A New Year/A New Start

A LOT of people have been very quick to write off Andy Carroll this season - deciding that he is a flop and a poor signing less than a year into his Liverpool career.

Inevitably when this point is made, reference is also paid to the striker's record breaking price tag, a £35 million fee that shocked the football world.

Kenny Dalglish and Damien Comolli took a giant leap of faith in paying such a massive fee for a 21-year-old, a player yet to establish himself as a full England international with just five months of regular first team Premiership football to his name.

Never mind that during those five months playing for his hometown club the 6ft 3ins forward showed great potential and went on a prolific goalscoring run, netting an impressive 11 goals in 19 league appearances for a midtable Newcastle side. £35 million is viewed by many football fans and pundits as an amount of money that should only be spent on players of genuine world class pedigree, international superstars of the ilk of Sergio Aguero or Andriy Shevchenko, who have proved their worth beyond doubt season after season.

I suppose that second name looks slightly odd in this context. Because while the Ukrainian is the third-highest scorer in the history of European club competition, a deadly predator who notched 175 goals for A.C. Milan, he took to English football at Chelsea with none of the ease displayed by Aguero during his brief spell at Manchester City so far. Indeed he is the epitome of the big money flop, a player remembered on these shores in the same breath as Juan Sebastián Verón, another star who had an impeccable reputation before he moved to the UK.

What their failure shows is that no player, no matter what their stature in the game, no matter how much they cost, is a completely foolproof signing. Sure-fire hits in the world of football are few and far between - even greats can struggle to adapt to a new team, a new manager, a new way of playing or a new environment.

Personally, I was shocked when both of those superstars struggled to produce their best form for two great teams led by great managers - the Manchester United side at the turn of the century coming off the back of its finest triumph and a truly dominant Chelsea squad with a financial clout never before seen in our domestic game. And their plight was made all the more baffling given they were meant to be the finished article, players in their prime, at the height of their power and the supposed peak of their careers.

Let's get a few things straight. Andy Carroll is not the finished article. He's not at his physical or professional peak. And he certainly isn't playing in a great team (although I would contest Liverpool Football Club certainly has a great manager at the helm).

He is a young player, learning his craft, in a young side that is learning its way. We aren't the Premiership or European Champions - we're not yet even a European side. We are a team undergoing a transitional process, a rebuilding period in which a new manager and new coaching team are bedding six or seven new players into a first team with few positions taken for granted or roles comprehensively fulfilled.

Already this term we have seen our vice-captain and defensive stalwart eased aside in favour of a new central pairing, a new left back, a new central midfield thrust together and forced to cope with the absence of its two best performers through injury, two new wingers, and an ever changing frontline. Reliable veterans look to be losing their grip on first eleven status and several newcomers are battling to prove their worth as their replacements.

I make this point because when a player fails to produce the goods there is always a reason. Good players don't become bad players overnight - Shevchenko and Verón both found it hard to adapt to the pace and physicality of Premiership football, were afflicted by hampering injuries, and in the case of the former, did not seem to have the full backing of their manager. They were both seen as unnecessary and disrupting additions to effective formations and tactics, players who upset the balance of their respective sides and marginalised players who had proven their worth.

At Liverpool there is currently no established system and no set way of achieving results and winning trophies. Half of the squad seem more suited to a continental, short passing game, while the other a more direct, ‘British’ approach. Thrown into this uncertain equation has been Carroll, a player overshadowed by his controversial yet tremendously gifted strike partner, Luis Suarez. More often than not the Uruguayan has been preferred as our first choice striker, and when Carroll has been selected alongside him, Luis has been preferred as the player to lead the line and play furthest forward, in contrast to Carroll's days as the focal point of the Newcastle attack.

It appears he has been asked to play deeper, to reinvent his game, all while finding his feet in an arena where there is little patience and nowhere to hide. And after glimpses of success, after games in which he has shown his promise, he has often been relegated to the bench for the following game. How often has Andy started three consecutive Premiership games, or had an unbroken run in the side? Just once, in the past 10 days.

Certainly he has missed chances. Good chances and great chances, the kind of opportunities he would have buried little over 12 months ago. We can all name his misses that have cost us points and key victories - against Swansea, Fulham, Manchester City, Blackburn and so forth. His lack of confidence in front of goal is all too apparent. But in many games he has fed off scraps.

Against Newcastle at Anfield last week he showed good strength, control, hold up and link up play as we built attacks, and the Kop rewarded him with ripples of encouraging applause. Yet when he hit the box and made the runs that the likes of Joey Barton would have picked out with a pacy diagonal ball from deep or a whipped cross from the by-line, this kind of delivery was nowhere to be seen – as conspicuous by its absence as it has been all season.

Too often our fullbacks and assorted wingers have lofted over high floated balls, crosses that give a defence time to set themselves in anticipation and put the entire onus on the player heading or striking the ball to generate all the power in the effort, along with the necessary direction. And the default alternative appears to be a launched high ball from defence that Andy is expected to work miracles with.

It reminds me of the difficulties the Rafael Benitez side of 2005/06 first experienced when Peter Crouch was introduced into the side, a player whose heading ability was actually nowhere near as impressive as our incumbent number nine. Crouch laboured for months as we lumped it up to him and hit aimless floated balls in his vague direction, leaving fans questioning the wisdom of his signing and wondering why so few players in our team could recognise what sort of player he was and what type of service he required - namely balls on the deck to his feet.

The goals looked like they would never come for him, even though he was a player given the platform to shine week after week in a settled, quality side – a luxury Carroll has seldom experienced. Yet with one goal in December 2005 that all changed, and as we learned how to play to his strengths, he blossomed into a good player. For two years he justified the patience our management and fans had showed in him, and produced the best football of his career.

Fortunately for Carroll, two circumstances have arisen that I feel may bring about a similar change in fortune for him, and make some people at least reconsider their opinion about him and his signing.

The first, clearly less welcome than the other, is the enforced absence of Suarez, which will hopefully give Andy the run in the team he needs to settle into a rhythm, find his form and start producing his best. It should also give those around him regular experience of playing alongside him and working to his strengths, something which is equally as important and brings us to the second factor.

Football is a team game and no team is greater than the sum of its parts, but in our case we have one part arguably greater than any in our history. After another miserable spell on the sidelines, Steven Gerrard made his long-awaited return in the second half against Newcastle. His galvanising effect was immediate, his undoubted quality shining bright every time he touched the ball. He is a player who lifts the crowd, who lifts the team, who leads by example and is capable of raising the belief and performances of those around him. With respect to Charlie Adam, who is a good Premiership footballer, the contrast when he was replaced by a world class attacking talent was stark.

Stewart Downing was lacklustre all evening, Glen Johnson subdued at times, but with Gerrard driving play, both came alive. The player that benefitted the most was Carroll. Gerrard came on for Adam just before the hour and our captain's first involvement saw him whip in a cross which almost found Carroll, a cross delivered at pace into the kind of area that fills a goalkeeper and his defence with dread.

Minutes later Gerrard found Carroll unmarked in the penalty area with a brilliant pass, and while it was not the easiest ball to control, Carroll's touch should have been better. The chance went begging, but the message was clear - this is a combination with great potential.

That potential was so nearly fulfilled when Gerrard unleashed another tremendous cross, kicking across the ball giving it swerve and venom and putting it onto the head of our onrushing frontman.

It was only too predictable that his resultant header crashed against the crossbar - we surely have some kind of quota to reach this season. But in just over half an hour Carroll was presented with possibly the two best passes he has received all year, and went closest to delivering the kind of goal we expected him to serve up on a weekly basis.

Andy must be dreaming of more time on the pitch alongside our best player - perhaps starting tonight in the FA Cup. Gerrard has helped bring the best out of so many attackers, from Michael Owen to Peter Crouch to Fernando Torres, and with him on the pitch the quality of service to our attack steps up to an entirely new level.

Andy Carroll may not join that list – the doubters may be right to group him with the Shevchenko’s of this world. But I firmly believe he deserves the chance to prove himself before he is written off as a costly mistake, and hope that given the opportunity he will start to show why the prospect of him succeeding in a Red shirt is not just a farfetched fantasy.

A different kind of January signing

I DON’T think a single football fan would be surprised to learn that Liverpool have the worst chance conversion rate of shots into goals in the Premier League this season.

Courtesy of Opta Sports, it was revealed this week that the Red’s conversion rate now stands at an abysmal 8.9 per cent.

That means for every 10 shots a Liverpool player has taken on goal this term, less than one in 10 has hit the back of the net.

It’s a damning statistic - one that is reflected in the paltry 18 goals we have notched in 15 league games. Our Champions League rivals have all scored nearly double, around 30 or more, and Manchester City top the table with a daunting 49 strikes.

What makes even more depressing reading is that our 'goals for' column is also matched or bettered by Newcastle, Aston Villa, Norwich, Sunderland and the Premiership’s bottom two, Blackburn and Bolton. If it wasn’t for our miserly defence, which is the best in the league having conceded just 13 goals, we could be in serious trouble. 

In truth wastefulness has typified almost every game we have played this season – even the victories. Time after time we have kept it solid at the back, passed the ball well and worked great openings, but failed in the final third.

Personally I’ve lost count of how many times we’ve hit the woodwork. In the league I think it’s 13, in all competitions we must be approaching 20. It's a dubious honour we are winning by a landslide, and apparently we were also the top woodwork-hitters at the end of the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons. I’m not sure bookies take bets on the Crossbar Challenge, but next time our players are invited on Soccer AM they’ll have to reinforce the bar.

A fortnight ago I wondered if our lean spell was coming to an end when we found four goals to dispatch Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in both the league and cup. Yet even that notion was premature, as these results were sandwiched by our profligacy against Manchester City – a game in which we failed to take advantage of a team reduced to 10 men.

That afternoon Joe Hart made several great saves, but he was only able to do so because our efforts on goal were what I would call 'savable' strikes. Luis Suarez could have done better when put through by Lucas Leiva, but the Andy Carroll opportunity in the dying seconds best illustrates this – if he had put the header in the corner or headed downwards Hart would probably have been beaten. Instead he placed his header at a reachable height and distance, and while Hart's stop was one for the cameras, it was also a save any top keeper should have made.

It really annoyed me to see Chelsea end City's unbeaten run on Monday night in virtually the same circumstances, because they didn’t have more chances than us. They just showed greater composure. It also appeared to me that the supporting cast behind Didier Drogba, the likes of Daniel Sturridge and Juan Mata, had more quality than the players we routinely field in support of Luis. When they are presented with a chance, you expect them to capitalise. In our case you hope we will.

This frustrating trend continued a week later at Craven Cottage. Before I go any further I should say I was loath to write a blog following the defeat at Fulham, mainly because I was still seething days afterwards. I can almost accept watching us lose when we play badly, or when we go down fighting against tough opposition. But the feeling of being robbed is one that stirs up a different reaction altogether, one of incandescent anger directed at the assumed culprit responsible – in this case referee Kevin Friend and his abject assistants.

It has been debated back in forth but in my view it was a ridiculous red card for Jay Spearing that changed the game, as he played the ball cleanly with his instep, then caught a player running across his path with his trailing leg as he slid forward. It wasn’t a head-on collision, Jay didn't dive into him with malice, it was purely the by-product of a hard, fair tackle. A good referee should have realised that.

At worst Mr Friend should have blown his whistle, taken a moment to consider his options, and then handed Jay a booking. That way he wouldn't have unduly altered the outcome of the match. But given the ineptitude he displayed all evening, from the lack of protection he gave Suarez, the outrageous booking of Craig Bellamy for doing nothing but stand still when Clint Dempsey shoved his head in his face, to the failure to send off Phillipe Senderos for his repeated fouls, it was to be expected. As was the chalking off of Suarez’s stunning goal, which was registered after making a run that was clearly level and onside.

However, a couple of days later, when the dust had settled, I went back and watched the game again. And for all the circumstances that went against us, we were at least our second worst enemy. Carroll had two great chances in the first half, the first which he hit straight down Mark Schwarzer’s throat, the second which he completely miskicked. In between Luis blazed over the bar when Andy was free in the area and begging for a pass. In the second half Craig Bellamy spurned a good opportunity and throughout the game we failed to put Schwarzer under pressure with any of our 10+ corners.

Our conversion rate from corners doesn’t even bear thinking about. I read on the redandwhitekop forum that we’ve had something like 132 corners this season, resulting in one goal from a Martin Skrtel header and a Charlie Adam delivery – against Bolton Wanderers back in August. That is pitiful, but again, not a surprise. We have been dire at corner kicks for longer than I can remember, something that has continued despite the acquisition of Adam, a man whose corner kicks  were allegedly worth £10million alone…   

On Saturday I hoped we would find the goals to restore a bit of confidence. But the performance at Anfield against QPR didn’t put to bed any of the doubts about our aptitude in front of goal either. Yes, Suarez ended his scoring drought and we avoided a fifth successive home draw. But the home crowd was nervous throughout, and with good reason.

Sat in the Main Stand watching us face a newly-promoted side in a 3 o’clock kick-off, I hardly expected a repeat of the Champions League semi-final against Chelsea in 2005 atmosphere-wise. But the nerves experienced by the masses as the game developed were all too obvious, and when QPR won a corner in injury time and we were hanging on by just the solitary goal, I was biting my fingernails with much of the same fervour I applied before Eidur Gudjohnsen’s catastrophic miss in front of the Kop six years ago.

Sometimes it feels like we are watching the same game on repeat - the comfortable home performance that becomes a tightrope due to our inability to extend a lead. All it would have taken in the dying stages is one good delivery, one header, one fumble, one slip, and we could have been cursing dropped points yet again. As it transpired we were let off the hook and we recorded a vital win. But the sense remains that next time we might not be so lucky.

It must be said that we played some great football in spells and that Radek Cerny in their goal made several superb saves. And of course we struck the bar again. Twice. But we again sent in 10 fruitless corner kicks and somehow managed to miss around the same number of golden opportunities. Maxi Rodriguez was excellent in the main, but should have had a hat trick. Suarez could also have taken home the match ball.

After the game Kenny Dalglish backed our attackers, as you would expect and want him to, and insisted we wouldn’t change our approach or the way we play.

He said: “Irrespective of what I say, it’s not going to stop speculation we are going out in January to sign Joe Bloggs up front, or whoever. I don’t need to say anything. For us it was a fantastic team performance. We are quite happy. I trust the players implicitly when it comes to scoring, implicitly.”

However, Kenny went on to admit that we missed the goals to confirm our superiority.

He said: “If you look at home performances they have been fantastic, look at points... maybe not. There is not a game we have played here that we couldn’t have won, we shouldn’t have won.”

I agree with almost everything Kenny had to say, with the exception of trusting the players we have when it comes to scoring. But I have to admit I can’t see us dipping into the transfer market for a forward, be it a pie-in-the-sky target like Atletico Madrid's Radamel Falcao, a cut-price Anfield return for the misfiring Fernando Torres or an as yet unknown, up-and-coming prospect.

Falcao has settled well in Spain and would cost a fortune, while Nicolas Anelka departing Stamford Bridge will already leave Chelsea lacking up front when Didier Drogba goes to the African Nations Cup in the New Year. And even if we unearthed a gem, looking at our squad and the money we have spent in the past 12 months, I also can’t see why FSG would be willing to invest big in another striker. We spent £57m on two in January after all.

I feel we are hardly short in this department in terms of numbers, with Suarez, Carroll, Bellamy and Dirk Kuyt all recognised forwards, and we have a number of players who thrive in supporting roles, such as Maxi, Stewart Downing, the newly recalled Jonjo Shelvey, and of course, our one shoe-in as a world class second striker, the injured Steven Gerrard. Can we realistically expect us to bolster this contingent, or sign a player in these positions unless one of them is sold? 

It's difficult to know what kitty if any will be available, but let's say that Kenny isn’t looking to sign a goalscorer in January and genuinely does believe in this crop of players. How is he going to get the best out of them?

Personally, I’d like to see us make a signing of a different kind next month.

It’s not a new idea, and it’s one that might be dismissed as idealistic. But if our attacking players need to work on their finishing, the way they strike and head the ball or their movement in and around the box, and Kenny is looking to maximise the game of strikers already on our books, perhaps he could call upon an old friend or two. He could start with arguably Liverpool’s two finest goalscorers, Ian Rush and Robbie Fowler, and appoint one of them as an attacking coach. 

Gerard Houllier was first impressed by Ian Rush’s coaching ability and recruited him in 2003 to help the likes of Michael Owen and Emile Heskey. Some would say this delivered mixed results, but it's hard to quantify. Rushie could even have become first team coach under Rafa Benitez, before Rafa opted for Alec Miller. Such a role would not be new to him.

Despite his status at one of the finest British strikers of all time, Rushie also knows all about lean spells, having gone many months at Anfield when he first arrived without so much of a sniff of goal, before he became the legendary goal machine we sing about to this day. Who better to impart some of his experience and wisdom on underperforming attackers?

Robbie has made it clear he would love to return to the club as a coach, and is currently taking his UEFA coaching badges and coaching in Thailand.

To this day I have never seen anybody make such clever runs; darting along a line of defenders in triangles before racing forward and then checking back at the last moment to make space for himself, or a player who could finish so instinctively when presented with a glimmer of a chance. He is liked by the senior players, respected, and if working exclusively on this side of our game, could surely fit into the backroom set up.

Admittedly those two could be dismissed as sentimental appointments. So how about a man with a more intimate knowledge of our floundering number 9, another Geordie who Kenny made famous in his title-winning Blackburn Rovers side? Alan Shearer to this day holds the record for the most Premiership goals, and could surely find a couple of days a week to attend sessions at Melwood alongside his role as a TV pundit.

I think he could help Carroll become the barnstorming colossus he briefly appeared to be last season when still at their beloved Newcastle, as few know more about how to lead the line, how to use strength, size and aggression to win aerial battles (just within the rules of the game) and how to direct headers and shots unerringly into the back of the net. The physical aspect and controlled aggression is something I would like to see more of from Andy - he is only young but needs to impose himself more on opposition defenders.

Shearer has repeatedly said Kenny will get the best out of Carroll, but after a brief spell in charge at St James Park he might relish the chance to return to a training ground and help his mentor coach our forwards back to a more respectable conversion rate. I’m sure Kenny could convince him – it’s got to beat sitting on the Match of the Day couch with Mark Lawrenson.

If any of this trio (or indeed an alternative) could help coax our attackers and bring that statistic up by a few per cent, that improvement would surely be reflected in better results. If we had scored two of every 10 chances this year, our tally would be doubled to 36, and we might be the ones pushing City and Manchester United all the way in the New Year. We would certainly be much closer to our target of a top four finish and Champions League qualification. It would take the pressure off our defenders and goalkeeper, who can't always be expected to keep a clean sheet and will occasionally make mistakes (as we saw at Fulham) and it would put a smile back on all our faces. None wider than that worn by Kenny Dalglish.

Changing perceptions

A LITTLE over a fortnight ago a friend of mine, a sports writer and Manchester United fan, commented on Facebook about the nominees for the MBNA Northwest Football Awards 2011.

Stating that he was ‘laughing so much it hurts’, the journalist in question poured scorn on the notion that Liverpool’s defensive midfielder, Lucas Leiva, was among the candidates, and not David Silva or Wayne Rooney.

In terms of the quality of those two top players being overlooked by the judges, he certainly had a point. And in fairness, he later conceded that Lucas would probably be our best player against Chelsea (while questioning the Brazilian’s usefulness against inferior opposition we are expected to routinely beat at home, something many Reds have done in the past.)

Nevertheless, I was somewhat puzzled by his dismissal of Liverpool’s player of the year in 2010/11, and couldn’t help but remark on the irony that his beloved Manchester United would be a much better team if they could sign Lucas, as they sorely lack a player of his ilk and have done since Owen Hargreaves’ brief playing days at Old Trafford. 

This was all too apparent when Manchester City crushed the champions 6-1, running roughshod over their impoverished, bedraggled midfield last month. Thankfully at Anfield on Sunday there was to be no repeat of that devastating display. What we did see instead was the MBNA Northwest Football Awards’ Barclays Premier League Player of the Year collect the post-match champagne for an imperious performance at the heart of Liverpool’s midfield (replicating his showing at Stamford Bridge a week earlier), after keeping the aforementioned Mr Silva quiet and the heralded Yaya Toure trapped firmly in his proverbial pocket.

Make no mistake; Lucas was nothing short of sensational. The statistics are there for all to see: 13 out of 16 challenges won on the ground, four out of four headers won, seven successful tackles in seven attempts, seven interceptions, and crucially, a 92 per cent pass completion rate. 

Yes, his role is not one that lends itself too readily to highlight reels, as he collects the ball from the back four and initiates attacks, keeps the ball moving quickly by playing simple passes to team mates, always makes himself available for a return pass, shuts down opposition moves by tracking runners, wins headers and 50/50 ground challenges and nicks back possession through intelligent anticipation. Defensive midfielders are not expected to be creators supreme, nor feature highly in top scorer's or top assist maker's charts. But two moments in the second half were worthy of inclusion in any compilation package, as can be seen here, with thanks to the tremendous editing skills of MilanKakaBaros. 

The first sees the human steam train that is Toure charge upfield, only to find Lucas inconceivably resistant in his path. Lucas outmuscled his opponent, a man that dwarfs him in size, leveraged his body between him and the ball, won it back cleanly and in one motion, as he was still regaining his feet, sent a pass forward and Liverpool on their way to goal once more. Toure looked so baffled by the whole affair that he could do only one thing – hold out his hands and whine at the referee.

The second sequence sees Lucas facing our goal, collecting a wayward pass from Glen Johnson with Edin Dzeko in pursuit. He turns, finds a little room, and plays a shot pass to Jordan Henderson, before accelerating past Silva and asking for a return ball. Henderson picks out a different target, Luis Suarez, but Lucas maintains his run, and receives an instantly flicked pass from Suarez instead. The ball is chipped, and needs to be controlled with a deft touch, something Lucas illustrates immediately, driving towards the box. On the edge of the area he fed the Uruguayan, whose resultant effort was saved superbly by Joe Hart. 

It would have been a worthy winner of any game, and one for which Suarez, not Lucas, would have been acclaimed. But that is Lucas Leiva’s remit – he is a player in masterful command of his position, who gives the Suarez, Silva and Rooney’s of this world the platform to shine.

Of course, Lucas was far from our only outstanding performer in what was a very promising day for the Reds against probably the best side in the Premiership. Manchester City have blown aside nearly all domestic obstacles this season, dropping only two points before Sunday at Fulham, yet at Anfield they found themselves hanging on for a draw and scraping a point, even before they were reduced to ten men.

It didn’t look that way at the start, the slick interchange of passes between Silva, Samir Nasri and Sergio Aguero threatening to cut us wide open on more than one occasion. This City side is thrilling in attack, and very pleasing on the eye. Fortunately when they did break through Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel were quick to obstruct their route to goal and with Dzeko on the bench and Aguero struggling for goals as of late, City didn’t actually test Pepe Reina in the opening stages.

When their goal did come it was from an unlikely source – Vincent Kompany’s shoulder. Silva swung in a cross, Charlie Adam on the front post perhaps advanced further than he should have done and subsequently could not win the ball, and Dirk Kuyt and Johnson failed to prevent Kompany escaping their attention and rising high to deflect the ball into the top corner.

City's joy was short-lived, and I think how quickly we responded changed the course of the game. Kenny Dalglish had dropped Maxi Rodriguez in favour of Stewart Downing, and with Craig Bellamy omitted on compassionate grounds following the desperately sad death of his national team boss, Gary Speed, Jordan Henderson had been reinstated in the side.

The three-man midfield Henderson formed with Lucas and Adam gave Adam the scope to play further forward than he had at Chelsea, a role he took to with relish. Just two minutes after we conceded the Scot shot from distance, the ball took a wicked deflection of Joleon Lescott (who contrary to recent reports still looks like a weak link in the City defence to me) and we were level.

From that point on, while City occasionally troubled our goal, Liverpool were the better team. We pinned back their galloping fullbacks, Micah Richards finding himself in unfamiliar defensive territory thanks to Jose Enrique’s power and pace, and we began to test their resolve. Sadly, Joe Hart was in stunning form, and he showed the kind of steely determination between the posts that wins you titles. The first of many great saves he made with his feet, after Dirk, unable to elude Clichy, pulled back a pass to Adam who attempted to sidefoot a second into the bottom left hand corner. 

Reina made a smart near post save before the break from Aguero, but it was his opposite number who was called into action more frequently in the second half. He wasn’t troubled when Dirk headed poorly down and wide from a Stewart Downing cross, but then he tipped a mishit Downing effort spectacularly over the bar, and went on to make the aforementioned save from Suarez.

In the meantime we were presented with the gift of the latest act of stupidity from Mario Balotelli, a man who amuses me endlessly with his unique combination of God-given football talent, appreciation of fireworks and darts and a brain so small it must rattle within his skull. First Super Mario pulled back Johnson for a professional foul and cast-iron yellow card, then, when any other professional footballer would surely be aware that he was treading a thin line with the referee Martin Atkinson, he clearly led with his arm in an aerial challenge with Skrtel.

It was not an elbow, and not a straight red card offence, but it was a yellow, and with the added help of Martin cynically clutching his head and face, that is what it received. Roberto Mancini has indicated that Liverpool players surrounded the referee in a bid to get Balotelli sent off, but in fact it was his players, led by Kompany who got under Atkinson's nose. I did spot Adam however doing his best elbow impression, just in case the referee couldn’t make up his mind. The bottom line is Balotelli was reckless and foolish, and he has no sympathy from me whatsoever. I felt the same way when Adam lunged into a tackle minutes after a booking at White Hart Lane and earned himself an early shower.    

With City now pinned back and us pouring forward, I was concerned we would be susceptible to a counter attack. Yet when it came, thanks to a powerful run from Dzeko who fed Silva, Reina showed just why he is the finest ‘sweeper keeper’ in football today. He raced to the edge of his box, jockeyed Silva and delayed his decision, forcing him wide until Silva shot tamely at our goal, where three Liverpool players had then assembled.

It seemed like a late, glorious winner was moments away, but Hart was not willing to concede again. In stoppage time he produced a great save from an Andy Carroll header, the big man on as a substitute for Dirk, and then, when the ball fell to Suarez, parried his low drive as well. The rebound came to Downing, who once again failed to show the composure or quality we need from him. Instead of laying it back to the unmarked Carroll, he lashed the ball high over the bar. It marked another below par performance from the winger, who again could be seen arguing with Jose Enrique on the left flank.

However, it seems to me that this Liverpool team is now really starting to gel, as the new players with the exception of Downing (and last year’s big buy Andy Carroll) have settled well, and are growing into their stature as Liverpool players with each performance. Adam looks very much the part after his early difficulties, and despite the over-the-top criticism in some quarters, Henderson looks like a very good young player to me. He was impressive again, and following a great cameo against Chelsea, he used the ball well, showed good movement and grew into the game in the second half. 

I am delighted to say that we look like a good side again, a team that passes the ball incisively and with confidence, a team that can come from behind and responds to setbacks in a positive manner, and a team that shows the bravery and belief to push for maximum points no matter who the opposition or circumstances. The obvious concern is our lack of goals, because if Suarez is going through a barren spell as he is at present, it is hard to see who will step up to the plate. But the team as a whole is playing good football, we are defensively solid and we are creating enough chances.

Looking to tonight’s game against Chelsea I would hope for more of the same approach that worked so well in the league, yet a slightly adapted frontline with Carroll as the spearhead. Bellamy should return along with Maxi, and at the opposite end Jamie Carragher will be back in defence for the first time in a month. We haven’t missed Jamie since he has been out of the side, which has been testament to the form of Skrtel and Agger, but I still think he has a lot to give. 

I would expect Martin Kelly to play and Jay Spearing, but beyond that I can’t see many youngsters featuring, and I think Kenny has some difficult decisions to make. With two games in 48 hours we will have to field some tired legs, and at present it’s hard to see how we can omit any of our four spine players – Reina, Agger, Lucas and Suarez – and maintain our strength. 

Not long ago the thought of a Liverpool spine without Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher would be incomprehensible. But as Lucas Leiva could tell you, things can change very quickly in football.

If it ain't broke...

AFTER producing our most disappointing performance of the season at home against Swansea, it was somehow perversely logical that we would produce our finest away at Stamford Bridge.

This current Liverpool side seems determined to confound expectations, surrendering points at Anfield against lowly sides yet rising to the occasion when faced with sterner opposition.

Whether this is a question of mentality, employing a different tactical approach in big games, or simply lacking the quality and collective experience as a team to perform well consistently, I’m not quite sure. But in a strange way I felt more confident on Sunday than I did before our draws against Norwich and Swansea, and I expect I’ll have the same gut feeling when we host QPR in two weeks' time.

The fresh, attacking line-up we fielded against Chelsea immediately boosted my belief. For months Liverpool fans have questioned why the players who led our revival under Kenny Dalglish last term, spearheading a fluid pass and move game that saw us demolish Manchester United and Manchester City and trounce teams like Birmingham and Fulham, have been left on the bench or demoted to occasional League Cup participation, in favour of underperforming summer signings.

Both Maxi Rodriguez and Dirk Kuyt, who between them scored or created 22 goals under Dalglish from January to May, have often been left out at the expense of Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson, who in four months in a Red shirt have contributed just three – none in Downing’s case. Kuyt did sometimes play up front, but the man who has assumed that role this year when we have gone two up top, Andy Carroll, has been involved in just two goals.

Our new wide men have performed admirably at times, because Downing started very well on our left flank and has created several chances that should have been converted, and Jordan has shown a lot of potential despite being asked to play as a conventional right winger, a position in which he doesn’t look comfortable. 

But their repeated inclusion week after week, ahead of two players who shone so brightly and linked so well with Luis Suarez just six months ago, has been somewhat baffling, as has the limited use of Craig Bellamy, who in his brief cameos to date has looked to be in the best shape of his career, and the exclusion of Jay Spearing, another star performer in 2010/11.

We caught a glimpse of what that attacking quartet was capable of in a glorious 45 minutes away at Brighton and Hove Albion in the League Cup, as all four terrorised the Albion defence with interchanging runs, astute movement and at times, sheer brilliance. A 5-0 scoreline at the break would have been kind to The Seagulls.

Nevertheless, Kenny bamboozled everybody, dropping Andy Carroll, Downing and Henderson, recalling Dirk and Craig, and giving Maxi his first league start of the season. Lucas Leiva and Charlie Adam anchored the midfield and an unchanged back five put paid to the suggestion that Jamie Carragher might return in place of Martin Skrtel.

The team selection was the first of several tactical masterstrokes made by the King, pitting speed, guile and feverish commitment against an uncertain Chelsea defence, employing a high defensive line so ruthlessly exposed by Arsenal in their 5-3 victory last month.

In the first ten minutes Maxi was twice played in with Chelsea caught on the back foot, his limited pace the only thing (besides John Terry’s flailing arm) that prevented him giving us an early lead. 

It was already obvious that John Terry and David Luiz were not on the same wavelength, although to be honest Luiz didn’t look on the same wavelength as any player in a blue shirt. On paper he looks to have everything in his game that a modern defender needs, yet his rash approach and lack of nous must frustrate those around him.

There were scares – Jose Enrique losing Juan Mata who collected a cross and drove a shot well wide of Pepe Reina’s goal, and a free kick from Didier Drogba that hit the side-netting yet was announced as a goal by Sky’s commentator Martin Tyler. I was sure it had gone wide of the post and bounced back behind the net, but his insistence that it was a goal, as Drogba seemed to smirk but not quite celebrate in a Mario Balotelli fashion, left me a little worried. But the score counter remained 0-0.

Lucas, despite collecting a yellow card for a foul on his compatriot Luiz (something he comically tried to excuse by telling the referee that the Brazilian was his friend) was imperious in midfield, the booking not hindering his game one iota as he tackled and foraged. Yet it was his midfield partner who was my Man of the Match, Charlie Adam showing the discipline, workrate and defensive ability I seriously doubted he possessed.

The goal was a case in point, Adam sprinting forward to close down Jon Obi Mikel after the holding midfielder received a hazardous pass from Peter Cech. It was a brave decision that could have left Lucas exposed if he had not won the ball, but Charlie managed to feed Bellamy, who played it to Suarez, who laid the ball back off to Bellamy inside the box. Many strikers would have shot, but Craig hesitated and weighted a perfect pas across to Maxi, who was actually in a better position to score and did so in part thanks to a fortunate bounce.

Craig had a great first half, showing intelligence and a calm head when he had the ball, and all the fighting spirit and the snarling attitude we have come to love him for when Chelsea were in possession. He gives us a combative edge, a burning will to win, and I was delighted to see him tell Frank Lampard exactly what he thought of him.

At half time I commented that Chelsea would surely respond after the break, and Andre Villas-Boas did just that, showing exactly why he has gained a reputation as Europe’s finest young coach. Mikel was hooked for Daniel Sturridge, and Chelsea’s wingers were pushed up higher onto Glen Johnson and Enrique, who had enjoyed a lot of freedom in the first half, Johnson making one magnificent, marauding run that could have opened the scoring.

We looked leggy after playing with such intensity earlier in the match, something we have seen too many times this season. Our lack of fitness and inability to sustain a performance seems to be an ongoing problem, as we keep fading during the second half of games. Yet on this occasion it seemed to me to be a consequence of how hard we had pressed and the regularly cited effects of an inconvenient international break. 

Florent Malouda began to exert his influence on the game, with Glen receiving nowhere near enough protection from Dirk, who looked tired and far from his usual industrious self. Suarez, Bellamy and Maxi also looked very jaded, with Suarez subdued throughout, playing as with a minor back injury, and Maxi no doubt lacking match fitness.

Skrtel and Daniel Agger again produced top class performances, winning balls on the deck and in the air against Drogba, and justifying the time Kenny continues to invest in their partnership. But when the Chelsea equaliser came Agger was partly at fault, along with Enrique, Adam, Johnson, and worst of all, Dirk.

Adam tried to win the ball but failed, providing Malouda with space to advance. Kuyt made no effort to track the winger, which left Johnson exposed, and caught between marking Ashley Cole or closing down the man with the ball. By the time Adam caught up with Malouda it was too late to risk a tackle from behind, and his mis-hit cross found Sturridge, who eluded both Agger and Enrique.

Chelsea now looked most likely to win the game, and it took a world class save from Pepe from Branislav Ivanovic’s header to keep us in it. The save was truly outstanding – not only did the Spaniard dive down low very quickly to stop a difficult effort, he also managed to exert enough force with his arm and hand to divert the ball past the post and well clear of goal. A lesser goalkeeper may have made what was a tricky save, but spilt the ball back into the danger zone. It’s often said that a world class goalkeeper doesn’t just make saves, he earns you points, and that is what Pepe did on this occasion.

I was very impressed with the character we showed at this stage, refusing to buckle under the mounting pressure. But we needed a helping hand, and it came from the manager, Kenny reshuffling his pack and bringing on Henderson for Bellamy, then later Downing for Maxi.

Henderson helped us regain our shape in midfield, tucking in to give us three players against Chelsea’s midfield trio, and slowed down the pace of the game. He used the ball well and also made the most of the opportunities he had to run at Ashley Cole, hurdling challenges and playing in Downing as part of an incisive move. Dirk should have done far better with the final shot, opting to use his right boot when it fell on his left, and dragging the ball wide. At the time I thought we had blown our chance to nick all three points.

Fortunately, that was not the case. Chelsea brought on our two former players, the hapless Fernando Torres, who looks utterly disinterested in football altogether, and the man with the worst haircut in the game, Raul Meireles. Neither seized the chance to make the next day’s headlines. That honour in fact fell to our ex-Chelsea man, Glen Johnson.

Adam played the pass of the game – a sweeping ball which either Xabi Alonso or Steven Gerrard would have been proud of, and it found the fullback high up the field. The fact that he was allowed to push on in the dying minutes said a lot about the positive approach taken by Dalglish, and our refusal to settle for second best. 

What happened next said a lot about Glen’s natural ability as a footballer, as he drove towards goal, evaded Cole and Malouda, switched the ball between his feet and finished with aplomb in the bottom corner. Dirk Kuyt’s part in the goal is also worth mentioning, as it was his intelligent run that distracted Cole and opened up the space for Johnson. Small details.

In the moments that followed I’m not sure what I enjoyed more, the joyous celebration of Glen and Downing, Kenny’s touchline jig, or the replayed images of John Terry tumbling over as he just failed to prevent the goal. There was a time when a Liverpool victory at Stamford Bridge was as rare as an Everton win at Anfield. Now we’ve had three in the last four seasons. What a turnaround.

The next challenge facing the Reds is an even sterner test – the multi-million pound juggernaut that is Manchester City. Each week they seem to pulverise whatever side is put before them, any early resistance met by the introduction of several more superstars from their gold gilded, diamond encrusted substitutes bench. They have at least a team and a half full of top talent, a tremendous striker in Sergio Aguero and the Premiership’s best midfielder, David Silva. 

These resources have been enhanced by a new attacking philosophy, with right back Micah Richards playing like a right winger and holding midfielder Nigel De Jong often sacrificed in favour of more attacking talent. They look likely to win the title, and let’s face it, that is the lesser of two Mancunian evils.

However, City are coming off the back of a demoralising and hopefully exhausting defeat away in Italy, in which they were comprehensively turned over by a superior Napoli side, and this has made their hopes of Champions League progress slim indeed. Now is as good a time as any to face them, and I would like us to employ the same players and high pressing approach against Roberto Mancini’s men that worked so well in London. 

If City have one weakness it is in defence, namely the space their fullbacks leave behind them, and Vicent Kompany and Joleon Lescott’s vulnerability when faced with quick or intelligent movement and strikers peeling off them in and around the box. I know four men in Red shirts who fit the bill…

Wasted opportunities

WASTEFUL finishing and brittle defending has characterised much of Liverpool’s season so far – especially the last two games.

Five vital league points had already been squandered at home against Sunderland and away at Stoke due to a combination of the above, and the narrow victory over Wolves would have been a far more relaxed affair if several glorious chances had been converted.

Before the Everton and Manchester United games many Reds including myself speculated that four points would be a good haul, and that is what we achieved, largely thanks to a fortuitous red card decision at Goodison Park.

At the time I thought the draw against United was a frustrating but satisfactory result against the reigning champions, who set out to snatch a point with a very negative game plan and a team packed pull of defensive players.

Alex Ferguson brought three top quality performers off the bench in Wayne Rooney, Nani and Javier Hernandez to try and change the game after we took the lead, one of whom scored his team’s equaliser, and then United rode their luck as we spurned four clear chances to extend our winning run against them at Anfield.

Our impressive second half performance and domination of proceedings was of course some consolation in the immediate aftermath of the contest.  

But in the wake of their humiliating 6-1 thrashing at home to Manchester City on Sunday, I’m sure I wasn’t the only Liverpool fan thinking about why in hindsight we failed to defeat a team that were there for the taking.

United’s goal from their solitary chance of note was clearly the result of poor defending from both Jamie Carragher and Martin Skrtel, Carragher allowing Danny Wellbeck to win the first header and flick on Nani’s corner and Martin completely losing Hernandez, who made a trademark clever run and nodded in the one opportunity he had. What we would give for a ruthless finisher of his ability and promise at this point in time.

At the opposite end Luis Suarez missed an excellent first half opportunity, and in the final 10 minutes Stewart Downing created two great chances, with crosses to both Dirk Kuyt and Jordan Henderson, the former which Dirk stretched for, producing a good save from David de Gea, and the latter that really had to be put away by our otherwise impressive substitute, but was sent sailing over the bar.

In between de Gea made another impressive stop from a long-range Henderson effort, and a goalmouth melee which saw Rooney out jump Suarez to win an initial header eventually fell to Skrtel (which is rarely a good thing) and predictably ended up in the Kop.

I found myself wondering after the game what would have been the outcome if our aerial behemoth Andy Carroll (yes, the £35million man, to get that out the way) had taken the place of either little Luis or Jordan. Surely he would have stood a far better chance of finishing those chances late on? I’m pretty sure he would have out jumped Rooney at least. Yet despite much-improved performances from Andy against Wolves and Everton and a goal in the derby, he sat unused on the bench.

It was an omission that I presumed was mainly tactical as we had decided to play three in midfield, and one that I thought was perhaps still justified, as we controlled this zone of the pitch and even late on kept creating clear openings.

However, on Saturday against Norwich with Lucas Leiva suspended I was shocked not to see Andy back in the starting line-up. It seemed the perfect opportunity for him to get 90 minutes under his belt.

The game was similar to so many already this season. When the halftime whistle blew a scoreline of 4-0 would not have flattered us, such was our superiority, but we went in just 1-0 ahead thanks to a late deflected Craig Bellamy strike.

Bellamy was very impressive, linking well with Suarez and using his scintillating pace to penetrate their defence. And he showed more out there in one match than perhaps Downing has so far this term. After all, Downing is yet to produce either a goal or assist since his near £20m summer move, and while he has struck a crossbar and produced crosses that should have been buried, he does not look like a direct goal threat. He was disappointing on the right, and seems to currently be ahead of Maxi Rodriguez in the pecking order on reputation alone.

Dirk Kuyt laboured to little effect, having one of those days when he works harder and harder as a result of every poor final ball or touch, and then makes even more mistakes. It was hard to see why he was selected ahead of Carroll, and why Carroll did not replace him shortly after the break.

It is true that we were producing some mesmerising football, yet while Steven Gerrard and Charlie Adam both provided creativity in the first 45 minutes, the man who deserved nearly all the credit was again Luis Suarez.

The Uruguayan’s approach play is a thing of beauty, with his skill, control and ability to evade tackles and create chances from out of nothing testament to his unquestionable individual brilliance. He also possesses great vision, and tries and succeeds in doing things you would think he has no right to attempt. Until it is time to pull the trigger, he is possibly the best attacking player I have ever seen in a Red shirt.

Unfortunately, if we have learned one thing watching Luis this season, it is that he is either enduring a prolonged period of misfortune in front of goal, or that in fact despite all his positive attributes, he is not the clinical finisher we desperately need. I know he was prolific in Holland, and of course he will create and score a lot of goals. But he seems to miss a lot of chances - chances you would expect him to tuck away. I can recount many already this season, in more games than not, and we increasingly look reliant on him having a good day in front of goal to clinch victory, because few other players are proving to be a consistent goal threat.

This may sound harsh – after all he hit the woodwork twice against Norwich, and he creates the vast majority of his opportunities himself. But I read he had 11 shots on goal, and surely a player of his calibre should hit the net at least once or twice and make the keeper work more often. In this respect he is more akin to an erratic Rooney-type forward than a Hernandez - or indeed in his Liverpool days, Fernando Torres.

The obvious solution is to partner Luis with a top goalscorer, which is what Kenny suggested Andy Carroll had the potential to become, but again, he is not getting enough time on the pitch to develop his game with us. And when he did come on, and was handed the sort of headed chance I mentioned earlier, he too fluffed his lines. Last season Andy was prolific for Newcastle, scoring 11 league goals in just 19 league games for a newly promoted side. We need to find a way to get him back to that kind of form.

Harking back to our other flaw, we are now in the curious position after years of relative strength at centre back and weakness at fullback, of finding ourselves looking deficient at our defensive core and impressive out wide.

With Daniel Agger again absent Martin and Jamie did not convince with or without the ball, particularly in aerial duels, in contrast to Jose Enrique and Glen Johnson, although both fullbacks were culpable to some extent in Norwich’s goal. Enrique allowed the cross and Glen looking unlikely to win the header before Pepe Reina decided it was up to him to deal with it. Sadly even the usually unflappable Spaniard has begun to get the jitters, with an uncharacteristic mistake at White Hart Lane several weeks back followed up by a catastrophic attempt to punch clear the cross that led to Grant Holt’s headed equaliser. 

After the goal the lack of a combative central midfielder became very apparent, with perhaps Stevie yet to find full match fitness and Charlie Adam joining our captain in giving the Norwich midfield far too much time on the ball. With nobody to break up play and provide a calming influence, both resorted to audacious passing attempts, and when we did regain possession we started hitting it long. The fluid football seen earlier in the game gave way to a frantic approach during a spell that could have seen us concede yet again but for the acrobatics of Pepe. More chances went begging late on, and we recorded a disappointing third home draw out of just five games at Anfield.  

   

With our perennial bogey team Stoke City away in the Carling Cup next on the agenda, and then a trip to meet the unapologetic architect of our turgid start to last season, Roy Hodgson, and his West Bromwich Albion side on Saturday, we really need two victories. Firstly to boost morale, and secondly and more importantly to further our quest for silverware and Champions League qualification. Arsenal have now recorded back to back league wins and Spurs continue to look like the team most likely to clinch that coveted fourth spot having put their early season woes behind them.

I hope that to begin with we give Carroll an opportunity in both games, and try to solve our attacking riddle, as for now we may have to wait for a solution in central defence to emerge. If we cannot keep goals out, we must score more and ensure that we do not pay the price for defensive lapses.

This squad has so much potential, but as we approach the end of October, our team and style of play looks no more set in stone than it did on the opening day in August.

Raining Bottles

STANDING in the sweltering concourse beneath the Lower Bullens stand on Saturday, my Evertonian friend kindly offered to buy me a drink.

Gladly accepting a cold bottle of coke (and a rapidly melting Mars bar) I was surprised to find that plastic bottles complete with their caps are served at Goodison, rather than the paper cups dished out at most football grounds.

Turning to my long-suffering companion, I remarked that our neighbours must not share other club’s concerns regarding health and safety, or bottles being thrown by fans. He merely shrugged and laughed, and we made our way up to the old wooden seats at the back of the historic stand.

Something tells me plastic bottles will not be served when Everton host Liverpool next year.

The 90 minutes that followed had everything we have come to expect from the Merseyside derby: controversy, cheating, red and yellow cards, bad refereeing, passion, hatred and the obligatory vile chants. All of which was peppered by the aforementioned bottles raining down on the pitch whenever a Liverpool player ventured too near the blue hordes.

With Kenny Dalglish making just one obvious change in reinstalling our derby talisman Dirk Kuyt on the right hand side at the expense of Jordan Henderson, the Reds lined up with largely the same team that narrowly beat Wolves a week previously.

In the opening exchanges Everton looked the more dominant side, roared on by the ferocious home support and driven by an impressive midfield axis of Marouane Fellaini and Jack Rodwell.

Liverpool struggled to settle into any kind of rhythm, and it was against the run of play when Phil Jagielka's mistake gifted a chance to Kuyt. Controlling the ball with far more skill than his detractors suggest he possesses, Dirk then found Luis Suarez with an accurate cross, but Suarez headed tamely into Tim Howard’s arms from close range.

Everton launched an immediate counter attack, and arguably the best header of a ball in English football, Tim Cahill, nearly made it 1-0. Thankfully the Reds were saved by Pepe Reina, who tipped the Australian’s effort over the bar.

Everton seemed to grow in confidence, so much so that the ageing centre half Sylvain Distin was next to trouble our defence, twisting past Jose Enrique and going close.

Sitting in the home end when your team is playing away is never a pleasant experience, especially across Stanley Park, but it’s hard to turn down the offer of a ticket for one of the biggest games of the season. At this stage the blues around me were buoyed by their impressive start to the contest, and the smattering of red shirts dotted among the home support didn’t seem too much of a problem. It is the ‘friendly derby’, after all.

Predictably the atmosphere was set to change - from one of early optimism to one of seething rage. And the change in mood was brought about by every Everton fan’s favourite hobbyhorse – perceived injustice.

To be fair, in this case, they had an utterly valid point. The instant dismissal of Rodwell for a clean tackle on Suarez was one of the most baffling decisions you will ever see – the judgment of a man who has surely never played the game at any competitive level.

Whether Suarez was genuinely hurt by the follow through of Rodwell’s knee I don’t know, but his apparent histrionics and the complaints of Lucas Leiva may have helped Martin Atkinson make up his mind. Rodwell got the ball and in doing so made a tackle with the minimum level of commitment and aggression we demand from our players in a derby game, but Mr Atkinson brandished a red card.

From that point on as many people have observed, the game was effectively over as a contest. We may have defeated Everton with 10 men on more than one occasion in recent years, but such is the financial disparity and gulf in quality between the playing staff of the two clubs, it shouldn't really be a level playing field even when its 11 v 11. With 10 men Everton had little chance.

Saying that, they continued to work very hard, and while they surrendered territory and possession, they didn’t surrender the game. The Reds in contrast did not seem able to summon the energy to make our numerical advantage count, nor find the crispness in our passing to open up a resolute Everton defence.

Suarez was clever in winning a penalty from Jagielka, who should have known better than to make such a rash challenge and clip him just inside the box. Presumably he escaped a booking because Mr Atkinson was wary of incensing David Moyes further, and presumably that was the only reason one of the worst players in Premiership football, Tony Hibbert, escaped a yellow card for a lunge on Charlie Adam that was by far the worst foul of the day.

Previously when Dirk Kuyt stepped up to take a penalty the result had always been the same – a goal to Liverpool. But I have to admit I didn’t fancy him on this occasion, facing Tim Howard once again with the American surely having picked up a tip or two from the three penalties Kuyt has dispatched past him already in Merseyside derbies. By the law of averages I suppose even the ice-cool Dutchman was due to miss one eventually, and it was a cracking save by Howard. The penalty wasn’t struck hard enough nor cleanly enough, but it was towards the corner, and was far from a bad effort. I’d bet on Dirk tucking his next one away.

Charlie Adam then produced his first meaningful contribution of the initial 45 minutes, a delightful shot that soared past Howard’s flailing arm and crashed against the crossbar. As the half time whistle blew I started to wonder if it was going to be one of those days, and despite the odds being stacked in our favour, I can’t say that I was happy with things as they stood at the interval.

Perhaps sitting with blues riddled my brain and I am being overly negative – I’m quite willing to accept that I absorbed the overwhelming negativity that surrounded me through osmosis! But I was disappointed with the way the second half began, and it seemed obvious to me that Steven Gerrard was needed as a substitute for Adam, and Craig Bellamy’s pace should also be called upon. Carroll did go close twice with well-directed and powerful headers, and we had no real problems defensively, but we still weren’t dominating play and hadn’t forced a clear chance in open play.

The double change Kenny made shortly after the hour was the one the game was crying out for – with Stevie predictably replacing Adam and an ineffectual Stewart Downing making way for Bellamy. We immediately looked brighter, and the sight of Gerrard urging us forward really is enough by itself to give every Red a lift.

Bellamy’s direct approach reaped dividends, with Everton looking scared of his blistering pace. He played in Enrique, again a standout performer, and when he crossed Kuyt showed a lovely bit of awareness to duck out of the way. Carroll made a little bit of room for himself and powered home the goal we had been craving.

Running towards our stand, he clearly enjoyed shoving the ‘what a waste of money’ chants down the Everton fan’s throats. The response to his goading was predictable - the blue support erupted and a lot of bottles and coins were thrown in his direction.

I chose to sit on my hands, relishing in the head rush of the goal and that strange sensation of restrained excitement flowing through my veins. But one jubilant Red in front of me leapt for joy, and things quickly turned ugly, with half a stand trying to get at him, ‘murderers’ chants breaking out more loudly than before, and a couple of lads spitting in his direction until he was escorted out by police.

While I would be livid, I wouldn’t personally react in that way to an Everton fan celebrating wildly in the Kop. But I have little sympathy for the offender – you’re in the home end, so as far as I'm concerned you show some respect or accept the consequences.    

I briefly lost focus on what was happening on the pitch, perhaps distracted by the sight of one Red in front of me covering up his Suarez shirt by hastily donning a thick jumper... despite it being the hottest day of the year, and the Lower Bullens stand now morphing into one big, angry mass of sweat.

While I wondered whether the stewards would actually do something to try and stop the bottles flying around, we scored our second goal. Suarez’s strike was a result of comical defending, Distin and Leighton Baines so panicked by his presence that they somehow combined to hand him the ball just yards from Howard’s net. Luis doesn't let an opportunity like that pass him by. 

As Suarez celebrated in front of the Gwladys Street faithful even more bottles came his way, an assault which continued when Bellamy took a corner, when Kuyt went behind the goal to collect the ball and when Luis lined up to take another set piece on the opposite flank. The sight of all three showing no fear was a joy to behold, and it really would have been the icing on the cake if Gerrard had lashed home a chance he hit from distance.

In the end it was Suarez and Kuyt who almost provided the final insult. Suarez complained about the objects being thrown in his direction as he took a corner and then suddenly chipped the ball to Dirk, catching the Everton defenders unaware. It was wonderfully sly, yet when Kuyt flicked the ball with the outside of his boot it sadly struck the post. Carroll may well have profited from the rebound if he had followed the move and made a run into the box, but it didn’t really matter – the game was already won.

Watching our players celebrate at the end I yearned to be in with the away support, and following thousands of frustrated Evertonians as they trudged out of the ground I thanked my lucky stars for the thousandth time that I was not born into a blue family. Once a year I’m content to sit among them, but I don’t think I could ever belong to that tribe.

I can’t throw a plastic bottle that far for starters!