Outplayed by Bolton

[Sir Tokyo Sexwale]

Match stats -

 

Corners:

Bolton 1

Liverpool 10

 

Goal Attempts:

Bolton 4

Liverpool 13

 

On Target:

Bolton 3

Liverpool 6

 

 

Match report:

 

A third defeat in their first four away games has left Liverpool's title ambitions looking sicker than Sam Allardyce in a Sky TV studio. Losing at Chelsea and Everton is one thing, being outplayed by Bolton quite another.

 

Rafael Benitez had a moment of controversy to moan about when a wretched decision by linesman Andy Halliday handed Bolton their opening goal, but Liverpool had an hour in which to come back and they failed dismally.

 

There was nothing wrong with Bolton's second and the game was neither over-physical nor as bad-tempered as last season's game. Benitez might have to stop being patronising about the way other teams play and look at the faults in his own side.

Perhaps he could start by not changing it every week. Peter Crouch was benched after his Champions League heroics on Wednesday, Craig Bellamy came in and was again ineffective, although neither he nor Steven Gerrard is a left winger, yet he replaced his team captain in that position as Benitez belatedly switched to match Bolton's 4-5-1 formation.

 

Gerrard faded after a good first half, a strangely truculent Dirk Kuyt was withdrawn shortly after the interval and long before the end Xabi Alonso was reduced to hopeful shots from 30 yards. Bolton, by contrast, were full of ideas and honest endeavour, with Gary Speed and Ivan Campo bringing all their experience to bear in midfield, Nicky Hunt and Abdoulaye Faye defending superbly throughout the second half and Kevin Davies turning in a highly impressive performance on the right wing.

 

Davies was more impressive than Jermaine Pennant, the winger England head coach Steve McClaren had turned up to watch. Only the two former Liverpool players at the Reebok, Nicolas Anelka and El Hadji Diouf, were anonymous and if they start playing to their potential soon, Bolton might climb even higher in the table.

 

Anelka looked lethargic after only four minutes, when Sami Hyypia's slip gave him a sight of goal, but he reacted so slowly the defender got back to dispossess him. Kuyt brought the first of several saves from Jussi Jaaskelainen, shortly before Alonso struck a post and although Bolton's goalkeeper again came to their rescue from Gerrard's powerful drive shortly before the interval, the Liverpool player had hit it straight at him.

 

By then Bolton were in front, courtesy of the first half's major talking point. Referee Phil Dowd brought play back from the other end on the insistence of one of his assistants, who claimed Jose Reina had carried the ball out of his area in making a clearance. Television replays established Halliday was wrong, a furious Benitez knew from his touchline monitor that the call was bad and watching Reina dive the wrong way as Speed scored through the wall did little to improve his mood.

 

'We were controlling the first half, but this incident changed the game,' the Liverpool manager said. 'That and conceding so soon in the second half.' Allardyce, who had posted Benitez's comments about Bolton's physical approach on the dressing-room wall to gee up his players, confirmed that taking the lead had changed everything.

 

'The plan switched at half time to defending that lead because I didn't think we would get too many more chances,' he said. He was wrong. Davies sent over a cross six minutes into the second half and Campo met it perfectly, although that was merely a bonus.

 

Statistics showing that Liverpool had 70 per cent of possession confirmed that Bolton spent most of the game defending. More revealing was the shot count. Liverpool had 13 on target, Bolton just the two.

 

BELL end

[_00_deathscar]

I thought we were outplayed.

 

We looked absolutely devoid of ideas, whilst Bolton looked very comfortable even when we had the ball.

[Guest Jack Bauer]

We were s****, maybe not outplayed, but definately s****.

[Guest RedLegend]

In open play were definitely the better side. Created far more chances.

 

Unfortunately they took their two chances. We didn't take any of ours so we got beat. End of story.

[kop205]

What is worrying me the most is that teams aren't even having to play well to beat us.

 

Everton, Bolton and Chelsea were all average at best against us and none of them could claim to have bossed the game - yet all three ran out relatively comfortable winners in the end (I know Chelsea was only 1-0 but they were hardly under massive or constant pressure at the end).

 

We have had some dreadful bad luck - woodwork again yesterday for about the seventh match in succession, and yet another penalty shout denied - but there comes a point where that doesn't wash anymore.

 

Too many good players are not playing well enough at the moment and I fear that it will be hard for them to regain top form when the side is constantly being changed. One player who is in form (Crouch) can barely get a game.

 

I am worried, as I honestly thought that the defeat in the derby was going to have got our poor form out of our systems but it hasn't worked that way. We've got some tough matches coming up and people now need to stand up and be counted.

 

I have got every faith in Rafa and still find it reassuring to remember that he will be hurting as much as us and working as hard as he can to put things right. He has shown before that he is capable of getting things to click and he'll do it again. My 'moans' above aren't criticisms of him particularly (though I would prefer a little less tinkering), just trying to call things as I see them at the moment.

 

When you take a step back, you notice that no-one has yet run away from us points wise and there is a long way to go. Although the emotions are negative at the moment, rationally there are still positives to take.

[Andy @ Allerton]

This is real life - you don't get instant gelling of new players.

 

With a bit of 'luck' against those sides we lost and drew against we could have easily have won all those games.

 

It'll take a while and Liverpool have ALWAYS started off slowly.

 

But I must admit that bloke is a f***ing tool.

[Guest L20]

They wanted it more. They got it.

With the help of a bent linesman like.

[kop205]

This is real life - you don't get instant gelling of new players.

 

With a bit of 'luck' against those sides we lost and drew against we could have easily have won all those games.

 

It'll take a while and Liverpool have ALWAYS started off slowly.

 

But I must admit that bloke is a f***ing tool.

 

True, but we seem to be suffering more than most at the moment in terms of how the bedding in process is affecting results.

 

The 'luck' thing is true to an extent and will even out over the season you would think - but it doesn't change the fact that the games we've lost we're all actually there for the taking and luck didn't even need to be a factor.

 

As for Wilson, we dealt with him last week. He is revelling in this at the moment, even though his match report is, as ever, totally contradictory.

 

Benitez will ram hos words down his throat. For all that I am hurting at the moment, the likes of him just remind me of the need to close ranks at times like this and keep it all in perspective. That doesn't mean not expressing any concern at all, it just means remembering that we have the right man in charge to out it right.

[Guest Sabre]

There is a fine line between winning and losing for us at the moment. We saw it against Spurs and Gala to some extent. The team just isn't firing on all cylinders yet and it's because some players are underperforming.

[lawrie]

No we were not outplayed. We had a home team who played on the break and manged to score 2 of their 3 shots on target. Ultimately goals change games and the controversial first had the ultimate bearing on this match.

[Guest FrankH]

Who?

[Cobs]

we weren't outplayed but we were out-battled, especially in the second half, so devoid of ideas to break them down, they looked very comfortable for all but 5-10 mins of the second half. What's feckin annoying is that you know when you go to places like Bolton, Everton, Sheff U, you're going to have to fight for the right to play the type of football that you want to play.

 

I don't put it down to rotation, yet again that was an 11 good enough to beat Bolton's 11. Many of the players who didn't perform yesterday weren't 'rotated', Hyypia came in and did well, Finnan didn't have a good game, the midfield didn't really function, and Crouch's touch when he did come on was as arguably the worst it's been since he joined us. Everything that was pinged into him bounced off 5 yards away - it was like watching Heskey in his prime.

 

Rafa's rotated the players at home and we've been excellent, away from home we don't appear to start the games with the same pace/verve/endeavour as we do at Anfield [forget Tottenham first half in that] and we struggle to then get it to that level and sustain it when we've gone a goal behind.

 

It's a mental attitude of going to tough grounds determined to impose ourselves on them.

 

Oh and i'd stick Bellamy in the ressies for a couple of weeks to see if he can score a few goals, his work rate is ok but he's clearly way short on confidence.

 

 

Thank feck for the international break, eh?

Edited October 1, 2006 by Cobs

[timbos goals]

What is worrying me the most is that teams aren't even having to play well to beat us.

 

Everton, Bolton and Chelsea were all average at best against us and none of them could claim to have bossed the game - yet all three ran out relatively comfortable winners in the end (I know Chelsea was only 1-0 but they were hardly under massive or constant pressure at the end).

 

We have had some dreadful bad luck - woodwork again yesterday for about the seventh match in succession, and yet another penalty shout denied - but there comes a point where that doesn't wash anymore.

 

Too many good players are not playing well enough at the moment and I fear that it will be hard for them to regain top form when the side is constantly being changed. One player who is in form (Crouch) can barely get a game.

 

I am worried, as I honestly thought that the defeat in the derby was going to have got our poor form out of our systems but it hasn't worked that way. We've got some tough matches coming up and people now need to stand up and be counted.

 

I have got every faith in Rafa and still find it reassuring to remember that he will be hurting as much as us and working as hard as he can to put things right. He has shown before that he is capable of getting things to click and he'll do it again. My 'moans' above aren't criticisms of him particularly (though I would prefer a little less tinkering), just trying to call things as I see them at the moment.

 

When you take a step back, you notice that no-one has yet run away from us points wise and there is a long way to go. Although the emotions are negative at the moment, rationally there are still positives to take.

 

That's as good a summing up as I've read.

 

I guess the question now is at what point does the victim of repeated muggings actually become a mug?

 

Now I don't pretend to know the answer to that but I'd say we must be on the cusp of that scenario at the moment. There's only so far you can bemoan your luck before it degenerates into a loser's mentality.

 

Twice certainly at Goodison and Chelsea the 'bad luck' excuses stood firm. On each occasion there was no doubt we deserved more from each game. But we have now outplayed 3 successive opponents on their own midden yet allowed each of them in the end to walk off fairly comfortably with the spoils. An unpalatable pattern is emerging and I'm afraid the woodwork, poor officials, unlucky bounce etc etc have only a limited shelf life before they begin to wear a bit thin with even the most one-eyed fanatic.

 

The next two away games have now assumed a huge significance.

 

Have we got the steel, the invention, the guile whatever you term it to go to Old Trafford and Arsenal and come out of those encounters without all these tales of woe at which we're rapidly becoming so expert?

 

None of us can say, of course, but one thing I do know is I'd rather the team - and Rafa - concentrate our efforts on becoming a bit more expert and focused not so much at creating chances but on actually converting those chances that do materialise into cold hard goal currency. Meanwhile, I don't ever again want to see us playing with three of our back four drawn out towards our left flank and our right back playing makeshift centre back and being nudged out the way like some pesky mosquito.

 

All clearly easier said than done but unless such an approach is realised then my question about mugs is going to be answered. And not in the way we'd all want it to be.

 

So c'mon Redmen, let's shove all this negative karma back up the orifices it came from. Let's have Fergie and Wenger biting the edge of the table in frustration. Not us. One thing's for sure though. It ain't gonna happen unless we make it happen and we need to start punching at least our weight for that. And preferably a bit above it.

 

[Guest Banjo]

Match stats -

 

Corners:

Bolton 1

Liverpool 10

 

Goal Attempts:

Bolton 4

Liverpool 13

 

On Target:

Bolton 3

Liverpool 6

 

BELL end

 

Can't say that I understand your knee jerk reaction to the article or why you call him 'bell end' just because he isn't gushing with praise. They outbattled us, scored a couple of decent goals, and played on our weaknesses. We can have all the possession in the world but if the team doesn't do anything with it, we don't deserve to win.

[Earl Hafler]

There is a fine line between winning and losing for us at the moment. We saw it against Spurs and Gala to some extent. The team just isn't firing on all cylinders yet and it's because some players are underperforming.

 

That and the constant stream of changes made to the side. Last season there was the odd change to left back when Traore or Warnock came in but the back 5 were pretty much settled all season. This season Aurelio and Agger come in, then they're benched for a game so Riise and Hyypia come in and then swapped back the game after. Meanwhile, Crouch scores two goals in midweek and is the benched for Bolton away - a game where you'd think he'd be very useful.

 

We've created chances in games, had some bad luck at Everton and Bolton but the team is stuttering and the defence not as good as last season.

[Gunga Din]

this rotation is getting a bit too much now. i dont mind seeing it in midfield and the wide areas to accomodate tactics against different oppositions, but the constant tinkering with the back 4 is where are problems are. the back 4 and keeper need to be a settled back 4, and only rested in extreme circumstances.

 

the strikers on form should be playing too, and for me thats Kuyt and Crouch. Bellamy for me is no improvement on Baros, whereas Crouch and Kuyt both are on form and playing well.

[filopastry]

We may have been many things yesterday, but outplayed wasn't one of them.

 

All round play was fine until the last 20 mins or so given its a difficult place to go and play football, but once again errors and missing chances cost us.

 

Given the size of squad we have and the quality in it, we pretty much have to rotate anyway unless you want a fair number of our expensive new signings to be asking for a transfer next summer.

 

Rotating or not it'll take the players time to gel this year, given the sheer number of new faces we brought in, its not helped by a few of the old faces not being at the top of their games either

[Sir Tokyo Sexwale]

Can't say that I understand your knee jerk reaction to the article or why you call him 'bell end' just because he isn't gushing with praise. They outbattled us, scored a couple of decent goals, and played on our weaknesses. We can have all the possession in the world but if the team doesn't do anything with it, we don't deserve to win.

knee-jerk? Knee-jerk is calling for Rafa's head.

 

I'm pissed off with this guy's constant sniping at us. Remember last week, when we should/could have been 2-0 down to spurs & they deserved a draw? Same 'journo'.

 

What I'm pissed off at is the simple fact that we were not outplayed. We outplayed them, maybe we didn't have cutting edge, but we were cerainly not outplayed

[psl]

this rotation is getting a bit too much now. i dont mind seeing it in midfield and the wide areas to accomodate tactics against different oppositions, but the constant tinkering with the back 4 is where are problems are. the back 4 and keeper need to be a settled back 4, and only rested in extreme circumstances.

 

the strikers on form should be playing too, and for me thats Kuyt and Crouch. Bellamy for me is no improvement on Baros, whereas Crouch and Kuyt both are on form and playing well.

 

Completely agree with this.

[Guest Banjo]

I'm pissed off with this guy's constant sniping at us. Remember last week, when we should/could have been 2-0 down to spurs & they deserved a draw? Same 'journo'.

 

Big deal.

[Guest Banjo]

^^ We should have been 2-0 down. Jenas missed an open goal and King had a free header 3 yards out. I don't have a problem with a journo saying that or that they deserved a draw. Its hardly a big deal.

[Guest efcrmagic]

As someone who has got it as there sig on here says "It's usual the team who scores the most goals wins the game", dunno who said it.

 

I do love the match stats that some rattle off though but amazingly manage to not note the amount of goals they scored.

 

I look foward to Bascombes report tomorrow.

[fred milne]

Benitez might have to stop being patronising about the way other teams play and look at the faults in his own side.

 

Allardyce, who had posted Benitez's comments about Bolton's physical approach on the dressing-room wall to gee up his players, confirmed that taking the lead had changed everything.

I must admit I don't understand why Rafa insists on doing this before each game at the Reebok.

[Earl Hafler]

this rotation is getting a bit too much now. i dont mind seeing it in midfield and the wide areas to accomodate tactics against different oppositions, but the constant tinkering with the back 4 is where are problems are. the back 4 and keeper need to be a settled back 4, and only rested in extreme circumstances.

 

the strikers on form should be playing too, and for me thats Kuyt and Crouch. Bellamy for me is no improvement on Baros, whereas Crouch and Kuyt both are on form and playing well.

 

I agree, Wayne.

 

We play an out-of-form Spurs with Reina, Finnan, Hyypia, Agger and Riise. Then Gala with Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Agger and Aurelio. Then Bolton with Reina, Finnan, Hyypia, Carragher and Riise. Each time changing a centre back and left back so that it's a different defence in each game. Meanwhile Crouch scores two goals on Wednesday and is dropped for the Bolton game

 

We stuttered at the beginning of last season when playing Josemi and Traore. We then played West Ham at the end of October with the trusted back five and then went on a run which only faltered after we returned from Japan, occasionally changing the left back.

 

Some players have been well below their best and i think the constant changes are preventing them from coming into form.

[kop205]

As someone who has got it as there sig on here says "It's usual the team who scores the most goals wins the game", dunno who said it.

 

I do love the match stats that some rattle off though but amazingly manage to not note the amount of goals they scored.

 

I look foward to Bascombes report tomorrow.

 

 

 

They wouldn't be the only one with a tag line that rings true though.

 

Would they?

 

Still celebrating the second derby win in 14 attempts I see? Good for you. make hay while the sun shines I say. I didn't need to trot out match stats to know that 3-0 at Goodison was a freak scoreline and I do love the way your brothers in arms have rewritten history to pretend it wasn't. Still, 'if you know your history' eh? And if you don't gcare what we say, why do you sing about us all the time?

 

Difference between reds and blues. I don't even read your match reports. You can't wait for ours. Small time. Though I did notice that for about the 3rd week running your prick of a fan representative in the Observer managed to shoe-in a reference to us in what is a meant to be a one paragraph summary of your own match.

 

Don't you find it just the slightest bit embarrasing?

 

I suppose another difference is that if any reds were as provocative on your sites as you are on here at times then we'd be banned, called murderers etc etc etc quicker than you could say 'Clive Thomas' - I'll settle for just exposing how ridiculous you are at times.

 

Speak to me in May and we'll see who is laughing then. The one season in twenty you finished above us we still comprehensively outshone you.

Edited October 1, 2006 by kop205