Liverpool FC Forum

Reading 3 Liverpool 1

The Reds lost their first league game of the season down at Reading
and although they will have a few moans about Reading's penalty and
the lack of their own at the other end this was one of those days.
The Reds should have been strong enough but by the time it was 3-1
more eyes were on Marseille than Reading.

Reading got the game underway at the Madejski. Early lay from the
Reds was often littered with stray passes and the hassling from
Reading was always going to cause problems.

On eight minutes Torres had a half chance in the area but having to
snatch at the shot could only direct it straight at the keeper.

The controversy started on fifteen minutes though when Reading were
awarded a penalty. Carragher came across Gunnarsson and certainly
fouled him. The big question was whether it was a penalty. It was
clearly outside the box with momentum carrying the midfielder into
the box. The linesman put the flag across his chest though and the
spot kick given. Despite huge protests and a second request the
decision stood.

Stephen Hunt stepped up and sent Reina the wrong way to give the home
side the lead.

The goal gave the home side a huge lift and it was catch up football
for a change for the Reds. They got that goal back within ten minutes
though. Torres controlled superbly from a long kick down the pitch.
He looked inside and picked out the shouting Gerrard who dribbled in
to the box before despatching his 50th league goal for the Reds.

That goal really should have changed the game back around and given
the Reds something to build upon.

On thirty eight minutes there were some shouts for a penalty when
Torres went down under a challenge from Sonko in the box. It was a
tight call but having seen it again the correct decision was given
and the game continued. Had Sonko not got the slightest touch on the
ball though his challenge was certainly clumsy.

Before half time came the Reds started to enjoy some more possession
and went close on a couple of occasions through Voronin. Each time
from tight angles Voronin failed to score although the second time he
did force a save from the Reading keeper.

At half time I said this would finish three one BUT I was thinking
that it would be to Liverpool. I fully expected them to push on in
the second half and get the goals to win the game.

The Reds started the half reasonably well and had a great chance
eight minutes in to the half when Jack Hobbs sprung the offside trap
but could only shoot over when stretching.

A minute later and the Reds had a second penalty shout when once
again Sonko and Torres tangled. This time the ball had probably just
gone away from the Spaniard when Sonko barged in to him. The worry is
that more teams will play this hard boy stuff on Torres as time goes
on.

Torres was subbed on the hour mark for Kewell but that was just after
the Reds had gone behind for a second time on the day.

Steven Gerrard chased back and brought Hunt down from behind. Gerrard
was duly booked and then followed the goal. The free kick was whipped
in and Doyle flicked it with the slightest of touches past a helpless
Reina. The biggest worry was that there was about four Reading
players all free at the ball area.

The Reds suddenly had it all to do again and Gerrard once again went
close to rescuing Liverpool when he struck a shot over Hahnemann and
off the crossbar. It was oh so close but proof that the Reds could
get back in to this one.

A minute later though and the Reds were crushed when Harper sprinted
through the Reds and on to a lovely ball before rounding Reina and
scoring. The goal was a poor one to concede but superb in its
execution from a Reading point of view.

At 3-1 you did worry about getting back in to the game and Benitez
seemed resigned to losing. Gerrard was replaced by Babel on seventy
minutes with Tuesday clearly in his mind. That's no disrespect to
Babel who had the quality to score but the formation was slowly
getting more like one that was resigned to losing. It had more of 442
about it but at times was very 424.

The Reds had more chances in the game - Carragher fired across the
box but it was always just to far in front of Peter Crouch. Crouch
even managed to strike a shot against the foot of the post only to
see it bounce straight back to the keeper. That though came in the
final minute. By that time Hyypia had come on to the pitch for
Carragher. That was surely to save the lad getting booked and missing
next week because he was slowly getting more desperate as the Reds
tried to push forward.

As the final whistle blew though this was a case of what could have
been if only we'd turned up. Reading played to their maximum and they
have a good record at their own place but this isn't a place any Reds
side should lose.

MotM : Javier Mascherano - difficult choice but the Argentine stuck
to his task all day and blocked out many an attack.

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Liverpool Reina, Arbeloa, Carragher (Hyypia 81), Hobbs, Riise,
Gerrard (Babel 70), Mascherano, Sissoko, Voronin, Torres (Kewell 60),
Crouch
Unused Subs Itandje, Kuyt
Goal Gerrard (27)
Booking Gerrard (58)
Red Cards

----------------------------------------------------------
----------

Reading Reaing : Hahnemann, Murty (Cisse 90), Sonko (Bikey 80),
Ingimarsson, Shorey, Hunt, Harper, Gunnarsson, Convey (Lita 87),
Doyle, Kitson
Unused Subs Federici, Long
Goal Hunt (pen 16), Doyle (59), Harper (66)
Booking
Red Cards

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----------

Referee Andre Marriner
Att 24022
Venue Madjeski Stadium
Kick Off 17:15

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Match Stats

Liverpool Reading
65% Possession 35%
5 Shots On Target 4
12 Shots Off Target 7
2 Blocked Shots 3
7 Corners 7
12 Fouls 11
4 Offsides 3
1 Yellow Cards 0
0 Red Cards 0

READING 3 - 1 REDS: THE REPORT

Liverpool have crashed to their first Premier League defeat of the season after second half goals from Kevin Doyle and James Harper gave Reading a 3-1 win at the Madejski Stadium on Saturday.

The Reds suffered an usual off day as their run of five straight wins was brought to a resounding end by a plucky Reading. The home side getting a massive helping hand from the referee when he wrongly awarded a penalty against Carragher that Hunt converted, but they stunned Liverpool with second half goals from Doyle and Harper to cancel out a Steven Gerrard equalizer.
 
Liverpool did have chances to rescue the game and their unbeaten record, but they were denied by a combination of near misses, the woodwork and Reading keeper Hahnemann.
 
The game started scrappily, but Liverpool were the first to threaten and they'd have taken a 7th minute lead but for the legs of Hahnemann. The chance coming when a long throw from Riise reached Torres on the edge of the six yard box, but his instant shot was blocked by the shins of the Reading goalkeeper and the ball went out for a corner.
 
Startled into action, the home side launched a period of pressure that would lead to them taking the lead through a wrongly awarded penalty in the 17th minute.
 
Liverpool should have smelt danger when Hobbs was forced into some smart defending to win the ball ahead of Doyle; and then Reina saved well from Gunnarsson, but they were downright unlucky when the referee awarded a penalty kick for Carragher's foul on Kitson that clearly happened outside of the area.
 
Television replays confirmed the error of the referee and his assistant, but there was to be no reprieve because Hunt sent Reina the wrong way from the spot to score only the seventh league goal conceded by the Reds this season.
 
Galvanised by their goal, Reading had Liverpool on the back foot for a while, but Rafa's side soon recovered their composure and they levelled the scores through Steven Gerrard's ninth goal in ten games on 28 minutes.
 
The equalizer came when Pepe Reina's long ball reached Torres and his pass found Gerrard, who scored low under Hahnemann from 12 yards after he'd bustled his way into the area. What a run of goalscoring Gerrard's on; and his latest one was just what was needed to get his side out of a sticky moment.
 
The remainder of the first half pretty much belonged to the Reds, at least in an attacking sense. They had appeals for a penalty of their own waived away when Sonko appeared to trip Torres in the box, and Voronin's fierce drive close to half time brought a good save out of Reading stopper Hahnemann.
 
Liverpool started the second half in the ascendancy when Crouch's cross was headed wide by Torres, who was brave to put his head to the ball. And they should have taken the lead in the 52nd minute when Jack Hobbs beat the offside trap only to slice Riise's cross high over the crossbar.
 
The Reds were getting on top, but they still weren't getting the rub of the green from the referee. Again a foul by Sonko on Torres in the area failing to persuade the referee he should level up the penalty count.
 
Liverpool weren't about to start feeling sorry for themselves though and they continued to threaten another goal when this time Riise brought a fine save out of Hahnemann with a blistering drive from 25 yards.
 
It was all Liverpool, but they were to suffer a double blow in the 60th minute when Reading scored against the run of play and they lost Fernando Torres, who looked to be feeling the effects of Sonko's challenge.
 
They fell behind when a Gerrard foul on Hunt gave Reading a free kick midway inside the Liverpool half and Shorey's deep cross beat Reina after appearing to have had a slight touch from Kevin Doyle. And after Torres was replaced by Kewell, the Reds would have to come behind for a second time without their leading scorer.
 
Liverpool's unbeaten start to the season was under serious threat, but they were almost level immediately when Gerrard's 30-yarder crashed back off the Reading crossbar.
 
There was a growing feeling that this wasn't to be Liverpool's day and that was confirmed when James Harper unbelievably made it 3-1 to Reading. The killer blow landed by Harper as he stroked the ball home after going around Pepe Reina.
 
Rafa's side didn't give up and Crouch's shot hit a post, but it was clear the game was up and Benitez saved Gerrard and Carragher for battles to come when he replaced them with Babel and Hyypia. The Reds must now pick themselves for pivotal games against Marseille and Manchester United.

s@int wrote:

andy_g wrote:

s@int wrote:I am still waiting for a logical explanation.

you might only get that from the man himself - who knows he might even say to you "i was just trying to be clever, i thought it was kwality".

as you said before, we had just won 4-0 playing 4-4-2, we won our next game 4-0 playing 4-4-2 and we had already beaten Reading  4-2 in the league cup playing 4-4-2.

maybe he had over thought, over analysed and actually miscalculated. maybe he thought that the opposing teams would set up to counter our 4-4-2 and so he'd go with a form of 4-3-3. not trying to be clever to prove a point but trying to be clever to outwit the opposition.

the shame was that it wasn't too effective.

I also put this Andy :-I have no doubt he had good tactical reasons but I do think at times he overthinks and complicates things to much. Maybe if he just picked his best team more often.

But don't let this get in the way of a good argument.