I
wasn't over
confident about this
game before
kick-off. We'd put
up a great battling
display at
Portsmouth earlier
in the week, but
let's face it,
whilst it was
impressive for all
its gritty defensive
determination... it
was hardly the 90
minutes work of a
team seriously
challenging for
Europe again this
season.
So,
when you consider
the home
performances against
Watford and Boro (a
smash and grab
steal, and a drab
kick-and-rush
stalemate), and the
realisation that
Spurs are rubbish
after all (so our
2-0 victory might
not actually be so
momentous!), well,
like I say, I wasn't
going to get carried
away.
But
then again, we don't
have a shabby record
against Liverpool
really so there was
hope in my bones as
we walked our route
from the car to the
Reebok.
(Superstition
demanding that we
continue to take the
exact same path for
each home game since
the Spurs win - we
can't change the
route or else we
WILL lose. It's a
law, isn't it? Any
true fan must admit
to sharing the
pre-match
preparations along
with his team!)
Also,
Rafa had started
bleating to the
press about the
Bolton bully-boys
well before
kick-off, so I did
actually wonder if
he was giving his
team all the excuse
they needed to
explain away a
defeat at the
Reebok.
Liverpool didn't
have a bad 1st-half
really and had good
chances to score.
Alonso smacked one
against the post,
Kuyt got in a sharp
header that Jussi
punched away from
the top corner.
Even after our goal,
Jussi saved well
from a Gerrard
rasper and Gary
Speed showed some of
the Pompey match
grit with a
startling clean
tackle on Pennant in
the box just as he
was positioning to
shoot at goal.
But
the scousers have to
be honest, as the
2nd-half went on,
especially after
Campo bagged 2-0,
they were clearly
never going to
score.
So
what about our
goals? Well we've
all probably just
about stopped
chuckling about the
Reina 'hand-ball',
but it still does
make you smile
doesn't it? I've
had fun pointing out
to gullible armchair
Liverpool fans
(there's so many of
them isn't there?)
that the action of a
goalkeeper kicking
the ball out of his
hands is, according
to the laws of the
game, a
single-action. This
is to ensure that an
oppo player cannot
kick the ball away
in between it being
released and being
kicked. So if it is
considered a single
action then
'technically' it is
still in the
'keeper's hands, and
if it is 'carried'
out of the area then
it is hand-ball.
Simple. Case
closed! Bang to
rights! - I'm amazed
at how many of the
silly sods thought
that I was possibly
right! (I also like
pointing out to them
that I see Liverpool
actually play
football each season
more times than they
do - ONCE!)
But
never mind the
injustice. I've had
absolutely no
sympathy for the
cries of foul since
the moment I watched
Reina actually dive,
away from the
direction of the
flight of the ball,
behind the defensive
wall. Just what was
he doing? Numpty!
We all remember
Westerveld ending
his Liverpool career
at the Reebok when
Dean Holdsworth
scored a late winner
past him. Will he
be dropped?
Probably not.
Surely substitute
Dudek must realise
now that Rafa
clearly hates him.
The
second goal was
great to see go in.
No kick and run, no
long ball nonsense,
no long-throw argy-bargy,
but smooth,
incisive, fast,
passing football. A
great pin-point
cross from Davis out
on the right, over
to Campo (how did he
get there? what was
he doing there?) to
head past the
ineffective Finnan
and in off the
crossbar and clearly
over the line
(Russian lino not
needed!). Quality!
So
another 3 points
and, other than the
Spurs match, I've
still not seen us
play particularly
well this season -
but we still manage
to be in 3rd spot by
the end of the
weekend's football.
Thanks to the
geniuses that work
out the season's
fixtures, we don't
have another home
match for a whole
month! Next up for
the Reebok
experience: Red-nose
Fergy and the Mancs.
It's about time we
managed to beat them
at home, so rest
assured, after I
park up on Saturday
28th October, I'll
be sure to tread the
same route to the
ground for the 5th
time this season.
Match
report by
Wigan
White
