Benitez discovers fine line between success and
failure
A third defeat in their first four away games has left Liverpool's
title ambitions looking sicker than Sam Allardyce in a Sky TV
studio. Losing at Chelsea and Everton is one thing, being outplayed
by Bolton quite another.
Rafael Benitez had a moment of controversy to moan about when a
wretched decision by linesman Andy Halliday handed Bolton their
opening goal, but Liverpool had an hour in which to come back and
they failed dismally.
There was nothing wrong with Bolton's second and the game was
neither over-physical nor as bad-tempered as last season's game.
Benitez might have to stop being patronising about the way other
teams play and look at the faults in his own side.
Perhaps he could start by not changing it every week. Peter Crouch
was benched after his Champions League heroics on Wednesday, Craig
Bellamy came in and was again ineffective, although neither he nor
Steven Gerrard is a left winger, yet he replaced his team captain
in that position as Benitez belatedly switched to match Bolton's
4-5-1 formation.
Gerrard faded after a good first half, a strangely truculent Dirk
Kuyt was withdrawn shortly after the interval and long before the
end Xabi Alonso was reduced to hopeful shots from 30 yards. Bolton,
by contrast, were full of ideas and honest endeavour, with Gary
Speed and Ivan Campo bringing all their experience to bear in
midfield, Nicky Hunt and Abdoulaye Faye defending superbly
throughout the second half and Kevin Davies turning in a highly
impressive performance on the right wing.
Davies was more impressive than Jermaine Pennant, the winger
England head coach Steve McClaren had turned up to watch. Only the
two former Liverpool players at the Reebok, Nicolas Anelka and El
Hadji Diouf, were anonymous and if they start playing to their
potential soon, Bolton might climb even higher in the table.
Anelka looked lethargic after only four minutes, when Sami Hyypia's
slip gave him a sight of goal, but he reacted so slowly the
defender got back to dispossess him. Kuyt brought the first of
several saves from Jussi Jaaskelainen, shortly before Alonso struck
a post and although Bolton's goalkeeper again came to their rescue
from Gerrard's powerful drive shortly before the interval, the
Liverpool player had hit it straight at him.
By then Bolton were in front, courtesy of the first half's major
talking point. Referee Phil Dowd brought play back from the other
end on the insistence of one of his assistants, who claimed Jose
Reina had carried the ball out of his area in making a clearance.
Television replays established Halliday was wrong, a furious
Benitez knew from his touchline monitor that the call was bad and
watching Reina dive the wrong way as Speed scored through the wall
did little to improve his mood.
'We were controlling the first half, but this incident changed the
game,' the Liverpool manager said. 'That and conceding so soon in
the second half.' Allardyce, who had posted Benitez's comments
about Bolton's physical approach on the dressing-room wall to gee
up his players, confirmed that taking the lead had changed
everything.
'The plan switched at half time to defending that lead because I
didn't think we would get too many more chances,' he said. He was
wrong. Davies sent over a cross six minutes into the second half
and Campo met it perfectly, although that was merely a bonus.
Statistics showing that Liverpool had 70 per cent of possession
confirmed that Bolton spent most of the game defending. More
revealing was the shot count. Liverpool had 13 on target, Bolton
just the two.
'We took our chances and that which was crucial,' Allardyce said
with a satisfied smile. 'We don't have Liverpool's money, so we
maximise our talent withinthe laws of the game.'
