Liverpool 2 Everton 2: match report

Subject: Liverpool 2 Everton 2: match report Sun Jan 16, 2011 7:28 pm

They used to say that when Kenny Dalglish was a player, the Kop would appear to suck the ball into the net and so it was yesterday with the return of the King that Liverpool called on reserves of belligerent, almost mystic, resistance to salvage a draw in this Merseyside derby when all appeared lost.

It was simply unthinkable that the second coming could end with Liverpool being second best in this encounter of all encounters. Losing away to Manchester United in the FA Cup is one thing, losing away to Blackpool another but a third defeat in eight days, and this time to Everton and at Anfield, would have damaged the fragile self-belief that Dalglish is attempting to restore. And it would have damaged him also.

It would have been traumatic for a club still staring in disbelief at the plight it finds itself in even if having Dalglish back on the throne, back taking the lead in the theatre that was his for so long, has given a sense of hope where previously there appeared to be a decaying empire, a court of no hope.

But then so much of this Liverpool team is built on sand. The way in which they conceded two goals, so rapidly, at the start of the second-half, the way in which they defended so shockingly throughout, the way in which they were utterly dependent on Fernando Torres to eke out on opportunities on the counter-attack betrayed a team still in a decline.

Dalglish has thrown in youngsters with Martin Kelly – again one of the most impressive performers – joined by Wirral-born Jay Spearing and, later on, Jonjo Shelvey while the likes of Joe Cole and Ryan Babel remained on the bench and the vilified Christian Poulsen and Paul Konchesky out of the squad. But without Steven Gerrard the midfield lacked drive and without Jamie Carragher the defence lacked direction.
Dirk Kuyt’s penalty rescued a point and prevented Everton from achieving their first victory here this century and their first derby double against Liverpool since 1985. It came with a slice of fortune after Martin Skrtel’s mis-hit shot fell to Maxi Rodriguez and he was felled by Tim Howard who, up until then, had been outstanding. In front of the Kop, Kuyt drove the spot-kick into the net and, after that, the fear of losing overtook the desire to win for both sides. They settled for a point; settled for saving face.

Such parity had seemed unthinkable in the first period. Liverpool should have been out-of-sight by half-time and the burning image of the opening 45 minutes was that of Torres outmuscling, outpacing Sylvain Distin – after he misjudged the bounce of the ball – and striking a post with his fierce shot. It was the Torres of old and he has clearly been invigorated by the installation of Dalglish as Roy Hodgson’s replacement and for that alone, even, there are grounds for hope.

Everton had their own troubles, of course, with the latest being that Steven Pienaar had gone to manager David Moyes the day before this match to declare he was not in the right state of mind to play as he waits on a move to Tottenham or, possibly, Chelsea. It’s an absence Moyes cannot cope with – added to the loss of Tim Cahill, Phil Jagielka and Louis Saha – and he, too, threw in the youngsters only to watch in horror as they froze.

Liverpool swarmed all over them. Passes from both sides went astray in the frenzy and while Everton always looked dangerous from set pieces – Skrtel was vulnerable, Daniel Agger struggling with illness – they were picked off and this reached its climax as Torres’ sharply laid the ball to Glen Johnson whose deep cross was headed goalwards by Kuyt. Howard saved – and Kuyt hammered in the rebound, which struck the goalkeeper on the heels with the ball cannoning out to Raul Meireles whose sweet drive skimmed Leighton Baines and shot into the net. It was his first Liverpool goal.

The flood of relief was overwhelming. Soon after there was another rip-roaring shot from Torres, punched out by Howard and then the goalkeeper blocked from Meireles before comfortably collecting Rodriguez’s shot.

Half-time came and, with it, a paint-stripper of a team-talk from Moyes. He will have spoken about desire and commitment and a few more choice phrases and was rewarded just 43 seconds into the restart when Distin showed all that – and a bit of muscle too – to meet Mikel Arteta’s corner and power a header which Johnson couldn’t stop from flying into the net.

Liverpool were shocked. Then they were shocking. Again their defence parted after Victor Anichebe, jumping for a header, challenged Kelly – who fell awkwardly. Everton, rightly, played on and Leon Osman’s quick feet carved out an opening for Jermaine Beckford who held off Meireles to steer his shot around Pepe Reina. Just seven minutes of the second half had elapsed and the contest suddenly appeared beyond Liverpool.

Finally they regrouped and went again, earning the penalty and pushing forward tentatively to try and gain the victory which would have meant so much more. In the end it was a point apiece, leaving both these two great clubs perilously close to relegation trouble. Twenty years ago, when Dalglish last sat in the Anfield dugout, such a proposition would have been unthinkable. It still is. He has unfinished business, he has told everyone as much. But it is a daunting task and, only for so long, can he summon up the past.

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