Liverpool 3-0 Sunderland: In-game and post-match waffling

What a great match to watch. Just beautiful stuff!!!! Finally some consistency from the team, winning in style after beating QPR.

Gerrard's pass reminded me a bit of his pass to Kuyt for Riise's goal when we played against Barcelona at the Camp Nou in 2007, but this one was even better.

Suarez was great, and he could have scored much more than two.

Great to see Sturridge in the stands.

I really felt for Allen when he found out the goal was disallowed. He showed some real positives, but sometimes he loses the ball in dangerous places, dwells a bit too much at times, but he's young and he's shown a lot of promise. He was getting inside their box frequently, his pass to Johnson for his disallowed goal was really accurate.

Suso was great when we came on.

WOW!! I'm really looking forward to our next match!! Been a long time since I've been this excited. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20843023

PREMIER LEAGUE STATS

Scorers - Luis Suarez 2nd place 15 goals

Assists - Steven Gerrard 1st place 8 assists

Top Goal Attempt - Luis Suarez 1st 123 attempts (Second Ba with 89)

Top On Target Attempt - Luis Suarez 1st 42 on target attempts (Second Ba with 37)

Top Crosses - Steven Gerrard 3rd 151 crosses

Accurate Passes - Steven Gerrard 4th 1182 passes

Accurate Forward Passes - Steven Gerrard 6th 723 passes

Accurate Long Balls - Steven Gerrard 2nd 161 long balls

Top Duels Won - Glen Johnson 17th 130 duels won (Andy Carroll 4th with 145)

Fouls Committed - Luis Suarez 17th 32 fouls

Fouls Suffered - Raheem Sterling 5th 46 fouls

Effective Clearances - Martin Skrtel 15th 86 clearances (Agger 38th 51)

Top Interception - Joe Allen 27th 41 interceptions

Saves - Pepe Reina 16th 42 saves

Tackles - Steven Gerrard 20th 52 tackles

Offsides - Luis Suarez 8th 19 offsides

Yellow Cards - Luis Suarez 4th 7 yellows

PREMIER LEAGUE STATS

Scorers - Luis Suarez 2nd place 15 goals

Assists - Steven Gerrard 1st place 8 assists

Top Goal Attempt - Luis Suarez 1st 123 attempts (Second Ba with 89)

Top On Target Attempt - Luis Suarez 1st 42 on target attempts (Second Ba with 37)

Top Crosses - Steven Gerrard 3rd 151 crosses

Accurate Passes - Steven Gerrard 4th 1182 passes

Accurate Forward Passes - Steven Gerrard 6th 723 passes

Accurate Long Balls - Steven Gerrard 2nd 161 long balls

Top Duels Won - Glen Johnson 17th 130 duels won (Andy Carroll 4th with 145)

Fouls Committed - Luis Suarez 17th 32 fouls

Fouls Suffered - Raheem Sterling 5th 46 fouls

Effective Clearances - Martin Skrtel 15th 86 clearances (Agger 38th 51)

Top Interception - Joe Allen 27th 41 interceptions

Saves - Pepe Reina 16th 42 saves

Tackles - Steven Gerrard 20th 52 tackles

Offsides - Luis Suarez 8th 19 offsides

Yellow Cards - Luis Suarez 4th 7 yellows

Most bollocks talked: Bigmick 1st with 137 examples.

Don't think I can add too much to what has already been said. Very impressive performance, in particular from the likes of Pepe, Hendo, Gerrard and Suarez. Good to see Sturridge in the stands. Hopefully he looked on and realised he will have to work hos arse off to get in to tue team. Great start to 2013 but will be hard to keep it going. The next 4 games is arguably our toughest so far this season. Going in to it in good form. Have to take each game as they come though, starting with FA Cup against Macclesfield. Well done Reds, did us proud!

Not long since got in from the match, first game of the season attending for me and it was a top drawer performance. Suarez and Gerrard were unbelievable. I don't think I saw a bad performance from anybody, Wisdom misplaced a few passes and Suso was a bit shaky to start with but other than that there were no major issues. I don't think 5/6-0 would have flattered us tonight.

Yes mate, 2nd half was the same, apart from the goal we had two goals ruled out softly as offside

Cheers mate, have it recorded so will catch the second half after work.

Absolutely stoked with that game, was brilliant to watch! I was a bit nervous in the first 5mins I thought our back line looked a little shaky but we dominated, absolutely killed em! Joe's goal should have stood for me.

Was really impressed with Henderson, Allen, Sterling, Downing and the rest of the team. Well done lads!

 

Anyone got a gif of that pass by Suarez to Sterling in the 2nd half when Raheem scuffed it?

A magical piece of creativity, I don't think he even looked at Sterling's run, he just knew he was going to be there.

The man is a F***ing genius.

I couldn't watch the match live, so of course it was a thumping 3-0 win for the mighty Reds

That was a hell of a performance. I thought everyone looked solid and assured in both their positions and the formation. For me, the past month or so is the best that Downing and Henderson have played in a Red shirt. Long may that continue and credit to them after being poor last season. Not saying they're top quality or anything, but their performance levels have improved.

Stevie was fantastic again tonight. It feels so amazing when he's on his game and the team totally reaps the rewards of that. Well in Captain.

The back four were great as well, although I thought Skrtel was giving away silly free kicks kind of easily in the first half. Glen at LB is awesome and big Andre Wisdom is back! Happy for Pepe as well. He looked very good making saves and his distribution was back to its best.

Brilliantly taken goal by Sterling. Happy for him after what was a poor match at QPR. Joe Allen looked hungry when he came on as well.

As for Luis Suarez. Well, what more can you say about that hasn't already been said this season? We're fast running out of superlatives for him.

So happy to start 2013 off with two victories: Getting the Sturridge deal done quickly and a commanding performance at Anfield. Two wins on the bounce, let's keep that going in the FA Cup and then at United.

Luis has now firmly addressed his critics who said he was not a finisher.I think luis sows because he always seem to put the ball through the keepers legs. Its a joy to watch him, gerrad has stepped up his game now and is back to his best. Always happens near a renewal in contract. We should slaughter mansfield on sunday.

Excellent report by Chris Bascombe of The Daily Telegraph.

Liverpool 3 Sunderland 0: match report




Whatever medicine was administered to cure the sickness bug vexing Anfield over the past few days, the tonic had a reassuringly therapeutic effect. Brendan Rodgers’s Liverpool team have never looked healthier than when inflicting punishment on Sunderland on what proved a torrid night for the visitors’ manager, Martin O’Neill.

Luis Suárez in mesmeric form; a second consecutive Premier League win (for only the second time this season); the multimillion-pound signing of a new striker; the off­loading of another wage burden to West Ham; and the European places back within shooting distance. They will be bringing out the bunting if the new year brings more nights like this in this stadium.

Suárez and Raheem Sterling prolonged the festive celebrations with first-half goals against the North-East side, before the Uruguayan continued the masterclass with his 18th of the season in a comfortable 3-0 win.

Having shaken off the ailment that caused him to miss Liverpool’s weekend win at Queens Park Rangers, Rodgers was positively beaming after a comfortable victory, particularly effusive on Suárez.

“I was talking with Harry Redknapp the day after our game at QPR and we said Suárez was a Messi-type character,” Rodgers said. “When I gave him a break at the start of the season he didn’t want it. He wants to play two or three times a week to be on top of his game – one game a week is no good to him. He needs to be playing. You see the response you get from him. He is never in the treatment room and then he always comes out and performs. You see the response from him and the ways he works. He is thriving.”

 Suárez is on course to become the first Liverpool striker to score 30 goals in a season since Robbie Fowler, but this was as complete and dominant a team performance as Rodgers has seen since taking over. It could easily have been six. Even Jordan Henderson was superb.

It was exactly what Rodgers needed because, as far as the Premier League goes, 2012 was barren for Liverpool. A meagre 46 points in the last calendar year exposed the absurdity of pre­tensions of a swift return to the Champions League. Only QPR and Aston Villa won less.

The reality is they are still in a battle to finish in the top six. In recent time even that has looked optimistic. Performances like this make it seem like it should be a formality. When you are watching Suárez, Steven Gerrard, Glen Johnson and Daniel Agger in full flow, the Kop phoenix looks ready to shake off those ashes.

Where there is heightened cause for hope is in the combined force of Suárez and the Anfield youth ranks. It was appropriate that this was the lethal combination for Liverpool’s first goals of 2013.

Sterling’s resolution was to add goals to his repertoire of step-overs and shimmies, and the second of his Liverpool career came on 19 minutes. Suárez pounced on Gerrard’s headed clearance before looping a defence-splitting pass, wrong-footing centre-halves Matt Kilgallon and Carlos Cuéllar. Sterling chipped the onrushing goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, a cool finish, and Liverpool’s bright start during which Andre ­Wisdom and Stewart Downing also went close, was rewarded.

Sunderland’s best opportunity passed on 22 minutes. James McClean somehow missed the target when sent clear in the box by Steven Fletcher. “We needed to take that chance. We were well beaten,” said O’Neill.

 Suárez punished the visitors on 26 minutes. Cuéllar tried to barge the South American off the ball but succeeded only in losing balance. That allowed the striker to run clear and finish with the outside of his right foot, Mignolet seemingly confounded by the audacity of the attempt.

Suárez added his second on 53 minutes, superbly judging an extraordinary 70-yard pass from Gerrard, allowing it to drift over his shoulder before nudging past Mignolet. Daniel Sturridge, signed for £12 million on Wednesday and watching from the stands last night, joined the applause. He should prosper alongside Suárez.

It remains a period of transition, but Rodgers may also note that Liverpool now need only one more win to equal the number of home victories for all of last season – a reminder that he did not exactly take over a club on the march.

After rare back-to-back wins, Liverpool can set their sights on an even more elusive target. Three victories in succession, something they have not managed in the league yet. It should be no problem. They only have Manchester United (away) next.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/9767393/Liverpool-3-Sunderland-0-match-report.html

Cracking performance from Suarez confirmed by his FPL score:





260 assists, but only played 18 minutes!

Suarez is taking it all in his stride, the "burden" of being the only main striker. He is absolutely incredible. Sturridge will have the same hunger and I think will dazzle us with some skills of his own. I hope to see many goals out of these two in the coming years, in big games..

Raheem excellent and excellent goal.. Henderson I was very happy with..

Very happy with the subs too!!!! We got to see an assertive sub at the hour mark, resting Sterling for the FA cup tie, then Suso got time which was great. Allen was fantastic. Could go on about our team. Very happy with the new signing, I hope we can put it all together and mount a legitimate Champions League challenge this season.

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After rare back-to-back wins, Liverpool can set their sights on an even more elusive target. Three victories in succession, something they have not managed in the league yet. It should be no problem. They only have Manchester United (away) next.

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Ferguson and Man United will be shitting themselves.

What I enjoyed the most in this game is was that for once, Suarez's role was only to score. At least we could see that he was not at the start of every opportunities created, he was there to conclude them. Hendo was good and for once showed willingness to create something with the ball. The defense was solid, REINA WAS BACK TO HIS BEST!!! I'm so happy for him. Gerrard is back on track and Sterling scored(should dribble and cross more though).

Great performance last night we could & should have had 5 at least. The atmosphere on the Kop last
night was wonderful it was back to the Rafa, Alonso,Torres early days loved it. Took the Mrs last night
first game in 2 years & now she wants to go to Norwich (nightmare!!).

All the lads were superb last night everyone from Pepe what a double save to Luis.

Pepe Back to awesome best (about time)                                                          10
Andre Wisdom very composed performance                                                         8
Glen Johnson Strolled thru the 90 minutes looked like he was playing 5 a side             9
Martin Skrtel Beast Fastest CB in the league                                                        9
Danny Agger see G Johnson                                                                               9
Steven Gerrard Back to his supreme best AWESOME                                             10
Jordan Henderson Best game of his Liverpool career well done sir                             9
Lucas Leiva See G Johnson                                                                                9
Stuart Downing Superb a real threat KEEP IT UP                                                    8
Raheem Sterling Great Goal well done                                                                  8
Luis Suarez Beyond Words at times..                                                                 10

Joe Allen looked the part when he came on as did Suso nice to hear a big chear
for Jamie when he came on too..

Watched the replay of the game and scrutinized the game closer and has this to say  :-

Pepe – very sharp with his reflexes and made some very good saves and early distribution of the ball. On the way back to his best.

Wisdom – didn’t give an inch away and  had  a solid game and he can only improve from here. Made some useful forward runs and crosses and started some useful attacks and took a few shots at goal, he’ll score soon. Very confident player for his age, he can only improve from here.

Skrtel  -  Didn’t give the opposition time and space on the ball. Put in some very effective aerial and ground challlenges before the ball gets to the opposition player. Had a solid game.

Agger – Had a good game but could be useful to put in some early tackles at the edge of our box to break up the opposition attack.

Johnson  -  Solid in defence and make some effective forward runs and unfortunately to have been ruled offside for Allen’s goal.

Lucas – The most unnoticed and under rated player on the pitch. Read the game well and closed down the opposition early and provided useful cover for our back four.

Gerrard  -  His long range passes were amazing and I think BR has started to use Stevie in a more intelligent manner. If Stevie’s long range passes to Suarez and Sterling is on target, opposition defence will have many nightmares from now on. This is one of BR most intelligent move.

Henderson – His game took me by surprise, his forward runs and passes, crunching tackles and moving into the opposition box is refreshing and he nearly scored a goal. I’ve not seen too many of the side and back passes and he can only improve from here. His worst enemy is his own confidence.

Sterling -  Seen improvement in his composure by scoring a goal and he can only get better with his improved confidence inside the box. Saw some very good link-up play with Suarez. Looks like both is starting to click. Didn’t see any shouting or scoding from Suarez for a misplaced pass from Sterling and hopefully Suarez will provide some useful guidance to Sterling. Sterling has now started to pull 2-defenders with him most of the time and I hope BR will take full advantege of the space created.

Downing  - Had a good game, attacking and defending. Sadly, no one got to the end of his crosses. Hope BR saw that and will take full advantage of that. I woudn’t sell Downing at this stage, he’s still  a good player.

Suarez  -  Not much to add on to what has already been said. Amazing player. At the rate he’s going, 30-goals is an achieveable target for him. Most happy thing is he links up well with Sterling and now Sturridge will be added on, things can only get more excited from here. We’re 3-goals up and he continue to play as if we were behind.

Allen  - I’m impressed with his play. He looks hungry and looks more useful as an attacking mid than a defending mid. He knows when to move into the box at the riight place and time.   

Suso  - Very impressed with his play, one of the very few players that can make a forward pass in midfield in tight situations and perhaps unlock defence.  Reminds me very much of our Luis Garcia with his defence splitting passes and creates something out of nothing. 

Overall a very very good perfomance and we attacked with purpose and speed and defended well. Looks like BR has started to address some of our weaknesses. With some quality players added on, we can only get better in the 2nd half of the season.

Special mention for the referee who also had a very good game. Decisions were consistent and fair.

I like how MOTD tried to make out Sunderland had the better of the first 20 minutes. Did they bollocks. 3-0 flattered them.

Also just like to say how great it is to see Stevie back on top form. The goals he scored in previous games have really lifted his confidence by the looks of things, and with that his performance level.

Great game he had last night and he had an even better game IMO against QPR where he tackled like the Gerrard of old.

Lucas has been sorely missed - and part of me does wonder if he had been fit for second half of last season whether we would have got close to the CL berth last season.

It does appear that BR (maybe because Lucas is back) is letting Stevie off the leash a bit and adding back in the long range passing which he is so good at.

Anyway, time to foucs now on FA cup, before we go behind enemy lines

Great performance and a good win.

Was also great to hear some of the old school at the back of the Kop singing songs I haven't heard since the 90's!

Lucas has been sorely missed - and part of me does wonder if he had been fit for second half of last season whether we would have got close to the CL berth last season.

It does appear that BR (maybe because Lucas is back) is letting Stevie off the leash a bit and adding back in the long range passing which he is so good at.

Anyway, time to foucs now on FA cup, before we go behind enemy lines

We would have been for sure. Lucas is a great player who does the simple things well and consistently. Since Hodgson I can't remember a game in which he has been average or below(except his few games after returning from injury maybe).