Articles
Talk lfc match report
Match report by Robbie Amins at talklfc
After receiving news that Man Utd had unexpectedly lost at Portsmouth and Arsenal dropped points against Southampton, Liverpool fans were hopeful that their team could take the advantage to close the gap with the top teams. Failing to win after taking the lead early is disappointing but the biggest disappointment is definitely Djibril Cisse's injury.
The Frenchman was just going on one of his speedy runs on the right flank when he was kicked (maybe accidentally) by Nils-Eric Johansson. Cisse immediately signalled to the bench, agony written all over his face. Ewood Park is indeed an unlucky ground for the Reds. Last season, Liverpool lost both Milan Baros and Jamie Carragher to long-term injuries. But this time round, it's made even worst by the fact that Liverpool now only have the unexperienced duo of Florent Sinama-Pongolle and Neil Mellor to rely on with Milan Baros as the only established striker in the team.
John Arne Riise had put the visitors in front with an excellent sixth minute finish. Xabi Alonso, the Spanish genius picking him out with a hollywood pass with his supposedly weaker left foot. Now all Liverpool had to was keep a clean sheet like they have done in the last couple of matches. But they didn't manage to do that.
Josemi failed to track the run of Brett Emerton down the right and Sami Hyypia played him onside. Hands were raised in vain as the Australian found Jay Bothroyd who easily tapped in his first Rovers goal in his first Premiership start. Blackburn actually started the game well, coming out of the blocks and putting pressure on the Reds everytime they had the ball. Riise's goal seemed to have snuffed out a bit of their fire but Bothroyd's equaliser certainly liven up their team spirits again.
And then came the moment of pain and sadness for Djibril and his fans. From the referee and his assistant at the far side's view, there seemed little in the challenge with Johansson. But the Frenchman was indeed kicked at the back of his leg by Johansson. It soon became obvious though that Cisse was in acute pain and the sight of him being carried off must have filled Benitez with dread as he assessed the options available for the Deportivo game in midweek.
Blackburn deservedly went in front in injury time. They didn't deserve it because they were playing better than the Reds but Liverpool deserved to be punished for their schoolboy defending. Hyypia and Carragher both had chances to clear it and somehow didn't manage to do so, while Josemi's weak challenge on Emerton didn't even deserve to be called a tackle. The Australian midfielder picking his spot to find the bottom corner of Kirkland's goal.
After a cagey start to the second half, the visitors finally found a way back into the match again. Jay McEveley who maybe was fautless for the home side in the rest of the game took a freekick complacently. Luis Garcia was as surprised as anybody else at Ewood Park to receive the ball. The little Spaniard wasted no time in playing it through for Milan Baros to chase.
The Czech striker only had the keeper in between him and the goal and he waited, and waited, and waited patiently before sweeping the ball to the far corner. Baros knew exactly that if the defender behind him had brought him down, it would be a penalty and a sending-off offence thus the patient finish. Very clever forward play by Milan Baros who was probably Liverpool's Man of the Match.
If only he was aware enough to find Harry Kewell or Luis Garcia in the centre after a 70-yard burst into the penalty area. It could easily have been three points in the bag. His critics would point at his head-down style of play but to be fair, he was probably burnt-out after that sprint.
Blackburn themselves had two other chances to score. Luis Garcia doing well to clear the ball off the line following a corner (but that's what he's there for) and Chris Kirkland with a point-blank save to deny Paul Dickov.
Fair result this one. Both teams could have won the match but Cisse's injury certainly overshadows Liverpool's inability to get all three points.
Blackburn: Friedel, Neill, Short, Johansson, McEveley, Reid, Tugay, Ferguson, Emerton, Dickov, Bothroyd (Stead, 64). Subs: Flitcroft, Stead, Enckelman, Djorkaeff, Todd
Yellow cards: Tugay (60), Stead (69)
Liverpool: Kirkland, Josemi, Carragher, Hyypia, Traore, Finnan (Kewell, 55), Hamann (Diao, 80), Alonso, Arne Riise, Baros, Cisse (Garcia, 40).
Subs: Dudek, Kewell, Garcia, Diao, Warnock.
Yellow card: Josemi (45)
Referee: R Styles (Hampshire)
Liverpool's Man of the Match:- Milan Baros
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez on the game: "I'm disappointed because we started the game with high tempo. After we scored we reduced the tempo. Again in the second half we had high tempo, we kept the ball and had many chances. They (Blackburn) are a good team, they ran a lot and fought for the ball, but we had our opportunities and they also had opportunities."
Blackburn manager Mark Hughes on the game: "I thought we were excellent from start to finish. I felt we out-fought them at times and deserved more than we eventually got. A lot of the elements and fundamentals that I want to see in the side were out there in this game and I'm delighted."
Liverpool goalscorer Milan Baros on the game: "In the end it was a good game and we're happy with a point. I had a chance in the first few minutes and it was a shame we could not keep a clean sheet in the first half."
Milan Baros on Cisse's injury: "I heard something and I thought it was broken. It is a shame and hopefully he'll get back soon. I wish him all the best because I know what it's like to be out with a broken leg. We'll just have one striker probably but Harry Kewell can play up front, Luis Garcia can play up front so we have a good squad and hopefully we can replace him."
Liverpool FC Head of Press Ian Cotton on Cisse's injury: "Our club doctor Mark Waller has confirmed that Djibril Cisse suffered a comminuted fracture of the tibia and fracture of the fibula in his left leg. Djibril will undergo surgery on Sunday morning to insert a pin in the tibia. Unfortunately he is unlikely to play again this season and everybody at the club wishes him the speediest of recoveries."
After receiving news that Man Utd had unexpectedly lost at Portsmouth and Arsenal dropped points against Southampton, Liverpool fans were hopeful that their team could take the advantage to close the gap with the top teams. Failing to win after taking the lead early is disappointing but the biggest disappointment is definitely Djibril Cisse's injury.
The Frenchman was just going on one of his speedy runs on the right flank when he was kicked (maybe accidentally) by Nils-Eric Johansson. Cisse immediately signalled to the bench, agony written all over his face. Ewood Park is indeed an unlucky ground for the Reds. Last season, Liverpool lost both Milan Baros and Jamie Carragher to long-term injuries. But this time round, it's made even worst by the fact that Liverpool now only have the unexperienced duo of Florent Sinama-Pongolle and Neil Mellor to rely on with Milan Baros as the only established striker in the team.
John Arne Riise had put the visitors in front with an excellent sixth minute finish. Xabi Alonso, the Spanish genius picking him out with a hollywood pass with his supposedly weaker left foot. Now all Liverpool had to was keep a clean sheet like they have done in the last couple of matches. But they didn't manage to do that.
Josemi failed to track the run of Brett Emerton down the right and Sami Hyypia played him onside. Hands were raised in vain as the Australian found Jay Bothroyd who easily tapped in his first Rovers goal in his first Premiership start. Blackburn actually started the game well, coming out of the blocks and putting pressure on the Reds everytime they had the ball. Riise's goal seemed to have snuffed out a bit of their fire but Bothroyd's equaliser certainly liven up their team spirits again.
And then came the moment of pain and sadness for Djibril and his fans. From the referee and his assistant at the far side's view, there seemed little in the challenge with Johansson. But the Frenchman was indeed kicked at the back of his leg by Johansson. It soon became obvious though that Cisse was in acute pain and the sight of him being carried off must have filled Benitez with dread as he assessed the options available for the Deportivo game in midweek.
Blackburn deservedly went in front in injury time. They didn't deserve it because they were playing better than the Reds but Liverpool deserved to be punished for their schoolboy defending. Hyypia and Carragher both had chances to clear it and somehow didn't manage to do so, while Josemi's weak challenge on Emerton didn't even deserve to be called a tackle. The Australian midfielder picking his spot to find the bottom corner of Kirkland's goal.
After a cagey start to the second half, the visitors finally found a way back into the match again. Jay McEveley who maybe was fautless for the home side in the rest of the game took a freekick complacently. Luis Garcia was as surprised as anybody else at Ewood Park to receive the ball. The little Spaniard wasted no time in playing it through for Milan Baros to chase.
The Czech striker only had the keeper in between him and the goal and he waited, and waited, and waited patiently before sweeping the ball to the far corner. Baros knew exactly that if the defender behind him had brought him down, it would be a penalty and a sending-off offence thus the patient finish. Very clever forward play by Milan Baros who was probably Liverpool's Man of the Match.
If only he was aware enough to find Harry Kewell or Luis Garcia in the centre after a 70-yard burst into the penalty area. It could easily have been three points in the bag. His critics would point at his head-down style of play but to be fair, he was probably burnt-out after that sprint.
Blackburn themselves had two other chances to score. Luis Garcia doing well to clear the ball off the line following a corner (but that's what he's there for) and Chris Kirkland with a point-blank save to deny Paul Dickov.
Fair result this one. Both teams could have won the match but Cisse's injury certainly overshadows Liverpool's inability to get all three points.
Blackburn: Friedel, Neill, Short, Johansson, McEveley, Reid, Tugay, Ferguson, Emerton, Dickov, Bothroyd (Stead, 64). Subs: Flitcroft, Stead, Enckelman, Djorkaeff, Todd
Yellow cards: Tugay (60), Stead (69)
Liverpool: Kirkland, Josemi, Carragher, Hyypia, Traore, Finnan (Kewell, 55), Hamann (Diao, 80), Alonso, Arne Riise, Baros, Cisse (Garcia, 40).
Subs: Dudek, Kewell, Garcia, Diao, Warnock.
Yellow card: Josemi (45)
Referee: R Styles (Hampshire)
Liverpool's Man of the Match:- Milan Baros
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez on the game: "I'm disappointed because we started the game with high tempo. After we scored we reduced the tempo. Again in the second half we had high tempo, we kept the ball and had many chances. They (Blackburn) are a good team, they ran a lot and fought for the ball, but we had our opportunities and they also had opportunities."
Blackburn manager Mark Hughes on the game: "I thought we were excellent from start to finish. I felt we out-fought them at times and deserved more than we eventually got. A lot of the elements and fundamentals that I want to see in the side were out there in this game and I'm delighted."
Liverpool goalscorer Milan Baros on the game: "In the end it was a good game and we're happy with a point. I had a chance in the first few minutes and it was a shame we could not keep a clean sheet in the first half."
Milan Baros on Cisse's injury: "I heard something and I thought it was broken. It is a shame and hopefully he'll get back soon. I wish him all the best because I know what it's like to be out with a broken leg. We'll just have one striker probably but Harry Kewell can play up front, Luis Garcia can play up front so we have a good squad and hopefully we can replace him."
Liverpool FC Head of Press Ian Cotton on Cisse's injury: "Our club doctor Mark Waller has confirmed that Djibril Cisse suffered a comminuted fracture of the tibia and fracture of the fibula in his left leg. Djibril will undergo surgery on Sunday morning to insert a pin in the tibia. Unfortunately he is unlikely to play again this season and everybody at the club wishes him the speediest of recoveries."
