Saturday, December 27, 2008

Rafa Given Large Grin And Tonic

Forget a spoonful of sugar – it was a bucketful of chances that helped the medicine go down for Rafa Benitez yesterday.

And it was just what the doctor ordered for the Liverpool manager when he returned to Anfield following a kidney stones operation.

Medics had told him to keep calm and he obeyed their instructions to the letter, resisting the urge to patrol his customary technical area.

Instead, after missing last week’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal, he sat back to watch the action in the relative comfort zone of the front row in the directors’ box.

And the sight he witnessed must have gladdened his heart with his side dominating their near-neighbours throughout in a match where the home team could – and should – have won by an even more convincing margin.

But win they did, leaving Benitez smiling as his team enters the second half of the campaign on top of the Premier League pile.

And the hopes of Kopites everywhere that Liverpool could be on course for their first title triumph since way back in 1990 are at last looking to have some foundation.

Bolton, on the other hand, never looked to be at the races in a game that Liverpool dominated throughout.

True, they did try harder in the second half – no doubt following an interval rollicking from manager Gary Megson – but it was all too little, too late.

And the scoreline could have been bigger if Liverpool had converted more of their chances and had Bolton keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen not pulled off late stops from Yossi Benayoun and substitute David Ngog.

It was striker Robbie Keane who made Rafa’s Anfield return much less of a worry with two goals that gave the clear impression that he is rediscovering his ability to beat keepers.

Keane followed up his goal against Arsenal last week by rifling in another in the 53rd minute.

He was the recipient of an inch-perfect through pass from his skipper Steven Gerrard – and the rest was simplicity itself.

The Irishman took a few paces forward before clipping a left-foot shot between Jaaskelainen and the post.

Five minutes later it was Keane again who put Liverpool further ahead after gratefully accepting a pass from Benayoun inside the penalty box.

This time he used his right foot to steer the ball home and put the game beyond any doubt with his fifth league goal of the season. Albert Riera had earlier set the Reds on their way when he pounced brilliantly in the 26th minute to turn Liverpool’s ninth corner of the game into a goal.

And the Spaniard did it, too, after moving over to the right wing from his customary position on the left flank!

He caught Johan Elmander ball-watching and breezed across him to prod the ball past Jaaskelainen from two yards out for his third goal of the season.

It was just reward for the Merseysiders who had spent the previous 25 minutes huffing and puffing but failing to blow the visiting defence down.

Riera had earlier given a warning of things to come, firing one particularly fierce low shot at goal from just inside the penalty area after 11 minutes in their first real breakthrough after non-stop attacking from the kick-off.

Then, after Benayoun had rolled the ball into the path of Dirk Kuyt 20 yards out from goal, the Dutchman failed to connect cleanly and what looked like being a great goalscoring chance evaporated.

Benayoun, restored to the first team at the expense of Leiva Lucas, really did look sharp and certainly keen to prove a point.

His right wing runs invariably ended up with a cross that so frequently posed problems to a Bolton defence that was regularly on the ropes. Emiliano Insua even moved upfield from his left-back slot to fire in a powerful shot which caused all kinds of problems.

And that was generally the theme of the game with Liverpool attacking at will and Bolton dropping back in numbers to defend.

Even the second-half introduction of striker Kevin Davies failed to give Bolton the kind of lift they so desperately wanted up front.

But for Liverpool in general, and Benitez in particular, it was just the kind of pre-New Year pick-me-up they needed.

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