Report by Peter Schulz at Anfield | |
Liverpool extended their 100 percent home record in the league and have now only conceded twice in 7 games in all competitions. This is the kind of record which will, hopefully, breed more confidence to take on our travels, even though it has to be said that the league wins have come against weak sides – WBA, Norwich, Man City and now Charlton, all of which look likely to be in trouble come May 2005.
We should, however, take heart from the fact that the wins have all been emphatic following solid displays by the reds. These are the type of games that we've struggled with in previous seasons so it's nice to feel confident before games at Anfield again.
These days you go into home games wondering when we're going to score and how many. It used to be a question of are we going to score at all. The game against Charlton was not much different from the previous home games this season.
This time Rafael Benitez had opted to stick with his misfiring front duo of Milan Baros and Djibril Cisse, with John Arne Riise and Luis Garcia starting either side of Xabi Alonso and Dietmar Hamann.
Josemi's suspension meant a recall of Steve Finnan in his natural position at right back. Apparently, Benitez had now begun to realise what everyone else has known for ages – Salif Diao is not good enough, no matter how much he pleads with the fans and manager to be given time.
He's been here for more than two years now and hasn't made any impact at all. Time must surely now have come to try someone else. Igor Biscan, Darren Potter or even Stephen Warnock would be better choices as cover in Steven Gerrard's continued absence.
Danny Murphy was given a good reception with 'Super Dan' ringing from the Anfield Road end as the teams warmed up just before kick off and the Kop repeated this before the beginning of the second half. Danny acknowledged it, clapping on both occasions. It was nice to finally see an ex red being given the welcome he deserved by the Anfield crowd.
A couple of comments in the press about the lack of camaraderie and team spirit in the reds squad were not allowed to ruin the nice gesture. Murphy was to have a decent game for Charlton looking composed in the middle of the park. Fortunately, he was never to be an attacking threat to the reds' defence.
As the rain lashed down, Liverpool started the match looking for an early goal with Luis Garcia heading Finnan's cross just wide with less than two minutes on the clock. Charlton weren't on the pitch at all for the first 15 minutes and only atrocious finishing from the reds kept them from securing the game within the first 20 minutes or so.
Milan Baros was again the main culprit firing over on one occasion and heading straight into Kiely's hands when completely unmarked just six yards from goal. He could easily have had a hattrick in the first half and should be disappointed not to have got his name on the score sheet.
He had looked lively against Deportivo La Coruna and against the Addicks he was equally full of industry. Sadly though, he was as ineffective in front of goal as on Tuesday.
Apart from the inefficiency, Milan's link up play was excellent he seemed to be at the heart of most of Liverpool's dangerous attacks being much more in the thick of things than his strike partner Cisse. With the Frenchman yet to find form in a red shirt, it is a little worrying that we sweem so reliant on the Czech's willingness to take on defenders and make runs off the ball.
We've gone from being over reliant on Michael Owen to now looking to Baros to produce something. Fortunately, so far others have done the business at Anfield, whereas no one has really done anything away from home.
At the back, we were hardly troubled all afternoon. Sami Hyypiä and Jamie Carragher won everything in the air. Djimi Traore seems to be growing in confidence and is trying to support the attack more than previously. Steve Finnan was very solid on the other side keeping the pacy Danish international winger Dennis Rommedahl completely out of the game (although regular followers of Denmark's games will tell you that it's not hard to do that at all).
It was in the other end that most of the action took place though with countless wasted opportunities. Hyypiä had his header from a corner cleared off the line by Murphy and Cisse hit the post with a brilliant low shot after Hamann had laid off the freekick – awarded to Baros of course.
Other than that our corners were mostly completely wasted with Liverpool failing to get the delivery past the first defender or to even get a cross in. These short corners rarely lead to anything and the decision to keep rotating the corner takers seems odd to say the least.
About midway through the first half, Benitez made his first tactical change switching the very lively Garcia from his position on the right wing to the centre forward position which had occupied with great success in previous home games this season. This time was no exception. Djibril Cisse reverted to the right wing, obviously having been instructed to use his pace to get past the full back.
He actually managed to do that on a copule of occasions, but more often than not, the cross following his run was of El-Hadji Diouf standard. Just on the stroke of half time, however, he turned his marker and played it towards the byline for himself to chase and having completely outpaced the defender whipped in a gorgeous cross for Garcia, but in the end nothing came of it.
The Anfield Road end applauded him as he picked himself up from the advertising boards behind the goal line near the corner flag.
Seeing Cisse at right wing was a bit of déjà vu with his big money predecessors Emile Heskey and El-Hadji Diouf having both flopped playing on the wing. Diouf was mostly terrible and Heskey was, well, Heskey and the decisions of two managers to play 3 of the club's 4 most expensive signings out of position on the wing seem strange.
The second half started in much the same fashion as the first with Liverpool in total control and with just six minutes gone, the Kop was asking John Arne Riise how he had managed to find the net.
Well, finally a proper corner was headed out by Charlton to Alonso whose shot was blocked, but the ball fell for the onrushing Norwegian who hit an unstoppable volley into the bottom left hand corner just outside Kiely's reach. His first goal for ages and it showed.
Riise was later substituted for Kewell and was given a standing ovation. The Norwegian has been playing better football recently and hopefully this goal will help him recapture his fine form of the 2001-2002 in which he took everyone by storm getting goals against all the top sides (and Everton of course).
The goal certainly calmed a few nerves as Liverpool had looked once again to be failing to convert clear dominance into goals. This one should have forced Charlton forward but it didn't. They simply lacked the quality and were rarely able to string more than a few passes together due to the closing down done by especially Hamann and Alonso.
The Spaniard was having one of his quieter games judging by the high standards he's set for his own performances since his move, but he was still involved in the second goal arriving on 74 minutes. A short pass from the £10.7m man into the path of Luis Garcia lead to a doubling of the lead as the Spaniard hit a wonderful 25 yard shot into the corner.
It brought back fond memories of Stan Collymore's rather similar debut goal at Anfield against Sheffield Wednesday some years back. From then on the reds were cruising.
While still being only one goal down, Charlton had introduced Francis Jeffers for Rommedahl, but his only contribution to the match was a deliberate handball for which he should have been booked and a very poor challenge on Carragher a few minutes later for which he was.
Paul Stretford won't have been pleased, but who gives a fuck? The crowd certainly seemed to enjoy giving him some deserved stick.
Two minutes after Garcia's goal, Florent Sinama-Pongolle was brought on by Benitez to replace Milan Baros and he showed some good skill on a couple of occasions. Towards the end Stephen Warnock came on for a cameo left back appearance instead of Traore.
I don't remember him getting a touch of the ball at all, much like goalkeeper Chris Kirkland who had no shots on target to deal with all afternoon by the way.
Picking a man of the match was difficult because no one really stood out for me. I thought Baros did well again but his finishing is letting him down at the moment. Alonso was solid and effective with Hamann and the full backs gave solid if not spectacular performances.
In the end though it had to be Sami Hyypiä who really was a tower of strength at the back, winning every challenge and reading the play to break up Chalrton attacks in that wonderful quiet way of his.
A good game all round by the reds, who in my opinion, didn't reach the heights of the Norwich game but are perhaps now finding a consistent level of good Anfield performances. Long may they continue.
Liverpool: Kirkland, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Traore (Warnock); Garcia, Hamman, Alonso, Riise (Kewell); Baros (Sinama-Pongolle), Cisse.
Agree or disagree? Email me at peter@liverpoolway.co.uk
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