Liverpool may have started and ended this Premier League clash trapped in the relegation zone in 18th place but this was a hugely important win.
The reds were in danger of continuing their disappointing run to their worst league start for 110 years but goals from Kyrgiakos and Torres, either side of an own goal ensured that the reds took all three points.
Liverpool, without a victory in 7 competitive games before today, started brightly on a cold but bright day at Anfield. They responded well to the physical nature of Blackburn’s football and were in the ascendancy for the majority of the first half.
Paul Robinson, single handedly (althoughly occasionally with both hands) kept Blackburn level in the first half as the reds produced a number of decent attacking moves, peppering the opponents goal with a number of chances.
Rodriguez and Meireles were amongst the pick of the bunch in the first half – taking advantage of the atmosphere generated in part by Gerry Marsden’s appearance on the pitch before the game to lead the ritual of the fans singing YNWA.
Early in the second half the reds made a deserved breakthrough. Gerrard finally appears to have turned his hand at inswinging corners and Kyrgiakos rose a few feet higher than anyone else to head at goal. A weak deflection off Olsson helped send the ball goalwards.
Within minutes, Blackburn had equalised, continuing to expose the reds lack of pace at the back. Their quick counter saw Hadji Diouf fire goalbound. Konchesky’s clearance to no avail as the ball found Carragher’s chest and headed in to the back of the net.
Within another three minutes the reds restored their lead. Joe Cole whipping in a decent cross, Torres finding himself a yard or two of space and placing the ball in to the Kop goal.
The reds continued to perform until around the 70th minute, when nerves started jangling in the crowd, which begin to creep in to the play on the field.
Unusual at Anfield, but these are relatively desperate days, Liverpool attempted to play out the final minutes – almost finding themselves in trouble when a poor backpass headed towards Reina.
Ultimately we held on, and Hodgson gets his 2nd league victory in 9 attempts.
Roy Hodgson suggested he wouldn’t look at the league table until the 10th game. Irrespective of next week’s result at Bolton – it clearly won’t make pleasant viewing just yet.
i do agree , i like roy as a man but he is just not the huge name – big hitting manager that players look up to! and anyone says that o’neil is what we need then you need to go to a shrink,,,
Blackburn were very poor …terrible and very weakened w/o samba and nelson their main defensive and attacking threat
perspective!
Hodgsen OUT
spend money NESV WE F**** NEED IT BIG TIME
for a first time in a long time played with passion and good teamwork. think its about time carra was benched and kelly take his place. lacks pace. sotis tries hard now got two goals.this could be the start of a revival of fortunes
carra wanted benetiz sack and english Hodgsen In …his reward? a 2 year contract sneaked in before owners purchased club…and a promise from woy not to drop him
r the people who think woy deserves to sit in the same seat as shanks ect MAD the talent he has in the squad and scrapes a win against blackburn i hope we dont relegated (in woy i dont trust)
I want Change, bring in Atletico Madrid boss Quique Sanchez Flores.
I want llorente up front with nando.
I want glen johnson to either start playing or do one, bring in lahm if he goes.
I want one if not two wingers,one should be mata.
Then i want a super star signing to bring back fans hopes and make a feel good factor, and id go for.
aguero.
REINA
LAHM CARR AGGER AURELIO
GERRARD RAUL MATA
AGUERO
LLORENTE TORRES
soto! what a guy, ever since he has come to the club his attitude has been fisrt class, he is never always first chioce and apart from when he played in Lyon in the champions league draw when he made that slip to let in Lopez he hasnt relaly done a thing wrong! really like his love for the club and he is saying good things about martin kelly too which is nice, when he himslef does not get every game, credit the the type of player i want in red.
really like soto! great header…. well in
Must do better and a lot better!.We should be getting much better results with the players we have, my guess is that they’re either not keen on the defensive tactics or have some other problem with the manager.
Good thing is that we created many chances and could have scored more but lets not forget that is was Blackburn not Barelona!.Still crying out for width, must sort this problem out in Jan!.