Liverpool 1 Arsenal 2
December 13, 2009 3 Comments
It seems ages since I last watched a Liverpool match properly, so I decided to sit back and enjoy it, this afternoon. As events transpired, there was no enjoyment whatsoever.
The Reds played well in the first half. There were some grumblings, beforehand, that Aquilani didn’t start, but Mascherano and Lucas showed why they were picked as they completely bossed the midfield. It was also a huge relief to see Gerrard and Torres reunited, and they looked dangerous whenever they linked up. You couldn’t fault the whole team’s energetic performance and Arsenal weren’t given a kick.
The deadlock was broken on 40 minutes when Dirk Kuyt slotted home, after Almunia fumbled a free kick. Liverpool thoroughly deserved the lead, but the big question was if they could they keep it going in the second half. You can never discount Arsenal, as they can create a chance out of nothing, and surely they couldn’t be as bad as they were in the first half.
Well, inevitably, things didn’t go the same in the second half. An own goal from Johnson and a wonder strike from Arshavin were enough to seal all three points for the Gunners. It was a complete turnaround from Liverpool, and any confidence completely drained from the players, following the equaliser. They seemed totally lacking of ideas and I don’t think that they had a shot in the second period.
Is there a solution to Liverpool’s woes? I don’t really see one. Under other circumstances, I might be asking for a change of manager. But, who would they bring in to replace Benitez? Given the current squad and the financial restraints, what could another manager do differently? It seems like a problem without an answer.
Oh well, Christmas is a time for miracles, so fingers crossed.
About sherby57
I think Liverpool fans need to wake up and realise that Rafa Benitez isn’t all he’s cracked up to be. Any manager in the world knows Torres is a fantastic buy, but other than that what good players has he signed? Too many flops for my liking.
Under Benitez Liverpool have won:
1 FA Cup
1 Community Shield
1 Champions League
1 European Super Cup
Four trophies in five years is poor for a supposed ‘big four’ team. The FA Cup, Community Shield and Champions League wins were hardly convincing and were very close games, and the Super Cup had to be won in extra time.
I think it’s time Rafa was shown the door. He’s nothing more than an average-to-good Premier League manager. No different to Harry Redknapp or Martin O’Neill.
A European cup is pretty special, though!
Arsenal cannot boast that. Liverpool need holistic treatment, it’s not just the manager.
I wouldn’t normally condone the use of the word ‘holistic’, but I think you’ve just summed things up perfectly. A football club is like an eco-system that is too easy de-stabilised.