Match-report Liverpool vs Stoke
STOKE left Anfield still seeking their first league win there in over half a century.
The way Liverpool are wading through mud in their vain attempts for some home comforts right now, it feels like they have been waiting just as long.
Certainly there was little sign of them giving Brendan Rodgers his first league victory on their own patch yesterday.
Football
premier League Football Teams
Liverpool 0 Stoke 0
Steven Gerrard argues with referee Lee Mason
FRUSTRATED ... Steven Gerrard argues with referee Lee Mason
By PHIL THOMAS
Last Updated: 08th October 2012
81
STOKE left Anfield still seeking their first league win there in over half a century.
The way Liverpool are wading through mud in their vain attempts for some home comforts right now, it feels like they have been waiting just as long.
Certainly there was little sign of them giving Brendan Rodgers his first league victory on their own patch yesterday.
There was precious little of anything, to be honest... save for arguably the most outrageous, ludicrous tumble that Luis Suarez has ever produced.
And when you have seen some of the Kop strikers theatrical falls to ground over the past few months, that really IS saying something.
Suarez first tripped in the box then, as he made to get up, threw himself down for a second time.
Football
premier League Football Teams
Liverpool 0 Stoke 0
Steven Gerrard argues with referee Lee Mason
FRUSTRATED ... Steven Gerrard argues with referee Lee Mason
By PHIL THOMAS
Last Updated: 08th October 2012
81
STOKE left Anfield still seeking their first league win there in over half a century.
The way Liverpool are wading through mud in their vain attempts for some home comforts right now, it feels like they have been waiting just as long.
Certainly there was little sign of them giving Brendan Rodgers his first league victory on their own patch yesterday.
There was precious little of anything, to be honest... save for arguably the most outrageous, ludicrous tumble that Luis Suarez has ever produced.
And when you have seen some of the Kop strikers theatrical falls to ground over the past few months, that really IS saying something.
Suarez first tripped in the box then, as he made to get up, threw himself down for a second time.
Steven N' Zonzi challenges Nuri Sahin
MIDFIELD BATTLE ... Steven N' Zonzi challenges Nuri Sahin
Put it this way, if Tom Daley had produced anything like that, he would have been laughed out of the Olympics, never mind ended up with a medal. If anything, it was probably down to the Uruguayan hitmans frustration at yet another Anfield afternoon of firing blanks.
Suarez himself actually went as close as anyone with one jinking, tied-to-the-foot dribble which ended with a left-foot shot whistling a foot wide.
And Martin Skrtel could have celebrated a last-gasp winning goal if his desperate hooked effort had taken a kinder bounce, rather than clipping the outside of a post.
But too often Liverpool and this is becoming a rather worrying theme played all the pretty patterns you could wish to see, without ever really threatening to produce the killer ball or killer finish they are crying out for.
And if Stoke themselves had enjoyed a little more good fortune, they could well have left with all the points for the first time since the year Bill Shankly first stepped into this club.
They arrived on Merseyside with one goal to their name in their last 11 visits, never mind anything else.
Having said that, they could have improved that record with two golden opportunities inside the first 20 minutes and both of them gift-wrapped by Liverpool.
First Nuri Sahins slap-dash return pass from Pepe Reinas dead ball went straight to Charlie Adam on the edge of the box and the Kop keeper did well to deny the former Reds midfielder a goal on his return.
Football
premier League Football Teams
Liverpool 0 Stoke 0
Steven Gerrard argues with referee Lee Mason
FRUSTRATED ... Steven Gerrard argues with referee Lee Mason
By PHIL THOMAS
Last Updated: 08th October 2012
81
STOKE left Anfield still seeking their first league win there in over half a century.
The way Liverpool are wading through mud in their vain attempts for some home comforts right now, it feels like they have been waiting just as long.
Certainly there was little sign of them giving Brendan Rodgers his first league victory on their own patch yesterday.
There was precious little of anything, to be honest... save for arguably the most outrageous, ludicrous tumble that Luis Suarez has ever produced.
And when you have seen some of the Kop strikers theatrical falls to ground over the past few months, that really IS saying something.
Suarez first tripped in the box then, as he made to get up, threw himself down for a second time.
Steven N' Zonzi challenges Nuri Sahin
MIDFIELD BATTLE ... Steven N' Zonzi challenges Nuri Sahin
Put it this way, if Tom Daley had produced anything like that, he would have been laughed out of the Olympics, never mind ended up with a medal. If anything, it was probably down to the Uruguayan hitmans frustration at yet another Anfield afternoon of firing blanks.
Suarez himself actually went as close as anyone with one jinking, tied-to-the-foot dribble which ended with a left-foot shot whistling a foot wide.
And Martin Skrtel could have celebrated a last-gasp winning goal if his desperate hooked effort had taken a kinder bounce, rather than clipping the outside of a post.
But too often Liverpool and this is becoming a rather worrying theme played all the pretty patterns you could wish to see, without ever really threatening to produce the killer ball or killer finish they are crying out for.
And if Stoke themselves had enjoyed a little more good fortune, they could well have left with all the points for the first time since the year Bill Shankly first stepped into this club.
Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers
ON THE BALL ... Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers
They arrived on Merseyside with one goal to their name in their last 11 visits, never mind anything else.
Having said that, they could have improved that record with two golden opportunities inside the first 20 minutes and both of them gift-wrapped by Liverpool.
First Nuri Sahins slap-dash return pass from Pepe Reinas dead ball went straight to Charlie Adam on the edge of the box and the Kop keeper did well to deny the former Reds midfielder a goal on his return.
Then Reinas bizarre pass was snapped up by Steven Nzonzi and Michael Kightlys clever first-time chip had the Spanish stopper backtracking quickly to tip over.
Both of them were fine saves but both chances should never have arisen and Reinas blast at Sahin merely highlighted the uncertainly running through the defence right now. It was hardly the response Rodgers had demanded after a series of backline blunders already this season.
At least Skrtel has clearly taken the managers warning to heart and his hooked clearance when Peter Crouch was sliding in at the far post to reach Glenn Whelans superb cross was right out of the top drawer.
For their part, Liverpool were at least trying to play football but once again the decisive pass was too often the one which went astray.
And Stoke were not about to let the Reds get into a rhythm, with a handful of challenges which had you wincing in the stands, never mind on the receiving end.
Robert Huth was involved in plenty of them, from the minute he appeared to tread on Suarez, to the booking he got for hauling down the same man after his slip left a huge gap at the back.
Not that Suarez was totally blameless, either, and if a Stoke striker had swung a boot the way he did when keeper Asmir Begovic dropped on one ball, you would have heard the protests back in the Potteries.
As it was, the only complaints were from the crowd baying for a goal, an opening, a clear chance, anything to really raise spirits.
The fact that, a couple of darting runs from Suarez and Raheem Sterling aside, Daniel Aggers surging bursts looked the likeliest chance of breaking the deadlock says everything about the toothless Reds.
Indeed, it took a fantastic clearing header from Glen Johnson to deny Crouch a simple chance or it could have been even worse.
Rodgers was right when he said the way his kids stood up to one of the leagues most physical sides bodes well for the future.
The problem is, its all about the now. And right now Liverpool are desperate for a home victory however it comes about.
DREAM TEAM
SUN STAR MAN RYAN SHAWCROSS (STOKE)
LIVERPOOL: Reina 6, Wisdom 7, Skrtel 6, Agger 8, Johnson 6, Gerrard 6, Allen 7, Sahin 5 (Assaidi 5), Suso 6 (Cole 5), Suarez 6, Sterling 7. Subs not used: Jones, Henderson, Coates, Carragher, Borini.
STOKE: Begovic 7, Cameron 7, Huth 7, Shawcross 9, Wilson 7, Walters 7, Nzonzi 6, Whelan 6 (Whitehead 7), Adam 6 (Edu 5), Kightly 6 (Etherington 6), Crouch 6. Subs not used: Sorensen, Jones, Upson, Jerome. Booked: Kightly, Huth, Shawcross, Adam, Walters, Whitehead.
REF: L Mason 6
