Fulham 3 Liverpool 1

By: timmyg | November 1st, 2009

[Sorry about the delay in posting this -- it was Halloween yesterday after all...]

There was an odd sense of confidence heading into this match that normally doesn’t accompany visits from the Big Four.

Liverpool were having a terrible season up until last weekend when they defeated rivals United and Torres scored and although they were without Gerrard Fergie screwed up the tactics and so all is right in the world and Liverpool were set to march up the table.

Sorry, but that was ridiculous then as it is now.

Although still without Gerrard (and Martin Skrtel, Fabio Aurelio, Daniel Aggard) and today lacking prized offseason acquisitions Johnson and Aquilani, Liverpool’s bench looked like so: Andrea Dossena, Ryan Babel, Damien Plessis, Peter Gulacsi, Jay Spearing, Nathan Eccleston and Daniel Sanchez Ayala.

Uhm, who?

I’m not having a go at Liverpool, but how does anyone expect them to place even in the top 5 with a bench like that. Maybe I’m revealing my own ignorance, but that is the point — who are most of these people?

Oh right, back to the match.

Up until the Degen and Carragher red cards I was fully expecting referee Lee Mason to rip off his uniform and reveal a red Liverpool shirt once they notched the winning goal. But things turned on a dime once Torres was subbed off. Although tied and victory conceivably within their grasp, Rafa threw in the towel. Good for us, despicable for Liverpool.

Nevland scores, Degen sent off, Carragher sent off, Kuyt subbed out, Dempsey scores. I want to relive the second half of today’s match like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day.

It’s the next day and all the stories are focusing on Rafa Benitez. This makes sense, but greatly overshadows the efforts Roy and the players put forth.

Look at this chalkboard and think whether was it Rafa’s or Roy’s tactics that resulted in the side passing. I’m thinking the latter.

by Guardian Chalkboards

Better yet, lets compare the total passes of both clubs.

Fulham/Pool passes

I don’t like to swear in writing, but holy shit! It was obvious that Fulham was playing on the counter — as evidenced through the first goal — but not to the extent that the chalkboard shows. Liverpool completed 90 percent of their passes and lost; if you look at each Fulham player’s chalkboard, particularly in midfield, none look particularly noteworthy.

I’m beginning to wonder if yesterday was luck, or deserved. This is probably one (of many) reasons why statistics don’t always blend with footy.

On a tangential ending note, of the 7 goals Erik Nevland has scored for Fulham, 5 have come in the second half. Has any other striker had such a proportional second-half success?