Tuesday 14 October 2014

Match Review - Everton

Last season was mad, that run in was mad, we played mad, exciting  football and it worked, we got mad results and we did well.  This season we have been sensible, slow, not rushing in to attacks, thoughtful, but certainly not mad, it's not exciting, it's frustrating and we are not doing well, we aren't creating, we are not mad and we are dropping points. Now, when Liverpool play Everton people tell us the form book goes out of the window, it is by its very nature fast and exciting you could even say mad.  We were forced to play mad football again and to my eyes it looked better, better than any of the slow, thoughtful football we have played this season, I hope it reminds us how we play, I don't want to see slow, I want mad in fact I think I want absolutely insane.
Against Everton we at last got out of the blocks quickly, early on We pushed, we hassled, we passed the ball quickly Lallana and Sterling looked threatening, Henderson and Gerrard hassled and pressured and pushed Everton players in to mistakes, Moreno and Manquillo were flying down the wings with real pace and the defence was not under pressure so looked good and organised. We looked good, we didn't score but looked like we could.  We managed to maintain the quick pace throughout the first half and although we didn't create any clear cut chances we did get several half chances, a couple of powerful strikes from the edge of the box and we were for the first time this season getting behind the defence with some great play out wide and also from a couple of great through balls from Henderson, it was starting to look mad.  
Markovic was the only player who seemed a little of the pace, he wasn't bad, just not yet up to the pace of the rest of the team and the Premier League, he still had some good touches but still has work to do, but he does look like he has a touch of madness about him.
At half time I felt more confident, certainly than I had at the start of the game and probably for the last few games, we just needed to keep the pace going, finally players were playing well and we looked a threat.  we did Everton had their moments but we actually defended well and we kept going forward, we were still looking good then it came, Gerrard silenced his critics, yet again, with a superb free kick to put Liverpool in front, a very good goal from a player that needed a good game and was having one, shortly afterwards Balotelli got on the end of a left wing cross and hit the bar, yes Howard did get an unbelievable touch on the ball to prevent the goal.  
It appeared that at this point Liverpool as a team had a think, they thought they should calm down, slow things down, keep the ball and see the game out for the win, very sensible, not mad at all, unfortunately we sat deeper and deeper inviting Everton on to us, sensibly?  We still looked ok, we were defending pretty well but we were not attacking we were being sensible and calm not mad, then what was a good head clearance from Lovren fell on the half volley at the feet of Jagielka and stunningly, madly even he smashed the ball in to the top corner at the Kop end for the equaliser two minutes in to injury time, a great goal.
I think we played well Lallana, Sterling, Henderson, Gerrard were all back playing with style and pace, Balotelli was, well, Balotelli but I reckon he has it in him to be the maddest of them all.  We defended well, no individual errors, you can see we have been working on it and we did create chances.  It was unfortunate that we didn't win but it was a stunning strike that got them a point so, you have to take it, sometimes you can't do anything about a goal.
I hope the derby has reminded us what we do best and we can forget the frustration and get on with enjoying the madness of it all, it has been a while since I've laughed at a football game

@lfclumo

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