King Kenny Ends Six Years of Hurt

 
As overwhelming favourites it would be easy to be disappointed with today’s performance against a spirited Cardiff side who can count the themselves unlucky.  But, that would be churlish, as we now have an eighth win in this competition and even though seemingly hamstrung by the spectre of 6 years without a trophy and with the embarrassment of our linen being washed in the public eye over the last few years we have silverware in the trophy cabinet once more.

As I took my seat next to Tria and Matt the news that Bellamy was not in the first XI was beginning to permeate.  Henderson adopted a familiar right hand side role, although seemingly a fish out of water in that position.  We started on the front with the skipper driving the team forward from a right-back position deep into the final third, before relaying the ball wide to Downing, who instantly played inside to Johnson, who’s curling shot left Tom Heaton floundering with Gerrard blasting over the rebound.

We controlled possession from here on in, but time after time the quality of delivery was found wanting and with Cardiff defending deep it would taken something precise to break down the defence, especially with Liverpool’s lack of movement failing to offer targets to the creative passing elements of the team in Gerrard and Adam. Once again, the jury is out on Gerrard and Adam as a twosome, as Adam loses most of his cutting-edge languishing so deep and Gerrard having to provide the legs for the two.  Cardiff were seemingly first to every fifty-fifty ball with the lack of pressure from the Liverpool midfield.  The Cardiff goal came against the run of play, a subtle slide rule pass by Miller to the goal scorer, Mason was exactly the missing ingredients from our pantry.

I am loathed to pick on one individual, but one wonders whether Dalglish persistence in picking Henderson out of position is hindering not only the balance of the team, but the youngsters development.  He often drifts off the line into his more favoured central role, which leaves us overly dependent on Johnson, and is also often found inside leaving Glen Johnson to deal with two on one defensive situations.  Downing, was one of very few on show with the courage of his convictions, showing himself for the ball and aiming to get to the bye-line at every opportunity.

That Henderson was to make way for Bellamy early in the second-half was no surprise, with Liverpool's slow laborious build-up seemingly in need of some surgery,  and his volley which was closer to the corner flag than the goal was inication of the quality of his play. The crowd around me were scathing in their condemnation of Carroll, who having provided the knockdown to Suarez, sat back on his heels while Suarez cross-shot was palmed out which would have left him with chance for the equaliser had he shown a striker’s instinct.

Minutes after Henderson substitute Liverpool were back on equal terms with Suarez heading his strike partner’s flick-on against the post, Skrtel showed his predators instinct in the box to swivel on the rebound, coolly placing his shot under Heaton.  He almost repeated feat in the area with a fine volley.  Liverpool continued to apply pressure, but failed to press the Cardiff  goal in the remainder of normal time.  Cardiff cleverly kept the Liverpool centre-half’s busy with the robust nature of their play, which would eventually end Daniel Agger’s tenure in the game.

Stevie G lifts a Wembley trophy (Image: Belfast Telegraph)

In extra-time Liverpool’s better fitness began to show.  Within the first minute Suarez almost put Liverpool ahead from a Bellamy corner, having a header saved off the line by Andy Taylor.  With Cardiff players seemingly dropping like nine-pins, Carroll flashed a header by the upright before leaving the arena for Kuyt, who would make a significant late bid at the Oscars for the Best Supporting Actor prize.  Minutes after coming on he joined up beautifully with Bellamy in a one-two which saw Welshman cut in from the left to fizz a shot just over.

Liverpool continued on the front foot in the second-period and it came as no surprise as the club’s very own ‘Duracell Bunny’ sluiced through the flagging Cardiff defence and after having his first effort, blocked showed his perseverance and power to brilliantly power home a shot from an almost horizontal position.  But it wouldn’t be Liverpool if we didn’t make it hard on ourselves by dropping back deeper and deeper and inviting pressure.  Kuyt almost single handily saved Liverpool from two last ditch corners, saving a header off the line from the first, but he failed to stop Turner’s last ditch equaliser at the death.

When Steven Gerrard sauntered up to take the first penalty which was brilliantly saved and Charlie Adam’s balloon his into the crowd [Miller missing his in between] one felt the writing was on the wall.  But cometh the hour, cometh Dirk Kuyt with Liverpool one down he brought us back on an equilibrium.  With the pressure firmly heaped back towards them, Cardiff buckled, with Downing and Johnson showing their experience in tucking away penalties, with Gestede and finally Paul Gerrard becoming the second individual  in the shoot-out to fail for the Gerrard family, but with Stevie knowing the cup beckoned, he lovingly went over to console his younger cousin.

Image: Kop-Post

Kop-Post Man of The Match: Martin Skrtel – Was the foundation victory was built on. Scoring the equaliser and making crucial tackle and headers.

Speakers Corner - Liverpool fan’s after match thoughts:

Jan Hodge

Dips LFC Fan

Paul & Liz White

Nas–LFC Fan

Reds Saunter Into Last Eight

Liverpool went into the game knowing that victory would send us through to a quarter-final match Anfield against Stoke City.  Even without Bellamy and Agger, resting injuries for the Carling Cup Final, Dalglish made a statement of intent, with Carroll and Suarez up top and Stewart Downing starting out of the left and Henderson once again hoping to justify the manager’s trust in a free-wheeling midfield position.

In only the third minute Liverpool took the lead from a Gerrard corner when Skrtel did well to beat off the cover at the near post to glance the ball into the near post top corner. Liverpool continued to get forward with Downing crossing on the run from an incisive through ball by Adam, which caused a state of flux in the Brighton area and a quickly taken Henderson free-kick which Gerrard pulled wide from 20 yards.

Against the run of play Brighton equalised, following a needless free-kick given away by the recovering Henderson.  Lua Lua smashed a powerhouse free-kick which was disappointing from the point of view of the wall disappearing as if the shot was taken by Harry Potter.  While we continued to dominate, Brighton showed they could counter threateningly, with Lua Lua giving Glen Johnson as torrid time.  Suarez suddenly clicked into gear with a mazy run, wrong footing the defence before having a shot cleared off the line and Carroll from a stunning Gerard cross, not for the first time this season, heading over the bar when with goal at his mercy.

Just before the break Liverpool went deservedly ahead from Adam’s corner. Brighton’s punch happy goalkeeper looped the ball up in the air, which was deftly collected by the mercurial Uruguayan, taking two defender out on the way, before his shot blocked by the keeper was headed back towards goal by Johnson and inadvertently knocked in by Bridcutt unable get out of the way of the clearance.

Liverpool celebrate second goal (Image: Daily Telegrapgh)

Liverpool controlled possession at the start of the second-half much they had in the first, with Brighton seemingly deflated from the second goal coming so close to the break.  With Gerrard and Suarez began to link up nicely and Carroll holding the ball up and bringing team mates into play fans are beginning to see positives, especially bearing in mind this was the first time the three had started a match together this season.
 
The three played important roles in the third goal, with Suarez and finding Gerrard, who rolled the ball out to Downing, who driving down the left picked up his head cutting the ball back to Carroll who met the cross with a sweeping flourish coming on to the ball to leave Brezovan stranded and to all intents and purpose ending Brighton’s resolve. With Brighton’s resistance broken, the fourth was not long in coming with Gerrard powering through after mishap in the defence, following Henderson looping cross field ball,  to cut the ball back after having the his shot saved, with the unfortunate Bridcutt scoring second own goal.  The comedy of errors continued with Dunk turning the ball in when under very little pressure for the third own goal following Suarez cross.

Dalglish recognising the importance of getting Suarez back among the scoring ranks signalled for him to take the penalty after Kuyt was brought down from his through ball. He stuttered before, his penalty was easily saved by Brezovan.  It would not be Liverpool not to add too our tally of hitting the word work when Kuyt headed against the bar from close in.

Suarez wait was to be short one, with Liverpool exploding out of defence with a rapier thrust and Enrigue standing up a perfect ball to the far post for Carroll to head back for his strike partner to head in from close range to leave us with the premise of visiting Wembley for the second time in a season.

Kop-Post Man of Match:  Andy Carroll: Another strong assured performance by  the ‘Big Man’. Leading the line well, bringing colleagues into the game and seemingly physically more of a handful than at anytime this season.

Suarez v Evra: A Fan's Perspective

With the debate still ranging on the rights of wrongs of Suarez v Evra 1 & 2, we asked Rachel, a life long LFC supporter for her opinions.
 
I think that when we are heated we can all say things that are wrong and he made a huge error choosing to say something racial. I think that his excuse of it not meaning that in his country is a pretty rubbish excuse. But, if it is not an excuse then that is what he fully believes, be it right or wrong in everyone’s else’s eyes. He is a grown man with his own mind and if he believes it was not meant in the way it was portrayed. He pleaded guilty because he believed so strongly in it and he was given (rightly so) an eight match ban. Not an eight match ban and a public hand shake to the man that got him the conviction.
 
A lot of people think he is racist, was wrong and should have been the bigger man and shook hands. In my eyes I think he believes he wasn’t in the wrong, and he really doesn’t like Evra over this and as a man with passion for the game, who may be very headstrong in the heat of the moment he chose to stick to his believes and turn down the handshake. No matter what, he is his own person and we can’t bully him in to doing something he doesn’t want to do. I feel he could have shook his hand and put it all to bed, but I think it would have played in his mind over and over again, because I think he fully believes he wasn’t in the wrong.

Evra can’t take the moral high ground when seconds after he and Ferdinand made a tackle which looked very aggressive (with intent some may say) which thankfully didn’t make contact with Suarez. During half time he approached him in the tunnels, which was obviously going to ignite something. At the final whistle he danced around in front of Suarez kissing his badge when the game ended. Not in my opinion very grown up and matching the school boy playground antics which I think this whole scenario took.

Evra and Suarez

I think football is full of passion, heart and commitment and I feel that is what Liverpool is about. Every Football team goes on to the pitch every weekend and there are thousands of managers going on with them, each with their opinions, strategies and backgrounds. We all want to win, beat our arch rival and become champions, but there is a way to do that honourably. What Suarez did if we strip it all back is something wrong, but he has been punished. What Liverpool as a club do is stick together and as a team we can’t victimise him. We wanted him to play it differently but he didn’t and that was his choice, now we must just get on with it. If he feels like his relationship with the fans and the club have been damaged then he may well leave in the summer, but what will that do to Liverpool’s morale?
 
Liverpool bounces back every time, but this bounce back seemed to take such along time. This is another blow, but we are much bigger then that ‘No one is bigger than the club’ and I think the media interest has really put pressure on the whole situation. Liverpool controversy was played out behind closed doors and since those two Americans took over they brought controversy to the forefront. Now our new American owners have settled that part down we need to get it back behind closed doors, get the boards dealing with these issues. We need to concentrate on any cup available. Suarez is a great footballer with passion, speed and artistry that we lacked with Torres, he made a mistake, he did his punishment and brought a bit of controversy. Bring on Wembley.
 
Football is amazing! Even people who support the same team can argue over one thing but still share the excitement a goal brings. If you hand a timid person a dodgy pie and a scarf they explode into song when they YNWA plays. That is why it’s the best sport in the world.
 
My opinion is my opinion, but one thing I do know is if someone feels they can do no right, then they start believing that and then we’ll end up with another Torres - bad times!

SPECIAL REPORT FROM LFC SUPPORTER STACEY RUDD

OK here goes.
 
My name is Stacey Rudd and I am the proud parent of 2 girls - Charlie and Lily.
Charlie is nine and is beautiful but 18 months ago we were shocked by a diagnosis that changed our lives.

Our story begins when Charlie was about 3 years old and she seemed to have ear and throat infections continuously. She began throat clearing and it seemed to become a bit of a habit. She was always very fidgety and the throat clearing and fidgets would change slightly over time into something else, then they would disappear and then return again. We were never really worried about them but then the school were complaining that she was falling further behind academically. It was recommended that she should see a school doctor, who referred us to a paediatrician. We knew she would be diagnosed with ADHD, and were quite prepared for this. During the diagnosis meeting I mentioned that Charlie had these ‘twitches’ (as we used to call them), and in a very blasé way the Doctor inquired whether she had any vocal twitches, which she did sometime, ‘then she has Tourettes Syndrome’.
 
We left the hospital with no information about this diagnosis, just a prescription to treat the Attention Deficit Disorder, which falls under the ADHD bracket. The medication turned our lives upside down for 6 weeks. Charlie at 8 years old weighed in at 23Kg, over that 6 weeks she went down to 20Kg and we totally lost our daughter. She was continuously grey, felt sick, did not eat, and flew into rages. I asked the doctors was this right and they said children took time to adapt to the medication and it could also make her tics worse. It did and she would come home exhausted and just not like our daughter at all. We couldn’t see her like this any more and decided to stop the medication. It was true that academically she had improved slightly, but at what cost?
 
During this time, we were dealing with the fact that our daughter had Tourettes and until this time I did not have much knowledge of what this meant. The NHS was not that helpful and so like most of us, I went online. I found a charity called Tourettes Action and they were our saving grace. The sent me information about the condition, information for Charlie’s school and were there when I had a question or concern. They recommended that I should apply for a grant that they provided, which we were successful in receiving and this paid for a birthday trip to Centre Parcs. For someone who isn’t too knowledgeable about Tourettes then you will think, that is nice- a trip away but it was much more than that. Tourettes can be a very emotional condition for children because they don’t understand why their body is doing something that they aren’t controlling. It can exhaust them, infuriate them, embarrass them, and this had a major impact on their confidence, behaviour, school work, relationships, every aspect of their lives really. The trip to Centre Parcs was a way for Charlie to challenge herself and gain confidence. When she is physically active her tics lessen because she is concentrating so hard on the ‘task in hand’, this time is really important. It really worked and over the last year we have really worked hard to continue with what Tourettes Action started.
 
They also gave us a list of experts in the UK, and after a battle with the paediatrician we finally had a form signed which allowed the local Primary Care Trust to pay for treatment at Great Ormond Street. We went down to see Dr Aylett and Dr. Isobel Haymen who are experts in this field. They were a breath of fresh air and told us that Charlie’s case was mild, although when she is at her worst it is hard to believe this. That they are confident that she will grow out of this by the age of 18-20, and that at this stage medication is not needed. This was such a relief to hear. We were also told that they would organise an appointment with Dr. Tara Murphy who did an Educational assessment with Charlie so that it could be determined which ways Charlie learns best, her needs for the future etc. This has become invaluable for the school and all the suggestions are in the process of being actioned.
 

  Charlie Rudd

Charlie recently was invited back to Great Ormond Street for a group therapy session which tackled areas that most children with Tourettes have some trouble with. This was her first meeting with other children that had Tourettes. She was excited and apprehensive but overall this was a great experience for her and I as it gave us time with other people who are experiencing the same issues as us. What I got from this is that all the children are going through similar things as Charlie and that there isn’t enough being done for them. Tourettes Action came up in all of their stories, all of them, for information, advices, support and group sessions and trips. This I felt was amazing, that all families had support from the same Charity, which to me showed a lack of support from the local NHS. Great Ormond Street Hospital being the exception of course. They have given me so much support, and it’s wonderful having Dr. Tara Murphy on the other end of the phone if I need advice on trying to manage a really troubling tic, or advice on how to do basic habit reversal techniques. Also, just to have a moan with and her to tell me this won’t be forever.
 
Every month we get a news letter from Tourettes Action advising us on Medical Paper, research which we can apply to be part of, funding, and grants available. Also they organise events like their current drumming workshop which is free and happening up and down the country during the year. They give us information on up and coming Conferences and it is such an informative newsletter, I really look forward to receiving it.
 
In the future I hope Charlie will benefit from the summer camps they arrange, but at present she is too young. I feel these will be invaluable to her as they will help her share her experiences and also learn from other that are going through the same. It will also show her that there are others worse off than her, which is hard to believe when you are living with this condition.
 
I feel so passionately about Tourette’s Action that I decided to raise money for them. My sister and I applied to do the Santa Dash in Liverpool and I began training. I lost 2 ½ Stone training for this event and we raised over £300 for the charity. The day was even more amazing due to the fact we were in Liverpool in red Santa suits and having the Liverpool/Everton rivalry it was good to see the Blue Santa suits seriously outnumbered.
 

  Liverpool and Everton Fans at the Santa Dash

I plan on doing more fund raising for the charity and have my eye on the Warrior Dash and Tough Madder, which if I’m honest looks like a huge challenge. But I remind myself that it is a challenge that I can choose to do or not, and it will be over in a matter of hours. My daughter had a huge challenge every day that isn’t optional and it just as exhausting. That is what makes me continue and if I can help this charity, who in turn can help others then it is so worthwhile.
 
If you would like to know more about Tourette’s syndrome or the Tourette’s Action charity then please visit their website www.tourettes-action.org.uk

Two Days In The Life Of A Liverpool Fan

Wednesday 25 January 2012, what an evening to be at Anfield! The Carling Cup, Liverpool the most successful club in its history and a chance to be a part of one of those Anfield nights. The 1965 European Cup Semi against Inter Milan; The 1977 European Cup Quarter-Final against St Etienne; 2001 UEFA Semi-Final against Barcelona and the 2005 Champions League 2005 against Chelsea. All wonderful nights in Liverpool’s history and it makes me smile to think about those nights, but beating Man City to reach the final of the Carling Cup, our first of any kind since 2007, meant I had my own ‘I was there moment’ as part of LFC’s history.
 
Sometimes things happen for a reason. On the way back home from Liverpool, Karl, my friend who I attended the match with, gave me some duff information regarding our reserved ticket seat numbers on the train. With recent experience of having to stand from London to Liverpool (the QPR game), and partially on the return journey when the train was declassified because of the weight of numbers, I was not in the mood to do so again and challenged the lady who I thought was in our seats to move. She steadfastly stayed in the seats with her daughter stating that “they were theirs”, when I heard Karl mumbling from behind me admitting his mistake. I ignominiously retracted my accusations and slid into the seats on other side of the table. I think I apologised… at least I hope I did and sheepishly introduced myself, to Stacey and her daughter Charlie who introduced themselves to us.

Stacey asked whether we went to the match last night and I showed her the video I had taken on my phone of the post-match celebrations. It turned out that she is a life long Red, born in Liverpool. Karl enquired why they were going to London which led to one of the most fascinating conversations I have ever been a part of. They were, Stacey explained, on their way to Great Ormond Street Hospital to see their doctor as Charlie was a Tourette's sufferer.
 
I’d seen the occasional programme on Tourettes and the over riding memory was of people swearing uncontrollably (which is called Coprolalia) because of some sort of imbalance in the brains set up, which is only in a minority of sufferers. There are famous sufferers like Everton’s Tim Howard, but it doesn’t scare one like cancer or such diseases I guess because one sees it as an illness rather a disease. It was hard to imagine that Charlie was suffering from anything because she is a delightful child and comes across as happy as any normal healthy child of her age which was astounding when Stacey explained about Tourettes.

Looking back, she explained after I asked, the first signs of the problem (physical tics) was 6 years ago when Charlie was 3 years old. Because children at the age are so energetic she put in down to Charlie being over active and fidgety. Over the years her tics became more pronounced and was eventually diagnosed as Tourettes, a neurological disorder. Her mother says that at its worse the severity and the prevalence of the tics leave Charlie exhausted, not to mention her parents (and her sister, Lila) who obviously are with her through it all.
 
Great Ormond Street Hospital has a wonderful reputation for its work and treatment of children, but we wondered why they were coming to London for Charlie’s treatment? Stacey explained, that here isn’t a comparable hospital or the expertise in Liverpool, let alone in Chester where they now live, able to provide the expert treatment required to treat Charlie. Thus Charlie’s parents have had to stomp up the cash for their frequent trips to London, which I think is a disgrace that this is not been funded by the national health. I guess as we all know, being ill can sometimes be an expensive business!

Unsurprisingly, having gleaned a little bit of her character and determination, her imaginative mother has moulded the trips to London to include visits to museums and places of interests, so much so that Charlie says she loves London. In terms of Charlie, what I found astounding is that her speech is very smooth and doesn’t suffer any hindrance of a stutter or an erm and she comes across as ever so intelligent, although Stacey says that she thinks Tourettes may have hindered her slightly in terms of her ability to understand. All I can say is when she does catch up watch out world!
 
After saying good-bye, I went home and have tried to learn a little about Tourettes. I learnt that over 300,000 people in the UK suffer from the condition which can be extremely uncomfortable for the sufferer. I cannot explain how listening to Stacey and Charlie moved me to want to learn more and about the condition and provide Stacey with a platform to write something about what they are going through and some of the events she is taking part in to raise awareness about the condition and how Charlie is getting on. Hence this blog.
 
I also learnt that the view that we have about Tourettes is not altogether right and their needs to be some form of re-education to change peoples understanding of the condition. Therefore, Stacey will be writing a summary of what the family has had to deal with and how Great Ormond Street Hospital has helped Charlie and her family cope and understand.
 
I would be happy if we can help Stacey and Charlie in their quest to provide awareness and support to what can be a very debilitating condition.


Kop Post

Man United 2 Liverpool 1

As Liverpool fans we have a proud heritage moulded by Bob Shankly, who built the foundations which enabled the successes of Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan, Kenny Dalglish, Gerard Houllier and Rafa Benitez possible.  Liverpool was never and has never been just about the successes, it was about the way we did it and the standards which we hold dear and which are revered all of the world.   Suarez decision not to shake Evra’s hand went against the very core of what our club is about.

Suarez is a talented player and even if you feel he was hard done by in regards the initial Evra incident today could only be described as thoughtless at best.  In one fell swoop, he presented Manchester United with the initiative and buoyed by the fire he’s action instilled within them for the slight to their Captain, not that they needed extra fervour in this fixture, they kept that intensity to the end of the game.  Gerrard’s reaction in trying to quell the Uruguayan’s ultra-exuberance suggest his action was self-determined.

The now electric atmosphere ignited by Suarez lighting the red touch paper was dampened somewhat  with Liverpool starting brightly with  good possession (44 per cent in the first 15 minutes) and Glenn Johnson as the attacking outlet on the right.  His full-back partner, Enrique, felt the direct threat from Rafael and the pacey Valencia and lacked the cover offered from Kuyt to Johnson from Downing, which hindered his ability to get forward. 

Johnson came close to giving us the lead when from a sweeping first time pass out to the right by Suarez, Johnson not for the first time in the opening few minutes blew by Evra, to see a curling left foot effort glide just by the far post.  Even with a high degree of possession our raison d'être seemed to be defend and and sneak a goal on the break or from a set play.

Carroll’s omission was disappointing.  He has looked, in recent weeks, to be hitting his straps which culminated in his best performance in a Liverpool shirt against Spurs.  With Evans and Ferdinand the Man United centre-half pairing, Dalglish decision not go for the jugular with his team selection, which has been his wont in too many matches this season, was disappointing in the extreme.  Suarez was isolated on far which to many occasions with Jordan Henderson in the pivotal position, which Gerrard made his own, unable to find the keys to the locker to set Suarez free.

Man United dominance of the game began to take shape after the half-hour with the increasing movement and speed of their front-line with Valencia leading Enrique a merry dance and Welbeck’s movement  stretching the Liverpool backline.  One minute from the break after some superb inter-play with Kuyt, Suarez was sent through to side step the covering Evra with Ferdinand’s desperate lunge from behind deemed fair by referee Phil Dowd stopping from being clean through.  In fairness, we did not threaten and were lucky to go in scoreless.

Within minutes of the second-half our luck had run out. We were 2-0 down and it was no surprise as we seemed to re-enter the fray as if punch drunk by the fracas between the players at half-time. The goals were avoidable from defensive mistakes, but what was really hurtful was the next twenty minutes of lethargy and ineptitude in terms of players seemingly flat and one wondered whether minds had begun dreaming of Wembley.  Two-nil down and one expected Gerrard to play further up field, but he remained in a deep lying position until the end.

Stewart Downing’s crossing is the main stay of his game, which he is in search of, and he does not attack defenders with any vigour often going backwards in the final third.  His confidence seems at a low ebb and a sustain place on the bench may be in order.  Jordan Henderson flits around, but time and again this season one wonders if he is being played out of position, whether it is on the right or as the roving midfield connecting with Suarez rather than the box to box midfielder which is an entirely different role.

The dye was cast even with the late inclusion of Bellamy and Carroll and that fact we scored from a defensive mistake from a free-kick says a lot for Suarez perseverance and his character. He positioned himself to take the chance when presented.  He never stopped running and trying and it’s a shame that his behaviour has detracted from his efforts.

There is a defensive nature to Liverpool’s selection process where we worry more about the opposition instead of letting them worry about us.   Instead of playing our best team, we pack the midfield home away and hope to sneak a victory.  If we want to gauge our lack of prowess in front of goal, the fact that Norwich are breathing down our necks should be the barometer.  Early on, we blamed our profligacy and ineptitude in front of goal on being unlucky, we know now it was rank bad finishing which may cost us a Champions League position.
 
The crime is the failure to do anything about our failures in front of goal and the lack of creativity, whether loaning a few players in the January window or bringing in a few younger players to bolster the attacking and midfield options.

In regards of the present situation surrounding the club, no matter how many excuses fans want to wheel out about Suarez behaviour, our club’s reputation is taking a beating as the weeks goes by and one feels that the manager is put under unnecessary strain, constantly being wheeled out to answer every question, some of which could and should be fielded by press officers, community relations officers or senior people at the club.

The non-handshake (Image: from Talksport)

As I have said previously, I believe the stance we have taken is borne from the feeling “We Are Liverpool” which has become rigid and in flexible which now makes us look as we are spoiling for a fight.  We need to take a step back and recognise that this is harmful, not just for the individuals concerned, but for the club in the long run which is loved by so many people the world over and for me is the greatest club ever.

Kop-Post Man of The Match: ?

Liverpool Rack Up Yet Another Home Draw

We would have to wait for the return of Luis Suarez with Dalglish deciding to continue Carroll’s run in the team after his recent pick up in form and his goal against Wolves.  Enrique, with a tight hamstring  missed his first game of the season which meant Johnson started at left-back and Martin Kelly at right-back.  Adam and Spearing occupied the holding which propelled Steven Gerrard into his more favoured attacking role.

Liverpool started well with Gerrard had the head of affairs almost playing in Carroll with a glorious ball on the run, cut out by Dawson’s last ditch tackle which had the Anfield Road faithful baying for a penalty, he then almost put Kuyt through.
  
We struggled to stretch a Spurs side bereft of van der Vaart (from the starting line-up), Defoe and Lennon, defending with lines of four and five across the pitch which meant patience at home was again the order of the day and without the mercurial Suarez to cut through tight areas and Craig Bellamy restricted by the pace of Walker and Krancjar doubling-up, creating chances against a well marshaled defensive unit with Parker and King at the fore, made the realisation of the Wolves result come into focus.

Both sides enjoyed a similar about of possession and it was Liverpool who had the only real attempts on goal with Gerrard, after a flowing move, showing awareness to pass to Spearing, whose drive just crept past the post.  Glenn Johnson who enjoyed plenty of good ball in the final third, almost sneaked a cross into the far corner when over hitting a curling cross which Friedel managed to push out. In the last minute of the half he managed a range finder from from distance which Friedel also parried away. 

Gerrard looked a class above prompted and driving the team from the top of the engine room and Carroll’s touch under pressure looked as assured as it has done since he arrived, but Liverpool final ball was atrocious. Time and again, crosses were either over hit or driven low when the obvious option was to stand the ball up, which left Carroll fuming on more than one occasion.

The cat and mouse type play (no pun intended with the cat’s encroachment on the ground in the 11th minute) continued into the second-half with Liverpool’s first real shot in anger coming from Kelly on the hour with an angle drive pushed away at the near post.  Kuyt’s was soon to disappear, just after failing to show the composure required to pick out either Gerrard or Carroll waiting in the area, for the long awaiting return from Luis Suarez.

 

Suarez could not inspire the Reds (Image: Talksport)

Andy Carroll had the chance to top of  his impressive performance with a goal after Martin Kelly produced a glorious cross on the run which fell to Carroll, who controlled the ball with his midriff, but leaning back spooned the ball over on the half-volley.  Within the space of a two minutes chances appeared at both ends, first with Reina standing tall to block Gareth Bale’s low shot when the betting was on the Welshman and then Suarez with the goal at his mercy from Gerrard’s whipped in free-kick heading straight at the keeper.

Carroll was excellent in leading the line, holding the ball up  and being the conduit for linking the midfield with the attack.  He showed strength in the challenge winning more than his fair share of headers, often flicking on with purpose and direction.  Liverpool’s failure to deliver quality ball for a striker in good form was disappointing, with Johnson and Kelly the chief culprits.

Another disappointing draw for Liverpool, even more so with the amount of possession secured during the second-half.  The lack of penetration only adds to the feeling that the lack of creativity and incisiveness makes it all the more difficult at home to break teams down who come to park the bus and do not want to create a symphony with the music of their football, especially for a team known for creating the the most stylish football in the Premiership.

King Kenny, really has to look at instilling something different on the bench with Sterling et al as the main protagonist.  This was a match that cried out for something different with only Carroll and Suarez having an assemblance of a chance in the area.  Arsenal have Oxlade-Chamberlain, Sunderland have James McClean and we have a lot of talent in the Next Gen series…

Kop-Post Man of The Match:  Andy Carroll – He produced his best all round performance in a Liverpool shirt, producing some subtle touches and gave Dawson and King,  a renowned pairing no end of bother, but once again suffered from a distinct lack of service.

Vital Games Ahead In Our Chase for A Champions League Place

Tottenham tonight and Man United on Saturday and with almost all those who would normally be considered for first team places in contention, who should ‘King Kenny’ pick for tonight’s game?