Matchday: Liverpool v. Everton

well, taking into account that 80% of this game was played 11 v 10, we had ourselves a nice, solid, no frills and no surprises ballgame.  it was honestly refreshing to see the way we just went about our business, nice and patient and methodical.  instead of starting rly well and fading, we just had kind of an even keeled performance all game. 

Everyone looked solid today, other than skrtel, who had his patented nervy moment or two.  reina was hardly tested; carra and kelly were chillin all game; enrique continues to make a case to be spanish first choice at the euros; lucas had another faultless outing and it looks like he's taking to pushing up more consistently in this new system; adam had his lunged tackle, his hollywood pass and his cracked effort from distance, but mostly he did the same thing he did against wolves only better - kept it simple; downing continues to marry excellent technical ability with a kuyt-like workrate on that left hand flank (him and enrique are quietly turning into one of the best flank tandems in the league); speaking of which, kuyt - barring his horrifying pk - was at his best, for all the difficulties carroll and suarez have had clicking, dirk and suarez really seem to speak the same language out there and some of there interchanges are victoria's secret model beautiful; carroll kept it steady without dominating like he shud, still that performance will do just fine;

and finally, suarez.  for as important and impressive as he is as liverpool's main goal threat, its doing him a disservice to classify him only as a striker - he truly is the heartbeat of the side at the moment.  Anything positive starts, involves or ends with him.  its amazing.  the only players that come to mind who have anywhere near the involvement on their teams play as suarez are silva, rooney and modric... he is truly phenomenal, its an absolute privilege to watch #7 play ball.

steven and bellamy were Razor Sharp upon their introduction, and Bellamy's ball playing in Enrique was exactly the kind of ball we were missing up until that point.  he really seems an astute purchase, and is making that difference maker off the bench role look effortless so far. 

All in all, im most pleased with the way we waited and broke everton down physically, and then when the time came to be incisive, the King made the perfect change, and it was a fairly painless afternoon.

Gotta be careful not let it get to our heads, but this will do our confidence just fine leading up to the real derby... YNWA!!!!!

luis suarez's creativity literally knows no bound - prior to taking the corner he makes a big deal about a coin being thrown on the pitch, all the while keepin his eye on any runs in the box, kuyt (who's been excellent) obliges, and it was about 6 inches away from being 3-0.  Love It.

Was very funny watching Bellers and Luis taking the corners late. Bottles, coins, curses, spittin, fingers, bile and....... corners. luis, like u said was on his toes. Atkinson handed us the game today. Was afraid he would see his error at the half and try to even it up in the 2nd. Great run by Enrique. Great duck by Dirki.

yeah, but luis should have scored with that open header before the red.

YES he should have. What was he thinking! And it was an intelligent strike by Big Andy and great movement to find the space. Very happy for him to finally get his goal! I again wasn't too impressed with Charlie. We'll see what Ed & Noel have to say later.

The Gerrard for Adam sub "may" be an indication that Kenny is coming around to some of our thoughts and that he just might be considering using Stevie G. in Charlies place going forward.

Fuck you too Jagielka

he's having a shocker today...

done and dusted.  give a run out to wee jay or hendo...

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What about the awareness from Kuyt to duck under that cross. Henderson would have tried to shoot! Well done Andy for the goal!

true true, not to mention suarez catching the ball on his chest and carressing it onto his boot

boy knows his way around a 6 yard box doesnt he...

Jose Fucking Enrique.

no other words needed

Bellamy really brings out the best in him

CARRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

ANDY!

finally, a flowing movement and a goal!

here we go... first time we've seen carroll, suarez and captain fantastic on the pitch together...

Suarez better not come off for Gerrard...

We need to step this up, and fast.  Take the game to them.  The whole logic 'the goal will come eventually' is a dangerous fallacy.  At this rate I won't be surprised to see us scrambling to get a winner in the 80th.  That's cutting it too close.  Either that or grabbing just one and limping towards the finish line in a nervous finish.  It shouldn't be this way.

Stevie and Bellers will save us! I think...

gotta step up on that ish, skrtel...

Gotta say, we've got a one man advantage, Everton have spent no money this Summer, we've missed a penalty and we haven't been overly impressive bar a cracking Adam drive.

When you press the "LIKE"  button the following post reads        

"Liverpool are shite, and I would know because I am cynical as an obese Larry David"

It's the blue Frimpong!

he blue himself

hahaha nice

set piece training has come good so far in this game, we've looked rock on d and likely on o...

What a half. Usually, I watch these 445 am starts on the Pacific coast in a foggy stupor, but not that one.

Perfect for Gerrard to get in here, right?

where was ur boy in the first half!!!!1

Ah man. He'll get the next one.

some awful challenges from everton.  question is can liverpool make a game of it.  they look a little sluggish today, and not too many ideas.

If adam can get a couple of those strikes in per game, he'll get my backing!!  we'll build the midfield around him.

hard to be incisive against 10 men, i was pretty happy with the way we kept possession in the first.  thats the key, keep the ball, make em work and take the inevitable chances those tired legs will create as the game wears on.  a bit of genius wud be nice to expedite things, 26 an 7 look the most likely so far...

Dirk Kuyt not scoring that penalty has sent me into a state of neurological confusion.

People all over facebook asking me why Kuyt took the penalty. Because, um, he's phenomenal at it?

People are the worst.

Holland vs. USA was a bit unfair for Dirki. Although Spain and England have had their problems too.

everton are playing behind the ball and quick into everything.  It's cost them cards but it's stopped pool passing fluidly, so most moves have been static crosses, easily defended by moyes' methods.

Need quick short passing around the box.

We need more intelligent play too.  I remember a time around the 40' where it was 4-on-2 on the flank.  Instead of taking advantage, we just pumped a cross in to nobody.  That's lazy football and makes it so easy for teams to park the bus against us. 

wow, #26, whoa. watta strike that wuda been...

Oy, not a lot of power on that penalty...

gotta have a better result than that 20 yards out with a perfect angle for charlies left foot... but all in all, really good patience from the reds so far, these minutes will pay dividends late in the second half...

It's truly amazing how little Charlie Adam moves

Atrocious call on Rodwell, must admit.

What a poor call, Atkinson....wow.

yet another thing to add to suarez's bag of tricks - he's sells a dive like no other...

I beg to differ.  That wasn't a dive.  It was real contact, and it was painful - but it was a fair challenge.

ya but he jumped about 5ft in the air off of the leg that took the brunt of the blow, he does it everytime he gets touched - its not really so much diving flat out as it is anticipating the contact and making a meal of it every time.

I'd say the jumping is actually an attempt to avoid the contact.  Not getting clattered is better than injury.  And I'm sure even Suarez was surprised by the red.  He wouldn't have been thinking of getting Rodwell sent off there, all he's concerned about in that second is taking care of the tackle that's coming in.

ya i get what u mean, and by no means am i complaining, but suarez knows exactly what he's doing out there with those jumps - pen was another example of it. he baits.  its intelligent, but he knows wat he's doin.

Bye bye, Jack

We getting some rub of the green here?  In all fairness, even a yellow would have been harsh.  Moyes has got to be livid.  

Liverpool to go on to win this.  And hopefully we earn it, not just because it's 11 v 10.

Don't worry, Atkinson can make it 10 v 10. Wouldn't be out of character...

though that was a bit harsh, Mr. Atkinson...

Kuyt starts.

Everything's beautiful and nothing hurts.

Though that could be my contact high speaking.

was Kenny chewing gum then or meat?

I think all the good notes from the past matches mix together into a tasty Liverpool stew today: Carroll's newfound movement; Downing's sweet feeds; Suarez's magic; Adam's clever corners; Lucas' midfield mastery; the Great Wall of Reina; and Kuyt's clutch.  Stir well, bake for 90 minutes plus extra time, serve Red hot

Put the goats outside, send the kids next door, pour a drink no matter when/where you are, and don't say anything about Noel's lucky derby shirt. Polka dots can be very dapper. 

Derby day. 

Kuyt returns. No shit.

Liverpool: Reina, Kelly, Enrique, Carragher, Skrtel, Kuyt, Downing, Lucas, Adam, Carroll, Suarez. Subs: Doni, Coates, Gerrard, Henderson, Bellamy, Flanagan, Spearing.

short gerrard and agger, thats the strongest side... so who gets the red card today? skrtel? adam? Carroll?

If Kenny's taught them one thing the last two weeks, it's to be aggresive intelligently and avoid the cards. Let's go Dirki, remind us all why you should be the 2nd name on the teamsheet.  

I going for dark horse Stewart Downing.

that horse is so dark its purple...

"Liverpool FC will be giving away £500 to the LFC supporter who submits the best video of themselves watching the derby today. We want videos from all over the world - Asia, Africa, Europe, Americas, Middle East, anywhere! Get filming and you could win!"

Better clean up my act then...

I'm gonna make a porno while watching the derby...anyone think that would win?

I find myself unable to decide whether I want Charlie Adam to start this game or not. Being generally frustrated up to this point due to his schizophrenic nature. I'm not sure how to balance his set piece mastery, passing innovation, defensive brain bleeds and pedestrian holidays.
As well, I also think he deserved more credit than he got for Liverpool's first goal last week. His not-so-subtle feint was pulled at the precise moment and I think he was actually aiming for a deflection off whoever that dude was who eventually OG'd it in.

he is blessed with audacity, but intentional deflected shot?  not sure even ronaldinho at his best cud do that... but i like it!

alright boys an girls, openin up the day with an XL can of hangover, need this result today, so i do...

need an aggressive, physical side, stack that midfield to ensure we win that area of the pitch and the more derby experience that starts, the better:

            reina
kelly carra skrtel enrique
    
      lucas     spearing

kuyt     suarez    downing
           
           carroll

with bellamy and adam on for downing and suarez, some time after the 70th, and another 10 minutes for captain fantastic to come on for carroll.  im also, predictably, A-OK with the Bucktoothed Wonder gettin a start here, but I wud be very interested to see what we look like this year with the 2 CDM set up, considering the much improved attacking foursome playing in front of them.

Best gameplan we have at the moment. In saying that I couldn't care who we put on the park as long as we win. YNWA

From a kiwi perspective, right now I'm watching a cracker AFL grand final between Collingwood and Geelong. Straight after, England play Scotland in the rugby world cup and then straight after that Liverpool start at Goodison Park. Are the sporting heavens aligned or what?

if the 49ers beat the Eagles tomorrow, then yes, yes they are.