Liverpool v Everton (FA Cup) MATCH Thread

Rafa's take on the game:

Rafa Benitez today praised his Liverpool charges for an improved performance in today's 1-1 draw with Everton in the fourth round of The FA Cup.
Steven Gerrard linked up with Fernando Torres to score an excellent equaliser on 54 minutes after Joleon Lescott put the Blues ahead against the run of play in the first half.
 
But despite bombarding the Everton rearguard in the second half, Liverpool couldn’t force a winner and had to settle for a second 1-1 draw with their Merseyside rivals in a week.
 
Speaking after the final whistle, Benitez insisted that Liverpool were the better team and focused on an improved all-round display from last Monday's Premier League game with "The Chosen One"' side.
 
"I am pleased with my team's performance," said Benitez.
 
"Attacking against a team who have 10 players behind the ball is not easy. Everyone was working hard, playing well and creating chances.
 
"I think that we deserved to win. When you don't play very well like the other day, and you concede a goal at the end you have to be disappointed. But today we had plenty of possession and had control of the game all of the time.
 
"They had just one chance in the first half and we made a mistake to let a goal in.
 
"Okay, we couldn't win, but the reaction from all the players was very positive after the disappointment of the other day."
 
Benitez insisted that the replay at Goodison Park will be a much more open encounter and said: "My idea was to progress in this competition and changed three or four players to do that.
 
"I think we have important games coming up, so the replay will be difficult but we will try to manage with the squad we have.
 
"It will be a different game in the replay. Clearly they will have to attack more."
 
The Reds boss also admitted to being pleased with the potent relationship between Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, who set up the Reds skipper to score the equaliser with an audacious back-heeled pass.
 
"We know that the understanding between Torres and Gerrard has been crucial over the last 12 months - they can get in behind defenders and create a lot of chances," said Benitez.
 
"It was just a pity that they couldn't find a bit more and score another goal to win the game."

.tv Article

Much better performance than Monday but without the real cutting edge needed. I thought overall the lads played pretty well but one exception was the performance of Ryan Babel. He just was nowhere near good enough and looks a shadow of the player we had last season. Reira created far more with his short time on the pitch.

I'm not as disappointed as I was after the game on Monday and I think we will get a bit more space to play at Goodison and I feel we will still go through.

Hopefully we build on this performance and find the cutting edge to pick up maximum points from Wigan and Chelsea.

Way I see it is in 2 games bitters had 2 chances and took them. We own the ball and how many chances? Not a lot cos our creativity is sh*te no other way to put it. Again the boss thinks 1 sub in 90 mins will change things?

Dont know where I stand at the minute with regards to the season. The rose tinted group will tell us well win the treble cos were Liverpool and were great. Truth is  were struggling, at home, particularly to break stubborn teams down. Sure as hell wont do it with the 2 wide men that started today. Kuyty works nd works but he wont create something from nothing and Babel is a lost cause.

However were still well placed and can only improve so ??

Come on reds

Gutted to see that we have another game in an already crowded fixture list because we couldn't finish those bas**rds off today.

At least it was a better showing than Mondays game but to concede like that AGAIN was just criminal. 

Stevie and Rafa both said in their post match interviews, that they had been working on defending set pieces in training during the break between the two games. How hard were they working on it? FFS. It's pretty easy. They have really only 2 aerial threats at set pieces, Cahill and Lescott.. the whole world knows it, but somehow our boys let them off the hook and the one and only real chance they have, they finish it. 

Once again Stevie came to the rescue with the help of a world class flick from Torres. Kuyt really should have made it 2 ...how he shoots straight at the keeper is beyond me. Should have buried that chance and we would have been through.

Those cu*ts don't deserve anything, they came to defend and they are only dangerous at corners and free kicks. They're fans should be ashamed of the way their team plays football but there they were celebrating like they knocked us out of the Cup. I have no doubt we will go to Woodison and do the business.  F**k of you Bitters.

Do we know the replay day/date ?

^^ A week Wednesday I think mate.

Yep, a week Wednesday with kick-off time yet to be confirmed.

It will be broadcast live on ITV.

We'll smack 'em at Goodison, i guarantee. They wont have 2 sets of 4 across the box.

Never been one to jump on the proverbial.I thought Dozy (Dosena)had a decent game tonight!!!!!Played with a lot of confidence seeing as he has'nt played for a while.Suppose its a good job he can't read English. 

Sorry gang but I think those who are having a go at Evertons tactics are making excuses for there own team. Truth may hurt but dont avoid the truth we created little. How many saves did howard make? 1 was it

Way I see it is in 2 games bitters had 2 chances and took them. We own the ball and how many chances? Not a lot cos our creativity is sh*te no other way to put it. Again the boss thinks 1 sub in 90 mins will change things?

Dont know where I stand at the minute with regards to the season. The rose tinted group will tell us well win the treble cos were Liverpool and were great. Truth is  were struggling, at home, particularly to break stubborn teams down. Sure as hell wont do it with the 2 wide men that started today. Kuyty works nd works but he wont create something from nothing and Babel is a lost cause.

However were still well placed and can only improve so ??

Come on reds

Very fair points there mate.

Today, once again I felt as though we didn't have the drive to really get stuck right into them. At times, we looked too cautious. I think it would have been a different story if they managed to get a second goal after taking the lead.

But I just couldn't believe how many times we didn't get the ball forward when Torres was hanging on the line with his hand in the air.

It's been too apparent this mindset for a lot of games now. Am I the only one that's seeing it?

Whether it's instructions from Rafa or just a natural instinct from the players, I don't know. But I reckon I'll know where we'll stand come near the end of the season if we don't start showing more urgency when we're level or even ahead.

Too many draws will wreck things once again. Let's see a bit more bottle! Having the king lion's share of possession and not making it count should be a lesson learned by now.

I don't think we will win at Goodison...:S:S

Yep, a week Wednesday with kick-off time yet to be confirmed.

It will be broadcast live on ITV.

8PM, just watched the highlights.

I don't think we will win at Goodison...:S:S

Let's see a positive attitude here! We won at Goodison 2-0 before, why can't we do it again?

The only game we've won in 2009 was against Preston. I'm getting worried that we're drawing too much.

I don't think we will win at Goodison...:S:S

What the f**K is that all about?Don't suppose you want to elaborate on that!!! 

I thought watching the first 10 minutes we were going to be a lot better and smoke them. We were playing with a lot of pace and passion, the supporters were singing and we pressing them a lot but we just seem to die off and got back into the old habits. The attack has no pace to it and I am not talking about how fast players can run with the ball. We won the ball back 100's of times today and when we could go on at the counter we stop, play it to either Skrtel/Carra, they play it to Alonso then we start attack and by then all the Everton players are back waiting for us to work it wide and lump a cross into Torres.

Again the wide players were poor, Kuyt seems to have fallen back into his old form and really should of won it. Had that chance fallen to Kuyt at the start of the season he would of scored but now he seem to lost the scoring touch. Babel, a player I have defended is really bothering me with his play, there is no sharpness to his game. Every pass is too slow, by the time he gets a ball, controls it and turns he is double up and his shooting was terrible. I don't know what happen to the Babel from last season but he looks a shadow of the player he was. Dossena for getting to good area's his crossing was terrible, always hitting the first defender. Alonso started well but after the goal really went of the trial with his passing. Torres worked on and made a great play on the goal, Gerrard was really into the game and that move from Carra in the box, the place would of went nuts if he had of scored.

I really not that confident in this team right now and I keep saying this and keep hoping that the next game we will break out and go on a good run of wins to fight for the title but we really are having a hard time and I dunno when it is going to end. I just have to have faith something will happen.

Poor game in the first half.
After conceding the goal we seemed to rush hopeless balls into their box.

We played better in the second half...building our attacks patiently but the passing in the final third was not of the highest quality...except that magical back-heel from El Nino...

I hope we'll carve them to pieces in their own backyard- and whatever happens...Riera must start ahead of Babel...

We were attacking from the go, looking like we wanted it. Until they scored, we played well, other than not scoring.

Can have no beef with that.

I have not seen the match so I am not in a position to comment on the result.I will have to look for player ratings to give me some indication how our players performed.What I will say is its time for the REDS to hit a winning streak and get some confidence in themselves and give us supporters some confidence in them.

We should F**k them up at Goodison as it is an away game which means we will do better and Torres should score.
I thought we played some good football but our decision making in front of goal was awful, Babel with his wild strikes which were not even on target Kuyt had a couple great chances and wasted them, which just adds to the frustration when I watch Kuyt play he's really annoying me. Alonso was his solid self along with Masc, Gerrard was busy and did what he does best which is to save us. I thought Reira was fantastic when he came on and created some good moves, all round not a bad performance but scoring goals we looked unsure of how to put the ball in the back of the net.Our defending from set pieces is still shocking I dont know what they worked on during the week but it didnt F***ing work, again!!!

Everton, no attack sense, so they park the bus! Crap team.

You know after that game i can honestly tell why Babel doesnt start, in my view he was useless. Lucas style useless but first 15 of the game we looked lively and looked like we were going to take the game with little ease. However when they scored we looked a bit lost and well didnt look too good

Second half still no changes we played alot better, Gerrards goal if not somewhat fortunate Howard didnt get his hands to it was a very good goal. After that i thought we would of took the game, to be honest Dossena put some rubbish balls in the box! and babel managed 75 minutes damn!

Doesnt help on the way out of anfield i got lost in a mix of everton fans thousands of them wearing a red shirt and some of the tw*ts stole some seats =/

Ah well, its over now.

We play better away any how.