Wolves 0 - 0 Liverpool : Rafa fail to impress the Old Lady
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Wolves 0 Liverpool 0: Rafa Benitez failing to impress the Old Lady as Reds are held to frustrating draw at Molineux
Bore draw: Rafa Benitez will know his Liverpool side missed a big chance to claim victory at Wolves
RAFA BENITEZ refused to talk about the Juventus job after his Kop flops stumbled at Wolves. If the dispatches from Turin are to be believed, Juventus are increasing their efforts to secure Rafael Benitez as their next manager.
Any representatives from the Grand Old Lady of Italian football present at Molineux might have been harbouring second thoughts after this turgid show.
Regardless of whether Benitez is tempted by their interest, his season continues to take two steps forwards and one step back. And here he was not on the offensive.
Great Britain plc may be moving towards positive growth but Liverpool FC are not, judging by the fare which passed before a sell-out crowd.
With the advantage of a week’s rest and the return of the inspirational Steven Gerrard
to the ranks, the stage was set for Benitez to grab his club’s season by the scruff of the neck.Without a goal in their last three matches, and having played an FA Cup tie against Crystal Palace at the weekend, Wolves were ripe for the taking.
Prior to this encounter, they had only kept two clean sheets in the Premier League. As Mick McCarthy decided to smother his midfield in an attempt to stem the club’s defensive ills at home, it was set up for Liverpool to send out a message to the rest of the Premier League.
What the travelling supporters saw was a display that was high on guts, endeavour and sheer bloody-mindedness. Unfortunately for them, those characteristics were displayed only by the home side.
Even Gerrard, so often the heartbeat of Liverpool, failed to find sufficient gumption to force the issue. He returned from a hamstring injury and, in truth, he looked well below peak fitness.
It has to be said that this was Liverpool’s fifth match without defeat. Perhaps the green shoots are there after all. And as ever, Benitez was taking the positives.
‘It was a difficult game for both,’ he said. ‘We were in control in the first half. They pushed us back in the second The result was a fair one but you have to be disappointed if you are trying to reduce the gap at the top.
‘We haven’t lost the game, credit to the players for keeping a clean sheet.’
‘We have kept a clean sheet,’ said McCarthy. ‘Nil-nil against Liverpool is a good result. But we have only scored 17 goals in the league this season and we could do with scoring another one soon.’
As for Liverpool, Benitez did not report any post-match reaction to Gerrard’s hamstring
trouble. And he refused to be drawn on reports about Juventus.‘I prefer to talk about the game,’ he said without a hint of irony after such uninspiring fare. ‘I’m really focused on trying to win the game for Liverpooland prefer to concentrate on that.’
WOLVES (4-5-1): Hahnemann 6; Zubar 6, Craddock 7, Berra 6, Ward 6; Foley 6, Mancienne 6, Henry 8, Milijas 6 (Jones 73min, 6), Jarvis 7; Doyle 6.
LIVERPOOL (4-5-1): Reina 6; Carragher 6, Skrtel 7, Kyrgiakos 6, Insua 6; Lucas 5, Mascherano 5, Riera 5 (Ngog 66, 6), Gerrard 6, Rodriguez 5; Kuyt 6.
Booked: Skrtel
Man of the match: Karl Henry
Referee: Peter Walton. -
why aquilani was not playing?
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Originally posted by sg_forum:
why aquilani was not playing?
Because Lucas needs to play.
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that's the Liverpool we're familiar with and have come to expect..............beat top teams and then flop against the weaker ones..................that's the way to win titles, Rafa..............
looks like Juve is badly trying to self-destruct by getting this clown as coach...............
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nvr lose arh
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Originally posted by charlize:
Because Lucas needs to play.
ask him to play elsewhere lah
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finally Maxi play it full match
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Lucas play so many games still nv improve wat so gd abt him onli rafa noe. And aquilani buy for 20m to sit on the bench is realli a joke. just play him la even if injure oso nvm 1 lehz let him get use to english football more impt ma. he saving for the big match is it?
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Regardless of whether Benitez is tempted by their interest, his season continues to take two steps forwards and one step back. And here he was not on the offensive.
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oh ya...top 3 right?
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Originally posted by Ashianamarley:
Regardless of whether Benitez is tempted by their interest, his season continues to take two steps forwards and one step back. And here he was not on the offensive.
1 step forward 2 steb back lor.. think the players rely too much on gerrard. if he doesnt play theyll work extra hard -
the best would be for Torres and Gerrard to stay injured through the whole season................relegation would be a possibility...........LOL
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Same old liverpool.
Win one "big" game, surely confirm plus chop drop points in the next game.
Not surprise by the scoreline.
