Scott Murray's Blog, page 168
January 12, 2016
Bouncing around aimlessly in a passable homage to the title sequence of The Prisoner
One of the first things Jürgen Klopp did upon arriving at Liverpool was to draw up a shopping list of central defenders who might eventually replace the monumentally confused Dejan Lovren, balsa-boned Mamadou Sakho, Kolo Touré, 57, and Martin Skrtel, who at first glance looks like the sort of bloke who should be on trial for some very serious breaches of humanitarian protocol, but in fact, if the manner in which he attacks the ball while defending deep crosses is anything to go by, is the sort of sweet-hearted young lad who would faint in fear at a Talulah Gosh gig. Looks can be deceptive. Nothing wrong with sensitive twee-pop sensibilities, of course, but when push comes to shove, he might not be cut out for Klopp’s heavy-metal brand of football, is all.
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January 9, 2016
Manchester United v Sheffield United: FA Cup third round – as it happened
Manchester United were poor, Sheffield United resolute, but the home side made it through thanks to a injury-time penalty.
7.28pm GMT
And that’s that! Manchester United make it through, right at the end, thanks to a determined run by Memphis and a preposterous sliding tackle by Hammond. The home side weren’t very good, but they were the side doing all the attacking in that second half, so you could certainly make a case - albeit not a particularly strong or convincing one - that they just about deserved that. Just about. Maybe. Though whatever your position there, you have to feel sorry for a very brave and impressive Sheffield United. Louis van Gaal waves to the fans as he disappears down the tunnel, but one bloke gives him a very conspicuous double thumbs down. Still, that’s a misfiring Manchester United in the hat for the fourth round. Louis van Gaal’s Mark Robins moment?
Related: Wayne Rooney saves Manchester United’s blushes against Sheffield United
7.26pm GMT
90 min +6: Flynn shapes to shoot from 25 yards, but finds his effort blocked. From the breakdown, Basham goes clattering into Memphis in the frustrated style, and he’s in the book.
7.26pm GMT
90 min +5: Hammond looks to make amends by scooping a long ball down the right, allowing Flynn to cause a bit of bother down that wing. But Rooney snuffs out the danger.
7.24pm GMT
90 min +4: But what a stupid challenge by Hammond, who looks utterly distraught.
7.24pm GMT
Rooney batters the penalty into the bottom-left corner, Long going the other way. No messing!
7.23pm GMT
90 min +2: Memphis has been Manchester United’s best player since coming on. He dribbles at pace down the left, and enters the area. Hammond slides across and clips him on the shin. Memphis doesn’t need asking twice. He goes down, and Rooney will have the chance to seal the win from the spot!
7.21pm GMT
90 min: It’s far from over yet, of course. There will be six added minutes. The first two are used up by a substitution farce. Sheffield United look to swap Coutts for Done, but Sammon goes down injured as the board goes up, and so he eventually makes way instead. We might be seeing more than six added minutes.
7.20pm GMT
89 min: Manchester United are pressing, pressing, pressing. If only they’d played like this from the get-go. Memphis cuts in from the left again, and sends a fierce drive inches wide left from 25 yards. Again. And up go the ironic cheers. This is getting old. “This, this right here is peak Van Gaal,” argues David Flynn. “And the worst part about it is he’ll probably be delighted. A dour 0-0 with a massive amount of possession is basically a win in his mind.”
7.20pm GMT
7.18pm GMT
87 min: Martial is fairly cynically knocked off the ball by Basham. Free kick for United, 30 yards out on the right. The ball’s hooked into the area. Edgar’s clearing header is awful, dropping to the feet of Martial, eight yards out. He must score! But his snapped shot is blocked by an absurdly good dive from Brayford, who has spread himself bravely - and legitimately - in front of the striker. The ball breaks right to Smalling, who should still slam home, but he executes a perfect fresh-air kick. Oops. Sheffield United survive, somehow.
7.16pm GMT
85 min: This game is a proper shapeless mess right now. It’s very open, which will probably suit Manchester United. But no passes are sticking.
7.14pm GMT
83 min: Schweinsteiger was waving his arm in panic and agony as he went down, never a pleasant thing to see. But it does look as though he’s just momentarily jarred something, and after a couple of minutes is back on, albeit not running in the full and free style. But that’s good to see.
7.13pm GMT
81 min: Pereira, deep on the left, swings a long diagonal pass to Lingard, coming into the Sheffield United area from the right. He heads down for Martial, whose attempt to sweep home is immediately blocked. The ball breaks to Schweinsteiger on the edge of the area. He has a crack at the ball, but only succeeds in jarring his knee as he clatters into Basham, who was attempting to clear. A fair and innocent challenge, but Schweinsteiger looks in a bit of trouble here.
7.09pm GMT
79 min: It is slightly difficult to parse the exact mood of the Manchester United crowd, though. Pereira is sent on for Fellaini, whose exit is cheered fairly lustily. Sheffield United make a change too, swapping the injured McEveley for Reed.
7.08pm GMT
77 min: Sarcasm and gallows humour is one thing. But Manchester United fans aren’t having their opposite number singing “You’re getting sacked in the morning” at their manager. They drown that one out with a blast of “Glory, Glory Man United”.
7.06pm GMT
7.06pm GMT
75 min: Darmian, down the right, cuts the ball back for Fellaini, who shuttles it further back for Schweinsteiger. The German World Cup winner takes a swing at the ball, carving it miles to the left of the goal. He has the good grace to look thoroughly miserable at what he’s just done.
7.04pm GMT
74 min: Martial tries to break down the inside-right channel, but his run is tracked by Coutts, who steps in front of his man, then plays the ball off Lingard to win a goal kick for Sheffield United.
7.02pm GMT
73 min: Fellaini channels his inner Garrincha and embarks on a tricky meander down the right. He earns a corner, which Smalling flicks goalwards. Collins clears the danger. Finally, the home side are beginning to impose themselves on this match.
7.01pm GMT
70 min: Memphis is certainly in the mood for this. He dribbles with extreme prejudice into the Sheffield United box down the left. And very nearly breaks through a bank of four white shirts. Not quite, but this is much, much better from Manchester United. They’ve looked decent since the double substitution.
7.00pm GMT
69 min: A United effort on target! Darmian picks up a loose Sheffield United clearance, cuts into the area, and toe-pokes a weak shot towards the bottom right. The home faithful whistle, then give it the big cheer again. Plenty of smiles in the stand, though; they’re seeing the gallows humour in this. Moaning’s half the fun of football anyway. The most enjoyable bit, some would say.
6.58pm GMT
67 min: Basham has a bash from 25 yards himself. It’s straight at De Gea, and not particularly well hit. The keeper gathers with a yawn. But that’s the first effort on target by either side, which is an astonishing statistic, and kind of backs up what the Old Trafford crowd have just been arguing via the medium of frustrated bellow.
6.57pm GMT
66 min: Manchester United are beginning to apply a little pressure, with Sheffield United sitting very deep. And suddenly Memphis cuts in from the left, and sends a screamer wide left from 25 yards. It’s not miles away. Old Trafford erupts in ironic cheering at that sudden injection of pace and attacking intent. That’s a shot across Van Gaal’s bows all right.
6.54pm GMT
64 min: Sheffield United make their first change. Sharp looks utterly miserable as he’s hooked, disappointed to be making way for Flynn. A bit of anger and irritation, but just the right side of open dissent. It’ll be Sammon ploughing a lone furrow up front.
6.53pm GMT
6.52pm GMT
62 min: Lingard’s first contribution is a purposeful run down the right. His ball inside doesn’t find a man, and the move breaks down, but there’s a sign that Manchester United are looking to up the tempo now. The Old Trafford faithful have found their voice, too, urging their lads to pick it up a bit.
6.50pm GMT
60 min: Borthwick-Jackson bursts down the left and earns a throw deep in Sheffield United territory. Before that can be taken, Mata and Herrera are sacrificed for Memphis and Lingard. And then the throw comes to nowt.
6.48pm GMT
58 min: Martial, from a position deep on the left, curls a deep cross to the far post. McEveley takes no chances and heads behind for a corner, though there was nobody near him. The set piece is worked backwards to Herrera, who sends an aimless ball into the box from the right wing. It’s smothered by Long.
6.46pm GMT
55 min: Mata gifts the ball to Basham in the centre circle. He sends Sharp romping into space down the right, but the striker has neither the pace nor support to do any real damage. But there’s a second wave of attack, and Coutts bursts into the Manchester United box down the right. He reaches the byline, swans past Schweinsteiger and looks for Sammon in the middle. Mata steps in to brilliantly block, intercept and clear. He owed his team-mates that after starting the whole affair with that loose pass.
6.44pm GMT
54 min: Manchester United are enjoying the lion’s share of possession, though, attempting to grind Sheffield United down. Mata and Darmian take turns to glide crosses into the Sheffield Untied box from the right. Collins and Edgar are battering every centre away, however, meat and drink for the big lads.
6.42pm GMT
52 min: Schweinsteiger lumps a long, long ball straight into the arms of Long. That’ll be testing a few folk’s patience.
6.41pm GMT
51 min: There’s definitely a strange atmosphere at Old Trafford right now, with the home team failing to click. It would be melodramatic to describe it as mutinous, but there’s a little something in the air. When Fellaini allows a simple pass to clank between his legs and sail backwards behind him, there’s a loud mix of resigned laughter and irritation. Bleak humour the top note right now, but it might turn if this performance gets much worse.
6.39pm GMT
49 min: Mata’s in a little space down the right. His looping cross is gathered by Long at the near post without much fuss.
6.38pm GMT
48 min: Nothing whatsoever going on right now. The Sheffield United fans are informed that the late trains back to Yorkshire are buggered, and if they could take earlier trains home, i.e. when the match is still on, the privatised firm running this shambles would be most grateful. They borrow a ditty from the home supporters, and belt out a rendition of “We do what we want.”
6.35pm GMT
No changes to either side. Sheffield United get the ball rolling for the second half. Manchester United will be kicking towards the Stretford End, and hoping for an injection of Wonderfuel Gas.
6.22pm GMT
Half-time entertainment. In lieu of third-round shocks this year ...
Related: A brief guide to … the FA Cup third round, where even the minnows have their day
6.21pm GMT
And that’s that for the first half. The home team walk off to a smattering of boos, which are quickly drowned out by a blast of Glory, Glory Man United from the Old Trafford PA. Again, a little Saturday night satire. It’s like TW3 was never taken off air.
6.19pm GMT
45 min +3: Coutts needlessly brings down Martial with the Manchester United man going nowhere down the left. It’s effectively a corner. Rooney pulls the ball back to Blind, on the edge of the area. A beautiful conversion in the rugby-union style.
6.18pm GMT
45 min +2: Brayford finds himself near the Manchester United right-hand corner flag. He whips a cross towards the near post. De Gea claims a tricky ball with graceful ease.
6.18pm GMT
45 min +1: Borthwick-Jackson has a dig from distance. Nope.
6.17pm GMT
45 min: There will be three added minutes of this first half.
6.17pm GMT
44 min: ... and welts a witless free kick straight in the Sheffield United wall. His frustration mounts when Sheffield United are awarded a cheap pressure-relieving free kick when Fellaini lightly brushes Basham, winning the ball fairly in the process. Rooney gets right up in referee Jon Moss’s grille; he’ll need to be careful.
6.15pm GMT
43 min: The set piece is played short for Mata, who fires a low pass down the middle. Herrera can’t control. But Manchester United come again, with Mata attempting to flick the ball past Basham. The Sheffield United man sticks out a hand, and that’s a free kick 25 yards from goal. A very dangerous position. Rooney steps up ...
6.13pm GMT
42 min: Coutts tugs Mata in the middle of the Sheffield United half. That’ll be a free kick, out on the left, and a chance for Manchester United to load the box. Before it can be taken, Coutts needs a bit of treatment.
6.12pm GMT
40 min: A chant of “Jose Mourinho” breaks out. In fairness, that could be the Sheffield United support. Plenty of booing in an attempt to get whoever it is to pipe down.
6.10pm GMT
38 min: McEveley blooters long down the Sheffield United left. Sharp bursts clear of the Manchester United back line in hot pursuit, and is only just beaten to the ball in a footrace with De Gea, rushing from his area. It’s not a throw to Sheffield United, though, as it turns out Sharp had a head start due to being a yard offside. A few Manchester United hearts were in mouths there, though, for a second or two.
6.09pm GMT
36 min: Finally, a couple of half-chances for Manchester United. First Herrera slips a lovely sliderule pass down the middle to release Rooney into the area. Brayford comes across to confuse the situation, and before Rooney can poke the ball past Long, the keeper smothers. Then Schweinsteiger breaks into the box down the inside-right channel after a long Blind pass. A looping header, and Long would have been in trouble, but he tries to take it down, miscontrols, and the danger’s gone. But this is better from the 11-time cup winners.
6.07pm GMT
34 min: Fellaini drops a shoulder in an attempt to dribble past McEveley down the Manchester United right. Plenty of tutting as the ball clanks off his shin and is easily cleared. Then poor Darmian takes a ball smack in the boat as he tries to make something happen down the same flank. Oh the indignity. But Darmian’s been one of Manchester United’s better players so far, always forward thinking, always an option.
6.04pm GMT
32 min: A ball looped down the Sheffield United right. Sharp has the jump on Borthwick-Jackson, and reaches the byline, though is low fizzer is cut out easily by Smalling.
6.03pm GMT
6.02pm GMT
30 min: The pace has dropped. Blind tries to inject some impetus into proceedings with a burst through the middle. The ball’s shuttled right for Herrera, who near the corner flag tries to feed Darmian into the box. A harmless trundle along the byline rolls into the arms of Long.
5.59pm GMT
27 min: Fellaini pumps a long ball forward for Mata. Is this satire?
5.58pm GMT
25 min: Fellaini plays a piss-poor square pass in the midfield to gift Basham the ball. Basham tears down the inside-left channel, and would have broken into the box had Smalling not been positioned so well. A fine covering run from a class act. Fellaini owes him a bottle of something warming.
5.55pm GMT
23 min: A bit of space for Coutts down the right. His deep cross is headed behind by Darmian, with Sammon lurking. The corner leads to a Manchester United quickbreak through Martial, which fizzles out due to a lack of options. The home side, fed on rich, creamy spoonfuls during the Ferguson era, bellow their frustration. That’s doubled when a long ball’s pumped towards the head of Fellaini, and the big man misses it. Goal kick. Sheffield United will be very happy with the way this has gone so far.
5.53pm GMT
20 min: Rooney in the thick of the action. First he launches an absurd shot from just outside the area 30 yards over the bar. Then he’s sent scampering into the area down the inside-right channel, Sheffield United unpicked by a glorious pass down the flank from Darmian. Rooney takes the ball round Long on the outside, but leaves himself too tight an angle, and McEveley blocks the shot, or cross towards Martial, or whatever his intention was. Great defending.
5.51pm GMT
18 min: Long boots big down the middle of the park. Sammon brings the punt down brilliantly, lets the ball bounce, then lashes a rising screamer towards the top right from 25 yards. It’s a stunning shot, and well parried over the bar by De Gea. Sheffield United don’t get their corner, though, because the referee has spotted a Sammon hand ball. It wasn’t that obvious.
5.49pm GMT
17 min: Sheffield United are snapping into a few tackles right now, winning more than their fair share of 50-50s. Sammon makes a mighty nuisance of himself on the edge of the Manchester United area, then feeds Woolford down the left. De Gea plucks the cross from the sky.
5.48pm GMT
15 min: More of the Manchester United sterile possession. Sheffield United are holding their shape right now. “I’m disappointed that Louis Van Gaal hasn’t worn a trackie with two stripes today in a classic Cruyffian protest at the recent Adidas criticism of his team’s style,” writes Justin Kavanagh. “Dutch contrarianism isn’t what it once was, clearly!” Heh. You make a fair point. Though I’d have paid cash money to see the look of supreme disgust on Van Gaal’s face when he first heard about those comments.
5.45pm GMT
5.44pm GMT
12 min: More possession for Borthwick-Jackson, who is in a can-do mood this evening. He wins a corner for his side down the left. A deep ball is headed up into the air twice by Fellaini, standing near the right-hand post, to little effect.
5.43pm GMT
11 min: Borthwick-Jackson finds a little space down the left, but his low cross is hooked away from danger by Edgar. Manchester United are beginning to dictate the game, in terms of possession anyway. They’re seeing a lot of the ball, but not doing a whole load with it.
5.41pm GMT
8 min: Mata waves his wand from wide on the right, very nearly dropping a diagonal curler onto the foot of Martial, cutting in from the left, 12 yards out. Not quite. But not far away.
5.39pm GMT
7 min: It’s probably best described as a fast-paced nonsense, so far, this game. The slippery surface, rain and wind will probably take a little getting used to. “Just wondering how Schneiderlin can be considered in the red zone, when he’s only played two games since 5th December,” wonders Mark Gillespie. You’d buy a used car off Louis van Gaal, that being the case, wouldn’t you.
5.37pm GMT
5 min: Sharp bothers Blind down the Sheffield United right. Blind very nearly lets his man go clear on goal, but recovers just in time and turns to clear. Up the other end, Martial takes Brayford on down the Manchester United left, and thinks he’s earned his team a corner, but the ball comes back off the young French star and out for a goal kick.
5.35pm GMT
4 min: A lot of loose balls being played by both teams at the moment. No shape to the game whatsoever.
5.33pm GMT
2 min: It’s a belting atmosphere at Old Trafford, both sets of supporters giving it plenty.
5.33pm GMT
Manchester United get the ball rolling. Sheffield United will kick towards the Stretford End in this first half. They lose the ball quickly enough, and Basham goes on a determined run from deep in his own half towards the midfield, before being upended by Fellaini in the centre circle. The free kick’s lumped forward, and sees Woolford romp down the left. He curls a powerful cross towards the near post, where De Gea gathers efficiently. Early signs that Sheffield United are going to give it a go, then.
5.29pm GMT
The teams are out! Manchester United are wearing their famous red, white and black, while Sheffield United sport their first-choice 125th-anniversary white shirts with red butcher’s stripes and super-retro badge. Both teams are an aesthetic delight. And the floodlights are shimmering through the heavy rain, so it’s quite a picture. FA Cup third-round football, right here! We’ll be off in a minute.
5.18pm GMT
An excitable Nigel Adkins talks! “It’s going to be a great occasion, eight-and-a-half thousand of our supporters here, the Theatre of Dreams. Manchester United should win the game, but let’s go and have a go at it, see what happens. Inspired is the word. This is where you want to play. Anybody can win on any given day. It’s the beauty of the cup. We’ve got to defend well, and have a lot of luck. We’re always likely to score goals. We’ve got spirit. We’re going to ask the question and make sure we enjoy it. Come the end of the game, we’ll get our recovery stretches done, and will be ready for Wigan on Tuesday!”
5.09pm GMT
LVG speaks of his love of the cup: “When I was a little boy I looked to the FA Cup, and certainly the final. I think I watched Jimmy Greaves, so it was a long time ago!” LVG speaks of naming a strong team: “Our experiences of last year make it clear that all games are difficult. I have no Ashley Young, but he is in the red zone because of the Christmas period. The same thing with Morgan Schneiderlin. I have to rotate. When I am not obliged to rotate, I don’t rotate.” LVG speaks on the potential of CBJ: “He did very well in his first game. To be consistent is difficult, and today he has to show he can be consistent.”
5.00pm GMT
Breaking news: It’s raining in Manchester.
4.50pm GMT
Louis van Gaal makes three changes to the side that beat Swansea City last weekend. Matteo Darmian, Cameron Borthwick-Jackson and Marouane Fellaini come in for Ashley Young, Phil Jones and Morgan Schneiderlin.
Sheffield United, meanwhile, are unchanged from the XI sent out against Peterborough United seven days ago. Matt Done, in form until recently scuppered by a hamstring injury, is back on the bench.
4.42pm GMT
Manchester United: De Gea, Darmian, Smalling, Blind, Borthwick-Jackson, Schweinsteiger, Fellaini, Herrera, Mata, Martial, Rooney.
Subs: Romero, McNair, Varela, Lingard, Pereira, Memphis, Keane.
Sheffield United: Long, Brayford, Basham, Coutts, Sharp, Collins, Woolford, Sammon, McEveley, Edgar, Hammond.
Subs: Howard, Flynn, Baxter, Done, Campbell-Ryce, Reed, Adams.
3.22pm GMT
Last season, Arsenal won the FA Cup. And so this happened to the all-time winners record...
12: Arsenal
11: Manchester United
8: Tottenham Hotspur
7: Aston Villa, Liverpool, Chelsea
6: Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United
5: Wanderers, West Bromwich Albion, Everton, Manchester City
Wycombe Wanderers v Aston Villa: FA Cup third round - as it happened
The League Two side hold the Premier League strugglers to a deserved draw.
2.38pm GMT
There’s time for one last Villa corner, Ayew applying pressure down the left and earning something from nothing. It’s hit deep. Lyden tries to salvage it, but it’s no good, and the full-time whistle goes. Wycombe celebrate a brilliant draw - a fair result on balance - and the teams will be going back to Villa Park for a replay. That’s something for Gareth Ainsworth to celebrate - and he does, in the expansive style, on the pitch - but more frustration for Remi Garde, who has now gone 10 games without getting that precious first win as Villa boss. The replay, perhaps. Meanwhile the last word to Jonny Mills, who has a message for Mac ‘Fisheries’ Millings: “He may be interested to know that, in Serie A, Carpi have just scored.”
2.36pm GMT
90 min +2: Villa press and press, but Wycombe are holding firm on the edge of their own area. The Premier League side don’t have the wit to open them up.
2.35pm GMT
2.35pm GMT
90 min +1: Harriman is booked for tugging Richardson’s shirt.
2.34pm GMT
90 min: It’s all Villa. Ayew, Gueye and Bacuna combine well down the left. Eventually Ayew breaks into the area and reaches the byline, but his chipped cross is plucked from the sky by Lynch. There will be three added minutes.
2.32pm GMT
88 min: Ayew, who has looked purposeful since coming on, bombs down the right but is brushed off the ball by Pierre, who shepherds it out of play to great cheers. Meanwhile there’s a suspicion that Mac Millings hasn’t been totally gripped by this afternoon’s action. “Steve Guppy used to play for Wycombe. Here’s my all-time Fish XI:
Bert Troutmann
Jody Haddock
Herring Berg
Johnny Metcod
Gareth Barrycuda
Stingray Parlour
Marlin Skrtel
Leandro Batuna
Nii Lamprey
Basstian Schweinsteiger
Zinsardine Zidanchovy.
2.30pm GMT
86 min: Veretout burns down the left, but his low cross is hacked clear by Pierre. Then Gueye has a shot from 25 yards, but it’s easily gathered by Lynch. Villa are pressing hard.
2.28pm GMT
84 min: Lyden comes on for his Villa debut, replacing Richards. Pierre has injured his head, and gets it wrapped in a Terry Butcher tribute bandage.
2.27pm GMT
83 min: On the left-hand edge of the Wycombe D, Gestede takes a snap shot. His effort clips off Stewart’s boot, loops over Lynch, and off the crossbar! The ball flies out for a corner, from which Gestede sees another effort deflected over the bar, this one a header. The second set piece comes to naught, Ayew flashing the ball harmlessly out of play.
2.25pm GMT
81 min: Bloomfield is replaced by McGinn.
2.24pm GMT
80 min: Ayew drives down the right wing, twists Harriman this way and that, enters the area, then drags a shot across Lynch and inches wide of the left-hand post. A decent run, and not far away at all.
2.22pm GMT
78 min: Gueye strides down the middle of the park and slips a pass right for Bacuna, who batters a shot goalwards from 25 yards. It’s deflected out for a corner on the right, from which Gestede flashes a header meant for the top-right corner wide of the target.
2.20pm GMT
77 min: Villa have certainly rediscovered the concept of energy, though. An increase in the tempo of their passing appears to be unsettling Wycombe a little. Problem for Villa is, some of that high-tempo passing isn’t that accurate, and a couple of decent periods of possession peter out harmlessly when simple balls fly into touch.
2.19pm GMT
75 min: Richardson bursts with some vigour down the left and earns Villa a corner off McCarthy. Villa load the box. Richards flashes a header goalwards but it’s blocked and cleared easily enough. A bit better from Villa, though.
2.16pm GMT
73 min: Villa have quelled much of the energy shown by Wycombe since the restart. Most of the play now is in the Wycombe half. But the men in yellow are doing very little creatively with the ball. For all Villa’s possession and territorial advantage, Wycombe are very comfortable right now.
2.15pm GMT
71 min: Amadi-Holloway is replaced by Ugwu. Meanwhile a double change for Villa: Sinclair off for Ayew, and Gil swapped for Veretout. That’s a very strange decision by Garde: Gil has been Villa’s star turn this afternoon. Time for the away fans to dip once more into the Great Villa Songbook: “You don’t know what you’re doing.”
2.14pm GMT
2.13pm GMT
68 min: Sinclair dribbles into the Wycombe box from the right. He nearly works space to shoot, but Stewart and Pierre both close him down. Wycombe go up the other end, Wood shoved to the floor by Okore. A free kick, which Wood swings onto Stewart’s head. A powerful effort from the edge of the box flies over the bar.
2.11pm GMT
66 min: Gil has been Villa’s best player by a long chalk. Busy left, right and centre, he looks for a one-two with Richards down the right wing, but the pass doesn’t come back where he wants it. The pair gesticulate at each other in the wake of a simple misunderstanding. The pressure showing.
2.07pm GMT
63 min: A gorgeous back-flick by Thompson very nearly releases Amadi-Holloway into space down the left. Not quite. But they come again to win a corner down the same flank. Jacobson’s delivery isn’t quite so good this time, which isn’t to take anything away from Okore’s clearing header.
2.04pm GMT
60 min: A much rowdier atmosphere at Adams Park in this second half, reflecting the home side’s performance and the resulting change to the scoreline. Villa haven’t done much since the restart.
2.03pm GMT
58 min: Harriman very nearly powers past Richards down the right. He can’t do enough to break into the box, but does win a corner. From the set piece, Wycombe work some space on the right. Harriman crosses. Bunn comes out and clatters into Pierre, and is ludicrously awarded a free kick, the pressure relieved. Had the referee not blown his whistle, Wood had a free shot at an unguarded goal.
2.01pm GMT
57 min: Aston Villa look a little rattled here. A lot of frowning going on. Wycombe are first to most of the balls in midfield. Bunn launches a drop kick down the park, miles over everyone’s head, and out of play for a goal kick to Wycombe. Quite a bit of ironic cheering. The confidence gained by a decent first half already looks to have gone south.
1.59pm GMT
55 min: Bacuna gets a fine effort up and down, over the wall, the ball heading towards the bottom left. Lynch gets down to grab, which he does at the second attempt, Sinclair sniffing around at the loose ball. Fine keeping from the young man.
1.58pm GMT
54 min: Gil tries to burst down the inside-left channel and is blocked by Bloomfield. A free kick in a fairly dangerous position, 25 yards from the Wycombe goal in a fairly central position.
1.56pm GMT
52 min: An over-eager Amadi-Holloway is quite correctly booked for a high knee on Richards.
1.55pm GMT
51 min: How are Wycombe not ahead?! Thompson tears down the right and scoops a brilliant cross to the far post. On the left-hand edge of the six-yard box, Wood creams a volley towards the bottom right. Bunn is beaten, but Okore clears off the line. Wonderful play all round.
1.54pm GMT
Jacobson has fired some delicious corners into the mixer today. He’s dead-eyed from the spot, too, blasting confidently into the left-hand portion of the goal with Bunn diving the other way. This is on!
1.52pm GMT
48 min: The home side have come out with renewed vigour. A high ball down the right. Just inside the box, Westwood goes up with Bloomfield. He’s all over the Wycombe man’s back, and clatters his arm into his face too. The referee instantly points to the spot. Villa argue quite a lot, but they’ll not be changing his mind. Westwood is booked, too.
1.51pm GMT
47 min: Wood whips a cross in deep from the left. Bloomfield, at the far post, opts to head back inside towards Harriman instead of taking the ball down and blootering goalwards. Wrong choice. Villa mop up.
1.49pm GMT
After warming up with some elaborate high kicks, Wycombe get the ball rolling for the second half. Bloomfield very nearly bustles his way clear down the right, but Okore puts a stop to his gallop.
1.35pm GMT
Half-time entertainment: That third round, huh?
Related: A brief guide to … the FA Cup third round, where even the minnows have their day
1.34pm GMT
A flurry of activity at the end of the half. Gil, Bacuna and Gueye take turns to dribble across the front of the Wycombe area. None of them can work an opening for a shot. O’Nein blocks and clears. Then there’s a free kick for Villa down the right, but Gil sends the ball harmlessly out of play to the right. And finally Bloomfield has a chance to release Wood clear on goal down the inside-left, but plays the pass too strongly and too far ahead of his team-mate. The whistle goes at the end of an entertaining half. Villa deservedly in front, but the League Two side have done enough at a couple of corners for a little succour. It should be a cracking second half!
1.30pm GMT
44 min: It’s really quiet at Adams Park. A result of Villa being in control of this game, a couple of set pieces apart. But those set pieces will give Wycombe hope for the second half.
1.28pm GMT
42 min: From the retake, Jacobson - whose delivery has been consistently excellent - finds the head of Pierre, six yards out. He should score, but blasts a horrible effort over the bar. Pierre has the good grace to look utterly livid with himself as he trots back upfield.
1.27pm GMT
41 min: Blooomfield and Amadi-Holloway combine well down the right to earn another Wycombe corner. Jacobson takes. Stewart skies a shot from six yards, but they’ll get another go because there’s been a bit of tugging before the referee blew his whistle.
1.26pm GMT
39 min: It’s lashing down. Gana jigs down the left and earns Villa a corner. The ball’s hit deep. Gestede flicks on. Richards tries to connect at the far post, but he’s tugged back by Stewart. It’s only a light yank, but you’ve seen them given. However, Richards doesn’t really claim the penalty kick, and the referee waves play on.
1.24pm GMT
37 min: Wycombe have picked up the pace a bit. Wood whips a low cross into the Villa box from the left. Harriman, coming in from the right, should meet it and shoot from 12 yards out, level with the right-hand post. But he decides to shuffle his feet before taking the shot, and the over-elaborate set-up allows Richardson to slide in and batter the ball clear. What a chance spurned. Brilliant sliding tackle, mind; if he’d got that wrong, Wycombe would be looking to equalise from the spot.
1.22pm GMT
36 min: A long ball hoicked forward by Lynch. Pierre flicks on from the edge of the Villa box. Stewart very nearly latches onto it down the inside-left channel. Bunn gathers. That would have been a route-one classic, beautiful in its brutal simplicity.
1.20pm GMT
34 min: Villa pass it around the middle of the park for quite a long time. This way, then that. A sign of some confidence returning, perhaps. First steps. Acorns and mighty oaks.
1.18pm GMT
31 min: A game of head tennis breaks out. Tok, tok, tok, tok. Suddenly, Bloomfield bursts down the right and loops a dipping cross into the middle of the Villa box. Wood, running in from the left, connects sweetly, but volleys over the bar and right of the target to boot. That would have been one for the picture book.
1.16pm GMT
29 min: Pretty much every outfield player is in the Villa six-yard box, in anticipation of this corner. Jacobson delivers well yet again, but the winner of the melee is unquestionably Bunn, who punches the ball powerfully away from danger.
1.15pm GMT
28 min: Okore should easily shepherd a bouncing ball out of play down the Wycombe right, but allows Bloomfield to nip around him and play the ball off his body. Terrible defending, wonderful persistence, a corner.
1.12pm GMT
26 min: Corner for Wycombe down the right. Jacobson whips a fine one into the six-yard box. McCarthy, zipping towards the near post, nearly gets his head to it, but can’t get there and Bunn comes off his line to punch clear with great purpose.
1.11pm GMT
24 min: The Villa fans are now singing about a return to Wembley. Whatever will be, will be. Richards needs a little treatment having taken a whack on his ankle when slotting that goal away, Jacobson sliding across in a futile attempt to block the shot.
1.09pm GMT
Bacuna takes a crack from the right of the Wycombe D. It’s blocked, and springs wide right to Gil, who hovers awhile before sliding a pass back inside for Richards. The Villa captain threads a fine low first-time shot into the bottom-left corner from the right of the D. He doesn’t celebrate it, considering it nothing more than a job done in the circumstances.
1.08pm GMT
1.08pm GMT
21 min: The busy Gil scoops a pass down the right, Richards very nearly powering his way past Pierre. The defender clears, but Villa are soon coming back at Wycombe. And ...
1.06pm GMT
19 min: Gil sways and sashays down the right, reaches the byline, and threads a rather good pass back to Gueye on the edge of the box. Gueye has time to shoot, but opts to take a touch to the right and is hounded out of it.
1.04pm GMT
17 min: Gueye has a dig from 25 yards down the inside-left channel. The shot’s deflected to Richardson, who is in the box in acres, but hesitates and instead of shooting opts to dink a cross towards Gestede. Lynch flaps a little when intercepting, and the ball’s only half cleared to Westwood, who looks for the top right from 20 yards, but doesn’t keep his shot down. It’s not the highest quality fare, but it is good fun.
1.03pm GMT
1.03pm GMT
16 min: Wood is afforded time and space on the left edge of the Villa box, Richards having gone walkabout. Wood’s low cross is gathered well by Bunn, with Amadi-Holloway waiting in the middle for something a little better. Richards walks off shaking his head sadly.
1.01pm GMT
15 min: Richards finds a little space down the right. His low cross nearly finds Gil in the box, but the Villa man is denied by a sliding Stewart.
1.00pm GMT
13 min: Gil cuts in from the right, and tries to set Richardson running into space down the left. His diagonal pass is hellishly overcooked, and flies out of play, Richardson with no hope of keeping it in. A common-or-garden pass made to look awfully difficult. It’s a hard game when confidence is low.
12.57pm GMT
11 min: It’s end-to-end still, without anything particularly dramatic unfolding. Harriman bustles down the Wycombe right, then Gil makes good does the Villa left. Both rambles end in a goal kick.
12.56pm GMT
9 min: To be scrupulously even-handed to the away fans, who were earlier heard giving the team pelters as they got off the coach, they’re now belting out a loud rendition of Villa ‘Til I Die. A time and a place for everything, which is fair enough.
12.54pm GMT
7 min: Wood stops Richards scampering down the right, and really should be in the book, but the referee makes do with a stern word. From the free kick, Sinclair is sent free down the right, enters the area, drops a shoulder to skin Stewart, and fires a wonderful low cross into the box. Gestede is waiting to tap in, the keeper having been beaten, but Pierre has anticipated well, and sidefoots powerfully clear. This could easily be 1-1 already. A highly entertaining start, with both teams looking up for the battle.
12.52pm GMT
5 min: ... Thompson shold score. The corner’s hit deep, and there’s a comedic rumble on the left-hand corner of the six-yard box. Richards spins around like a teenager after four cans of Special Brew. He hasn’t a clue what’s going on. The ball drops to Thompson, who whips a leg out but lashes his effort wide left from close range. What a chance.
12.51pm GMT
4 min: Amadi-Holloway opens his legs and tears off down the right wing. He very nearly breaks into the Villa box but is hounded out of it by Richardson. No matter, from the throw, Thompson earns a corner. From which...
12.49pm GMT
2 min: Gil swings the corner into the mixer. Jacobson gets a defensive head to it with a couple of yellow shirts swarming towards the near post. A crucial intervention. Clark tries to keep the danger alive with a header straight up into the air but - apologies to Dominic O’Donnell - young Lynch deals with the situation confidently.
12.48pm GMT
Villa get the ball rolling, and win a corner down the right through Richards. “All I want is an unjust red card for the Wycombe keeper, followed by a fantastic save by 46-year-old Richardson, and plucky Wycombe hanging on for a 1-0 victory,” writes Dominic O’Donnell. “Or am I just stating the obvious?”
12.46pm GMT
The teams are out! Wycombe are in their beautiful two-tone blue quarters, while Villa are in not-so-gorgeous all-yellow garb. The famous claret and blue wouldn’t have clashed that much, would it? Bah. Anyway, a fine atmosphere at Adams Park, the green fields poking over the top of the stands, slight shades of the 1967 European Cup final at the Estádio Nacional, if you ignore the car park atop one of the otherwise verdant hills. We’ll be off in a minute!
12.42pm GMT
A little pre-match reading. A bit of Singaporean nuance to our MBM, courtesy of Sazali Abdul Aziz of The New Paper, who has spoken to Wycombe’s Luke O’Nien, a man with ambitions of representing Singapore.
12.36pm GMT
And now his opposite number Remi Garde, who despite it all is looking very relaxed. He’s asked whether today represents an opportunity or a headache for him and his under-pressure side, and he smiles warmly and modestly like the gent he is. “It could be both! We will see at the end of the game. But we have a lot of respect for every team, and especially Wycombe. We just have to play our football, and play it the best we can. Three games in a week is a tough schedule. We are not prioritising league over cup, it’s just a matter of numbers. Our starting line-up is a good line-up, I have no worries about that.”
12.33pm GMT
The very cheerful Wycombe boss Gareth Ainsworth speaks! “It’s a fantastic opportunity. But I want to put the record straight. If there’s a giant killing today, it’ll be a Wycombe win, not an Aston Villa win. The amount of people who have said ‘you’ve got a right chance’ ... but this is Premer League versus League Two, whichever way you dress it. However, on our day, I believe we can match anyone. Villa have changed their team and formation ten times in the last 12 games, so it’s very difficult to prepare for anything. But Villa have shown us respect by playing some big names. Tactics won’t win the game today; it’ll be togetherness.”
12.27pm GMT
Only two changes to the Wycombe team that recently lost at home to Morecambe. One is the enforced swap of suspended goalie Matt Ingram for Alex Lynch. The other is up the other end of the field, where Aaron Amadi-Holloway comes in for Max Kretzscmar.
Villa make six changes to the starting XI swatted aside at Sunderland last week. Most notably, Mark Bunn takes over from Brad Guzan in goal, Ashley Westwood returns from suspension, and Scott Sinclair injects a bit of pace and dynamism to proceedings. Incidentally, the entire team were serenaded by their own fans as they traipsed off the coach.
12.10pm GMT
Wycombe Wanderers: Lynch, McCarthy, Stewart, Pierre, Jacobson, Harriman, Bloomfield, O’Nien, Wood, Thompson, Amadi-Holloway.
Subs: Jombati, McGinn, Richardson, Kretzschmar, Rowe, Ugwu, Udumaga.
Aston Villa: Bunn, Richards, Okore, Clark, Bacuna, Sinclair, Gana, Westwood, Richardson, Gil, Gestede.
Subs: Guzan, Lescott, Veretout, Ayew, Kozak, Lyden, Cissokho.
3.08pm GMT
Oxford University. Royal Engineers. Clapham Rovers. Old Etonians. West Bromwich Albion. Preston North End (twice). Sheffield United. Manchester City (twice). Manchester United (twice). Arsenal (twice). Liverpool. Only 11 clubs, on 15 occasions in the FA Cup’s 134-season history, have bounced back from losing the final to win the famous old pot the following year. That works out at a success rate of 11.28 percent. God speed, then, Aston Villa!
That’s not all this grand old club has to worry about right now. They’re a grand old shambles at the moment, rooted to the bottom of the Premier League, having won only three of their 23 competitive matches this season. Since the joy of beating Birmingham City in the League Cup in September, they’ve failed to win a single game. You wouldn’t bet much of your own cash money on these lads successfully accomplishing even the simplest of tasks right now - e.g. making a cup of tea without putting the electric kettle on the stove, boiling an egg without setting the pan of water on fire - so a visit to Wycombe Wanderers in the third round of the FA Cup looks far more daunting than it usually would for the seven-time winners.
Continue reading...January 7, 2016
A brief guide to … the FA Cup third round, where even the minnows have their day
The famous old competition’s third round brings us such English concepts as amateurism, failure and rank ineptitude – and that’s why we love it
With the Guardian’s unstoppable rise to global dominance* we at Guardian US thought we’d run a series of articles for fans wishing to improve their knowledge of the sports history and storylines, hopefully in a way that doesn’t patronise you to within an inch of your life.
A warning: If you’re the kind of person that finds The Blizzard too populist this may not be the series for you.
* Actual dominance may not be global. Or dominant
Related: A brief history of ... the rise and fall of the FA Cup, England's Super Bowl
Continue reading...January 6, 2016
Everton v Man City: Capital One Cup semi-final first leg – as it happened
Romelu Lukaku’s late goal gave impressive Everton a first-leg advantage, though City will point to a penalty that never was.
9.56pm GMT
And that’s that! Goodison erupts in celebration of Everton’s first-leg victory. The home side have been brilliant tonight, the better side. On that basis they deserve the narrow win, though City will point to the penalty that should have been given but wasn’t. It promises to be a cracking second leg at the City of Manchester Stadium in three weeks. This tie could go either way. But as things stand, unless the Cities of Manchester and Stoke can do something about it, the 2016 League Cup final will be a Merseyside affair.
Related: Everton’s Romelu Lukaku pounces to leave Manchester City with uphill task
9.52pm GMT
90 min +3: Coleman hobbles off down the tunnel with the world’s largest icepack strapped to his left leg. On the pitch, Everton continue to run down the clock in the professional style.
9.51pm GMT
90 min +2: “Feel sorry for Sterling,” writes Ian Copestake. “He would have got a game for his old club.”
9.50pm GMT
90 min +1: There will be four added minutes. During the first, City replace De Bruyne with their last sub Fernando, which suggests they don’t think 2-1 is an awful result in this two-legged affair.
9.49pm GMT
90 min: Everton play some rather impressive keepball, going up and down the right wing, Kone, Besic, Barry and Mirallas with the party tricks under extreme pressure.
9.48pm GMT
88 min: Coleman is getting some treatment. And now he’s going off. Everton taking no chances. They’ve got no subs left, so will see this game out with ten men. Goodison, sensing a famous victory, was tense enough already.
9.45pm GMT
86 min: Besic has a pop from 25 yards, but his shot is deflected off Otamendi and arcs harmlessly into Caballero’s arms. Then another Everton attack, with Mirallas skinning Demichelis down the right wing, but his low cross is behind Kone and cleared by City.
9.44pm GMT
85 min: City are passing it around a lot, but in the middle of the field and going nowhere. As sterile as you like. Everton are loving this.
9.42pm GMT
83 min: Osman fouls Aguero 25 yards from the Everton goal. A free kick in a very dangerous position. Toure looks to bend one into the top right, but slaps the ball into the wall instead.
9.40pm GMT
82 min: Not sure what happened to Lukaku, but he was limping the minute he started celebrating his goal. Kone comes on in his place.
9.39pm GMT
80 min: Lukaku is hobbling quite a lot.
9.38pm GMT
Everton regain the lead almost immediately! Baines and Barkley keep possession down the left. The ball’s slipped outside for Barry, who from a deep position swings a ball into the City box and onto the head of Lukaku, who has a jump on Otamendi and Demichelis. He can’t miss, and doesn’t! Two minutes and six seconds between the goals. Goodison is bouncing.
9.36pm GMT
Fernandinho, to the right of his own D, launches a huge diagonal ball upfield to Aguero on the right wing. Aguero draws the only two Everton defenders in their own half, and slides a pass between them and out to the left, where Navas is totally unmarked. Navas takes a touch to enter the box, and finishes confidently under Joel.
9.34pm GMT
75 min: Barkley slides the ball wide right for Mirallas, whose deep cross nearly finds Osman at the far post. Otamendi heads clear brilliantly. But Everton come again, Baines gliding in from the left and sending a shot goalwards from 20 yards. It’s deflected out for a corner, spinning wildly to the right of the City goal. The corner is cleared by City, who break upfield ...
9.31pm GMT
72 min: Silva is bowled over by Besic. De Bruyne blooters the free kick, 25 yards out in a promising position, straight into the wall. The away team are beginning to apply some pressure.
9.30pm GMT
70 min: City should have a penalty kick. Navas enters the area down the right and has his heel clipped by Mirallas. The referee isn’t convinced. Hmm. City come again, De Bruyne sending a low fizzer towards the bottom right from 25 yards. Joel tips round the post marvellously, and the set piece comes to nothing.
9.29pm GMT
69 min: Baines, romping down the left, wheechs a low cross into the box. Lukaku is waiting to tap home, but Demichelis is on hand to block out for a corner. The set piece is dealt with easily enough.
9.27pm GMT
68 min: Mirallas comes on for Deulofeu. Meanwhile here’s Harley Freemantle with an answer to the Simon McMahon related question of 56 mins: “Is it Lochee United?”
9.26pm GMT
67 min: This is a very pleasant end-to-end nonsense now. First Aguero scampers into the Everton box to the left of goal after a loose ball, and very nearly crafts an opening. Then up the other end, Barkley sends a long-range snaker towards the bottom left, but it’s easily gathered by Caballero.
9.25pm GMT
65 min:
The teams should be level.
Everton should be 2-0 up. Barkley brushes Otamendi aside down the Everton left. He’s clear in the area, albeit facing a tight angle. He’s got Lukaku inside as an option, but goes for the curler towards the bottom right. Nope! Lukaku has a face on, and he might have a point.
9.23pm GMT
63 min: Aguero bustles into the area down the right and wins a corner. From the set piece, Fernandinho heads straight at Joel from close distance, and weakly to boot. The teams should be level.
9.22pm GMT
62 min: Predictably, here’s De Bruyne firing a dangerous ball through the Everton box from the right wing. Pulitzer, please! Aguero does his best to latch onto the cross, but Stones eases him out of the way and the danger’s cleared. Then within the minute, De Bruyne again finds space on the right wing. He slips another low cross into the area. Silva cushions it back for Aguero, who should score from the penalty spot but lashes a shot high and wide left.
9.19pm GMT
60 min: De Bruyne has been very quiet. So much for the entry on 17 minutes. He’s just fallen over.
9.18pm GMT
58 min: A deep cross into the Everton area from the right wing is met by Sagna, six yards out on the left-hand corner of the six-yard box. But Coleman is standing his ground, making things awkward, and Sagna’s header sails lamely wide left.
9.17pm GMT
57 min: Deulofeu dances around on the right-hand edge of the City box. He eventually shovels a chip towards the top-left corner. It should be an easy catch for Caballero, but the City keeper flaps a panicked hand at the ball, sending it off towards the left-hand corner flag. The danger’s mopped up by Sagna, but there’s an illustration of City’s inner turmoil at the moment. It’s a very uncertain display by the favourites for this tie.
9.16pm GMT
9.15pm GMT
56 min: Barry slides a ball down the inside-right channel for Barkley, who embarks on a Gazza-style dribble into the area. He nearly works space for a shot, but over-runs the ball slightly, allowing Caballero to come out and knock it against his shins and out for a goal kick. City are hanging on a little here. “I got a tired football joke in my Christmas cracker last year. It simply said ‘Dundee United’.” One guess who Simon McMahon supports, people.
9.13pm GMT
54 min: An incandescent Pellegrini - well, it’s all relative, but this famously unflappable man is frowning a bit - hooks the idiotic Delph before he gets himself sent off. Jesus Navas comes on in his stead.
9.12pm GMT
52 min: Besic launches a speculative effort from 25 yards on the right. Caballero gathers it easily enough. City need to wake up, or they could soon find themselves in all sorts of bother here.
9.11pm GMT
51 min: Delph is booked for a late slide on Besic. He’s lucky to still be on the pitch, given that earlier challenge on Deulefeu, and needs to calm down lickety-split.
9.10pm GMT
50 min: City haven’t come out for the second half yet. First Deulofeu whips a cross from the right to the far post. Osman can’t quite connect properly with his header. Then Barry slides Barkley in down the left. Barkley whips a low cross through the six-yard box. Lukaku is inches away from connecting with a toe for a certain goal. Or a certain offside goal, as the flag would surely have gone up again. Whatever, City aren’t on their game at all here.
9.08pm GMT
49 min: Baines gets himself out of a tight spot on the left and flicks the ball inside for Barkley, who’s free in the area. But his shot is wild, and once again the flag goes up for offside anyway.
9.07pm GMT
48 min: Osman plants his studs on Sagna’s thigh. He should be in the book, too. But again the referee swans around in the insouciant style. The game restarts. Deulofeu curls into the City box from deep on the right. Lukaku has a yard on Demichelis, and hoicks a dreadful first-time shot over the bar from 12 yards, but his blushes are saved, as he’s well offside.
9.05pm GMT
46 min: Delph tosses Deulofeu into the air like an old sock. Utterly pointless, as the Everton man was deep inside his own half. Delph really should have been booked for that, but he escapes censure. “Putting tired football jokes to bed (33 min)?” begins an opportunist Matt Dony. “Ah well, the Fiver was fun while it lasted.” Was it? “While we’re at it, can we also retire the ‘Of course, only people from outside Manchester support United, fnarr fnarr,’ line? Even as a Liverpool fan, this has gone too far.”
9.04pm GMT
A lot of football to be played in both ties, of course. But we may as well say it: as things stand, it’ll be a Merseyside cup final, the first in this competition since 1984. City get the ball rolling for the second half. They’ve replaced Mangala with Demichelis. Meanwhile Osman has come on for Cleverley.
8.51pm GMT
Half-time Evertonian entertainment:
8.48pm GMT
Well, that suddenly came to life.
8.48pm GMT
There will be two added minutes. Everton win a corner on the right. It’s headed over by Sagna. The second finds Barkley to the left of the D. He hammers a shot straight at Caballero, who parries. The ball breaks loose. City’s defence, to a man, stand still. Funes Mori is the only player to react, and he slams a shot home from eight yards.
8.45pm GMT
43 min: Suddenly, it’s end to end. Silva jigs down the left and slips the ball forward for Aguero, who looks to have been stopped by Stones, but drags the ball back to make some more space and cracks a shot goalwards from a tight angle. Joel parries brilliantly. City hack clear.
8.43pm GMT
42 min: Everton have the ball in the net again, and once more it’s disallowed. No question about this whatsoever. On the edge of the City area, Deulofeu teases four defenders all at once, drawing them towards him. He flicks it forward to Lukaku, on the penalty spot. Lukaku toe-pokes it past the advancing Caballero, but he’s miles off.
8.41pm GMT
40 min: Silva chips a ball over the Everton back line for Ageuro, who does rather well to hook the ball back into the box before it flies out for a goal kick. Sadly for City, Aguero can do many things, but he can’t pass to Aguero. There’s nobody else in neon lemon in the box, and Joel gathers.
8.40pm GMT
39 min: Besic embarks on a baroque jog down the right wing, then slides a pass down the flank with a view of releasing Coleman. But there’s too much pace on it. Goal kick. Everton are slowly getting on top of City here. “Isn’t it flamingoes, rather than ostriches (2 mins) who stand on one leg?” tut-tuts Mac Millings. Oh yes. Ahem. That’s right. I have a cold. “On a related note, if these two teams aren’t making things interesting today, why should I?” My philosophy exactly.
8.38pm GMT
36 min: Barkley, going round in circles 3o yards from goal, is clipped by Fernandinho. Free kick. Baines chips it towards the left hand post. Barry heads the ball across the face of goal, allowing Stones to slam the ball into the left-hand side of the net. Goal! Disallowed goal! Barry and Funes Mori were both offside as the former set up the header. The correct decision, but how this game needed a goal.
8.33pm GMT
33 min: City haven’t done a whole lot in attack. Silva, rather frustrated, attempts a shot from some distance. Which leads to more frustration. “Having watched much of the darts World Championship I was not as bothered by the near constant Yaya-Kolo chant as one might think,” begins JR in Illinois. “Having heard it now during this game for the first time since the darts final though I have decided I’ve had enough and would like them to stop it. It’s much worse than the wet, windy Tuesday night in Stoke trope.” That irritating? At least we put that one to bed last night, eh.
8.31pm GMT
30 min: A gorgeous sliderule pass down the right channel by Deulofeu to release Lukaku into the City box. He’s got enough time for a snapshot. Or so he thinks: Otamendi comes sliding across to block brilliantly. Deulofeu, following up, takes up possession of the loose ball on the right, and once again proves himself totally incapable of delivering a simple cross. So frustrating, given his talent.
8.30pm GMT
29 min: Another corner for City down the right. The ball ends up at the feet of Aguero, just to the left of the D. The striker creams a shot on the turn, presumably looking for the top right. The ball sails serenely into the stand.
8.27pm GMT
26 min: Cleverley slides a pass down the right for Deulofeu, who is in space on the wing and has men in the box. But instead of crossing he opts to lash an absurdly ambitious shot from a tight angle towards the bottom-right corner. He only succeeds in finding the side netting, which is exactly the outcome you’d have bet the farm on.
8.25pm GMT
25 min: Barkley and Besic take turns to shimmy and shake down the inside-left channel and into the City area. But on both occasions they find themselves in a lemon crush. City hack clear.
8.24pm GMT
8.24pm GMT
24 min: And so having said that, City nearly go ahead, winning a corner on the right, Otamendi heading downwards and just wide of the right-hand post from six yards. The game’s picked up. Lovely. Semi-final football, right here!
8.23pm GMT
22 min: Baines goes on a purposeful run down the inside-left channel. He’s speeding along, and is upended unceremoniously by Fernandinho. Free kick, 35 yards out. Baines takes the kick himself, and curls a lovely outswinger towards the far post. Lukaku isn’t far away from connecting. Ditto Stones. But neither can manage it, and the ball flies out of play to the right of goal. This is better from Everton, who have swung the possession pendulum with extreme prejudice, and have enjoyed 66% of the ball during the last ten minutes.
8.20pm GMT
20 min: Barkley makes a bit of space down the left and swings a ball into the City box. Otamendi heads behind for a corner. The set piece is a complete waste of time, easily cleared by City. Drama, please, someone! Anyone! From somewhere! Anywhere!
8.19pm GMT
19 min: De Bruyne, 35 yards out down the left, tries to replicate Robbie Fowler’s goal for Liverpool in the 2001 final against Birmingham City. Nope!
8.18pm GMT
17 min: But it’s hellishly difficult to keep that man De Bruyne quiet. He drives down the middle of the park, and very nearly completes a mid-range one-two with Silva to his left. If he’d picked up the high-velocity return pass, he’d have been in plenty of room on the edge of the area, ready to shoot. But not quite. Everton hearts in mouths for a second or two, though.
8.16pm GMT
16 min: It hasn’t quite taken off, this match, yet. Everton have quelled City’s early fury. But they’re still not doing much up front, so it’s a bit of a non-event right now.
8.15pm GMT
15 min: A couple of minutes pass as the physio runs the rule over Barkley. The player hobbles off, but eventually re-enters the fray, sending a signal to the fans by sprinting ostentatiously, the international language for Not Seriously Injured.
8.14pm GMT
12 min: Lukaku, on the edge of the City area, heads an old-school, Cosgrove-approved long ball down towards Barkley. The young midfielder sticks his right foot out to bring it under control, and is kicked on the back of the leg by Fernandinho. An accidental challenge, but he goes down holding his calf and doesn’t look very happy at all.
8.11pm GMT
9 min: City have enjoyed the best part of 70% possession so far. The crowd is pretty quiet as a result, the away end excepted. “Martinez’s pre-match comments made for delightful reading,” writes Michael Cosgrove. “Excitement, long balls, open game, positive football, it’s almost like the old days.”
8.08pm GMT
7 min: Everton haven’t shown anything going forward yet. Barkley tries to get things going with a long ball down the middle for Lukaku to chase after, but Mangala steps up to intercept without fuss.
8.08pm GMT
8.06pm GMT
6 min: Delph, Clichy and De Bruyne combine down the inside-left channel with some nifty, quick passing. Everton are fortunate that Coleman is alert and on hand to batter the ball away in the uncompromising style.
8.05pm GMT
4 min: Besic clips Toure, 30 yards from goal. The free kick, lumped into the box, leads to a corner on the left. Silva takes, and finds Toure on the edge of the box. Toure shapes like Zidane to lash a shot goalwards, but is closed down in double-quick time by a swarm of blue shirts. City on the front foot here, though.
8.03pm GMT
2 min: A slightly inauspicious start by Cleverley. He’s got time down the left, cocks his leg back to clip a pass forward, pauses, and sees the ball poked away by De Bruyne. He’s left standing there on one leg, an Umbro-clad ostrich. The only way is up.
8.01pm GMT
Everton get the ball rolling, amid bedlam. They stroke it around for 20 seconds before Cleverley tries to get a bit too expansive early doors, and loses possession with a long crossfield lump. “Did Martinez really say ‘an exciting game, especially for the neutral’?” asks Steven Forstneger. “I guess that would explain those silly, two-team scarves.” Hey, he’s just trying to spread the love.
7.58pm GMT
The teams are out! A grand old atmosphere at Goodison as you’d expect: not only is it the semi-final of a major tournament, it’s also a Granadaland derby. Everton sport their famous royal blue, while Manchester City are decked out in third-choice neon lemon. Third-choice neon lemon. If you know your history, it’s enough to make your heart go oh-oh-oh-oh.
7.48pm GMT
Manuel Pellegrini promises excitement too, albeit in more gnomic fashion. “We know this is a game of 180 minutes. It’s important to try to get a good result against a good team. We have no special plans for Lukaku. He is not the only danger they have in their attack. They have other very good players. Everton play attractive, offensive football.”
7.44pm GMT
Roberto Martinez promises excitement and a few long balls. “We want to enjoy these sort of games. These sort of games are the footballing occasions we want at our football club. Our history and pedigree demands it. We are delighted to look forward to tonight, and want to make sure we’re in these situations more often. That way, silverware is more likely to come back to Everton. We want to keep the ball to open teams up, but if we are pressed we should be able to use a different route. Expect a really open game with a lot of chances and really positive football. An exciting game, especially for the neutral.”
7.15pm GMT
Everton make three changes to the team that started against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. Joel Robles comes in for Tim Howard, as ever in the League Cup. Muhamed Besic and Gerard Deulofeu return to the first XI too, replacing Aaron Lennon and Arouna Kone.
City change their goalkeeper for the cup too: Willy Caballero replaces Joe Hart. And like Everton, they make two outfield changes from their weekend starting XI, at Watford, as well: Gael Clichy takes the place of Aleksandar Kolarov, while Fabian Delph comes in for Raheem Sterling.
7.10pm GMT
Everton: Joel, Coleman, Stones, Funes Mori, Baines, Besic, Barry, Deulofeu, Barkley, Cleverley, Lukaku.
Subs: Jagielka, Kone, Mirallas, Lennon, Osman, Howard, Galloway.
Manchester City: Caballero, Sagna, Otamendi, Mangala, Clichy, Fernandinho, Delph, Silva, Toure, De Bruyne, Aguero.
Subs: Hart, Fernando, Sterling, Kolarov, Jesus Navas, Demichelis, Iheanacho.
4.37pm GMT
Everton haven’t had much luck in the League Cup. One of the grandest clubs in the country, and they’ve never won English football’s third prize. It’s not all their fault. They’ve reached the final twice, and on both occasions the football gods weren’t in the mood to humour them. In 1977, they lost an epic three-game affair with Aston Villa, in which Chris Nicholl scored from the best part of 40 yards. Welt!
Continue reading...The Fiver | Manchester on New Year's Eve had nothing on the state of Liverpool
Philippe Coutinho holding out a hand for help. Dejan Lovren rolling around in extreme distress, limbs forcibly manipulated by members of the emergency services. Kolo Touré splayed on the floor clutching a pint. It’s a contemporary scene of human carnage that has been compared to some of the great works of Renaissance art, the paintings of Bruegel, the cartoons of Hogarth. Manchester on New Year’s Eve had nothing on the state of Liverpool a few days later.
Continue reading...January 5, 2016
Stoke v Liverpool: Capital One Cup, semi-final first leg – as it happened
Injury-ravaged Liverpool take a lead into the second leg thanks to Jordon Ibe’s goal and a resolute display by makeshift centre-back pairing Kolo Toure and Lucas.
9.54pm GMT
There’s enough time for Walters to chase a Crouch flick on. He’s clear in the area, albeit well to the left of goal, and drags a poor effort across Mignolet and out of play on the right. And that’s that. Stoke were much improved in that second half, but Liverpool were the better side overall. A deserved first-leg victory to take back to Anfield in three weeks, especially so given they played the majority of the match with Kolo Toure and Lucas in central defence. That’s some clean sheet!
Related: Jordon Ibe gives Liverpool advantage against Stoke in Capital One Cup
9.51pm GMT
90 min +2: Joselu scoops a ball into the Liverpool box from the right. It spins out of play to the left of Mignolet’s goal, Walters doing his best to retrieve the loose ball but getting nowhere near.
9.50pm GMT
90 min +1: Milner has the chance to shoot, 25 yards out, but dithers and is robbed by Whelan. Stoke have men over on the counter attack, but manage to break down on the halfway line. Lucky Milner.
9.49pm GMT
90 min: Arnautovic tries to release Joselu into the Liverpool area down the left. Toure shepherds the ball out of play, then winces in pain as he feels his hamstring. On the touchline, Jurgen Klopp hangs his head in complete disbelief. Toure will battle on, with three added minutes to play.
9.48pm GMT
89 min: All very scrappy right now. Neither team can get the ball under control. They’re just humping it this way and that. Liverpool are less fussed, for the clock is not Stoke City’s friend. “Not just the Apocalypse, but the greatest Apocalypse ever, ‘cause its going to be Made in America,” insists Marie Meyer. “It’s going to be yuge.”
9.46pm GMT
87 min: Affellay curls into the Liverpool box from deep. Crouch is hovering. Mignolet comes out to fingertip away for a corner. Toure heads the set piece clear, though Stoke are soon coming back at them. Johnson has a dig from distance, but his deflected shot catches three team-mates offside as one of them goes chasing after the ball.
9.45pm GMT
85 min: Clyne sends a wafter into the Stoke box from a deep position on the right. Butland claims a ball that would have gone into the top-right corner, albeit only after an almighty goalkeeping farce. Butland then batters a long kick straight out of play for a Liverpool goal kick. On the touchline, an incensed Mark Hughes frowns so hard his eyebrows nearly snap clean off.
9.43pm GMT
84 min: It’s all Stoke. Liverpool can’t get out. But Stoke can’t get into the Liverpool area. So it’s swings and roundabouts, emotionally.
9.42pm GMT
83 min: Ibe over-elaborates down the Stoke right, allowing Shaqiri to scoot into space down the wing. He earns a corner off Toure, who feels his hamstring upon getting up in the ginger fashion. Shaqiri mishits the corner, and it’s his final act of the evening. The former Liverpool star Crouch replaces him. Plenty of stories to be told here.
9.40pm GMT
81 min: A tense atmosphere at the Britannia. The next ten minutes have the possibility to shape a couple of seasons, and everybody knows it. Two high balls into the Liverpool area. The first is headed clear, sort of, by Toure. The second is claimed by Mignolet, who is shoved to the ground by Walters, just because.
9.40pm GMT
9.38pm GMT
79 min: The popular Benteke comes on for Allen.
9.37pm GMT
78 min: Firmino scores three rugby points.
9.37pm GMT
77 min: ... Joselu shovels high into the stand behind the goal, stretching for a ludicrously deep right-wing delivery by the left-hand post. What a waste by Stoke, with Liverpool characteristically uncertain at set pieces.
9.36pm GMT
76 min: Joselu is found on the left-hand side of the Liverpool D. He takes a touch inside and shoots. Toure’s leg deflects, looping the ball up, down and under the bar. Mignolet has to fingertip over the bar. From the corner ...
9.34pm GMT
74 min: Butland, with the ball at his feet, batters a clearance straight into Firmino. The ball looks like looping back over the keeper’s head and into the net, but not quite. Hearts in mouths for the home support there. “Thanks to Niall Mullen for pointing out the apocalypse/Donald Trump thing (59 mins),” begins John from New England. “I thought I’d only dreamt that this was actually in his manifesto, so I’m grateful to you for confirming it.”
9.32pm GMT
73 min: Stoke are pressing Liverpool back down both wings. The away side are holding firm right now, but aren’t looking totally sure of themselves. And sure enough, Mignolet takes an age to restart the game with a goal kick - always a tell of a team on the ropes - and is booked for his sauce.
9.30pm GMT
70 min: Bojan is replaced by Joselu. Replays of that first penalty shout suggest Stoke have been a wee bit lucky. There wasn’t much contact between Allen and Whelan, but the latter hung a leg out for the former to flop over, daft behaviour in the box.
9.28pm GMT
69 min: A fine end-to-end game now, this. First Lallana whips a shot into the left-hand side netting from close range, then Arnautovic rises above Lucas to head a right-wing cross over the bar.
9.27pm GMT
67 min: Now it’s Clyne who goes down in the Stoke box. Another penalty claim, though this one’s a fair shoulder-to-shoulder challenge with Arnautovic.
9.25pm GMT
65 min: Johnson hoicks Ibe to the ground as they battle for a ball down the Liverpool left. A free kick, and a chance for Liverpool to load the box. The ball breaks to Allen on the edge of the area. He takes a step inside, and goes down with Whelan right on his back. The referee isn’t having it, but you’ve seen penalties given for much less. Clumsy. Allen was looking for it, though, and perhaps went down too easily. Stoke immediately go up the other end, a long ball down the middle nearly releasing Arnautovic into the box. Mignolet gathers. Good luck guessing who’ll score the next goal.
9.23pm GMT
63 min: Ibe and Can hover in the middle of the Stoke half awhile, slowly dribbling this way then that. Eventually the ball’s offloaded to Firminho down the inside-right channel. He feints inside, then sends a low shot whistling inches wide of the right-hand post. Butland probably had that covered, but it’d have been a close-run thing.
9.21pm GMT
61 min: Lucas attempts to ease the pressure on his side with a Beckenbauer style sashay down the middle of the park. It’s all very strange. He very nearly flicks a pass to release Firmino down the inside-left channel, but he’s hustled out of it.
9.20pm GMT
60 min: Arnautovic, making a nuisance of himself down the left, forces a covering Toure to poke out for a corner. Liverpool clear with ease, but it’s Stoke who pick up possession and come again. At the moment, this is a complete role reversal from the first half. Stoke are utterly dominant.
9.18pm GMT
59 min: Firmino is fed by Ibe, cutting in from the left, on the edge of the Stoke box. His no-backlift shot sails miles over the bar. “Benteke has been playing exactly as advertised,” argues Niall Mullen. “A less than mobile big man with an eye for goal. Complaining about his lack of touch or movement is like complaining about the apocalypse if you vote for Donald Trump.”
9.18pm GMT
58 min: Expect a fair bit of added on time at the end of this match. Liverpool take an age at a throw, causing Mark Hughes to jig up and down the touchline in irritation, and the referee to ostentatiously tap his watch. After the restart, Stoke win possession, allowing Arnautovic to cream a delightful pass down the middle. He’s this close from releasing Shaqiri, but Mignolet gets to the ball first and smothers.
9.16pm GMT
9.15pm GMT
56 min: Bojan glides in from the left and very nearly works enough space to shoot from the edge of the box. As he cocks his leg back, Lucas slides across to block. Stoke are suddenly on top of their game, and for the first time this evening, Liverpool look uncomfortable.
9.14pm GMT
54 min: Stoke are suddenly looking a lot more potent. Walters challenges Lucas for a high ball down the middle, causing all sorts of slapstick shenanigans. The ball breaks to Arnautovic out on the right, but his deep cross is easily dealt with by Mignolet. This has got the crowd going, though. And it’ll have got Liverpool thinking all right. Jurgen Klopp rushes to the touchline to stress the importance of concentration.
9.12pm GMT
53 min: Toure nudges Walters in the back as they contest a ball down the Stoke left. A free kick, and a chance for Stoke to load the box. The ball’s hooked in, and Liverpool fail to clear it. It drops to Shawcross on the right-hand corner of the six-yard box, but the big man can’t turn and get a snapshot away. Milner comes out to block, and the danger is cleared.
9.10pm GMT
51 min: Johnson has been the Stoke danger man. More space for him down the right, and once again he whips a fine cross into the area. Toure steps in ahead of Walters to batter a header clear. If Stoke are to get back into this game, this looks to be their most promising gambit.
9.09pm GMT
49 min: Once again, Stoke are finding it difficult to string more than a couple of passes together. Liverpool are pressing them hard. A simple ball goes flying into touch, and Mark Hughes wears a look of supreme disgust.
9.07pm GMT
47 min: A clever Ibe dummy allows Firmino to scamper into the Stoke box down the left. Firmino’s got three men in the middle to find, but can only clatter his cross into Johnson, who was first on the scene for Stoke. Fine defending, but that’s so ponderous from the Brazilian international.
9.06pm GMT
46 min: Can drops a shoulder, nudges the ball to the right, and attempts to arrow one into the top corner from the best part of 30 yards. Nope! “As unpalatable as it may be, it does seem that Liverpool are a superior side without their £32.5m summer acquisition”,” opines Paul Devlin. “Benteke may be tall, but tonight Firmino and Lallana have provided a lesson in how to contest aerial balls (they’ve both won a couple, more than Benteke managed in his last two outings). And how to pass to a team mate. And show interest and effort. It is hard to see how Benteke could force his way into the first eleven now, never mind when Sturridge, Origi and Ings become available.” He’s got one or two fans to win over, that is for sure.
9.05pm GMT
Liverpool get the ball rolling for the second half. Geoff Cameron is replaced by Everton fan Jonathan Walters, who has four in his last four on this ground against this opposition. “Can that be the very last ever use of the Stoke Joke then?” asks a hopeful Adam Hirst. “Seems an appropriate place to lay it to rest.” Pass me a shovel, Adam, I’m happy to help.
8.57pm GMT
Tonight’s half-time entertainment comes courtesy of our resident comic JR in Illinois. “Although Stoke have transformed their team from recent years, perhaps they failed to consider that in doing so they have stocked their team with players who can’t do it on a rainy Tuesday night at Stoke.” He’s here all week, try the sweetcorn.
8.52pm GMT
From the Johnson shot and Mignolet save, Liverpool break upfield through Milner. They’re four on two, albeit deep in their own half. The referee blows for half time. Liverpool look affronted at the timing of the whistle, but the clock was well over the three extras minutes, so no contrived controversy to be found there. Liverpool deserve their lead, but it’s come at some cost to personnel.
8.50pm GMT
45 min +3: Shaqiri cuts in from the right and sends a shot goalwards. It’s deflected on a large comical arc, out on the left. Corner. From which the ball drops to Johnson, on the edge of the area. Stoke’s best player tonight creams a shot goalwards. It’s a proper belter, and Mignolet does very well to parry, the ball having travelled through a thicket of players.
8.49pm GMT
45 min +2: A common-or-garden free kick conceded by Firmino deep in Stoke territory elicits ironic cheers from the Stoke faithful. It’s the loudest noise of the night, and that possibly includes the goal.
8.47pm GMT
45 min +1: Allen slides in on Cameron as the Stoke man dribbles down the right, near the Liverpool box. It should be a free kick, but the referee allows Shaqiri to pick up the loose ball, drop a shoulder to the left, and attempt a Power Curler into the top left. It’s miles over the bar. Mark Hughes, livid, clearly wanted the free kick.
8.46pm GMT
45 min: There will be three added rain-lashed minutes of this first half.
8.45pm GMT
44 min: Afellay has another pop from distance. This one balloons off Toure and miles into the sky. Mignolet catches it in his arms. Stoke haven’t troubled the Liverpool keeper yet.
8.44pm GMT
43 min: It’s tipping down at the Britannia. On the touchline, poor Mark Hughes, delivering some more bollockings, is saturated. His suit is soaked right through, and I bet it’s worth a few quid. Also, he’ll catch his death of cold! The headline writers who made Steve McClaren’s life a misery all those years ago have a lot to answer for.
8.42pm GMT
41 min: This is non-stop entertainment, though Liverpool fans may be enjoying it more than Stoke’s right now. Lallana again dances down the right, making space out of nothing then shovelling a cross to the far post for Ibe, who tries to curl a shot back across Butland and into the bottom right. Nope!
8.41pm GMT
39 min:
Stoke should be level.
Liverpool should be 0-2 up. Whelan fluffs a backheader, allowing Firmino to tear clear down the inside-right channel. He must score, with only Butland to beat. But he lets the ball clank under his boots, and Shawcross comes across to bustle the ball out for a corner. Nothing comes from the set piece.
8.39pm GMT
38 min: Stoke should be level. Johnson whips a gorgeous ball into the Liverpool box from the right. Arnautovic wafts a weak header wide left from six yards.
8.39pm GMT
Liverpool were looking a bit sorry for themselves there, perhaps understandably. But not now! Milner sprays a pass along the right touchline to release Lallana into acres. Lallana reaches the byline, then pulls back for Allen on the penalty spot. Allen should score, but miskicks wildly. No matter, for the ball breaks to Ibe on his left. Ibe takes a touch, and guides the ball into the bottom right past a helpless Butland.
8.37pm GMT
36 min: Pieters gets a little bit of space down the left. He swings a high cross into the box, but it’s plucked from the sky by Mignolet with a yawn.
8.36pm GMT
35 min: It may well be that Liverpool’s best form of defence will be attack. This could become very interesting.
8.35pm GMT
34 min: Lovren looks to have overstretched himself in a sliding tackle to deny Shaqiri some space down the right. He holds his hamstring. Not another?! Are these lads bothering to warm up? This is a total farce. The physio tries to manipulate Lovren’s muscle back to health, but it’s no good. He limps off, and will be replaced by Milner. It looks as though Lucas will drop back into the centre of defence.
8.34pm GMT
8.32pm GMT
31 min: The former Liverpool player Johnson has been one of Stoke’s few leading lights tonight. He sends a glorious deep cross into the Liverpool area from the right, and Arnautovic should connect at the far post, 12 yards out. But he doesn’t, and Liverpool escape.
8.31pm GMT
30 min: Now it’s Stoke’s turn to ping it around prettily. It’s all in the middle of the park, and they go nowhere, but it’s some welcome relief. Small acorns, and all that.
8.30pm GMT
28 min: Liverpool triangulate in a very pretty style down the inside-right channel, Ibe to Can to Clyne to Firmino and around again. Eventually Clyne chips a cross in. Lallana heads on. It falls to Ibe, who can’t quite dig it out for a proper lash at goal from 12 yards. He shoots, but lamely, and straight at Butland, who gathers calmly. On the touchline, Klopp now has a face of thunder, knowing full well that his side need to translate all this possession into something meaningful.
8.27pm GMT
25 min: Afellay sends Bojan into the Liverpool area down the right. He earns a corner. The set piece, a training-ground affair, is whistled low to the penalty spot. With the six-yard box packed, Bojan is in space. He should at least work Mignolet, but instead somehow manages to kick the ball up into his own chest. Stoke recycle the ball, allowing Johnson to score three rugby points from distance. But this is better from the hosts, who have been very, very quiet in attack up until now.
8.25pm GMT
24 min: A bit of space for Firmino just inside the Stoke box on the right. He attempts to make a little more, but his snapshot is blocked. Liverpool come again, through Ibe down the left. Ibe takes an ambitious swipe from 25 yards, looking for the top right but sending the ball sailing harmlessly into the stand.
8.22pm GMT
21 min: Wollscheid finds Johnson down the right with a delightful crossfield looper. Johnson breaks into the area past Moreno, a run that looks dangerous until Toure comes over to blast out of play. Stoke have been on the back foot for the most part, but have looked dangerous a couple of times down their right flank.
8.21pm GMT
20 min: Ibe is immediately in the action, setting off down the left after a fine Lallana pass. But he’s not up to speed yet, and can neither break into the box nor find a man with a pass.
8.19pm GMT
18 min: Liverpool have been very impressive, but this might change everything. Coutinho, who in the last phase of play attempted to chip a cross into the Stoke box from the left, chasing after a clever Can flick, pulls his hamstring. He knows immediately, sitting down and shaking his head at the bench, a pained expression on his face. Ibe comes on in his limping stead.
8.18pm GMT
8.17pm GMT
16 min: The busy Firminho earns a corner for Liverpool down the left. From the set piece, Butland goes walkabout, and Firmino attempts to Zidane a volley from the penalty spot. That’s blocked, and Stoke clear.
8.16pm GMT
15 min: Stoke are pressing upfield, but then are caught light at the back when Allen creams a pass down the left to release Coutinho into space. Coutinho drops a shoulder to break into the middle, but he’s stopped on the edge of the area by a wonderful challenge by Shawcross. The defender had to get that one right. And this is turning into a marvellous game, as Stoke go back up the other end, Afellay chancing his arm from 30 yards. It’s blocked pretty much at source.
8.14pm GMT
13 min: A first chink of light in attack for Stoke. Johnson briefly threatens to break into the Liverpool box down the right, but gets the ball caught between his legs with Arnautovic waiting in the centre. Liverpool break up the other end, Coutinho and Firmino combining nicely down the left, the latter nearly busting into the area. But he’s swarmed by Shawcross, Johnson and Wollscheid, and the danger’s over.
8.12pm GMT
11 min: Coutinho cuts in from the left, exchanges passes with a back-heelin’ Firmino, and attempts to slide Lallana clear down the right with a diagonal pass. The pass is too strong, and Lallana is rocking back on his heels. But the move was slinky enough for Klopp to make for the touchline and applaud. Liverpool deserve it for their play so far.
8.11pm GMT
10 min: Stoke get the chance to knock the ball around the back again. It’s all they can do to take the pace out of the game. The Britannia is pretty quiet now as a result. In that sense, Liverpool have completed their first task.
8.09pm GMT
8 min: Lallana, fed by Firmino 30 yards out in a central position, sends a low, curling screamer towards the bottom right. It might be going wide, but Butland can’t take any chances, and palms the ball out, a fine full-length save from a very good keeper indeed. Clyne tries to keep the move going by making for the parried ball, but can’t manage it.
8.07pm GMT
6 min: This is all Liverpool right now. Stoke can hardly get a touch, and are having difficulty getting out of their own half. The crowd are still giving it plenty, but manager Mark Hughes is concerned enough to walk up to the touchline and deliver several meaningful bollockings to his team. Stoke haven’t got going yet at all.
8.06pm GMT
4 min: Coutinho dribbles down the inside-left channel and should shoot on goal, but tries to pull a low ball inside for Firmino instead. Bad choice, and Stoke clear. But not very well, and Lucas slips Firmino into the Stoke box down the left. Firmino wins another corner, which is met on the edge of the box by Allen. The wee man tries to replicate Steve Nicol’s famous long-range header against Arsenal in 1987, but it’s straight at Butland. A whirlwind opening from the visitors.
8.03pm GMT
2 min: That first shot was on 30 seconds. On 1min 30sec, Moreno scoops a cross into the Stoke box from the left, and it’s hacked over the bar by Shawcross. From the corner, flicked long, Lallana latches onto the ball by the left-hand post. He tries to hook the ball inside, but settles for another corner. That second set piece comes to nothing. But this is a quick start by Liverpool.
8.02pm GMT
Stoke get the ball rolling, and stroke it around the back for a bit before Butland belts it long. Stoke lose possession, and Firmino is sent scampering into a pocket of space down the Liverpool right. He takes a whack from an absurd distance. It’s heading towards the bottom right, but is gathered by Butland. It’s a belting atmosphere at the Britannia.
7.58pm GMT
The teams are out and about. Stoke City are in their famous red-and-white stripes, while Liverpool wear second-choice black. It’s the same colour combination that saw Liverpool win 6-1 at Southampton in the last round. Stoke will point out that it’s also the same colour combination that saw Liverpool skelped 6-1 here at the end of last season. Oh it promises to be a cracker in the Potteries all right!
7.49pm GMT
Mark Hughes speaks! “We’re having a decent season. We’ve had games when we’ve been excellent, games where we’ve been disappointing, but our consistency encourages us. We’re hoping to play in semis every season. Liverpool are a good side but we’ve played top sides recently and done well, so we hope we can do it again. The onus is on us, we need to tap into the energy from the crowd and get on the front foot. We want to be in good shape going to Anfield. We’ll be in a decent position if we play well tonight.”
7.41pm GMT
Jurgen Klopp speaks! “I want my team to play better in each part of the game. More intensity: we cannot say we didn’t fight at West Ham but we had two big moments when we lost complete control of the game. I’m really satisfied with my line-up tonight, it’s a good team. I didn’t put Christian Benteke on the bench: I put Adam Lallana back in the team, and when I counted the players I had 11.”
7.35pm GMT
More on Stoke City’s 1972 cup winners, courtesy of Alec McAulay. “Quite a few of the 1972 team have been prominent in the local press and regional TV, but not, sadly, the winning captain Peter Dobing. He’s still living locally, but shuns the club because the manager of the time, Tony Waddington, knocked back an approach for his services from Matt Busby, and never even told Peter that Manchester United wanted him. He only found out years later. Forty years on he still stays away; you have to give him full credit for bearing, nurturing, a proper grudge.”
7.28pm GMT
The first League Cup MBM email of 2016. “Hi Scott, Happy New Year!” And to you, Peter Oh. “I agree that recent form favours Stoke but for all of their high-flying attacking flair, their goal difference in league play is precisely zero. Hardly superior to Liverpool’s negative two, which is not my point. My point is simply that I cling to the hope that Charlie Adam and Glen Johnson don’t do an Andy Carroll in the Liverpool Alumni Club goalscoring tour.” Don’t forget Crouchigol, Peter. That’s a potential 3-0 victory for Karma at least.
That was a marvellous goal of Carroll’s at the weekend, though. And nice to see him cavorting about with a smile on his face afterwards too. No disingenuous, self-regarding non-celebration for the big man. And I doubt his glee will affect his standing either way with Liverpool fans, who as far as I can tell remember him fondly and continue to do so, despite things not working out for him at Anfield. Hopefully more players will take note, and celebrate against their old clubs with a reckless passion. Nobody minds. Good old Big Man, keeping everybody honest.
7.16pm GMT
It’s as you were at the weekend for Stoke. They’re able to name midfielder Geoff Cameron despite his sending off against West Bromwich Albion. His retaliatory shove on Claudio Yacob has been retrospectively graded as Sweet Eff All by the FA, and his three-match ban has been lifted accordingly.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp meanwhile has lost patience with trundling striker Christian Benteke. But is this news? We knew that from the laconic low seethe Klopp emitted after whatever that was at West Ham at the weekend. Adam Lallana is restored to the starting XI, along with Kolo Toure, Joe Allen and Joe Allen’s dashing Beard o’Pirlo. Jordan Ibe drops to the bench, while Mamadou Sakho doesn’t feature at all.
7.07pm GMT
Stoke City: Butland, Johnson, Shawcross, Wollscheid, Pieters, Cameron, Whelan, Shaqiri, Afellay, Arnautovic, Krkic.
Subs: Joselu, Wilson, van Ginkel, Adam, Walters, Crouch, Haugaard.
Liverpool: Mignolet, Clyne, Toure, Lovren, Moreno, Can, Lucas, Allen, Lallana, Firmino, Coutinho.
Subs: Milner, Benteke, Brannagan, Ibe, Bogdan, Smith, Randall.
10.12am GMT
Stoke City enjoy the League Cup semi-finals. They’ve made it this far twice before, and on both occasions reached the final. Recent form isn’t the only reason Liverpool should watch out tonight.
In 1964, Stoke beat Manchester City at the Victoria Ground, a pair of drives from John Ritchie and Bill Asprey sealing a 2-0 win. They held on at Maine Road: Derek Kevan scored with a long-range shot of his own, but 1-0 wasn’t enough for the hosts. Stoke made it to the final, but were beaten over two legs by Leicester City. Better luck next time?
Continue reading...The Fiver | Poor old Rafa never seems to get any respect
Rafa Benítez won two La Liga titles and a Euro Vase at Valencia; orchestrated the most astonishing Big Cup win in history for the benefit of Liverpool; triumphed in the most exciting FA Cup final of the modern era; knocked Barcelona out of Big Cup on their own patch using players primarily interested in battering seven shades out of each other with golf clubs; became a world champion; and most impressively of all won a European trophy for Chelsea, a feat wholly beyond the ken of a certain other Iberian tactician who didn’t have to cope with the added pressure of 41,798 punters screaming eff, cee and effing cee at him every 12 seconds while he was trying to concentrate on his job.
Continue reading...December 24, 2015
A brief guide to … English football over the Christmas holiday
In Britain, the football industry never stops – even over the festive period. Scott Murray looks back on more than 150 years of sporting tradition
With the Guardian’s unstoppable rise to global dominance** we at Guardian US thought we’d run a series of articles for fans wishing to improve their knowledge of the sports history and storylines, hopefully in a way that doesn’t patronise you to within an inch of your life.
A warning: If you’re the kind of person that finds The Blizzard too populist this may not be the series for you.
** Actual dominance may not be global. Or dominant
Related: Too good to go down? A brief guide to … big clubs being relegated
Continue reading...December 17, 2015
Shirt swapping: new to NFL, but long part of soccer's rich tradition
More and more NFL players are swapping jerseys, but soccer stars have been doing it for decades. Scott Murray charts the history of shirt-swapping in soccer
Jerry Seinfeld had it about right. “Loyalty to any one sports team is pretty hard to justify,” began his monologue at the start of The Label Maker. “Because the players are always changing, the team can move to another city, you’re actually rooting for the clothes when you get right down to it. You know what I mean, you are standing and cheering and yelling for your clothes to beat the clothes from another city. Fans will be so in love with a player but if he goes to another team, they boo him. This is the same human being in a different shirt, they hate him now. Boo! Different shirt! Boo!”
Proof that Jerry was the best part of two decades ahead of the curve has come in the NFL, where players have taken to swapping and ostentatiously autographing their shirts after games, much to the loud chagrin and intense displeasure of the old-school fan, for whom garments are sacred and such acts are verboten.
Continue reading...Scott Murray's Blog
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