Articles
No doubt the new Reds are great!
Liverpool Echo - Monday 23 November 1970
By Chris James
Liverpool’s great side of the mid-sixties reached the heights because of the courage and indomitable spirit personified in the man behind the team, Bill Shankly. When Shankly was finally forced to break up that side and forge a new one, the question remained-would the new side inherit the spirit that makes a good team great? That question does not apply any more. The answer is “Yes” and was there for everyone to see as Liverpool got their noses ahead in the annual two-leg battle for Merseyside supremacy with Everton. They beat Everton 3-2 but behind that score line lays a tale of tragedy, of courage, of personal brilliance and of triumph. For it is not really what was achieved, as the way it was achieved, that is important. When Tommy smith was robbed by Johnny Morrissey for Alan Whittle’s first goal for Everton, it looked as if Liverpool empire was collapsing. And when Smith and Chris Lawler were left helpless as Morrissey and Alan Ball worked a one-two for Morrissey to lay on the second for Joe Royle’s head, it looked as if Liverpool’s destruction was complete. Yet, in retrospect, it seem that Smith’s error in holding the ball too long, and the second goal, were really the basic reasons why Liverpool won. Had Smith loosed the ball quickly it is a fair bet that the game would have dragged on in its boring pattern right up to the death. A mistake was the only way the cautious, defensive stalemate would be broken. And once it had been broken, Liverpool were forced to come out on cautious attack-which led to the second goal as a confident Everton found more space in which to work.
Goal spur
And that second goal was the spur Liverpool needed to launch the sort of irresistible assault that no team could have survived. Liverpool are well-known for their powers of coming from behind and no team, least of all Everton, should have underrated that capacity. The past is littered with such victims. Yet, missing four forwards through injury, it was very doubtful whether the rawness and inexperience of this Liverpool side, with six players making derby debuts, had the spirit of its predecessor. They proved they had and none more than Irishman Steve Heighway who danced his native jigs down the left wing to the bewilderment and destruction of Everton. He scored the first Liverpool goal with the sort of individual brilliance and cool calm needed in such circumstances. He linked past John Hurst on the Left and cut in delightfully along the by-line before leaving two defenders and Rankin helpless with a shot from an almost impossible angle. It was Heighway again, taking Hughes' throw-in. to provide John Toshack with the cross for his brilliantly beaded equalizer. It was on the left again that Liverpool found their way through for the winner with, this time, Alec Lindsay supplying the cross, Toshack again beating Labone, and Chris Lawler collecting his glancing header to pick his spot. Yet apart from the brilliance of Heighway, the constantly lurking menace of Toshack and the attacking stealth of Lawler, there was more than this trio behind Liverpool's victory. There was Tommy Smith, inspiring Liverpool from the back, Emlyn Hughes working himself into the Anfield mud and Ian Ross, a late replacement for the injured Peter Thompson, quieting a lot of the menace of Alan Ball. In midfield too, Brian Hall finally prized open the grip that Everton held in the first half.
Royle danger
Larry Lloyd lost his personal duel with Joe Royle and it was here that most of the danger to Liverpool lay, and Ray Clemence in goal was forced to more than one good save, notably in the second half when he went full length to clutch a deflected shot from Keith Newton with the score delicately poised at 2-2. Yet it was the battle in the other penalty area that finally proved so decisive with Toshack fully justifying his high valuation and producing an afternoon of torment for Brian Labone. Shankly has rebuilt and remodeled the Liverpool side but proved on Saturday that he has lost none of its qualities in the process.
Copyright - Liverpool Post and Mercury - Transcribed by http://www.
By Chris James
Liverpool’s great side of the mid-sixties reached the heights because of the courage and indomitable spirit personified in the man behind the team, Bill Shankly. When Shankly was finally forced to break up that side and forge a new one, the question remained-would the new side inherit the spirit that makes a good team great? That question does not apply any more. The answer is “Yes” and was there for everyone to see as Liverpool got their noses ahead in the annual two-leg battle for Merseyside supremacy with Everton. They beat Everton 3-2 but behind that score line lays a tale of tragedy, of courage, of personal brilliance and of triumph. For it is not really what was achieved, as the way it was achieved, that is important. When Tommy smith was robbed by Johnny Morrissey for Alan Whittle’s first goal for Everton, it looked as if Liverpool empire was collapsing. And when Smith and Chris Lawler were left helpless as Morrissey and Alan Ball worked a one-two for Morrissey to lay on the second for Joe Royle’s head, it looked as if Liverpool’s destruction was complete. Yet, in retrospect, it seem that Smith’s error in holding the ball too long, and the second goal, were really the basic reasons why Liverpool won. Had Smith loosed the ball quickly it is a fair bet that the game would have dragged on in its boring pattern right up to the death. A mistake was the only way the cautious, defensive stalemate would be broken. And once it had been broken, Liverpool were forced to come out on cautious attack-which led to the second goal as a confident Everton found more space in which to work.
Goal spur
And that second goal was the spur Liverpool needed to launch the sort of irresistible assault that no team could have survived. Liverpool are well-known for their powers of coming from behind and no team, least of all Everton, should have underrated that capacity. The past is littered with such victims. Yet, missing four forwards through injury, it was very doubtful whether the rawness and inexperience of this Liverpool side, with six players making derby debuts, had the spirit of its predecessor. They proved they had and none more than Irishman Steve Heighway who danced his native jigs down the left wing to the bewilderment and destruction of Everton. He scored the first Liverpool goal with the sort of individual brilliance and cool calm needed in such circumstances. He linked past John Hurst on the Left and cut in delightfully along the by-line before leaving two defenders and Rankin helpless with a shot from an almost impossible angle. It was Heighway again, taking Hughes' throw-in. to provide John Toshack with the cross for his brilliantly beaded equalizer. It was on the left again that Liverpool found their way through for the winner with, this time, Alec Lindsay supplying the cross, Toshack again beating Labone, and Chris Lawler collecting his glancing header to pick his spot. Yet apart from the brilliance of Heighway, the constantly lurking menace of Toshack and the attacking stealth of Lawler, there was more than this trio behind Liverpool's victory. There was Tommy Smith, inspiring Liverpool from the back, Emlyn Hughes working himself into the Anfield mud and Ian Ross, a late replacement for the injured Peter Thompson, quieting a lot of the menace of Alan Ball. In midfield too, Brian Hall finally prized open the grip that Everton held in the first half.
Royle danger
Larry Lloyd lost his personal duel with Joe Royle and it was here that most of the danger to Liverpool lay, and Ray Clemence in goal was forced to more than one good save, notably in the second half when he went full length to clutch a deflected shot from Keith Newton with the score delicately poised at 2-2. Yet it was the battle in the other penalty area that finally proved so decisive with Toshack fully justifying his high valuation and producing an afternoon of torment for Brian Labone. Shankly has rebuilt and remodeled the Liverpool side but proved on Saturday that he has lost none of its qualities in the process.
Copyright - Liverpool Post and Mercury - Transcribed by http://www.
