Once In A While You Need To Let Off Your Steam.

Rafa Benitez has every right to be fuming at his players’ performance, or should I say the lack of it?

If you’ve followed my posts, you’d almost have it figured out that I’m a staunch and solid supporter of Liverpool Football Club, but today, you’ll also find that I don’t just follow blindly.

Yes, when the team’s performance is appalling, sometimes you need to bring out the stick, instead of the usual carrots.

There’s a saying which goes like this: Spare the stick (or rod) and spoil the child.

Benitez has defended his players staunchly and at most, directed his criticisms towards his Captain, but last night was perhaps the right time, he felt, to launch a wake up call towards his players.

As a footballer myself, when results don’t go our way, I’d hope for the coach to be lenient and forgiving, but sometimes, the hair-dryer treatment is required to ‘jumpstart’ the idling engines in me.

Perhaps that’s why Ferguson’s steed has cultivated this do or die mentality with every game, because they certainly don’t want any ‘hairdryer’ treatment vouchers at the end of the game.

I don’t fault Benitez, and I admire this recent touch of his, it shows that he can be strong and aggressive, when required — a character trait which should keep his players on their toes from now onwards.

A dreadful performance from players who are earning collectively millions and millions of pound per week, and the response that they give to their loyal fans is a meekly, uninspired, and lazy one.

0 Shots on Target.

To mention unbelievable is an understatement, especially this from a side that not only visited the Holy Grail of European football finals, but won it against all odds, and funny that it all seems so distant now.

Credit does go to Wigan’s players work ethics and strengths as they stiffled the ordinary midfield combination of Liverpool’s, so take nothing for their deserving 3 points. Truly deserving indeed.

Where I’ve so often defended the state of Liverpool’s plight, I find myself helpless against any criticism of the side, especially on account of last night’s performance.

Was Lille’s presence on their fragile minds?

No matter what, there’s a level of expectation to be met as professionals, and last night squeaked of amateurisms.

Vultures circling the Anfield saga will probably be having a blast of a time and perhaps for once, this time round, I’ll bear no grudge or animosity against them.

This time round, it was torturous for me, as a fan, and all I can ask for this time round, is to start performing as a team.

Let’s just forget 4th place, because unless Manchester City and Aston Villa implode inexplicably, we can merely imagine occupying it.

Last night’s loss sealed the team’s fate psychologically and now there’s an impossible mountain to be climbed.

Men with big hearts will climb such mountains with ease, but I guess there’s not a lot of them going around Anfield these days.

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AUTHOR BIO: I’m Mar and I’m a big fan of watching paint dry. Ever since last night’s game that is. Here’s to hoping for a revival in our performance this Thursday, against Lille. Meanwhile, catch Mar at his personal blog.mar.sg and drop him a message or two.

MATCH REPORT: Blackburn 0 – Liverpool 0

This result probably didn’t come off as much of a surprise as when the teamsheet was announced.

You would be forgiven for thinking that the likes of Riera and Benayoun on the wings, backed by Insua and Johnson would shred the Blackburn defence mercilessly.

Well, Blackburn defended mercilessly for certain, throwing bodies unapologetically all over the place, and when they do got possession, the ball would be launched long into our penatly box, hoping for a certain Italian to weave his magic, and no, not Aquilani mind you, but young Franco Di Santo.

If Di Santo had a couple of years of experience under his belt, he would have easily converted a few half chances, but to depend on the inexperienced striker against the colossal Carragher, is simply asking too much.

Indeed Carragher may have placed a few feet wrong, but his experience made up for it, while Agger provided enough cover to provide stability in an already leaky defence.

The central pairing of Carragher and Agger has yet to mature and blossom, but they are looking good these days, along with the safe pair of goalkeeping hands of Reina too.

Thanks to Reina’s quick thinking and superb keeper-sweeper display, the Blackburn sucker punch never came, fortunately enough.

If you had witnessed the first half of the game, you would probably daze away in a stupor, after an uneventful period.

The substitution of Ngog for Riera turned out to be the catalyst for Liverpool’s second half waves of attack.

Though it may seem adequately impressive that Liverpool’s attacking plays finally kickstarted the engine, it was extremely annoying that Red’s approach play is still littered with mistimed passes, poor dribbles and sorrowfully inadequate off-the-ball runs.

Where a simple one-two would work, instead the ball was held in possession for far too long.

Where a quick layoff was needed, instead the pass was delayed, thus causing a breakdown in the attacks.

Overall, Liverpool’s reluctance to run at Blackburn’s defence came off as annoying, but fortunately Johnson came to the rescue with some timely penetrating runs on the right flank.

Just when the opening goal was inevitable, the uneven pitch came to Blackburn’s rescue as Johnson’s low cross bounced off the ground, causing Ngog shins instead of boots to connect with the ball, which eventually hit the bar instead of the back of the net.

That was probably the only time that Blackburn allowed Liverpool’s players to get behind them, and so to say that the Reds would have deserved all 3 points is an overstatement.

Blackburn deserved their point, and Liverpool’s lethargic display surely begs the question of just how inventive their midfield is?

Although Lucas’ rare foray into the penalty box almost allowed Gerrard to earn a spotkick, that was the only play worth mentioning for the Brazilian, who was largely ordinary throughout the game.

Sure we know that Torres’ return is a couple of games away, but just where was Aquilani?

Why didn’t Rafa play him instead of Lucas, and in a game where the hosts were simply content to sit back and absorb all the pressure that it can, surely Aquilani deserves a run out?

If any good were to come out of the game, it was the team’s clean sheet that’s worth mentioning.

If any bad were to come out of the game, it was Rafa’s insistence on not using Aquilani, yet again.

Perhaps mid week’s Fiorentina game might see him making a full debut?

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AUTHOR BIO: Mar is a passionate, understanding and tolerable Reds fan through and through. Until he gets to visit Anfield and experience the KOP end, he’s not quite the perfect Kopites as yet, but he’s getting there, nevertheless. Catch him at his personal blog.mar.sg and say hi.

Everton FC (0) – Liverpool FC (2)

I’ll be brutally honest when I say that the Reds never really looked like convincing winners during the game, at least not till Kuyt’s goal did the Reds deserved all 3 points.

You could even be forgiven  for thinking that Everton was the better team on the day, as they astutely ran ragged our defenders with their aeriel prowess and brute strength.

Simple yet effective tactics to destabilise any mean Premiereship defence and would you believe it that this time round, lady luck visited our goal (in disallowing 2 good Everton goals) and even did as much as placing Reina onto the right spot to block Fellaini, barely less than 3 yards from goal.

Indeed Fellaini was a thorn, overpowering the Reds defence time and time again, and I must admit how highly impressed I was at his calm and collected performance.

He knew when to hold the ball, when to make that pass, when to cross, when to run, where unlike our Lucas who seemed lost whenever the ball was in his possession.

If there was a Worst Footballer Of The Match award, Lucas would have singlehandedly picked it up, but not to say he wasn’t any good at all, just that his weakness and his prowessess, well they’re  still 50-50.

One’s not too sure if he’s a footballing aristocrat or or footballing brat.

Anyway, the goal should be credited to Mascherano simply because he ran 3/4 of the pitch just to kiss the Liverpool badge in front of his fans — and does that look like someone who’s looking for a move away from Anfield?

My Man Of The Match award goes out to Masch, for his selfless runs, well thought passes, last-ditched tackles, and the constant harassing of Evertonians, and if only it was for the latter reason, I’d give him the award.

So where was Stevie G during the game, inconspicuously missing for large part of the game, and you get the sense that either he’s frustrated at playing alongside ‘kids’ or he’s yet to reach a 100% fitness level.

Let’s face it, Lucas is no Alonso replacement, while Ngog is no Torres replacement either, and it makes it extremely difficult for a world class player to ‘communicate’ football amongst ordinary men.

Nevertheless, Rafa finally managed to secure another 3 points in the bag and lift the club into 5th place, no thanks to Manchester City drawing yet again.

No doubt this will lift some of the pressure off his shoulders and allow him much needed breathing space as well, for the moment.

So Everton 0, Liverpool 2. Not the classic 4-3 encounters of the past, but just as cracking indeed.

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ART’s Top 3 Players:

1. Javier Mascherano
2. Dirk Kuyt
3. Pepe Reina

ART’s Worst 3 Players:

1. Joseph Yobo
2. Lucas Leiva
3. *Coin Toss* Tim Howard / David Ngog

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AUTHOR BIO: Mar is a passionate, understanding and tolerable Reds fan through and through. Until he gets to visit Anfield and experience the KOP end, he’s not quite the perfect Kopites as yet, but he’s getting there, nevertheless. Catch him at his personal blog.mar.sg and say hi.