Portsmouth mount rearguard action to foil limp Liverpool
James Ducker
Liverpool 0 Portsmouth 0
Liverpool would appear to have been out of the title race for some time, but any lingering, wishful hopes they had of ending their long wait for the league championship were expunged on a desperately frustrating night at Anfield when they fell farther behind the runaway juggernauts that are Manchester United and Chelsea. No wonder news of Everton’s defeat at Old Trafford was greeted with only a muffled cheer.
Portsmouth defended resolutely, without ever trying to win the game, but Liverpool looked more like the team who have struggled on their travels than the one who have appeared almost invincible at home.
Many bookmakers’ second favourites for the title at the start of the season, they now trail United by a mammoth 16 points in the Barclays Premiership. A point, on the other hand, moved Portsmouth back above Bolton Wanderers into third place.
Rafael Benítez’s plight, admittedly, has not been helped by an injury crisis that would cripple most teams, but for all their possession, the lack of penetration, let alone a genuine goal threat, will have disturbed the Liverpool manager, even though he tried to deflect some of the pressure on his players by accusing Portsmouth of time-wasting from the outset.
Harry Redknapp, the Portsmouth manager, responded by claiming that he “wouldn’t know what time-wasting is”, but Liverpool had nobody but themselves to blame.
All eyes were on Jamie Carragher, deputising in central midfield, at the start of the game, but come the end, the attention had turned to the forwards.
Peter Crouch and Dirk Kuyt cannot be faulted for their endeavour, but with Jermaine Pennant doing his impression of the invisible man down the right wing, and Luis García not faring much better on the opposite flank, the front pair were starved of quality service and never looked like scoring. “He [David James] had nothing to do,” Redknapp said, beaming.
How Benítez must wish he could have called upon Craig Bellamy, who was unavailable after appearing in court in Cardiff earlier in the day on assault charges, of which he was cleared.
While Liverpool were looking to extend their unbeaten sequence at Anfield to 24 Premiership matches with a fourth successive league victory, Portsmouth were hoping to avoid a fifth consecutive defeat on their travels, which might have helped to explain their tactics, although with only two fit strikers to call upon, Redknapp could have been forgiven for being negative. “It’s rare that I do [play with one up front], but needs must,” he said.
With victory the stuff of dreams for Portsmouth — black and white televisions were the rage the last time they won at Anfield more than 55 years ago — the visiting team had clearly convinced themselves that a point should be the extent of their ambition.
Two forays forward were the sum total of Portsmouth’s attacking endeavour, although they did defend gallantly, even if Liverpool’s wayward shooting and lack of invention abetted their cause.
Carragher was the first to take aim and miss, although at 40-1 to score first, that was perhaps no surprise, even if his elevation into midfield alongside Steven Gerrard had shortened his odds.
Portsmouth’s deficiencies aside, Carragher looked comfortable in the role and certainly not a man who had not played in the position at club level for eight years, although when Sami Hyypia strode nonchalantly out of defence and lashed a 35-yard bullet just over the bar, it shed some light on why Benítez had toyed with the idea of asking the Finn to fill the void left by injuries to Mohamed Sissoko, Xabi Alonso and Boudewijn Zenden.
Crouch drilled a shot at James, Gerrard hammered a free kick just over before shooting wide from Crouch’s cushioned layoff and García had successive efforts blocked, but Liverpool looked painfully short of ideas.
Gerrard appeared to have won it for the hosts at the death, but his diving header from Kuyt’s cross tore into the side netting. At least someone was putting in crosses because Pennant, in particular, was anonymous. No wonder Benítez persists with Gerrard down the right.
“We had problems on the wide areas,“ Benítez said. “He [Pennant] must try to beat players and cross. If he keeps trying we will have an option in the wide areas, but if he’s afraid and doesn’t try to do the right things, he won’t improve.”
These are trying times for Liverpool.
Liverpool (4-4-2): J M Reina — S Finnan, S Hyypia, D Agger, J A Riise — J Pennant (sub: D Guthrie, 85min), S Gerrard, J Carragher, L García (sub: N El Zhar, 72) — P Crouch (sub: R Fowler, 61), D Kuyt. Substitutes not used: J Dudek, G Paletta. Booked: Carragher, Pennant.
Portsmouth (4-1-4-1): D James — N Pamarot, L Primus, S Campbell, M Taylor — P Mendes (sub: M Fernandes, 69) — D Thompson, G O’Neil, R Hughes, N Kranjcar (sub: A O’Brien, 90) — B Mwaruwari (sub: Kanu, 82). Substitutes not used: J Ashdown, A O Koroman. Booked: Hughes, Thompson, Pamarot.
Referee: A Wiley.
Liverpool (0) 0 Portsmouth (0) 0
Any lingering hopes Rafael Benitez may still have had that his side could yet threaten the dominance of Manchester United and Chelsea at the head of the Premiership surely vanished as Liverpool's frailties in front of goal were once again laid bare to costly effect.
With Craig Bellamy absent after being acquitted of an assault charge in a South Wales court just three hours before kick-off, the Welshman's forward colleagues lacked the wit and nous to break a determined, if uninspired Portsmouth whose obstinacy took them to third place. Benitez's side have so far masked their painful inadequacies on the road by maintaining a head of steam at Anfield. Yet while Liverpool last night maintained the unbeaten home run that now stretches back 24 games, this display exposed the lack of depth in Benitez's squad. The manager may have accused Portsmouth of time-wasting but privately he will know that his side's problems ran much deeper.
"It's a pity because we knew we could move to third," bemoaned Benitez. "We tried to do the right things and we were controlling everything in the first half. In the second half they dropped deeper and maybe we became a little tired. And when a team is time-wasting from the beginning of the game, the team that is trying to attack become more anxious."
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Harry Redknapp naturally denied the charge, claiming he had "never sent a team out to waste time" and while his players' behaviour during the final minutes appeared to contradict the manager's view, the issue was a red herring.
What was more significant was that David James, protected admirably by his back four and a bank of five midfielders, had barely a save to make. Benitez maintained his side could not be criticised for a lack of effort but what was painfully absent from Liverpool's display was quality service for the forward pairing of Dirk Kuyt and Peter Crouch, particularly from the wide areas where Jermaine Pennant once again laboured on the right flank while Luis Garcia and John Arne Riise rarely failed to click on the left.
There was also a distinct lack of creative spark in central midfield were Jamie Carragher filled in competently alongside Steven Gerrard in the absence of the injured Bolo Zenden, Xabi Alonso and Momo Sissoko, although the enforced change did almost bring immediate rewards when the England defender linked with Garcia before firing wide in the second minute.
That opportunity provided the template for a one-sided first half in which Liverpool's most formidable opponent was their own wastefulness in the final third with Garcia, Gerrard and Crouch all guilty of misses before the threat petered out after the break.
At least Benitez could take heart from Bellamy's imminent return. "It's important for Craig because he can now concentrate on his football," the manager said.
Redknapp, meanwhile, is getting used to his new-found status and had reassuring words for his opposite number. "It must be habit, but I keep looking at the clubs below and I can't get used to being above teams like Arsenal," he said. "But make no mistake the top four will still be Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool."
Match details
Liverpool (4-4-2): Reina; Finnan, Hyypia, Agger, Riise; Pennant (Guthrie 84), Gerrard, Carragher, Garcia ( El Zhar 72); Crouch (Fowler 61), Kuyt.
Subs: Dudek (g), Paletta.
Booked: Carragher, Pennant.
Portsmouth (4-5-1): James; Pamarot, Campbell, Primus, Taylor; Thompson, O'Neil, Mendes (Fernandes 69), Hughes, Kranjcar (O'Brien 90); Benjani (Kanu 82).
Subs: Ashdown (g), Koroman.
Booked: Hughes, Thompson, Pamarot.
Referee: A Wiley (Staffordshire).
• Man of the match: Sol Campbell (Portsmouth).
Liverpool 0 Portsmouth 0: Redknapp ensures Liverpool's troubles come home
By David Instone
Published: 30 November 2006
No longer are Liverpool's troubles confined to their travels. A night on which victory would have taken Rafa Benitez's men third ended instead in disappointment with a dreary deadlock that always seemed to be the limit of Portsmouth's ambitions.
A fourth successive clean sheet and a leapfrogging of Everton was scant consolation for a side who had propped up their erratic season by winning their previous three home matches.
Liverpool are now unbeaten in 24 consecutive Premiership games at Anfield but all the satisfaction belonged to Pompey, who survived quite comfortably as only the second visiting team after Blackburn Rovers to leave the venue unscathed in 2006-07.
Benitez acknowledged the ordinariness of Liverpool's performance by admitting: "We tried to do the right things, without success. Some players were a little tired in the second half and we were nervous. Also, they [Portsmouth] were wasting time from the beginning."
Pompey's greatest concern was returning the commanding Sol Campbell to the fray during five minutes of stoppage time at the end. The defender was off the field for around three minutes, to his obvious anger, before being supplied with a replacement for a split boot. "It took a while to find him one and I could see Liverpool scoring while he was off," Harry Redknapp smiled.
"As for time-wasting, no. I wouldn't know what that was. We coped well and it's pleasing to come here anytime and get a point."
David James was untroubled both in Campbell's absence and in his presence. In 277 games for the Merseysiders and now 108 consecutively for Portsmouth, he will not have had many matches quieter than this. His only serious saves came early in the second half, both from Luis Garcia, with Pompey responding spiritedly to the three-nights' break they have had in Cheshire since Sunday's trip to Newcastle brought them a fourth successive away defeat.
It is they who returned to third place, although their manager insists Arsenal and Liverpool will still complete this season's final top four.
The pre-match guessing game as to who would join Steve Gerrard in the injury-hit centre of Liverpool's midfield ended when the role went to Jamie Carragher, who required only 65 seconds to play a one-two with Garcia and drive wide.
Portsmouth's recent problems in away games have been less surprising than those of their hosts, and Redknapp predictably adopted 4-5-2 to the exclusion of his leading scorer, Kanu.
Redknapp was happy Liverpool were restricted to attempts from distance - Gerrard curling a fierce free-kick a foot too high, lashing narrowly wide following Peter Crouch's knock-down and seeing Garcia head into the side-netting.
Soon after half-time, the otherwise unimpressive Jermaine Pennant sent Gerrard away for a cross Dirk Kuyt laid back for Garcia to at last twice stretch James. Benitez decided this was not going to be a night for Crouch to add to his nine goals, withdrawing him in favour of Robbie Fowler on the hour.
Predictably, the last word was almost Gerrard's. His last-gasp header flashed narrowly wide but Liverpool deserved no better.
Liverpool (4-4-2): Reina; Finnan, Hyypia, Agger, Riise; Pennant (Guthrie, 84), Gerrard, Carragher, Garcia (El Zhar, 72); Crouch (Fowler, 61), Kuyt. Substitutes not used: Dudek (gk), Paletta.
Portsmouth (4-5-1): James; Pamarot, Primus, Campbell, Taylor; Thompson, Hughes, O'Neil, Mendes (Fernandes, 69), Kranjcar (O'Brien, 90); Mwaruwari (Kanu, 82). Substitutes not used: Ashdown (gk), Koroman.
Referee: A Wiley (Staffordshire).
Bookings: Liverpool Pennant, Carragher; Portsmouth Thompson, Hughes; Pamarot.
Man of the match: Steven Gerrard.
Attendance: 42,467.
Bellamy cleared of nightclub assaults
By Tom Cary
Last Updated: 1:22am GMT 30/11/2006
Your View: Football fans' forum
Craig Bellamy, the Wales and Liverpool striker, has been cleared of assaulting two women in a Cardiff nightclub.
Bellamy, 27, was accused of assault against Sophie Palmer, 19, and Holly Smith, 20, at the No 10 nightclub in February. District Judge John Charles said: "It was inconsistent to convict you, with the serious discrepancies in the prosecution case, and the two charges are dismissed."
Bellamy's co-defendant, Franklin Lynch, 52, was also cleared.
Blackburn chairman John Williams has admitted that he would sell Lucas Neill in January, "if it's in the club's best interests".
Liverpool are long-time admirers of the Australia defender.
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