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Saturday, 1 January 2011

Liverpool 2-1 Bolton: Dominated

By: Mark Yesilevskiy | January 1st, 2011
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62855025 Having already lost 1-0 to Liverpool at the Reebok on October 31, Bolton will hope to end their winless run against Liverpool. The last time the Whites beat the Reds? 3-2 winners in the fourth round of the Carling Cup in December 2003. The last time they won in a league fixture? 1954. Trends seem to be on Bolton’s side this season. The Wanderers haven’t lost two games in a row yet and three times this season, they’ve bounced back from a loss by picking up all three points the next match.

Bolton look depleted as the usual injury suspects of Ricardo Gardner, Jlloyd Samuel, Sean Davis and Joey O’Brien are all still out. Paul Robinson is suspended for this match while Stuart Holden, Tamir Cohen, and Gretar Steinnson will also miss the match. Bolton are playing with four subs on the bench: Adam Bogdan, Ivan Klasnic, Martin Petrov, and Robbie Blake. The youngsters Marcos Alonso and Rodrigo Moreno would both start.

Rodrigo Moreno was awarded a free kick in the 43rd minute on a yellow card tackle by Fabio Aurelio on the sideline. Matty Taylor stood over the ball and sent it in across the face of goal, right to the head of Super Kevin Davies who only had to make contact with it to ensure that it went past Pepe Reina. 1-0.

Fernando Torres would find the equalizer for Liverpool in the 49th minute. After some neat passing between Steven Gerrard, Glen Johnson, and David Ngog, Gerrard chipped a ball over the Bolton defense. Fernando Torres volleyed from close range. 1-1.

92nd minute. Steven Gerrard orchestrates for Liverpool again. His cross into the box hit off the defender’s hip, allowing play to continue. The ball went past Jussi Jaaskelainen and Joe Cole tapped it in for the goal and the game winner. 2-1.

Liverpool absolutely dominated Bolton in the second half of the match. Bolton were lucky to have not given up more. Fernando Torres’ trigger shyness and the amount of times that the defense recovered after being caught out insured that. The midfield is a mess without Stuart Holden. We knew that. Hopefully he’s fit for the next match.

Category: Team News

Tags: Bolton Wanderers, Fernando torres, Kevin Davies, Liverpool, Team News
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Liverpool 2, Bolton 1: Feeling Something Again

By: Ed | January 1st, 2011
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Joe Cole’s bundled-home goal in the 92nd minute wins it for Liverpool.

In a season as frustrating as this, days like today are too seductive.

You enter with low expectations, pissed off at the manager and the club, just waiting for the next thing to go wrong. Then things do go wrong—one of the better players through a dismal patch gets hurt, and the fatigued captain comes on to fill a role in which he’s had little success.

Things don’t entirely crash and burn immediately, though, and you find that hope has started to creep back in. Just one bounce this way or that. Just one chance taken and things would be different. But instead, things go wrong again, and it’s hopeless. Yeah, it was looking up, but what’s the use? Nothing changes.

Of course, then everything changes. A clever bit of play and delicious delivery frees up the pissed off, disillusioned, past-it 26 year-old former world-class striker and things are on the up. They start to play a bit of football.

There’s a little back-and-forth, some moments of doubt, and then, just when it seemed like better than bad would need to be good enough, the combination of skill and chance changes the conversation completely. Not for an extended period of time, obviously. But for that moment, and many of the ones on each side of it, it was just nice to feel something again.

A 2-1 win over Bolton at Anfield in front of a season-low 35,400 spectators that pushes the club to ninth in the table is not the renaissance that any of us have been waiting for. It doesn’t change the fact that Liverpool have underachieved for long spells, and it’s not going to change doubters’ minds that Liverpool might actually be meeting expectations that have, by necessity and reality, been dramatically lowered. It also doesn’t change my mind that Roy Hodgson needs to be replaced as soon as possible.

But like short glimpses against Chelsea and…well, Chelsea, it showed that if this squad is given the chance to play football, they can and will.

The decision to play Daniel Agger in central defense was not the lone factor responsible for the shift that we saw take hold (especially in the second half), but it was as good an example as any of the potential that exists in the personnel that Roy Hodgson has at his disposal. Making his first appearance since September, Agger was one of the main catalysts in moving the ball up the pitch. Not through the air, over the heads of gawking playmakers, directed at an overmatched and outmanned lone man up front.

The ball was played along the ground, through the middle and down the flanks, with movement to follow. It wasn’t just Agger—Fabio Aurelio was typically involved, Lucas had another positive performance in the middle of the park, and Glen Johnson and Dirk Kuyt began to resume their effective partnership on the right side. To a man, though (and again, mostly in the second half), there was activity and forward movement, and Liverpool forced the issue about as much as they had all season.

Much of it started at the back, as Pepe Reina had far-fewer aimless bombs heading downfield. The distribution was much simpler, but it allowed for Liverpool to maintain possession and get forward in a more controlled, confident manner. The “squad isn’t that good” argument showed itself to be, in many cases, largely false—the squad can be that good if they’re allowed to play a brand of football that fits.

Maybe the exception to the sense-making of it all was the performance of Steven Gerrard. On Wednesday he was one of the main culprits; he looked out of position and ineffectual as a central midfielder, and it was all we could do to bemoan the idiocy of Roy Hodgson for placing him there.

It would follow that after replacing Raul Meireles in the 21st minute, Gerrard proceeded to turn in his best display of the season alongside(ish) Lucas in central midfield. He didn’t try to do too much, he rarely looked out of control, and, if anything, he actually did have the calming effect on the side that the commentary team kept reminding me he “always had.” His delivery on both goals was vintage—it was an inch-perfect lofted ball for Torres to slam home for the first, and the sliced cross in the 92nd that eventually bounced off a defender for Cole to poke home was dangerous and ultimately effective.

So what does this all mean beyond today?

Hard to tell. The early returns from Roy Hodgson’s press conference don’t seem too encouraging, as there’s less of an admission of a tactical alteration and more of a “see what I can do” undercurrent. Not the type of response you’re looking for from a man who just two days earlier had lamented the lack of support and engaged in a public “woe is me.”

If anything, it’s that Liverpool can win matches you know they need to, and they’re able to play the type of football that gets them a victory by any means necessary. If they revert to the tactics we saw against Wolves and Stoke and Blackpool and Everton and etc., we’ll continue to ride the roller coaster. If there’s any sort of lasting changes made as a result of today’s performance, though, it could be a step forward.

As I mentioned, though, more than anything it’s nice to feel excited about a Liverpool result again. That doesn’t involve rapturous celebrations or pronouncements of a return to glory—far from it. We know the context will catch up with us, as it’s inevitably done this season.

For now, though, it’s not entirely ignorant to just be happy that Liverpool won.

Some Related Liverpool Posts:Match Preview: Liverpool v. Bolton, 10.31.10Match Preview: Liverpool v. Bolton; Hodgson Exit On the Way?UPDATED—Liverpool 1, Bolton 0: Scraping ByMatchday: Liverpool v. SunderlandMatchday: Liverpool v. Manchester United

Category: Match Recaps, Miscellaneous, Premier League, Team News

Tags: Daniel Agger, Fernando Torres, Joe Cole, Match Recaps, Miscellaneous, Pepe Reina, Premier League, Roy Hodgson, Steven Gerrard, Team News
Tweet « Matchday: Liverpool v. Bolton | Home | Red2deathLast-minute winner is always good for the soul. I do hope this means Hodgson gets to leave on a high.blog comments powered by Disqus

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Video- James Morrison goal vs Manchester United

Jan 1, 2011

An exquisite volley goal from James Morrison for West Brom against Manchester United on New Years’ Eve 2011.

January 1, 2011 at the Hawthorns.

This stunning 25 yard effort from Morrison was the equaliser for West Bromwich Albion after Man United had taken the lead through Wayne Rooney.

James Morrison goal against Manchester United

West Brom 1-1 Man United ( Morrison 14′ goal)

West Brom vs Manchester United Highlights Goals

Jan 1, 2011

West Brom 1-2 Manchester United ( James Morrison/ Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez)

Premiership- January 1, 2011

Javier Hernandez’s second half goal gave Manchester United a narrow 2-1 win over West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns.

West Brom played attractive football, especially in the first half, but will be ruing a missed second half penalty from Peter Odemwingie.

West Brom vs Manchester United 0-1 ( Wayne Rooney 2′)

West Bromwich Albion 1-1 Manchester United ( James Morrison 14′)

West Brom vs Man United 1-2 ( Javier Hernandez goal)

Video- Javier Hernandez goal vs West Brom

Jan 1, 2011

Javier Chicharito Hernandez scored the match winner for Manchester United in a narrow 2-1 win over West Bromwich Albion on January 1, 2011.

Hernandez, a second half substitute for Dimitar Berbatov, took advantage of some sloppy defending from West Brom to head home from a corner. Not the flashiest of goals, but a very important one for Manchester United nevertheless, given how West Brom took them the distance.

Chicharito goal vs West Brom

West Bromwich Albion 1-2 Manchester United ( Hernandez goal)

Video- Peter Odemwingie penalty miss vs Manchester United

Jan 1, 2011

Here is a video of the missed penalty by Peter Odemwingie ( West Brom) against Manchester United.

With the match tied at 1-1, Rio Ferdinand fouled Jerome Thomas in the box, leading to a penalty for the Baggies. However Odemwingie dragged his shot wide, and the penalty miss proved to be crucial as Javier Hernandez scored later in the game to give Man United a 2-1 win over West Brom

Video- Peter Odemwingie penalty miss against Man United

Tottenham vs Fulham Highlights Video

Jan 1, 2011

Tottenham 1-0 Fulham ( Gareth Bale 42′)

January 1, 2011- White Hart Lane, London.

Gareth Bale’s 11th goal of the season gave Tottenham Hotspur an important 1-0 win over Fulham in the Premiership. Bale nodded in a free kick from Van der Vaart to give Spurs a 1-0 win.

Tottenham vs Fulham 1-0 ( Gareth Bale header goal)

Liverpool vs Bolton Highlights Goals

Jan 1, 2011

Liverpool 2-1 Bolton Wanderers ( Fernando Torres, Joe Cole/ Kevin Davies)

Anfield, Liverpool- January 1, 2011

A crucial win for Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson, with Joe Cole’s injury time goal giving Liverpool a 2-1 comeback win over Bolton Wanderers.

Liverpool vs Bolton 0-1 ( Kevin Davies goal)

Liverpool vs Bolton 1-1 ( Fernando Torres goal)

Liverpool vs Bolton 2-1 ( Joe Cole goal)

Sunderland vs Blackburn Highlights Goals

Jan 1, 2011

Sunderland 3-0 Blackburn Rovers ( Danny Welbeck, Darren Bent, Asamoah Gyan)

Stadium of Light, Sunderland- January 1, 2011

Sunderland bounced back from their midweek defeat to win 3-0 against Blackburn Rovers. Sixth home win of the season for Sunderland.

Sunderland vs Blackburn 1-0 ( Welbeck goal)

Sunderland vs Blackburn 2-0 ( Bent goal)

Sunderland AFC 3-0 Blackburn ( Gyan goal)

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Saturday, 1 January 2011