The much anticipated Premier League season has finally begun. And as expected the match up between two of the top four teams, Liverpool and Arsenal, was an event filled one. Arsene Wenger’s men must be considering themselves lucky to walk away from Anfield with a share of the points.
There was some highpoints that are indeed worthy of mention.First, our defence looked very composed and disciplined and looked very much different than what we are a custom to seeing in the recent past. One can sense that there is a feeling of quiet self belief in this camp. Against a strong Arsenal side our players looked to be in total control when defending; the communication and awareness was evident.
Secondly, the performance of our young French striker David Ngog was superb. He certainly seems to be growing into his role and hopefully with the guidance of Roy Hodgson and under the tutorage of Fernando Torres will be moulded into a top quality striker. Indeed, his finish against an Arsenal side that is considered by many to be title contenders was top class. With a few more performances like those coupled with the fact that Torres is back from a long injury lay off, who needs another striker?
Certainly, there were low points to be considered. First, the dismal performance of referee Martin Atkinson. His decisions were awful and display the type of performance that is not welcomed at this level. The least said of his performance would be better served.
Additionally, Joe Cole seeing red on his red’s debut almost hurt us. However, with this new found fighting spirit synonymous to Roy Hodgson’s style of play almost see us walk away with a deserved three points. The way Liverpool approached the game after the sending off was as if they were hungry and wanted no less than a victory. Liverpool under Benitez would have probably given up any thoughts of a victory and instead would play for a draw.
Finally, while Daniel Agger played left back to some effect, its clear that he was uncomfortable, not by the knock he received but the fact that Hodgson decided that he wanted to experiment at this stage by playing Agger out of position. This is not the time to be experimenting; we need to get a left back and fast or play Fabio Aurelio, after all that’s why Hodgson brought him back to Anfield, isn’t it? At least until a suitable left back can be afforded.
As it stands it was a satisfactory performance, although three points would have been better, we are more than happy to start our campaign with a draw against a quality Arsenal side.
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The team was not that good in the first half but seemed galvnised after the break. In a way the sending off made it easier for us. If we should be honest Joe Cole was having a stinker and at least in the second half we knew we only had ten men. I hope we can use the 2nd half as a springboard for better things onwards.
By the way we do not need to praise Roy by trying to knock Rafa. There were several times LFC under Rafa that we played with ten men and went on to win games eg Man City, Everton away.
NGog is good?what game were you watching, last year ye were totally outplayed,play like an away team at home, two banks of four on the edge of the box,poor attack!what changed exactly?secondly no van persie,fabregas,song and arshavin carrying a injury so not full strength and 1 top four side.
Let’s not get carried away here!
Ngog gave the ball away countless times in the 1st half, yes it was a good finish but you’d be crazy to think he’s good enough to stand in for Torres if/when he gets injured. Maybe he will become an accomplished goal scorer in years to come, but he’s far from there yet.
Sorry same trash, but i’m sure I saw Van Persie come on in the 2nd half did I not, and also heard he was fully fit to start….also Arshavin carrying an injury my hoop…..the game is about squads…are you starting your excuses earlier than ever. Fact is Arsenal were up against ten men and up until the 85th min had created nothing…zip…nada….and Ngog already this season has 4 goals…..that’s impressive from 3 games from someone who is supposedly brutal….Ngog will come good…big time. I’ld have him over Bendtner every day of the week.
In Ngog’s defence, he was not given that much support by cole in the first half. Evryone who keeps on going about better replacements, we do not have that much money.
Look at Chelsea apart from Drogba and Anelka who else do they have.. Off tested players Man U only have Bebertov, Rooney and Owen,
Spurs are the only ones that have two sets of Good strikers.
(Hopefully) we finally learned that we are still in desperate need for a top quality winger – even more so than we need another striker or leftback. We had no outballs to release the pressure out wide or to put pressure on the opposition defence. Luckily Arsenal are still yet to realise they have the same problem!
colie, apart from the goal what did liverpool create throughout? at home? I remember a vermaelen header mid way through the second half! You heard van persie was fit? off who you clown? He barely lasted the 15 he was on! arshavin was carrying a hamstering problem, well done though for playing the same miserable boring football as ever,well done mascherano for commiting 12 fouls and not getting booked, for booing koscienly after cole was deservedly sent off,for putting 10 men inside 20 yards of your own goal for the last 40 mins!Whats different from last season…squads? dont make me laugh by comparing your squad to ours!! strike force = walcott,chamakh,bendtner,arshavin,vela and van persie to your torres(class)and ngog(pretty crap in fairness)
im a liverpool fan and av 2 agree thought liverpool was very boring 1st half and wasnt much diff btwn playing 4 roy as we did 4 benitez but 2nd half was much better but didnt exactly put em on bk foot am sorry but until we get a decent rte winger and a left bk arsenal will b slightly ahead of us but will stick my neck out and say arsenal will not win the league
and oh by the way walcott as a sub 4 eboue dnt make me laugh walcott is a better player all round
To same trash,
at least we know we have alot to do to improve but in the case of your team you do not realise how much you have regressed.
If we compare teams as you say apart from the strikers I would say we compare better than you.
GK no chance
Defenders about the same but we have more depth
Midfielders about the same too but I would say we have more variety.
“Liverpool under Benitez would have probably given up any thoughts of a victory and instead would play for a draw.”
Sorry Kevin but I can’t agree with you on this point, and neither did Jamie Carragher in his post match interview. Carra rightfully pointed out the game against Everton last season, when a man down and a goal up, we went for the second goal with as much gusto as the first.
Benitez was by no means perfect, (a great phrase I read in description of him was that he was “the imperfect perfectionist”) but please let’s leave unfair criticism out of it.
have to agree with tony (and mark lawrenson) ngog was well off the pace for much of the game, i lost count of the off-sides, yes, he took his goal well but let’s be honest here, how many chances does he cock-up and no decent keeper would have let his effort in at his near post, thank god for aluminium or whatever you call that numpty!
and here’s one for rob mccormack, a great phrase i heard…..”fat spanish waiter”
Same Trash….who did I hear RVP was to fit play off….only bleedin Martin Tyler who as soon as he came mentioned the fact he had injuries only he was late back from the WC…..or were you not listening you tardo. And as for boring football, is it not the team who has the majority of possession and the majority of players who would be expected to be creating clear cut chances. Gone back to george graham days have we.
Sorry No Injuries….RVP had no injuries.
Steve, had Torres scored that goal I doubt we would have been blaming Almunia, we’d be proclaiming it as World Class.
I remember Robbie scoring pretty much the exact same goal, smashing it into the roof of the net and beating Peter Schmeichel at his near post, and nobody at the time dared suggest that Schmeichel was a dodgy keeper or that Robbie was somehow lucky.
Also please leave the personal insults to rival fans mate, as Liverpool Supporters we should be better than that.
dear writer, you don’t have to criticise rafa to praise roy. rafa was a great manager and let me remind you, we played against everton with 10 men for an hour and still won 1-0 last season.
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