What a shame.
After a spirited first half display, Wolves weren’t given the opportunity to sink their teeth into the second 45. Two quick-fire yellow cards for Stephen Ward effectively destroyed what had been an excellent showing and gave Liverpool the impetus they so desperately needed.
Of course there’s every chance the home side would have gone on to secure the win anyway, but what’s so frustrating is that we’ll never know whether Wolves could have maintained their high level of performance for the entire 90 minutes.
But despite the result, there were plenty of positives to be taken from the game.
Reina - Boxing Day villain
Berra and Craddock were again immense at the heart of our defence, winning headers, throwing their bodies on the line and leaving Torres with very little to feed on. They were ably supported by a tough-tackling Richard Stearman and a typically competetive Stephen Ward, up until that strange dismissal.
Doyle and SEB were also very impressive, causing the Liverpool back four all kinds of problems with their strength and trickery. In fact, both were unlucky not to score, especially Doyle, who would surely have found the net had he met a Nenad Milijas corner with his head rather than his shoulder. That was certainly our best chance and had it gone in, I think it would have given us a deserved lead at that point.
But it wasn’t to be and the game was effectively over five minutes after the interval when Ward was given his marching orders.
And anyone who doesn’t think that moment turned the game is deluded. Liverpool needed something to fall their way and when it did, they grabbed it with both hands and hung on for dear life. Regardless of whether the decision was correct or incorrect, what certainly wasn’t right were the actions of the Liverpool players and their manager in crowding the referee and gesturing for Ward to be dismissed.
Reina in particular can certainly expect a hostile reception when Liverpool visit Molineux in a month or so, after sprinting the length of the pitch to throw his two cents into the debate. Despicable actions in my opinion and needless really.
I don’t like complaining about decisions but for what it’s worth, I think the second booking was a little bit harsh. You can’t really complain about the first caution as he was deliberately pulling the player back, but the second was a bit of nothing. Even if it was a foul, I don’t really see that it warranted a yellow card. But of course I’m biased and the commentators seemed to think it was a cut and dry dismissal. Either way, we’ll miss Wardy for the match against Man City.
So all in all, a promising performance that ended disappointingly.
We move on to Monday’s evening kick-off and a similar display should give us every chance of causing an upset.
Yesterdays game left a bad taste in my mouth. I have always had a soft spot for Liverpool, but no more.
We never looked in any real danger up until the sending off and could easily have scored. I feel sorry for SEB because if Doyle had missed the ball when it hit his shoulder, SEB was already shaping for the unmissable tap in, and his first goal in open play – oh well!
So onto the sending off, the first foul was an easy decision for the yellow card, however the second was never a card. Lucas went down so easily from minimal contact, for me it wasn’t a foul never mind a yellow card!
But the thing that really sticks in my throat is Steven Gerrard, and his preferential treatment from the ref. I counted on at least 3 occasions very late challenges from Gerrard that should all have been yellow cards, yet nothing was given and I have to ask the question why challenges that could easily have caused injury were ignored yet two inocuous challenges were dealt with harshly! The answer as always is the special treatment the big 4 always seem to get especially on their home turf – and that’s why the bad taste remains in my mouth!
George Elokobi needs to be put down.
Re: Reina. As someone who was sat in the front row, it wasn’t so much his sprint across the pitch to get a fellow professional sent off that irked (though it did, and led to him getting the initial stick from Wolves fans) it was his turning to us – and not the Liverpool supporters to our left and his right – to celebrate their first goal. A classy guy.
I don’t like saying “oh, referees give the big teams preferential treatment” because I don’t think they do. Yesterday, though, I thought the ref was being lenient to the big players – Gerrard, Torres etc. They’re cute; the put their arm around the ref and say something nice to flatter them, and suitably buttered up, the refs go easy.
I really wish Wolves players would stop swapping shirts with the opposition. You’re not tourists, you’re there on merit.
Gutted we couldn’t really have a go second half and quite disappointed that Mick gave up. Taking off Doyle and Milijas as our only attacking threats other that Jarvis, who again i thought was quality. How at 2-0 down can just Iwelumo be in the box, shocking, Jarvo’s brilliant work wasted.
It probably was two yellows for Ward but all i ask for refs is consistency. What about Lucas’ challenge on Ward first half, Torres’ dive. But a couple of silly fouls from Ward and he’s off.
Onto Man City now and i actually think we’ve a real chance, they’re not all that. And i never thought i’d want Robinho to play rather that Bellamy…
Sorry, it’s not bad luck.We just ain;t good enough.End of…
Dazza, yeah, that may be. But until we’ve got £32 million substitutes and a Champions League / Serie A winning manager, we’ve got to put up with losing more than we win and take what positives we can. I don’t think it’s too hard when we’ve got a group of players like this.
Just to clarify, I think Daz’s point is that we’re not good enough to stay in the division. I don’t know if he’s 100% wrong, but I equally don’t know if he’s 100% right. That’s the fun of all this isn’t it?
To clarify. From what I have seen, we are one of the worst 3 teams in the division, so I reckon we will go down. We have a chairman who asks for miracles without providing the bread and fish