Carling Cup 4th Round: Liverpool v Cardiff

Liverpool 2, Cardiff City 1 Oct 31 2007
BY NICK SMITH at Anfield

THE return of Robbie Fowler allowed the Anfield crowd a glimpse of their God - but they left with a hint of the heroes they will be worshipping in the future.

And on last night's evidence, Nabil El Zhar is in with the best shout, after he opened the way for progress to the last eight of the Carling Cup with a stunning long-range strike on his full debut.

But although the 21-year-old's blue boots helped to shoot down the Bluebirds, there's no doubt who has succeeded Fowler as Liverpool's modern-day saviour.

Steven Gerrard, with his third goal in three games, again came to the rescue at the perfect time, slotting in the winner just a minute after Darren Purse's towering equaliser.

And once again, it's a good job for Liverpool that their captain has responded to his Merseyside derby substitution with such emphatic answers.

Because overall, El Zhar and the crop of fellow youngsters given a chance to impress against determined yet limited Championship opposition hardly made the kind of impact Fowler did when he burst on to the scene in this competition 14 years ago.

But they did enough to ensure the affinity Liverpool have built up with Cardiff in recent cup competitions continued as they made steady, slow-burning progress to the quarter-finals.

Whatever challenges Rafael Benitez's shaken-up side faced, however, none was going to be more difficult than wrestling the headlines away from one man.

Fowler first made his mark in the League Cup by scoring his first six Liverpool goals in it - including five against Fulham in the first round second leg in 1993.

Back then, the skinny short-haired teenager would have had full debutant defenders like Jack Hobbs and nervous stand-ins like Charles Itandje on toast. But last night you always sensed the biggest cheer the 32-year-old would raise would be when the teams were read out.

The inevitable response Fowler received proved that while his popularity will never fade, no matter how much his powers as a player might.

That said, it's typical of the modern-day Fowler that he's had a low-key start to life in south Wales yet still maintains a ratio of a goal every other game.

Even last year when his outfield goals were restricted to this competition and a Champions league dead rubber in Turkey, he remained the best natural finisher at the club and can still take penalties with his eyes shut.

If Benitez could have bottled that penalty area prowess in the summer when he waved goodbye to those parts of Fowler that couldn't live up to top-flight standards any longer, then he surely would have done. And rather than selling it on, he could have sprinkled across his strikeforce - especially one currently shorn of Fernando Torres - to magically made his problems disappear in a puff of smoke.

Peter Crouch is the most likely of the current available crop to fill that target man void and being handed a first start for more than two months finally gave him a decent opportunity to prove it.

But El Zhar and Sebastian Leto were well subdued by City, meaning Crouch was starved of the service he badly needs to get his season - and Liverpool career - up and running again.

Although many will need to do more to convince Benitez they can become more regular cogs in his rotation system, Crouch will probably have departed Anfield the most frustrated individual.

Partnering Ryan Babel - who teed him up for a late header that Michael Oakes brilliantly tipped away - meant Cardiff had the forward partnership with the most years between them, and also the most pedigree.

But as the night wore on, Fowler and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink were the irrefutable evidence that the former is more of a hindrance. In fact, Hobbs might have faced scarier prospects if he'd stayed at home and answered Trick Or Treat calls all night.

Elsewhere, Benitez made fairly routine changes, ensuring an English hub to the side as Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard were retained - the only two who were in the starting line-up against Arsenal on Saturday.

Only Crouch and Alvaro Arbeloa , used as subs in that game, stayed in to make the 11 as the manager followed through his hint to give Fabio Aurelio, Babel and Lucas much-needed game time.

El Zhar came in on the right while Sebaatian Leto, while was handed the opportunity to pretend his ill-fated debut against Marseille never happened in the hope he could thrive in a left-hand side role.

But as you'd expect, it was Fowler who seemed more at home in the early stages, especially when he won a fourth-minute free-kick on the edge of area.

No matter how much Hasselbaink might have fancied it, Fowler was never going to let him unleash one of his famous pile-drivers and curled a shot that was palmed away from the top corner by Itandje.

But Liverpool gradually settled in, Crouch firing just wide after 11 minutes and Aurelio forcing Oakes into a full-stretch save a minute later.

Babel then set up a counter attack that finished with the Dutchman heading over Gerrard's cross and Lucas did little better shortly afterwards when Arbeloa teed him up.

For all that, Itandje was still the keeper with the more to do in the first half, again reaching across to his left-hand post to keep out Paul Parry's downward header.

At the other end, Liverpool were unable to cause as many problems for Oakes, helped by some tidy and timely challenges in front of him as well as wayward shooting from the likes of Leto and El Zhar, who almost cleared the Cardiff fans as well as the crossbar with an ambitious volley.

Such threats were far too fleeting throughout the first period and a need to step up the urgency must have been one of the top items on the half-time team talk agenda.

It was no surprise, therefore, to see Gerrard advance into Cardiff territory and suck three defenders in, creating the space for El Zhar to drift in from the flank.

But after taking the pass form his skipper, the rest was all his own work as his 30-yard drive swerved past Oakes and in off his right-hand post.

Striking just three minutes into the second half was an ideal safety net for Liverpool as Cardiff's second half display was every bit as menacing in the second half as it was in the first.

Although Gerrard missed a good chance to make the tie safe, the Bluebirds responded well to going behind as. Hasselbaink's cross almost loops in at far post then Itandje had to block Joe Ledley's drive.

Then after 65 minutes, the tie was all square when Parry's inswinging free-kick was met by the head of the veteran Purse , who directed it into the corner beyond Itandje.

But Cardiff's celebrations - some cheekily taking place in the Kop - had barely died down when Gerrard exchanged passes with Benayoun and directed the winning goal through Oakes's legs.

The Welsh side refused to cave in and Aurelio did well to slide in and keep out Parry's effort but only some alert goalkeeping by Oakes kept the winning margin down.


Liverpool: Itandje, Arbeloa, Hobbs, Carragher, Aurelio, El Zhar (Kewell 71), Lucas (Mascherano 87), Gerrard, Leto (Benayoun 63), Crouch, Babel.
Subs Not Used: Martin, Riise.

Booked: Lucas, Babel.

Goals: El Zhar 48, Gerrard 66.

Cardiff: Oakes, McNaughton (Gunter 84), Purse, Johnson, Capaldi, Ledley, Rae, McPhail (Whittingham 89), Parry, Fowler, Hasselbaink (Thompson 75).
Subs Not Used: Magennis, Loovens.

Booked: McNaughton.

Goals: Purse 65.

Att: 41,780

Ref: Peter Walton (Northamptonshire).

*Match report taken from Liverpool Echo - http://www.lfcwire.com/story.php?id=8827*

Goal Highlights