ON the way to Blackburn, while sat in traffic (EVERYONE was sat in traffic), I checked the odds on the game. I like checking odds — much more than I like actual betting — as I think it gives an interesting indication of where heads are at. Who is fancied and who isn’t.
Liverpool are fancied, but not enough. Blackburn are 9-2 when they should be twice that. To put it in perspective QPR are 17-2 at home to a team in their own division this weekend and I bet they at least try to attack in the first half of their game.
Blackburn aren’t in our division, they are right in the middle of the one below. That is real mid table – 10th – not the new mid table which is actually fifth. Liverpool are 8-13 even though Philippe Coutinho is better than any Blackburn Rovers player since Shearer pissed off to Newcastle.
So why these ridiculous odds? Because heads have gone. And because others sense blood. We’ve lost two games to a couple of teams above us in the league and suddenly we’re finished. Apparently. They all laugh at us, they all mock at us, they all say our days are numbered. Well soz abar you. Because the Reds have other ideas.
The quality wasn’t always there. We should have made more of our possession and territory in the first half and the cohesion between attacking players still isn’t quite what it could be. But the spirit is strong, the determination evident, the will and belief to win clearer than ever.
Players whose toughness has been questioned showed balls of steel. They dominated the ball on a dog of a pitch and scored a gorgeous goal to win it.
They defended when they had to as well. I must admit to a minor heart attack when Sakho went off, but Toure was terrific. In fact, given the few days he’s had, dropped after a stinker at his old club, he was better than that. Showing the mental strength that got him where it has in his career. Lovren deserves a lot of credit, too. From frozen out to Rudy Gestede.
They’ll both have different, and frankly better, challenges but they coped superbly with the ones that were thrown at them. The lads at full back did pretty well, too. Both looking happier with the more defined role. The keeper is mustard.
Not all our actual problems have been solved. Just like not all our perceived issues were real. But we are going to Wembley. I took the 8-13 the bookies were offering. Because you should always back the Reds in every possible way.
And because when the Reds win we all win. Just ask the 7,000 who went to Ewood Park and the many more who will go to London in 10 days’ time.
Aston Villa? All the best.
Listen: The Pink – immediate post-match reaction from Blackburn Rovers v Liverpool
Read: Neil Atkinson’s player ratings
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Pics: David Rawcliffe-Propaganda
If the pitch was a shit as it looked on telly, that would explain the lack of quality to a point. But this was all about having big bollocks and getting a result.
What we lack in goals, we make up for in gonads.
It’s all well and good being tough and having big balls against a team that’s mid table in the league below you. You need to do it regularly against the teams around/above you.
Forgive me if I’m not suitably impressed.
It’s quiet in here… Seems we need to lose to get the conversation going!
Think people are just a bit deflated for obvious reasons, mate..
Reasons such as getting to Wembley?
When I read a match report I often feel I have a point to add (you don’t say).
Last night I was listening to the Pink when you posted this and you made all the points I wanted to add. Nevertheless, I’m gonna say it anyway.
It’s about Lovren. Firstly, he had a good game in that he did everything he needed to do. My point would be that after the final whistle he was absolutely made up. As you know, he came over and threw his shirt into the crowd. He was ecstatic he’d done well and we’d won. This is clearly a player who wants to succeed at Liverpool and I actually warmed to him immediately after he signed. There’s no excuse for his some of his performances but I’d like to see him restart his career and put the past behind him. If you look at the picture on this article he’s the one right on Coutinho’s tail for the goal celebration. If Liverpool players don’t perform I have a tendency to throw them to the lions but his baby face has prevented me from being comfortable with that. I think Lovren may even have a surprise in store for a few of us. He may well be far far better than he’s looked. Obviously, that’s only based on hope at the minute. So, he did ok last night but most of all I like players who love the club like he clearly does (remember the Swansea goal celebration) and I pray it works out for him.
I found it interesting that when Lovren came over, Moreno and Mignolet thought I’m having some of that. These are two players who’ve been through / going through rocky patches but seem to love Liverpool too. I suppose the point I’m trying to make is, it was nice to see a human side to them and nice to see they’re desperate to succeed as much as we’re desperate to see them succeed. I just found it a nice moment.
We beat the 10th best team in the Championship, who had 14 senior players missing, 1-0 having created little and not looked all that solid at the back.
Defeating Blackburn Reserves like that is poor. No other word for it. We’re through I suppose but you can take very much else from it.
The change in system solved nothing. All the same problems there before were there tonight. We’re still too slow going forward, still an attacker light and still have nowhere near enough goals in us. Given we’re going to be worse at the back now we need to be far better up front. Im not hopeful.
PS: Blackburn. Reserves.
“I’m not hopeful.”
Understatement of the year, surely?
Then again Chris you reckon we have only had one or two good 90 mins performances in the last 10 months,
I don’t think anyone is jumping through hoops here but balls needed to be shown last night and they were.
Didn’t a team from the 3rd tier beat the champions to be at Stamford Bridge and M/Boro the current champions in earlier rounds?
They did, it was rhetorical.
Its obvious to anyone that this current team isn’t the best but in a poor season and after two massively deflating results I will take a “Result”. The larger questions as mentioned elsewhere can await the summer.
Many of the reds games when I was kid in the 70s etc were like this – efficient but not glorious in any way! For the moment I will take a semi final and a few more results please.
Thing is mate. Like Robbo said on his ‘silver’ article, the fans weren’t particularly swept away last night but coming out of the ground everyone was buzzing. We’re going to Wembley!
You strike me as the kind of person that if your wife gave birth to a girl you’d say ‘fuckin hell, I wanted a boy’. If a horse I back wins I’m over the moon, I don’t say ‘fuckin hell it only won by a nose’.
You clearly know what you’re on about when it comes to Liverpool and I think you’re definitely passionate but I do wonder why you bother. We’re not where any of us want us to be and may not be for years but that’s beyond our control. At what point do you enjoy being a Liverpool fan? Obviously, that’s not something you need to answer to me but why don’t you answer it to yourself.
P.s Was it you that said Rodgers is the best manager Liverpool has ever had?
Coutinho was superb with the graft to go with the flair, still frantically closing down on 90 minutes. Looking forward to , ahem, a good semi.
^^^post of the week !