Wow, no one could have guessed that Pennant was going to get sent off. Do you think Rafa will read the riot act to the players after this performance? The discipline is poor. The passing is poor. Can't even say anything about finishing because we have had no chances. The only thing that's positive about this match is that it has stayed 1-1. Don't worry I am knocking on wood as I said that.
Best passing combination of the game. Stevie should have taken the chance rather than passing that off.
Urgh - perhaps the ugliest LFC performance I've seen in a long time. We're lucky to have come away with a point.
Full-time. Well, we got outta gaol this time. Porto flattered to deceive, to be honest. Gradually ran out of puff and out of ideas and started to employ clever continental cleverness. They could and ought really to have mullered us out of sight. Liverpool? Flat is being kind.
Dire and shit. Pennant and Babel... ugh they were both shit all game (well Pennant was before he got sent off), we got nothing from the centre of midfield either. The only plus I can take from this game is we hopefully can't play this bad again this season
on the bright side, the only way teams can score against us is from the spot and didn't Arsenal and Chelski only manage draws at Porto last season?
Derek Rae and Tommy Smith say this should feel like a win but it doesn't. I am sorry it just doesn't feel like a good result because of how poorly we played but I will setup some positives and negatives. Positives: -Like someone said above, one real chance, one goal. -We still haven't conceded a goal in open play. -We went to the second-most talented team in the group and got a draw. -Porto didn't play much better than us. Negatives: -The play and attitude of Jermaine Pennant -The inability to pass and actually create more than one real chance and a couple half chances. -The poor play of big players (Torres and Gerrard) -Rafa's decision making...Starts Hyypia with mixed results and doesn't substitute players until there is 15-20 minutes left in the match. I think this game highlights the need to see Benayoun in more games. I am kind of tired of Pennant to be honest. I hate to be so negative. We did get a point away from home against a quality side. Maybe I am just depressed because we played so poorly.
The Chelsea result is a bit skewed because both teams were to be going through in the event of a draw.
the card accumulation can complicate things down the road in addition to Mr. Congeniality, Torres, Kuyt and Mascherano are carrying
speaking of Chelski -- if we're a bit concerned, how must they feel over at the Bridge? and with Chelski/ManU on Sunday, someone (or preferably both) is going to be dropping more points
My biggest gripe, apart from the slipshod passing. From a couple of thousand kilometres away, I could see Pennant was a red card waiting to happen. Benitez seems unable to see these huge slow-moving train disaster. I still think Porto ought to have won handsomely but credit to the defense. After that penalty, they repelled the relentless attacks. Also, all the goals we've conceded have been penalties suggesting some lapses at crucial times. Got to fix that
To be fair, I think the Pennant red card complicated things a tad. Now, I still think the change ought to have come sooner, like before the red card.
Kuyt also could have gotten a red possibly, Quaresma skinned him and then kuyt knocked the ball out of bounds with his hand intentionally.....now thats continental cleverness bad performance by porto with 10 men, they were superb against 11, but jesauldos subs added nothing and they played worse vs 10, they should haver won this match easily as it was there for the taking and they will never face a liverpool team in those circumstances again...hopefully it doesnt come to bite them in the ass later on. Bosingwa, Quaresma, Assuncao, Lisandro the best for Porto. Arbeola Finnan and Pennant got skinned by Quaresma big time. Still, both teams shoudnt have a problem with the other two in the group, good luck!! You missed Xabis influence in midfield today to hold the ball and keep possesion, also Agger is more mobile then hyppia at the back, Quaresma turned him easily in the box( i think it was hyppia) and his shot got cleared off the line.
This pretty much sums it up. Even while playing horribly, we have to be very pleased with this result. I had figured that we'd only come away from this game (and perhaps @ Besiktas, too) with just a point. Good result for such a shit performance. - We missed Xabi tremendously. - Pennant is a petulant child. - I'm still outraged that Hyypia got the start over Agger.
Touche. There is certainly something to be said for raised expectations and undervaluing the quality of Porto. Still, it's hard to take all of that into account just minutes after watching a wreck in which we were lucky to survive. People are still coming down from the shock of it all, so all with a grain of salt, yeah?
Well, whatever sorts your shi'ite. Me, I watched the game and thought "this'll do". We went behind to a daft penno after eight minutes and finished with a point on the road from our hardest game in the group stage - with 10 men. Cracking night.
Red card? He was rightly yellow-carded. Nothing more to that. I think they ought easily to have won but, as the man says, fancy tricks without goals at the end of them win you nothing. He did fade quite badly at the end and could have played for the Portuguese rugby team in France with all those hopeful punts over the bar. Not quite the finished article, yet, sorry. I think both teams will find other teams less generous, if you get my drift. You didn't see Alonso at Portsmouth. No, we were just poor and it does happen from time to time.