Luton 1, Liverpool 1 - post match analysis

Jan 7 2008 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post

NOT even Monty Panesar, Luton’s most famous cricketing son, could put a positive spin on this Liverpool performance.

The England bowler was present at Kenilworth Road yesterday to witness Rafael Benitez’s side scrape a replay against the Coca-Cola League One strugglers.

Luton, a team 60 places below Liverpool in the league ladder, should have been confidently batted away by the visitors.

Instead, they were made to pose the threat of a 100mph bouncer and ensure the Anfield outfit continue to experience anything but a happy new year.

Mindful of the intense scrutiny that continues to surround the Liverpool manager, the teasing home fans chanted “Rafa out!” as their cash-strapped heroes earned a lucrative rematch at Anfield a week tomorrow.

Benitez came out on the offensive after the game to rubbish the reports earlier in the day that seemingly called time on his Liverpool tenure.

It’s a shame, then, that his players didn’t show the same level of fight on a day when they were a shocking second best for alarmingly long periods.

Of course, it could be argued the Spaniard invites pressure on himself with his team selections.

Despite the flak following the midweek home draw with Wigan, Benitez yesterday maintained confidence in a clutch of fringe players, although his concession afterwards that the inclusion of Jamie Carragher was a late call hinted even the manager himself perhaps doubts the overall strength of his squad.

Steven Gerrard, Fabio Aurelio, Alvaro Arbeloa and Daniel Agger were injured while Fernando Torres, Pepe Reina, Harry Kewell and Jermaine Pennant didn’t travel south.

That said, Benitez contended beforehand that no matter which players were selected, they should have been good enough to win.

He was right. But, as was emphatically proven yesterday, they embarrassingly were not.

You wonder what Fabio Capello made of it all. The new England coach was in attendance at Kenilworth Road, presumably to take in a rare Peter Crouch start.

The striker at least made a telling contribution by slotting Liverpool into an undeserved 74th-minute lead with his fifth goal of the season.

Luton’s equaliser three minutes later, a cross by striker Drew Talbot that was deflected in by John Arne Riise’s hand, may have been fortunate, but it was luck the home side had merited for a vibrant performance.

The nippy Talbot was a constant menace to the Liverpool defence, particularly Sami Hyypia who had recovered from the ankle injury that ruled him out of the last two games.

Yet the Finn was actually one of the visitors’ better players on a day when too many in red under-performed, even the usually reliable Steve Finnan and Xabi Alonso dragged down by the general malaise. Only Carragher reached anywhere near his level.

Up front, Dirk Kuyt continues to toil. The Dutchman’s lack of confidence in front of goal was painfully evident when he hurr-iedly lashed the ball over when clean through in the first half, Kuyt ending the game bizarrely marooned on the right wing.

Afterwards, Benitez pointedly saluted the work-rate of his team and little else. The concern must be that the air of doom hanging over Anfield during the past six weeks is now having a detrimental effect on performances.

Luton, hampered by a 10-point deduction after going into administration, are languishing in the League One relegation zone and, such are the off-field problems at the club, the players went without pay in November.

However, Kevin Blackwell’s team have been difficult to break down at home in recent months, with Brentford the only opposition team to have scored at Kenilworth Road since Everton won 1-0 in the Carling Cup in October.

And the makeshift Liverpool line-up struggled to gain their footing during a first half which was high on effort and sorely devoid of entertainment.

While matters improved after the interval, there was certainly no chance of a repeat of the 5-3 thriller between the teams at this stage of the competition two years ago.

Although Luton forced a worrying number of corners and free-kicks around the visitors’ penalty area, the nearest they came before the break was in the fifth minute when stand-in goalkeeper Charles Itandje saved well with his foot after Dave Edwards beat the offside trap, with Calvin Andrew hooking the rebound harmlessly over.

When Liverpool did threaten, they were too often guilty of trying to walk the ball into the net with intricate passing that invariably broke down around the Luton area.

Benitez’s side did have their chances, however, and could have been ahead inside 20 seconds when a slaloming run from Ryan Babel ended with a shot that was saved by the legs of Luton goalkeeper Dean Brill.

Kuyt shot woefully over when put through by Crouch’s flick, before the Dutchman’s header on from a Yossi Benayoun corner was just out of reach of Jamie Carragher at the far post.

Crouch then twice had a sight at goal, firing powerfully at Brill from 20 yards after neat play by the always-willing Kuyt but slack when curling wide after his strike partner had stepped over a Benayoun pass.

The Israeli, though, was far more wasteful four minutes after the interval as Liverpool finally stepped up the intensity. Alonso turned in midfield then fed Kuyt on the right with a pass that took out three Luton players.

The Dutchman then blasted a low ball across goal the flashed beyond Brill but a stretching Benayoun somehow failed to gain enough purchase to convert from two yards.

Brill then made a fine instinctive save when diving in the wrong direction to repel a 20-yard Riise shot that deflected off Chris Perry, Lucas’s follow-up ushered behind for a corner.

But Liverpool had an escape when an unmarked Talbot headed over from five yards after Darren Currie capitalised on a lucky bounce to cross from the left.

Currie then fizzed a volley wide as Luton dominated, but Liverpool went ahead against the run of play on 74 minutes.

Alonso knocked forward as Luton dithered in midfield, and after Perry’s wayward header sent substitute Andriy Voronin clear, the Ukrainian’s shot was saved by Brill but Crouch was on hand to turn in the rebound.

The lead lasted less than three minutes when, after Talbot had got to the byline down the left, his cross was turned in by the arm of the unwitting Riise. For Traore 2005, read Riise 2008.

The Norwegian international was within inches of making amends in the 80th minute with a shot the dragged narrowly wide, while at the other end Edwards hammered a dipping volley over.

The final result was celebrated wildly by Luton, who are acutely aware the money-spinning replay could help save the club. A relieved Liverpool will this morning be more than happy to oblige.