Results tagged “alonso” from Liverpool Echo - Another Red Letter Day
AS IF it wasn't hard enough to play a rejuvenated Sunderland side without our two best players.
Minus Torres and Gerrard, even random beach balls are conspiring to work against us now.
All kinds of flaky rumours sprouting up today about Frenchman Frank Ribery possibly moving to Anfield.
Does, an article posted by www.goal.com add weight to a speculative story? It seems to have been generated by a welter of people lumping a tenner on the winger joining Liverpool, prompting Skybet to slash the odds on Frank playing in front of the Kop.
ALL IN ALL, it was a hugely productive season for Liverpool, but one which ultimately ended in frustration.
So near yet so far to that first title in 19 years.
Still, there are many reasons for optimism that will mean we march into the next campaign with hope in our hearts.
Here, Another Red Letter Day presents its End of Season awards.
WHAT a game.
Tuesday's match against Arsenal will surely go down as one of the greatest in recent Premiership history.
But for Liverpool it was a damaging result.
You can be certain it's been a good night for Liverpool when much-maligned full back Andrea Dossena sprints 60 yards to get into the box, controls and fires into the net of the best keeper in the world with aplomb.
IT'S BEEN a while since a league home game at Anfield has been looked forward to with such little anticipation.
Defeat to Middlesborough, following on from the draw against Man City the week before, had knocked all the fight of every fan alike, it seemed.
IF EVER there was a recipe for a dire night in Europe, tonight was it.
Struggling to keep in touch with Man Utd in the Premiership, rumours about Rafa's job sweeping the city.
But then this is Liverpool. And a 1-0 win at the Bernabeu cauldron against a bang in form Real Madrid side, when the rest of the world is sniping, is pretty much par for the course for us.
THERE were two emotions uppermost in my mind moments after having watched Liverpool snatch an improbable victory from the jaws of defeat at Portsmouth.
Elation that we had managed to secure three crucial points in such dramatic, kamikaze circumstances.
But frustration and anger that loyal fans were being forced to try and understand the inexplicability of one of the most baffling Liverpool starting elevens, and its resulting formation, in years.
AS the clock ticked down towards 90 minutes on early Sunday evening, the knives were being sharpened to further puncture Liverpool's faltering title challenge.
But three mad-cap minutes changed all of that and breathed vital new life into the pursuit of Man Utd's at the top of the table.
AND so to Goodison as for the second time in a week we couldn't find a way to beat a much-depleted but battling Everton side.
No two games could have more perfectly summed up Liverpool's currentl failings in a season that still promises to deliver so much.
IT WAS all looking so rosy with four minutes to go.
Two points clear at the top of the table and Everton put to the sword.
But the negativity that runs through our play once again cost us. Massively.
There are only so many draws you can record, particularly at home, before a genuine title bid is seriously undermined.
It's been a colourful old week in the life of Liverpool FC.
If we haven't been talking about dodgy chants on the terraces, it's been the Benitez new deal wrangle or the race at the top of the Premiership.
Crickey. That last one was actually about football.
A TRICKY hurdle away at high-flying Preston in the FA Cup was never going to be an easy game.
And so it proved as Liverpool eventually dispatched a resilient Preston with a professionalism that was not in their locker a couple of years ago.
ON ANY other day, securing a point at the Emirates against an Arsenal side who have already disposed of Man Utd and Chelsea would have been considered a good result.
Except this time, the 1-1 draw felt us wanting a whole lot more.
It was hard not to think that Sunday's point apiece was a chance lost to make a huge statement of intent on the Premiership race.
WELL, if we don't win our first title for 19 years when May comes upon us, we can point to where we let it all slip away.
Drawing at home to Stoke is an irritant, doing the same against Fulham and then West Ham is bordering on the criminal.
To then go and fail to beat Hull at Anfield, as good as the Tigers are, is nigh on suicide.
Saturday was different to the two previous stalemate displays at Anfield as Liverpool played pretty well on this occasion and we had the pressure and chances to put Hull away three times over.
Still, the other big three are doing their best to do us huge favours every time we slip up at home.
Who would have thought that none of the top four, Villa excluded, would have won over the weekend?
CAN WE play every game away from home please?
The relief was palpable at Saturday teatime after Liverpool finally notched up three points in a Premiership game to reaffirm our title credentials.
And after two consecutive, nervy and error-strewn performances at home to Fulham and West Ham, I'm bet the players were glad to get away from the frustrated Anfield arena for a weekend.
Still, it still wasn't exactly vintage Reds was it?
DROPPING two points at home to Stoke could be considered unfortunate.
Repeating the feat at home to Fulham would be viewed as worrying. Doing the same against West Ham, and failing to score again into the bargain, is tantamount to a criminal offence.
If we fail to notch up number 19 this season, it's these matches that'll show us where we let it wastefully slip away.
IT'S OFFICIAL. Liverpool are in a bad spell at the moment.
Thankfully, that bad spell is twinned with a professionalism and ability to get results which is just about keeping us on track.
There's no doubt, however, that the unjustified loss to Spurs in the league did more mental damage than we imagined.
THEY always said Houllier had a stubborn struck in him.
As 90 minutes frustrating slipped by on Saturday, it was hard not to conclude that Benitez was displaying a similar trait.
OUT with the amateurs, in with the professionals.
After Wednesday nights dire showing, the proper employees at our club showed how to control and win a game of football.
What could have been an arkward trip up the M62 ended up a fairly comfortable afternoon for the first teamers.
