Results tagged “lucas” from Liverpool Echo - Another Red Letter Day
LAST night, Liverpool FC surrendered limply to a side struggling at the wrong end of the Championship.
Not only we beaten, at supposed fortress Anfield, but we were outplayed.
The Reds were palpably second best in terms of fight, commitment, ideas, creativity and skill.
Now is not the time for delusional hopes, skewed statements of how we just need our luck to change, but for cold, hard, plain facts.
It's only facing up to the reality that will possibly drag us out of this sorry, sorry mess.
YOU don't win anything with poor players.
It's as simple as that.
I ALWAYS have a sense of gloom when we get ready to play Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
It's never been a happy hunting round for us, and Liverpool performances at their place often follow that samey path of lots of endeavour, but ultimately, a lack of real class that is necessary to topple the strongest squad in the Premiership.
I THOUGHT we would have a disinterested air for this game, the league title having been sown up the previous day by United drawing with Arsenal.
But all thoughts of any Liverpool apathy was dispelled by the sight of Carragher and Arbeloa coming to blows in front of baying Albion fans.
IT WAS almost the perfect weekend.
Three points at a tough Craven Cottage with a last-gasp winner and Man Utd being held at home by Villa.
Sadly, it wasn't to be.
Hard to complain when we ourselves dragged victory from the jaws of a stalemate, but Sunday's result in Manchester has left us all a little flat.
But there's surely got to be more twists and turns and points dropped by all in this heady title race.
It's a song we could have hardly imagined we'd have been singing at Old Trafford.
But we were.
Man United were mauled in their own backyard.
And so Robbie Keane moves back to Spurs to complete one of the most bizarre, frustrating and downright puzzling Anfield transfer sagas in a long time.
But has Benitez got this one right?
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.
Newcastle must be sick of the sight of us.
Come rain or shine, good or indifferent form, Anfield or St James Park, we always give the Toon boys a good whipping.
And with Chelsea being pegged back by Fulham, it's fantastic going into the New Year with a three point lead at the top of the Premiership.
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.
I'm going to say it, yes I really am.
Lucas Leiva was excellent last night. Man of the match.
I'll go further. Ryan Babel was very promising too.
Jeez. I've done it. I need to go and lie down now.
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.
I managed to watch about two thirds of our game against Lucerne the other night.
Although, the game was reduced to something of a training session at times, and a lot of our players are clearly only half-fit, there were still some interesting pointers.
LIVERPOOL and Everton approach this weekend's Merseyside Derby with their tails somewhat between their legs.
Some chastening draws or defeats have taken the wind out of the sails of barnstorming runs embarked on by both teams.
But that shouldn't hide the fact that this is one of the most important Red/Blue fixtures for years.
