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Since Kenny Dalglish took over this was the first game we have played under heavy expectations and it did not go well for us. As Kenny said, we did not start well and frankly I think he made a mistake by restoring Andy Carroll to the starting line up. I don't think Carroll had that bad of a game but by having him in the team stopped Maxi from getting forward and left Lucas and Spearing very isolated.
We didn't' really get into any groove until the 30 minute mark, Spurs opening goal took a cruel deflection and until that point they had dominated possession without really looking dangerous. Modric was bossing the show and he is a fantastic footballer. Our fantastic footballer (Suarez) was involved in everything positive but Spurs were pulling him and tugging him to put him off his game.
Howard Webb almost always let it go. The one time Dawson fell over after Suarez barely touched him he was very quick to blow his whistle. Dawson raised his hand at Suarez and Suarez moved his foot at Dawson, both players should have been booked but only Suarez’s name was taken. Minutes later Crouch fell over Carragher and Webb was on the spot to blow for a foul, which was a complete joke. I thought Carragher was going to lose his mind.
Johnson was impressive on the left again and was getting forward well. Young Flanno on the right was equally impressive and these two were our best performers on the day. Every time we looked like scoring these two were at the heart of it. Howard Webb changed the game with a joke of a decision when he judged that Flanno fouled the blue-nose in the box. It was never a foul to start with so it really doesn't matter that it was outside the box. At 0-1 Ii felt we would get a draw, at 0-2 I didn't'. Of course this Liverpool side never stops trying so we did battle on but were denied by King and Dawson, who were in fine form. Carroll had missed a very good chance (in the first half) with his head and Suarez had a few half chances in the second half but nothing like we have seen from the men in red lately.
Kenny made changes throwing on Ngog, Shelvey and Cole with Shelvey the only one that has a future with us. In that sense the game was positive as it helps rein in expectations and it underlined how much we really do need to add to the squad. When everyone is healthy we do have a good squad but injuries are a part of the game and when a few key members of the squad go down we don't have the depth. This was the first time that we really missed Gerrard. He would not have let Modric boss the game like he did. We were also missing Miereles, Kelly and Agger!
Of course all the media talked about was how Spurs were coping with their injuries but you can see how much Harry has in depth when the likes of Defoe comes on! I would love to have him on our side personally. I’m pleased the owners go to see that everything is not rosy… but personally I think they were going to splash the cash anyway.
The final game at Anfield this season was a dud but as Kenny said we can't fault the efforts and I think we have been playing above our heads for a while now. I'm just hopeful that we can build on the last two months and go and really improve the squad at key positrons. Left and right wing first followed on by a quality centre forward.
Finally, as painful as this is, I would like to congratulate Man United on winning the league for the 19th time. As jammy as they are you must respect what they have accomplished. Hopefully it will be easy for us not to be looking over our shoulder. We need to concentrate on ourselves from this point forward.
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Comments
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Posted by fergie on 05/17/2011
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Posted by Bob on 05/17/2011
MU are strong and have been well run.
We are getting our feet and on the way.
We have the passion and the legacy that all teams envy.
It is good to be able to have the reasonable hope to be able to challenge.
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Posted by george Wong on 05/17/2011
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Posted by edityourstuff on 05/17/2011
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Posted by Benj on 05/17/2011
Hey great article mate, it's true that it's the first game that we missed our captain to really dominate the midfield.
I'm not that fussed about losing the europa spot, gives us more focus on the Premier League and getting back on our 'perch'.
I disagree with your theory on signings though. Left and right wing, yes definately, but not a CF.
We have just signed a future legend in Suarez as well as a 'Plan B' in Carroll and we have Kuyt, who thrives alongside Suarez as well as Pacheco and in the future we'll be bringing up Morgan, who looks awesome.
I beleive that we need 2 wingers, one for each side, with Young and Lennon being my 2 preferences, as well as a LB and CB. With Carra having maybe 1 or 2 seasons tops, and Agger in and out of the operating room, a quality CB like Cahill is needed and the LB is a no brainer, hoping for Jose Enrique.
YNWA folks
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Posted by karsten kaspersen on 05/17/2011
Referees H. Webb and M. Atkinson are both god refs. And also 100 % anti-Liverpool!
They have been hurting LFC tremendously for a very long time by interpreting the rules harshly against LFC, which is unlawful according to the rules of fairness!
Yesterday (15 May 2011) Webb did this in the 0-2 defeat to Spurs:
9 minute: goal – possible freekick to LFC?
26 min. : P. Crouch acting, gets a freekick – destroyng a LFC pressure
28min. : LFC contra L Suarez kicked from behind but no freekick no yellow card
29 min. : Rose clearly commits penalty against Kuyt – not given
45 min. : P. Crouch commits freekick against L. Leiva – results in a chance for Spurs
SECOND HALF
46 min. : S. Pienaar should have been booked for a freekick against D. Kuyt
47 min. : P. Crouch commits freekick but not given – results in a chance to Spurs
54 min. : SCANDAL: Flanagans lawful shoulder tackle gives Spurs a penalty – outside of box!
77 min. : Danish commentator: ” Webb has had many fifty-fifty decisions against Liverpool”
83 min. : D. Kuyt`s acting gets LFC wrong freekick, danish commentator:”you could say LFC
has had such a freekick in coming”
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Posted by khalid al khashab on 05/17/2011
nice article, i thought it was good that the owners were their to see how much we are really off the pace of others like MUT, ARS,CHE, we really struggled this game, no recreation at the midfield at all, Caroll needs more time to gel with the rest of the team, also alot of balls hoofed to the penalty area by our players in hope for Caroll to do something, any way a forgetful season finished , looking with hope to the next season..
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Posted by Billy on 05/17/2011
Great article, sums it up about perfect, although I would have said more about the Manc in the middle with the whistle.
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Posted by stan howard on 05/17/2011
in our last two away games at spurs we completely outplayed them we could have won the first one 6-0
but somehow lost both so i thought they cant be that lucky again because we never got a decision in those two games, even redknap said we battered them in that first away game but i never counted on the liverpool hater howard bell being in charge - when will harry's luck run out against us !
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Posted by Zain on 05/17/2011
Brilliant post... well said... every word!!!
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Posted by Arinaitwe Frank-Mbarara Uganda on 05/17/2011
For sure we need Adams and Ngong should not be sold for Gods sake.
We just need few prayers and we shall compete with MANU next season
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Posted by john on 05/17/2011
the webb the man that likes to stick it to lfc unlike king kenny i can say what i feel so assclown do us a favour the next time the fa put you in charge of a lfc game turn back towards north sea and chuck in it you t@t
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Posted by Kevin Shepherd on 05/17/2011
Nice, just a well written article, factual, informative and not over hyped. This site just got onto my favourites list on the back of this article. Kudos Mr Brodie.
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Posted by marco Caruana on 05/17/2011
Liverpool FC needs to create a dispute with FA that to applied for non playing matches under Howard Webb. It is for sure that this person is enemy of people that who loves Liverpool FC.The person that who choose the ref's has the responsability to keep the fairness of the game. He is the person to help the champions and making terrible mistakes against Liverpool FC people. Kindly when i am seeing Mr webb i know the result where it is going.
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Posted by Mike on 05/17/2011
I agree about Carroll, he is a bit of a wildcard, so his style doesn't fit in well with how they were playing with Suarez/Kuyt/Maxi/Meireles which was ground ball movement and pressing, especially since he was half-fit. Although I figured he would have to come in when Raul went out of the earlier game with his injury. If it was between half fit Carroll and Jonjo, I'm just not a Jonjo fan at all...
that PK call was sooo bad. I feel like Webb is one of those that will watch his game again and probably feel sorry he made that call
The best part of the game was when Dawson dove so hard that Luis Suarez walked to him, kicked his leg and told him to get up. I love this guy! I also liked at Fulham at the end of the game where he was so fired up when he thought Fulham handballed it in the box, even though we were wasting them. absolute commitment to the cause, I tell ya!
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Posted by Jerry Jordan on 05/17/2011
The FA is trying to hold managers and players accountable for things they say about referees, please when are they going to hold referees accountable. Webb is suppose to be the best ref in England mate I think he is one of the worst in the world in the top flight of football. I don't think he deserves to ref MLS games. What a joke and the worst part is it makes the FA look like a joke!
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Posted by MG01 on 05/17/2011
Well written mate. King and his bolsa-wood knees has got a lot of the plaudits, but I thought Dawson was awesome. The opposite of awesome is known as 'Howard Webb' - this should be a dictionary definition. The fact that Lord Purple-Nose considers Webb the country's best referee shows just how bad he is. Babel didn't get many things right during his time with us, but his twitter image of Webb was bang on. Suarez was a different class again, I love the fact that he never ever gives up, but just a little extra mention for Glenn Johnson. He's had a lot of criticism - at times quite rightly - but since coming back from injury he has gone about his job without making a fuss about playing on the opposite wing, and has been superb.
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About
Kevin Brodie has been fortunate enough to see some of Liverpool’s greatest teams and players in action over the last 35 years. Reds fans are spoiled for choice in trying to pick their favourite memory. The best early memory I have of watching Liverpool in person was our 7-0 thrashing of Spurs, with the 7th goal being a thing of beauty. Watching us in 89 lift the FA Cup after the terrible disaster at Hillsborough was also very special. My favourite Liverpool moment on the TV has to be the Champions League final in 2005. It was a day I will never forget.
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