Yes, I am frustrated. It was a quite frustrating match, wasn’t it? I’m disappointed with our bad performance and Reading’s good performance, our spoiled chances and the lack of luck, Emiliano Insua and the fact that Yossi came on so late … Thank God we have Pepe!
It was a thrilling match. Oh yes, it was. But that’s it. There wasn’t nothing more of what you would and could except from a match between Liverpool and a second league team like Reading. It wasn’t a high-level game, there was no quality and, for me, no full-time team spirit. The Reds once again didn’t play at they level.
“And once again Liverpool were bailed out by Steven Gerrard.” *
I took a quite long time till the Reds woke up from the unexplainable passivity and played forward. After Stevie’s goal the dikes seemed to be broken … Yes, Stevie was fantastic … in the first half. He saved us once again. The Liverpool captain’s cross from the left intended to pick out Dirk Kuyt, but the Dutchman failed to get a touch. His diagonal run, however, had served as a distraction and Adam Federici, the Reading goalkeeper, was flummoxed as the ball drifted into the far corner.
I don’t know what happened in the break, but Gerrard didn’t seem the same, unconcentrated as he was. And the whole team … there seemed to be a lack of cohesion about the players in red, there were only a few sparks of aggresivity which extinguished very fast.
For me, the only man who showed a real spirit was Fernando Torres. This was not a match that will live long in the Spaniard’s memory, even if he led the line and was aggressive and courageously, fighting for the ball and trying to score. Alas, it didn’t work but El Nino created the most chances and showed concentration, passion and resolution as the only one on the pitch.
And then there was Emiliano Insua who was simply terrible today. He wasn’t able to win any of his duels, nothing worked for him today …
Strange to think that four months ago Liverpool were favoured by many to win the league. Now their season has been reduced to a frantic attempt to cling onto a Champions League place and a hopeful tilt at the FA Cup. Strange to think that one year ago Liverpool was on the top of the table and was seven points ahead on the arch-rival Manchester United. Now Liverpool is on the seventh position in the league and is struggling to reach the fourth place.
Now we have a replay. “I think we deserved a draw”, said Reading’s boss, Brian McDermott. But did WE deserve it?
Amanda
*guardian.co.uk