Match Review - Liverpool (a)

Jourdan · #1 (**permalink**) 02-09-2007, 05:51 PM

Liverpool 6-0 Derby
By Jourdan Rhule

Liverpool swept aside the Rams with ease to climb to the summit of the Premier League and leave the Rams languishing at the bottom of the table.

The Reds showed no sign of missing Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher as they controlled the game - looking rarely troubled in defence, stern in midfield and ruthless in attack.

Derby were the exact opposite - with shambolic defending, a pedestrian midfield and an isolated Steve Howard becoming an all too common theme for defeat this season.

Don't be fooled by the visitors not conceding until the 27th minute. Derby were never comfortable and were on the back foot from start to finish. It was more through good fortune and poor finishing rather than good defending that the Rams were not 2 goals or more down in the opening stages of the half.

Once Daniel Agger forced Stephen Bywater to save his deflected and fizzing drive inside the first 5 minutes, the game looked to be heading only one way - in Liverpool's favour. Record signing Fernando Torres was next to trouble Bywater. His powerful header causing Bywater to leap to his right and pluck the ball out of the air as it looked set for goal. Javier Mascherano also came close as he drilled fractionally wide from 20 yards.

Liverpool wasted some telling chances in the opening 25 minutes, but you could sense it was only a matter of time before they opened the scoring.

It finally came after Pennant won a debatable free-kick down Derby's right on 25 minutes. Xabi Alonso swept in a teasing cross from the left and it evaded everyone to creep under Bywater's body before nestling into the left hand corner of the net. A poor goal to concede, Bywater seemed to be distracted by Dirk Kuyt's movement in the box, as the Dutchman escaped Andy Griffin and was shaping up for a header but never made any contact.

Kuyt was guilty of wastefulness in front of goal as he spurned several chances to double the home side's advantage. His glancing header from Pennant's left wing cross sailed over the crossbar before he volleyed over another precise Pennant cross.

But just as it seemed Derby would get some respite with half-time approaching, they conceded a goal at a fatal time. Alvaro Arbeloa's probing run down the left drew in the Derby defence and he was able to play in Babel who was arriving late in the box. After picking up the ball, the Dutch winger proceeded to tiptoe round feeble challenges by Davis and Griffin before hammering a rising shot into the roof of the net.

This signalled the end of the contest for Derby. They never looked like scoring one in the first half - Stephen Pearson's rasping drive wide and Matt Oakley's miscued volley the closest they'd come to troubling Pepe Reina, so it seemed nearly impossible they'd be able to score two in the remainder of the game.

All the travelling support could hope for was that the Rams didn't crumble. But they went ahead and did - conceding four goals in the space of 22 second half minutes. Alonso fired the warning sign - scooping a left foot shot over from 10 yards after being well placed at the back post.

Torres scored the Reds' third of the game after Mascherano capitalised on some dallying on the ball by Bob Malcolm. His tackle freed the ball for Torres to chase onto but as the Derby defence forced the striker to retreat momentarily - he cleverly found room to pierce his shot through the Derby defenders and beyond the reach of Bywater.

He should have made it four-nil soon after, but he steered his shot wide after being found by Kuyt's deflected attempt on goal.

Both sides made changes which disrupted the flow of the game somewhat - Gary Teale replacing Bob Malcolm, Pennant made way for Yossi Benayoun and Jay McEveley came on for Mo Camara.

On 68 minutes, the home side added more gloss to the scoreline. After Davis' weak clearance fell into the path of substitute Benayoun, the Israeli international had no time to weigh up a shot as McEveley's well-timed challenge caused the ball to land invitingly for Alonso to sidefoot through a sea of bodies and into the left hand corner of the net.

Steve Howard more than wasted a glorious opportunity to score his first Premiership goal. Mears had beat several Liverpool players with his enterprising run down the right wing before floating a "please-put-me-away" cross towards Howard, but the attacker could only head the ball away from goal.

The home side piled on the misery for Derby as substitute Andriy Voronin scored Liverpool's fifth, bundling home from close range after Bywater could only parry Kuyt's cross-shot from the left.

Torres rounded off proceedings, pouncing on Todd's mistimed clearance to sidestep Bywater who had burst off his line, before rolling the ball into a unguarded net.

Derby rallied late on, but as Pearson's 20 yard shot skidded across the turf looking goalbound, Reina stretched down low to block the effort. Derby were denied once more as Craig Fagan, who was guilty of a needless stamp on Arbeloa earlier in the game, couldn't make contact with the ball after finding himself well placed in behind the Liverpool defence with only Reina to beat, to sum up what had been a deflating afternoon for the Rams.

So Derby go into the international break with things looking ever so bleak. Bottom of the table. 1 point from 5 games. 4 straight league defeats and no clean sheets all season. There are problems that need addressing and fast if Derby are to have any hope of mounting a serious attempt at survival.

Player ratings

Bywater - 4 - Made some good saves in the first half, but failure to organise his defence and poor positioning was exposed in the second half as the Reds ran riot

Mears - 7 - MOTM - Looked more assured than the rest in defence and his forward runs were a breath of fresh air, also linked up well with Teale towards the end.

Todd - 3 - Clumsy, sluggish and prone to mistakes. His lack of pace and poor positional sense was painfully exposed as he was pulled apart by the Liverpool attack.

Davis - 4 - Could prove to be a capable defender if he overcomes his injury problems, but he looked stretched against this calibre of opposition.

Griffin - 3 - Looks incapable of containing a winger - Pennant made a mockery of him. His defending was half hearted and weak.

Malcolm - 3 - Offered no protection to defence whatsoever. Caught dallying on the ball all too often and his passing was sporadic. Not tenacious enough -doesn't impose himself on opposition at all.

Fagan - 4 - Frustration boiled over as his hot-headed nature showed with his stamp on Arbeloa, who had contained him with relative ease all afternoon.

Oakley - 5 - Battled in midfield but was hounded by Alonso and Mascherano. Needs to react to Howard's aerial play if the long ball tactic is to be successful.

Pearson - 5 - Also worked hard without much joy. Also needs to offer more support to Howard.

Camara - 3 - Defied his purpose of being on the pitch. Offered no protection to Griffin from Pennant and lacked the finesse and skill to make an impact going forward.

Howard - 5 - Won his fair share of headers but lacked support from midfield and was left isolated and frustrated.

Subs.:

Teale - 5 - Linked up well with Mears and gave us that impetus down the right wing we were missing in the 1st half.

McEveley - 5 - Showed glimpses of his best with some well timed tackles and forward runs.

Moore - 4 - By time he was introduced, the game was done and dusted, so was unable to make an impact.