Leeds Utd 0 Liverpool 1
September 23, 2009 4 Comments
In Liverpool’s last match, against West Ham, I couldn’t watch live, but provided a blow-by-blow account of the game. In their latest match, against Leeds United in the Carling Cup, I watched it in glorious HD, but this report will be drawn mainly from memory. I actually wanted to sit and enjoy the match for once.
On paper, playing a team from two divisions below you should be a walk in the park, but this never seems to be the case. Liverpool started with a much changed line up including peripheral figures such as Dossena, Ngog, Spearing and Degen (yes, really), but, despite this, they still should have have enough quality to win the match comfortably. But, with only two starters from the previous match (Carragher and Mascherano), and a strange formation, the performance was always going to be disjointed. I’m also interested as to how players get themselves mentally correct for playing against a team from a lower division. Leeds, on the other hand, have been on a roll of late and when you’re playing against one of the top teams you always raise your game; you’re being presented with the chance to claim a massive scalp.
In the end, one goal was enough to clinch it for the Reds, but this doesn’t tell the whole story. For two-thirds of the match it played out as these kind of games always do; Liverpool struggled for any consistency in their play and Leeds played out of their skin. Beckford and Snodgrass looked lively up front for Leeds and they were unlucky when a first half goal was harshly judged offside. If that goal had been allowed and Mascherano had been sent off for a petulant slap in the second half then the result could well have been different.
The game was settled on 65 minutes with a great turn and tidy finish from David Ngog, and, after the goal, Liverpool finally settled down. The young French striker was well deserving of his goal which capped off an excellent performance. He had the thankless task of playing up front alone with little support, so he’s done his chances of playing more no harm at all.
Through to the next round, job done.
About sherby57
It was typical, never easy against Leeds, especially with the youngsters on the pitch, who are not used to playing and needed to find their feet and combination together. Like you said, main thing is, they fought off the opposition and are through to the next round.
P.S.: 6-1 v Hull at the weekend, Torres the invincible, ey? Great supply by Benayoun, too.
Yeah, it was a great performance against Hull. Hopefully it will give us some momentum going in to tomorrow’s champions league match and the upcoming Chelsea match.
” If that goal had been allowed and Mascherano had been sent off for a petulant slap in the second half then the result could well have been different.”
Nice summing up – it was one of those nights where you either get the rub of the green or you don’t – we didn’t and salt was rubbed into the wound when Mascherano went on to play a massive part in the winning goal. Let’s hope its not too long before the Leeds / Liverpool fixtures come round more often…
Cheers
When you’re playing against a team in a higher division then you really need to take the lead when you’re on top, and, to be fair, Leeds should have been in front from the goal judged to be offside. In fairness to the ref, it wasn’t the most clearcut offside decision to make – I think they really need to simplify the rule and go back to being ‘offside is offside’.
Mascherano was very silly and it was such a half-hearted slap that it would have been embarassing to have been sent off for.