On a day when Liverpool were presented with a great chance to open up a lead at the top of the premiership, the Reds produced their least effective display under the care of Phil Thompson. But hey, you can't win them all. Strange as it may seem these days, our performance looked a little lethargic, with the only urgency coming with the arrival of Murphy who was like a man possessed and indeed almost won the game for us. I reckon if Danny boy had started as opposed to the largely ineffective Gary McAllister we'd have that lead at the top. The selection of McAllister was a strange one; although vital last season he really has been a passenger this time around.
Here was me thinking that Reserve games were the place where out of favour first teamers played to earn themselves a recall. Both Gary Mac and Redknapp played against Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday night. Redknapp was my man of the match, McAllister stank the place out. Hence McAllister starts the following Saturday! Wass up wid dat?
Anyway, as for the game, Rovers and their knobhead manager - Anfield legend or not, Souness is a wanker - did a pretty good job at playing us at our own game. They were one of the few teams we have come up against this season who have had the common sense to not defend on the half way line against Michael Owen.
Thommo had a bit of a pop at them for being so defensive, but I think that was the best game plan on offer to them. From the off it looked like it was going to be tough, Blackburn packed the midfield and against our midfield that - Hamann aside - looked drastically out of sorts it was always going to be tough.
Although Steven Gerrard was again nowhere near his best, he still played a couple of decisive balls including the one, which led to our opening goal. What can we say about Michael Owen? Every criticism that was ever leveled at him does not even have a pinky toe to stand on never mind a leg. What a goal! A goal many of us thought he just wasn't capable of scoring, not any more.
Goals to shots, Michael must have one of the best records of all time and as it stands Michael Owen is the best striker my youth has allowed me to see. The Man just can't be stopped. Hallelujah.
After scoring the goal, it looked as if we would absorb the pressure and put the game out of sight when the next chance came along, the classic LFC away performance, however for once this was not to be the case. Blackburn have some quality players going forward in Dunn, Duff and Jansen (especially Dunn) and in the second half he caused a whole host of problems.
There is a lot of hype about Dunn and in my view its all justified, he has got to be Blackburn's MVP, maybe priceless to their future in the top flight. Uncle Jack is no longer around - God bless him - and he took his chequebook to the grave with him so its essential Rovers hang on to their young stars.
Although their fans are small time knobs (on the odd occasion you could actually hear them singing, you could guarantee it would be one of those small time songs which only small time clubs sing. The likes "Gerrinto em" and "The Blue Flag") and their manager is a S*n reading Judus cocksucker, they are a club deserving of being in the top flight. After all Stig Bjornebye's magical talents would be wasted in the lower leaguesĘ..hold on that can't be right?
An uncharacteristic defensive shambles led to the Rovers equalizer and to be fair they deserved it. It was just a shame the way in which it came about; let's just say it could have been avoided. Berger's not a defender but he had to know what Jansen wanted to do and reacted way too slowly.
As I mentioned earlier, Murphy made a massive impact on his arrival. Changing the face of the game with his Zidane-esque flicks and turns What? I said Zidane-esque flicks and turns.¤ He breathed life into an uninspired team seriously lacking ideas.¤ The chance he missed was a lot more difficult than it looked but he'll be bitterly disappointed with his effort, I'm not criticizing him for it by any means, who else in our side would have made such an intelligent run?
And his presence on Tuesday should go a long way to ensuring a victory over Barca. With the absence of Hamann due to suspension, lets hope Jamie R get his chance as well. Whatever team Thommo picks a display like this will not see us come out on top, however with Leeds losing today - about fucking time too! - We stay top with a game in hand on everybody! Nice One!
TEAM: Jerzy Dudek; Jamie Carragher, Stephane Henchoz, Sami Hyypia, John Arne Riise; Steven Gerrard, Gary McAllister, Didi Hamann, Patrik Berger (Danny Murphy); Michael Owen (Emile Heskey),Robbie Fowler:
