Well in keeping with my self imposed policy of NOT posting until 24 hours after the end of a game involving LFC I'm here to give my take on the FA Cup Final 2012.
Firstly the KO time did not help us as Chelsea kicked off at 5.15pm and LFC at 6.30pm !
FA meddling apart it's a shame on any level that the FA's Blue Ribbon game of the season has been consigned to a slot other than the last game of the season and a time other than 3PM. I suppose we had better get used to it, in years to come as the Premier League attempts to market the EPL as a worldwide product don't be surprised to see games played at 10am Tuesday morning because it suits the Chinese TV audience !
The Pre match "entertainment" was more WWF than FA as the now obligatory over excited PA announcer seemed determined to drown out any attempts by the fans to create a natural atmosphere. I heard on the radio on the way home that LFC fans booed the National Anthem which came as a surprise to me as I didn't hear any booing. I am surprised and disappointed as we normally sing YNWA at this point and always have done to be honest !
In a City which has felt disenfranchised and cutoff from the rest of the nation for decades it comes as no surprise to hear them booing. Liverpool fans had been messed around by the FA over the KO time for the Semi Final and Final, the club vilified in the press over their handling of the Suarez/Evra affair and were facing a Team (Chelsea) where "some" of their fans disrupted the 1 minute silence on the 15th April in their semi final I'm not justifying their actions just seeking to understand why "some" fans chose to boo an anthem which for them represents the establishment which chose to cover up the real facts regarding Hillsborough.
Lets be honest, I like a lot of other Reds was encouraged by the line up. It looked attacking minded with Bellamy on one flank, Downing on the other and Gerrard given a free role. With hindsight it wasn't as gun hoe as it looked and the Reds started nervously and were cagey. A loose Spearing pass resulted in Ramires getting the wrong side of Enrique and Reina won't be happy when he looks at his position as he was beat at his near post ( a real faux pas so the Goalkeepers tell me! ). Chelsea weren't great but allowed to dominate possession and I will be surprised if they were wiping the sweat off their brows at half time as Liverpool hardly threatened.
The second half started in the same vein and it came as no surprise to see Chelsea extend their lead with Drogba getting the goal his showboating and diving ill deserved. At 6'2 and 16 stone of muscle it's always a tad disconcerting to see such a fragile player suffer so many apparent career ending tackles ! :oh
He is the modern day "Peter and the Wolf" player and has the "act" polished and acted to perfection. How about the FA adopting the Rugby practice of stopping the clock for injuries and stoppages instead of allowing players to get away with running the clock down ? When you pay £85 for a ticket it's a real irritant to watch players deny you of the entertainment you have paid to see.
Liverpool made a change as Carroll came on for Spearing and made an instant impact as he had Chelsea defenders run ragged. His goal was timely and met with delirium as he feigned and swayed from one foot to another before lashing it in with his left boot. Wembley (well half of it) went divvi as the comeback was on. From that moment onward it was all Liverpool as they lay siege to the Chelsea back-line. Defenders who up to this point looked assured and at ease started to panic and if Henderson and Stevie had kept their heads and their shots down we would have been level.
In the 81st minute came the talking point of the game as Carroll met a superb move from Suarez and Gerrard with a thunderous header only for Cech to claw it out from underneath the bar with a miraculous save. Carroll peeled away believing he had scored instead of following the ball in and the fans went crazy only for the ref to wave it away.
After Chelsea's goal that wasn't was scored in the Semi Final you can bet your mortgage that the Cup Final referee Dowd was told that unless he is 100% sure the balls crossed the line not to award it. To be honest it's difficult to judge either way and only Goal Line Technology is going to take the guesswork out of it. What does it say for a sport which has billions in turnover yet resists modern technology to decide heir most important game of the season ?
Liverpool continued to press but the whistle went and Chelsea waved those plastic flags like North Koreans at a rally, no doubt relieved to have won against us for the first time since 2009 !
Footballs always about what might have been and with a bit more luck and endeavour from the start we may well be looking back on another Cup victory but don't let anyone tell you we didn't give it a real go and left Chelsea hanging on desperately at the end.
Lets hope Bayern utilise their home advantage and win the European Cup in a fortnight. Its coming to something when we hope the Germans prevail but it's infinity preferable than listening to SKY and the London media gush over Chelsea for years to come as a London based team win the CL for the very first time - football Gods forbid !
The Anorak
