*My fellow REDS,
Another below-par performance, rewarded with a point.. more from the
wastefulness of the home side.
Still a happy point for the traveling REDS to take back to Anfield !!
Review below.. courtesy of the webmaster of the LSCM
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http://www.lscm.com.my/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=235&catid=47&Itemid=41
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And pics below.. courtesy of getty images..
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http://www.lscm.com.my/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=234&catid=43&Itemid=83
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Regards,
Boo Soon Yew*
We feared the worst.. we never expected a win, we dreaded a trashing.. in
the end, we will be grateful for the draw and the point that comes with it.
Now with the roller-coaster events of the past 2 weeks that had gripped REDS
worldwide.. from events leading to our 15th Oct deadline with RBS, the
spectre of the 9-point deduction, the joy of knowing our new owners.. right
till the tumultuous court proceedings.. and all culminated into a derby game
that would have capped off the week nicely.
Sadly or thankfully.. reality sank in as we realized we are still woeful on
the pitch.. and we all know that there can only be one solution. A new owner
has gradually put up a new board.. and we can only ask for a swift
installation of a new manager.
Roy had a win-win situation. By leaving Torres & Gerrard at home, he is
saying to the press.. “look I’ve got an excuse why we didn’t win”. By
leaving Meireles & Lucas at home, he is hinting.. “look Napoli, come & get
us.. it’s gonna be a raw midfield to face you”. And by leaving Joe Cole on
the bench on match day, he is blaring.. “I definitely don’t intend to win
the game !!”
So like “lambs to the slaughter”, Roy sent out Jonjo Shelvy to play just
behind Ngog. Spearing partnered Poulsen in the heart of midfield. Jovanovic
and Babel operated from the wings. In defence Reina had Kelly, Carra, Skrtel
and Konchesky.
True enough, our play lacked any penetration as Napoli dictated play from
the opening whistle. But then again, over-anxiety or possibly
over-confidence got into the home side as they found difficulty creating a
chance to trouble Reina.
We were to see the usual loose passes from our Red Men.. no more
lamentations as this is all part & parcel of Roy’s game-plan we have come to
grudgingly chew on. We had to wait till the 32nd minute for our first shot
at goal, a Jonjo Shelvy effort easily gathered by the keeper. The press will
surely applaud Roy for granting the teenage Jonjo his first start. Other
than that, there was really nothing much to shout about.. not because Jonjo
is poor.. but all because he was not playing in his position of strength
which is in the heart of midfield to win tackles.
Oh and speaking of tackles.. it was all a contained effort, bodies behind
the ball, standing and blocking and avoiding rash challenges. Were we paying
a wee bit too much respect to them ??
In the end, the really noteworthy effort from a RED MAN was to save us at
the goal-line and from an impending defeat. A corner kick was not dealt with
and the ball somehow looped over a bemused Reina who had Konchesky to thank
for clearing the ball !!
The second half was littered with bad mistakes by our Red Men.. yet we were
grateful they went unpunished with an equally wasteful Napoli side. A
flashing header by their top striker Cavani was all they could show. We
worry though about Carragher who didn’t appear in the second half, his place
taken by Kyrgiakos.
In fact, Babel and later Ngog had chances to give Roy something to gloat
about. A superb move allowed Jovanovic to release Babel on the left of the
box. Babel chose to guide the ball to the far corner only to let the
outstrectched leg of the keeper block it. Joe Cole came on for Babel who was
probably “punished” for missing that chance to prolong Roy’s Liverpool
lifespan. Soon after, it was Ngog with a brilliant turn to send away a
left-shooted.. only to be blocked by the gluteal muscles of a Napoli
defender !!
The game was to taper off to a frustrating point for the home side and
fans.. but a happy one for the travelling REDS to bring back to Anfield.
In retrospect, we were pleased to see Aurelio come off the bench after a
prolonged absence. We are glad to see Jovanovic taking the initiative at
times. We also clearly see Cole’s best position is playing behind the
striker.
Results-wise, we are happy as it extends our interest in this competition,
one that we basically have the ONLY hope of winning this season.
Performance-wise, it was below-average.. the sparks were too few and far..
and outweighed by the negatives. We still need a man to guide and lead our
players. It has not worked so far in 8 Premier League games & 7 Europa
League Group games & qualifiers. We await the spark.. from somewhere.. the
golden sky must surely beckon.. ynwa !!