The Journeyman Chronicles

[chesterfan2]

Tuesday September 22nd 2020

Capital One Cup – Third Round

Venue:  Anfield  

Liverpool (PRM 3rd)  vs. Newcastle United (PRM 5th)

The board have said again that this competition is not one of our priorities and they are not bothered about how we do in it. To be frank it’s a drain on our resources, and a set of games we could easily do without. So I took the board at its word and gave a run out to a number of fringe players. Only Lezcano in goals was left in the squad as I don’t like my number one sitting games out.

A makeshift team perhaps, but we were a goal up with only three minutes on the clock. Gandola, looking to get back into favour, won the ball deep in the Newcastle half and played in Salva, who has missed out so far this season given our current tendency to play with one up front.  He got free of the last man and made easy work of beating the keeper from ten yards out.

Salva certainly looked like the man with something to prove as he added a second in the 11^th minute, tucking home the loose ball as the ball broke free as Salazar was tackled as he charged into the box.

It was looking bleak for Newcastle at that stage but they steadied and held us at bay for the rest of the half. In the 44^th minute they created a good chance and managed to put it away. 2-1 up at half time, and not quite as comfortable as we thought.

The goal just before the half time interval had robbed us of our fluency in the second half, Our easy control of the game was marred by the lads shooting too early and from distance as they looked to re-establish the two goal cushion we had had. We did get a third goal eventually, centre back Lebron heading home a corner in the 76^th minute.

It was an easy cruise after that and we ran out comfortable winners.

Final Score: Liverpool 3-1 Newcastle United

Scorers :  Salva 2, Lebron

Man Of The Match:  Leandro Salva

Team: Lezcano, Boldrini, Salazar, Lebron, De Felippe, Gandola,  Cespedes, Clark, Hughes, Tavares, Salva

The fourth round draw gave us a home tie, not so generous with the team though, as we would face Man Utd again.

[chesterfan2]

Saturday September 26th 2020

Premier League

Venue:  Anfield

Liverpool (3^rd)  vs. Chelsea (1^st)

Another lunchtime kick off for another televised top of the table clash. This time the current league leaders were the visitors. If we won today we’d go top, at least until Man City play in this round of games.

I was hoping that the break I had given them, by changing the team entirely for the Carling Cup match would give us the edge here.

Chelsea had obviously come here to defend and to look to get something on the break. I set the lads out quite cautiously as a result. The game that followed was cagey, with us doing most of the pressing and Chelsea most of the defending, much as you’d expect at our place. What we didn’t do a lot of was test the goalkeeper in those opening stages, our shots either well wide or hit about as hard as your average toddler could manage if they were on target. Neither provided the netminder with a whole lot to think about.

Everything changed on 23 minute though as we were awarded a penalty. It pains me to say it but I thought our lad, Galarza, made a meal of it, Lopez stepped up again, but this time it was into the corner and we were a goal up. Romani made it two just four minutes later as he swept in at the back post to put in a Schiffman cross that had evaded everyone else.

Chelsea were back in it on the half hour mark as the scored with their first real attack of the game, a bit slack defensively I thought, he should never have been allowed the chance.

A goal up then at half time, I told them they could do better.

In the second half we did do better, we pressed for a third goal, but found a keeper in form, but what we did do best was to prevent Chelsea from getting on terms. They didn’t get a sniff of an equaliser and for that they should be rightly proud.

Final Score: Liverpool 2-1 Chelsea

Scorers :  Lopez (pen), Romani

League Position : 1^st

Man Of The Match:  Robbie Schiffman

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Schiffman, Lagator, Proffitt,  Gandola, Lucas, Galarza, Romani, Yarmolenko, Lopez

In the afternoon matches, Man City returned, as expected,  to the top with a 4-1 home win over Reading.

[chesterfan2]

Tuesday September 29th 2020

Champions’ League Group F

Venue:  Anfield  

Liverpool (2nd)  vs. Werder Bremen (4th)

We made just the once change for this match, Enriquez in for a tired Lucas. The visitor’s had been turned over in the first round of games by Sevilla but they shouldn’t be underestimated.

We started well and piled on the pressure. Hitting the bar with a Lopez header in the 4^th minute the closest we came in the first 20 minutes.  Werder seemed to be weathering the storm but in the 25^th minute they couldn’t stop Galarza when he picked up the ball midway inside the visitors half, took the ball past three defenders before beating the keeper at the near post.

Galarza’s second, on 27 minutes, was a little less technically brilliant. In fact he won’t score many simpler goals, being on hand, as he was, to knock the ball in after Lagator’s header from a corner hit the post and came back pretty much along the goalline, Galarza must have applied the finishing touch from about 6 inches out.

In the 32^nd minute it was three as Lopez powered a header home, converting another good Schiffman cross from eight yards. Three up and we were cruising. Though I hadn’t asked for it the lads eased up and saw out first the half, and then the rest of the match.

Final Score: Liverpool  3-0 Werder Bremen

Scorers :  Galarza 2, Lopez

League Position : 2^nd

Man Of The Match:  Luciano Galarza

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Schiffman, Lagator, Proffitt, Crisetig, Enriquez, Galarza, Romani, Yarmolenko, Lopez

[chesterfan2]

Saturday October 3rd 2020

Premier League

Venue:  Anfield

Liverpool (4^th)  vs. West Ham (18^th)

A 5:30pm kick off for another televised game, and by kick off time we had dropped to fourth. Hopefully this would only prove to be temporary. I decided to give George Clark a run out and Galarza a rest, this one of two changes, the other being Crisetig in for Gandola, both changes were a simple case of rotating the squad.

It looked just a little bit inspired after four and a half minutes as a Romani cross into the box was taken down by a rampaging Crisetig and then swept in in a glorious fashion. On 8 minutes the Hammer’s keeper produced a headlong save to deny Clark his goal. But we weren’t to be denied for long as Jorge Romani produced a wonder goal of his own in the 11^th minute, cutting into the box from the right wing and hammering a shot past the floundering netminder.

The game lost its way for the next 20 minutes or so, very little in the way of entertainment by either side. Then on 39 minutes another picture goal. Yarmolenko picked up the ball deep in his own half, before embarking on a 70 yard run down the left, his cross was met at the near post by Lopez who’s header was faded across goal and just inside the far post. A lovely, lovely goal.

Half time saw us three up, and some warm words from me. We made it four in the 49^th minute, Enriquez, the calmest head in a goal mouth scramble, the one to pop up here and steer the ball home.

Four up and it was all plain sailing from there. We eased off, West Ham offered nothing in terms of coming back and we saw out the game very comfortably, and once again, at least until Man City play tomorrow, we are top of the table again.

Final Score: Liverpool 4-0 West Ham

Scorers :  Crisetig, Romani, Lopez, Enriquez

League Position : 1^st

Man Of The Match:  Jorge Enriquez

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Schiffman, Lagator, Proffitt,  Crisetig, Enriquez, Galarza, Romani, Yarmolenko, Lopez

Man City could only draw at 17^th placed Stoke so we go into the international break clear at the top by a point, and with a game in hand.

[chesterfan2]

A bit of a break in the story flow, Christmas and that, sorry, but I'll get back to getting on with the story now, ok ?

Friday October 9^th 2020

World Cup Qualification – European Group 2

Venue:  Millennium Stadium, Cardiff

Wales (2^nd) vs. England (1^st)

I pick a strong team for this one, Kelly, Tompkins and Rodwell all return to the starting line up and there is a debut up front for Reading’s Leon Swift who has been banging them in in the league so far this season.

We made a slow start and only got into the game in the latter periods of the first half. Wales were wasteful with the chances they got, and we were just as poor with ours. Goalless at half time, and those fans who spent the first 45 minutes dreaming of their half time Bovril would have been having a much nicer break than our lads were. I was busy telling them how poor I thought they had been, and they, to their credit, were getting quite worked up over that.

And it did seem to have some effect as we took the lead only two minutes into the second period, and it was the debutant Leon Swift with the goal, a free kick from 25 yards, awarded for a foul on the lad himself , curled round the wall and into the net, a great goal, a great way to mark your debut.

Wales have done ok in this qualification series thus far by not knowing when they were beaten and they quite clearly didn’t know that here and they threw the kitchen sink at us. Hart was excellent, Kelly a giant, but they kept the pressure on, and finally grabbed an equaliser in the 88^th minute, a corner, for once not cleared, rammed home by Newcastle’s Robson-Kanu.

Heads dropped, but only for a moment. The last minutes of the game were end to end, and in the third minute of injury time we forced a corner. Wilshire’s cross was headed goalwards by Chris Smalling, it was cleared off the line, but only as far as James Tomkins who slammed the ball home. No time for Wales to come back, and we had won a very tight match.

Final Score: Wales 1-2 England

Group Position : 1^st

Scorers :  Swift, Tomkins

Man Of The Match:  James Tomkins

Team: Hart, Kelly, Schiffman, Tomkins, Smalling , Barkley, Rodwell, Wilshire, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Freeman, Swift

[chesterfan2]

Tuesday October 13^th 2020

World Cup Qualification – European Group 2

Venue:  Wembley

England (1^st) vs. Czech Republic (2^nd)

As it stands, going into this match, we lie top of the group with three wins from 3 games. Then with two wins from three games, come the Czech Republic, Wales and Russia, and in fifth and sixth spots we have Northern Ireland and Luxembourg who have both lost all three games. It’s tight at the top, and here we had one of the better teams in the Group as our visitors. It would require a good performance to get three more points here.

Leon Swift had done enough in the last game to keep his spot here though I was sorely tempted to start with the vastly more experienced Ian Finley but the young lad had earned his chance, so let’s see what he can do.

We started well, as the fans would expect us to do at Wembley,  and were able to take the lead in the 7^th minute, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain the final person to play the ball in a goalmouth scramble, the goal is awarded to him.

On 15 minutes it was two as Wilshire went on a mazy run down the left, beating a couple of men, he then crossed the ball in low, where it was met by Swift, sliding in, 2-0. This leading the line for England is a doodle he must have thought with his second England goal in two games.

We played some really good football for the rest of the half and didn’t give the Czechs a look in. We added a third goal in injury time at the end of the first half, A not cleared corner, a goalmouth scramble and it was debutant Owen Proffitt who scored it, knocking in the rebound at the second attempt.

So three up at half time and cruising. ‘Well done, keep it up’ was pretty much my entire team talk.

Early in the second half the Czech Republic finally showed a bit of life, forcing Joe Hart into a couple of not very difficult saves. Rodwell then picked up a knock. We were comfortable so the decision was taken to bring him off and put young Saunders on. Then on 56 we put together a move of beautiful simplicity from a throw in in on the left, near the Czech box, passed inside to Shelvey, running into the box, and he blasted it home from a good 15 yards out on an angle, a very good finish.

We didn’t score again, we didn’t have to as the Czechs offered us nothing. We go to four wins out of four. Wales and Russia both won to go to three wins out of four.

Final Score: England 4-0 Czech Republic

Group Position : 1^st

Scorers :  Oxlade-Chamberlain, Swift, Proffitt, Shelvey

Man Of The Match:  Jonjo Shelvey

Team: Hart, Dance, Schiffman, Proffitt, Jones , Shelvey, Rodwell (Saunders 52), Wilshire, Barkley, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Swift

[chesterfan2]

Saturday October 17th 2020

Premier League

Venue:  Anfield

Liverpool (1^st)  vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers (12^th)

Back to league action and today were in the televised lunchtime kick off, so we’ll need to win or our rivals will have something to aim at later on. Wolves are the visitors and 8 points from their 7 games puts them in midtable. We have no injury worries following the international break so I pick the strongest squad. This shouldn’t be too hard a match, but you can’t take anything for granted in this league.

The first 20 minutes were, quite frankly, poor.  The ball pinged about and chances, no more than half chances really, were very hard to come by and universally wasted. Slowly we gained some form of control, slowed the game down and made some progress. No goals though, though we should have scored on 35 minutes as Yarmolenko blazed over when presented with a glorious chance only 6 yards out, straight in front of goal.

Half time came round and we were still goalless, I told them how disappointed I was in them, they seemed to get some motivation from that. I also put Salva on in place of Lopez who had been ineffectual to say the least.

We played much better in the second period, more fluid, slicker passing, but Wolves stuck to their task well and snubbed out the most promising moves. But pressure would eventually tell and we grabbed a goal on 71 minutes, Dance getting forward and into the box laid off a pass in by Galarza to Salva on the penalty spot, his shot could only be parried away by the keeper and Yarmolenko was on hand to knock the rebound in. It had taken it’s time coming, but it was here now.

Wolves came alive after going a goal down and rallied to throw the kitchen sink at us, or at least try to as we defended stoutly and limited the visitors to long shots that sailed well wide. On 89 we made the game safe as Romani chased down a long clearance from Lezcano, took it to the byline and dinked in a cross that was met on the far post by Yarmolenko who volleyed home emphatically for his second goal of the game.

We added a third in injury time, a sublime free kick by Salva, curled round the wall and into the top corner. It added a gloss to the score we perhaps didn’t deserve, but I didn’t care my mind was already on the European game in midweek, and who I’s pick up front for that one. Salva had done his chances no harm here, no harm at all.

Final Score: Liverpool 3-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers

Scorers :  Yarmolenko 2, Salva

League Position : 1^st

Man Of The Match:  Andriy Yarmolenko

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Schiffman, Lagator, Proffitt,  Crisetig, Lucas, Galarza, Romani, Yarmolenko, Lopez (Salva)

[chesterfan2]

Tuesday October 20^th 2020

Champions’ League Group F

Venue:  Anfield  

Liverpool (2nd)  vs. Sevilla (1st)

The next two Champions League would be against our biggest rivals in the group, Sevilla, the first of these being at our place. These games would very much decide who goes through this group on top.

We started brightly and created and wasted chances early on. Eventually we slowed the game down a touch and got ourselves more control of the game. On 22 minutes we took the lead, good work by Romani, beating two, before playing Galarza into the box, beyond the last man. The Argentinean drew the keeper and tucked the ball under his body, one-nil.

On 34 minutes it was two, the same combination again, Romani on the right, Galarza with the goal, but Galarza had more to do this time, as he picked up the ball thirty yards out, ghosted past a couple of challenges and once again tucked the ball under the keeper’s dive and we were two goals up.

We held that lead with ease, until the break at least. You could tell the Sevilla manager wasn’t happy and they put together a much better passage of play in the early part of the second half. We held them off with no real alarms and still had time to find a third. This one scrappy, on 86 minutes, a goalmouth scramble, Romani’s effort blocked on the line but Galarza was there to complete his hatrick.

All in all a very straightforward win. Probably won’t be this easy next time.

Final Score: Liverpool  3-0 Sevilla

Scorers :  Galarza 3

League Position : 1^st

Man Of The Match:  Luciano Galarza

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Schiffman, Lagator, Proffitt,  Crisetig, Lucas, Romani, Galarza, Yarmolenko, Salva

[chesterfan2]

Sorry about the delay in posting this, back om the horse now, though

 

Tuesday October 27th 2020

Capital One Cup – Fourth Round

Venue:  Anfield  

Liverpool (PRM 1st)  vs. Manchester United (PRM 8th)

First against eighth maybe, but a game against our biggest rivals is never one to be sniffed at. Nevertheless I did make some changes to the starting lineup, this being a competition I feel we can give some of the fringe players a chance to show their stuff, in fact I was going to see how these lads did in the environment of a derby match.

The first half was high on entertainment but, to be honest, pretty low on quality. It was end to end stuff but neither goalkeeper was troubled by anything in the entire half. Both managers would want to see more quality in the second period. Halftime, goalless.

The second half was more 100 mile an hour stuff, but a goal did come eventually. It was for us and came from one of the fringe players taking advantage of the opportunity given to him here. The scorer was George Clark, and he finished off a fine passing move, by rifling home the ball from just inside the box, after latching onto a Salva pass. Of the fringe lads Clark was the  best, but Cespedes also had a fine game in the ball winning role. Franzoni at the back and Tavares on the left wing were less good. In fact I’m beginning to question Tavares’ worth to the team based on this and his previous performance.

Anyway, the goal came in the 81^st minute, United couldn’t rally  in the time left and we move on in this competition to the next round.

Final Score: Liverpool  1-0 Manchester United

Scorers :  Clark

Man Of The Match:  George Clark

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Schiffman, Franzoni, Proffitt, Cespedes, Lucas (Gandola 81), Romani, Clark, Tavares (Bertello 81), Salva

In the Quarter Final we get another home draw, this time against Stoke City, in the best of the other ties, Man City and Arsenal will face off against each other.

[chesterfan2]

Sunday November 1^st 2020

Premier League

Venue:  St James’ Park

Newcastle (11^th)  vs. Liverpool (2^nd)

Back to league action as the live Sunday afternoon game. Saturday’s games had seen Chelsea win at Huddersfield and go to the top of the table. Man City failed to take their opportunity to do so with a goalless draw in the Manchester derby at Old Trafford.

In the team Lopez returns up front, he deserves a chance to show he’s out of his slump, I thought to myself. Otherwise the team is pretty much picking itself at the moment.

The first half ebbed and flowed, with Lezcano being the busier goalkeeper, not because Newcastle were making more chances but because our guys were generally lacking in composure in the final third, with shots from range flying miles wide (Romani the guilty party here, to losing the ball when well placed (Lopez for that one). We had the ball in the net on the half hour, Yarmolenko flicking in a Lucas corner, but it was disallowed for a push by Lagator that enabled Yarmolenko to get to the ball first. No complaints about that one really.

We did grab the lead though, in the 40^th minute, a raid down the left saw Yarmolenko tripped as he cut into the box. Lopez took the ball, placed it on the spot and sent the keeper the wrong way. For a lad lacking in confidence, not bad at all.

At half time I told the lads I thought they could do better and sent them out, and for the first 15 minutes of the second half it was all us, though we did not manage to get a second goal, the miss on the hour mark by Lopez was a shocker and marked the end of our ascendancy. The longer the game wore on the more Newcastle came into it, but our defence and Proffitt in particular were magnificent and we held firm. A narrow win for sure, but it will still count for three points like all the others.

Final Score: Newcastle 0-1 Liverpool

Scorers :  Lopez (pen)

League Position : 1^st

Man Of The Match:  Owen Proffitt

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Schiffman, Lagator, Proffitt, Gandola (Crisetig 80), Lucas, Galarza, Romani, Yarmolenko, Lopez

[chesterfan2]

Wednesday November 4^th 2020

Champions’ League Group F

Venue:  Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan

Sevilla (2nd)  vs. Liverpool (1st)

For this one, I rested Lucas, replacing him with Crisetig and gave Salva another go up front in place of the still misfiring Lopez. It was going to be a tough match and I set us up to counterattack whenever possible.

We opened brightly and Salva was unlucky in the 5^th minute to see the keeper go full length to keep his goal bound shot out. But on the quarter hour mark we went behind, from Sevilla’s first real spell of pressure. The goal, when it came was fired through a crowd of players and left Lezcano unsighted.

On 17 minutes Galarza fired the ball against the bar and it was beginning to look like one of those nights. On 20 we went further behind as Sevilla sprang out of defence, and passed their way slickly to an opportunity to shoot from just inside the box. Lezcano may feel he should have done better, but I think we should have defended a bit better too.

We weren’t out of this and on 24 we got one back, Lagator flicking in a long Dance throw, but just as I thought we might get back into this game we shipped a third goal, on 31 minutes, the wide man allowed time to measure his cross and the centre forward heading it home off the underside of the bar.

The half wasn’t yet finished with its entertainment value to the crowd. We got another goal back in our very next attack, 34 minutes on the clock and Romani made it 3-2 as he fired home through a crowd of players.

I told the lads at half time that they had been unlucky and they could still turn it round. Salva had the best chance of the opening exchanges of the period, his shot cannoning back off the post on 64, but then on 68 the game changed for the worse as Schiffman picked up a second yellow for a stiff challenge on the winger. He deserved both his yellows, to be honest. I sacrificed Yarmolenko for Costanzo to fill the hole in the back line with Lagator covering the full back slot.

Sevilla even with a man advantage found it difficult to dominate after Schiffman’s dismissal, but they were able to marshal our efforts going forward with some ease. We didn’t manage to get the equaliser. I told the lads after the match I thought they were unlucky, and  you know what, they were.

Final Score: Sevilla 3-2 Liverpool

Scorers :  Lagator, Romani

League Position : 1^st

Man Of The Match:  Roberto Gandola

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Schiffman (off 68), Lagator, Proffitt, Crisetig, Gandola, Romani, Galarza, Yarmolenko (Costanzo 68), Salva

In the other group game Werder Bremen and Olympiakos had ground out an uninspiring goalless draw, which meant that a win in that game would have seen us qualify for the next round, but it wasn’t by any means the end of the world as we still had two games to secure that prize. I had every confidence we would do it.

[chesterfan2]

Saturday November 7th 2020

Premier League

Venue:  Anfield

Liverpool (1^st)  vs. Huddersfield Town (15^th)

The first ten games of Huddersfield’s first season back in the Premier League since the 2014/5 season had seen them win one and draw six so far, so they are by no means the pushover you might think. Having said that I think complacency would be our only potential worry here, this is a team we should beat.

We make a couple of changes from the team from midweek. Romani and Galarza were tired so they get the game off, as does Martin Dance at the back. In come Clark, the want-away Drage and Boldrini in their stead.

Drage has found his opportunities this season limited, and he requested a transfer a couple of weeks back. I can’t see him getting a big run in the side so I acceded to this request and come January I expect him to move on. He had an opportunity to put himself in the shop window here and he took that opportunity very well as he opened the scoring here in the 5^th minute with a free kick exquisitely curled up and over the wall and beyond the reach of the keeper.

We pushed on and some of Huddersfield’s fighting spirit came to the fore, players throwing themselves in front of shots, heroic defending. It couldn’t last forever though and we extended our lead on 21 minutes as Salva found himself free in the box, following a defence splitting pass by Crisetig and he made no mistake from 10 yards.  It was three on 37 minutes as Proffitt was on hand to bury the rebound after the Huddersfield keeper had managed to keep out Salva’s goal bound header from a Drage corner. The keeper was unlucky there, he did great to keep out the first effort, he can blame his defence for failing to get to the second ball.

Three up at half time but if we thought we would have it all our own way we were wrong as Huddersfield came out like a cat on fire and got one back on 52, a sweeping move and clinical finish. Huddersfield did their level best to get back in the game and for a while we were on the back foot. Finally on 72 we put some passes together, fed the ball into Salva 30 yards out, he took the ball past two, into the box and slotted the ball home for his second and our fourth of the afternoon.

The victory was complete, though it had looked a little more difficult than it finally turned out to be during that early period of the second half.  In other games Arsenal had won the early game and went second as Chelsea unexpectedly lost at home to Blackpool and fell to third.

Final Score: Liverpool 4-1 Huddersfield Town

Scorers :  Drage, Salva 2, Proffitt

League Position : 1^st

Man Of The Match:  Lorenzo Crisetig

Team: Lezcano, Boldrini, Schiffman, Lagator, Proffitt, Crisetig, Gandola, Drage, Clark, Yarmolenko, Salva

[mark wilson27]

Your first post in two months and its your lot defeating Man.Utd. People have been banned for less 

However because it's you I'll let you off. Glad to see you back updating after your little break chester.

[chesterfan2]

You are too kind, Mark, too kind.

Wednesday November 11th 2020

International Friendly

Venue:  Pasienky, Bratislava

Slovakia vs. England

A friendly but only one new cap, Jordan Ibe on the right wing. Oscar Pearson of West Ham is on the bench and I hope to be able to use him at some point.

The first half wasn’t great from our point of view. We had a lot of possession, but wasted whatever opportunities that came our way, and we also failed to keep Slovakia out on one of their rare forays forward. A corner, not cleared, turned in from close range on 37 the goal we did concede.

Half time, I had a go, well you would have to after that display.

Well, that seemed to work as we came out a different team, and were level  as early as the 51st minute, Ibe getting the goal, on his debut, knocking in a rebound, six yards out, after Swift’s shot had been parried by the keeper.

It was back to the dross of the first half for a while after that as we sat back and wasted both possession and chances on a regular basis, not good.

We did manage to get a winner, in the first minute of injury time, Frankland with the late goal, turning in a loose ball from ten yards out.

Final Score: Slovakia 1-2 England

Scorers :  Ibe, Frankland

Man Of The Match:  Leon Swift

Team: Butland, Dance, Schiffman, Proffitt, Shawcross, Cork, Rodwell, Ibe, Barkley, Frankland, Swift  

 

[chesterfan2]

Saturday November 14^th 2020

Premier League

Venue:  Bloomfield Road

Blackpool (16^th)  vs. Liverpool (1^st)

The usual litany of post international break tiredness and injuries faced us as we went into this match. Boldrini had come back with a twisted knee and would be out for two weeks and our Italian pair of Gandola and Crisetig had come back dog tired.  Dance would return at right back, which is pretty much what I had had in mind anyway and Lucas and Enriquez came in the middle of the park. Blackpool have not had the best start to the season but they are much better at home than away, so today we’d have to be careful.

The first half was, quite frankly, woeful. The shot count was 2 to Blackpool and 3 to us. Only one of Blackpool’s was on target, no problem for Lezcano though. So a half pretty devoid of either entertainment or encouragement, at half time I had a right go. I don’t remember shouting as much in my entire time as a manager. Fair’s fair though it did seem to motivate them somewhat. I hoped it would be enough.

It wasn’t, we were no better in the second half. We didn’t manage a shot on target until the 85^th minute when Enriquez shot straight at the keeper from distance. Blackpool were no better and the game fizzled out to an anaemic goalless draw. Pathetic.

The second half did see the debut, in the 60^th minute, of Italian youngster Pietro Erico, he’s 20 and a bright spark perhaps ready for the big time. He did well on his debut and was the one bright spot on an otherwise dismal afternoon.

Final Score: Blackpool 0-0 Liverpool

Scorers :

League Position : 1^st

Man Of The Match:  Martin Dance

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Schiffman, Lagator, Proffitt, Lucas (Erico 60), Enriquez, Romani, Galarza, Yarmolenko, Salva (Lopez 60)

[chesterfan2]

Tuesday November 17^th 2020

Champions’ League Group F

Venue:  Anfield

Liverpool (1st)  vs. Olympiakos (3rd)

The games are coming thick and fast, but that’s what success brings you. Here Hughes gets a start on the left wing and Yarmolenko gets the night off. Schiffman is suspended so Salazar gets a rare start here.

After a cagey opening ten minutes the game burst into life in the 13^th minute when we were awarded a penalty for a fairly blatant push in the box. Salva stepped up and slotted the ball home. Olympiakos came to the party too and were level on 27 minutes, Dance switching off at a free kick and allowing the guy he was marking a free header, from which he made no mistake.

Half time and the scores level, not good enough once again and I asked the boys for much better in the second period. 

We pressed and limited Olympiakos to hitting the ball long up the park and hoping. But for a long time the ball would not go in. The keeper was in fine form and held us at bay until the 77^th minute. It was then that Romani and Galarza combined to cut the defence to pieces, and put Salva clean through on goal, he drew the keeper and slotted home, a fabulous goal, at last !

In the 82^nd minute we put the game to bed as Hughes got to the byline down the left and his low cross was turned in by Salva for his hatrick. The Argentinean had had a bad game against Blackpool but I’m pleased I kept faith with him as he was truly awesome here.

Final Score: Liverpool 3-1 Olympiakos

Scorers : Salva 3

League Position : 1^st

Man Of The Match:  Leandro Salva

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Salazar, Lagator, Proffitt, Lucas, Gandola, Romani, Galarza, Hughes, Salva

[chesterfan2]

 

Sunday November 22^nd 2020

Premier League

Venue:  The Hawthorns

West Bromwich Albion (17^th)  vs. Liverpool (1^st)

We got off to a good start to this one and were ahead in just 64 seconds of play. We pushed forward from the kick-off, Yarmolenko tried his luck, his blocked shot was half cleared and Galarza was on hand to turn the ball in.

Though we had the lion’s share of the possession we couldn’t turn that advantage into extra goals in the period that followed. Eventually we did get a second, bookending the half with a second goal, Romani the creator, Yarmolenko the scorer with a volley on the turn that flew in.

The second half was a bit of a disappointment, no more goals and no real scares in defence either, all in all a very simple way of us getting three more points.

Final Score: West Brom 0-2 Liverpool 

Scorers : Galarza, Yarmolenko

League Position : 1^st

Man Of The Match:  Andriy Yarmolenko

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Salazar, Lagator, Proffitt,  Lucas, Gandola, Romani, Galarza, Yarmolenko, Salva

[chesterfan2]

Wednesday November 25th 2020

Capital One Cup – Quarter Final

Venue:  Anfield  

Liverpool (PRM 1st)  vs. Stoke City (PRM 11th)

Stoke have given us some trouble in the past with their 4-5-1 formation, and to counter that I went with a different formation that night. A 5-3-2 setup, with three centre backs, Costanzo  stepping in for that role, and two up front, Lopez and Salva a rare enough occasion this year.

We were off to a flyer in this one, a goal up in just 36 seconds, Salva the instigator as well as the scorer of the goal, neat passing followed by a daisycutter of a shot that the keeper will think he could have done better with. They all count.

The first half fair flew by after that, lots of endeavour from both sides, Stoke coming right back into it but neither keeper was badly troubled during that period as defences generally held sway. It wasn’t until the second minute of first half injury time that we added a second goal, Salva again, this time bundling home a corner that Stoke could not get clear.

Just three minutes into the second period we made it three, Lopez drawing the keeper before squaring it for Galarza to knock into the empty net. We visibly took our foot off the gas after that and I used the opportunity to give a run out to a couple of the fringe players. Stoke got a consolation goal at the death, but in truth this was a very straightforward win.

Final Score: Liverpool 3-1 Stoke City 

Scorers : Salva 2, Galarza

Man Of The Match:  Roberto Gandola

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Yarmolenko, Lagator, Proffitt, Costanzo, Crisetig, Gandola, Galarza (Clark 65), Lopez (Alberto Jesus 65), Salva

In the other quarter finals played that day, Arsenal won at Man City and Chelsea won at Spurs. The Third Round of the FA Cup was drawn a couple of days later. We got a home tie against Championship opposition in the shape of Leeds United.

[chesterfan2]

Sunday November 29th 2020

Premier League

Venue:  Anfield

Liverpool (2^nd)  vs. Fulham (10^th)

Saturday’s games had seen Spurs go top, they’d played two more games than us at this point (of which this would be one), so I wasn’t overly fussed by that.

I kept with the 5-3-2 as I like the attacking threat the two up front gives us, and that was what was on display here as for the first ten minutes we lay siege to the Fulham goal. The netminder for my old team , Jack Butland was playing out of his skin, making four top draw saves in that opening period. During this time we lost Salva to injury, Alberto Jesus coming on to replace him.

Yet on 11 minutes Butland’s hard work was undone by an outrageous piece of misfortune, once again he flew to his left to keep out a goal bound header, this time from Costanzo. He parried the ball but it rebounded off the back of his full back, who had been marking the post and had just stepped out, and looped back into the net, a very unfortunate o.g., a very valuable lead.

On 24 it was two, Galarza splitting the visitor’s defence and Lopez taking the ball round the keeper to score. Just before half time we made it three, Lopez the provider this time, Yarmolenko off his wing to score. 3-0 at half time, no less than we deserved I reckoned.

The second half was one way traffic, but it took us to the 76^th minute to add another one, a flowing move this, topped off by an emphatic finish from Alberto Jesus. That was it for the scoring, that was enough.

Final Score: Liverpool 4-0 Fulham 

Scorers : og, Lopez, Yarmolenko, Alberto Jesus

League Position : 1^st

Man Of The Match:  Alfredo Lopez

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Yarmolenko, Lagator, Proffitt, Costanzo, Crisetig, Lucas, Galarza, Lopez, Salva (Alberto Jesus 11)

[chesterfan2]

Saturday December 5^th 2020

Champions’ League Group F

Venue:  Weserstadion, Bremen

Werder Bremen (4th)  vs. Liverpool (1^st)

The reduce squad size of this completion meant we reverted to the 4-2-3-1 formation, as Lopez was our only first line striker available, young Bertello getting the spot on the bench for the impact striker.

The first half was frankly dull, neither side getting on top, neither side really creating anything of note. Aimless performances from both sides, really, no indication of what a good game it would become in the second half, well, it would eventually, honest.

The early part of the second period was as dull as the first. We looked quite anaemic at times with the formation reverting to how we started the season, but eventually we put on some pressure and from this two remarkably similar goals, both scored by Lopez in goal mouth scrambles in the 68^th and 74^th minutes came our way. Bremen got one back on 81 minutes, another goalmouth melee, and then we had a game on. End to end stuff, at last some entertainment for the spectators. Bremen came close but couldn’t find an equaliser, they finish bottom of the group, we finish top.

Final Score: Werder Bremen 1-2 Liverpool

Scorers : Lopez 2

League Position : 1^st

Man Of The Match:  Alfredo Lopez

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Schiffman, Lagator, Proffitt, Gandola, Enriquez, Yarmolenko, Galarza, Romani, Lopez

The day after the game we travelled down under for the World Club Championship, the competition that as reigning European Champion’s League Champions we were obliged to enter.  Our time in Australia would see us lose top spot in the Premier League, but obviously have games in hand, so an inconvenient rather than a bad adventure to be on. Only time would tell if our squad depth would allow us this luxury.

[chesterfan2]

Thursday December 10^th 2020

Club World Championship Semi-Final

Venue:  The Melbourne Cricket Ground

Nagoya Stolz (Champions of Asia)  vs. Liverpool (Champions of Europe)

We were made strong favourites for this game against the Japanese side Nagoya Stolz, I put out an attacking formation with Alberto Jesus joining Lopez up top. As easy as this game seemed, it wouldn’t be a walkover, as the other semi-final showed. There, America of Mexico, and Champions of North America, beat Velez Sarsfield, the Argentinean champions of South America, and highly fancied for the whole tournament.

We met with some spirited opposition but we broke them down soon enough, opening the scoring in the 22^nd minute, Alberto Jesus playing Galarza in for the finish, completing a move that took the Japanese defence apart. Galarza added a second on 29 minutes, prodding home a Yarmolenko cross from close range. Lagator made it three on 33 minutes, flicking in a Crisetig corner. We were attacking in waves, wave after wave of narrowly missed efforts, of good saves by the keeper. It stayed 3-0 up to half time, but we went in well on top.

The second half was a little bit of an anti-climax after the first half. We still bossed the play, but the killer instinct wasn’t there anymore and the half passed by with plenty of effort but no more goals in it. We were safely through to the final.

Final Score: Nagoya Stolz 0-3 Liverpool

Scorers : Galarza 2, Lagator

Man Of The Match:  Luciano Galarza

Team: Lezcano, Boldrini, Yarmolenko, Lagator, Proffitt, Costanzo, Crisetig, Gandola, Galarza, Lopez, Alberto Jesus

[chesterfan2]

Sunday December 13^th 2020

Club World Championship Final

Venue:  The Melbourne Cricket Ground

America (Mexico) (Champions of North America)  vs. Liverpool (Champions of Europe)

We got off to a bad start in this one, a goal down after only 8 minutes, a sweeping move down the left, a low cross, and turned in under not a whole lot of pressure. But credit to the lads as they fought straight back, and were level only two minutes later. Lopez the creator, and Salazar, in on the left for a tired Yarmolenko, the scorer, hitting it low between the keeper and the left hand post. The lad in nets is bound to think he should have done better with that, and if he doesn’t, his manager will !

On 18 minutes Proffitt nodded down a Lopez free kick and Galarza fired through a crowd to send the Melbourne crowd, largely supporting us, absolutely wild.

Half time soon came around and I told the lads they could do even better, some of them, at least, seemed to agree. America thrust forward at the start of the second half, allowing us, on 48, to break down the play and Lopez taking a defence splitting ball from Alberto Jesus and then committed the last man and unselfishly fed it inside to Galarza who had a practically empty net to thump it into. Three minutes unto the second period and we were 3-1 up.

Galarza completed his hatrick in the 52^nd minute, this one a scruffy effort, but he was in the right place at the right time when the ball broke to him in a crowded box and he did have the composure to find the net. 4-1 up and suddenly it all seemed very easy.

The rest of the game flew by, America never looking like making anything happen. They didn’t and we ran out winners of the Club World Championships for the 2020/21 season.

Final Score: America (MEX) 1-4 Liverpool

Scorers : Salazar, Galarza 3

Man Of The Match:  Luciano Galarza

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Salazar, Lagator, Proffitt, Costanzo, Crisetig, Enriquez, Galarza, Lopez, Alberto Jesus

[chesterfan2]

Back to the league with barely enough time to get over the jet lag, and a visit to the team that had benefitted most from our absence, Spurs. Teams had, by now, played, on average, four more games than us, and only Spurs had been able to get their noses in front. To give you an idea the Top 8 looked like this:

 | Pos   | Inf   | Team         |       | Pld   | Won   | Drn   | Lst   | For   | Ag    | G.D.  | Pts   | 
	| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
	| 1st   |       | Tottenham    |       | 16    | 13    | 0     | 3     | 40    | 16    | +24   | 39    | 
	| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
	| 2nd   |       | Liverpool    |       | 12    | 10    | 2     | 0     | 29    | 6     | +23   | 32    | 
	| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
	| 3rd   |       | Man Utd      |       | 17    | 9     | 5     | 3     | 27    | 13    | +14   | 32    | 
	| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
	| 4th   |       | Chelsea      |       | 16    | 9     | 3     | 4     | 32    | 13    | +19   | 30    | 
	| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
	| 5th   |       | Aston Villa  |       | 17    | 8     | 4     | 5     | 32    | 25    | +7    | 28    | 
	| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
	| 6th   |       | Arsenal      |       | 15    | 8     | 3     | 4     | 24    | 15    | +9    | 27    | 
	| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
	| 7th   |       | Man City     |       | 16    | 6     | 7     | 3     | 29    | 23    | +6    | 25    | 
	| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
	| 8th   |       | Reading      |       | 17    | 7     | 4     | 6     | 23    | 21    | +2    | 25    | 
	| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 

[chesterfan2]

 

Wednesday December 16^th 2020

Premier League

Venue:  Perryman Park

Tottenham Hotspur (1^st)  vs. Liverpool (2^nd)

But false table position or not this was, quite clearly a massive game for us. Not quite the time I would have picked for it either given the travelling we had had to do, but this was what was in front of us, so this is what we’d have to do. The players, who are after all young men at the very peak of fitness, seemed to cope with jet lag much better than I did. I had no hesitation in playing the majority of the lads who had features in the previous Sunday’s final, 12000 or so miles away, though I did pick a slightly more defensively minded formation, Schiffman and Romani coming back into the lineup.

Spurs pressed for the majority of the first half and forays forwards by ourselves were rare things indeed, during which we failed to test the Spurs keeper very much at all. But our defensive efforts were much better, holding Spurs at bay, save for one incident where Proffitt was caught playing Spurs superstar Mexican striker Fierro (scorer of 22 of their 40 league goals so far) onside, by Lezcano narrowed the angle well and the shot went into the side netting. That was as close as either side got in what might charitably be described as a dour half, or less charitably as rubbish.

At half time I took off Lopez who for all his ineffectualness in the period had run himself into the ground, and replaced him with Alberto Jesus. I told them keep working and they could win the game. I didn’t tell them how hard I thought that would be though.

We started the second half with Galarza shooting narrowly over after creating an opportunity for himself, but it proved to be a bit of a false dawn, as on 52 minutes Spurs opened the scoring, the right back taking the ball from the half way line, before cutting inside and unleashing a low drive from a good thirty yards that flew in. Some goal, well out of keeping with the rest of the match.

You have to give the lads credit as we stepped up a gear and looked for an equaliser, just past the hour Proffitt headed a Lucas corner about an inch over the bar, when he probably should have scored. Yarmolenko should have definitely scored on 65 as former Liverpool defender Sebastian Coates was deemed to have tripped Galarza. The penalty was weak and straight at the keeper, no goal.

Not our day ? That notion was quickly dispelled as the referee awarded us another penalty on 67, as Proffitt was tripped as he collected an overhit corner to try and put the ball back in. Quite clearcut this one, and the ref had no fears of giving two pens in three minutes. Yarmolenko stepped up again, and this time slotted it into the corner, 1-1.

Well it was anyone’s game now and both sides, to their credit, went all out to win it. On 81 minutes Lezcano produced a wonder save to keep Fierro out, from the resulting corner we broke down the field and very nearly scored ourselves, Romani missing the target from seven yards out.

Then on 86 we broke again when under pressure and Lucas fed Romani on the wing who cut in, to the byline and then pulled the ball back, Yarmolenko was clattered just as he was about to blast the ball, perhaps goalwards, perhaps into Row Z, we’ll never know. A clear red for the lad, the right back, in my view, but the ref had a slightly calmer head and only booked him. Yarmolenko put the penalty into the same corner as the last one and we were two-one up with four minutes, plus injury time to play.

But there was time for another goal, and on 89 minutes Romani broke down the right again, beat his man with easy and fired a cross in, that Lucas, arriving, flicked past the keeper and into the net. 3-1.

There was still time for Lezcano to make another top draw save, but we ran out winners of this one, and now lie four points behind Spurs but with four games in hand.

Final Score: Tottenham Hotspur 1-3 Liverpool

Scorers : Yarmolenko 2 (2 pen), Lucas

League Position : 2^nd

Man Of The Match:  Lucas Leiva

Team: Lezcano, Dance (Boldrini 89), Schiffman, Lagator, Proffitt, Gandola, Lucas, Yarmolenko, Galarza, Romani, Lopez (Alberto Jesus 45)

[mark wilson27]

Congratulations on the Club World Championship a good win their and a good six pointer against Tottenham. Looks like another title is on the way

[chesterfan2]

Thanks Mark, I expected the travelling hangover to hit the team a bit harder than it did, either that or Spurs weren't as good as their league position suggested ! Still fatigue is beginning to set in, so it might not be as easy as you think !

 

The draw for the first knockout round of the Champions League was held the day before the next match, we were second name out of the hat, and so our first leg will be a visit to Parma. Of the other English teams in the draw Chelsea were the unlucky ones drawing Bayern Munich, at home in the first leg too.

Saturday December 19^th 2020

Premier League

Venue:  St. Mary’s Stadium

Southampton (16^th)  vs. Liverpool (2^nd)

Southampton sit just above the relegation zone and are beginning to get drawn into that conversation. We’d need to be careful, as they need to change their fortunes and a home game is as good as time as any to start. Games are going to come thick and fast with us being four games behind the rest, and so we’d need to watch out for fatigue also.

To combat the tiredness that was beginning to affect the whole squad I made a couple of changes. Boldrini in for Dance at right back, George Clark in place of Galarza in the free role behind the lone striker, with Alberto Jesus getting the nod up front, after Lopez’s lacklustre performance in the last match. Salva was carrying a knock and would miss at least one more match.

The first 29 minutes of this game were fairly much one way traffic, but without much in the way of composure at the end. Romani had a couple of free kicks narrowly wide or over, Southampton were able enough in defence but were offering very little going forward. Then on 29 minutes we scored a belter, Schiffman passed the ball into Clark on the edge of the ‘D’, he then saw the defence part as Yarmolenko went left and Alberto Jesus went right and as a result a gap to run into, which he did, Clark’s reverse pass to find him was a gem, and Schiffman’s finish a low drive to the keeper’s right gave him no chance.

Southampton stepped up a gear after the goal, and Lezcano had to be alert to keep them out on a couple of occasions. But keep them out he did and we got to half time a goal up. I told them they could play better because I expected Southampton to come out fighting, just being the one goal behind.  

They did just that and got a lucky break just shy of the hour when a deflection fell to their attacking midfielder  and he had a simple task to bundle it in. 1-1,  and I felt the need to respond. Off came Clark and Lucas and on came Galarza and Cespedes.

This was quite obviously a master stroke as on 71 minutes Alberto Jesus laid Galarza in with a fabulous ball and the Argentinean playmaker made no mistake, beating the keeper at his near post.

It wasn’t entirely unexpected that Southampton would come back after that, and indeed they did, but what was unexpected was our failure to keep them out. In the 89^th minute of the match they forced an equaliser, a goal mouth scramble we failed to deal with, we had chances to clear I felt but we didn’t do it, and the ball was bundled in. I was not pleased I can tell you. Southampton are a better team than their league position suggests, but that’s no excuse.

Final Score: Southampton 2-2 Liverpool

Scorers : Schiffman, Galarza

League Position : 2^nd

Man Of The Match:  Lorenzo Crisetig

Team: Lezcano, Boldrini , Schiffman, Lagator, Proffitt, Crisetig, Lucas (Cespedes 58), Yarmolenko, Clark (Galarza 58), Romani, Alberto Jesus

Spurs could only draw the derby match at Arsenal so we don’t lose ground, but it wasn't all good news. In the match Lucas picked up his fifth yellow of the season so will have to sit out the next match.

[chesterfan2]

Tuesday December 22^nd 2020

Premier League

Venue:  Anfield

Liverpool (2^nd)  vs. Reading (8^th)

Reading are this season’s surprise package in many ways, largely due to their young striker Leon Swift. He’s been banging the goals in, and looks like England’s future up front. We’d need to stop him today. We were back to full strength for this one though, with Enriquez stepping in for the suspended Lucas so we should be able to manage that.

We started well and were a goal up inside four minutes, Lopez forcing the ball home after it broke kindly to him in the box.  Enriquez made it two on the 15 minute mark, turning in a Salazar centre as we dominated the match. Reading to their credit steadied after that and we went right through to half time with no more chances or scares to report.

The second half saw Reading start brightly but fail to trouble Lezcano significantly, we extended our lead just shy of the hour mark as Lopez got to the byline, and pulled the ball back for Enriquez to stab home his second of the game. It was enough, more than enough, to see the game out and we ran out very comfortable winners. Spurs won their game at home against Southampton easily too, and so the gap to the top stays at four points, with four games in hand.

Final Score: Liverpool 3-0 Reading

Scorers : Lopez, Enriquez 2

League Position : 2^nd

Man Of The Match:  Jorge Enriquez

Team: Lezcano, Dance , Salazar, Lagator, Proffitt, Gandola, Enriquez, Yarmolenko, Galarza, Romani, Lopez

 

[chesterfan2]

Saturday December 26^th 2020

Premier League

Venue:  Anfield

Liverpool (2^nd)  vs. Stoke City (10^th)

The statisticians had news for me ahead of this game, this was, apparently my 500^th game in football management. Big deal. We gave Yarmolenko the day off for this one, young Bertello getting the nod on the left wing. This would put the lad in the shop window, as he was available for loan, so it worked well on both that count as well as giving our established star a rest.

We were the stronger team from the off but couldn’t make our dominance count. On 20 minutes Romani limped off to be replaced by Drage. Then on 31 Stoke mounted an attack, and scored with their first shot of the match, it fair flew in. If I thought this might shock our lads into action, though, I was to be sorely disappointed. We were awful, and went in, at home, a goal down at the break.

I had a right go at half time but if anything we were worse, and on 61 things went truly bad, as Gandola picked up a second yellow and took an early bath. I sacrificed Bertello to put on Salva and go two up top, with Drage slipping back into the middle of the park. Desperate times, desperate measures.

Salva had the ball in the net only 6 minutes later, but it was disallowed for offside, a correct decision, I’m afraid. But we were level on 77, as a long Martin Dance throw was allowed to bounce in the box and Lagator lashed the ball home.

But there was one final twist, Stoke making their man advantage count pushed for a winner and in the 90^th minute they got a lucky break, a corner was headed goalwards, Lezcano pushed the ball onto the bar, but it bounced straight down, off his prostrate form and bounced into the net . No time for us to come back and we succumbed to our first defeat of the season.

Final Score: Liverpool 1-2 Stoke City

Scorers : Lagator

League Position : 2^nd

Man Of The Match:  Jorge Enriquez

Team: Lezcano, Dance , Salazar, Lagator, Proffitt, Gandola (off 61), Enriquez, Bertello (Salva 61), Galarza, Romani (Drage 20), Lopez

[chesterfan2]

Tuesday December 29^th 2020

Premier League

Venue:  Loftus Road

Queen’s Park Rangers (13^th)  vs. Liverpool (2^nd)

We switched back to the 5-2-1-2 formation for this one, very much a reaction to how stale the 4-2-3-1 formation was looking in the last match. Rangers haven’t had a good season so far, but their home form has been pretty good, so we’ll need to put in a good performance to get anything out of this one.

But we looked a team lacking in confidence, and QPR came out of the blocks quick. They scored with their first attack a sweeping move, but Lezcano was beaten at his near post and I know he’ll be disappointed with that.

We soon got into the game, but without a whole lot of cutting edge to our play. But slowly we established some form of control and it was no surprise when we forced an equaliser on 34 minutes, either Galarza or the hapless defender getting the final touch on the way into the net.

So, level at half time,  and some ‘gentle’ words of encouragement from me.

The second half was scrappy at the start, with it taking us some time to get going. On 57 minutes we took the lead, Salva setting up Lopez for the finish, very coolly taken, I thought. We were in full flow again now and on 64 we broke down the field following a QPR corner, Galarza getting to the byline after carrying the ball half the length of the pitch and his cross was bundled home by Crisetig, firing through a melee of players as QPR failed to clear their lines. That was enough to see out this match, which we did, with some ease, by the end. Spurs won their match and so remain 7 points clear, but with us with 4 games in hand.

Final Score: Queen’s Park Rangers 1-3 Liverpool

Scorers : og, Lopez, Crisetig

League Position : 2^nd

Man Of The Match:  Luciano Galarza

Team: Lezcano, Boldrini, Yarmolenko, Lagator, Proffitt, Costanzo, Crisetig, Lucas, Galarza, Salva, Lopez

New Year’s Day soon followed, and it being a Friday I had allowed the lads a little celebration for New Year’s Eve. The FA Cup Third Round was on Saturday so they couldn’t go too far overboard. One player with something to celebrate though was Luciano Galarza, named World Player of The Year for 2020. He had been fabulous and in my mind it was well deserved.

[chesterfan2]

Saturday January 2^nd 2021

FA Cup 3^rd Round

Venue: Anfield

Liverpool (PRM 2^nd) vs. Leeds United (CH 21^st)

We pressed from the off and took the lead in the 6^th minute, Galarza rounding the keeper for the score. Hints of offside there, but the flag stayed down.

Leeds settled after that, and played some nice, if completely unthreatening, football. We held them at arm’s length and waited for the chance to reassert ourselves. This came after the half hour mark and in the 36^th minute we made it two, Galarza dancing through a static defence before beating the keeper from around the penalty spot.

We sat back in the second half, giving a couple of lads a run out, notably the reserve forward Kemble. He did o.k. but we didn’t add to the score. Leeds did , right at the death, so It’s not like they even worried us that much.

Final Score: Liverpool 2-1 Leeds United

Scorers : Galarza 2

Man Of The Match:  Luciano Galarza

Team: Lezcano, Boldrini, Salazar, Lagator, Proffitt, Dance, Gandola (Clark 45), Lucas, Galarza, Salva (Kemble 45), Alberto Jesus

[chesterfan2]

Tuesday January 5^th 2021

Capital One Cup Semi Final First Leg

Venue: Anfield

Liverpool (PRM 2^nd) vs. Arsenal(PRM 6^th)

A semi-final, but one of a competition the board don’t rate too highly. The games are piling up so I take the decision to put out some fringe players here. It’s a chance to see how they do, a chance for them to step up and impress.

The first half was a largely forgettable period of football, enlivened only by an appalling 7^th minute miss by Arsenal the one real chance for either team in the first half that should have been scored. The only other point of note was Gandola limping off near the end of the half, I hoped it wasn’t too bad, but I’d need to wait to see the doc’s opinion for a proper opinion.

At half time I told them they could win the game, and we went out and played better in the second half. We opened the scoring in the 62^nd minute, Lopez the creator,  splitting the defence with a killer ball and Drage the lucky man, slotting the ball past the advancing keeper.

And that was as good as it got, we had some pressure late on, and might, on another day, have got two or even three more than we did, but we ran out narrow winners and we leave ourselves with every chance of getting to the final.

Final Score: Liverpool 1-0 Arsenal

Scorers : Drage

Man Of The Match:  Thomas Drage

Team: Kalala, Boldrini, Salazar, Dance, Costanzo, Cespedes, Hughes, Gandola (Paredes 34), Kemble, Drage, Lopez

[chesterfan2]

Saturday January 9^th 2021

Premier League

Venue:  Anfield

Liverpool (3^rd)  vs. Millwall (20^th)

Chelsea had beaten Man United in the early kick off to move past us into second, but they had now played five games more than us, so I wasn’t that worried.

Millwall have struggled in this, their second ever season in the Premier League, and look destined, just like they did in their previous effort in 2016/7, to finish bottom of the league. This is a game we should win comfortably and to that end I select the 5-3-2 formation.

But Millwall, to their credit, looked nothing like the whipping boys they were supposed to be and came out fighting for every scrap, but they couldn’t last that pace for ever and by the 20 minute mark we were clearly on top.

We scored in the 24^th minute, the ball pinging round the area before landing at the feet of Salva in front of an open goal, one-nil, simple as you like.

But that was as good as it got for us, and the fans, we had plenty of possession, we had the ball in the net again, midway through the second period, but Costanzo was a good yard offside when he headed home. No,  this win was more about Millwall’s inadequacy going forward than anything else. They provided pretty much no threat at all going forward.

Crisetig got himself sent off in second half injury time for an agricultural challenge, a straight red, he can have no complaints. Mistimed more than anything but he’ll get a ban on the back of that one.

Final Score: Liverpool 1-0 Millwall

Scorers : Salva

League Position : 2^nd

Man Of The Match:  Lucas Leiva

Team: Lezcano, Boldrini, Yarmolenko, Lagator, Proffitt, Costanzo, Crisetig (off 90) Lucas, Galarza (Clark 90), Salva, Lopez

Following the game Arsenal came in with a £20million bid for reserve striker Alberto Jesus. For me he’s not lived up to his early promise and I practically bit their hands off.

[chesterfan2]

Wednesday January 13^th 2021

Premier League

Venue:  Old Trafford

Manchester United (4^th)  vs. Liverpool (2^nd)

The North-West Derby they call this one. That hardly grasps the rivalry between these two teams, one that neither our fans or theirs will let the players forget. This is always, always, a difficult place to come and after an indifferent start to the season United have hit form recently, so this will be as hard as any away match this season.

We revert to the 4-1-2-2-1 formation with Galarza slotting into central midfield where the suspended Crisetig would have gone.

We got off to a bad start as a weak header back towards the keeper by Dance was pounced upon by Brazilian superstar Neymar. He nipped in and powered his shot past Lezcano, giving the Argentinean netminder no chance. Eight minutes gone, and a goal down.

Things got worse on 20 minutes as Galarza had to come off after a heavy challenge. Clark came on in his place.

Clark had our best chance of the half when he was unlucky, on 32 minutes to see his close range effort brilliantly saved by the United keeper. We were grateful to Lezcano for keeping us in the game late on in the half as he made a similarly excellent stop. Half time then, a goal down, an awful lot to do.

We were better in the second period, but not good enough to beat the United keeper who saw out his team’s win with a fine second half display. We were a tad unlucky if I’m honest, but I still had a go at the lads after the final whistle, as, quite simply, we hadn’t been good enough tonight.

Final Score: Manchester United 1-0 Liverpool

Scorers :

League Position : 2^nd

Man Of The Match:  Martin Dance

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Schiffman, Lagator, Proffitt, Lucas, Galarza (Clark 20),Gandola, Yarmolenko, Romani, Salva

 

A little something for my regular readership, there you go, Mark.

[mark wilson27]

I think that was a cracking piece of management in your last game. 

As always chesterfan loving the story and not just because of that result. 

[chesterfan2]

Thanks Mark

 

Saturday January 16^th 2021

Premier League

Venue:  Anfield

Liverpool (2^nd)  vs. Aston Villa (9^th)

Galarza hadn’t fully recovered from the dead leg he got in the last match so George Clark deputises.

We were in control of this one from the off, pushing forward and creating chance after chance. The first goal came in the 14^th minute, Lopez first to a loose ball in the box, and then powering the ball home from 8 yards out. A second goal came on 24 minutes, Lopez again the scorer, this time heading home a Yarmolenko cross from the byline.

Lopez completed his hatrick on 41 minutes, the beneficiary of a quick break out of defence by Romani, who took the ball from the edge of his own box to the edge of Villa’s before squaring it for Lopez to drive it home. Another good goal. Three up at half time and cruising.

I told them how pleased I was with their first half display. I always worry that that talk kind of implies you think the game is over, but on this occasion I could see the lads didn’t actually think that. We went out in the same vein as in the first half and extended the lead to four on 50 minutes as Yarmolenko set up Clark to bundle the ball home from close range. Clark got a second goal just past the hour mark as he headed home from close range, set up by Romani who headed a Lopez ball in back across the face of the goal.

Romani got the goal his play deserved in the 88^th minute turning in a Schiffman cross at the far post, and that was how it finished. Six of the best, as good a performance as I have seen from the lads all season, and some way to get back on track after the United defeat.

Final Score: Liverpool 6-0 Aston Villa

Scorers : Lopez 3, Clark 2, Romani

League Position : 2^nd

Man Of The Match:  Alfredo Lopez

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Schiffman , Lagator, Proffitt, Crisetig, Gandola , Yarmolenko, Clark, Romani, Lopez

[chesterfan2]

 Tuesday January 19^th2021

Capital One Cup Semi Final Second Leg

Venue: The Emirates Stadium

Arsenal(PRM 6^th) vs. Liverpool (PRM 2^nd) (Agg 0-1)

Arsenal will need to come at us if they want anything out of this tie, and to that end I set us up in a counter-attacking frame of mind,  at least that was the plan. Within a minute we had taken the lead on the night, Romani breaking down the right and then putting in an inch perfect cross for Lopez to head home. Things were going great, but they were only getting better as in the third minute we scored again, Clark latching onto a loose ball, driving into the area and finding the corner of the net from a narrow angle.

Arsenal seemed to steady for a moment but we were soon in the ascendancy again, Romani the provider once more, Lopez the scorer, 15 minutes gone. On 23 though, Arsenal scored to get one back, a quick and incisive move, that was probably what their manager would have liked to have seen from the off.

The rest of the half was more closely fought with Arsenal providing some goal threat that Lezcano did well to keep at bay. We got to half time 3-1 up on the night, I told them how proud I was of them and sent them back out looking ten feet tall.

We played that way too, extending our lead on 52 minutes, Romani getting on the scoresheet this time, getting on the end of a Lopez free kick. But credit Arsenal they didn’t give up, and they grabbed another one back on 57, a goalmouth scramble from an uncleared corner.

But that was as close as Arsenal got and we cruised through to the League Cup Final once more.

Final Score: Arsenal 2-4 Liverpool (Agg 2-5)

Scorers : Lopez 2, Clark, Romani

Man Of The Match:  Jorge Romani

Team: Lezcano, Boldrini, Schiffman, Lagator, Costanzo, Lucas, Clark, Enriquez, Yarmolenko, Romani, Lopez

[chesterfan2]

Saturday January 23rd  2021

FA Cup 4^th Round

Venue: Anfield

Liverpool (PRM 2^nd) vs. Reading (PRM 9^th)

We reverted to a 5-3-2 formation, and took the lead in the 10^th minute, a crisp drive from the edge of the box by Salva the source of the goal. Lopez got a scrappy second in the 33^rd minute, in what was a scrappy match. It was three on 41, another goalmouth scramble, Costanzo popping up this time to score, after a corner hadn’t been cleared.

Some warm words at half time and a fourth goal after only 7 minutes of the second half, Salva knocking the rebound in for his second of the match after Galarza’s shot had been well saved.  Lopez added a fifth on 79 minutes, this one a good run and shot, probably the goal of the match, Salva’s first being the only other contender for that prize.

Five became six on 81 as Boldrini got down the right and crossed for Salva to turn in at the near post for his hatrick. This game wasn’t the walk in the park that the scoreline might suggest, but it was pretty close to it.

Final Score: Liverpool 6-0 Reading

Scorers : Salva 3, Lopez 2, Costanzo

Man Of The Match:  Leandro Salva

Team: Lezcano, Boldrini, Salazar, Lagator, Costanzo, Dance, Lucas, Gandola, Galarza, Salva, Lopez

[chesterfan2]

Tuesday January 26^th 2021

Premier League

Venue:  Zola Park

Chelsea (3^rd)  vs. Liverpool (2^nd)

The TV cameras were in for this one, a big game and no mistake. Proffitt remains unfit, thanks to a twisted knee in training, and Lucas and Lopez look dog tired. That is, of course, why we have a squad and we put out a strong team here in the 4-1-2-2-1 formation.

Chelsea of all teams tend to give us the most problems and this was no different. We expected them to come out of the blocks quickly and that they did, taking the lead with just six minutes on the clock, with, of all things, a near post corner our undoing.

We were pretty poor, though to be fair Chelsea worked very hard to keep us quiet. We came close with a corner routine of our own near the end of the half, but that was as good as it got and we went in a goal down.

It would be fair to say I ripped them a new one in my team talk. I was very angry. I didn’t feel we were fighting enough and we were letting Chelsea dominate us.  They went out fired up and once again I hoped it would be enough.

Chances were few and far between in the second period though we were playing a lot better. On 75 minutes Romani drifted in off the right and played in Yarmolenko, drifting in from the left, he drew the keeper and slotted it home, 1-1. That was the only real chance of the half for either side and we saw out a draw. I’d hoped for better, but it would have to do.

Final Score: Chelsea 1-1 Liverpool

Scorers : Yarmolenko

League Position : 2^nd

Man Of The Match:  Sime Lagator

Team: Lezcano, Boldrini, Schiffman, Lagator, Dance, Enriquez, Clark, Crisetig, Yarmolenko, Romani, Salva

Meanwhile Spurs won away at Villa so now we sat 12 points off the lead, with four games in hand. Yarmolenko’s goal was his 75^th for Liverpool, which was nice.

Some more transfer news to report in the closing days of the transfer window.  Leandro Paredes was offloaded to Dinamo Moscow for £7.25 million. Transfer deadline day itself passed without an awful lot of business on our part. We did grab a lad for the future, Cristiano Olivetti, a 16 year old Italian central defender  bought for £3.3 million from Inter,  he has a lot of promise and should do us well in the future. We also agreed a deal for Nicolas Lopez, 17, a striker from River in Argentina for £4million. As he’s not quite 18 he won’t be joining us until the summer. Finally we signed Erminio Mozzini, 20 a left winger from Parma on loan until the end of the season, he’ll act as cover for Yarmolenko in the run in.

[chesterfan2]

Saturday February 6^th 2021

Premier League

Venue:  Anfield

Liverpool (2^nd)  vs. Tottenham Hotspur (1^st)

Very much a must win match, win and we go ten points behind, still with five games in hand, lose and we are sixteen points behind and our destiny is out of our hands. We control it at this point and this game is time to make sure we keep it within our grasp.

We go with the 4-2-3-1 formation, and Proffitt returns to the starting lineup, so we are picking our strongest line up, a fact which pleases me greatly. The game starts as a dour, cagey battle and it’s only when we get set pieces do we look like scoring. Fortunately we do score from one of these a Lucas corner in the 21^st minute, headed home by Sime Lagator.

We go close, again, on 30 minutes as a Lopez free kick is tipped round the post, but we get to half time without any scares, a goal up. At the break I tell them I think they can play better.

On 52 minutes Romani got to the byline, and he crossed, Yarmolenko went for glory but his shot was blocked on the line, the ball bounced free an dLopez slammed home his 20^th goal in all competitions this season. It was all Liverpool during this spell. Yarmolenko was denied by a post on 57, and Lopez had another free kick spectacularly saved on 64.

But what we had already done was enough, Lezcano was called upon to make one world class save late on, which he did, and that was as close as they got. Spurs got served with notice here, ‘top spot is ours, and we’re going to take it back’.

Final Score: Liverpool 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur

Scorers : Lagator, Lopez

League Position : 2^nd

Man Of The Match:  Lucas Leiva

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Schiffman, Lagator, Proffitt, Lucas, Gandola, Yarmolenko, Galarza, Romani, Lopez

[chesterfan2]

Tuesday February 9^th 2021

European Champions Cup First Knockout Round First Leg

Venue:  Ennio Tardini

Parma (ITA) vs. Liverpool (ENG)

The good thing about this tie was that we were away in the first leg. A decent result here and we’d be well set up for a top European night at Anfield. I picked a defensive side, but one looking to counter attack whenever possible.

We started well but after nine minutes disaster struck, a cross from the right fooled Lezcano, and bounced back off the far post, and into the goal off Lezcano’s body. An uncharacteristic error, but an error none the less.

By the 25^th minute it was beginning to look like it wasn’t going to be our night as Lopez hit the bar and then saw his own follow up cleared off the line. From the resulting corner the Parma keeper produced a reflex save to keep out a Lagator flick. Yarmolenko shot wide when well placed on 37, we failed to make the most of the possession we had.

Half time I told them they were unlucky and to keep going, I also replaced a tired Lopez with Salva, and told him to go out and play.

Parma seemed more at home in the second half and strung together some possession. We, on the other hand tended towards the wasteful with our possession. Yet on 82 minutes we finally did what we came here to do, we broke out of defence, swept up the pitch and scored, Salva’s ball into the box for Romani to run onto and shoot home was a thing of wonder.

We had half chances to seal the win, but they didn’t come, and if I’m frank, we wouldn’t have deserved them if they did. Still, we got an away goal to take home with us and no first leg deficit, minimum requirements from this trip, certainly, but at least we got them.

 Final Score: Parma 1-1 Liverpool

Scorer : Romani

Man Of The Match:  Owen Proffitt

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Schiffman, Lagator, Proffitt, Crisetig (Gandola 72) Lucas, Galarza, Yarmolenko, Romani, Lopez (Salva 45)

[chesterfan2]

Saturday February 13^th 2021

FA Cup 5^th Round

Venue: Anfield

Liverpool (PRM 3^rd) vs. Chelsea (PRM 2^nd)

This match, unsurprisingly, was selected for Live TV coverage so it was a lunchtime start. I always back my lads to do well at Anfield so I pick an attacking line up, let the opposition worry about us for a change.

A slow start for both sides slowly morphed into a cagey opening 20 minutes. Half chances were few and far between. However the game burst into life on the 20 minute mark as Lagator flicked home a Lucas corner. We pushed on after that our belief fired by the goal, but Chelsea held firm and went in at the break just the one goal down.

They came out firing but we never looked like losing the lead and we didn’t. The second half was scrappy compared to the first and we ran out very straightforward winners, and into the 6^th round.

Final Score: Liverpool 1-0 Chelsea

Scorer : Lagator

Man Of The Match:  Lucas Leiva

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Schiffman, Lagator, Proffitt, Gandola, Lucas, Yarmolenko, Galarza, Romani, Lopez (Salva 60)

But there was bad news from the match, Lopez’s injury was worse than it first looked.  The injury turned out to be a torn calf muscle, and that will keep him out upwards of three months. A bitter blow.

[chesterfan2]

Wednesday February 17^th 2021

Premier League

Venue:  Anfield

Liverpool (3rd)  vs. Arsenal (6th)

Another big game, and we are certainly cramming them in now.  Lopez wasn’t the only one absent through injury. Gandola had picked up a knock in training and would miss a week. Lucas looked exhausted as well so I ended up making more changes than I’d have like to given the stature of the opposition.

Romani was the one player I thought about resting and then decided against it, he’s been in fabulous form and deserves a go in a big game I thought. And boy was I right. Less than a minute in and he takes the ball on the half way line, skins his man for pace then cuts in, evades two challenges on the edge of the box, draws the keeper and slots the ball home, a goal of the season contender, fabulous stuff.

After that early blow Arsenal soon settled and began to cause us a lot of problems. They effectively blunted our attack by packing the midfield. It meant that their own chances were limited so I couldn’t really see the point of doing it, but you have to say it was effective. Effective that is until their midfield fulcrum Benitez, a player I had once coveted, limped off midway through the half. We then began to string some passes together and it rapidly became a different game.  On 41 minutes we doubled our lead as we passed through the crowd in midfield and George Clark, making the most of a rare start again, finished in style from 15 yards out.

Two up at half time, I had to tell them how well they were doing. So I only had myself to blame when they didn’t press on as much as I would have like in the second half. It’s not that we were overly threatened by Arsenal we just didn’t make a lot of progress on our own. On 74 Romani limped off, replaced by Kemble. The Dutchman is a striker by trade but can play left wing. He did here, and Yarmolenko switched to the right. Boldrini replaced a tiring Dance at the same time.

We saw out the win from there. I have to say Arsenal disappointed me today, but not so much I wasn’t very happy that we had won.

Final Score: Liverpool 2-0 Arsenal

Scorers : Romani, Clark

League Position : 2^nd

Man Of The Match:  Jorge Enriquez

Team: Lezcano, Dance (Boldrini 74), Schiffman, Lagator, Proffitt, Enriquez, Crisetig, Yarmolenko, Clark, Romani (Kemble 74), Salva

[chesterfan2]

Sunday February 21^st 2021

Capital One Cup Final

Venue: Wembley

Liverpool (PRM 2^nd) vs. Chelsea (PRM 3^rd)

Another instalment in what’s fast becoming the defining match up of this season. This episode of the saga is in front of 90,000 people at Wembley, the Capital One Cup Final.  I keep faith with the side that did so well against Arsenal in the last match, that means Galarza gets a spot on the bench, and Clark retains his place in the team. The lad’s been a bit unsettled recently, and to be honest I can see why. Hopefully this vote of confidence will give him something to think about.

Chelsea were quite clearly up for this one and flew out of the gate, they pressed and were awarded a penalty in the third minute as Enriquez mistimed a challenge in the box. A clear penalty, a stupid penalty as the lad was going nowhere.  The penalty was well enough struck but Lezcano guessed the right way and palmed it away.

Lezcano was called on again later on in the half, this time flying to his right to turn away a goal bound shot. We went in at half time goalless but we had been, in all honesty, second best here.

I told them that if they could find a goal then I thought we’d win. I didn’t need to tell them we had been second best in the first half, they knew that already. I asked them to play a little more on the front foot and sent them back out.

The game was a real contest in the second half, we were much better and found competing with Chelsea a lot more of a palatable prospect. Gradually we took control of the midfield and began to dominate second half possession.  We made some half decent chances but failed to take them. On 74 minutes I made a change taking off Clark and putting on Galarza. Fortunes didn’t immediately change, and we still found it difficult to create openings.

Finally on 86 minutes we made the breakthrough our play had by then warranted, a slick passing move found Schiffman overlapping down the left, he committed the defender and slipped the ball inside to a now unmarked Yarmolenko he took his time, shot, and once again the big Ukrainian scored in a cup final for Liverpool. Chelsea pressed for an equaliser but on 88 we broke down the field and Galarza took the ball past the last two defenders before sliding it home, 2-0. That was a gloss we perhaps didn’t entirely deserve, but a win is a win is a win, and that’s exactly what we had done here, one more trophy for the cabinet !

Final Score: Liverpool 2-0 Chelsea

Scorers : Yarmolenko, Galarza

Man Of The Match:  Owen Proffitt

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Schiffman, Lagator, Proffitt, Enriquez, Crisetig, Yarmolenko, Clark (Galarza 74), Romani, Salva

[chesterfan2]

Wednesday February 24^th 2021

Premier League

Venue:  Molineux

Wolverhampton Wanderers (11th)  vs. Liverpool (2nd)

The games kept on coming, and some changes this time were inevitable. Drage in on the right wing (Romani has been looking a tired shadow of his usual self for a couple of games now), Loanee debutant Mozzini spells Yarmolenko on the left and Lucas and Galarza return to the midfield.

The changes do have an effect on our flow and Wolves really should have taken the lead on 3 minutes, but the centre forward lad blazed wide when well placed. We slowly started working on a foothold and on 16 minutes we took the lead, a little against the run of play. It was an own goal, the keeper fumbling a cross under some pressure and seeing the fumble bounce in. It was like slow motion. Poor lad.

On 18 one of the Wolves defenders gambled on cutting out a Drage through ball, he didn’t make it and Salva had an unchallenged run on goal from 25 yards out. He’s not going to make a mistake with that, and indeed he didn’t. Wolves were guilty of giving the ball away in their own half when we scored again on 21 minutes. The left back gifted the ball to Drage, his cross was met with a flying header by Salva, it flew past the keeper but came back off the post, to the feet of Clark who knocked it into the unguarded net.

We had plenty more chances to extend our lead before half time but we didn’t take them. I had a hard time thinking about what to say at half time, I mean you don’t expect the opposition to gift you the game but that’s pretty much what Wolves had so far done.  I told them we couldn’t expect the hosts to be that bad again, but as long as we weren’t complacent we’d do ok.

The second half was different. Wolves had obviously got a telling off and played a lot better. They still didn’t create much but managed to force us into shooting from too far out and too early. We still saw out a comfortable win.

Final Score: Wolves 0-3 Liverpool

Scorers : og, Salva, Clark

League Position : 2^nd

Man Of The Match:  Lucas Leiva

Team: Lezcano, Boldrini (Salazar 67), Schiffman, Lagator, Dance, Lucas, Galarza, Mozzini, Clark, Drage, Salva

[chesterfan2]

Saturday February 27^th 2021

Premier League

Venue:  The Galpharm Stadium

Huddersfield Town (18th)  vs. Liverpool (2nd)

Boldrini had picked up a knock in training and would miss this one, Proffitt returned to the back four. Enriquez came in for Leiva and Yarmolenko came back in, but this time on the right as I wanted to give Romani another game off and give Mozzini another chance on the left.

They say that when you are down at the bottom you just don’t get the breaks and I could say we saw just that in the first couple of minutes here. A foul was awarded to us after a challenge on Yarmolenko 35 yards out from goal. It was harsh to say the least. Salva swung the ball in, an attempted clearance bounced into the open after coming off one of their own players and there was Mozzini twelve yards out, free and in front of goal. He made no mistake. One minute on the clock and we are ahead.

Huddersfield were determined not to just make up the numbers today and mounted a spirited comeback, only Lezcano’s athleticism saving us there. Then on 20 minutes we lost Dance to an injury, Salazar on in his place, we really are down to the bare bones at the back now. I had to hope the injury to Dance wasn’t serious.

We wasted opportunities for the rest of the half, shooting from too far out, snatching at chances, making poor decisions and we went in just the one goal up. I told them some home truths and sent them back out there. It hadn’t been good enough, make no mistake about that.

We started the second half just as poorly so when Mozzini limped off on 53 minutes I also made a tactical change taking off Clark. Kemble and Cespedes the men coming on. Galarza moving into Clark’s spot in the hole behind the striker.

As long as we were just the one goal ahead Huddersfield were of the view that if they tried hard enough they’d get an equaliser, and try they did. It was good news for us on 63 minutes as Kemble broke clear, pulled a couple of defenders wide, put Cespedes in and he crossed for Salva to meet it on the volley and power it home. 2-0 and a small cushion.

It proved to be enough. Not our most convincing win, but a win it was. Spurs at the top could only draw, 1-1, away at Newcastle, so it’s value to us was right there for all to see.

Final Score: Huddersfield 0-2 Liverpool

Scorers : Mozzini, Salva

League Position: 2^nd

Man Of The Match:  Jorge Enriquez

Team: Lezcano, Dance (Salazar 20), Schiffman, Lagator, Proffitt, Enriquez, Galarza, Mozzini (Kemble 53), Clark (Cespedes 53), Yarmolenko, Salva

[mark wilson27]

Congratulations on the Cup win Chester, its always good to get some more silverware in the trophy cabinet

[chesterfan2]

Wednesday March 3^rd 2021

European Champions Cup First Knockout Round Second Leg

Venue:  Anfield

Liverpool (ENG) vs. Parma (ITA) (Agg 1-1)

Dance was out for three weeks and so Salazar would start at right back, otherwise we were very much at full strength.

A slow start by both teams, five minutes probing. But the game sprung into life on 8 minutes as Galarza burst into the box and scored at the second attempt, the keeper’s parry of his first falling back at his feet for an offer he couldn’t refuse.

On 18 we strengthened our position as we grabbed a second on the night. Salva this time with a free kick curled around the end of the wall and into the top corner, a peach to make it 3-1 on aggregate. On 24 it was 4-1 on aggregate as Romani went on a mazy run, got to the byline, and pulled it back for Salva to knock it in from close range.

 We were all over them at this stage, and it was no surprise when we made it four only three minutes later, Salazar the scorer, cutting in from the left he shot from just outside the box, and it flew in. 5-1 up on aggregate at half time, the job almost done I said, but not quite.

The Italian team’s manager could be heard shouting at his players during the break and they came out a different side. If they’d have started like that we’d have been in trouble. They only failed to score down to not one but two world class saves by Lezcano, and we only failed to score due to Salva wanting to complete his hatrick rather than pass to better placed team mates.

Still we were through, and quite convincingly so.

Final Score: Liverpool 4-0 Parma

Scorers : Galarza, Salva 2, Salazar

Man Of The Match:  Sime Lagator

Team: Lezcano, Salazar, Schiffman, Lagator, Proffitt, Lucas, Gandola, Yarmolenko, Galarza, Romani, Salva

[chesterfan2]

Saturday March 6^th 2021

FA Cup 6^th Round

Venue: Britannia Stadium

Stoke City (PRM 7^th) vs. Liverpool (PRM 2^nd)

This game was a banana skin waiting to happen. That’s what I told the lads in the pre-match team talk. We’d need to concentrate and work hard to get anything out of this. If we have a bogey team then Stoke is it.

Having said that I was limited in terms of team selection. Lagator and Galarza needed a rest, and along with Yarmolenko they got a game off. The bench saw spots for some youngsters who were impressing in the reserves.

We got off to a flying start, Waldo Kemble playing on the left wing cut inside in the first minute, he wasn’t closed down so he carried the ball into the box, checked round a belated challenge and slotted the ball home, easy as you like. Stoke caught sleeping there.

They woke up after that and made a game of it, but they failed to truly test Lezcano . But they also organised defensively a lot better and limited our lads to long range shots. So half time eventually came round, with us a goal to the good.

The second half, it has to be said, was dire. We gave the ball away again and again, Stoke wasted opportunities to equalise again and again. It was a blessing when it was over. Bad, but the silver lining was, of course, that we were through to the semi-finals.

Final Score: Stoke 0-1 Liverpool

Scorers : Kemble

Man Of The Match:  Robbie Schiffman

Team: Lezcano, Salazar, Schiffman, Costanzo, Proffitt, Lucas, Gandola, Kemble, Clark, Romani, Salva

The semi-final draw saw us paired with the winners of the Arsenal/Man City tie that followed the draw on TV.Arsenal bossed the game, ended up 3-0 winners, and it is they who we’ll face in the semi.

[chesterfan2]

Some updates for you all, enjoy

 

Wednesday March 10^th 2021

Premier League

Venue:  Goodison Park

Everton (9th)  vs. Liverpool (2nd)

We opened up with a goal in the second minute Yarmolenko scoring at the culmination at one of the best team moves I have seen in a long time, a long sequence of passes saw Everton chasing shadows, we worked an opening on the left, Schiffman overlapped, committed the last man and slipped it inside for Yarmolenko to latch on and score, a stunning, stunning goal.

In the 8^th minute we pushed forward again, a corner was half cleared and Yarmolenko went for the byline, but was clattered. The referee pointed to the spot and Everton can have no complaints. Salva stepped up and it was two-nil.

On 19 minutes we broke out of defence, Yarmolenko, who was having a stormer of a game, flew down the left hit a low ball across the face of the goal where it was met by the other true speedster of the team Romani and he made no mistake from close in, 3-0 and looking very good for this one. We sat back from there and easily saw the game out to half time.

Everton had obviously had a severe talking to at the break and came out a much better team. On 65 they managed something that no team has done for 7 matches, they scored a goal, a routine header from a corner, we didn’t pick the lad up and paid the penalty for not doing so. A tad disappointing.

But that was as close as Everton got, we are now just two points behind Spurs, with three games in hand.

Final Score: Everton 1-3 Liverpool

Scorers : Yarmolenko, Salva (pen), Romani

League Position: 2^nd

Man Of The Match:  Lorenzo Crisetig

Team: Lezcano, Salazar, Schiffman, Lagator, Proffitt, Lucas, Crisetig, Yarmolenko, Galarza, Romani, Salva

[chesterfan2]

Saturday March 13^th 2021

Premier League

Venue:  Anfield

Liverpool (2nd)  vs. Newcastle (15th)

Tiredness is become a real factor with two games each and every week. Here Lagator, Yarmolenko and Lucas all needed a rest and those weren’t the only ones I took out of this game, they were all tired, and Schiffman and Romani both got the day off too.

So too many changes for one match ? perhaps, but I’m having to take the longer view here.

Well, the game began and we got a corner in the second minute. The referee spotted a push as the ball came over and pointed to the spot. Drage, who recently announced he’ll be joining Real Madrid at the end of his contract in the summer, stepped up and calmly slotted it in. He wants a new challenge and it also frees up a large chunk of wages budget, so we’re all happy. I also know I can trust him to step up when asked, as he was asked to do today.

We then contrived to waste chance after chance, invariably shooting from too far out.  As I recall my instruction was to work the ball into the box, so why, today, are they not listening ? This wastefulness roused Newcastle and they started to put together some good moves, and on 34 they split open our defence and the lad had time to pick his spot, which he did. 1-1.

That was how it was at half time. I was cross, Spurs weren’t playing on this Saturday, so winning this match would see us go top, even if it was to be for just one night. I liked the psychology of regaining first spot, and wanted desperately to make it happen. So I shouted at them and hoped that would be enough.

The chat did work, but not until after Newcastle had got a second goal. I am at a loss to describe it, woefully poor defending would be a nice thing to say about it. On 52 Drage limped off and was replaced by Romani who proceeded to show why we don’t need Drage any more.

On 64 minute he cut in from the right wing, went past a couple of players like they weren’t there, danced into the box and hammered the ball home from ten yards out, near ripping the roof of the net off.

We had chances to win it late on, but once again made poor choices of when to shoot and the game, and the chance to go top, slipped away.

Final Score: Liverpool 2-2 Newcastle

Scorers : Drage (pen), Romani

League Position: 2^nd

Man Of The Match:  Luciano Galarza

Team: Lezcano, Boldrini, Salazar, Costanzo, Proffitt, Clark, Enriquez, Kemble, Galarza, Drage (Romani 52), Salva