Article by Steven Cronin
Steven Gerrard arrived in a whisker of scoring the essential successful target for Liverpool in this opening Champions League group stage clash.
The Liverpool skipper latched onto a bouncing ball at the corner of the penalty location, unleashing a rasping volley that eluded the goalkeeper but crashed back again off the inside of the far post.
It was the closest the Reds got to breaking a PSV Eindhoven defensive line that held Liverpool at bay for considerably of the match.
But it was the sight of Gerrard sat on the substitute’s bench that gave the biggest shock of the night time.
The squad rotation policy of supervisor Rafa Benitez has raised 1 or two eyebrows of late, numerous enthusiasts questioning no matter whether the Spaniard had misplaced the plot.
Liverpool began the match with their two most influential midfielders in Gerrard and Alonso each on the bench, a weird decision thinking about the significance of obtaining off to a sound start in this levels of competition.
In defence of Benitez, with Premiership video games in opposition to Chelsea, Newcastle and Tottenham coming up, possibly he feels the need to safeguard Liverpool’s engine room.
PSV started out the game nicely, a poor omen considering their manager Ronald Koeman was in charge of the Benfica side who sent Liverpool crashing out of final season’s tournament.
The harmful Kone was allowed to run from deep in his very own half nearly unopposed into the Liverpool penalty region prior to unleashing a ferocious shot that cannoned back again off the crossbar.
That aside, the Liverpool defence coped well with most of what PSV could throw at them, though in fact neither facet could create any true apparent reduce openings.
Craig Bellamy looked Liverpool’s most risky player, although despite some clever runs the service to the front man was typically wayward.
Chief culprit was Jamie Pennant, the two at times seemingly on fully diverse wavelengths.
About the Writer
Steven Cronin writes the hottest English Premiership Football information, results and opinion at http://www.sargas.co.uk/english_premiership_football