- Oliver Kay
source taken from http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article3492816.ece
No matter what slurs and accusations may be thrown at Liverpool’s American owners for as long as they retain a grip on this “wonderful franchise”, they will always lay claim to delivering Fernando Torres to Merseyside and for that, at least, his adoring public should be thankful. Whether or not the owners actually dipped into their own pockets to do so remains a matter of dispute, but that investment has more than paid off over the course of a season in which Torres has led the club’s crusade to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
Torres missed training on Tuesday with a stomach bug, but there could be no better pick-me-up than a hat-trick, his second in successive appearances at Anfield, as Liverpool reclaimed fourth place in the Barclays Premier League from Everton with a resounding victory. Admittedly it came against an out-of-sorts West Ham United team who lost by the same scoreline to Chelsea four days earlier, with Alan Curbishley facing growing displeasure from their supporters, but Liverpool’s fourth consecutive win in all competitions was achieved in a manner that increased confidence in advance of tougher examinations against Inter Milan, Manchester United, Everton and Arsenal in the next 4½ weeks.
Steven Gerrard was in fine form, running the game from the role he has been enjoying just behind Torres. His presence allowed Liverpool to set a tempo that West Ham struggled to live with for the first half-hour, the visiting defence at times creaking under the pressure. Lucas Neill, the captain, did not look like the defender whom Rafael BenÍtez, the Liverpool manager, spent so long trying to sign from Blackburn Rovers last season as he strived to contain the unpredictable – if occasionally misguided – threat of Ryan Babel on the Liverpool left.
The opening goal, though, came from the right-hand side, with Dirk Kuyt sending in a routine-looking cross that Anton Ferdinand seemed well placed to deal with. There was the slightest hint of a deflection, but, if that was what threw Ferdinand, there was no faulting the reactions of Torres, who sent a right-foot shot across the goalkeeper and into the bottom corner of the goal.
Liverpool could have added to that lead before the interval, particularly from set-pieces. Jamie Carragher was twice surprised to find himself in space at the far post, while Martin Skrtel sent a header just over the crossbar. Between times Gerrard, at full stretch, had a shot well saved by Robert Green.
West Ham did not convince as a defensive unit, but they had the odd moment going forward. Shortly after the opening goal, a pass by Hayden Mullins sent LuÍs Boa Morte clear of the offside trap and around José Manuel Reina, but the forward’s cross-shot, sent in the vague direction of Carlton Cole, was intercepted smartly by Álvaro Arbeloa. That might have been seen as encouragement enough for Curbishley to stick to Plan A, but not the West Ham supporters. “Two up front,” they began to chant just before Torres’s second goal. Then came “You don’t know what you’re doing,” as he brought on Jonathan Spector, and, most damningly perhaps, “It’s just like watching Charlton.”
It was West Ham’s misfortune to be faced with a centre forward in such marvellous form, but they could hardly claim to have made life difficult for him. Torres scored his second goal just after the hour, rising unchallenged to head home another cross from Kuyt after the visiting defence failed to clear a corner by Gerrard. Six minutes later, stooping low to reach Gerrard’s cross, he headed against the inside of the post.
The hat-trick seemed inevitable and so it proved, Torres wriggling past another weak challenge from Neill and stroking home a right-foot shot with which Green might have done better.
He swiftly made his departure, leaving Gerrard to put the icing on the cake with a spectacular fourth goal moments later. The only blot on Liverpool’s evening was an injury to Javier Mascherano, the former West Ham midfield player, who limped off near the finish after being caught by a late tackle from Mark Noble.
Liverpool (4-2-3-1): J M Reina – Á Arbeloa, J Carragher, M Skrtel, J A Riise – X Alonso, J Mascherano – D Kuyt (sub: Y Benayoun, 63min), S Gerrard, R Babel (sub: J Pennant, 76) – F Torres (sub: P Crouch, 82). Substitutes not used: C Itandje, S Hyypia.
West Ham United (4-1-4-1): R Green – L Neill, A Ferdinand, M Upson (sub: J Spector, 63), G McCartney – H Mullins – F Ljungberg, N Solano (sub: D Ashton, 69), M Noble, L Boa Morte – C Cole (sub: R Zamora, 69). Substitutes not used: R Wright, J Paintsil. Booked: Cole, Neill, Noble.
Referee: S Bennett.
Goal Highlights:
Come one Come all this SATURDAY, GAME AGAINST the TOONS of Newcastle @ the M Bar @ 10:55PM!
BIG GAMES COMING UP SO WATCH THIS SPACE!
SELAMAT MENGUNDI TO ALL MALAYSIANS!
4 comments:
Ahhh .... yes! Liverpool won 4-0 at Anfield but it was against out-of-sorts West Ham United!
That seems to be the general feeling of the journalist whenever Liverpool win. It is never the fact that Liverpool have outplayed the opposition!!
Anyway, it doesn't matter what the journalists write as long as we win and Torres, Gerrard, Carragher & Co continue to play like this, we'll have our last chance of silverware in the Champions League and 4th place by the end of the season!
If you noticed, there was only 2 changes to the line up which was Carra moving back to centre back at the expense of big Sami, with Arbeloa coming back into right back and Riise replacing Aurelio at left back.
Midfield and attck was the same formation and game plan as per the weekend.
You reckon Rafa's found the formation and line up holy grail? Perhaps even a result of rotation and the ensuing freshness of players for the last push?
4-2-3-1 is the magic number no?
Ini mesti beli 10 besar, 10 kecil di Magnum......4231.
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