Oh dear. That was unbelievably poor. Bad defending and Foster injured as well. At least other results have gone our way as I can’t see us getting many more points this season.
I’d suggest Hleb goes back to Barcelona’s bench now and 4-5-1 is jettisoned for good. What’s the point of being defensive in matches when you can’t even defend?
We need a big reaction next week against Wolves.
Yep ..to all that !
I agree. My report to come. By the look of the sentiments expressed above it doesn’t look as if I’ve been too harsh.
Lets hope the lads can bounce back and get the maximum from our remaining home games KRO.
Ferguson being rested showed just how much chance the manager thought we had today. Not much point going out to park the bus and leaving the driver at home!!
yes a really weak midfield …fahey and hleb? liverpools midfield must have been laughing when they saw the team sheet
Sorry Lads to intrude on your private grief But? It was coming – Believe me if ANY result in the last 10 years or so WAS Coming for Liverpool? It was giving Birmingham an Absolute battering – Which? TBF? YOU did to us in September in all bar scoreline.
Why do I say this? Well the Sheer AMOUNT of times I’ve seen you steal ridiculous “Against All Odds” draws and unbelievable wins against at both Anfield AND St Andrews? The amount of sheer bloody “Off Days” We ALWAYS seemed to have against you whether our manager was Called Houllier, Benitez or Roy Hodgson? Not to mention it seemed to matter little whether Mcleish or Bruce was in charge of you. Well it was just bloody ridiculous was it not? Eleven bloody league games without beating you (0-7 nuclear meltdowns in the FA Cup notwithstanding)?
7 bloody draws in a row before yesterday – The fact that season after season after season we laid down an absolute BARRAGE on your goal at Anfield and you ALWAYS managed to nick something right at the end or take the lead against the run of play and run off with an undeserved point or 3. Well? Your mystic curse/gyspy curse/magic anti-Reds shield HAD to crack sometime after nearly a decade of Anfield bombardments didn’t it? Your run of playing us on our worst run or in our worst morale for xx amount of decades (circa 2002/2003 & 2009/2010), nicking results against All the odds at Anfield (2002/2003 when you came back from Two down, 2005/2006 when you were saved by an offside flag and ridiculous own goal 2009/2010 In Particular when we completely Pulverised you from start to finish only to go in at half-time Behind).
Then there was that awful run of you getting us on our ‘Off days’ or when we were missing important strikers (2007/2008 when we played well enough to win with No luck in the area…….Again against you!!; Or 2004/2005 when we were denied TWO stick on penalties, had no striker, pounded away at you and lost to a bloody Anderton goal!!!) at Anfield.
That’s not to mention us always seeming to be in the worst form or suffering THE worst bad luck we had all season EVERY bloody season at St Andrews? (2002/2003, 2004/2005 when we were just plain awful, 2005/2006, 2007/2008 both when we played well and were unlucky with the cheating free kick goal where the keeper was blocked off – but still managed to come back from 2 down, 2009/2010 when BOTH sides were dull as dishwater but we still looked on for a win until Ridgewell strolled through, lit a cigar and equalised easily; Or This year when we were – yet again – awful at St Andrews but somehow Didn’t lose?). Yes, I think it’s safe to say we owed Birmingham today and then some alright – Our run of luck against you the last decade or so? Has been way beyond ridiculously bad – Never mind ran down a Black Cat – Try a Family of them where it comes to Brum’ I think.
Anyway – Don’t feel bad. As I’ve listed above? You’ve had MORE than your fair share of luck, lucky escapes and downright outrageous robberies against us. Way past time we redressed the balance a little and you just caught us on a day where we had it All to prove is all.
Anyway all that bad luck and that horrible hex you had on us – Particularly at Anfield? All that Ended today when the Red Tide FINALLY washed over your bloody defences – The unbreachable wall that ALWAYS sodding well kept us out crumbled and was smashed down to it’s foundation stones and not before time either. The wall that enabled you to keep stealing results against us somehow – A Bit like Bolton with Arsenal for a few years? was Finally torn down and how?
TBF? I THOUGHT today would be ANOTHER of ‘Those’ days Yet again when the keeper saved Spearing’s shot at the start -, I even wasn’t sure at 2 – 0 after Kuyt shinned one in on the turn – I’ve seen you come back from 0 – 2 down at our place before remember? But when Rodriguez volleyed the third? THAT was when the curse was finally broken and about time to!!!! As I said? Had to happen v us eventually no? That result was always coming one day – It just happened to be yesterday. God it felt good getting That little lot out!!!………
Sorry a lot of emotion and description there but I REALLY didn’t like playing your lot before today – Thought you played alright for a bit but tapped the ball around your backline a bit much like last season but THIS time? You didn’t have Joe Hart or Ben Foster after he went off to single-handedly keep us out as Hart, Foster, Taylor, Vaesen and God knows how many other of your keepers have done down the years – Your midfield playing like they’d just won a “Be a Professional Footballer for a Day” competition and the magical Luis Suarez utterly tearing your hitherto (for us) unbreachable backline to pieces helped a fair bit to of course.
Still – I suppose That curse/hex/bad run or whatever it was? Was Karmic payback for ALL the wins we used to nick by the odd goal against you lot back in the day when WE ruled England in footballing terms no? Not to mention for Gillespie’s hat-trick in ’86, the last time Dalglish managed us against you at Anfield – That long ago? What 25 years? God I feel old now. Still all the best for the rest of the season – Hope you’re here next season so we can PROPERLY excise the curse in both meetings and show this wasn’t just a one-off. I quite like your club and Mcleish to; I Certainly prefer them to West Brom’ and Hodge’!!! I think your run of form before losing at Chelsea last season when you barely let in a Goal, never mind lost was most impressive to – I enjoyed the humilation you handed out to Everton in the FA cup in that run as well I must say!! Anyways, commiserations for today and All the best for the rest of the season bar when next we meet………………
I’ve got to say Redshadow , I started off reading your article and my hackles were up , but you won me over with your sheer depth of detail and intelligent inferrence . I don’t agree with all of your opinions , but even as a partisan supporter ( and we all are ! ) you talk a very convincing game .
All in all, a bloody engaging blog with more than enough meat on the bone to back it up .
Well written sir !
redshadow. You write like a blues fan. You sure you’re a red? 🙂 you did well to surf the line between gloating and telling it like it is! We deserved our loss yesterday. Just wish we’d kept it down for our goal difference sake. Seems you were all bang on for wanting Dalglish back. Congratulations for your win. I too hope we can pair up again next season, though I hope we can resume business as usual and frustrate you again 🙂 keep right on and You’ll never walk alone
Thank You TR7 and Russell Dempsey – Didn’t MEAN to go on as Much as I did BUT? Saturday (as you’ve probably already guessed?) Meant a lot to me. You lot had a ‘Curse’ against us for damn near a decade – Something like Man U did for 5 years or so a while back when we couldn’t so much as Score against them never mind Beat them and When your team encounters sides like that? Every game against them lost or drawn, every point thrown away or goal let in? Builds up and up like a dam until you just want to explode with frustration and When said Dam is Finally ripped Down? There’s normally something of an explosion – THAT was what you got from me, I suppose – Sorry again if it was OTT.
I think you know how I feel anyway yes? You have something similar v Villa ATM or DID until you knocked them out of the League Cup Last December and if I’m not mistaken? YOU had a similar hex on THEM in the days of Steve Bruce up until 2007ish didn’t you? On another note re Houllier? I hope Ged Gets well soon – This happened to him 10 years ago with us at Anfield though; So actually? I think he should have known better before coming back to manage here Again – He should have retired after Lyon – He’s done enough and had nothing to prove to anyone – Hope he recovers OK, It’s never nice to see someone struck down like that.
Seriously though, getting back to Birmingham? Now I’ve HAD my ‘Outpouring of pent up frustration’ moment? I DO hope you stay up. I hope to that we both do well barring when we play one another next year and Russell? The curse isn’t Entirely broken no? We didn’t win at your place this time around and you’ve Still got the same number of wins v us in the Premiership that we have v you as well as innumerable bloody draws LOL; As to the number of goals on Saturday? I think that was pent up frustration from the team v you I think and Maxi having one of his ‘sizzler’ days where everything he tried came off and he looked like the player who scored the goal of World Cup 2006 once more (How far back was THAT? God I feel Old Pt 2). Anyway best of luck in the remainder of the season and over the summer until next we meet – YNWA & Keep Right On.
Also Thanks TR7 for the Compliments BTW – I normally ramble a little and are often accused of writing to much by some who know me – It’s just the way I write. Glad I’ve finally won someone over LOL I might post here again in future when I want to chat re’ Football as you’re some of the MORE knowledgable fans I’ve encountered – Certainly compared to a few I’ll not mention this time around anyway and it’s good to chat about FOOTBALL without rivalries once in a while no? I’ll certainly be keeping a good eye on Brum’ City from now on. All the best mate. Until next we speak then……………………
Oh yes Russell – I’m a Red alright – Born and Bred. Was born in the south in ’78 so am priviliged enough to have seen the REAL Reds dominate on a scale even Taggart at OT will struggle to match at Home and Abroad!! Anyways, I had Cousins in Lancashire when I was little that I visited regularly and was EQUALLY as regularly DRAGGED to Anfield from the age of about 6 to see games (after watching them on TV for a good few years as a young ‘un) for as far back as I can remember – I think I’ve ‘Officially’ followed the Reds since 1984 when I was 6 but I remember us from further back. Took a 10 year break up until 2000 and then started following us again although I can’t get there much now due to health difficulties and a young son – I still FOLLOW Liverpool FC as fanatically as I Ever did and as you all do your own side.
On another note? I vaguely remember the game when I was about 4 that CAUSED The mad, massive and utterly relentless obsession Alex Ferguson has with Anfield and overtaking us at OT as one of my First ‘TV Matches’ when we utterly Pulverised his Aberdeen side Home and Away in Europe – He NEVER got over that night IMO and has despised us ever since – That was his FIRST great side you see?
This was also to date the ONLY side to win the Scottish League OTHER than Rangers or Celtic in the last 2 and a half decades, a truly shocking statistic but my point is? Fergie LOVED that side – More than any other he’s produced since I think and to see the (then) masters of European & English football take them apart and dissect them one piece at a time at Anfield AFTER holding them at arms-length, shutting them down and beating them 0 – 1 at Pittodrie?
Well let’s just say I think that Double-Defeat might just have left Ferguson a little heartbroken about what we’d done in front of the cameras On the Pitch to his pride and Joy SO easily after ALL his work building that side up as well. Those games certainly burned us into his brain as much as the later famous incident in ’92 when they lost the league at our place and Gigg’s autograph was torn up and thrown in his face outside our gates. From that point on? He went on to forge his first United League winning side in the very image of the Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan and Kenny Dalglish sides that had dominated the 2 and a bit decades BEFORE United got their act together under him – None of those similarities are a coincidence are they? Not in any way whatsoever…………
NB Russell? We wanted Dalglish back from the START of this season – Our board or rather the self-appointed then Kingmaker Mr Purslow? Saw fit in their wisdom to instead hire the former LMA Manager of The Year from LAST season & The Now West Brom’ Manager whose found his level in Roy Hodgson and WHY? Because he got to a UEFA Cup Final or whatever it’s now called. Not slating Roy or anything but WE were only 8 minutes or so from FACING Hodgson last May in Hamburg – I don’t doubt we’d have Beaten him either since Rafa’ was The manager to have in One-Off European Games, most particularly Finals I think you’ll agree.
But Seriously? Not knocking the Europa League as it now is or anything – HOW many such Finals have we been to? We won 1 a decade ago now as part of our Cup ‘Treble’, we went on to much, much more in 2005 but apparently? Getting to that Final was the MAIN Criteria for us hiring Hodgson when What is the Primary concern of our club or SHOULD be?
The LEAGUE Title and getting as close to it as we can if not winning it – That’s what – Purslow was blinded by the flashlights of Woy – Utterly convinced of his Own inherent superiority in the job and hired Roy in the teeth of all we said against it at the time – Dalglish “wasn’t even considered” apparently and with us now MATCHING Man United no less almost point for point? It makes diehard Reds like me gnash our teeth in frustration and wonder what Might have been – United are about to break our record with their 19th League Title no doubt and kudos/credit to them (through gritted teeth) to them – they Just about deserve it but if Kenny had been there this year from the Start? We might just have beaten them to it. Next season though? Well that might just be another matter entirely. United spent the better part of 4 decades catching and passing us – Regaining parity with THEM? Will not I think take us more than 4 Years. Not with Kenny at the helm anyway.
I say that because I’m of the view that There’s a particular WAY to win the league here – A Type of mentality, a mix on and off the pitch that (contrary to popular belief?) does Not require The best players full stop – United don’t have them in EVERY position do they? No, what it needs is Mental toughness (bye bye Arsenal Yet again), ability On the pitch and the knack which can be developed If you practise hard enough? Of converting dominance into a win along with a manager who realises that Wins are far more valuable than draws and gambles to achieve them – Ferguson is a manager like that and has all the knowledge of how to CREATE that mix (find the right players/right mentality etc) yes – But also?
Well, There’s Another manager in this league whose done this More than ANY other excepting Ferguson – He’s won FOUR League Titles as an English Manager at Liverpool and Blackburn, he’s won the Double and another FA Cup aside from that (being Seconds from another Double in the awful for us season of 1989). That man’s name? Kenny Dalglish – To say he therefore “wasn’t considered” as against Roy Hodgson as evidently happened in the disaster that was Summer 2010 for us? Is going out Waaay beyond belief but it DID happen apparently – With wisdom like THAT at our club up until last October? Is it Any shock we’ve been a laughing stock for the better part of the last 4 years since the Vampires H & G got their fangs in? I think not……
NNB: Sorry If I ‘rambled’ a bit again – A couple more subjects rather close to my heart – Hope you didn’t mind my latest offerings though. YNWA Russell & Of course Keep Right On.
redshadow. You.ve proven your red credentials beyond a doubt and kept us all entertained to boot. I seriously think you should blog previews to each Blues Liverpool match for us to post on our main board, assuming we stay up next season! Your resurgance under Dalglish has been phenomenal! Perhaps when the board overlooked him, it was with a view to moving forward rather than a perception of dwelling in the past? Kenny has shown the past isn’t as bad as it seems in the right circumstances 🙂 It would be great to see Liverpool eclipse Chelsea and Manchester City. My best mate is a Man U fan, so I won’t stretch quite that far, but it was certainly interesting to get an insight into the Liverpool Man U rivalry. YNWA and KRO :up