Talk lfc match report

by Anthony Jones at talklfc Are they feeling the pressure yet? Everton's run of dire 1-0 victories will need to continue as Liverpool, with Morientes very much at the forefront are starting to look ominous. A title campaign was lost months ago, but the race for the Champions League is still their to be won. To qualify, Liverpool need to keep winning and it's now two in a row with both coming off impressive performances. Benitez believes Liverpool have the greater quality, he has a point but it's important the Reds keep showing it. With Fernando Morientes looking the gifted player Liverpool fans hoped he would be though, the signs are good. This match mirrored the performance in the last game against Charlton. A bright Liverpool start, pegged back by the opposition and then dominance in the second period. Benitez wants a team that defends and attacks as a collective for ninety minutes. He has achieved a good deal of that, but clearly some work remains. Liverpool had an early claim for a penalty as a simple passing move ended with Riise looking to play Baros in. The Czech striker felt a grab from Bouba-Diop and went down, but in truth, it was all a little too easy. The opening goal arrived not long after, it was created and scored with Spanish elegance. Finnan rampaging forward down the right played the ball back to Luis Garcia. The little Spaniard calmly nutmegged his man and then whipped in a brilliant cross. Whilst this had been going on, Morientes had made his way into the box, first dragging his marker to the back post and then moving forward. The movement was superb, the leap fantastic. There are few sites more wonderful than a sportsman who is able to apparently defy gravity. Morientes hung in the air as Garcia's ball arced in, and then with a twist of the head the ball was arrowed across goal into into the keepers far right corner. Ten minutes later, as if to complete the cameo of Luis Garcia's Liverpool career to date, the ball was given away by the wide player on half way. Fulham were quick to pounce as Liverpool's midfield had all got ahead of the ball. Luis Boa Morte received the ball on the left, drove forward and his low cross was converted by Andy Cole. The remaining twenty minutes of the half remained fairly open. A moment of sheer magic from Morientes nearly resulted in a goal for Biscan. Tight to the touchline on the left flank, Morientes dragged the ball back behind him and back heeled it to Traore, who quickly moved the ball on and drilled it low into the box. Gerrard arrived and swung his right foot at the ball but missed his kick, but in doing so played the perfect dummy as the ball carried to the edge of the eighteen yard box. There was Biscan who attempted a low shot into Van Der Sarr's bottom left corner, but the big stopper was down well. After the break, with Benitez's team talk clearly having affect, Liverpool took control. Steven Gerrard was again the heart beat of the side, with the movement of Morientes, Baros and Garcia creating problems with Riise on the left providing a steady outball. It was Gerrard who started the move for the first attack of the half. His pinpoint ball out to Garcia on the left found the winger in space. His touch was good and he then picked out the run of Baros who charged into the box and went around Rehman as if he wasn't there. Having reached the by-line, Baros looked to hammer the ball low into the path of Morientes but Van Der Sar was quick to react and blocked the ball out for a corner. Liverpool looking more threatening from set plays used the short option, with Garcia receiving and curling a cross high to the far post where Riise had run in unmarked. His header was back across goal towards Baros, who reacted quickly to get the shot on target. His effort came to nothing though as a heroic block from the Fulham defender forced the ball away. Fulham were struggling to clear balls out of their box, and from a long throw after a couple of half clearances, Finnan was able to head the ball back to Gerrard on the edge of the box. He turned and volleyed at the same time, showing tremendous skill but his shot drifted just over the cross bar. Liverpool were not to be deterred though. Finally the set piece goal came and it was the simplest of goals. Liverpool had a free kick on the left flank some forty yards out. Gerrard whipped in a cross at head height into the area between six yard box and penalty spot. It was the perfect delivery, in behind the defenders but too far for the keeper to come. Hyypia had timed his run well and all that was required was the slightest of touches to help the ball into the net. Liverpool had the lead and they never looked like conceding it. The game was finally wrapped up with less than fifteen minutes to play. Gerrard and Bouba-Diop clashed heads in the build up to the goal. In truth the referee should have immediately stopped play, but he seemed unaware that either play had suffered a blow to the head. Traore was not waiting though as he picked up possession and carried the attack into the Fulham half. The chance was nearly lost as his pass to Morientes went behind the striker, but Liverpool had numbers and Riise picked up the ball and drove to the by-line. His cross was accurate, low and into the path of Baros and Milan gladly took the chance to return to goal scoring ways. In the end it was a well deserved victory. The value of Morientes signing is becoming more and more apparent as the weeks pass by. Not only are his goals extremely welcome, but he is also acting as the catalyst to better attacking play. With his ability to hold up play and his awareness of what's around him, players like Garcia, Baros and even Gerrard can only gain from the arrangement. With the front pair both scoring and showing increasing signs of an understanding of each other's game there are signs that Liverpool fans have reason to start being positive, however it's up to Benitez and his players to ensure it's not a false dawn. © Anthony Jones Managers' reaction: Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez: "We have been looking for a better level of performance and thankfully we seemed to have achieved that with three wins in succession. It certainly does a lot to replace the feelings we had after losing those three games in a week." "And I am obviously delighted with Morientes. We needed a good target man and he has become that for us. He is good in the air, passes the ball well to the wings and is starting to link well with Milan Baros. It was a long wait for him, but he has been worth the wait. Good players make a managers' job easier. And he is a good player and a good professional. Each week he improved. He arrived here having not played for five months and now he is training every day and regaining his match fitness." "It was important for Milan Baros to score and he works hard. He wanted to score and it was good for him and for us. We have needed more consistency, and I was pleased certainly with the way we controlled the second half. We started the game well, had a poor 20 minute spell, but deserved the points with the way we played in the second period. We have won three games in a row which is important for the confidence as we are trying to be consistent." Fulham manager Chris Coleman: "I was angry with all three goals that we conceded. We have been 'knocked off' on all three occasions as the ball came into the box, and you can't do that at this level. We worked incredibly hard and to come here and get a result, you have to do that. They've got a lot of good players, they keep the ball well, move it round and you've got to do a bit of chasing and we did that. I thought our commitment was superb but we knocked off at vital times in the game." "Before they got the second goal I think Rafael was going to change it because they weren't really threatening us. For all the possession they had, it wasn't as if Edwin was pulling off save after save. We were comfortable but one ball into the box, we lose our man and its 2-1. From my point of view it was poor defending, I'm sure they were good deliveries but if you don't mark men in the box, you concede goals." "My players could see there was some blood and felt the referee should have stopped the game. Diop should have gone down but he was wandering around holding his head. But the point is that we should not have stopped until the referee blew his whistle."