10am EST, live in the US on Setanta Sports.
Last 4 head-to-head:
2-0 Liverpool (h) 04.20.02
1-0 Liverpool (a) 12.01.01
1-1 (h) 03.18.01
4-0 Liverpool (a) 10.15.00
Last 3 matches:
Liverpool: 4-0 Toulouse (h); 2-0 Sunderland (a); 1-1 Chelsea (h)
Derby: 2-2 (6-7 after pens) Blackpool (h); 1-2 Birmingham (h); 0-4 Tottenham (a)
Goalscorers (league):
Liverpool: Gerrard, Sissoko, Torres, Voronin 1
Derby: Oakley 2; Todd 1
Referee: Alan Wiley
Guess at a squad:
Reina
Finnan Agger Hyypia Arbeloa
Pennant Alonso Sissoko Babel
Torres Kuyt
Gerrard is still less than fit, and I find it very hard to believe he’ll figure here. There’s little need to risk him, and if he plays here, Liverpool has even less of an argument for keeping him out of England’s Euro qualifiers. Since I have to believe Gerrard will be called into action for at least one England game, I’d hope he’s given this weekend to further heal his fractured toe.
Even without Gerrard, there’s still a healthy debate over who will start in the center of midfield. As much as I adore Mascherano, it seems more likely that Alonso will start. And with Liverpool needing to take the game to Derby, who will have 10 men behind the ball, I don’t know if an Alonso/Mascherano pairing, both of whom like to sit deep, is a viable option. I think it’ll probably be one or the other starting, and while I think Mascherano’s played better than Alonso so far this season, Alonso’s range and vision will probably be more important than Mascherano’s tackling and positioning against Derby.
Plus, Sissoko has played very well in the last two games, and even though the fact he’s started the last two might mean he’s in line for a rest, I’d hope he’s the one paired with Alonso. But, there’s also a small possibility of seeing Lucas, who did well after coming on as a sub against Toulouse, and is more of an attacking option than either Alonso or Mascherano. Seems much more likely he’ll be on the bench though.
As Derby will play very, very tight, I’d hope that Liverpool goes with two out-and-out attackers on the flanks. Specifically, I think Babel, with his pace and trickery, will have a big part to play tomorrow, and either Pennant or Benayoun will join him on the opposite side. I’m guessing it’ll be Pennant, as he’s been Rafa’s first choice on the right in every league game so far and good crossing of the ball will be vital, but I can’t ignore the job that Yossi did against Toulouse on Tuesday, and I do fear that his confidence would be damaged being dropped after such a good performance, but there’s little room for sentimentality. No matter which of the two starts, I’m expecting big things.
Torres will probably lead the line, and I imagine that no matter the striker rotation, he’ll be one of the first names on the team sheet every time out. His involvement literally frightens defenses (and the backline isn’t Derby’s strong suit), and Liverpool is far more threatening with him in the line-up. Kuyt’s two goals and his tremendous work rate shown against Toulouse lead me to believe he’ll be one paired with Torres, but after Voronin’s performances, his inclusion wouldn’t surprise me one bit either.
With Finnan rested against Toulouse, he’ll probably return as right back, with either Arbeloa or Riise as left back. I’m guessing Arbeloa will start, probably more because he’s in my fantasy team than anything, but Riise could be useful off the bench, coming in at either left back or left midfield as a sub if needed, not to mention the fact he played some central defense against Toulouse. Hyypia and Agger, the only two fit center backs, seemingly have to be the central pairing, as Carragher will continue to be out with a broken rib.
Derby will struggle to pick up points from nearly every game in the Premiership this season, but they’ll still be a difficult team to break down, and we know Liverpool’s had problems with this in previous seasons. They will probably play with Steve Howard as a lone striker, and 5 midfielders to further congest play in the middle of the park. But outside of a good 2-2 draw against Portsmouth on the first day, Derby’s struggled; a 4-0 thrashing by Spurs, followed by a home loss to fellow promoted side Birmingham, and a loss in the 2nd round of the Carling Cup to Blackpool on penalties with the majority of the first team squad playing.
I’m always fearful when I’m confident about Liverpool chances, but they should be able to break down Derby at Anfield, even though games like this have caused Liverpool angst in the past. But that’s why players like Torres and Babel were bought, and that’s why I expect them to play Saturday. Liverpool needs to be ruthless if this season’s expectations are to be met, and hopefully, they will be tomorrow.
31 August 2007
30 August 2007
Champions League Draw
Sorry to be tardy to the party. Stupid work commitments.
So Liverpool’s paired with Porto, Marseille, and Besiktas, huh?
As usual, Sven’s more than on top of the ball. However, I am more optimistic about the group than he is. Liverpool could have done a lot worse, and although my optimism is probably a cause for concern and I’m furiously knocking on wood as I type this, they really should progress.
Yes, Porto and Marseille are teams with a European legacy. But Porto’s lost a few key players over the summer (including Pepe, Hugo Almeida, and Anderson), although Lucho Gonzalez and Quaresma are still in the squad. Marseille will be interesting as Liverpool will get to welcome former players Cisse and Zenden, and honestly, after Toulouse’s performance, the French league’s gone down a bit more in my eyes, although Nasri and M’Bami (among others) are excellent players. Besiktas will be a tough trip and are somewhat of an unknown, with the most notable names being keeper Rustu and Brazilian midfielder Ricardinho, but Liverpool are more than familiar with traveling to Turkey.
On first glance, I reckon that Marseille will join Liverpool in progressing, but it really is up in the air.
This is the schedule of Liverpool’s games, followed by the next league game:
September
18 Porto (a)
22 Birmingham (h)
October
3 Marseille (h)
7 Tottenham (h)
24 Besiktas (a)
28 Arsenal (h)
November
6 Besiktas (h)
10 Fulham (h)
28 Porto (h)
December
1 Bolton (h)
11 Marseille (a)
15 Manchester Utd (h)
A home league match follows every single CL game. That’ll do.
Full group details are below. Despite my fondness for predictions not involving Liverpool, it’s still too early even for me to guess which teams will make it out of their groups, and at this stage, I’m far too inclined to go with the top two seeds in nearly every group.
I will say that it should be interesting to see United/Roma and Celtic/Milan reprising matches from last year’s knockout stages, especially the United/Roma pairing. Also, the Eastern European teams, specifically Shakhtar, CSKA, and Dynamo, despite being 4th seeds, will be very tough outs.
And Group E, Barca’s group, is my pick for “group of death,” with Group F not far behind. Arsenal’s is probably the easiest, with them and Sevilla clear-cut favorites, but that’s more debatable. Although it seems to me that the groups are a lot more even than they’ve been in past years. Yes, Liverpool’s group could have been easier, but a lot of groups could have been easier, and talent-wise, it seems the 32 teams are fairly evenly distributed.
I can’t wait.
Group A: Liverpool, Porto, Marseille, Besiktas
Group B: Chelsea, Valencia, Schalke 04, Rosenborg
Group C: Real Madrid, Werder Bremen, Lazio, Olympiakos
Group D: AC Milan, Benfica, Celtic, Shakhtar Donetsk
Group E: Barcelona, Lyon, Stuttgart, Rangers
Group F: Manchester Utd, Roma, Sporting Lisbon, Dynamo Kiev
Group G: Inter Milan, PSV, CSKA Moscow, Fenerbache
Group H: Arsenal, Sevilla/AEK Athens, Steaua Bucharest, Slavia Prague
So Liverpool’s paired with Porto, Marseille, and Besiktas, huh?
As usual, Sven’s more than on top of the ball. However, I am more optimistic about the group than he is. Liverpool could have done a lot worse, and although my optimism is probably a cause for concern and I’m furiously knocking on wood as I type this, they really should progress.
Yes, Porto and Marseille are teams with a European legacy. But Porto’s lost a few key players over the summer (including Pepe, Hugo Almeida, and Anderson), although Lucho Gonzalez and Quaresma are still in the squad. Marseille will be interesting as Liverpool will get to welcome former players Cisse and Zenden, and honestly, after Toulouse’s performance, the French league’s gone down a bit more in my eyes, although Nasri and M’Bami (among others) are excellent players. Besiktas will be a tough trip and are somewhat of an unknown, with the most notable names being keeper Rustu and Brazilian midfielder Ricardinho, but Liverpool are more than familiar with traveling to Turkey.
On first glance, I reckon that Marseille will join Liverpool in progressing, but it really is up in the air.
This is the schedule of Liverpool’s games, followed by the next league game:
September
18 Porto (a)
22 Birmingham (h)
October
3 Marseille (h)
7 Tottenham (h)
24 Besiktas (a)
28 Arsenal (h)
November
6 Besiktas (h)
10 Fulham (h)
28 Porto (h)
December
1 Bolton (h)
11 Marseille (a)
15 Manchester Utd (h)
A home league match follows every single CL game. That’ll do.
Full group details are below. Despite my fondness for predictions not involving Liverpool, it’s still too early even for me to guess which teams will make it out of their groups, and at this stage, I’m far too inclined to go with the top two seeds in nearly every group.
I will say that it should be interesting to see United/Roma and Celtic/Milan reprising matches from last year’s knockout stages, especially the United/Roma pairing. Also, the Eastern European teams, specifically Shakhtar, CSKA, and Dynamo, despite being 4th seeds, will be very tough outs.
And Group E, Barca’s group, is my pick for “group of death,” with Group F not far behind. Arsenal’s is probably the easiest, with them and Sevilla clear-cut favorites, but that’s more debatable. Although it seems to me that the groups are a lot more even than they’ve been in past years. Yes, Liverpool’s group could have been easier, but a lot of groups could have been easier, and talent-wise, it seems the 32 teams are fairly evenly distributed.
I can’t wait.
Group A: Liverpool, Porto, Marseille, Besiktas
Group B: Chelsea, Valencia, Schalke 04, Rosenborg
Group C: Real Madrid, Werder Bremen, Lazio, Olympiakos
Group D: AC Milan, Benfica, Celtic, Shakhtar Donetsk
Group E: Barcelona, Lyon, Stuttgart, Rangers
Group F: Manchester Utd, Roma, Sporting Lisbon, Dynamo Kiev
Group G: Inter Milan, PSV, CSKA Moscow, Fenerbache
Group H: Arsenal, Sevilla/AEK Athens, Steaua Bucharest, Slavia Prague
Predictions 9/1 – 9/2
Hey, I was actually above .500 last week! Next stop, .500 for the season (someone stop me before I pass out from overconfidence).
Fulham v Tottenham, 10am, FSC: Tottenham deserved something out of their game against Manchester United, and might even start playing decent football before October for a change. But Fulham has been unlucky so far this season; they should have more than 3 points, and should be higher than 19th in the table. And I can’t forget how they were draw specialists, especially at Craven Cottage, last season. 1-1
Reading v West Ham, 10am, Setanta Xtra: Last weekend’s 3-0 loss for Reading was an aberration. And there’s no way that Steve Coppell will let his players duplicate that performance. It certainly won’t help that West Ham’s got another key player missing in Kieron Dyer, who’s got the absolute worst luck with injuries. Reading 1-0
Bolton v Everton, 10am: I’m well pleased that Sammy Lee finally got his first win as Bolton manager last weekend, with Anelka (who just signed a new deal) again their standout player. Hopefully this will be the start of them turning the corner; Bolton is so much more likeable without Allardyce. But unfortunately, this hasn’t looked like one of Everton’s yo-yo seasons so far. Everton 1-0
Middlesbrough v Birmingham, 10am: If Mido can continue to score, Boro will do alright. Southgate’s got the squad playing decent football, but more importantly, believing in what the manager’s trying to build. Brum’s gotten 4 points out of 4 games, which isn’t an awful return (and is the same result as Boro), and all 4 of their strikers have scored in either the Prem or League cup, but beating Boro at the Riverside might be too much to ask. Boro 2-1
Newcastle v Wigan, 10am: Pity that Antoine Sibierski, who already has 3 goals this season, might miss this game with a hamstring injury, as he’s played well for Wigan since coming over from Newcastle on a free. But even with Sibierski in the squad, and even though Wigan’s looked better than I expected, Newcastle should still have enough to win at home. And it won’t hurt that Michael Owen’s finally back on the scoresheet, getting the opener in Newcastle’s Carling Cup match yesterday. Newcastle 2-0
Manchester Utd v Sunderland, 12:15pm, FSC: Roy Keane returns to Manchester, and you can be sure he’ll want make the most of it. But like against Liverpool last week, I think they’ll struggle to score against the big boys, and even though United’s found goals very hard to come by, they should be able to break down Sunderland’s backline. Craig Gordon may not have as busy a day as last Saturday, but he’ll be put to work. United 2-0
Arsenal v Portsmouth, 8:30am Sunday, Setanta: Chelsea barely put an end to Portsmouth’s unbeaten start to the season last weekend, and 2 weeks earlier, Pompey drew against United. Now they have to travel to Arsenal before hosting Liverpool. An easy start to the season to be sure. But I think they can keep up their form; Arsenal’s done well to get 7 points from 3 games, and don’t really look like missing Thierry Henry, but Portsmouth’s gotten goals from a variety of players, and can do enough to frustrate Arsenal at the Emirates. 2-2
Blackburn v Manchester City, 10am Sunday: In two games against two teams that finished in the top 6 last season, Blackburn’s drawn 1-1: home against Arsenal and away to Everton. Like those matches, this will be another stern test for Blackburn. City, much to my chagrin and surprise, has played really well, using all of Sven’s foreign buys and getting the best out of Emile Mpenza, and likewise, it’ll be as much of a test for them. As such, I think this one will end level, and probably even 1-1 again. 1-1
Aston Villa v Chelsea, 11am Sunday, FSC: Until proven otherwise, I’m going to find it very hard to go against Chelsea in any game this season. And while Aston Villa will make them work for it, as they do in every match, Chelsea’s too strong and too deep, even against a Villa team that’s making obvious strides. Chelsea 2-1
Liverpool hosts Derby 10am Saturday on Setanta. Preview tomorrow.
I’ll have some thoughts on the Champions League draw, which takes place at noon, up late tonight.
Fulham v Tottenham, 10am, FSC: Tottenham deserved something out of their game against Manchester United, and might even start playing decent football before October for a change. But Fulham has been unlucky so far this season; they should have more than 3 points, and should be higher than 19th in the table. And I can’t forget how they were draw specialists, especially at Craven Cottage, last season. 1-1
Reading v West Ham, 10am, Setanta Xtra: Last weekend’s 3-0 loss for Reading was an aberration. And there’s no way that Steve Coppell will let his players duplicate that performance. It certainly won’t help that West Ham’s got another key player missing in Kieron Dyer, who’s got the absolute worst luck with injuries. Reading 1-0
Bolton v Everton, 10am: I’m well pleased that Sammy Lee finally got his first win as Bolton manager last weekend, with Anelka (who just signed a new deal) again their standout player. Hopefully this will be the start of them turning the corner; Bolton is so much more likeable without Allardyce. But unfortunately, this hasn’t looked like one of Everton’s yo-yo seasons so far. Everton 1-0
Middlesbrough v Birmingham, 10am: If Mido can continue to score, Boro will do alright. Southgate’s got the squad playing decent football, but more importantly, believing in what the manager’s trying to build. Brum’s gotten 4 points out of 4 games, which isn’t an awful return (and is the same result as Boro), and all 4 of their strikers have scored in either the Prem or League cup, but beating Boro at the Riverside might be too much to ask. Boro 2-1
Newcastle v Wigan, 10am: Pity that Antoine Sibierski, who already has 3 goals this season, might miss this game with a hamstring injury, as he’s played well for Wigan since coming over from Newcastle on a free. But even with Sibierski in the squad, and even though Wigan’s looked better than I expected, Newcastle should still have enough to win at home. And it won’t hurt that Michael Owen’s finally back on the scoresheet, getting the opener in Newcastle’s Carling Cup match yesterday. Newcastle 2-0
Manchester Utd v Sunderland, 12:15pm, FSC: Roy Keane returns to Manchester, and you can be sure he’ll want make the most of it. But like against Liverpool last week, I think they’ll struggle to score against the big boys, and even though United’s found goals very hard to come by, they should be able to break down Sunderland’s backline. Craig Gordon may not have as busy a day as last Saturday, but he’ll be put to work. United 2-0
Arsenal v Portsmouth, 8:30am Sunday, Setanta: Chelsea barely put an end to Portsmouth’s unbeaten start to the season last weekend, and 2 weeks earlier, Pompey drew against United. Now they have to travel to Arsenal before hosting Liverpool. An easy start to the season to be sure. But I think they can keep up their form; Arsenal’s done well to get 7 points from 3 games, and don’t really look like missing Thierry Henry, but Portsmouth’s gotten goals from a variety of players, and can do enough to frustrate Arsenal at the Emirates. 2-2
Blackburn v Manchester City, 10am Sunday: In two games against two teams that finished in the top 6 last season, Blackburn’s drawn 1-1: home against Arsenal and away to Everton. Like those matches, this will be another stern test for Blackburn. City, much to my chagrin and surprise, has played really well, using all of Sven’s foreign buys and getting the best out of Emile Mpenza, and likewise, it’ll be as much of a test for them. As such, I think this one will end level, and probably even 1-1 again. 1-1
Aston Villa v Chelsea, 11am Sunday, FSC: Until proven otherwise, I’m going to find it very hard to go against Chelsea in any game this season. And while Aston Villa will make them work for it, as they do in every match, Chelsea’s too strong and too deep, even against a Villa team that’s making obvious strides. Chelsea 2-1
Liverpool hosts Derby 10am Saturday on Setanta. Preview tomorrow.
I’ll have some thoughts on the Champions League draw, which takes place at noon, up late tonight.
Frenchman singles out and criticizes Americans? No way!
I realize the Platini-bashing is getting tiresome, but when he keeps inserting his foot directly into his mouth, I can’t help myself.
Platini slams foreign owners
Granted, this is a touchy subject for me, being an American and all, but come on.
There’s truth to some of the talk of ‘identity,’ but foreign owners are a symptom, not a cause of football (and really all sports) becoming a business.
And I’d much rather have Gillett and Hicks own Liverpool, than, say, Steve Morgan, Doug Ellis, David Sullivan/David Gold, or Ken Bates, just to name a few. Actions are what matters, not nationality.
Let’s see, in the space of around 6 months, they’ve spent a ton of money, including 2 of Liverpool’s 3 costliest transfers (but more importantly, supporting Benitez in the purchases he wanted to make), all the key players have been resigned to new contracts, and the previous new stadium design was torn up to fit more seats and take fans' views into account.
Besides, the times may have changed, but Shankly’s quote still holds weight. “At a football club, there's a holy trinity - the players, the manager and the supporters. Directors don't come into it. They are only there to sign the cheques.”
And despite my disgust at his naming clubs (even forgetting one of those clubs is Liverpool), and despite my much-discussed dislike of Platini, I’m infuriated at the fact he feels this falls under his brief, and that it’s something he should be commenting on.
How this guy became head of UEFA is beyond me. I can’t wait to see what he has to say about the details of his Champions League “plan” before the draw.
Platini slams foreign owners
Michael Platini has launched a surprising attack on the foreign ownership of English football clubs.
Platini, the president of Uefa, has revealed his dislike for the increasing foreign investment in the Premier League.
Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Aston Villa are among a number of top flight clubs who have been taken over by owners from abroad and Platini insists that something must be done.
"I can't understand how so many English clubs are owned by foreign people," Platini told Sky Sports News.
"I think we can do something. I don't know why Americans come to buy some clubs. You need your identity.
"I can't understand why some English clubs are owned by Americans because they do not come for the beauty of the game, for the romance of the football in England.
"They come because they want to make money. We need to defend that.
"If you have Manchester against Liverpool it is part of the population of the cities.
"But now if you have an owner from America against an owner from Russia, I don't like it."
Granted, this is a touchy subject for me, being an American and all, but come on.
There’s truth to some of the talk of ‘identity,’ but foreign owners are a symptom, not a cause of football (and really all sports) becoming a business.
And I’d much rather have Gillett and Hicks own Liverpool, than, say, Steve Morgan, Doug Ellis, David Sullivan/David Gold, or Ken Bates, just to name a few. Actions are what matters, not nationality.
Let’s see, in the space of around 6 months, they’ve spent a ton of money, including 2 of Liverpool’s 3 costliest transfers (but more importantly, supporting Benitez in the purchases he wanted to make), all the key players have been resigned to new contracts, and the previous new stadium design was torn up to fit more seats and take fans' views into account.
Besides, the times may have changed, but Shankly’s quote still holds weight. “At a football club, there's a holy trinity - the players, the manager and the supporters. Directors don't come into it. They are only there to sign the cheques.”
And despite my disgust at his naming clubs (even forgetting one of those clubs is Liverpool), and despite my much-discussed dislike of Platini, I’m infuriated at the fact he feels this falls under his brief, and that it’s something he should be commenting on.
How this guy became head of UEFA is beyond me. I can’t wait to see what he has to say about the details of his Champions League “plan” before the draw.
28 August 2007
Liverpool 4-0 Toulouse
Liverpool wins 5-0 on aggregate.
Reina
Arbeloa Hyypia Agger Riise
Benayoun Sissoko Mascherano Leto
Crouch Kuyt
Goals:
Crouch 19’
Hyypia 49’
Kuyt 87’ 90’
Once Liverpool got the first goal today, the tie was probably over. But it should have been well and truly over by halftime; Toulouse was not good tonight. However, that was more than rectified after the break.
Crouch opened the scoring in the 19th minute, sticking out a long leg to make contact with Kuyt’s cross, his height the key to the goal. And then he missed 2 free headers, both easier chances than the one he scored. By halftime, Crouch could have had a hat trick, and Liverpool could have had 4 or 5, which is disconcerting, but Toulouse never looked liked getting one back, and Liverpool was truly cruising.
Thankfully, Hyypia knows how to head the ball. Sami’s header came from a corner (which is always warmly welcomed) soon after halftime, and was aided by some shocking defending. Oh, and he broke his nose 3 days ago. Players returning from broken noses have a habit of scoring for Liverpool; let’s not forget Crouchy’s performance against Arsenal last year.
Kuyt deservedly got in on the act in the 87th minute to make the scoreline more accurately represent the game. He cut in from the right, played a lovely one-two with Babel, and got off a narrow shot from close range, doing well to get the ball out from under his feet and fire a right-footed shot into the far corner. And with the match ending as a glorified training session, Kuyt got his second with the last kick of the game, chipping over the keeper after a delightfully weighted dinked throughball from Benayoun. 5 games in, and all four strikers are off the mark.
Benayoun, who’s unfortunately been in the media recently, was, along with Mascherano, the man of the match. He was best player in the first half, played a perfectly-timed assist for the 4th goal, and provided the corner for Hyypia’s goal (Liverpool scoring from corners?). This is what he needed to do: seize his opportunity and give Pennant a run for his money as the regular starter. He showed his excellent vision time and time again, made good runs around the box, linked up well with Arbeloa, and looked threatening coming in off the flank.
While this was probably one of the best games to deploy a Sissoko/Mascherano pairing, there are absolutely no complaints with the result, and they looked little like the pairing that struggled to create anything against Aston Villa last season. If Toulouse had presented more of a threat, Masch would have been my man of the match; he didn’t put a foot wrong and played the midfield anchor roll to a tee, despite not playing a lot for Liverpool recently after his busy summer.
Sissoko rarely put a foot wrong as well, and looked far more composed and confident following his goal on Saturday. Momo wasn’t happy to be subbed off for Lucas in the 69th minute, but the game was done and dusted, and it’s refreshing to see his desire to be on the pitch and play well.
And mention must be made of Arbeloa. He’s played great at either fullback position, he can get forward, he can dribble, and he can cross. He’s linked well with every winger he’s lined up with. And he cost £2.5m. Benitez has made some great buys, but it’s with little exaggeration that I say Arbeloa might be the best value for money.
It was good to see some of the young players get time today as well. Leto was a surprise starter, and while he was fairly innocuous for a lot of the match, he showed some good touches and a great work ethic, moments that showed why Benitez has such faith in him. It’s early days, but he looks an improvement over Gonzalez.
Coming on for Sissoko with about 20 minutes left, Lucas paired well with Mascherano, but at this point of the game, Toulouse offered very little competition. The most important thing is both of these players, and Babel coming on for Leto in the 75th minute, got more experience on the pitch, and played with different players than in their earlier appearances.
So that’s Champions League qualification assured, and it was assured with two of Liverpool’s most important players out injured and Alonso, Torres, and Pennant (with Finnan appearing late) also absent. Admittedly, Toulouse was dire, and got worse as the game went on, but Liverpool did score 4 goals, and created bucket loads more chances. How’s that for rotation?
The difference is Liverpool’s squad strength. From top to bottom, this is easily the best team that Benitez has had. The key players have had time to gel, and the summer purchases go a long way to curing some of last year’s problems (pace, goals, creativity, depth in attack). It’s hard to keep from getting carried away, because I can’t say it enough, Toulouse were outclassed from start to finish, Liverpool should have scored more, and Reina could have brought a lawn chair to today’s game. But even with the injuries and the rotation, Liverpool didn’t miss a step. Hopefully they’ll continue on this pace against Derby at Anfield on Saturday, who had to play a full 120 minutes in the Carling Cup today, only to lose on penalties to Blackpool.
The draw for the group stages takes place on Thursday.
Reina
Arbeloa Hyypia Agger Riise
Benayoun Sissoko Mascherano Leto
Crouch Kuyt
Goals:
Crouch 19’
Hyypia 49’
Kuyt 87’ 90’
Once Liverpool got the first goal today, the tie was probably over. But it should have been well and truly over by halftime; Toulouse was not good tonight. However, that was more than rectified after the break.
Crouch opened the scoring in the 19th minute, sticking out a long leg to make contact with Kuyt’s cross, his height the key to the goal. And then he missed 2 free headers, both easier chances than the one he scored. By halftime, Crouch could have had a hat trick, and Liverpool could have had 4 or 5, which is disconcerting, but Toulouse never looked liked getting one back, and Liverpool was truly cruising.
Thankfully, Hyypia knows how to head the ball. Sami’s header came from a corner (which is always warmly welcomed) soon after halftime, and was aided by some shocking defending. Oh, and he broke his nose 3 days ago. Players returning from broken noses have a habit of scoring for Liverpool; let’s not forget Crouchy’s performance against Arsenal last year.
Kuyt deservedly got in on the act in the 87th minute to make the scoreline more accurately represent the game. He cut in from the right, played a lovely one-two with Babel, and got off a narrow shot from close range, doing well to get the ball out from under his feet and fire a right-footed shot into the far corner. And with the match ending as a glorified training session, Kuyt got his second with the last kick of the game, chipping over the keeper after a delightfully weighted dinked throughball from Benayoun. 5 games in, and all four strikers are off the mark.
Benayoun, who’s unfortunately been in the media recently, was, along with Mascherano, the man of the match. He was best player in the first half, played a perfectly-timed assist for the 4th goal, and provided the corner for Hyypia’s goal (Liverpool scoring from corners?). This is what he needed to do: seize his opportunity and give Pennant a run for his money as the regular starter. He showed his excellent vision time and time again, made good runs around the box, linked up well with Arbeloa, and looked threatening coming in off the flank.
While this was probably one of the best games to deploy a Sissoko/Mascherano pairing, there are absolutely no complaints with the result, and they looked little like the pairing that struggled to create anything against Aston Villa last season. If Toulouse had presented more of a threat, Masch would have been my man of the match; he didn’t put a foot wrong and played the midfield anchor roll to a tee, despite not playing a lot for Liverpool recently after his busy summer.
Sissoko rarely put a foot wrong as well, and looked far more composed and confident following his goal on Saturday. Momo wasn’t happy to be subbed off for Lucas in the 69th minute, but the game was done and dusted, and it’s refreshing to see his desire to be on the pitch and play well.
And mention must be made of Arbeloa. He’s played great at either fullback position, he can get forward, he can dribble, and he can cross. He’s linked well with every winger he’s lined up with. And he cost £2.5m. Benitez has made some great buys, but it’s with little exaggeration that I say Arbeloa might be the best value for money.
It was good to see some of the young players get time today as well. Leto was a surprise starter, and while he was fairly innocuous for a lot of the match, he showed some good touches and a great work ethic, moments that showed why Benitez has such faith in him. It’s early days, but he looks an improvement over Gonzalez.
Coming on for Sissoko with about 20 minutes left, Lucas paired well with Mascherano, but at this point of the game, Toulouse offered very little competition. The most important thing is both of these players, and Babel coming on for Leto in the 75th minute, got more experience on the pitch, and played with different players than in their earlier appearances.
So that’s Champions League qualification assured, and it was assured with two of Liverpool’s most important players out injured and Alonso, Torres, and Pennant (with Finnan appearing late) also absent. Admittedly, Toulouse was dire, and got worse as the game went on, but Liverpool did score 4 goals, and created bucket loads more chances. How’s that for rotation?
The difference is Liverpool’s squad strength. From top to bottom, this is easily the best team that Benitez has had. The key players have had time to gel, and the summer purchases go a long way to curing some of last year’s problems (pace, goals, creativity, depth in attack). It’s hard to keep from getting carried away, because I can’t say it enough, Toulouse were outclassed from start to finish, Liverpool should have scored more, and Reina could have brought a lawn chair to today’s game. But even with the injuries and the rotation, Liverpool didn’t miss a step. Hopefully they’ll continue on this pace against Derby at Anfield on Saturday, who had to play a full 120 minutes in the Carling Cup today, only to lose on penalties to Blackpool.
The draw for the group stages takes place on Thursday.
27 August 2007
Liverpool v Toulouse 08.28.07
3:05pm EST on GolTV
Liverpool leads 1-0 on aggregate.
Last 3 matches:
Liverpool: 2-0 Sunderland (a); 1-1 Chelsea (h); 1-0 Toulouse (a)
Toulouse: 1-1 Nice (a); 1-3 Racing Strasbourg (h); 0-1 Liverpool (h)
Referee: Wolfgang Stark (GER)
Guess at a squad
Reina
Finnan Hyypia Agger Arbeloa
Benayoun Alonso Mascherano Riise
Crouch Kuyt
Gerrard and Carragher are assuredly ruled out thanks to a fractured toe and broken rib/collapsed lung respectively.
Hyypia has been declared available for Tuesday’s game, but with a broken nose and Carragher likely to miss more than just this week’s games, he may be held back. But everything I’ve seen since Saturday seems to reaffirm that he’ll start. I love the fact he’s so hard he got his nose set at halftime, and says he’s got no need to miss any further time. If Hyypia doesn’t play, the backline will probably be Finnan-Arbeloa-Agger-Riise.
With Mascherano not playing over the weekend, it seems a certainty he’ll start here. As said in the past, I’d hope he’s not paired with Sissoko, but with Momo’s performance over the weekend and the fact that Liverpool just needs to keep Toulouse from scoring, the combination is a better possibility than usual.
The same goes for Crouch, and possibly Benayoun, neither of whom even made the bench on Saturday. Even considering Benayoun’s agent’s statements, and how little action he’s seen so far. And with Pennant having started every league game, but not appearing in the last leg of the qualifiers, hopefully Yossi will get to play in his favored position on the right. And he’d do well to take advantage of his opportunities if what his agent says is true.
With Torres and Voronin both playing 90 minutes on Saturday, Crouch (who looks to be relegated to playing mainly in Europe, like Benayoun), and Kuyt should start. That pairing, which was pretty much 1st choice last year, should be enough for this match, but I’d hope Torres is on the bench if needed. The same goes for Babel, who can change a game with his speed when legs begin to tire.
If Riise starts in defense, I’d imagine Babel would start in midfield, and with Benayoun, could end up switching flanks and causing Toulouse problems. But he’s another who’s seen a lot of action so far this season (started or subbed on in all 4 games), and is probably better suited to come off the bench, as Liverpool will be trying to keep it tight for at least the first part of the match.
It’s easy to look past Toulouse given how well Liverpool’s played, the 1-0 win in France and Toulouse’s domestic struggles. But, and I know it's cliché, there are no easy games in the Champions League. And in the last few years, Liverpool’s made hard work of it at home in the qualifying stages. Liverpool needed a late Mark Gonzalez goal to win the home leg against Haifa last year. In 05/06 Liverpool lost to Sofia 0-1 at home after winning the away leg. The same happened in 04/05 to Grazer AK.
Toulouse will again look to stifle play and challenge Liverpool on the counter attack. They've still got injury problems in defense, but that didn't stop them from making Liverpool work hard for their lone goal in the last match. Striker Andre-Pierre Gignac is one of the few Toulouse players doing well domestically, scoring Toulouse’s two goals in the last two games, and he’s best doing it on the counter. Toulouse scores once, and the tie’s back to square one.
But Benitez will have his players, no matter who plays, well drilled for this match. And one goal from Liverpool will probably put the game out of reach. Now let's see it happen, and Champions League qualification (and all the delicious, delicious money that comes with it) clinched.
Liverpool leads 1-0 on aggregate.
Last 3 matches:
Liverpool: 2-0 Sunderland (a); 1-1 Chelsea (h); 1-0 Toulouse (a)
Toulouse: 1-1 Nice (a); 1-3 Racing Strasbourg (h); 0-1 Liverpool (h)
Referee: Wolfgang Stark (GER)
Guess at a squad
Reina
Finnan Hyypia Agger Arbeloa
Benayoun Alonso Mascherano Riise
Crouch Kuyt
Gerrard and Carragher are assuredly ruled out thanks to a fractured toe and broken rib/collapsed lung respectively.
Hyypia has been declared available for Tuesday’s game, but with a broken nose and Carragher likely to miss more than just this week’s games, he may be held back. But everything I’ve seen since Saturday seems to reaffirm that he’ll start. I love the fact he’s so hard he got his nose set at halftime, and says he’s got no need to miss any further time. If Hyypia doesn’t play, the backline will probably be Finnan-Arbeloa-Agger-Riise.
With Mascherano not playing over the weekend, it seems a certainty he’ll start here. As said in the past, I’d hope he’s not paired with Sissoko, but with Momo’s performance over the weekend and the fact that Liverpool just needs to keep Toulouse from scoring, the combination is a better possibility than usual.
The same goes for Crouch, and possibly Benayoun, neither of whom even made the bench on Saturday. Even considering Benayoun’s agent’s statements, and how little action he’s seen so far. And with Pennant having started every league game, but not appearing in the last leg of the qualifiers, hopefully Yossi will get to play in his favored position on the right. And he’d do well to take advantage of his opportunities if what his agent says is true.
With Torres and Voronin both playing 90 minutes on Saturday, Crouch (who looks to be relegated to playing mainly in Europe, like Benayoun), and Kuyt should start. That pairing, which was pretty much 1st choice last year, should be enough for this match, but I’d hope Torres is on the bench if needed. The same goes for Babel, who can change a game with his speed when legs begin to tire.
If Riise starts in defense, I’d imagine Babel would start in midfield, and with Benayoun, could end up switching flanks and causing Toulouse problems. But he’s another who’s seen a lot of action so far this season (started or subbed on in all 4 games), and is probably better suited to come off the bench, as Liverpool will be trying to keep it tight for at least the first part of the match.
It’s easy to look past Toulouse given how well Liverpool’s played, the 1-0 win in France and Toulouse’s domestic struggles. But, and I know it's cliché, there are no easy games in the Champions League. And in the last few years, Liverpool’s made hard work of it at home in the qualifying stages. Liverpool needed a late Mark Gonzalez goal to win the home leg against Haifa last year. In 05/06 Liverpool lost to Sofia 0-1 at home after winning the away leg. The same happened in 04/05 to Grazer AK.
Toulouse will again look to stifle play and challenge Liverpool on the counter attack. They've still got injury problems in defense, but that didn't stop them from making Liverpool work hard for their lone goal in the last match. Striker Andre-Pierre Gignac is one of the few Toulouse players doing well domestically, scoring Toulouse’s two goals in the last two games, and he’s best doing it on the counter. Toulouse scores once, and the tie’s back to square one.
But Benitez will have his players, no matter who plays, well drilled for this match. And one goal from Liverpool will probably put the game out of reach. Now let's see it happen, and Champions League qualification (and all the delicious, delicious money that comes with it) clinched.
26 August 2007
Michel Platini still thinks the Champions League is too successful as it is
Averse as I am to agree with anything Alex Ferguson says, for once, he’s talking some sense.
Platini refuses give up on this. He’s going to change the Champions League come hell or high water, no matter how successful the tournament is.
And evidently making the 4th qualification spot for cup winners instead of the 4th placed team in the league is a valid compromise. Of course, it doesn’t do nearly as much to promote his stated aim of getting more teams from smaller countries further in the tournament, but that might be less of a concern now that he’s been elected.
From what the plan appears to be, cup winners will go through a separate qualification process, with 4 advancing, so 12 other teams will still have to play up to three games to qualify for the money-spinning group stages. There will just be more of those smaller-country teams in those qualifiers, and they won’t really have that much more of a chance of qualification.
Also, I was under the impression that Spanish and Italian cups are far less prestigious than the FA Cup. I imagine this suggestion will be taken about as well as Fergie took it in those two countries.
If you were wondering, the last time someone other than Liverpool, United, Chelsea, or Arsenal won the FA Cup was Everton (ugh) in 1995. So after all that, the 4th placed team would still get in, but they’d have to go through the silly separate two-round qualification for cup winners. Right.
Full details of the “plan” here.
Past diatribes about changing the Champions League:
Platini’s new proposals
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss?
Sir Alex Ferguson has come out strongly against Michel Platini's proposals to award Champions League qualification to the winners of the FA Cup and other domestic knockout tournaments around Europe, arguing that such a move would devalue the efforts of clubs fighting for places week after week in the leagues.
The Uefa president originally said he wanted to see fewer teams from the big European nations in the Champions League and more champions from smaller countries, though the various vested interests in the major leagues were never going to vote for such an idealistic scheme.
Platini's present plan is a watered-down version that would cut the number of Premier League qualifiers from four to three, with an extra place for the FA Cup winners. In view of the fact that the FA Cup has been a virtual monopoly of top-four clubs for the past decade, little would actually change and the status of the FA Cup could benefit, yet Ferguson believes a six-game route to Champions League riches is insultingly easy.
'I don't agree with it, the Champions League is for what you do in the league,' the Manchester United manager said. 'You can win the FA Cup, like Chelsea did last season, playing nobody up until the final. Or the semi-final at least. Does that warrant entry into the Champions League?
'We played Millwall in a final three years ago, and what a game that was for us. No disrespect to Millwall but I don't think a final like that should have Champions League qualification riding on it. It's totally ridiculous. Players who have battled through 38 league games don't deserve to see that. This is a tough league, and it will be tougher than ever this year.
'In fairness to Uefa they do normally listen to clubs and club managers' comments before making a decision, and there's a European coaches meeting next week. I'm sure coaches will be making their opinions known, and in my personal opinion this idea is absolutely ridiculous.’
Platini refuses give up on this. He’s going to change the Champions League come hell or high water, no matter how successful the tournament is.
And evidently making the 4th qualification spot for cup winners instead of the 4th placed team in the league is a valid compromise. Of course, it doesn’t do nearly as much to promote his stated aim of getting more teams from smaller countries further in the tournament, but that might be less of a concern now that he’s been elected.
From what the plan appears to be, cup winners will go through a separate qualification process, with 4 advancing, so 12 other teams will still have to play up to three games to qualify for the money-spinning group stages. There will just be more of those smaller-country teams in those qualifiers, and they won’t really have that much more of a chance of qualification.
Also, I was under the impression that Spanish and Italian cups are far less prestigious than the FA Cup. I imagine this suggestion will be taken about as well as Fergie took it in those two countries.
If you were wondering, the last time someone other than Liverpool, United, Chelsea, or Arsenal won the FA Cup was Everton (ugh) in 1995. So after all that, the 4th placed team would still get in, but they’d have to go through the silly separate two-round qualification for cup winners. Right.
Full details of the “plan” here.
Past diatribes about changing the Champions League:
Platini’s new proposals
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss?
25 August 2007
Liverpool 2-0 Sunderland
Reina
Finnan Carra Hyypia Arbeloa
Pennant Sissoko Alonso Babel
Voronin Torres
Goals:
Sissoko 37’
Voronin 87’
Another 3 points, another good away win. And it’s even more heartening a win because of how hard Sunderland made Liverpool work for it.
After Voronin nearly got a goal before a minute was off the clock thanks to a lazy Sunderland back pass (and were only saved by Craig Gordon’s heroics, which set a tone for the day), the home side did very well to close down space and make the game frenetic for the first 35 minutes. Neither team looked settled, and changes had to be rung for both sides early on, with Agger coming on for Hyypia after 15 minutes because of a nosebleed, and Stokes on for Sunderland with Richardson off the pace.
But in the 37th minute, Momo Sissoko broke the deadlock. Yes, that Momo Sissoko, who scored his first goal for Liverpool, and who’s now the proud owner of Liverpool’s 7,000th goal. Every now and then, I’m forced to eat my words on this blog. Rarely am I so happy to do so. And it was a great goal too; Alonso’s long diagonal ball found Pennant, who headed it back to Voronin, who laid it off for Sissoko to beautifully hammer low into the corner.
After the goal, Liverpool looked a lot better, and Sunderland rarely got out of their own half for the final few minutes. In first half injury time, Torres had a chance to make it 2-0, but it was a difficult header to get off, and once again, Craig Gordon was there for the save.
As with both the Villa and Chelsea games, when Liverpool was unable to get the second goal, the opposition grew in stature and made it nervy at times. This wasn’t helped by an injury to Carragher in the 68th minute, when Reina put a knee in his midsection while punching the ball out. It took nearly 10 minutes to get Carragher off the pitch, and Liverpool was forced to adjust to both the starting center backs out. Chopra and Stokes played well, but Liverpool rarely looked like conceding a second, even if Sunderland saw a lot more possession and had chances to make something from set plays.
Liverpool seemed content to sit deeper, let the game come to them, and create opportunities on the counter. But unlike the last couple of seasons when Liverpool sat back, they still looked like getting a second and looked dangerous on the break. And Liverpool did create chances, even more than in the first half. Torres popped up on nearly every long ball, although his finishing wasn’t the best and Craig Gordon had an absolute stunner, making something like 7 saves. All too often, players seemed to shoot too close to the keeper, but Gordon has to be credited for his positioning and the saves he made.
Sunderland, on the other hand, even with increased possession, rarely carved out chances, and an equalizer would have been incredibly unfair. But it’s always a possibility when you can’t get the second goal.
However, that goal finally came in the 87th minute. On yet another counter attack, Babel brought the ball out of defense on the right, played a neat one-two with Pennant, and slid the ball over to Torres, who unselfishly found Voronin on the left. Voronin, who like Torres had earlier chances, made no mistake with the finish low to the far post, which Gordon got a touch to but couldn’t keep out.
That Liverpool was able to get a second puts more gloss on the performance, but I’m still happy with many of the players. Sissoko was the man of the match. There was the goal of course, and his usual hustling workrate, but he also was a lot more composed today (especially with his touch), and was a good outlet on the counter with his speed. Some of the game passed him by, with a lot of play bypassing the midfield, especially in the 2nd half, but in the first half, Momo was simply fantastic.
Along with Sissoko, Pennant was the other outstanding player. He routinely made himself a threat down the right, saw a lot of ball, and looked to both beat his man inside and get to the byline. There were moments where he lost possession in situations he shouldn’t, and he still needs to attack the goal more often, but there was a lot encouraging about his performance, and from how he’s played, it’s little surprise he’s cemented himself as a regular starter.
Torres looked very good at times, but his finishing left something to be desired. Gordon played well and had his number all day long, but Torres had four or five good opportunities, only to see Gordon make a save. One moment stood out, and shows how dangerous Torres can be. In the 51st minute, Torres got the ball in the middle of the pitch and burst through two defenders to have a one-on-one with the keeper, only for Gordon to make another save. But the potential was clearly there, and there will be times this season when Torres creates something out of absolutely nothing and jaws hit the floor.
Voronin also looked good partnering him, again showed his cleverness and strength (be very wary of playing back passes around him), and took the second goal very well. But too often he looked to be too clever, and the tricks didn’t come off. However, it’s still early days, and that trickery will come in handy when players begin to gel better.
Arbeloa also impressed, and is getting dangerously close to falling into the same ‘criminally underrated’ category that Finnan’s in. He’s becoming the first-choice left back, which he certainly wasn’t advertised as when he signed, and covered well in central defense after Carragher’s injury.
I was a bit disappointed by Babel, although I’m still pleased he started. This was a tough game for new players, and that was best exemplified by Babel and Torres’ performances. At times Babel was invisible, and despite some good touches was lacking in end product, but when all’s said and done, this will be good experience for the rest of the season.
Even though there were times where Liverpool should have done better, this is a very encouraging performance and a very encouraging result. 7 points from 3 games, including two tough away wins, is about as good as could be expected (although 9 points would have been a lot better).
There’s little more that could be asked for from this game, especially with how hard Sunderland made Liverpool work, which is a credit to Roy Keane. Another away win, another good team performance even with rotation and Gerrard missing. New players continued to get time and settle, and the much-discussed good start to the season is still on track. Hopefully, Carragher’s injury, the only blight on the day, isn’t too serious. Now to seal Champions League qualification on Tuesday, and continue the pace in the league home against Derby on Saturday.
Finnan Carra Hyypia Arbeloa
Pennant Sissoko Alonso Babel
Voronin Torres
Goals:
Sissoko 37’
Voronin 87’
Another 3 points, another good away win. And it’s even more heartening a win because of how hard Sunderland made Liverpool work for it.
After Voronin nearly got a goal before a minute was off the clock thanks to a lazy Sunderland back pass (and were only saved by Craig Gordon’s heroics, which set a tone for the day), the home side did very well to close down space and make the game frenetic for the first 35 minutes. Neither team looked settled, and changes had to be rung for both sides early on, with Agger coming on for Hyypia after 15 minutes because of a nosebleed, and Stokes on for Sunderland with Richardson off the pace.
But in the 37th minute, Momo Sissoko broke the deadlock. Yes, that Momo Sissoko, who scored his first goal for Liverpool, and who’s now the proud owner of Liverpool’s 7,000th goal. Every now and then, I’m forced to eat my words on this blog. Rarely am I so happy to do so. And it was a great goal too; Alonso’s long diagonal ball found Pennant, who headed it back to Voronin, who laid it off for Sissoko to beautifully hammer low into the corner.
After the goal, Liverpool looked a lot better, and Sunderland rarely got out of their own half for the final few minutes. In first half injury time, Torres had a chance to make it 2-0, but it was a difficult header to get off, and once again, Craig Gordon was there for the save.
As with both the Villa and Chelsea games, when Liverpool was unable to get the second goal, the opposition grew in stature and made it nervy at times. This wasn’t helped by an injury to Carragher in the 68th minute, when Reina put a knee in his midsection while punching the ball out. It took nearly 10 minutes to get Carragher off the pitch, and Liverpool was forced to adjust to both the starting center backs out. Chopra and Stokes played well, but Liverpool rarely looked like conceding a second, even if Sunderland saw a lot more possession and had chances to make something from set plays.
Liverpool seemed content to sit deeper, let the game come to them, and create opportunities on the counter. But unlike the last couple of seasons when Liverpool sat back, they still looked like getting a second and looked dangerous on the break. And Liverpool did create chances, even more than in the first half. Torres popped up on nearly every long ball, although his finishing wasn’t the best and Craig Gordon had an absolute stunner, making something like 7 saves. All too often, players seemed to shoot too close to the keeper, but Gordon has to be credited for his positioning and the saves he made.
Sunderland, on the other hand, even with increased possession, rarely carved out chances, and an equalizer would have been incredibly unfair. But it’s always a possibility when you can’t get the second goal.
However, that goal finally came in the 87th minute. On yet another counter attack, Babel brought the ball out of defense on the right, played a neat one-two with Pennant, and slid the ball over to Torres, who unselfishly found Voronin on the left. Voronin, who like Torres had earlier chances, made no mistake with the finish low to the far post, which Gordon got a touch to but couldn’t keep out.
That Liverpool was able to get a second puts more gloss on the performance, but I’m still happy with many of the players. Sissoko was the man of the match. There was the goal of course, and his usual hustling workrate, but he also was a lot more composed today (especially with his touch), and was a good outlet on the counter with his speed. Some of the game passed him by, with a lot of play bypassing the midfield, especially in the 2nd half, but in the first half, Momo was simply fantastic.
Along with Sissoko, Pennant was the other outstanding player. He routinely made himself a threat down the right, saw a lot of ball, and looked to both beat his man inside and get to the byline. There were moments where he lost possession in situations he shouldn’t, and he still needs to attack the goal more often, but there was a lot encouraging about his performance, and from how he’s played, it’s little surprise he’s cemented himself as a regular starter.
Torres looked very good at times, but his finishing left something to be desired. Gordon played well and had his number all day long, but Torres had four or five good opportunities, only to see Gordon make a save. One moment stood out, and shows how dangerous Torres can be. In the 51st minute, Torres got the ball in the middle of the pitch and burst through two defenders to have a one-on-one with the keeper, only for Gordon to make another save. But the potential was clearly there, and there will be times this season when Torres creates something out of absolutely nothing and jaws hit the floor.
Voronin also looked good partnering him, again showed his cleverness and strength (be very wary of playing back passes around him), and took the second goal very well. But too often he looked to be too clever, and the tricks didn’t come off. However, it’s still early days, and that trickery will come in handy when players begin to gel better.
Arbeloa also impressed, and is getting dangerously close to falling into the same ‘criminally underrated’ category that Finnan’s in. He’s becoming the first-choice left back, which he certainly wasn’t advertised as when he signed, and covered well in central defense after Carragher’s injury.
I was a bit disappointed by Babel, although I’m still pleased he started. This was a tough game for new players, and that was best exemplified by Babel and Torres’ performances. At times Babel was invisible, and despite some good touches was lacking in end product, but when all’s said and done, this will be good experience for the rest of the season.
Even though there were times where Liverpool should have done better, this is a very encouraging performance and a very encouraging result. 7 points from 3 games, including two tough away wins, is about as good as could be expected (although 9 points would have been a lot better).
There’s little more that could be asked for from this game, especially with how hard Sunderland made Liverpool work, which is a credit to Roy Keane. Another away win, another good team performance even with rotation and Gerrard missing. New players continued to get time and settle, and the much-discussed good start to the season is still on track. Hopefully, Carragher’s injury, the only blight on the day, isn’t too serious. Now to seal Champions League qualification on Tuesday, and continue the pace in the league home against Derby on Saturday.
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