Articles
Various reports from PA, The Daily Telegraph, Reuters, The Times, and The Independent
Blackburn's empire crumbles
by Ken Gaunt of "Press Association"
The Blackburn empire is crumbling as fast as it was built. Jack Walker's millions and Kenny Dalglish's tactical knowhow brought the club their first title in 81 years.
But today Blackburn slumped to their fourth defeat in six Premiership games and after their humbling by Spartak Moscow in midweek are in the middle of an early-season crisis.
It was at Anfield last May that Blackburn won the title for the first time since 1914, and the celebrations in the old Lancashire town went on all through the summer.
But today their return to Liverpool was more tearful than cheerful with Liverpool's bright young things running the show and outclassing England's best team.
Dalglish switched to becoming director of football in the summer with Ray Harford taking over the mantle of manager.
But he has now handed over the coaching to Derek Fazackerley in the hope of turning things around after the club's only victory of the season came on the opening day against QPR.
It is obvious, however, that Fazackerley -- whose coaching skills are renowned throughout the game -- has a tough task ahead of him to steer the club back up the table.
Blackburn were sloppy at the back and over-run in midfield, which meant that Alan Shearer was never a threat.
And to compound their misery Norwegian international Henning Berg was sent off in the second half for his second bookable offence.
The kick-off was delayed by 10 minutes when a fire alarm was triggered in the Centenary Stand but found to be a false alarm.
Blackburn, with Derek Fazackerley assuming the coaching duties, were soon under the kosh and Robbie Fowler scorned two good chances of giving Liverpool the lead.
The Anfield striker, left out of the side in midweek, lost his footing as he was about to shoot after Stan Collymore's pace had taken him away from Colin Hendry.
Steve Harkness rode two stiff challenges to set up Fowler but, to the disbelief of the home crowd, his shot cleared the bar.
Blackburn striker Mike Newell needed treatment on the touchline after a challenge from his skipper Tim Sherwood when both players tried to win the ball.
Liverpool did not have long to wait before taking the lead. The goal came after 12 minutes -- and it was a splendid effort by Jamie Redknapp that set the crowd alight.
The England new-boy scored in the UEFA Cup in Russia on Thursday and today he marked his return home with his first Premiership goal of the season.
He has rarely scored a better one after his initial shot was deflected for a corner. Harkness picked out Steve McManaman, who threaded the ball through to the waiting Redknapp.
He rifled a magnificent shot home from 20 yards that left 'keeper Tim Flowers rooted to his line.
Liverpool's second goal arrived in the 22nd minute when neither Colin Hendry nor Ian Pearce picked out the cross from Rob Jones. Fowler seized on the opportunity to score with a splendid diving header.
Blackburn were being swamped and six minutes later Stan Collymore added a third goal, a sweet left-foot shot from 20 yards similar to the one he scored against Sheffield Wednesday on the opening day.
Blackburn were being totally outclassed and their frustrations began to boil over. Pearce was booked for a challenge on Collymore. Hendry picked up a yellow card for a tackle on Fowler. That wild lunge by the Scottish international won Liverpool a free-kick from 20 yards out and keeper Flowers did well to hold onto Redknapp's effort. Then Berg got a yellow card for bundling over Harkness.
Alan Shearer was forced to forage alone up front, although Hendry tried to make inroads into the Liverpool defence to try and set up a chance for the tumbling champions.
Newell had a clear chance when a shot from Graeme Le Saux was deflected but his close-range header went over the bar.
The second half was only five minutes old when Blackburn were reduced to 10 men when Berg got his second yellow card for a challenge on Redknapp and was immediately banished to the dressing room.
Blackburn were reduced to snatching at half-chances with Mike Newell first heading over the bar from close range and then sending another effort past the post.
The only time Liverpool keeper David James was called into action was to make a marvellous save from a fierce Tim Sherwood shot after a driven cross by David Batty.
Jason McAteer made his debut for the home side with eight minutes to go after his 4.5 million pound move from Bolton and was given a rousing reception by the home fans.
He was immediately involved in the action and set up Collymore with a fine cross only for the striker to head wide.
Blackburn have registered a protest at Henning Berg's sending off in the 3-0 defeat by Liverpool at Anfield.
Referee Gary Willard dismissed the Norwegian international in the second half for his second bookable offence after a challenge on Jamie Redknapp.
Berg had previously been booked for appearing to elbow Steve Harkness -- but Blackburn dispute that.
Manager Ray Harford said: "Knowing Henning like I do I feel that booking was harsh but I have spoken to the referee and he has agreed to look at it on video."
"If it shows he has made a mistake he says he may reconsider his actions."
Berg said: "I did not touch him. This happened to me last season and I am sick of it."
Berg's sending off came at a time when Blackburn were on the rack after being hit by three first half goals from Redknapp, Robbie Fowler and Stan Collymore.
It was the champions' fourth defeat in six weekends and Harford said: "I hope this is the bottom of the barrel."
"We have got to get back to playing football. My players have not become bad players overnight."
"This was a kick in the teeth. We have got to show character. There is no use feeling sorry for ourselves, there are a lot of people worse off than us."
Liverpool manager Roy Evans said: "We were sensational in the first half with our passing and movement.
"The game was easy for them in the second half and today we have seen the best and worst of us."
Evans is banking on Harford to get it right at Blackburn. He said: "Ray has enough experience and know how to turn it around. He is one of the better footballing people in this country."
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Liverpool leave the champions in disarray
by Colin Malam of "The Daily Telegraph"
BLACKBURN'S defence of the Premiership title was almost certainly left in ruins at the ground where they clinched it four months ago. They say you cannot afford to lose more than six games a season if you are going to be champions, and this thumping defeat by Liverpool was Blackburn's fourth in their first six matches.
That, and the sending off of defender Henning Berg, was hardly the perfect end to a week that had seen the reborn Lancashire club lose at home in their first Champions' League game. "Maybe it has to get worse before it gets better," Blackburn manager Ray Harford had said prophetically after Wednesday night's chastening experience.
The kick-off was delayed for 10 minutes while officials tried to find out why a fire alarm had gone off in the impressive new Centenary Stand. It turned out to be a false alarm, and it looked for a short while as though the reports of Blackburn's demise might come into the same category.
With Jeff Kenna returning after injury and playing on the right of midfield while Stuart Ripley switched to the left, Blackburn dominated the early exchanges. This despite the odd hiccup of the sort that saw Mike Newell, again preferred to Chris Sutton in attack, hurt in a misunderstanding with his captain, Tim Sherwood.
Liverpool, attacking the Anfield Road end, did not make any real progress until Steve Harkness beat one man and then won two tackles in a storming run on the left.
The full-back's determination and persistence offered Robbie Fowler a chance that the striker, recalled in place of Michael Thomas, swept over the bar.
By the 12th minute, however, the passing game that brought Liverpool such an impressive away win against Spartak Vladikavkaz in midweek was in full working order. A floated pass from John Barnes saw Mark Wright head the ball back for Jamie Redknapp to unleash a shot that was deflected for a corner.
Harkness played the flag-kick short and Steve McManaman ferried the ball back to Redknapp, standing just outside the penalty area and slightly to the left of goal. From there, the young England midfielder again showed how dangerous he can be from that distance by swerving an unstoppable shot into the far corner.
To their credit, Blackburn did not throw in the towel
Blackburn, finding it as difficult to cope with the subtlety of Liverpool's passing as they had with that of Spartak Moscow in midweek, were tormented further before Liverpool increased their lead after 21 minutes through Fowler.
A spot of sorcery on the right ended with Rob Jones sending over a centre that Fowler, diving in front of Berg, headed past Tim Flowers. As if that were not bad enough for Blackburn, they went 3-0 down seven minutes later.
Again, it was a spectacular goal. The ball was worked from left to right across the edge of the penalty area, Stan Collymore sweeping the ball smoothly over Flowers and into the far corner with his left foot as he responded to McManaman's square pass with a beautifully judged first-time shot.
The damage those three early goals did to Blackburn's self-control may be judged by the fact that three of their players, Ian Pearce, Colin Hendry and Berg, were booked for fouls in the last 14 minutes of the first half.
To their credit, Blackburn did not throw in the towel. Alan Shearer, who had worked hard throughout the first half to make something out of nothing, did manage to direct a shot at David James after 34 minutes, and Newell was close to scoring with a header after an effort by Graeme Le Saux had been deflected by Wright.
Sutton was sent on at the start of the second half to replace Ripley and beef up the Blackburn attack. The move was quickly frustrated, however, by the dismissal of Berg, who was adjudged to have brought down Redknapp as the Liverpool player went on a run through the middle of the Blackburn team five minutes after the restart.
Redknapp himself thought the decision to book Berg again was harsh, but instead of looking for goals, Sutton found himself alongside Pearce and Hendry trying to stop them.
They managed that comfortably enough because, as often happens when teams are well ahead against 10 men, Liverpool took their foot off the accelerator.
Blackburn often looked the more dangerous in the second half, James making a good save from David Batty and Liverpool substitute Thomas clearing a Hendry header off the line.
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Liverpool overwhelms fading champions Blackburn
by Mike Collett of "Reuters"
Reaction to Blackburn's 3-0 defeat at Liverpool on Saturday was in sharp contrast to their 2-1 loss at Anfield last May.
This time, defeat meant deep gloom and despondency and a growing belief that Blackburn's rise to the pinnacle of English football could be followed by a very swift fall.
The feeling was directly opposed to that sunny afternoon of May 14 when Blackburn also lost to Liverpool in one of the most irrelevant defeats in their 120-year history.
Utter joy and exuberance followed that reverse, which could not stop the club winning the English league title for the first time in 81 years.
The championship was the crowning glory for a dream nurtured by multi-millionaire Jack Walker and former Liverpool great Kenny Dalglish, then Blackburn's manager, now their grandly titled "director of football."
But Saturday's defeat at Anfield has all but confirmed deeply-held suspicions about Blackburn. Confusion surrounds the coaching staff.
The team have been accused of naivety -- although not a lack of typical determination -- following their Champions' League defeat against Spartak Moscow on Wednesday.
Speculation is also widespread that the side that won the title is about to be dismantled with Chris Sutton, a five million pound purchase from Norwich, on the bench and skipper Tim Sherwood linked with a move to Chelsea after making a gesture to fans who have started to jeer him and the team.
Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan said this week: "I can't understand what is happening at Ewood Park. I can't believe I am seeing the bandwagon shuddering to a halt."
"I believe the rise of Blackburn to be one of the greatest football success stories of the past 20 years, and I speak as one of their fans."
But, Keegan observed, Blackburn failed to strengthen their squad in the summer, failed to meet the demands of the Champions' League and there is now confusion in the club following Dalglish's decision to move upstairs with Ray Harford becoming first team coach.
"You wonder if it was the right decision, whether Kenny might have been better to have made a clean break and left altogether."
That situation became even more confused on Friday when Harford announced he was handing over coaching duties to former Blackburn player Derek Fazackerley who rejoined Rovers from Newcastle this week.
Fazackerley's first job will be to instil some badly needed confidence into the men who won the title just four months ago. They have clearly not become bad players since, but Blackburn, as a whole, look a poor team, lacking in confidence or ideas.
The great worry is that Saturday's defeat -- their sixth in eight matches this season -- was no great shock.
Liverpool's bright young team ran rings around them and goals from Jamie Redknapp, Robbie Fowler and Stan Collymore killed the match within 30 minutes.
Blackburn were reduced to half-chances and never played like, or remotely resembled, champions.
If Fazackerley is now the effective manager of Blackburn he has a tough task to steer the club back up the table.
With the season barely a month old, there is no suggestion that Rovers' problems are terminal, but widespread amazement they should have started the season so poorly.
Only once in the 107-year history of the English league has a club ever been relegated just a year after being champions, a fate that befell Manchester City, champions in 1937, but relegated in 1938.
After the latest defeat bookmakers William Hill made Rovers a 20-1 shot to retain their title -- and a 20-1 shot to go down.
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Toothless champions continue slide
by Peter Ball of "The Times"
Problems worsened for Blackburn Rovers at Anfield. Three down at the interval to a rampant Liverpool and reduced to ten men five minutes after it, only the home side's reduced commitment saved the champions from humiliation.
Ray Harford's dejected face told its own story. Hie belief, that the battling performances against Aston Villa and Spartak Moscow in the previous eight days would signal a change of fortune, was destroyed in half an hour.
"You feel you've got something right and then something happens elsewhere," the Blackburn manager said. "We thought we'd maybe turned the corner last week, so it's another kick in the teeth."
There were things wrong in several places. For 45 minutes Liverpool were superb, their passing and movement reminiscent of the great Liverpool sides, but admiration for Liverpool could not hide Blackburn's deficiencies.
With Shearer looking below par, they hardly mounted a serious threat but, even more tellingly, they lacked the destructive qualities which used to be their forte.
"We felt we didn't do enough when they had the ball to hustle and win it back," Mike Newell, the Blackburn striker, said afterwards. "We weren't as hard to beat as we have been in the past. It's a collective thing really, we have to get our heads down and work a bit. The only way you get out of these situations by hard work."
Whether Blackburn can recapture the effort that took them to the championship is questionable. History shows that teams who win by hard work, like Leeds United three years ago, find it much harder to repeat their achievements than sides that have done it, like Liverpool, with a passing game.
At Anfield Blackburn were on the back foot almost from the word go, as Liverpool controlled midfield. Batty did not make a tackle all afternoon while Sherwood, whose demeanour suggested that he would rather be in London, made two which left his victims prone. Unfortunately one of them was Newell, a clash after only five minutes which summed up Blackburn's day as both attached a bouncing ball from different directions. Sherwood's foot was higher and Newell came off worse.
Soon Redknapp was to punish the lack of challenge as he accepted McManaman's pass from a corner and sent a swerving shot beyond Flowers from just outside the box.
The second goal was worse, from a defensive perspective. Jones was allowed to accelerate past two defenders to cross. The centre went over Pearce and Fowler nipped in front of a static Berg to head home. "Dreaming in the box," Harford said, "but I was more concerned about how easily Jones got behind us."
Worse was to come. A fine Liverpool passing move, begun as Collymore shrugged off Le Saux in midfield, reached Collymore again at its culmination and an almost lazy swing of his left foot curled the ball beyond Flowers from 25 yards.
At that point a landslide looked on the cards. Instead Liverpool relaxed and Roy Evans, their manager, was not impressed. "I'm not saying we were rank bad, but we should have gone on from there and come out clearer winners," Evans said. "To be fair to the lads, the game became easy for them, certainly after the sending-off."
The sending-off confirmed that it was not Blackburn's day. They had regrouped at half-time, playing three centre backs, with Berg in the middle, but the ploy lasted five minutes. Berg had been booked, harshly, for use of an elbow in the first half. Now, he appeared to trip Redknapp and was sent off. It emerged afterwards that appearances were misleading.
"We will be appealing about the first booking, but the second was even worse," Berg said. "Jamie Redknapp went to the ref and said I hadn't touched him, but he still booked me. I feel very hard done by.
Match of the Day brought sympathy for Berg's feelings. The self-pity visible in other Blackburn players, though, is one of the first problems that Harford will have to solve. "Morale is very low at the moment," he said.
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Liverpool add to champions' nightmare
by Cynthia Bateman of "The Guardian"
Liverpool rubbed salt into Blackburn's wounds so zealously that one could almost see Ray Harford's team smarting. Rovers' sanity was preserved only because Roy Evans' side, to his displeasure, eased up after half an hour, limiting the damage to Blackburn's psyche. They are in real trouble now as their season takes on a nightmarish quality after 5 defeats in 6 games. A chastened Harford described it as "another kick in the teeth. We hope this is the bottom of the barrel. But they don't become bad players overnight. It's an old cliche but the majority of it is confidence. It's not a crisis." Oh yes it is.
The Blackburn hierachy have been promoting themselves out of sight and Kenny Dalgish, now director of football, was apparently away at a family wedding. If winning the title removed the chip from the shoulder of the noveau riche, it is now back as a millstone around their necks. Harford has abandoned the coaching to 44-year-old Derek Fazackerley, a Blackburn player for 17 years. It might have been better to keep the management structure and freshen up the workforce. But, as Blackburn try to sort out what has gone wrong, they may consider that their sudden downturn is not all their own doing. Last year they had the advantage of meeting some teams who were not quite the finished article: Liverpool are the best example, and Evans now has the luxury of criticising his side from a fairly lofty position.
There are those who will watch football for the rest of their lives and never see the quality that Liverpool produced in a scintillating first-half performance of exquisite skill and breathtaking goals. "It is a great result but I feel if we had pushed forward in the second half we may have got more. I am a bit disappointed we took the foot off the pedal," said Evans.
Liverpool's mercurial play now has a point to the pyramid. Collymore's ability to bring the ball out of challenges is matched by awesome goalscoring and gives Liverpool's attack a different dimension. Redknapp, encouraged by Evans to take speculative snaps at goal, has already justified that advice. He repated his stunning goal against Vladikavkaz in midweek with a 30-yard shot the followed a corner, bent right and left Flowers diving into its slipstream. Fowler headed in Jones' cross for the second after 22 mins. 7 mins later Collymore's almost nonchalent strike with his left and unfavoured foot seemed to gather velocity as it sped into the top corner.
It was wonderful stuff and McAteer, making his debut late in the game, already looks the part. Blackburn had no response, except strong lungs and stout hearts which, as against Spartak Moscow, proved insufficient. Shearer worked hard but the only supply he got was from Liverpool's Babb playing at left-back, who to the intense frustration of his bench gave the ball away at least 5 times.
Henning Berg was harshly sent off for an innocuous looking challenge on Redknapp that was judged a second bookable offence. Blackburn's only hope of consolation went when the substitute Makel's long range shot spun wide and Hendry's effort from a corner was headed off the line.
by Ken Gaunt of "Press Association"
The Blackburn empire is crumbling as fast as it was built. Jack Walker's millions and Kenny Dalglish's tactical knowhow brought the club their first title in 81 years.
But today Blackburn slumped to their fourth defeat in six Premiership games and after their humbling by Spartak Moscow in midweek are in the middle of an early-season crisis.
It was at Anfield last May that Blackburn won the title for the first time since 1914, and the celebrations in the old Lancashire town went on all through the summer.
But today their return to Liverpool was more tearful than cheerful with Liverpool's bright young things running the show and outclassing England's best team.
Dalglish switched to becoming director of football in the summer with Ray Harford taking over the mantle of manager.
But he has now handed over the coaching to Derek Fazackerley in the hope of turning things around after the club's only victory of the season came on the opening day against QPR.
It is obvious, however, that Fazackerley -- whose coaching skills are renowned throughout the game -- has a tough task ahead of him to steer the club back up the table.
Blackburn were sloppy at the back and over-run in midfield, which meant that Alan Shearer was never a threat.
And to compound their misery Norwegian international Henning Berg was sent off in the second half for his second bookable offence.
The kick-off was delayed by 10 minutes when a fire alarm was triggered in the Centenary Stand but found to be a false alarm.
Blackburn, with Derek Fazackerley assuming the coaching duties, were soon under the kosh and Robbie Fowler scorned two good chances of giving Liverpool the lead.
The Anfield striker, left out of the side in midweek, lost his footing as he was about to shoot after Stan Collymore's pace had taken him away from Colin Hendry.
Steve Harkness rode two stiff challenges to set up Fowler but, to the disbelief of the home crowd, his shot cleared the bar.
Blackburn striker Mike Newell needed treatment on the touchline after a challenge from his skipper Tim Sherwood when both players tried to win the ball.
Liverpool did not have long to wait before taking the lead. The goal came after 12 minutes -- and it was a splendid effort by Jamie Redknapp that set the crowd alight.
The England new-boy scored in the UEFA Cup in Russia on Thursday and today he marked his return home with his first Premiership goal of the season.
He has rarely scored a better one after his initial shot was deflected for a corner. Harkness picked out Steve McManaman, who threaded the ball through to the waiting Redknapp.
He rifled a magnificent shot home from 20 yards that left 'keeper Tim Flowers rooted to his line.
Liverpool's second goal arrived in the 22nd minute when neither Colin Hendry nor Ian Pearce picked out the cross from Rob Jones. Fowler seized on the opportunity to score with a splendid diving header.
Blackburn were being swamped and six minutes later Stan Collymore added a third goal, a sweet left-foot shot from 20 yards similar to the one he scored against Sheffield Wednesday on the opening day.
Blackburn were being totally outclassed and their frustrations began to boil over. Pearce was booked for a challenge on Collymore. Hendry picked up a yellow card for a tackle on Fowler. That wild lunge by the Scottish international won Liverpool a free-kick from 20 yards out and keeper Flowers did well to hold onto Redknapp's effort. Then Berg got a yellow card for bundling over Harkness.
Alan Shearer was forced to forage alone up front, although Hendry tried to make inroads into the Liverpool defence to try and set up a chance for the tumbling champions.
Newell had a clear chance when a shot from Graeme Le Saux was deflected but his close-range header went over the bar.
The second half was only five minutes old when Blackburn were reduced to 10 men when Berg got his second yellow card for a challenge on Redknapp and was immediately banished to the dressing room.
Blackburn were reduced to snatching at half-chances with Mike Newell first heading over the bar from close range and then sending another effort past the post.
The only time Liverpool keeper David James was called into action was to make a marvellous save from a fierce Tim Sherwood shot after a driven cross by David Batty.
Jason McAteer made his debut for the home side with eight minutes to go after his 4.5 million pound move from Bolton and was given a rousing reception by the home fans.
He was immediately involved in the action and set up Collymore with a fine cross only for the striker to head wide.
Blackburn have registered a protest at Henning Berg's sending off in the 3-0 defeat by Liverpool at Anfield.
Referee Gary Willard dismissed the Norwegian international in the second half for his second bookable offence after a challenge on Jamie Redknapp.
Berg had previously been booked for appearing to elbow Steve Harkness -- but Blackburn dispute that.
Manager Ray Harford said: "Knowing Henning like I do I feel that booking was harsh but I have spoken to the referee and he has agreed to look at it on video."
"If it shows he has made a mistake he says he may reconsider his actions."
Berg said: "I did not touch him. This happened to me last season and I am sick of it."
Berg's sending off came at a time when Blackburn were on the rack after being hit by three first half goals from Redknapp, Robbie Fowler and Stan Collymore.
It was the champions' fourth defeat in six weekends and Harford said: "I hope this is the bottom of the barrel."
"We have got to get back to playing football. My players have not become bad players overnight."
"This was a kick in the teeth. We have got to show character. There is no use feeling sorry for ourselves, there are a lot of people worse off than us."
Liverpool manager Roy Evans said: "We were sensational in the first half with our passing and movement.
"The game was easy for them in the second half and today we have seen the best and worst of us."
Evans is banking on Harford to get it right at Blackburn. He said: "Ray has enough experience and know how to turn it around. He is one of the better footballing people in this country."
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Liverpool leave the champions in disarray
by Colin Malam of "The Daily Telegraph"
BLACKBURN'S defence of the Premiership title was almost certainly left in ruins at the ground where they clinched it four months ago. They say you cannot afford to lose more than six games a season if you are going to be champions, and this thumping defeat by Liverpool was Blackburn's fourth in their first six matches.
That, and the sending off of defender Henning Berg, was hardly the perfect end to a week that had seen the reborn Lancashire club lose at home in their first Champions' League game. "Maybe it has to get worse before it gets better," Blackburn manager Ray Harford had said prophetically after Wednesday night's chastening experience.
The kick-off was delayed for 10 minutes while officials tried to find out why a fire alarm had gone off in the impressive new Centenary Stand. It turned out to be a false alarm, and it looked for a short while as though the reports of Blackburn's demise might come into the same category.
With Jeff Kenna returning after injury and playing on the right of midfield while Stuart Ripley switched to the left, Blackburn dominated the early exchanges. This despite the odd hiccup of the sort that saw Mike Newell, again preferred to Chris Sutton in attack, hurt in a misunderstanding with his captain, Tim Sherwood.
Liverpool, attacking the Anfield Road end, did not make any real progress until Steve Harkness beat one man and then won two tackles in a storming run on the left.
The full-back's determination and persistence offered Robbie Fowler a chance that the striker, recalled in place of Michael Thomas, swept over the bar.
By the 12th minute, however, the passing game that brought Liverpool such an impressive away win against Spartak Vladikavkaz in midweek was in full working order. A floated pass from John Barnes saw Mark Wright head the ball back for Jamie Redknapp to unleash a shot that was deflected for a corner.
Harkness played the flag-kick short and Steve McManaman ferried the ball back to Redknapp, standing just outside the penalty area and slightly to the left of goal. From there, the young England midfielder again showed how dangerous he can be from that distance by swerving an unstoppable shot into the far corner.
To their credit, Blackburn did not throw in the towel
Blackburn, finding it as difficult to cope with the subtlety of Liverpool's passing as they had with that of Spartak Moscow in midweek, were tormented further before Liverpool increased their lead after 21 minutes through Fowler.
A spot of sorcery on the right ended with Rob Jones sending over a centre that Fowler, diving in front of Berg, headed past Tim Flowers. As if that were not bad enough for Blackburn, they went 3-0 down seven minutes later.
Again, it was a spectacular goal. The ball was worked from left to right across the edge of the penalty area, Stan Collymore sweeping the ball smoothly over Flowers and into the far corner with his left foot as he responded to McManaman's square pass with a beautifully judged first-time shot.
The damage those three early goals did to Blackburn's self-control may be judged by the fact that three of their players, Ian Pearce, Colin Hendry and Berg, were booked for fouls in the last 14 minutes of the first half.
To their credit, Blackburn did not throw in the towel. Alan Shearer, who had worked hard throughout the first half to make something out of nothing, did manage to direct a shot at David James after 34 minutes, and Newell was close to scoring with a header after an effort by Graeme Le Saux had been deflected by Wright.
Sutton was sent on at the start of the second half to replace Ripley and beef up the Blackburn attack. The move was quickly frustrated, however, by the dismissal of Berg, who was adjudged to have brought down Redknapp as the Liverpool player went on a run through the middle of the Blackburn team five minutes after the restart.
Redknapp himself thought the decision to book Berg again was harsh, but instead of looking for goals, Sutton found himself alongside Pearce and Hendry trying to stop them.
They managed that comfortably enough because, as often happens when teams are well ahead against 10 men, Liverpool took their foot off the accelerator.
Blackburn often looked the more dangerous in the second half, James making a good save from David Batty and Liverpool substitute Thomas clearing a Hendry header off the line.
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Liverpool overwhelms fading champions Blackburn
by Mike Collett of "Reuters"
Reaction to Blackburn's 3-0 defeat at Liverpool on Saturday was in sharp contrast to their 2-1 loss at Anfield last May.
This time, defeat meant deep gloom and despondency and a growing belief that Blackburn's rise to the pinnacle of English football could be followed by a very swift fall.
The feeling was directly opposed to that sunny afternoon of May 14 when Blackburn also lost to Liverpool in one of the most irrelevant defeats in their 120-year history.
Utter joy and exuberance followed that reverse, which could not stop the club winning the English league title for the first time in 81 years.
The championship was the crowning glory for a dream nurtured by multi-millionaire Jack Walker and former Liverpool great Kenny Dalglish, then Blackburn's manager, now their grandly titled "director of football."
But Saturday's defeat at Anfield has all but confirmed deeply-held suspicions about Blackburn. Confusion surrounds the coaching staff.
The team have been accused of naivety -- although not a lack of typical determination -- following their Champions' League defeat against Spartak Moscow on Wednesday.
Speculation is also widespread that the side that won the title is about to be dismantled with Chris Sutton, a five million pound purchase from Norwich, on the bench and skipper Tim Sherwood linked with a move to Chelsea after making a gesture to fans who have started to jeer him and the team.
Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan said this week: "I can't understand what is happening at Ewood Park. I can't believe I am seeing the bandwagon shuddering to a halt."
"I believe the rise of Blackburn to be one of the greatest football success stories of the past 20 years, and I speak as one of their fans."
But, Keegan observed, Blackburn failed to strengthen their squad in the summer, failed to meet the demands of the Champions' League and there is now confusion in the club following Dalglish's decision to move upstairs with Ray Harford becoming first team coach.
"You wonder if it was the right decision, whether Kenny might have been better to have made a clean break and left altogether."
That situation became even more confused on Friday when Harford announced he was handing over coaching duties to former Blackburn player Derek Fazackerley who rejoined Rovers from Newcastle this week.
Fazackerley's first job will be to instil some badly needed confidence into the men who won the title just four months ago. They have clearly not become bad players since, but Blackburn, as a whole, look a poor team, lacking in confidence or ideas.
The great worry is that Saturday's defeat -- their sixth in eight matches this season -- was no great shock.
Liverpool's bright young team ran rings around them and goals from Jamie Redknapp, Robbie Fowler and Stan Collymore killed the match within 30 minutes.
Blackburn were reduced to half-chances and never played like, or remotely resembled, champions.
If Fazackerley is now the effective manager of Blackburn he has a tough task to steer the club back up the table.
With the season barely a month old, there is no suggestion that Rovers' problems are terminal, but widespread amazement they should have started the season so poorly.
Only once in the 107-year history of the English league has a club ever been relegated just a year after being champions, a fate that befell Manchester City, champions in 1937, but relegated in 1938.
After the latest defeat bookmakers William Hill made Rovers a 20-1 shot to retain their title -- and a 20-1 shot to go down.
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Toothless champions continue slide
by Peter Ball of "The Times"
Problems worsened for Blackburn Rovers at Anfield. Three down at the interval to a rampant Liverpool and reduced to ten men five minutes after it, only the home side's reduced commitment saved the champions from humiliation.
Ray Harford's dejected face told its own story. Hie belief, that the battling performances against Aston Villa and Spartak Moscow in the previous eight days would signal a change of fortune, was destroyed in half an hour.
"You feel you've got something right and then something happens elsewhere," the Blackburn manager said. "We thought we'd maybe turned the corner last week, so it's another kick in the teeth."
There were things wrong in several places. For 45 minutes Liverpool were superb, their passing and movement reminiscent of the great Liverpool sides, but admiration for Liverpool could not hide Blackburn's deficiencies.
With Shearer looking below par, they hardly mounted a serious threat but, even more tellingly, they lacked the destructive qualities which used to be their forte.
"We felt we didn't do enough when they had the ball to hustle and win it back," Mike Newell, the Blackburn striker, said afterwards. "We weren't as hard to beat as we have been in the past. It's a collective thing really, we have to get our heads down and work a bit. The only way you get out of these situations by hard work."
Whether Blackburn can recapture the effort that took them to the championship is questionable. History shows that teams who win by hard work, like Leeds United three years ago, find it much harder to repeat their achievements than sides that have done it, like Liverpool, with a passing game.
At Anfield Blackburn were on the back foot almost from the word go, as Liverpool controlled midfield. Batty did not make a tackle all afternoon while Sherwood, whose demeanour suggested that he would rather be in London, made two which left his victims prone. Unfortunately one of them was Newell, a clash after only five minutes which summed up Blackburn's day as both attached a bouncing ball from different directions. Sherwood's foot was higher and Newell came off worse.
Soon Redknapp was to punish the lack of challenge as he accepted McManaman's pass from a corner and sent a swerving shot beyond Flowers from just outside the box.
The second goal was worse, from a defensive perspective. Jones was allowed to accelerate past two defenders to cross. The centre went over Pearce and Fowler nipped in front of a static Berg to head home. "Dreaming in the box," Harford said, "but I was more concerned about how easily Jones got behind us."
Worse was to come. A fine Liverpool passing move, begun as Collymore shrugged off Le Saux in midfield, reached Collymore again at its culmination and an almost lazy swing of his left foot curled the ball beyond Flowers from 25 yards.
At that point a landslide looked on the cards. Instead Liverpool relaxed and Roy Evans, their manager, was not impressed. "I'm not saying we were rank bad, but we should have gone on from there and come out clearer winners," Evans said. "To be fair to the lads, the game became easy for them, certainly after the sending-off."
The sending-off confirmed that it was not Blackburn's day. They had regrouped at half-time, playing three centre backs, with Berg in the middle, but the ploy lasted five minutes. Berg had been booked, harshly, for use of an elbow in the first half. Now, he appeared to trip Redknapp and was sent off. It emerged afterwards that appearances were misleading.
"We will be appealing about the first booking, but the second was even worse," Berg said. "Jamie Redknapp went to the ref and said I hadn't touched him, but he still booked me. I feel very hard done by.
Match of the Day brought sympathy for Berg's feelings. The self-pity visible in other Blackburn players, though, is one of the first problems that Harford will have to solve. "Morale is very low at the moment," he said.
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Liverpool add to champions' nightmare
by Cynthia Bateman of "The Guardian"
Liverpool rubbed salt into Blackburn's wounds so zealously that one could almost see Ray Harford's team smarting. Rovers' sanity was preserved only because Roy Evans' side, to his displeasure, eased up after half an hour, limiting the damage to Blackburn's psyche. They are in real trouble now as their season takes on a nightmarish quality after 5 defeats in 6 games. A chastened Harford described it as "another kick in the teeth. We hope this is the bottom of the barrel. But they don't become bad players overnight. It's an old cliche but the majority of it is confidence. It's not a crisis." Oh yes it is.
The Blackburn hierachy have been promoting themselves out of sight and Kenny Dalgish, now director of football, was apparently away at a family wedding. If winning the title removed the chip from the shoulder of the noveau riche, it is now back as a millstone around their necks. Harford has abandoned the coaching to 44-year-old Derek Fazackerley, a Blackburn player for 17 years. It might have been better to keep the management structure and freshen up the workforce. But, as Blackburn try to sort out what has gone wrong, they may consider that their sudden downturn is not all their own doing. Last year they had the advantage of meeting some teams who were not quite the finished article: Liverpool are the best example, and Evans now has the luxury of criticising his side from a fairly lofty position.
There are those who will watch football for the rest of their lives and never see the quality that Liverpool produced in a scintillating first-half performance of exquisite skill and breathtaking goals. "It is a great result but I feel if we had pushed forward in the second half we may have got more. I am a bit disappointed we took the foot off the pedal," said Evans.
Liverpool's mercurial play now has a point to the pyramid. Collymore's ability to bring the ball out of challenges is matched by awesome goalscoring and gives Liverpool's attack a different dimension. Redknapp, encouraged by Evans to take speculative snaps at goal, has already justified that advice. He repated his stunning goal against Vladikavkaz in midweek with a 30-yard shot the followed a corner, bent right and left Flowers diving into its slipstream. Fowler headed in Jones' cross for the second after 22 mins. 7 mins later Collymore's almost nonchalent strike with his left and unfavoured foot seemed to gather velocity as it sped into the top corner.
It was wonderful stuff and McAteer, making his debut late in the game, already looks the part. Blackburn had no response, except strong lungs and stout hearts which, as against Spartak Moscow, proved insufficient. Shearer worked hard but the only supply he got was from Liverpool's Babb playing at left-back, who to the intense frustration of his bench gave the ball away at least 5 times.
Henning Berg was harshly sent off for an innocuous looking challenge on Redknapp that was judged a second bookable offence. Blackburn's only hope of consolation went when the substitute Makel's long range shot spun wide and Hendry's effort from a corner was headed off the line.
