Everton take Merseyside derby spoils & points

Sports - Football - Premier League - Everton 2:0 Liverpool

American businessmen and new Liverpool owners John W. Henry and Tom Werner had to watch their new team struggle against their local rivals and start their reign with the Reds on the losing side and in the relegation zone, 19th position behind Wolves on goal difference.


Everton started with clear intentions and dominated the first half in possession and chances. Tim Cahill gave his side the deserved lead in the 34th minute with a fine right-footed turn-curl shot off a Seamus Coleman cross into the box, a solid strike over and past Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina, giving Liverpool a lot to do and a lot to think and work on at half time.

It didn't take long though for things to get even worse for the Reds. Mikel Arteta's strike off a Laighton Baines corner, curled right past Reina from just outside the box after Sotirios Kyrgiakos headed the Everton corner back leaving Arteta with too much space and no cover.

Replays showed the Everton forward Ayegbeni Yakubu in an offside position, not involved in play but possibly and seemingly blocking Reina's view of the ball. It would have been harsh not to give the goal though.

This controversial setback seemed to finally get Liverpool going, pushing Everton back more, enjoying more possession and giving Tim Howard more to chew on than before. But it wasn't meant to be, Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard drawing frustrated pictures of themselves, falling over and losing the ball or putting it out wide and high more than too often.

Roy Hodgson's late changes saw a little if some effect. Ryan Babel and Milan Jovanovic both caught Howard and his defenders out late on, but were not able to turn their advantages into the net and into goals.

The last mintues were tense but the home side held through - Jermaine Beckford walking on thin ice the last few minutes with some ill indiscipline, could have nicked another goal in to make it three but lost out to Reina in the end.

David Moyes and his side definitely ended up the happier though with two goals and three points in the bag, showing Liverpool that change takes time, a long time.

Hodgson, Henry and Werner must have gathered and should know by now that it is going to be a long road to walk on this season, that's for sure. Don't do anything hasty and stupid now, work and walk on.

Everton: Howard; Baines, Heitinga (Hibbert 72), Jagielka, Distin; Neville, Coleman, Arteta (goal 50; Beckford 74, booked 76), Cahill (booked 29, goal 34); Osman (Bilyaletdinov 46), Yakubu.
Subs not used: Mucha, Shokdran Mustafi, Magaye Gueye, Baxter.

Liverpool: Reina; Konchesky, Kyrgiakos, Carragher, Skrtel; Raul Meireles (booked 31), Gerrard, Cole (Babel 80), Maxi (booked 19, Jovanovic 85), Lucas (Ngog 71); Torres (booked 88).
Subs not used: Jones, Aurelio, Kelly, Spearing.

Everton-Liverpool 1st half stats:
Attempts: 5-2
On target: 3-1
Offsides: 0-0
Corners: 5-2
Free kicks: 6-7
Possession: 54%-46%

Everton-Liverpool 2nd half stats:
Attempts: 3-8
On target: 1-6
Offsides: 0-0
Corners: 3-5
Free kicks: 3-3
Possesion: 44%-56%

Sky Sports stats:
Everton-Liverpool Passing Success: 67.9%-84.3
Tackles/Success: 29/72.4%-24/62.5%
Action Areas: Everton 10%-41%-49% Liverpool (first 10 minutes)
Territorial Advantage: 48.9%-51.1%

Referee: Howard Webb
Man of the match: Tim Cahill

Match Summary: Everton 2-0 Liverpool

Sports - Football - Premier League

Full-time Summary: Everton 2-0 Liverpool

The Reds' new owners had to watch their new team struggle against their local rivals, losing 2-0 against Everton at Goodison, leaving them in the relegation zone, in 19th position behind Wolves on goal difference.

Full match report will follow...

11: Free kick just outside box, Arteta against the wall, back towards Cahill, Jagielka puts a good chance high and over.

14: Distin turns & feeds it past the goal, too easy, too much space, deflects out for a corner, Liverpool have to weather early storm.

23: Torres heads Joe Cole's cut in cross over, first effort on goal.

24: Lucas kicks over from corner.

28: Reina stops and picks up Yakubu's shot from 18 yards out, low to his right

31: Meireles shot blocked by Heitinga.

33:26: Coleman brilliant start retains possession, cross into box, pass back, unstoppable, right-foot curl-turn shot, by Tim Cahill, solid strike over & around Reina, 1-0.

41: Torres getting in his team mate's way in the box, chance wasted.

45: Strong Osman shot into Reina's gloves.

HT: 1-0

46: Maxi nicks one into Howard's gloves, on target.

49:17: Arteta right foot strike in, curled right past Reina from just outside the box, after Kyrgiakos headed back corner, too much space, no cover, 2-0. Yakubu in offside position blocking Reina's view? Active? Involved? Offside? Obviously not, 2-0 it stands.

58: Torres loses the ball once again... Can Liverpool create anything like a threat? So far, no's the answer...

60: Soft, low corner by Gerrard, easily kicked out... Hodgson pondering a change... Nest corner sizzles out to nothing again for Liverpool... More possesson by the Reds though, have to keep up work rate if they want to catch up...

62: Torres pulled back by Jagielka in the box? Soft, sad, shame...

63: Low shot by Meireles, easy hold for Howard.

65: Rodriguez to Torres, thumps it high.

68: Joe Cole finds space but puts it high and over too.

68: Last 10 min possession: Everton 42%-58% Liverpool

69: Howard spills Meireles shot, Everton shivering?

77: Beckford kicks ball into goal after the whistle has gone, cheeky and risky after he had just been booked.

79: Beckford goes down in the box v Skrtel, no contact evident, no penalty.

83: Howard gets finger tips onto Gerrard cross, corner.

84: Free kick right side of the box, headed out by Kyrgiakos, goal kick.

85: Beckford shot off Kyrgiakos for a corner, soft.

86: Gerrard shot wide, Hodgson looking frustated, rightly so, Liverpool's new owners looking on.

87: Torres shot saved by Howard, delayed shot, past defender, not bad.

89: Beckford goes down dramatically against Skrtel, Everton take their time, put very wide, nearly hitting the corner flag.

92: Should have been 3-0, Everton break free, Beckford all the space in the world puts it high and over.

93: Babel catches Howard by surprise, Ngog puts one wide seconds later, corner taken quickly, another corner from that. Everton defending mad, Meireles puts one wide after Jovanovic's shot is cleared by a defender. Intensive last minutes, but all for nothing in the end.

95: Beckford breaks late on but loses it to a Red defender, Reina's ball in the end.

FT: 2-0

Everton: 24 Howard; 3 Baines, 5 Heitinga (2 Hibbert 72), 6 Jagielka, 15 Distin; 18 Neville, 23 Coleman, 10 Arteta (goal 50; 16 Beckford 74, booked 76), 17 Cahill (booked 29, goal 34); 21 Osman (7 Bilyaletdinov 46), 22 Yakubu.
Subs not used: 1 Mucha, 30 Shokdran Mustafi, 19 Magaye Gueye, 37 Baxter.

Liverpool: 25 Reina; 3 Konchesky, 16 Kyrgiakos, 23 Carragher, 37 Skrtel; 4 Raul Meireles (booked 31), 8 Gerrard, 10 Cole (19 Babel 80), 17 Maxi (booked 19, 14 Jovanovic 85), 21 Lucas (24 Ngog 71); 9 Torres (booked 88).
Subs not used: 1 Jones, 6 Aurelio, 34 Kelly, 26 Spearing.

Everton-Liverpool
1st half stats:
Attempts: 5-2
On target: 3-1
Offsides: 0-0
Corners: 5-2
Free kicks: 6-7
Possession: 54%-46%

Everton-Liverpool
2nd half stats:
Attempts: 3-8
On target: 1-6
Offsides: 0-0
Corners: 3-5
Free kicks: 3-3
Possesion: 44%-56%

Other stats:
Action Areas first 10 minutes: Everton 10%-41%-49% Liverpool

Referee: Howard Webb
Man of the match: Tim Cahill

HT Summary: Everton 1-0 Liverpool

Sports - Football - Premier League

Half-time Summary: Everton 1-0 Liverpool

Everton dominated the first half with more possession and chances, giving Liverpool a lot to do and a lot to think and work on at half time.

11: Free kick just outside box, Arteta against the wall, back towards Cahill, Jagielka puts a good chance high and over.

14: Distin turns and feeds it past the goal, too easy, too much space, deflects out for a corner, Liverpool have to weather an early storm.

23: Torres heads Joe Cole's cut-in cross over, first effort on goal.

24: Lucas kicks over from a corner.

28: Reina stops and picks up Yakubu's shot from 18 yards out, low to his right

31: Meireles shot blocked by Heitinga.

33.26: Coleman brilliant start, retains possession, cross into box, pass back, unstoppable, right-foot curl-turn shot from Tim Cahill, solid strike over and around Reina, 1-0.

41: Torres getting in his team mate's way in the box, chance wasted.

45: Strong Osman shot into Reina's gloves.

HT: 1-0

Everton 24 Howard; 3 Baines, 5 Heitinga, 6 Jagielka, 15 Distin; 18 Neville, 23 Coleman, 10 Arteta, 17 Cahill (booked 29, goal 34); 21 Osman, 22 Yakubu.
Subs: 1 Mucha, 2 Hibbert, 30 Shokdran Mustafi, 7 Bilyaletdinov, 16 Beckford, 19 Magaye Gueye, 37 Baxter.

Liverpool 25 Reina; 3 Konchesky, 16 Kyrgiakos, 23 Carragher, 37 Skrtel; 4 Raul Meireles (booked 31), 8 Gerrard, 10 Cole, 17 Maxi (booked 19); 21 Lucas, 9 Torres.
Subs: 1 Jones, 6 Aurelio, 34 Kelly, 26 Spearing, 14 Jovanovic, 19 Babel, 24 Ngog.

Everton-Liverpool
1st half stats:
Attempts: 5-2
On target: 3-1
Offsides: 0-0
Corners: 5-2
Free kicks: 6-7
Possession: 54%-46%

Other stats:
Action Areas first 10 minutes:
Everton 10%-41%-49% Liverpool

Referee: Howard Webb
Man of the half: Tim Cahill

Yank Drama - Is the ownership fiasco over?

Sports - Football - Premier League - Liverpool

I would like to think it's over, but don't want to believe it quite yet. There are still the doubts - the bad experience of the past three weeks/months/years, the insecurity, scepticism, inconsistencies, obscurity, hypocrisy, lack of professionalism, lies, deceit, scam, broken promises, ... There is always that thought in the back of the head wishing "please, not the same all over again!".


I remember the day George Gillett and Tom Hicks took over, I had tears in one eye and an expecting, hopeful, glowing stare in the other. Like I wrote in my blog nearly two years ago, it seemed like the priorities and powers had and have shifted, away from the game and the fans to a couple of business men who have nothing to do and no knowledge and concept of the sport apart from money money money.

It's turned the sport into a drama saga, a soap opera. When you turn your telly onto Sky Sports News in the morning, it is not what happens on the pitch that dominates but what goes on behind the scenes, on the board. You wonder who will have it off with whom next, what big shake- and takeover, fight/bust-up/backstabbing will be next in the headlines, who with whom, who against whom, what, why, how, ... Like the big duff-duff at the end of each EastEnders episode you are left wondering how they will follow up on that big bang and what will happen next.

Chelsea

Chelsea and Roman Abramovich started off the new money-talks trend in June 2003 setting a shiny, high-flying example of how to splash the cash and live it out big style - a bit like Dallas or Days of our Lives, the mommies of all American soap operas. It seemed and seems all too perfect, you just wonder if and when the botox-ridden faces are going to crack, the perfect mirror frame will shatter to pieces and burst the bubble.

Manchester United

Malcolm Glazer bought out and gained control at Manchester United in June 2005 and in contrast to Chelsea and their beloved Russian billionaire, the American business man and the Red Devils never saw eye to eye. A bit like The Jerry Springer Show, the fans kicked off with chairs flying and temperaments burning (amongst other stuff). The water has grown still for the moment, on the surface, but it's just a question of time when the troubles will erupt again. A club-record loss of £83.6m announced in their annual financial results this month doesn't help the cause exactly and certainly won't help to keep the calm either.

Manchester City

In contrast to their city rivals, Manchester City have done a better job of trying to emulate the rise and shine of big spenders Chelsea after former Thailand prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's company was bought out by Abu Dhabi-based Abu Dhabi United Group Investment and Development Limited in September 2008. New owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan excelled in big-spending, outdoing Chelsea and Manchester United, easy. Overspending and overachieving, City finished last season in 5th position and evolved to serious holy-top-4-Champions League-slot-contenders this season. Even more as with Chelsea though, it is only a matter of time when (not if) the bubble will burst. We will see how far they can grow before they have to fall...

Arsenal

Last but definitely not least of all the ownership drama sagas, Arsenal make the most moderate, sane and rational teams of the lot. The Gunners are the third most valuable football team in the world after Real Madrid and Manchester United according to an evaluation by business magazine Forbes in April 2010, valuing the club at $1.181bn (£768m), excluding debt. The largest shareholder on the board is American sports tycoon Stan Kroenke who has tried to break the peace and has made a couple of attempts and bids to take over the club. He hasn't succeeded - yet. We will see what happens in the next episode...

Back to basics, back to Anfield?

That brings me back to my club Liverpool and their next episode. I hope all the promises and expectations are met this time round - clearing the debts, strengthening the team, finding the way to a new ground (which brings me to a whole new issue and topic, I am for keeping, refurbishing and expanding Anfield and all its history) - only time will tell.

In the meantime, I send a big thanks to New England Sports Ventures (NESV) and their head John W. Henry, our chairman Martin Broughton, Managing Director Christian Purslow and Commercial Director Ian Ayre for holding through, sorting out and taking over the mess Hicks and Gillett left them with.

But I also dare to warn them, we will not just sit back and watch, we will make our voice heard as we have done all the way. I am with Spirit of Shankly (SOS), soon to be Spirit of Shankly-ShareLiverpoolFC (SOS-SL), have joined, spoken and listened to them and hope they will do the same. Take this as a warming as well as a warning welcome:
You WILL NEVER walk alone!