LIVERPOOL FC: The view from the Kop, a fan's story

[AnfieldRoad92]

Originally Posted by Hazz

Nice win. I say Hyypia full time manager !

Oooooh Sami Sami
Sami Sami Sami Sami Hyypia

Not a bad idea at all. We'll see how much longer Rafa lasts with the allure of Madrid always in the back of his mind.

Originally Posted by Clanck

Short but sweet. Although you seem to like giving Red to the Reds

Yeah, I don't think I've ever had two reds in a row. I could have sworn I got a touch on that ball though. I think I need a bigger tv, lol.

Originally Posted by Nino

Youth

All the youth comments... YEAH!!! They rock my face off every time I give them the chance. My only problem is giving them enough chances with my first team so strong.

Originally Posted by DannyB

Just read through 25 pages, 600 odd comments, and a good 2 months work

And I must say well done sir, this is quality Congrats on the league, you don't know how much I wanted to see United win and hand Chelsea the title

lol, I can only imagine. It didn't look unlikely for a while there, but we worked hard for #19! I just can't believe how close the computer kept it, it's the first time that FIFA has produced a realistic-looking table for me (not including Man Utd's finish )

Originally Posted by KingCantona07

Nice to see the youth get a win over Coventry. Could do with a few more English players starting though

If I may quell all of the rumours flying around about my squad; I finished the game with 6 English players on the pitch! Smithies, Mattock, Hammill and Eccleston all started and Spearing and Paul Anderson came on as substitutes. So my reserve team is filled with decidedly more English talent than my first team and most of them will probably come through.

[KingCantona07]

Originally Posted by AnfieldRoad92

If I may quell all of the rumours flying around about my squad; I finished the game with 6 English players on the pitch! Smithies, Mattock, Hammill and Eccleston all started and Spearing and Paul Anderson came on as substitutes. So my reserve team is filled with decidedly more English talent than my first team and most of them will probably come through.

Thats good enough for me

[AnfieldRoad92]

I can say that with confidence too because all of my English players FAR outperform their foreign counterparts when given the chance. Paul Anderson (RW-70) always looks miles better than Argentine Diego Buonanotte (RM-76). Adam Hammill (LW-71) is always way more influential than Fernando Forestieri (LW-77). And the most surprising is how much better Jay Spearing (CM-63) is than either Lucas (CM-79) or Sergio Busquets (CM-74).

I don't know if it's just because they're English, but their ratings don't seem to matter when they're playing for me.

And in light of that sub-par performance by my defence (read: Nordtveit, Fazio & Santon) I'm thinking of trying to get back Jack Hobbs, Martin Kelly and Stephen Darby.

[Nino]

Hobbs!

[AnfieldRoad92]

N'Gog leads Liverpool comeback

Liverpool 6-1 Reading

After giving up an early goal against the run of play to newly promoted side Reading, David N'Gog led the recovery with a classy seven minute hat-trick. Fernando Torres grabbed the fourth just ten minutes after Reading's opener to completely obliterate any hope that still lingered from Tavano's header. The home side eased up after Torres' goal until in the 80th minute substitute Jay Spearing fired one home and Steven Gerrard followed close behind to wrap up the impressive display.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Liverpool
subs: Arbeloa, Insúa, Plessis, Spearing (Riera-66'), Valencia (Alonso-90'), Babel (Mascherano-75'), Kuyt

Reina
Ramos --- Škrtel --- Carragher
Mascherano --- Aurélio
Alonso --- -- --- -- --- -- --- -- --- Riera
Gerrard
N'Gog --- Torres

<>

Doyle --- Tavano
Hunt --- -- --- -- --- -- --- Kébé
Cissé --- Harper
Armstrong --- Duberry --- Bikey --- Rosesnior
Hahnemann

subs: Federici, Ingimarsson (Kébé-59'), Sodje (Duberry-59'), Matéjovský (Armstrong-71'), Convey, Lita, Long
Reading
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rafa tinkered some with the squad that won 5-0 over Newcastle, but I suppose that he would have to if he were to keep all our high-quality players happy. This time, it was Plessis who got pushed to the bench by Albert Riera, moving Fábio Aurélio to a holding position and creating a formation that could shift into a straight 4-4-2 with very little effort.

Having Aurélio just out of defence though may have been what led to conceding the early goal. Stephen Hunt had the ball on the left and was trying to find a way around Sergio Ramos and Jamie Carragher, probably feeling that he had cover behind him, moved in front of Pepe Reina to cover Kevin Doyle at the near post. Aurélio though was in position to take the ball out of defence, leaving nobody marking Italian striker Francesco Tavano when Hunt's cross found it's way across the penalty area. Reina managed to get in a decent position, but with all the time and space in the world, Tavano couldn't miss his headed chance.


Though it did take us by surprise, we recovered well from the early goal. Fernando Torres and Fábio Aurélio kept the ball outside the penalty area until the crucial moment when David N'Gog broke away from the watchful eye of Michael Duberry and Torres' through-ball fell in just the right spot for a brilliant one-touch finish past American Marcus Hahnemann only a minute after the opener.


But it turned out that that was just a warm-up as we pushed for the lead. Albert Riera found space about 25 yards out and unleashed a powerful shot that was courageously blocked by André Bikey. The rebound went straight up into the air where Fernando Torres was able to out-muscle Duberry and head the ball in the direction of David N'Gog who was all alone in front of goal. The ball fell awkwardly, but the young Frenchman coped with a sideways scissor-kick that left Hahnemann flat-footed and gave Liverpool the lead after 15 minutes of play.


N'Gog wrapped up his scoring with a break-away goal when he beat the offside trap and collected Aurélio's perfectly weighted pass to get in on goal. Hahnemann tried to close the angle, but N'Gog struck early with the outside of his boot and placed the shot snugly into the bottom left corner of his goal.


Twenty minutes in, Fernando Torres rounded out the first half scoring with a powerful volley from 15 yards out. David N'Gog set him up with a nice lobbed pass over the defence and Michael Duberry capitulated under the challenge of Torres to allow the Spaniard to strike home a fourth in front of the Kop.


Liverpool let up off the gas for the next hour of the game after securing the three points so Rafa introduced Jay Spearing, a player with something to prove beyond getting the win. His presence re-energized the team and it was a solitary effort by Spearing that extended the lead further. The young Scouser caught Kalifa Cissé in possession 40 yards out and made a beeline for the goal. He managed to comfortably hold off the challenge of Ívar Ingimarsson before finishing, left-footed past Hahnemann.


Steven Gerrard capped the night off with a great goal. Fábio Aurélio's cross was herded out by the Reading defence and the Brazilian fullback was given the chance at a corner which he obligingly put in the path of his captain. Gerrard rose high at the near post to send in an unstoppable bullet of a header before going to celebrate with his provider.

[Everton08]

Very nice win mate, good to see you recovered from that early goal. Your in great form at the moment, especially N'gog and Torres, looks like those two will be the strike partership for the season. Great report and awesome win.

[Nino]

Great Report
Great Win
Great Team

[Clanck]

You score 6 goals, but don't get a Red Card?
Nice work from N'gog with the scissor. Looks great

[nzgangster]

wow david is amazing for you.

wait...

he is always amazing

[AnfieldRoad92]

Originally Posted by Everton08

Very nice win mate, good to see you recovered from that early goal. You're in great form at the moment, especially N'gog and Torres, looks like those two will be the strike partnership for the season. Great report and awesome win.

I was astounded when they opened the scoring, but I guess it just made me work harder and I was up by three within ten minutes. I was furious at my back line though, particularly Carragher. I feel like I may just have to get Agger back next summer or not too long after that because Carra looks out of sorts next to Ramos and Škrtel (who is easily my most valuable player almost every game).

And yeah, N'Gog is proving to be class. Both Németh and Keirrison are rated higher than he is, but his strength and size are huge factors in his success. The other two are more goal poachers and instinctual strikers whereas N'Gog is more a power forward and is also a good head above all my other young strikers.

Originally Posted by Nino

Great Report
Great Win
Great Team

Thank you, thank you, agreed.

Originally Posted by Clanck

You score 6 goals, but don't get a Red Card?
Nice work from N'gog with the scissor. Looks great

I know! May as well have been playing a man down though given Carragher's positioning on their goal.

And it was indeed a pretty lalalalalala goal from N'Gog; a lot of hard work from everybody else involved and he finished it beautifully.

Originally Posted by nzgangster

wow david is amazing for you.

wait...

he is always amazing

Yeah, I can't wait to see him develop in real life. He's only 19 and is already showing flashes of brilliance. I suppose that working that closely with Torres can't hurt at all either.

[Nino]

If i worked closely with Torres I would be great

[nzgangster]

he doesn't do miracles nino.

[Nino]

haha very funny Mustafa!

[AnfieldRoad92]

Hey! I'm back! I'm not sure who's still hanging around the forums, but I should be able to pick up right where I left off. Haven't played in ages though because of school, so I may be a bit rusty.

[nzgangster]

it's back

[dilshad]

Originally Posted by nzgangster

it's back

yes i was missing his updates

[Clanck]

I hang Hehe

[nzgangster]

or not.