[Archived] Liverpool Match Review 2 - 2

[Eddie]

I thought it was a good hard working performance in which we also showed quite a bit of class. If we keep playing like that, I have no doubts that we will finish much higher up the table than we are now. The midfield was excellent, and I hope Nissa keeps his spot at the back. I thought the most refreshing thing about watching that team was actually seeing some young players out there. It just makes you feel better and more optimistic.

[Paul]

Just watched MOTM....yep didn't dream it we did play very well. That performance should have restored a lot of pride and confidence in the team.

Now for me the big question is this - can we do it for two games in a row? This was a good performance but, without wishing to dampen things down, we usually play well against the bigger teams. Next Saturday we must go out and do the same to Norwich and then again at Citeh. I shall be watching!

[AlanSheppard]

Don't usually comment on games after only watching the highlights but a couple of things to add.

For the first goal Neill looked like he was playing Riise onside, everyone else moved up.

Nice to hear that Nisse's doing well, hopefully Hughes will give him a chance.

And finally admin need to adjust to daylight saving time, the MB clock says it's 10:50 not 9:50.

[grizfoot]

Only time i'll ever be up before 10 on a Sunday

Anyway to the match. The team looked a lot better than in previous games, switching to 4-4-2 really helped I think and with Bothroyd holding it up a bit upfront gave the chance for midfielders to make runs from midfield (Emo & Ferguson). Conserding both teams had chances i'd say a draw was a fair result but we could have had all three points if it wasn't for misplaced free-kick.

Nissa, McEveley (apart from the free-kick), Ferguson & Emerton all had good games. But still i'm not conviced by Tugay some of passing was dreadful to say the least. Well things are looking better hopefully we can get something at Norwich next week.

Also get well Soon Cisse, looked nasty. Liverpool must not like coming to ewood, 2 games and 3 injuries

Edited October 31, 2004 by grizfoot

[Rovermatt]

We did well to go take the lead after the obligatory disastrous start. It was inevitable though that a moment of madness would even things up and so it proved, McEvely was performing well before the error.

Still, a bit of fight was a welcome change from the spineless rubbish we've been provided with in recent games.

Edited October 31, 2004 by Rovermatt

[Ozz]

Barnstorming match.

Emerton, good grief, what ever happened to random dope testing???

Marvellous, though, isn`t it, wasn`t it ??

I was sat in Lower Jack Walker, near the Darwen end. I couldn`t here the Rovers fans singing too much, am I wrong??

What happened in the BBE after their first goal went in? There seemed to be a kick off and fans ejected?

Roll on Man City away.

Edited October 31, 2004 by ozziejones

[RoyRover]

So pleased with a performance for once!! well done lads. Thought everyone bar brad and lucas looked good today, Emerton is on fire long may it continue. Very interested to see if hughes sticks with the players, Tink Jay deserves to keep his place But who should replace niel???

I agree with all that. Brad should definatley come out to stop Baros for his goal. Apart from McEveley's mistake I thought that he had a good game as did Johannson and Dominic Matteo shouldn't even get on the bench next week, now that Todd has returned. Hughes should stick with the same back 4. Although, Neill is a liability. When he first came to Rovers, he was excellent, but over the last two seasons, he has gone down hill and hopefully Hughes will address this in January. Possible replacements, Dario Simic of Milan, Danny Gabbidon, who can play there and at centre back or even Wes Brown.

[Bobby G]

Well it was a whole hearted performance.But its a shame that the quality we had over some teams 2 and 3 seasons ago is gone.We have a lot of workers with 1 or 2 quality players today as opposed to 4-5 ones 2 years ago id say.

Today for me Reid was poor going forwards he offered nothing.Though he worked extremely hard.Neill looks a shadow of his former self.Mceveley was impressive except for his mistake.At last we have a left back with pace who can also defend.Ferguson was a class above,very assured.

I think with the same mindset we could beat lower teams.As long as we play the same,which we ALMOST ALWAYS never do!

For me all the players worked very hard,with only two or three i would consider changing: Dickov cause he just cant score and could need a break.

Reid worked hard,but i would consider moving Brett to the right and playing a left winger.Neills distribution and crossing was awful,but who would replace him?What happened to the form of two years ago for Lucas!

[Eddie]

I thought Reid was good, and Neill, though still not the player he used to be, did his job. There was obvious skill there, Tugay, Ferguson, Emerton and Bothroyd all showed that they had it, while Dickov, though many probably wont mention it, also, as he has down already this season, showed that he isn't just a scrappy hard worker. I thought the way we passed and moved the ball was excellent, and I would have been equally pleased with that performance had it happened two seasons ago.

[Paul]

I was sat in Lower Jack Walker, near the Darwen end. I couldn`t here the Rovers fans singing too much, am I wrong??

What happened in the BBE after their first goal went in? There seemed to be a kick off and fans ejected?

The BBE was in full voice for 85 minutes I'd say.

After Liverpool scored their first a young man and woman where escorted from the BBE - seemed to me they were Liverpool fans I happened to glimpse the young lady on MOTM in the Darwen End later after Baros scored. Personally I think they should just be thrown out, not moved.

[Paul]

For the first goal Neill looked like he was playing Riise onside, everyone else moved up.

It was Neil and Short who played him onside, Jay and Nissa must have been a good ten yards further up the pitch

[AussieinUk]

Great to here, but was hoping for a sneaky win...

Thats about 6-7 games (in. Intl's) Emertons formhas been improving on..

Roll on Citeh

[Hasta]

Sorry to bring one glimpse of negativity to the thread but 26,500 with 8,000 scousers on.

You do the maths.

(posted at 13.03 ?? Someone turn the messageboard clocks back!)

Edited October 31, 2004 by Hasta

[grizfoot]

Sorry to bring one glimpse of negativity to the thread but 26,500 with 8,000 scousers on.

You do the maths.

(posted at 13.03 ?? Someone turn the messageboard clocks back!)

Don't forget it was on prem+ though.

[1864roverite]

official scouse visitors was 7100

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Still less than 20K Rovers ..... great vocal support again but we really need those stay aways to come back,hopefully yesterday will help.

[frosty]

Friedel- 6

Neill - 4

Johannsson - 8

Short - 6

Mcevely - 7

Emerton - 8

Ferguson - 8

Tugay - 6

Reid - 7

Dickov - 7

Bothroyd - 8

As for the match, excellent performance. But why on earth did friedel not come out for the second goal? He'd have got it before Baros touched it, if he'd of come out.

[1864roverite]

Cant understand the constant abuse headin towards Lucas Neill after yesterday. I tought he had a good game and clearly so did the media - he is in the team of the weekend !

Agree with the comments about Brad

[philipl]

Great report Scotty.

Feeling MUCH better after that performance.

Was very apprehensive when I saw the team sheet. Quite simply, it is very close to what I would consider is our best XI in current circumstances and I was pretty sure we were going to get rolled over. Then where wouldwe have turned?

So which is the real Rovers under sparky? The two 2-2s (Villa and Liverpool) or the two 0-4s?

Lets look at yesterday's positives- we were determined and played entertaining football. Emo and Fergie looked very high quality, Bothroyd carries real threat, Nissa concentrated for 90+ minutes and Short did not get injured. Reid continued to show that he might make it at Prem level and McEveley confirmed the more encouraging reports emerging from Reserve team football. Even Tugay whom I felt was finally over the top rolled back some years.

Negatives- Lucas Neill needs to dust off the videos marked Premiership Team of the Year Right Back 2001/2- yes that was you Lucas baby, look and learn.

- Brad; Amo and Matteo were not playing so why the lack of confidence?

- So we've lead 2-1 in second half play three times this season and collected the handsome total of two points from those games, hmmm...

- The other results yesterday were not good....Palace certain relegation candidates? I expect Norwich to win at Citeh tomorrow.

[John]

A lot of the Liverpool attacks were coming down our right.

I would not say Neill had a good game. He seems to be struggling with his positioning. He was caught out many times by being too close to the centre back, this gave Riise too much space. However the defence were obviously working on keeping their line and Neill seemed pre-occupied with this. To such an extent that Hughes had to give tutoring throughout the match to the defence. Jay as well was not keeping in a line with the centre backs. This will improve though, would like Nissa to be given a run in the team. He looked a bit unsure at times but always thought he plays well at centre back when given a chance.

Edited October 31, 2004 by John

[stuwilky]

Personally I thought Neill was appalling yesterday. His tackling has been his redeeming feature recently but his positioning was poor yesterday, his distribution was shocking, his awareness of what was going on elsewhere was none existant.

What on earth has happened to this man?

[Paul]

Still less than 20K Rovers ..... great vocal support again but we really need those stay aways to come back,hopefully yesterday will help.

Better crowd than I feared we might get AND the team performed for them. Perhaps some who came because it was Liverpool will come again?

[mhead]

Lets not go overboard....Hughsey played a team that could run and run.Not a team(except for Tugay and Emo) that would try to be intricate.

The defence was actually superb-The pass to Riise for the first goal was world class and Baros looked way ahead of Owen.

It was the first really hopeful product of the coaching and endurance work that this sub-Premier squad has shown and will need before we bring in or back some of the diamonds you need in the Premiership.

See Tashor post for what I felt like last night!

[roversWASmylife]

Personally I thought Neill was appalling yesterday. His tackling has been his redeeming feature recently but his positioning was poor yesterday, his distribution was shocking, his awareness of what was going on elsewhere was none existant.

What on earth has happened to this man?

Neill has never been that good a right back for us.

If I'm right, Neill was never a right back in the first place. At Millwall he was used as a right winger or in the centre of midfield.

But the idea of using Neill as a right back was Souness.

Overall from yesterday's game I came out of Ewood dissapointed, but for the right reasons. I came out thinking we should have won that.

But I would have happily taken a draw before the match.

The changes that Hughes made to the line-up was needed. What I felt we missed in the defence was communication and what I noticed that the back four were doing more of was talking to each other.

The midfield controlled the game, Emerton and Barry especially. Both of them were brilliant yesterday.

The two Jay's as well both had excellent games. You could look at McEevely's mistake building up to their equaliser but we have seen worse mistakes from other players so far this season.

Tugay played a lot better, but what concerned me espeically the last twenty minutes is that he began to tire, leading to his sloppy passes that he started to dish out.

Overall I'm very pleased. I hope and think that Hughes will keep the same team for the next games coming up.

The team showed a battling performance and were determined not to be another thrashing for yet another team.

Credit to all the fans who kept getting behind the team when we went a goal down early on.

Blackburn 2-2 Liverpool

[G Somerset Rover]

Great performance-a far cry from the team which has rolled over all season. There were alot of pluses today; the pairing of Nissa and Short, Ferguson's performance, Bothroyd looking the part up front, Reid looking every inch the player we heard about at Millwall. However the biggest plus of the night for me was Emerton. Have his family finally took back his twin brother and given us the real Brett or something? He looked like the player who had all the big clubs in Europe after him, what a performance. We must follow this up with a couple of wins now starting against Norwich next weekend. If we keep the same 11, I don't see any reason why we can't do that and get out of this mess. It was only one performance, and there were still some negatives (First 10 mins, Neil and Friedel-what was he doing for Baros' goal?! The first rule for a keeper is to come out and narrow the angle!!!), but for some reason I'm feeling strangely optimistic for the first time in a year!