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Posted

I think he felt a lot more relaxed without Gerrard being there, he could dictate the game without him charging around at 100mph.

Posted

I dont know if its been mentioned but, he assisted tehir goal yesterday. Did anyone notice the backheel volley he did to their corner taker leading to the goal? It was class.

 

Carra wasn't impressed. He was shaking his head at Xabi when he saw it.

Posted

Masterclass from Alonso

 

LIVERPOOL 3 EVERTON 1

 

DION FANNING

 

at Anfield

 

 

SHORTLY after the Merseyside Derby ended yesterday, Liverpool's Spanish midfielder Xabi Alonso jogged back onto the pitch for a warm-down. The ground was deserted but it was debatable if Alonso - alone on the field - could find more room on the empty pitch than he had during the preceding crowded 90 minutes.

 

Alonso, a classical midfielder, exposed the gulf in class between the two clubs on Merseyside. It had been billed as a clash between two teams in form but even the early sending-off of Steven Gerrard couldn't bring Liverpool down to Everton's level, especially not in midfield where Alonso dwarfed the contribution of the hapless Phil Neville.

 

After 17 minutes Liverpool's captain Gerrard was sent off after picking up two yellow cards in an uncontrolled spell where he kicked the ball away and, moments later, lunged in on Kevin Kilbane. Gerrard often goes missing during big games, yesterday he was sent from the field. "Gerrard is a great player for us, he plays with great passion," Benitez insisted afterwards, "but the whole team must learn to play with the head as well as the heart."

 

Luckily for Benitez, in Alonso he had brought such a player to Anfield. Everton had started the game more aggressively but from the moment Gerrard was dismissed, Liverpool's ten players asserted themselves without their captain.

 

Gerrard later apologised to his team-mates, but the myth that Liverpool are a one-man team may finally be dispelled after the performance of Alonso yesterday.

 

If the game never moved beyond the scrappiness associated with these clashes (a situation not helped by refereeing described as "over-fussy" by David Moyes), Liverpool began to play football while always looking for Peter Crouch - who enjoyed one of his most productive non-scoring days - an effective option against the struggling Alan Stubbs.

 

There were plenty of scrambled moments in the first half - a Tim Cahill shot, a Garcia chip - but Everton shrunk after the sending off when the first of two corners was awarded against them in injury-time. "We didn't play well today, especially after they went to ten men," Moyes conceded. "But we had a crazy five minutes either side of half-time. I wanted to get them in and sort things out when they scored."

 

With Crouch looming at the back post, Alonso's dangerous corner was knocked out at the far side. Alonso trotted over and hit in another dangerous ball. Neville - whose brother Gary had endured a miserable afternoon at Anfield last month - stretched to reach the ball and flicked it past Richard Wright.

 

Moyes' eagerness to deliver his half-time talk had now increased. He sent his players out for the second half with the instruction to use their extra man, get play out wide and make Liverpool work. Two minutes later, Everton were two down.

 

A long free-kick from Jose Reina was, inevitably, flicked on by Crouch. Garcia slipped through the Everton defence too easily and flicked the ball casually over Wright. Garcia ran to the corner flag under the Kop and was mobbed by every team-mate including Reina who ran the length of the pitch to celebrate. Clearly the idea that foreign players cannot understand the passion of these parochial clashes has been over-stated.

 

Garcia even appeared to have grasped some essentials in what may have been his best game for Liverpool. Usually wasteful, he had a good day, using the ball effectively and always troubling the Everton defenders.

 

The four centre-backs on the pitch had played more than 2,000 games between them, but Stubbs and David Weir looked like they'd never played against a giant centre-forward before. "He's a very good player, very, very difficult to play against," Moyes conceded.

 

Everton needed some cunning as well as passion but with Alonso demanding every ball, controlling the pace of the game and only failing to score when his free-kick flicked the crossbar, they were out of luck.

 

Garcia then had a shot blocked by Stubbs before Kewell glided past Tony Hibbert but his low shot was tipped wide by Wright.

 

Everton looked lost but then won two corners in a row. They used their aerial strength to bypass Liverpool's zonal marking system and Cahill headed in a goal which gave them hope.

 

Duncan Ferguson and Andy Van der Meyde were sent on to capitalise but, with 17 minutes remaining, Van der Meyde jumped for a ball with Alonso and caught the Spaniard. Moyes admitted that replays were inconclusive but referee Dowd, who had somehow managed to book 11 players, reached for a red.

 

Numerical parity had been restored, but in every other area Liverpool were superior, with a linesman flagging a Hyppia header offside even though it was Crouch who was infringing.But Liverpool drew the sting from the game and Everton could only search for the head of Ferguson.

 

With six minutes remaining, Harry Kewell took a ball in the inside-right channel. Everton stood off him and he hit a flighted ball into the right-hand corner. "We've been on a good run and we're disappointed with how we played today," a dejected Moyes said later.

 

His side will resume their battle among the middlebrows of the Premiership table but the over-achievement of last season seems a long way away.

 

Liverpool have now scored 18 goals in their past four games, but still their strikers draw them into controversy.

 

Benitez refused to back down after his comments on Friday that Tottenham were "desperate" to sell Jermain Defoe which provoked a furious response from Spurs' chairman Daniel Levy who issued a statement saying the Liverpool manager's comments were "unprofessional."

 

"I am a professional, he is unprofessional," an angry Benitez insisted after the game. "I have a good memory, perhaps he forgets the conversations he had with agents, but I read them in a newspaper story on February 1st. I can remember these things because I am a professional. Maybe he can't."

Posted

"I am a professional, he is unprofessional," an angry Benitez insisted after the game. "I have a good memory, perhaps he forgets the conversations he had with agents, but I read them in a newspaper story on February 1st. I can remember these things because I am a professional. Maybe he can't."

 

There is only gonna be one winner.

Guest jcreds
Posted

Because he is a top class player, the manager told the chief exec he wanted him and he went and bought him for him.

 

Simplle really, but i think Xavi is the only player who was a must have on Rafa'a list.

But Xavi hasn't joined us (yet). Sack Parry.

Posted

quite simply the boy is a winner - look back at his attitude after conceding the own goal against Birmingham and the way he tried to make up for it - unfortunately he didn't succeed.. same on Saturday, he saw that there could be a problem and worked extra hard to try and rectify it - this time he succeeded.. i love him.. :yes:

Posted

i think it is a complete f***ing myth to be honest

 

Olympiakos?

Chelsea away?

Leverkeusen away (esp 1st half)

Final

 

I don't think it's a complete myth but i do think that it comes about to there being to much expectation to completely dominate awesome sides. Who actually ever produces those performances. Keane v Juve, Xavi v england (friendly) Gerrard v Milan, Redondo v Man U. It's once a blue moon.

 

oh and I thought he wasn't overly hot v Olympiakos but i'll take his contribution :)

Posted

I don't think it's a complete myth but i do think that it comes about to there being to much expectation to completely dominate awesome sides. Who actually ever produces those performances. Keane v Juve, Xavi v england (friendly) Gerrard v Milan, Redondo v Man U. It's once a blue moon.

 

oh and I thought he wasn't overly hot v Olympiakos but i'll take his contribution :)

 

 

2ndhalf he weas excellent

Posted

2ndhalf he weas excellent

 

I thought Kewell and Pongolle were execellent and he was a level below. There's enough evidence in other games to suggest he's no where near a bottler our victory over the mancs 2-0 in 2001, England v Germany in the same year et al. Like i said the myth comes about from him not doing what he did to Milan everytime we play a top side. People forget just how good the other team is and that they are actively trying to stop him.

 

I would love him to absolutely t*** chelsea about in this semi though.

Posted

I would love him to absolutely t*** chelsea about in this semi though.

Love him to start off clattering Lampard à la the Worthington Cup Final. :hefty:

Posted

2ndhalf he weas excellent

 

Not having that - Gerrard had a fairly quiet game against Olympiakos (even in the second half), it was Pongolle, Kewell and Xabi I think that were the star performers.

 

Agree with your general point though.

Posted

Gerrard had a fairly quiet game against Olympiakos (even in the second half)

Would have been not-so-quiet had the ref had the balls to send him off, though. Remember being so pissed off at the time I was thinking he was trying to get himself sent off :wacko::drink: or something because he just had enough.

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