Match Review: Bolton 3 Liverpool 1

Posted on 22. Jan, 2012 by Dominic Campbell in Match Reports

Liverpool were left licking their wounds after another poor display saw them suffer a 3 – 1 defeat at the hands of a struggling Bolton outfit. The Reds rarely threatened in front of goal, with the absence of a defensive midfielder evident as the Trotters were afforded time and space in the middle of the park.

Overview

Kenny Dalglish is understandably at his tethers end following the loss against the premier league strugglers; and he wasn’t scared to make his thoughts known after he was quoted as saying “Some of those players won’t be in Red shirts much longer if they carry on playing that way. It was disrespectful. They’ve got to realise every game this football club plays is a big game, not just the ones that suit them”

The win has lifted the Trotters one point above the drop zone, while Liverpool sit in seventh; six points adrift of fourth place Chelsea.

Starting Lineups

Bolton:

Bogdan; Steinsson, Knight, Wheater, Ricketts; Eagles, Petrov, Reo-Coker, M.Davies, Muamba; Ngog

Liverpool:

Reina; Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Enrique; Adam, Gerrard, Henderson, Maxi, Bellamy; Carroll.

Match Report

Bolton began the game the way they intended to finish it, and that was on the front foot. It took the home side only four minutes to break the deadlock and stun the travelling Kop after David Ngog’s clever flick sucked in Martin Skrtel and found Mark Davies with acres of space to run into. The 23-year-old was sure to make the most of Liverpool’s tentative defending and made no mistake as he poked his effort past a helpless Pepe Reina.

Liverpool looked rocked and almost conceded again moments later when Jose Enrique lost possession of the ball on the touchline and was dispossessed by Chris Eagles who danced along the byeline only to see his goalward prod roll across the face of goal.

The away side may have had a shout for a penalty after the ball brushed Zat Knight’s hand in the area, but the referee waved away any protests. This call proved to be decisive as Bolton went down the other end and doubled their lead.

It was once again a lack of midfield cover that saw Liverpool exposed when Eagles was allowed to ghost his way through a gap and find Reo-Coker with a fortuitous chip, who chested the ball down and calmly slotted the ball past Reina from six yards.

Craig Bellamy and Andy Carroll looked to be the away side’s most potent, yet somewhat nullified, threats and the two combined shortly before the interval to provide the Reds with a lifeline. Carroll flicked on a ball for Bellamy who raced clear and calmly put away his seventh goal of the season.

It would have been interesting to be a fly on the wall in the changing rooms at half time; Dalglish had to give his players the proverbial hairdryer treatment while Coyle had the task of motivating his men ahead of a big second half.

But any hopes of a Liverpool revival were ended shortly after the whistle when Petrov swung in a teasing corner, with Steinsson pulling off a finish that some of the Liverpool attackers should perhaps take note of. The defender found space to slam a volley into the bottom corner after David Wheater outjumped a ball-watching Liverpool defence at the far post.

The only real chance of note came from a rasping Daniel Agger effort which struck the woodwork from 25-yards out. The Dane had introduced himself to the English game with a similar strike against West Ham, but once again the crossbar proved to be Liverpool’s biggest enemy.

All eyes will now be on Wednesday’s clash with Manchester City; a game which no Liverpool fan will be looking forward to given the club’s current performances.

Stats

25 – Liverpool have only managed to score 25 goals this season. Even Bolton hold a better attacking record scoring 28 goals, four of which were at the Reds’ expense.

40 – It has been over fourty years since Liverpool reached this stage of the season scoring fewer goals than what they have.

20 – Daniel Agger’s long range effort, which cannoned off the cross bar, was the 20th time this season that Liverpool have hit the woodwork.

6 – Liverpool have not won a single EPL game in 2012, and have managed to leak 6 goals. To put things into perspective, they only conceded 15 times in the first half of the season.

11 – Bolton’s win is their first against Liverpool in eleven attempts.

Quotes

“There is no-one at this football club who doesn’t have respect for other people. If that was what the problem was, if they thought this game was not as important as the next one, then fine – but they won’t be here.

“The result is disappointing, but the most disappointing thing for me was I don’t think they were ready to play the game. I don’t think the approach was correct, I don’t think the way we went about our work was correct.

“The foundations the football club have always been built on is respect for other people. It is built on the philosophy that the next game is the most important one, not the one that is two or three down the line.

“If they needed a lesson to be taught to them, then this was it. If they think they can just turn up and get a result and not be competitive and not match the opposition for effort, then they have had a lesson today.

“If we have learned it, then fine, but we have to look at ourselves – without taking anything away from Owen Coyle and the way Bolton played – and what we can do and try to prevent it happening in the future.”

- An angry Dalglish issues a warning to the players; either begin playing for the club, or risk being moved on.

Overview

The spotlight will undoubtedly be on Kenny Dalglish in the next few games after a string of poor performances have seen the club begin to lose pace with the other Champions League hopefuls. However, there is nobody who cares about the club more than the Scot, and he will do whatever it takes to turn things around – even if that means admitting his failings and selling players.

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38 Responses to “Match Review: Bolton 3 Liverpool 1”

anfield rd dreamer

22. Jan, 2012

The one positive from the match was finally seeing somebody playing near enough for Carroll to knock the ball onto which got a goal an couple of other chances, Bellamy or Kuyt need to play as Carrolls partner in a 4-4-2 EVERY game untill Suarez returns or we sign somebody new. One bad performance doesn’t make the team bad, this and Spurs for me are the only games we’ve been really awful rest of time its just been our form in front of goal holding us back as we’ve had chances to score every game and just haven’t taken them. Luckily Chelsea dropped 2 points so the result hasn’t actually affected our chances of 4th, we needed to be better than them 2 or 3 times and its still the same, and Arsenal an Newcastle both lost too and I’m still confident (although I’m probably only one) that we can over haul all three teams, all missing players to ACON an Chelsea an Arsenal bout to have their squads stretched by champions league commitments.
- strebby
  
  23. Jan, 2012
  
  how ironic for carroll to have one of his better games(first 45 min anyway) for us, players getting closer to him as you say, but the defence and midfield go walkabout!!! now, i can accept being beaten by the better team or players not playing well from time to time, it’s the nature of the beast its football it happens, but i can not and will not accept players not giving 100% at all times and that was what was most shocking about saturday, they didnt seem to care!
Harvey

22. Jan, 2012

Akon? Isn’t he a black rapper from America?
anfield rd dreamer

22. Jan, 2012

Haha ACON; African Cup Of Nations.
Pete

22. Jan, 2012

Kuyt is not fast enough. It needs to be Suarez or Bellers
- Infinity
  
  27. Jan, 2012
  
  Your story was really informative, thakns!
- Lidia
  
  30. Jan, 2012
  
  Thanks for writing such an easy-to-unerdstnad article on this topic.
anfield rd dreamer

22. Jan, 2012

Agree with you Pete, but Bellamy doesn’t seem to be able to play 90 minutes every game so when he can’t play Kuyt would have to step in until Suarez back or sign someone new. Just anything but 1 up top, they’re the games we struggle most in.
Andy mac

22. Jan, 2012

Team vs city.

Reina
Johnson, Skrtel, agger, Enrique
Downing Gerrard spearing Aurelio/sterling
Carroll bellers
Buzzer

22. Jan, 2012

The team v City is irrelvant, it’s a small competition and shouldn’t matter to a club the size of LFC.

The FA Cup tie as well, is small fish.

We have to win league games, and if we can’t then Kenny has to go.
- Ben
  
  23. Jan, 2012
  
  How is it irrelevant in any way shape or form? A chance at our first trophy in 6 years, and you think it is small fish! And stop saying that we are such a massive club for a way at saying we should not concentrate on the “small” comps. i’d say its our biggest game of the season so far.!
AndyCarrollHater

22. Jan, 2012

The direction LFC is taking is so embarrassing as they are going backwards, KK is fixated on white brits who ain’t worth sh-it and also the fans back these bums who are not living up to their white hype. Carroll = OUT Adam = OUT Downing = OUT Henderson = OUT they are f***ing up a club that use to challenge for titles and trophies but now they look more like a joke. KK needs to stop defending them also cause they show week in and week out that they can’t play well enough to compete for top spot anymore. Oh yeah F-Uc-K ANDY CARROLL
Andy mac

22. Jan, 2012

I thought this was a fan site not a hate site!
anfield rd dreamer

22. Jan, 2012

So what titles and trophies were we winning and competing for before those players arrived and ruined everything for us?
Bring Back Pako

23. Jan, 2012

Oxlade chamberlain looks a quality discovery for arsenal, pacey, tricky and gifted. We could have bid for him last summer. Where was comoli? Probably eyeing up darren bent with his stats theory bull.
anfield rd dreamer

23. Jan, 2012

Haha so funny we WERE in for him he chose Arsenal over us! Funny the things people try to use to criticize us when they don’t have a clue what they’re talking about!
Pete

23. Jan, 2012

Yeah I guess Kuyt can fill in for 20 minutes or so. 4-2-3-1 Is not working with Carroll as the 1. Not because of Carroll. He isn’t getting quality service.

I want to see us go back to basics. 4-4-2. Because then we have more depth in the middle of the park.

————-Pepe
Kelly—Skrtel–Agger—Enrique
Maxi–Spearing–Stevie–Downing
—–Bellamy—-Carroll

Spearing is hopefully back from injury. If not then Adam can be the deep lying midfielder. Kuyt, Hendo and Shelvey to come off the bench.
Bring Back Pako

23. Jan, 2012

We could easily have outbid arsenal for him. We sure did have the money as it was spent on downing and henderson. Keep believing your own made up lies mate.
anfield rd dreamer

23. Jan, 2012

i’ve never been to a liverpool game.

and i still live with my mum.

and i have a very small willy.
Supandi

23. Jan, 2012

The more I think about it, I’m more and more convinced that we were just unlucky. More patience is needed. And above all, self-belief.
- Tasmine
  
  27. Jan, 2012
  
  Stellar work there everyone. I’ll keep on rdaieng.
Edgar Toti

23. Jan, 2012

Pepe Riena Had A Day Off Lol …….One of The Best 10 In The Worls My Ass
- Makaela
  
  28. Jan, 2012
  
  You’re the greastet! JMHO
- Clarinda
  
  30. Jan, 2012
  
  Boy that relaly helps me the heck out.
anfield rd dreamer

23. Jan, 2012

Pako its nothing to do with out bidding the player himself wanted Arsenal, if it was just a case of players go to highest bidder Kaka would be at City not Madrid and pretty much every player would currently be at that Russian club with the mad long name. The three Bolton goals were simply down to our defence having a terrible game, probably first time that’s happened this season were every single one of them has been bad. Oh an nice to see there are still incredibly mature people using this site haha.
- Amory
  
  28. Jan, 2012
  
  That’s not even 10 miutnes well spent!
- Margery
  
  30. Jan, 2012
  
  I guess fidnnig useful, reliable information on the internet isn’t hopeless after all.
Dave McQueen

23. Jan, 2012

Dreamer – if it was just the defense that had a bad day why didn’t we create more chances ? Adam was useless, Henderson was useless, maxi was useless. If that was a good game for Carroll then we haven’t got much to look forward to. And claims we were unlucky is embarrassing. Kk has come out and admitted we were a disgrace. These players need to either step up or step out. Too many average players putting in average performances. Johnson should be dropped. Adam should be dropped. Henderson should be dropped.

Team for city.

Reina

Kelly agger Skirtel Enrique

Downing shelvey spearing gerrard Kuyt

Carroll
anfield rd dreamer

23. Jan, 2012

Think Henderson was unlucky he was ineffective out wide, but we already knew that from earlier in season, he should have been in middle were he has been impressive since Lucas got injured instead of Adam he was only midfielder who was full of running and challenges if Adam an Gerrard had of been same they could have stopped first goal but defence could have stopped all 3 goals, if they had it would have been an awful lazy performance but a 1 nil win off Bellamy’s goal, Carroll created practically every chance we had.
Julien S

23. Jan, 2012

anfield rd dreamer aka Mister ‘If’. Stop dreaming and face reality dude
Tom

23. Jan, 2012

Glen Johnson looked terrible in this game
Upper_Krust

23. Jan, 2012

Lets be honest here…

1. We have been brutal ALL SEASON.

2. The new players brought into the club have been mostly WORSE than the ones who left.

Meireles, Joe Cole and Aquilani are all TO A MAN better than Adam, Downing and Henderson.

3. Kenny’s SQUAD SELECTION never really inspires confidence (players who play well get dropped the next game, while the duds keep getting played).

4. Kenny’s TACTICS often seem baffling (five defenders against Stoke at Anfield for instance).

5. We have become a BORING team to watch.

6. When we play Kuyt and Carroll we may as well PLAY WITH 9 MEN.

If we can’t buy our way out of this slump then we must surely start GIVING THE YOUNG PLAYERS A CHANCE.

Sterling, Coady, Suso, Amoo and others must be at least as good as some of the mess we have on the field.
MK

23. Jan, 2012

sad but so true
anfield rd dreamer

23. Jan, 2012

I speak so much non sense its amazing that anyone listen to me and agrees with what i say outta my stupid mouth, and i love andy carroll cause i’m a gay.
Dave McQueen

25. Jan, 2012

Disagree with sacking Kenny – however its imperative we look at new players and stop defending poor performances. Dreamer – hendo hasn’t played well at all. Average occasionally. Poor most other games. Adam has great range – however no athleticism and not much else. His corners and crosses have been poor given they were the main attribute we bought him for.

Big improvement needed.
Kevrel

30. Jan, 2012

This site is like a classroom, ecxpet I don’t hate it. lol
Gretta Abud

02. Feb, 2012

I imagine this has to be some form of evolution trait to determine what kinda person someone is. Whether they are out to get vengence, if they are mean, someone that you need to be cautious about. Most people would need to know how to react to them.
real estate and marketing

05. Feb, 2012

I imagine this has to be some type of evolutionary trait to determine what type of person someone is. Whether they are out to get money, if they are mean, someone you should look out for. Most people would would need this knowledge how to react to them.