Cole fails whilst Babel spares Reds' blushes

Sports - Football - Europa League - Liverpool 1:0 Trabzonspor

Liverpool should have left Anfield with a comfortable 3-goal cushion as least to take away to the second leg against the Turkish "Bordo-Mavillier" (Maroon Blues) at the Huseyin Ami Aker Stadium next week. But the Reds were denied one goal but the referee and Joe Cole missed a penalty to make things from bad to worse for the former Blue.

The first half didn't see much action worth mentioning apart from Pepe Reina's save of a Bulut Umut free kick in the opening minutes. With only seconds remaining of the first half, Cole on the break, put a fine cross through to David Ngog in the box who made it look easy to net it into the right hand-corner of the goal, a fine and skillful goal.

The second half had much more to show for it, Liverpool much more on the attack with Fernando Torres on for Ngog and making a direct impact, pulling a save out of Turkish keeper Onur Kivrak with his first touch of the match from far out on the left sideline.

Lucas Leiva then missed a sitter for Liverpool, heading the ball wide from a couple of yards out with all the space in the world. When Serkan Balci's clumsily felled Lucas down in the box, it gave Cole a chance to open his account for the Reds. He was keen to get off the mark but gave it a soft shit and Kivrak an easy save.

Then Dane Christian Poulsen thought he had opened his Liverpool account when he had bundled the ball over the line, just to be denied by the referee Thomas Einwaller who awarded the Turkish keeper a controversial free kick.

Roy Hodgson, who rested both Dirk Kuyt and Steven Gerrard from midweek action, has admitted that Joe Cole has made a nightmare start to his Liverpool career, but remains confident he will pull through it and prove his worth. After being sent off in the Premier League season opener against Arsenal and missing a penalty in this match, Cole will be everything else but a happy red bunny.

Hodgson accepts the midfielder has made headlines for all the wrong reasons (including a speeding fine, points and a threat on losing his license), but believes Cole needs time to discover his best form for the club.

"He was so desperate to start his career here well and he hasn't done so," Hodgson said on Sky Sports News. "In the first game he managed to get sent off - albeit harshly. In the second he missed an penalty. It couldn't be a worse start for Joe Cole in his Liverpool career but starts are starts and finishes are finishes.

"We will judge Joe Cole on what he has done for Liverpool some time in the middle of May when the final ball this season has been kicked." - well, Roy, let's see if he will last that long...

Quotes taken from Sky Text page 251 on Saturday, 21st August 2010, 3.30pm.

Liverpool: Reina; Aurelio, Kyrgiakos, Carragher, Kelly; Cole, Maxi (Ngog ,73.), Lucas, Poulsen; Jovanovic, Babale (Torres, HT).

Subs not used: Cavalieri, Wilson, Skrtel, Spearing, Pacheco.

Trabzonspor: Kivrak; Cale (booked 86.), Glowacki, Gulselam (booked 54.), Korkmaz (booked 79.); Inan, Yilmaz (Alanzinho, 56.), Balci (booked 51.), Teofilo Gutierrez; Bulut (Ibrahima Yattara, 86.), Colman (Kacar, 77.).

Subs not used: Zengin, Atas, Badur, Jaja.

BBC Stats

Liverpool-Trabzonspor

Attempts: 14-9

On target: 8-4

Corners: 6-5

Free kicks: 24-15

Possession: 53%-47%

Sky Stats

Liverpool-Trabzonspor

Attempts: 12-6

On target: 7-2

Offsides: 2-1

Corners: 6-5

Free kicks: 24-16

Possession: 51%-49%

Passing Success: 77.78%-79.37%

Tackles/Success: 21/76.19%-20/65%

Territorial Advantage: 50.67%-49.33%

Referee: Thomas Einwaller

Man of the match: Ryan Babel