COLUMNIST KEN BUCKLEY

From my seat: Liverpool (H)

A regulation 2-0 win over a bottom three side at home could not have been better received had we have beaten a top side.

The very late change of Ref. which saw Mr H Webb replaced by a Mr S Gerrard made little difference to the outcome as the Blues whilst not at the top of their game and not as fluent as in previous games easily overcame the once mighty now minnows Liverpool.

The pre-match chat centred on who was missing from the team and how it might affect the outcome, when the club text came through showing Jagielka 'in' many a spirit was lifted. The walk up to the ground was devoid of any Red?s singing their awful songs just a multitude of Blues mostly deep in conversation rather than singing. If you didn?t know it was a sell out the queue at the Blue Dragon chippy was so long it gave the game away along with enough horse manure to feed three fields of rhubarb along Goodison Road.

The game started with the Blues exerting the early pressure and both Jags and Distin wasted good chances when finding themselves free in the box, I guess that?s why they are defenders. Liverpool were offering little and it took a good 20mins for Howard to be called upon when he touched a glancing header from Torres over the bar.

It was the Blues showing the greater threat without really creating much where it matters and lacking the fluidity of previous games until about 15mins from the break when Coleman made a dash for the corner flag, turned his man cut in and pulled one back to Cahill who put his laces right through it leaving Reina to merely turn around and fish it out of the net. This time Cahill did his boxing with the corner flag celebration with a vigour not previously seen and the crowd joined him with great gusto. The Red away support was silenced so we gave them a quick chorus of ?Going down? just to cheer them up. Osman went down with a knock on the ankle from a wayward boot that Ref. Gerrard deemed no foul!. The outcome of this was that Ossie had to be replaced for the second half by Bilyaletdinov.

Many of us worried how we might start the second half as in many games we have given a goal away early but today it was us on the front foot. Just 5mins in and the ?Mad Greek? headed a cross out which was picked up by Arteta some 20yds out and he smashed a humdinger past Reina and but for the net it would have reached the park. Oh joy, 2 up against ?them? . Did the Blue hoards celebrate.

We then played a cagey game but with confidence we let them dictate in the middle third but such was our concentration and marking very few if any route to goal opened up. The chances that did come were of a forced ?hoof? nature hoping for no more than a mistake from our rearguard whilst we looked for every opportunity to counter attack, like top sides do when 2 up, Our rhythm was disrupted a little between the 70th and 75th minute when Heitinga and Arteta respectively hobbled off with what looked like lower limb injuries to be replaced by Hibbert and Beckford.

Hibbert went to right back with Neville taking the Heitinga role and Beckford joining the impressive Yak and the manager using tactical nous going 4-4-2 thus ensuring the visitors could not just throw everyone forward. We allowed Liverpool plenty of the ball but kept them mainly at arms length and breaking when we could. From one of these breaks Beckford was put in by the Yak but he hurried his shot and it flew over. Liverpool had one last chance near the end when the disinterested looking Torres fluffed.

Injury time and the away section emptied in spectacular fashion as the Blues saw it out with no alarms. Final whistle and mayhem broke out. Cahill removed his shirt and flung it to the deck as he did a highland dance around it. Players and fans hugged and cheered. ?going down- going down? reverberated and then a massive rendition of "If yer know yer 'Istory" rang out. All seemed to be at it for a good 10mins and then the victorious exit from the stadium. Seeing the Liverpool players leave the field though left me with a very satisfied feeling. Back to our ?Ale house? for the inquest and along Goodison road the horse manure was now well trodden into the tarmac and the ?Blue Dragon? was still doing a roaring trade. Fans were high 5ing, singing and abusing any stray Red that hove into view by way of a derogatory song.

Overall I have seen much better games and better performances from us but this was ?The Derby? where the result is all important no matter how it is achieved. Looking for a MotM you could say all of ?em as everyone put in a shift, personally I enjoyed the performances of Cahill, Distin, Jags and Yak and Arteta looking like he his coming back to form. I hope the injuries we picked up today are not to serious as when you looked at our bench today we are not blessed with the deepest of squads.

Spurs away next and no doubt a different game and different challenge awaits but the last 2 results will have given us much needed confidence so getting something out of the game is not beyond us. Enjoy your week as the bragging rights are all ours and, as the banner in the Park end said, ?God bless the Yanks?
UP THE BLUES

Reader Comments (28)

Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer

Warning: Undefined array key "commentUserName" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 34

Warning: Undefined array key "site" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 46

Warning: Undefined array key "commentUserName" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 34

Warning: Undefined array key "site" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 46

Warning: Undefined array key "commentUserName" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 34

Warning: Undefined array key "site" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 46

Warning: Undefined array key "commentUserName" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 34

Warning: Undefined array key "site" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 46

Warning: Undefined array key "commentUserName" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 34

Warning: Undefined array key "site" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 46

Warning: Undefined array key "commentUserName" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 34

Warning: Undefined array key "site" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 46

Warning: Undefined array key "commentUserName" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 34

Warning: Undefined array key "site" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 46

Warning: Undefined array key "commentUserName" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 34

Warning: Undefined array key "site" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 46

Warning: Undefined array key "commentUserName" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 34

Warning: Undefined array key "site" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 46

Warning: Undefined array key "commentUserName" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 34

Warning: Undefined array key "site" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 46

Warning: Undefined array key "commentUserName" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 34

Warning: Undefined array key "site" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 46

Warning: Undefined array key "commentUserName" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 34

Warning: Undefined array key "site" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 46

Warning: Undefined array key "commentUserName" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 34

Warning: Undefined array key "site" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 46

Warning: Undefined array key "commentUserName" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 34

Warning: Undefined array key "site" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 46

Warning: Undefined array key "commentUserName" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 34

Warning: Undefined array key "site" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 46

Warning: Undefined array key "commentUserName" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 34

Warning: Undefined array key "site" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 46

Warning: Undefined array key "commentUserName" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 34

Warning: Undefined array key "site" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 46

Warning: Undefined array key "commentUserName" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 34

Warning: Undefined array key "site" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 46

Warning: Undefined array key "commentUserName" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 34

Warning: Undefined array key "site" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 46

Warning: Undefined array key "commentUserName" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 34

Warning: Undefined array key "site" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 46

Warning: Undefined array key "commentUserName" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 34

Warning: Undefined array key "site" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 46

Warning: Undefined array key "commentUserName" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 34

Warning: Undefined array key "site" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 46

Warning: Undefined array key "commentUserName" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 34

Warning: Undefined array key "site" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 46

Warning: Undefined array key "commentUserName" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 34

Warning: Undefined array key "site" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 46

Warning: Undefined array key "commentUserName" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 34

Warning: Undefined array key "site" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 46

Warning: Undefined array key "commentUserName" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 34

Warning: Undefined array key "site" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 46

Warning: Undefined array key "commentUserName" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 34

Warning: Undefined array key "site" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 46

Warning: Undefined array key "commentUserName" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 34

Warning: Undefined array key "site" in /var/www/vhosts/toffeeweb.com/httpdocs/includes/reader-comments.php on line 46

About these ads