COLUMNIST KEN BUCKLEY
From My Seat: Liverpool (FA Cup Replay)
Comments (24) : FA Cup replay and a derby to boot and this just had to be a special Goodison night. From early on the pubs were buzzing and on my walk to the ground the atmosphere was already electric with songs and chants raising the temperature of a chilly winter's night.
The Blue fans were looking for nothing but a home win and the mood they were in nothing was going to stop them.
The bulk of the crowd were unusually in the stadium with time to spare and although a bigger than usual contingent of Reds were in due to cup regulations they never were going to stand a chance when it came to the wall of sound.
The teams came out and Z Cars was almost inaudible such was the roar of the Blues assembled.
Normally, I would now go into match report mode but this was different, Goodison was a bear pit and from the off both sets of players seemed affected by the partisan nature and the tone of the play reflected this. In the first fifteen we had Alonso firing just wide and a roar from the Evertonians fit to welcome a win as Gerrard limped off. He was left in no doubt of the regard he is held in by the Blue faithful.
The rest of the half was a hotch potch of unconvincing play and bookings for both Cahill and Pienaar (his fifth so a suspension) many stoppages and complaints from both sets of fans about the refereeing which indicates he was doing ok in the circumstances and the half ended in this vein.
The second half started as the first had ended with muscle being preferred to joined up play.
Lucas and Neville quickly went into the book, Fellaini who was having the nightmare of nightmares was hauled of in favour of Gosling just some seven minutes in. I hope the lad was injured as he had been more of a 15pence player rather than a 15 million pounder.
This called for a reshuffle and both Arteta and Osman shared second striker role variously but to lttle effect amid the helter-skelter that was posing as a football match.
It took until the hour mark for the first serious attempt on goal as Jags made a mess of things by sloppily conceding possession to Alonso who put Riera in only for Howard to hurtle from his line to block the shot for a corner.It was also at this point that Rodwell was introduced to replace Pienaar who had buzzed and worked but always seemed weak in this red hot encounter.
We now had two holding mid-fielders so Arteta pushed on and was instrumental in fashioning the one real move of the game when he found Cahill with an excellent pass, Cahill pushed the ball first time into the path of Osman who from the angle of the six-yard box thumped a post when he should have scored.
The last fifteen minutes and we were looking the more likely and this was helped along when Lucas was shown a second yellow for cynically upending Lescott and the Blues assembled waved him bye-bye.
As the half ended we had managed only a long range tame effort from Rodwell.
The first period of extra time again brought more of the same with the highlite being when Osman shot and Reina could only parry it away but he recovered quickly to deny Gosling.
Torres was withdrawn to the sound of 'Ladyboy' echoing around Goodison and the the lesser seen Van de Meyde replaced Neville.
The second period of extra time was notable for one excellent piece of play that saw Van de Meyde put clear on the right and his excellent cross eluded a few heads and fell for Gosling.
He moved the ball from his left foot to right and then curled a shot passed Reina and in off the post.
The noise was above legal limits as all celebrated, just two minutes to go and we avoided the curse of Villa and Arsenal to set up the party of parties at the whistle.
The streets around the ground were full of songs and chants, people hugged, stray reds were berated although there were not many of those as there was a mass exodus from their enclosures as Gosling's shot hit the net.
Back to my watering hole and the red dolly-wearing the obligatory Liverpool badges who both served me and told me we had no chance pre-match also served me (minus badges) post-match and didn't speak. It said it all.
Overall, I thought it was a game that will have no bearing on any other that we play as it was more of a local difficulty than a football match in it's true sense.
My man of the match amid all the mayhem was Lescott who remained imperious and level headed throughout. Rodwell handled the occasion with an aplomb that suggests a bright future indeed and Gosling will become part of Goodison folklore as well as showing promise for one just turned nineteen.
Big Vic must be reflecting on his enforced absence after such a night and from what I read in the Echo I can only conclude that he must be a sandwich short of a picnic.
After all the songs and chants I have heard tonight I will leave you with the one still going around in my head.
Super,super Dan
Super, super Dan
Super Danny Gosling.
See you Saturday.
UP THE BLUES
Reader Comments
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I always look forward to your pieces and having missed Extra time last night cos Sky + didn't record it, it has been great getting on here this morning to read what went on!
I'm am grinning my ugly mug off!!!!
Thanks again!
You had a rare experience last night though mate - you found a woman who knows when to shut up and say fuck all. Wow - I have never ever met one of those - pity she was an RS.
Rodwell and Gosling - it warms the heart. And obviously a mention to Tiny Tim - did he ever stop running?
Would also like to ask about the incident Suzi refers to, I saw on the TV there was a police office standing in the circle with the ref and one of his officials just as the Everton players were returning to our half following the celebration. Anyone able to elaborate?
ITV (surprisingly) didn’t mention it. Just as nothing was said when one of the those socks hit (i think) Baines in the back as he prepared to take a throw-in, as he appeared not to flinch I’m guessing it was just socks with nothing inside -
Although granted ITV did mention them being thrown on the pitch, and suggested there was also a bottle and a coin. I wonder if any action will be taken...
But enough of that - Wll done Blue Boys!!
To be honest, it’s hard to critique that game. It was largely awful quality wise, although thoroughly absorbing but it really is all about the result. Jags had (an admittedly slightly unfit) Torres in his pocket all night, and i think it shows once again that with Gerrard to conjure something, Liverpool are just a mediocre side.
I thought the back 4 were great all night, and Baines is really looking like a decent player. Midfield struggled a lot for me, but Rodwell looked very neat and tidy when he came on.
Anyways, the facts are 118 minutes, goal, Liverpool out of cup. Job done.
I see that Benitez has been saying he doesn’t want to say anything about the ref, seemingly in relation to the Lucas sending-off. Did he see something I didn’t? Seemed like a no-brainer to me.
Ken ? nice to see such an emotional report!
It gets worse. In London, ITV accidentally went to an add break towards the end of extra time! Came back to the game just as Everton were celebrating. Only goal of the game and they missed it! What a bunch of....
I think Whiley decided to be lenient, but if they’d spawned an equaliser and won a penalty shoot out, the incident would have taken on a greater profile.
What a night!!
I’m still hoarse!
COYB!
I had the ’joy’ of watching the game with a couple of Liverpool fans as usual (no Evertonians down here??).
During the impomptu ad break (which meant I missed the goal) I said ’but what if there’s a goal?’. It switched back to the celebrations immediately and I’ve never laughed harder.
Great goal Dan!
Piss poor coverage on ITV as they didn?t pick up on it at all ? or maybe they chose not too..!! Who gives a fuck anyway, the boys were awesome last night ? proud to be Blue.
This really upset me, as not seeing the goal live, I was unable to punch the air with ecstasy, as you do when you track a game.
Even Radio 5 would have been better than the ITV coverage.
BUT how glad am I that Everton won. With THAT excellent goal. That is lore making. It reminded me of Ian Rushes goal vs us in 1989. I hope it had the same sickening impact on the Pool fans.
Everton deserved their win yesterday. I want the media to pick up on that. They got stronger and stronger and Benitez had to copy the tactics he so deplored.
I too look forward to your reports.
You’d bet that Tim Howard would be up before the FA for violent conduct. (Not that he would, ’cos he’s a gentleman)
And a club fine for objects thrown on the pitch.
I loved to see the Norwegians leaving without their socks, whilst we stayed in the ground for 5 mins after the final whistle singing "We Shall Not Be Moved!"
Of course, somebody decided that the replay game should be seen on it, and whilst I could not watch it, or rather-decided not to, I found out in sporadic moments that the team had progressed at the expense of that loveable shower of shit across the park.
I was getting quite animated as the game went on, had the radio with me, could not listen at some points, heard it had gone into extra time, turned it off, nervous, on edge, eventually I just had to know what had happened, and lo and behold young Danny Gosling had only gone and scored two minutes from the end of extra time as the shite tried in vain to hold out for penalties, to no avail.
I have mentioned just what a bunch of bonafide, cannot think of a suitable expletive for them,- ITV are, but coverage aside, the result is what matters.
The derby victory of eighteen years ago has been duplicated, this was even more enjoyable than the Dave Watson replay, Benitez is for the chop it would seem, any Liverpool silverware aspirations as looking slim, Gerrard out for three weeks, and we know how they fare without him!
All said, a wonderful day to be a Toffee, last night would of been longer for me, except I had to be at work early, so any late night celebrations did not come to pass. I could go on, but I want to see other aspects of last nights victory from other Everton supporters.
Well done to all involved in beating last nights opposition, we waited 18 years to do it again, but it was worth the wait in the manner it came. Gosling for a kinghthood after that!
From recent adversity we have discovered that we have more options than we thought, although we must not expect too much too soon from the youngsters. Fellaini struggled, but now knows what a Derby is all about. VDM has had a taste of the great occasion, and now it’s up to him whether or not he wants to be part of more in the future.
The enforced breather might do Pienaar good. And Jo now knows what is expected from someone givien the privilege of wearing our shirt.
If anywhere can compare with Goodison for a big night game, then it must be special. Let’s make it the same a week on Sunday in daylight!
Wonderful to share in everyone’s joy. but no resting on laurels. Wembley and the top four are not beyond us, but we must not let up now.
A final word about Jagielka. Not only has he emerged as a top class central defender, but he also proved himself a sportsman and a gentleman - by all accounts he popped over to Analfield this afternoon and kindly gave them Torres back.
This made it all the more galling when a graceless Benitez could not give a young lad a bit of praise, describing his goal as merely a deflection, what a silly man. Also last week when asked if Lampard's sending off had changed the game, he said it had made no difference to the result... his reason for Everton's victory? Lucas being sent off!!!
I liked the laid back comments by Moyes after the game and I know, if that had been a Liverpool player who scored that goal, he would have appreciated the skill and made a point of praising it.
I for one am in clover. Not only because we won but because of the hammer blows to the Reds. They were exposed as an ordinary team without Gerrard. The Torres/Keane affair has thoroughly exposed the divisions at the club at the highest level. £8 million loss on a player in six months ? I?m sorry even the bankers in the credit crunch would be hard pressed to match that.
The other satisfying things that happened: seeing the Red supporters collectively round on Lucas after the match. But especially the feeling that Everton were the better team and deserved it and the pride in seeing young players like Gosling and Rodwell flourish at the highest level.
My MotM goes to Cahill, he terrorized Skrtel and Carragher and ran so hard all night pulling them all over the place. Despite this he still managed the one moment of true quality when he played Ossie in who really should have scored.
I hope people stop talking about what side rs our. THEY ARE NOT. WE ARE BETTER. We have better players who play as a team. A PREREQUISITE OF ANY TEAM SPORT. So now let us believe how good we are until the end of the season and see where it takes us.
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1 Posted 05/02/2009 at 07:44:03
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