Ratings

[anfieldanfield]

5 = Average performance

Reina (8) Couple of fantastic saves and an overall command of the penalty area.

Dossena (7) Solid.

Carragher (7) First goal aside, he was absolutely immense.

Skrtle (7) Needs to cut out the clumsy tackles, but over 90mins, it was another good game from Martin.

Arbeloa (7) I thought he played extremely well tonight. Bags of energy and certainly not afraid to get forward in support offensively. I know he's got his doubters, but I for one think Arbeloa has a firm future at the club.

Kuyt (6) Worked his socks off. Never looked like scoring.

Gerrard (9) His first goal was delicious. His pen was ruthlessly tucked away at the second time of asking. Thank God he's ours.

Lucas (3) Gave the ball away, lost 50/50's and offered absolutely nothing offensively.

Mascherano (6) Not Masher's best game in a red shirt, but he played his part and was constantly to praise for breaking up their attacks.

Babel (7) Won a pen. Hit the post. Missed a sitter. A real curate's egg of a performance from Ryan. Definitely looks more dangerous playing through the center and there's no question he's a constant threat.

Torres (5) I love the man and to be fair he hasn't played for a couple of weeks, but he was sluggish and unproductive tonight.

Subs:

Riera (7) Came on, skinned his man and fizzed in a cross. I like him.

[Reece]

Can't really disagree with any of that Jamo.

I liked a comment on the BBC live text website, where someone said that Riera cross was the best Liverpool cross in like 10 years

[Shaggy]

Agree with all of that Dave, although I'd give the team an all round 7. You expect to have to defend at places like this and we defended brilliantly. Just as important as the other part of the game.

[Craig_H]

Reina 8
Arbeloa 6
Dossena 5
Skrtel 7
Carragher 7.5
Mascherano 6
Lucas 4
Kuyt 6
Babel 7
Gerrard 7
Torres 5

Riera 7
Benayoun 6

[the rev leeroy brown]

reina ( 9 ) bar the goal solid
arbeloa ( 7 ) good shift, getting better each game
carra ( 8 ) good shift again bar the goal - won every header and blocked vital shots
skrtel ( 7 ) generous 7 as he on occasion jumped into tackles
dossena ( 6 ) didn't seem on the boil tonight. hopefully still settling in
masher ( 6 ) looked tired. poor passing
lucas ( 3 ) another average ( okay poor ) performance. NOT a defensive midfielder
kyut ( 7 ) tired but still full of running making space and decent distribution
babel ( 8 ) looked dangerous and should have scored bar good goalkeeping - high hopes for this one
gerard ( 7 ) took goal real well but in and out of game. needed the playing time after op.
torres ( 6 ) never settled into game. showed flashes but again needed playing time after injury

subs:

riera ( 7 ) really like the look of him. needs to work on tackling though
keane ( ) no time to make real impact so no score
benni ( 6 ) didnt get into game but were on back foot defending

[Craig_H]

I think calling Lucas' performance 'average' is somewhat generous mate.

[the rev leeroy brown]

I think calling Lucas' performance 'average' is somewhat generous mate.

i dont know what i was thinking, honestly. gonna edit now actually

[badpiggy]

aide from the result, which was excellent, the only ratings i feel like giving tonight are 10 to SG - as eamon dunphy said on rte about his first goal, "you could watch football for 1000 years and not see a goal better than that...a goal pele would be proud of..." - 10 to riera for coming on and actually showing some skill and beating players and maybe 8 to babel for showing for chances so often.

after that i'm consumed with confusion about a game where our set idea seemed to be to give the ball back to the opposition at every opportunity. i promised myself i wouldn't get into questioning rafa again until at least this season had passed but ****in hell that game was infuriating. a better team would have scored 3 or 4 against us when we play like that. maybe it's the style that rafa wants us to play that when it cliacks we look brilliant but when it doesn't we seem appaling.

3 points away from home is class but not a night to put doubts to rest.

edit - having read what other posters have said in the match thread i guess it's fair to put a bit of fatigue after saturday down as a reason. so i am now comfortably back on the fence waving my flag like a north korean at the national holiday army parade.

[Resu]

I think you`re way to nice to the defense, excluding Arbeloa. The line was too high in the first half, luck saved us there. Skertl gave away too many needless free-kicks and Dossena could not get hold of his side. Carra battle away as he always do, but looked a bit tired.
It`s not often I think this, but we looked better going forward then in defense.
It was clear that several player were tired after Saturday, so I`m very pleased with the win.

[SB]

I think you`re way to nice to the defense, excluding Arbeloa. The line was too high in the first half, luck saved us there. Skertl gave away too many needless free-kicks and Dossena could not get hold of his side. Carra battle away as he always do, but looked a bit tired.
It`s not often I think this, but we looked better going forward then in defense.
It was clear that several player were tired after Saturday, so I`m very pleased with the win.

And Agger still couldn't get a start

[SB]

Goals can be found here .

Lovely goal from Stevie huh !!!!!!!!!!!!

http://liverpool-goals-gallery.blogspot.com/2008/09/marseille-1-liverpool-2.html

[Cormack74]

Didn't rate Dossena highly last night even though I think he'll be a success long term.

Every time he had possession of the ball he just hoofed it as far as he could regardless of whether he was under pressure or not.

[Elvoz]

Didn't rate Dossena highly last night even though I think he'll be a success long term.

Every time he had possession of the ball he just hoofed it as far as he could regardless of whether he was under pressure or not.

he is carrying a bit of timber too isnt he

a modern day julian dicks

[Cormack74]

he is carrying a bit of timber too isnt he

a modern day julian dicks

I can live with that, I'm just surprised that a defender from the land of catenaccio was prepared to squander possession so cheaply time and again.

[billy_mac]

Didn't rate Dossena highly last night even though I think he'll be a success long term.

Every time he had possession of the ball he just hoofed it as far as he could regardless of whether he was under pressure or not.

He's been very disappointing for me. I was waiting for a european game to a pace of football he'd be more used to as to making a judgement. But he was skint, knocked over and brutal in possession. Willing to give him more time, but Aurellio has been fantastic in the first few matches, if only he could stay fit.