Everton 2-0 Liverpool- New Owners, Same Result.
-
Fernando Torres returns for the Merseyside derby.The Other Half Of The Merseyside Blues
Never has a Merseyside derby been so important yet so little talked about. After an unprecedented week of boardroom drama at Liverpool finally finished on Friday, Everton will be keen to extend their misery on the pitch.
Both sides head into the fixture on six points and lurking at the foot of the table and with questions being raised over whether one of the Merseyside giants could end up in a relegation battle this season.
David Moyes’s hosts sit 17th in the table after finally notching their first win of the season at Birmingham last time out, in the process becoming the first team in more than a year to leave St Andrew’s with three points.
However, the Toffees are still without a win on home soil this season and have a dismal recent record against their bitter rivals at Goodison, losing six of the last eight Premier League fixtures between the sides.
Everton have struggled in front of goal this term, netting only six times in seven league games. If they are to record their first back-to-back wins since April, midfielder Tim Cahill could be the key. The Australian has scored four goals in Merseyside derbies, the same number as Steven Gerrard.
Introducing A New Era
The positive vibe around Liverpool following the NESV takeover could quickly evaporate should they lose a match which has far more at stake than just local pride.
The Liverpool players have looked sorry for themselves so far this season and sit 18th in the Premier League, the first time they have been in the relegation zone in the top flight since October 1984.
The players can no longer blame the uncertainty over the club’s ownership for their worst start to a season in 56 years, a campaign that ended in relegation. Captain Steven Gerrard has been leading the calls for the men on the pitch to now drive the club forward. “We've all suffered in this, especially the supporters, and now it's time for us all to pull together and help move the club forward,” he said.
Manager Roy Hodgson is already asking new owners NESV for time to complete the ‘major job’ he has on his hands to turn Liverpool’s fortunes – but the jeers he received from the Kop during the 2-1 defeat to newly-promoted Blackpool last time out suggest he might not be afforded that luxury.
Hodgson will want his players to show spirit but will be wary that this hotly contested derby has seen 19 red cards in 36 Premier League meetings between the clubs – more than any other fixture in the division.
After the week Liverpool have had, predicting how the players will react in a Merseyside derby is the £300 million question.
TEAM NEWS
Everton
David Moyes will make a late decision on defender Phil Jagielka ahead of Everton's clash against city rivals Liverpool. Jagielka was forced out of England's Euro 2012 qualifier against Montenegro with a hamstring injury and is a major doubt for the match at Goodison Park.
The Scot will certainly be without midfielder Marouane Fellaini, who played on for Belgium with a hamstring injury and now faces six weeks on the sidelines. "I thought he should have come off immediately and he didn't,” fumed Moyes. “It's probably made his injury worse. I'll write a letter of disappointment to the Belgian FA.”
Striker Louis Saha (calf) is almost certain to miss out while Steven Pienaar is sidelined with a groin problem. Jack Rodwell is still more than two months away from returning from a long-term ankle injury.
Possible starting XI: Howard; Neville, Heitinga, Distin, Baines; Coleman, Heitinga, Arteta, Osman; Cahill; Yakubu.
Liverpool
The big news for the visitors is that star striker Fernando Torres has been declared fit to play in the 214th Merseyside derby. Roy Hodgson says the Spain forward has recovered from the adductor injury sustained in the 2-1 defeat to Blackpool just before the international break.
Full-back Paul Konchesky is also available after recovering from a hamstring strain while Fabio Aurelio is on the verge of returning from the Achilles injury that has kept him sidelined since August.
Dirk Kuyt is out for at least three weeks after suffering an ankle injury playing for the Netherlands while centre-back Daniel Agger is doubtful with a back complaint.
Possible starting XI: Reina; Johnson, Carragher, Skrtel, Konchesky; Lucas, Poulsen; Cole, Gerrard, Jovanovic; Torres. -
GET READY FOR A BATTLE OF...RELEGATION CANDIDATES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-
both teams need a better manager. they should go for martin o neil.
-
I dun think Liverpool is confident to win against everton.
Everton is pretty good with set pieces.
So, even with a new owner, there will not be any miracle.
-
Originally posted by dragg:
both teams need a better manager.
they should go for martin o neil.
everton have consistently finished just in front or just behind villa in recent seasons, what can o'neill do that moyes can't??
paying over the top for english players??
-
Originally posted by dragg:
both teams need a better manager.
they should go for martin o neil.
everton got a good manager already, but david moyes has not won them any trophies yet under his helm. a good manager in charge of a good side, everton not bad.As for hodgson, he has won UEFA cup with Inter Milan before but that was in the late 90s and last season he brought fulham to the finals of UEFA cup final. I still dun think he is the man to bring glory to liverpool.
-
1-0.
Liverpool leaky defence and the lonely torres up front again.
hasn't hodgson learnt anything from the losses before?
-
2-0. arteta unmarked.
Liverpool fans have every right to complain. -
The new american boss face have turned bland with the defeat.
Maybe they should stick to something that they know - american football and baseball.
He will checking for Peter Lim handphone number now.
A defeat is defeat.
Now, blaming any thing will not improve any thing.
Ah Roy have to accept that this task is too tough for him and pass it to some one else.
-
Tim Cahill grabbed his fifth Merseyside derby goal before Mikel Arteta thundered home a second as Everton ran out 2-0 winners over Liverpool in a high-tempo affair.
Everton dominated the first half and deservedly went ahead after 34 minutes when a fantastic run by youngster Seamus Coleman, on his first derby appearance, took him past three Liverpool players before cutting the ball back for Cahill to power the ball home.
Mikel Arteta then made Liverpool hearts sink even further when he thundered home a fantastic strike from the edge of the area after 50 minutes to put the Evertonians in dreamland and to condemn their rivals to their worst start in 57 years.
The build-up to the 214th Merseyside derby was obviously all about Liverpool and their new American owners. With NESV and John W. Henry now in control of the club, after a protracted takeover which included everything you might expect from a HBO mini-series, Roy Hodgson will be hoping for stability for the first time in his tenure.
Everton have also had a rough ride of it recently boasting just one win all season, the same as today’s opponents, but they will take some positivity into the game after becoming the first team in over a year to beat Birmingham City at St Andrews last time out and therefore taking themselves above Liverpool in the Premier League standings, albeit on goal difference and to the not-so-lofty heights of 17th.
It was Everton who bossed the opening exchanges in front of the home fans with the first real sign of danger coming from a Mikel Arteta free-kick which, after initially rebounding off the wall, found its way to Phil Jagielka who proceeded to wildly lash the ball over the bar from 16 yards out.
Minutes later and again the Toffees came close to opening to scoring. This time it was Jagielka’s defensive partner Sylvan Distin who worked his way through the Liverpool penalty area but his attempted left-foot curler was deflected wide.
It took Liverpool until mid-way through the first half to really start to threaten after an opening 20 minutes of misplaced passes and easy dispossessions and, like with Everton’s first foray they perhaps should have scored. Joe Cole cut in from the left flank and delivered a perfect cross right onto Fernando Torres's head eight yards out but Tim Howard was equal to it as he parried the ball from under the bar for a corner.
In a high-tempo game Everton were the next to test their opposition goalkeeper as the home side broke swiftly with Tim Cahill and Yakubu exchanging a one-two before the Nigerian forced Pepe Reina into a smart save down to his right to stop a drive from the edge of the area.
With Liverpool finally showing signs of doing something positive in the game their opponents delivered a sucker punch. Seamus Coleman picked up the ball around 30 yards out and proceeded to power his way past three Liverpool players until he reached the right-hand touchline where he cut the ball back for the galloping Tim Cahill to lash the ball home from eight yards out high into the roof of Reina’s net on his near side.
From the restart Everton again dispossessed a Liverpool player and this time it was Leon Osman’s turn to maraud down the right flank and deliver a ball into the area but this time Liverpool decided to stop the attack and Paul Konchesky cleared the danger.
As if Everton defenders dispossessing them were not enough, Torres then managed to get in the way of Raul Meireles, as the Portuguese midfielder looked to have a clear chance for a shot on goal, which resulted in neither player getting a decent contact.
With the first half drawing to a close, Steven Gerrard finally got his teeth stuck into the game and he delivered a fabulous ball that almost releases Torres down the right-hand side only for Distin to match his pace, in a never more blatant example of the Spaniard's declining form, to clear and allow another Evertonian break, this time concluding with a strong effort on target by Osman that was too close to Reina to seriously trouble the goalkeeper.
As Liverpool came out for the second half in search for an equaliser they immediately jumped on a positive foot as winger Maxi Rodriguez stuck a stinging low drive towards the Everton goal but his attempt was well held by Tim Howard.
But again the Toffees stuck a sucker punch as good hold-up play from Yakubu, combining with second-half substitute Diniyar Bilyaletdinov who came on for the injured Osman, earnt his side a corner that was swung in Leighton Baines and headed back to the edge of the area to a completely unmarked Mikel Arteta to take one touch and hammer the ball home through a group of players and a helpless Reina into the top right-hand corner to give his side a 2-0 lead just five minutes into the second half.
With an Everton banner in the crowd that read "Agents Hicks and Gillett: Mission Accomplished" never seeming more true, the impressive Coleman again set off on another prowling run only for it to be stunted by some scrambling Liverpool defending as the away side tried desperately to get a foothold on the game.
Joe Cole, who was anonymous for the majority of the game, did manage to scare Evertonians slightly when he cut inside and let rip from 20 yards out but the ball whizzed over Howard’s bar in an example of real attacking intent in light of a Torres effort moments earlier that the 26-year-old blasted miles over after a neat nod-down from Maxi at the end of the area, but the Spaniard’s body language suggested that he never believed he would score as he flailed his arms at his side and looked defeated in quite a sad portrayal of the previously prolific striker.
As Liverpool continued to push for a breakthrough in the final 10 minutes, Meireles had a goal-bound effort blocked by Distin before a sumptuous ball from Gerrard beat everyone but Howard as Torres lurked at the far post.
Gerrard’s influence on the game continued to grow in stature as again he was the creator when he played in Torres who, in his first positive moment in the match as the clock struck 86 minutes, checked inside Tony Hibbert and Jagielka only for his fierce low shot to be saved by Howard’s legs.
Despite Liverpool’s late efforts it was all too little too late as when the final whistle blew they found themselves in 19th position in the Premier League standings in a very disappointing start to what was supposed to be a new era at Liverpool.
-
go for martin o neil.
-
What happen to Liverpool?
I dont think they will fight for the survival.
They will move up soon but not top 10.
Probably in mid table.
Now, every club (I think) will love to take on Liverpool now.
Cos Liverpool are now off form, all haywire now.
Good to play with Liverpool now.
-
I watched the match. Before kickoff, Gerrard gathered his team for a prematch huddle and i thought they were really fired up to get 3 points against their rival. They looked so determined, but alas, it didnt last long,
Roy Hodgeson cuts a loomy figure, cupping his hands to his mouth on some occasions as though he could not believe what he was witnessing.
The new Liverpool owner turned up and appeared relax and confident, but as soon as Liverpool went 1 goal down, his facial expression changed.
Torres and Gerrard went MIA. Carragher only seems interested in picking up fights.
When the match ended 2-0, it seems Anfield will be walking alone - at the bottom 3 - walking alone separate from the Big 5. Chelsea, Man City, Arsenal, Man Utd, Spurs.
I think Roy wanted to take out Torres because he was ineffective but he didnt want to do a Rafa and get critised. If he were to sub Torres out, what difference will he be to Rafa? I think Ah Ben must be quietly laughing at Liverpool current state while enjoying his top view at the Serie A.
-
Overconfidence and underestimate a opponent will not win the match.
-
Perhaps Joe Cole's anonymity during the match can suggest why he was frequently left out of Chelsea's first eleven. He has never occured to me as a player who could turn games around. Very skilful though.
-
Originally posted by Rock^Star:
Perhaps Joe Cole's anonymity during the match can suggest why he was frequently left out of Chelsea's first eleven. He has never occured to me as a player who could turn games around. Very skilful though.
LOL i forget to mention Joe Cole, now u can know how they disappear such that i even forget to mention their names LOL.
Joe Cole MIA
-
Originally posted by jgho83:
LOL i forget to mention Joe Cole, now u can know how they disappear such that i even forget to mention their names LOL.
Joe Cole MIA
joe cole is good only for, at most, 20 minutes. he makes a good sub. -
you guys forgot maxi
-
Undoubtedly and proven world class: Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres, Jamie Carragher, Pepe Reina
Potentially world class: Daniel Agger, Daniel Pacheco, Glen Johnson, Milan Jovanovic, Raul Meireles, Joe Cole, Martin Skrtel, Milan Jovanovic, Ryan Babel, Martin Kelly
Simply third world class: Lucas Leiva, David Ngog, Maxi Rodriguez, Jay Spearing, Stephen Darby
At the end of their class: Sotiros Kyrgiakos, Fabio Aurelio, Dirk Kuyt, Paul Konchesky, Christian Poulsen
No signs of class: Roy Hodgson.
T.T
-
and division one football next season:: liverpool fc.no woories,u wont be alone.2 other teams to keep u company.you'll never be relegated alone.hahahahahahaha.while man utd,diving or not,still collecting points after points,league title after league title
-
The reason why you dun see cole and maxi is they dun tread back to defence when they lost possession.
That is one difference that Kuyt displayed that Ah Ben liked.
As for the defence, they are not standing their ground and moving all around the place.
That is why Liverpool is leaking goal now.
As for attack, Torres is pretty lonely up front.
He is sick of fighting every chance for himself and getting the goal.
He is the only player up front on 1/3 of the field without any support.
So, where were the two wingers ?
When babel and ngog were introduced, the difference in attach is sparked.
But, it was too late.
Ah Roy is nice guy but he lacks the agressiveness to screw his players when they are slacken and zero courage to change the formation when it does not work.
Does Liverpool have a winning team ? In my opinion, yes.
But, sub par players should be benched for the next game.