Liverpool cruised past Steaua Bucharest in the reds first Europa League group game in a real tale of two halves at Anfield.
Many fans stayed away from Anfield in a continued cup match protest at Liverpool’s owners efforts at refinancing, and Roy also gave some of the reds bigger names a night off. Torres and Gerrard were amongst the players who spent the game in their suits, as opposed to their tracksuits.
Joe Cole, who has now also completed his Premier League suspension, took the game by the scruff of the neck when he latched on to some sloppy Romanian defending to send Liverpool into a 1-0 lead after just 27 seconds – his first, of hopefully many, Liverpool goals.
But despite this promising start the reds were lacklustre in the first half, with Steaua having the better of the play.
The reds defence was cleverly unpicked in the 13th minute when a slide through-ball found Tanase who flicked over Reina, the Captain for the evening.
Roy’s frustration was clear to see on the touchline, but the second half was an entirely different affair.
Heading towards the Kop, the reds regained a sense of vigour, and when Kyrgiakos was fouled David N’gog cooly dispatched the penalty to put the reds back in the driving seat.
Ryan Babel made way for Lucas Leiva, and three minutes after arriving on the pitch the Brazilian unleashed a brilliant shot and the goal of the night. The match was won.
The reds had time to add a fourth in injury time when N’gog grabbed his 2nd of the game, and his 6th goal in 7 starts for the reds this season.
Liverpool can play much better but it will be of some comfort that even without the players the press tells us we can’t live without, we actually can.
Team: Reina, Konchesky, Kelly, Agger, Kyrgiakos, Spearing, Meireles, Babel (Leiva 78), Rodriguez (Pacheco 85), Cole (Eccleston 88), Ngog
Subs unused: Jones, Carragher, Johnson, Shelvey
Ref: Muniz Fernandez
Att: 25,605
The first half again was disappointing with us struggling to break an average team but after the break we greatly improved.All in all it was a good performance.
Dear James Mckenna.
As a member of your group and as we have had telephone contact once before.
I as millions of people do love this Football club and its history, and all that goes with Liverpool FC.
Its time to act in the extreme way that makes media, tv, radio, the world to see what is going on.
I have had it up to here with Tom Hicks and his other con.
Please can we all get together and organise a huge game protest or match day protest that see’s either a sky live game!! being stopped
if some of you fans dont wake up then will we will not have a club of much to talk off! like some last nite, untill they (hicks and that other con job walk) dont go to the match, like some, they knew it was time to boycott and even take more drastic action, we the fans need to fight fire with fire, enough is enough with these con men, when are all of you going to wake up. but you still buy your t shirts and walk to game as if nothing is going on? riot and a boycott untill con men are gone