Anfield Rough Justice

There can’t be too many games where Man Utd have looked so poor and been so ineffectual and still come away with the 3 points. Even the most ardent of Utd fans would have to admit this was a smash and grab job of the highest order, and quite frankly they won’t care one little bit. Utd were plainly happy to leave Anfield with a 0 - 0 from the way Alex Ferguson set his team up and from their performance, but it will now take an amazing turnaround if the men from Old Trafford don’t secure the Championship this season. If Chelsea so much as draw this evening at Portsmouth, the bookies won’t be taking any more bets, that’s for sure. Want to bet on that?

This is a game that Liverpool will look back on and shake their heads wondering how they didn’t win it and how, even more so, how they managed to lose it. Liverpool looked by far the more likely to score particularly in the second half where they had Utd against the ropes for long periods. However, it isn’t just the guys who stick the ball in the back of the net that win games and trophies. Edwin Van der Sar pulled off a couple of crucial saves, particularly one off Peter Crouch in the dying seconds of normal time that ultimately turned the game on it’s head. A couple of minutes later, Pepe Reina was doing about the only thing he did all game, and unfortunately for him, that was pick the ball out of the back of the net after not being able to take Ronaldo’s free-kick cleanly. Reina could hardly have raised a sweat during the game. He was at his most energetic trotting out after half time after spending most of the first half sunbathing at the Anfield Road end.

Liverpool had thought they had taken the lead in the first half after Bellamy slotted the ball past van der Sar only for the effort to be ruled out by a very tight off side. Even the replays weren’t 100% conclusive. Then Utd had a good claim for a penalty in the second half when Saha clashed with Agger on the edge of the area and it looked as though Agger took Saha’s standing foot away but it would have been slightly cruel on Liverpool at that edge. But not as cruel as it ultimately turned out.

I’m sure you could have heard the groans all the way from the King’s Road at Anfield on 92 minutes as about 42,000 fell silent, open mouthed in disbelief, as John O’Shea ghosted in at the far post to bury the ball into the roof of The Kop net.

If this had been a boxing match, Liverpool would have strolled it on points, but it wasn’t and Utd delivered the ultimate “Tyson” style knock out in the final seconds of the final round. The referee counted to 10, the bell tolled and Liverpool were down and out!

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Many thanks
Rik