It was a weekend full of surprises. Everton’s loss to a 10-man Liverpool squad saw the Reds through to 4th place, thanks to the toughness of Dirk Kuyt. Torres has been out and Gerrard might as well have taken the season off. It’s Kuyt who has carried the torch through these uncomfortable months.
Liverpool Manager Rafa Benitez has already made plans to take over at Juventus next season. Few thought that he’d leave Liverpool in top-4 standing, but it’s looking like he may actually get there.
For anyone unfamiliar with Champions League qualification, England’s top 4 clubs are included each year and Liverpool has long since been a favorite. If the Reds fail to qualify, they are almost sure to lose their star players. If the star players go, they’ll most likely be downgraded to a mid-table performer and face more serious troubles – a la Leeds of 10 years ago.
Steven Gerrard and the rest of the Liverpool squad just can’t seem to catch a break lately.
Winners of just seven of its past 24 matches, in all competitions, Liverpool had another rough outing Tuesday, drawing 0-0 with league bottom-dweller Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux. The lone bright spot was the return of Gerrard, who played his first match since leaving a Jan. 13 contest against Reading with a hamstring injury. Though the Reds are currently in fifth place in the Premier League, Aston Villa, Birmingham City and Manchester City are nipping at their heels, though they’ve played two fewer matches.
The draw further hits home just how far off last season’s second place pace Rafael Benitez’s team is at the moment. Playing without the injured Fernando Torres, the Reds managed just one shot on goal for the day. But the blame for these offensive woes can’t be placed solely on Liverpool’s shoulders. Wolves boss Mick McCarthy set out to clamp down on the Reds frontline, fielding four defenders and five midfielders. Defender Jody Craddock played a large part in the draw, as he foiled a number of promising plays.
Liverpool had a chance to go up early, but Albert Riera headed a second-minute Gerrard corner past the goal. Later, Dirk Kuyt looked to get his third goal in two games, but Craddock was there to deny him from 20 yards out.
Wolves were playing with a sense of purpose as they looked to avoid relegation and stay in the top tier in English soccer. Currently 17th in the league, the squad holds a slim one goal lead over Burnley; Hull City and Portsmouth round out the Premier League Top 20.
McCarthy’s team was surely happy to see West Ham, who rests just one spot ahead in the standings, draw 1-1 with last-place Pompey. The Hammers hold a goal differential lead over Wolves, though both teams have registered 20 points this season.
As for Liverpool, the loss drops the team just out of Champions League qualification for the time being – a spot it certainly doesn’t want to be in with such a tight group atop the league standings.
A home win against Wolverhampton would have been easy for the Liverpool of 4 months ago, but after a decisive loss to bottom-ranked Portsmouth, we weren’t about to jump to conclusions for today’s match.
Alberto Aquilani had his first start since joining Liverpool from AS Roma in a gazillion dollar transfer deal. He got a standing ovation when he subbed in the final minutes, though he had little (if anything) to do with the win. The clapping was more of a “welcome to Anfield” toast.
Liverpool started strong with crisp passing and a few graceful attempts on goal. Twenty minutes in, the tables turned. Wolverhampton started taking shots and, immediately, Liverpool’s confidence was deflated. Liverpool rallied in the 60th minute when Steven Gerrard took a beautiful cross out of the air, beating three Wolves defenders and their American goalie (Hahnemann), with a perfect header.
Soon after Gerrard’s goal, Israeli midfielder Yossi Benayoun came up with a CR9-esque goal from just inside the 18. It was 2-0 at the final whistle.
Dirk Kuyt/photo credit: Getty Images
