Fulham etc The Carroll one may not be as dramatic as those as there was still plenty of time to play, but it was a hugely significant moment in this game.

We were well on top at the time and we were well on top afterwards, but if that goes an inch or two lower… well I don’t even want to think about it. Thankfully I don’t need to now because we got the three points and can move on to the next one. Besides, if Anthony Taylor had done his job properly just before half time then we’d have gone into the break with the lead and may well have steamrollered West Ham in the second half, we’ll never know.

It was a real arm wrestle this one as West Ham are horrible to play against. They’re like Stoke used to be under Tony Pulis, it’s very difficult to look good against them because of how they set up and how they break the game up all the time with set-pieces. We found it tough in the first half, mainly because our front three weren’t at it. Suarez was giving the ball away a lot and spent a lot of time berating himself or complaining to team-mates about various things. Even on those days though he still produces moments of breathtaking quality, such as the ridiculous chip that hit the bar and the bit of skill that won the penalty.


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[Dr Nowt]

Great report mate.  Articulates perfectly all the neuroses and at times illogical thoughts of yesterday.  Rational thinking goes out the window when you want something that badly though, doesn't it.  I don't think I made a sound until the second goal, I thought my stomach was a washing-machine from waking up and it just got worse and worse. 

 

Any time we didn't have the ball for that last ten minutes and stoppage time (where the fuck did 5 minutes come from?) I just thought "Oh no, one long punt up front and who knows what will happen?"  Kolo coming on after his last run in the team also heightened the "what if" dread.

 

This was the game we were always going to have to find another way to win, and as Arsenal have conveniently demonstrated for everyone these past 10 years getting on, if you don't have all the clubs in your bag, you're going home as Jean van der Velde.  Thankfully, we've proven numerous times on this run-in that we can take front foot teams on and slice them into pretty little ribbons, but we can also now tough it out and deal with those who seek to put a cage around the D and barbed wire over the goal.

 

Odd to see Gerrard far deeper than Lucas, but it worked so much better than the other way round.  We finally seem to have a few options off the bench who albeit not goalscoring ones directly, can help Brendan tweak things and affect the direction a game is taking. 

 

Earlier in the season the second half of games threw up some nightmare performances that made everyone wonder what on earth he was saying to them during the break, whereas now, a good few times of late he's made a subtle change and we've powered on to the points. Learning fast on the job, greater stamina through enhanced fitness as the season goes on (he often mentions how he expects us to improve in the second half of a season), who knows, but it's a hugely welcome turnaround on that score.

 

You're right about Sturridge having earned an off day as well.  Last season against City he put in pretty much the perfect number 9 performance.  Another one of those on Sunday and his name could be well and truly up in lights.

[rubble-rouser]

I'm having chills!

[PeterB]

Good report Dave. Still not sure about Steve Peters's true influence, but he was there sat behind Brendan - I had googled a picture of him as I thought the lad in the LFC suit and tie was Rick Parry!.....I can only imagine Peters philosophy kicked in at half day as his book is essentially about remaining positive, calm and managing a 'chimp' (Brain control). Definitely something many of us supporters need at the moment.. On another related point - How calm is Brendan Rogers at the moment?

[Mathewbet1]

Brilliant summary, i almost 2 did a runner so to speak in the last 5 mins of the game. felt like going for a walk then coming back to check the score. I think the city game will be brilliant both teams will go for it, cant help thinking the atmosphere at Anfield will blow some the city players away much like the chelsea cl final.

[sir roger]

Funnily enough I was relatively calm for this one whereas I was a gibbering idiot for the last 10 minutes of the Sunderland game. I can only think that while we were fitfully good in this game we were nowhere near our best , while the Sunderland one seemed like we had wasted loads of chances & were going to throw the game away.

[A_S]

Repped LBWC for the Jean van de Velde reference!

[s(k)aturation]

Great report and insights, Dave.

 

I was thinking about that "Mignon" opening day penalty save myself, only yesterday.

 

How different the momentum of that first month might have been if, as per the last decade or so, we had've bossed the game and then conceded a late equaliser to another shit side at Anfield.

 

It could have changed everything (like when you go back in a time machine and step on a bug).

 

It was literally momentous, in retrospect.

[Carra_is_legend]

Great report as always Dave. Roll on next week indeed.

 

I also noticed that our back 4 were wearing the same coloured boots - something to tackle the dry pitch?

[Monster Masch]

I CAN'T SPAKE

[DaveT]

Great stuff, as ever. Glad you mentioned the card for Tompkins - none of the pundits even considered that it might have been a red, but what do the rules say....'A player is sent off, however, if he prevents a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball. ' If Tompkins doesn't handle, Suarez (top scorer in the country) has a on-on-one. And why did Tompkins get a card, yet Rafael didn't? Officiating in this country is a joke, and that's not even taking the West Ham equaliser into account. At half time, after that balls-up, and 24 hours after that appalling offside goal at the Etihad, I was convinced that this title has been rigged in City's favour. Someone obviously got to Taylor at half time and told him he had to rectify his balls-up.

[Barnesey]

To be fair to Andy Gray on Talkbollocks Monday morning, he said it was a sending off, definite foul on Mignolet and a pen when Flanno went down.

 

Very balanced, I thought

[Major Tom]

And why did Tompkins get a card, yet Rafael didn't? Officiating in this country is a joke, and that's not even taking the West Ham equaliser into account. At half time, after that balls-up, and 24 hours after that appalling offside goal at the Etihad, I was convinced that this title has been rigged in City's favour. Someone obviously got to Taylor at half time and told him he had to rectify his balls-up.

 

Oh dear. Honestly, if Everton or Utd fans came out with this sort of crap, we'd be laughing all the way to Lilongwe on here.

 

Officiating is massively inconsistent in football. But I imagine it's a worldwide thing. I say it all the time but it's the toughest sport to officiate and the officials get no help whatsoever from the authorities.

[Major Tom]

Oh dear. Honestly, if Everton fans came out with this sort of crap - and they probably do - we'd be laughing all the way to Lilongwe.

 

Officiating is massively inconsistent in football. But I imagine it's a worldwide thing. I say it all the time but it's the toughest sport to officiate and the officials get no help whatsoever from the authorities.

[Major Tom]

So good, I copied it.

[StevieMax]

Great report as usual, Dave.  You're quite right about how the team don't see setbacks as the end of the world and just get on with changing what they can change rather than feeling sorry for themselves - I'd like to think that both Rodgers and Peters have both influenced that and the players certainly believe in what Rodgers wants them to do.  As someone else said there's been some positive half-time tinkering recently (Southampton, Cardiff, W Ham) that's put the team back on the front foot in close situations.

[DaveT]

So good, I copied it.

So addicted to your own pomposity, you had to say it twice.

 

Until Taylor rectified his appalling error, and in my somewhat highly-strung state of mind (like most reds at that point), it did look like a really fishy state of affairs. I'm oh so sorry if I wasn't sufficiently clear enough that my reaction was an emotional and short-lived one and that I didn't meet your standards of objectivity and impartiality.  

 

I'm not a conspiracist and I welcome your self-appointed role as devil's advocate. However, your frequent dismissal of any suggestions of corruption or malpractice in football are either naive or complacent in an age when we have Championship footballers being arrested for involvement in betting scams and virtually every facet of the Establishment in this country being amply demonstrated as being corrupt in some form or another..... Police: Hillsborough > Stephen Lawrence> Plebgate, Politicans: Expenses scandals>cash for peerages/access etc, Media: Hacking> Operation Yewtree etc etc

[Major Tom]

So addicted to your own pomposity, you had to say it twice.

 

You make it sound like a bad thing...

[Dr Nowt]

Great report as usual, Dave. You're quite right about how the team don't see setbacks as the end of the world and just get on with changing what they can change rather than feeling sorry for themselves - I'd like to think that both Rodgers and Peters have both influenced that and the players certainly believe in what Rodgers wants them to do. As someone else said there's been some positive half-time tinkering recently (Southampton, Cardiff, W Ham) that's put the team back on the front foot in close situations.

I like your posts Stevie, what is the correct technical font name for quill and parchment effect?

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

I like your posts Stevie, what is the correct technical font name for quill and parchment effect?

Gay. I think its called Gay.

[Dr Nowt]

Gay. I think its called Gay.

It does make me think of a perfumed hanky and Lord Percy in Blackadder, now you come to mention it.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

It does make me think of a perfumed hanky and Lord Percy in Blackadder, now you come to mention it.

*giggles*

[Jairzinho]

Great report as usual, Dave.  You're quite right about how the team don't see setbacks as the end of the world and just get on with changing what they can change rather than feeling sorry for themselves - I'd like to think that both Rodgers and Peters have both influenced that and the players certainly believe in what Rodgers wants them to do.  As someone else said there's been some positive half-time tinkering recently (Southampton, Cardiff, W Ham) that's put the team back on the front foot in close situations.

 

Fabulous post, this.

[scudger99]

Rodgers has got the right man on the pitch to make sure his instructions are carried out.  Stevie has got the taste of blood now as far as the title race is concerned, and his influence is incalculable.  You can see it in his celebrations when he scores, there's an intensity in his face that shows that he knows.  He knows it's there for the taking, and if ever there was a player who was more ready to step up to the plate and make sure we give it our best shot, I've yet to see him.  And all that with the threat of a ban hanging over his head for the last few games too.  Utterly remarkable.

I wouldn't have any other player on the planet leading us into the home stretch in the position we are now in.  There is nobody more deserving of that coveted winner's medal.

[Rotherham Red]

Great report as always Dave, Im breaking out the Candy 1990 shirt if we win it, even though I was 14 then and a lot skinnier!