Stoke review - first thoughts

The post-match consensus at the ground seemed to be that Kenny got it wrong with his selection and tactics and I guess that's fair enough to a point, except that it's players who play the game and personally I thought what the manager was setting out to do early on really made sense. Unfortunately, Henderson and Adam in particular seemed to be running on the spot when it was clear they should be coming from deep to support Kuyt, who for me did as well as anyone could, given the total lack of support.

Let's face it Stoke are the Premiership hard knocks; they are bullies who, given the licence from officials are well into playing the thugs. They have four macho men across the back and invite the opposition to swing in crosses which they regard as food and drink. Liverpool's tactic was to avoid falling into that trap and play through them. Except that once they'd achieved that and space had been made neither Henderson (in particular) and Adam were seen beyond 35 yards out.

At least half a dozen times in the first half a wide man worked an opening only to find that Kuyt alone was inside the penalty area; sometimes not even he since he'd come off the centre backs to start the movement in the first instance. At which point there were as many as five Stoke defenders in the box and no red shirt in sight.

Kenny waited until 60minutes to alter things; an error methought. But so violently did the Stoke defenders set about substitute Carroll, it looked for all the world like a Heineken Cup match! And as Howard Webb gave them the green light to continue this, so the greater the physical onslaught.

On one occasion Johnson showed a bit of magic (it's easy to remember because there was so little of it) and dummied Huth to chase the ball into the box. The German defender simply body-checked his run and sent him flying. Play on! Incredible decision, but then a free-kick a yard outside the box was the obvious one and Howard Webb never gives obvious fouls because that makes him normal and he thinks he's above that!

Very soon after Carroll had come on, he was checked as a corner came in to such an extent that he was virtually turned horizontal in the air and systematically dumped; second later he was blatantly shirt-tugged in the area -not one of those iffy ones; just a calculated but obvious clear-to-see foul. The Kop screamed, but didn't Mr. Webb just love that? Play on.

I've seen all Liverpool's home games this season and had plenty of frustrating moments but in all honesty in the second half it was hard to see how the players could really have done much more. Stoke made not an effort to score, except in the last minute when they got a throw-in. They were a disgrace to football really.

I'm not suggesting for a moment that teams should come to places like Anfield and lie down and die, but to play 9 men behind the ball from the first minute is a slap in the face for the beautiful game. Indeed it made an Hodgsonesque 4-4-2 look like 1970s Brazil!

The repost from many who didn't witness this debacle might be to blame Liverpool for not breaking Stoke down. But I don't think even Fowler, Aldo or Rush could have achieved anything today. Even if Barnes, McManaman or Suarez had played they'd have been systematically balked. Given the circumstances of the physicality employed and the licence from the referee to engage foul play on all runners, then we needed to take any single gilt-edged chance that might come our way.

With some 10 minutes to go it duly arrived; a deflected ball bounced across the six yard box and the unmarked Kuyt met the ball with a diving header; goal gaping but alas wide. At which point we all knew that was it. And it was.

Most significant man on the pitch: Howard Webb; worst performer: Howard Webb; man of the match: Howard Webb; most biased person in the ground, including those on the Kop: Howard Webb; biggest ball scratcher: Howard Webb; most successful wrist-jerker: Howard Webb.

I dread to think that he might actually be in charge of one or both Manchester matches the week after this. I do try to be fair with officials even when they make calamitous calls, but this man is beyond the pale. He truly is as bad as it gets, yet he struts around like he's the highest rated referee in the world. Oh, I just forget -he is!!!

It's the first time the man has refereed Liverpool this season. Please, please, please make it the last!

Finally, a post-script on some genuine Liverpool failings regardless of today's opposition. The first one is the crossing, which is very average. Enrique is emerging as a hugely disappointing player for me in this respect, but it's as if there's a contagion in the camp. Adam and Downing arrived with all sorts of positive statistics in this respect, but while the one now appears unable to beat the first man even with corners, the other seems to over-hit every second one.

Meanwhile, a cool head is definitely in short supply and as if to conjure up a scenario to illustrate my point consider any player in the team being put through on goal from the half-way line. Who would you be prepared to bet your last Rolo on?

Me? I'd back a mere three - Gerrard, Bellamy and Johnson. As for the rest- most definitely not. Even Prince Luis has shown he's no good thing with one-on-ones and until Kuyt finally scores his elusive 50th LFC goal, I couldn't back him to score at Subbuteo!

Mike Hopper