We round up the best of the newspapers’ reaction to Liverpool’s comfortable 1-0 victory over Besiktas in Thursday night’s Europa League tie.
Liverpool did it the hard way, but their 1-0 victory at home to Besiktas in their Europa League last-32 first-leg tie, as they can now travel to Istanbul with a valuable lead and having conceded no away goals.
A Mario Balotelli penalty was enough to win it for Brendan Rodgers’ side, although the manner of his assumption of the duty remains a hot topic.
Nevertheless, Liverpool continued their steamrolling form with another win at Anfield on Thursday night.
James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo unsurprisingly started by focussing on the penalty incident, siding with Balotelli despite his undermining captain Jordan Henderson:
“Having heaped a huge amount of pressure on his own shoulders and been disrespectful to the man wearing the armband, he showed remarkable composure by dispatching it into the bottom corner.
The reception from his team-mates was similarly ice cool but the maverick remained defiant. The Kop certainly had no complaints as they lauded ‘Mario fantastico’.
Hero or villain? The reality is that football is a fickle business. Having scored he will be quickly forgiven. If he had missed, it would have unleashed the mother of all storms. Just ask Kevin Mirallas.
In future there should be no debate. Balotelli is a proven penalty taker and when he’s out there and Gerrard isn’t, he should be on spot-kick duties.”
Elsewhere, Pearce praised the well-drilled efforts of Besiktas, and outlined how this limited Liverpool’s attacking prowess:
“Turkish Super League leaders Besiktas made life difficult for the hosts and showed why they took four points off Tottenham in the Europa League and ran Arsenal so close in the Champions League play-off.
[…]
After a lively start, the tempo dropped. The flow of the game was disrupted by Besiktas’ combative approach and Liverpool struggled to generate momentum.
[…]
Slaven Bilic’s men sat deep and defended in numbers with the Reds lacking the quality required to break them down…Thrashed 8-0 on their only previous visit to Anfield, were set up to contain but when they broke off the shackles they showed their threat on the counter-attack as 2,500 fanatical fans roared them on.”
Andy Kelly, of the Liverpool Echo , turned his attention to 19-year-old winger Jordon Ibe, who was so impressive on his European debut:
“For so long it looked like he was putting in a performance which should now only be described as ‘a Jordon Obe’.
You know the one. Brilliant start – full of fast, direct running leaving a full-back wishing he was anywhere but there. Loaded with intent, potential seemingly endless, hopes soaring.
Then a second half where he slightly disappears, leaving you wondering what has changed in those 15 minutes within the confines of either dressing room.
Here, though, there was another twist in this Europa League tale.
[…]
His moment was not far away. Just over five minutes remained when he burst past his man yet again and drove into the penalty box where Ramon Motta bundled him over from behind.
We know what happened next but Jordon Ibe had fulfilled his end of the bargain.”
While Ibe flourished on his European debut, as Paul Wilson of The Guardian highlighted Daniel Sturridge struggled on his first continental outing for Liverpool:
“Rodgers suggested Liverpool had returned to something like their best with Sturridge back in the side, while Steven Gerrard said the striker had already made a big impact. ‘Daniel’s record speaks for itself, and with him back in the side we carry a huge threat,’ Gerrard said.
That’s pressure, if you like, though Sturridge would not expect anything less. He made his first European start at Anfield in something less than Liverpool’s strongest side, with Gerrard out injured, Raheem Sterling on the bench and Lazar Markovic suspended.
[…]
Ibe made a couple more encouraging contributions during the first half, without really providing the pace or penetration Liverpool were looking for. Sturridge cut a somewhat isolated figure as a result.”
However, the Mirror ’s Jack Lang focussed on the positives of Sturridge’s European bow:
“Daniel Sturridge’s lengthy absence – plus a couple of niggling knocks to Adam Lallana – made it difficult for the Reds to find their rhythm in the early part of the season. Raheem Sterling took the extra weight on his shoulders admirably, but there is now finally a sense that Rodgers is close to fielding his best XI… even if things did not quite click on this occasion.
Sterling was only on the bench here, but some combination involving him, Lallana, Sturridge and Coutinho has huge potential. Fitting them all into the same system will be a challenge, of course, but what a problem to have.
Finally, Pete Oliver of The Telegraph addressed the challenge ahead for Rodgers’ side as it comes together:
“Liverpool are still far from guaranteed a place in the last 16 of the Europa League with a testing trip to Turkey to come in the second leg. Besiktas under Slaven Bilic, who has been talked about as a possible successor to Sam Allardyce at West Ham should they have a change this summer, were nothing like the side that lost 8-0 at Anfield in the Champions League eight years ago.”
Next up for Liverpool is Sunday’s trip to Southampton for their crucial top-four Premier League clash at St. Mary’s (16:15 kickoff GMT).
.
We round up the best of the newspapers’ reaction to Liverpool’s comfortable 1-0 victory over Besiktas in Thursday night’s Europa League tie.
Liverpool did it the hard way, but their 1-0 victory at home to Besiktas in their Europa League last-32 first-leg tie, as they can now travel to Istanbul with a valuable lead and having conceded no away goals.
A Mario Balotelli penalty was enough to win it for Brendan Rodgers’ side, although the manner of his assumption of the duty remains a hot topic.
Nevertheless, Liverpool continued their steamrolling form with another win at Anfield on Thursday night.
James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo unsurprisingly started by focussing on the penalty incident, siding with Balotelli despite his undermining captain Jordan Henderson:
“Having heaped a huge amount of pressure on his own shoulders and been disrespectful to the man wearing the armband, he showed remarkable composure by dispatching it into the bottom corner.
The reception from his team-mates was similarly ice cool but the maverick remained defiant. The Kop certainly had no complaints as they lauded ‘Mario fantastico’.
Hero or villain? The reality is that football is a fickle business. Having scored he will be quickly forgiven. If he had missed, it would have unleashed the mother of all storms. Just ask Kevin Mirallas.
In future there should be no debate. Balotelli is a proven penalty taker and when he’s out there and Gerrard isn’t, he should be on spot-kick duties.”
Elsewhere, Pearce praised the well-drilled efforts of Besiktas, and outlined how this limited Liverpool’s attacking prowess:
“Turkish Super League leaders Besiktas made life difficult for the hosts and showed why they took four points off Tottenham in the Europa League and ran Arsenal so close in the Champions League play-off.
[…]
After a lively start, the tempo dropped. The flow of the game was disrupted by Besiktas’ combative approach and Liverpool struggled to generate momentum.
[…]
Slaven Bilic’s men sat deep and defended in numbers with the Reds lacking the quality required to break them down…Thrashed 8-0 on their only previous visit to Anfield, were set up to contain but when they broke off the shackles they showed their threat on the counter-attack as 2,500 fanatical fans roared them on.”
Andy Kelly, of the Liverpool Echo , turned his attention to 19-year-old winger Jordon Ibe, who was so impressive on his European debut:
“For so long it looked like he was putting in a performance which should now only be described as ‘a Jordon Obe’.
You know the one. Brilliant start – full of fast, direct running leaving a full-back wishing he was anywhere but there. Loaded with intent, potential seemingly endless, hopes soaring.
Then a second half where he slightly disappears, leaving you wondering what has changed in those 15 minutes within the confines of either dressing room.
Here, though, there was another twist in this Europa League tale.
[…]
His moment was not far away. Just over five minutes remained when he burst past his man yet again and drove into the penalty box where Ramon Motta bundled him over from behind.
We know what happened next but Jordon Ibe had fulfilled his end of the bargain.”
While Ibe flourished on his European debut, as Paul Wilson of The Guardian highlighted Daniel Sturridge struggled on his first continental outing for Liverpool:
“Rodgers suggested Liverpool had returned to something like their best with Sturridge back in the side, while Steven Gerrard said the striker had already made a big impact. ‘Daniel’s record speaks for itself, and with him back in the side we carry a huge threat,’ Gerrard said.
That’s pressure, if you like, though Sturridge would not expect anything less. He made his first European start at Anfield in something less than Liverpool’s strongest side, with Gerrard out injured, Raheem Sterling on the bench and Lazar Markovic suspended.
[…]
Ibe made a couple more encouraging contributions during the first half, without really providing the pace or penetration Liverpool were looking for. Sturridge cut a somewhat isolated figure as a result.”
However, the Mirror ’s Jack Lang focussed on the positives of Sturridge’s European bow:
“Daniel Sturridge’s lengthy absence – plus a couple of niggling knocks to Adam Lallana – made it difficult for the Reds to find their rhythm in the early part of the season. Raheem Sterling took the extra weight on his shoulders admirably, but there is now finally a sense that Rodgers is close to fielding his best XI… even if things did not quite click on this occasion.
Sterling was only on the bench here, but some combination involving him, Lallana, Sturridge and Coutinho has huge potential. Fitting them all into the same system will be a challenge, of course, but what a problem to have.
Finally, Pete Oliver of The Telegraph addressed the challenge ahead for Rodgers’ side as it comes together:
“Liverpool are still far from guaranteed a place in the last 16 of the Europa League with a testing trip to Turkey to come in the second leg. Besiktas under Slaven Bilic, who has been talked about as a possible successor to Sam Allardyce at West Ham should they have a change this summer, were nothing like the side that lost 8-0 at Anfield in the Champions League eight years ago.”
Next up for Liverpool is Sunday’s trip to Southampton for their crucial top-four Premier League clash at St. Mary’s (16:15 kickoff GMT).
.
After three tough games in three different competitions in the last 10 days, have Liverpool proven they can compete all three fronts this season? Joseph Copeland is happy with the signs so far.
Phew. Take a breath everybody. The whirlwind that has been the past 10 days for Liverpool Football Club has come to an end. It started with one of the matches of the year in the Premier League as Liverpool swash buckled their way past an improved Tottenham side 3-2. That was followed up with an FA Cup fifth round tie versus Crystal Palace at the same stadium Reds fans watched a 3-0 lead vanish in a mere 10 minutes, along with any League title dreams just last May. However, a 2-1 win and a berth in the Quarterfinals eased that pain a bit. Finally a date with Turkish side Besiktas in the Europa League Round of 32 beckoned. It wasn’t pretty, but Liverpool clawed out a winning result. Not bad for a “thin squad” right?
While the debate has raged for weeks as to whether or not Liverpool should attempt to compete on all fronts, this successful run of games across multiple competitions should serve as proof that it is not as hopeless of an idea as one might think. I might be lambasted as being “overly optimistic” or “blinded by fandom” but these results were very telling. Not one of these three matches were Liverpool romps where the outcome was determined in the first 15 minutes. They required a full 90 minutes of intensity and focus. Is it telling that Raheem Sterling only participated in roughly 13 minutes over the three games? I haven’t come to a conclusion yet. However, it should serve as a reminder to both the lad and the club that we can still succeed without his presence.
Now before you go off on me for saying such a blasphemous thing, I’m not implying Liverpool are better off without Sterling in the team. There is no denying his importance for Brendan Rodgers. He has shouldered more than he probably should have at this stage in his young career. Nevertheless, the emergence of fellow youngster, Jordon Ibe, has covered his absence beautifully. It truly has been a baptism by fire for the 19 year-old from London. He started the Everton match and put in a strong shift in only his second Premier League start. He has turned that into a great run of games that included winning the clinching penalty in the Europa League on Thursday. His ability to play in both an advanced or withdrawn role on the wing has allowed him to impact games in more ways than one. Like Sterling, he has an uncanny confidence for such a young, unproven player. He has brought a swagger into the side that had been missing over recent weeks.
That confidence was seen in a heart pounding match against Spurs. The 3-2 result reminded viewers of matches from last season where the Reds simply outgunned teams until the result went their way. The action was free-flowing and end-to-end as you couldn’t put a finger on who would score next. That’s the way we have become accustomed to watching Liverpool play under Brendan Rodgers. As it were, four days later we would see a different side ease by Crystal Palace in the FA Cup. Even being down 1-0 at the half there was no panic in the team. They simply kept putting the pressure on until the Palace resistance finally broke and Daniel Sturridge and Adam Lallana would put them to the sword in a matter of minutes after the intermission.
It was a professional performance from Liverpool. Once they captured the lead, they controlled the flow of the game, basically taking the home-field advantage out of play. It is those kinds of displays that this team would be right to duplicate. That brings me to the third game of this stuffed fixture list. Continental football is something entirely different from domestic action, as Liverpool discovered during the Champions League Group Stages earlier this campaign. While the Europa League isn’t as glamorous, the notion still rings true.
While the team as a whole wasn’t firing on all cylinders, that doesn’t mean there is not praise still to be handed out. Mario Balotelli continued his resurgence in the Liverpool side with a battling effort that included converting the winning penalty. Yes, he was right to take the penalty over Jordan Henderson. That is now two winning goals in the past three matches for the enigmatic Italian. He has clearly earned the chance to start alongside Sturridge as we look ahead.
As we do look forward, the road does not get any easier. A crucial clash with fourth place Southampton awaits on Sunday. With what we’ve seen recently from Liverpool, they are in with a very good chance to come away with maximum points if they continue in this vein of form. The continued maturation of Ibe, Sterling and Lazar Markovic will be vital for this team as they push on. The eventual return of Steven Gerrard from injury might throw a wrench into the budding chemistry that is on display over recent games. Liverpool does not boast the squad depth of Bayern, Real or Chelsea. However, they have a very good starting XI with above average talent waiting in the wings. If they can stay healthy (I’m looking at you Danny Boy) they should be in with a shot for silverware on multiple fronts. I for one, am looking forward to the challenges ahead.
.
After three tough games in three different competitions in the last 10 days, have Liverpool proven they can compete all three fronts this season? Joseph Copeland is happy with the signs so far.
Phew. Take a breath everybody. The whirlwind that has been the past 10 days for Liverpool Football Club has come to an end. It started with one of the matches of the year in the Premier League as Liverpool swash buckled their way past an improved Tottenham side 3-2. That was followed up with an FA Cup fifth round tie versus Crystal Palace at the same stadium Reds fans watched a 3-0 lead vanish in a mere 10 minutes, along with any League title dreams just last May. However, a 2-1 win and a berth in the Quarterfinals eased that pain a bit. Finally a date with Turkish side Besiktas in the Europa League Round of 32 beckoned. It wasn’t pretty, but Liverpool clawed out a winning result. Not bad for a “thin squad” right?
While the debate has raged for weeks as to whether or not Liverpool should attempt to compete on all fronts, this successful run of games across multiple competitions should serve as proof that it is not as hopeless of an idea as one might think. I might be lambasted as being “overly optimistic” or “blinded by fandom” but these results were very telling. Not one of these three matches were Liverpool romps where the outcome was determined in the first 15 minutes. They required a full 90 minutes of intensity and focus. Is it telling that Raheem Sterling only participated in roughly 13 minutes over the three games? I haven’t come to a conclusion yet. However, it should serve as a reminder to both the lad and the club that we can still succeed without his presence.
Now before you go off on me for saying such a blasphemous thing, I’m not implying Liverpool are better off without Sterling in the team. There is no denying his importance for Brendan Rodgers. He has shouldered more than he probably should have at this stage in his young career. Nevertheless, the emergence of fellow youngster, Jordon Ibe, has covered his absence beautifully. It truly has been a baptism by fire for the 19 year-old from London. He started the Everton match and put in a strong shift in only his second Premier League start. He has turned that into a great run of games that included winning the clinching penalty in the Europa League on Thursday. His ability to play in both an advanced or withdrawn role on the wing has allowed him to impact games in more ways than one. Like Sterling, he has an uncanny confidence for such a young, unproven player. He has brought a swagger into the side that had been missing over recent weeks.
That confidence was seen in a heart pounding match against Spurs. The 3-2 result reminded viewers of matches from last season where the Reds simply outgunned teams until the result went their way. The action was free-flowing and end-to-end as you couldn’t put a finger on who would score next. That’s the way we have become accustomed to watching Liverpool play under Brendan Rodgers. As it were, four days later we would see a different side ease by Crystal Palace in the FA Cup. Even being down 1-0 at the half there was no panic in the team. They simply kept putting the pressure on until the Palace resistance finally broke and Daniel Sturridge and Adam Lallana would put them to the sword in a matter of minutes after the intermission.
It was a professional performance from Liverpool. Once they captured the lead, they controlled the flow of the game, basically taking the home-field advantage out of play. It is those kinds of displays that this team would be right to duplicate. That brings me to the third game of this stuffed fixture list. Continental football is something entirely different from domestic action, as Liverpool discovered during the Champions League Group Stages earlier this campaign. While the Europa League isn’t as glamorous, the notion still rings true.
While the team as a whole wasn’t firing on all cylinders, that doesn’t mean there is not praise still to be handed out. Mario Balotelli continued his resurgence in the Liverpool side with a battling effort that included converting the winning penalty. Yes, he was right to take the penalty over Jordan Henderson. That is now two winning goals in the past three matches for the enigmatic Italian. He has clearly earned the chance to start alongside Sturridge as we look ahead.
As we do look forward, the road does not get any easier. A crucial clash with fourth place Southampton awaits on Sunday. With what we’ve seen recently from Liverpool, they are in with a very good chance to come away with maximum points if they continue in this vein of form. The continued maturation of Ibe, Sterling and Lazar Markovic will be vital for this team as they push on. The eventual return of Steven Gerrard from injury might throw a wrench into the budding chemistry that is on display over recent games. Liverpool does not boast the squad depth of Bayern, Real or Chelsea. However, they have a very good starting XI with above average talent waiting in the wings. If they can stay healthy (I’m looking at you Danny Boy) they should be in with a shot for silverware on multiple fronts. I for one, am looking forward to the challenges ahead.
.
