I was meant to be taking my youngest daughter to lunch as it was her birthday this week but as both cars had to go to the garage urgently this has been put off until Monday. I tuned in to a stream and we were already 1-0 down to a goal from Maxi Rodriguez. The highlights showed that Foster spilled the initial drive and it was a tap in. On 24 minutes a second arrived after a period when Blues had played some decent stuff. It was Chelsea all over again. Suarez got in far too easily from a pass down the middle but despite two world class saves from Foster, the ball ran kindly for Kuyt for another tap in. To add insult to injury Foster had to go off to be replaced by Doyle. We never really threatened and I counted seven Liverpool players around the edge of their box when Larsson looked up to cross and the only Blues forward was Jerome. Needless to say the Swede checked and played the ball back to Carr. That moment summed us up. For all that we didn’t play all that badly in the first half of what I saw any way.
In the second half we were absolutely shocking. We failed to cope with the pace and movement of Suarez, Kuyt, Spearing. Lucas and Maxi. Maxi went on to clinch a hat trick with another couple of tap-ins following monumentally awful defending out wide. Carr was culpable as he kept playing the winger on the opposite side of the pitch onside (I counted at least three times!) and one of these resulted in Maxi’s second goal. Ridgewell was simply bamboozled by pace and movement of the Liverpool flankers. Jiranek, back after injury looked as if he’d never played with Johnson before and the communication across the defence was non-existent. Hleb was terrible in midfield and was substituted by Bentley who was little better. Our best player was Larsson whose effectiveness was minimal for all that. Doyle spilled another shot from Maxi for a carbon copy of the first goal when Foster was to blame and finally Doyle allowed a near post shot from substitute Joe Cole to squirm past him for the fifth. There were so many lacklustre, lazy, disinterested performances all over the pitch it would take too long to describe and frankly I’ve better things to do this weekend.
The only positive that can be taken out of this catastrophe is that teams at the bottom failed to capitalise. Our goal difference has taken one hell of a dent and ten of that equate to the away games at Manchester United and now Liverpool. What upsets me most is there appeared to be no pride, no passion and no fight in our team today and excellent though the Liverpool team was, they were allowed to score their goals far too easily. Three of them were goalkeeping errors and the other two were our defenders switching off with thumbs in bum and brains in neutral. As you can gather I’m angry and upset by this performance. I didn’t expect to win or for that matter draw against a resurgent Liverpool under Kenny Dalgleish but I do expect any team representing Birmingham City to scrap and make things difficult for the opposition I’m going off to drink beer in the sunshine fellow noses. For those of you who attended the game; I’m afraid you were let down today.
The Good: Our fans; I could hear Keep Right On ringing out across Anfield even at 5-0. Such support was far more than the team deserved. Should we survive, as I believe we still will, it will be because of the shortcomings of others rather than anything we do I suspect.
The Bad: The performance, the goals, the goalkeeping, the defending generally, the passing in the second half, the spirit, the energy; perm any three of these.
The Ugly: Martin Skrtel.
Liverpool: Pepe Reina 7, Raul Meireles 7 (Joe Cole 84), Luis Suarez 9, Maxi Rodriguez 9 (David Ngog 89, N/A), Dirk Kuyt 8, Lucas 8, Jamie Carragher (C) 7, Jay Spearing 8, Martin Skrtel 7, John Flanagan 9, Jack Robinson 8 (Jonjo Shelvey 79, 7). Unused subs: Peter Gulacsi, Sotirios Kyrgiakos, Christian Poulsen, Conor Coady.
Blues: Ben Foster 5 (Colin Doyle 40, 4), Stephen Carr (C) 4, Roger Johnson 5, Martin Jiranek 4, Liam Ridgewell 4, Seb Larsson 7, Lee Bowyer 6, Craig Gardner 5 (Kevin Phillips 79, 6), Keith Fahey 5, Alexander Hleb 4 (David Bentley 68, 5), Cameron Jerome 6. Unused subs: Matt Derbyshire, Stuart Parnaby, Jean Beausejour, Curtis Davies.
Referee: Howard Webb 7, Mr Webb didn’t have much to do other than keep pointing to the centre circle after Liverpool attacks.
Goals: Rodriguez (7, 67, 73), Kuyt (23), Cole (86)
Bookings: Robinson (49)
Attendance: 44,734
I saw the first half live together with my German son-in-law Alex, we decided at half time that we had better things to do and went to work. Later in the evening I watched the debacle of the second half which I had recorded (a total waste of DVR space!!). I have said this before and I’ll say it again: if you go in with an expectation to lose then you will. Much of what you allude to hear mate is a problem with attitude and until that changes nothing else will.
I have an addtion to the “Good” list: My son-in-law’s team, Borussia Mönchengladbach in the German Bundesliga (who have been propping up the table most of the season) beat the champions apparent, Borrussia Dortmund 1-0, jawohlja!!! The bottom team beat the very top and apparently deservedly so. I’ll bet there was a different attitude on the part of BMG going into that game as opposed to our beloved Blueboys and this from a team that may very well get relegated anyway.
Yes Happy Easter Trev. I agree, the attitude towards yesterday’s match was appalling and I’m still angry. I expect little as a Blues fan but I know I speak for most of the Bluenose nation when I say I do expect fight, pride and dignity; qualities that were missing in great measure yesterday. We have to play and defend better next week otherwise we will lose; plain and simple. Congratulations to Borussia Munchengladbach for yesterday: a famous club that has fallen on hard times but they will be back. 🙂
Borussia Mönchengladbach even! Forgive the spelling! 😉
Give me a ‘B’, give me an ‘O’, give me an ‘R’, etc., etc., etc.