Sunderland 1-1 Liverpool
An emotional week for Liverpool fans may not have ended perfectly for their team but picking up a point in The Stadium Light will have eased some of their worries about the immediate Premier League future.
The match started well for Liverpool who really should have opened the scoring through Fabio Borini early on though sadly the Italian striker failed to put away either of his 2 early chances. Despite the good start for the visitors it was actually Sunderland who took the lead thanks to Steven Fletcher, who bagged his 3rd goal from 2 starts since moving from Wolves.
Having fallen behind Liverpool searched desperately for an equaliser and came close a number of times as they began to really boss the game with Sunderland looking to counter. Despite coming close a number of times Liverpool really struggled to carve open the defense and the chances were rarely clear cut, despite forcing Simon Mignolet in to action a number of times.
Despite Sunderland holding firm for much of the game Liverpool did eventually manage to bag an equaliser via the always controversial Luis Suarez who had previously been booked for diving. After the scores were level Liverpool looked like the only team likely to score a winner though they couldn't find a second goal despite trying to turn the screw.
Sunderland, just like Stoke bizarrely, are still unbeaten but with out a single victory, however they have taken a point from both Liverpool and Arsenal which was perhaps a little unexpected. The addition of Steven Fletcher to the team gives them what appears to be a real hit man up front capable of scoring the goals Sunderland need to make an impact in the Premier League this year.
Liverpool may not be a team who are going to challenge for a Premier League title but Brendon Rodgers is bringing his team along well. They are lacking a striker, Borini is, to be polite, not Premier League quality and whilst Suarez is a good player he's not a true goalscorer (and he's also a player who appears to have a poor temperament). Unless Liverpool can find an out and out goalscorer in the next few months they are going to struggle to win games against teams who have solid defenses. Don't get me wrong they play some beautiful football but they aren't a team with a lot of goals in them.
Showing posts with label Luis Suarez. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Luis Suarez. Show all posts
Thursday, 20 September 2012
Friday, 14 September 2012
Premier League Week 4-Preview and prediction (Sunderland v Liverpool)
Sunderland is the venue for our late kick off this Saturday as the Black Cats host a Liverpool team who desperately need a win to kick start their season after a hugely disappointing start to Brendon Rodgers' reign and a massively emotional week.
Despite sitting 13th in the Premier League Sunderland are actually unbeaten having picked up draws against both Arsenal (0-0) and high flying Swansea (2-2) as they showed both defensive toughness (against Arsenal) and a serious offensive threat through Steven Fletcher. They will certainly be looking to pick up their first league win against a very nervous looking Liverpool.
Whilst the quality of Martin O'Neill is well known the fact that Sunderland's squad is also strong is something that appears to often be over-looked. With international players littered throughout the team they really don't have any glaring weaknesses, although they may struggle to score a huge number of goals, despite the threat of Fletcher. This was an issue last season as well with just 45 Premier League goals (tied 13th best). This is somewhat countered however by the strong defensive line of John O'Shea, Carlos Cuellar and Belgian Goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.
Having finished 13th in the Premier League last season Sunderland will be looking to build on a successful mid-table finish. The Sunderland fans will be hoping that, like last season, their team will be strong at home (where they picked up 28 of their 45 points) and if they are, they will hoping to secure another win at home against Liverpool.
For Liverpool fans this past week has been about much, much more than just football, it's been about justice. Having finally had the truth about the Hillsborough tragedy more than 20 years ago they will be hoping their team start to show the form that they remember from that era. Sadly however Liverpool have really struggled on the pitch this season having only picked up a single point from their 3 games so far.
Brendon Rodgers has got Liverpool playing some genuinely gorgeous football, with some beautiful passing and movement but the results sadly hadn't followed their performances, most notable their 2-2 draw with Manchester City. Sadly for Liverpool they have shown a knack of making really major errors in games, giving away goals and penalties at an alarming rate and undoing all their good work.
Whilst Liverpool have a solid and experienced team they just need to start getting results sooner rather than later or they will find themselves questioning their own ability, a real problem at Liverpool in recent years. Whilst we all know last season was disappointing (with an 8th placed finish) it sadly followed finishes of 6th and 7th in the previous 2 years and has seen them going through a number of managers one after the other, a real issue.
I wouldn't write Liverpool off here as the team hopefully will react positively after the news of this previous week, however unless they really start to click they will struggle with a solid Sunderland team.
Kick-Off: 17:30
Prediction: 1-0
Expected Line Ups:
Sunderland-
Mignolet, Gardner, O'Shea, Cuellar, Rose, Johnson, Cattermole, Colback, McClean, Sessegnon, Fletcher (4-4-2)
Liverpool-
Reina, Johnson, Agger, Skrtel, Enrique, Gerrard, Sahin, Allen, Borini, Suarez, Sterling (4-4-2)
Notes:Sunderland have won 2 of the last 3 games against Liverpool at the Stadium of Light
A loss for Liverpool would signify their worst start to a league season in over 100 years.
Players to watch out for-
Sunderland:
Adam Johnson-The former Manchester City attacker adds a real level of class to the Sunderland squad and will be looking to force himself into the England mix after having rarely played for City last year. Whilst he is considered a doubt for the match, his inclusion will play a big part in whether or not Sunderland will be able to win the Midfield battle.
Steven Fletcher-Sunderland's major goal threat will be given a tough match by the Liverpool defense but he'll be a continual threat throughout the game, especially in the air. Whilst Fletcher isn't quick he is able to show his strength and bully defenders who are questioning themselves like the Liverpool defense will be.
Liverpool:
Raheem Sterling-There has been little to really celebrate on the pitch for Liverpool however the emergence of youngster Raheem Sterling has been one of those few things. The very promising youngster has looked sensational against both Manchester City and Arsenal and seems likely to be a threat to the Sunderland defense here. Keep an eye out for another out standing performance from this youngster.
Luis Suarez-The every controversial Uruguayan appears to be Liverpool's only proven attacker at the moment and a lot is resting on his shoulders. Sadly for Liverpool Suarez has so far been less than successful at finding the back of the goal, despite having had a number of great chances. If Suarez can't get his shooting boots on sooner, rather than later, Liverpool will seriously struggle.
Despite sitting 13th in the Premier League Sunderland are actually unbeaten having picked up draws against both Arsenal (0-0) and high flying Swansea (2-2) as they showed both defensive toughness (against Arsenal) and a serious offensive threat through Steven Fletcher. They will certainly be looking to pick up their first league win against a very nervous looking Liverpool.
Whilst the quality of Martin O'Neill is well known the fact that Sunderland's squad is also strong is something that appears to often be over-looked. With international players littered throughout the team they really don't have any glaring weaknesses, although they may struggle to score a huge number of goals, despite the threat of Fletcher. This was an issue last season as well with just 45 Premier League goals (tied 13th best). This is somewhat countered however by the strong defensive line of John O'Shea, Carlos Cuellar and Belgian Goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.
Having finished 13th in the Premier League last season Sunderland will be looking to build on a successful mid-table finish. The Sunderland fans will be hoping that, like last season, their team will be strong at home (where they picked up 28 of their 45 points) and if they are, they will hoping to secure another win at home against Liverpool.
For Liverpool fans this past week has been about much, much more than just football, it's been about justice. Having finally had the truth about the Hillsborough tragedy more than 20 years ago they will be hoping their team start to show the form that they remember from that era. Sadly however Liverpool have really struggled on the pitch this season having only picked up a single point from their 3 games so far.
Brendon Rodgers has got Liverpool playing some genuinely gorgeous football, with some beautiful passing and movement but the results sadly hadn't followed their performances, most notable their 2-2 draw with Manchester City. Sadly for Liverpool they have shown a knack of making really major errors in games, giving away goals and penalties at an alarming rate and undoing all their good work.
Whilst Liverpool have a solid and experienced team they just need to start getting results sooner rather than later or they will find themselves questioning their own ability, a real problem at Liverpool in recent years. Whilst we all know last season was disappointing (with an 8th placed finish) it sadly followed finishes of 6th and 7th in the previous 2 years and has seen them going through a number of managers one after the other, a real issue.
I wouldn't write Liverpool off here as the team hopefully will react positively after the news of this previous week, however unless they really start to click they will struggle with a solid Sunderland team.
Kick-Off: 17:30
Prediction: 1-0
Expected Line Ups:
Sunderland-
Mignolet, Gardner, O'Shea, Cuellar, Rose, Johnson, Cattermole, Colback, McClean, Sessegnon, Fletcher (4-4-2)
Liverpool-
Reina, Johnson, Agger, Skrtel, Enrique, Gerrard, Sahin, Allen, Borini, Suarez, Sterling (4-4-2)
Notes:Sunderland have won 2 of the last 3 games against Liverpool at the Stadium of Light
A loss for Liverpool would signify their worst start to a league season in over 100 years.
Players to watch out for-
Sunderland:
Adam Johnson-The former Manchester City attacker adds a real level of class to the Sunderland squad and will be looking to force himself into the England mix after having rarely played for City last year. Whilst he is considered a doubt for the match, his inclusion will play a big part in whether or not Sunderland will be able to win the Midfield battle.
Steven Fletcher-Sunderland's major goal threat will be given a tough match by the Liverpool defense but he'll be a continual threat throughout the game, especially in the air. Whilst Fletcher isn't quick he is able to show his strength and bully defenders who are questioning themselves like the Liverpool defense will be.
Liverpool:
Raheem Sterling-There has been little to really celebrate on the pitch for Liverpool however the emergence of youngster Raheem Sterling has been one of those few things. The very promising youngster has looked sensational against both Manchester City and Arsenal and seems likely to be a threat to the Sunderland defense here. Keep an eye out for another out standing performance from this youngster.
Luis Suarez-The every controversial Uruguayan appears to be Liverpool's only proven attacker at the moment and a lot is resting on his shoulders. Sadly for Liverpool Suarez has so far been less than successful at finding the back of the goal, despite having had a number of great chances. If Suarez can't get his shooting boots on sooner, rather than later, Liverpool will seriously struggle.
Monday, 3 September 2012
Premier League Week 3-Write up Liverpool v Arsenal
Liverpool 0-2 Arsenal
Going into Sunday's early kick off between Liverpool and Arsenal it would be fair to say serious pressure was on both sides. Liverpool's opening day loss to West Broom was still a fresh memory and despite looking very good in their 2-2 draw Manchester City last week they still gave the match away. Likewise for Arsenal their two 0-0 draws in as many matches lead fans to asking about just how good a post-Van Persie Arsenal really are.
Liverpool started brightly, the confidence of the display against Manchester City seemed to be fresh in their mind and they played well in the opening stages. The good start however came to nothing as Liverpool failed to open up a strong Arsenal defense who neutralised both Luis Suarez and Fabio Borini.
Perhaps a telling sign of Liverpool's season so far has been their ability to shoot themselves in the foot and thats exactly what they did around the 30 minute mark. A wayward Steven Gerrard pass was cut out by Arsenal and left Santi Cazorla and Lukas Podolski able to open up the Home side's defense before Podolski opened his Arsenal account in clinical fashion. Arsenal should have doubled their lead before the half with Olivier Giroud missing a great chance, but 1-0 was a fair half time scoreline.
Going into the second half it was perhaps fair to say that Liverpool looked the most likely to score the games second goal and they started to create better chances than they had in the opening half. Luis Suarez had become a nuisance to the Arsenal defense and teenager Raheem Sterling was again excelling however as Liverpool searched for an equaliser they were caught out by Arsenal this time with Santi Cazorla bagging the goal with some help from Pepe Reina. It's fair to say that this wasn't a week to remember for the Spanish goalkeeper who also let in a blunderous goal against Hearts in midweek.
Liverpool continued to chance the game trying to find their way back into the match and although Jonjo Shelvey came close twice they never really looked able to create the clear cut chances that their limited strike force needed.
Brendon Rodgers' inability to sign a true goal scorer over the summer break may well come back to haunt him as neither Suarez or Borini look likely to bag the 20+ goals a top team needs from a striker. Whilst their attack seems to be very toothless (just 2 goals from their first 3 games) it's the silly things that are really costing them, mistakes from Pepe Reiane, Martin Skrtel, Daniel Agger and Steven Gerrard have been all too common this season with a number of their mistakes being punished by goals. Whilst Raheem Sterling looks excellent the teenager cannot win games on his own and sadly for him the rest of the team are letting him down.
Arsene Wenger will have a lot to be happy about. Whilst he would likely have expected more from his first 2 games this was a pleasing result as they recorded not only their first Premier League victory but their 3rd successive clean sheet of the season. Once again Santi Cazorla looked brilliant, I thought at the start of the season that the Spaniard would fit right into the Arsenal philosophy and he has done just that taking the mantle from Cesc Fabregas. Sadly however their is still the boots of Robin Van Persie to fill and neither Lukas Podolski or Olivier Giroud look likely to fill them anytime soon. Whilst the German netted his first goal for the gunners the Frenchman missed 3 or 4 great chances to open his account for the gunners. Arsenal are a team with goals in them, any Gunners fans who have already written their season off (and I know a few pundits have) have done so far too early as they are an excellent team.
Going into Sunday's early kick off between Liverpool and Arsenal it would be fair to say serious pressure was on both sides. Liverpool's opening day loss to West Broom was still a fresh memory and despite looking very good in their 2-2 draw Manchester City last week they still gave the match away. Likewise for Arsenal their two 0-0 draws in as many matches lead fans to asking about just how good a post-Van Persie Arsenal really are.
Liverpool started brightly, the confidence of the display against Manchester City seemed to be fresh in their mind and they played well in the opening stages. The good start however came to nothing as Liverpool failed to open up a strong Arsenal defense who neutralised both Luis Suarez and Fabio Borini.
Perhaps a telling sign of Liverpool's season so far has been their ability to shoot themselves in the foot and thats exactly what they did around the 30 minute mark. A wayward Steven Gerrard pass was cut out by Arsenal and left Santi Cazorla and Lukas Podolski able to open up the Home side's defense before Podolski opened his Arsenal account in clinical fashion. Arsenal should have doubled their lead before the half with Olivier Giroud missing a great chance, but 1-0 was a fair half time scoreline.
Going into the second half it was perhaps fair to say that Liverpool looked the most likely to score the games second goal and they started to create better chances than they had in the opening half. Luis Suarez had become a nuisance to the Arsenal defense and teenager Raheem Sterling was again excelling however as Liverpool searched for an equaliser they were caught out by Arsenal this time with Santi Cazorla bagging the goal with some help from Pepe Reina. It's fair to say that this wasn't a week to remember for the Spanish goalkeeper who also let in a blunderous goal against Hearts in midweek.
Liverpool continued to chance the game trying to find their way back into the match and although Jonjo Shelvey came close twice they never really looked able to create the clear cut chances that their limited strike force needed.
Brendon Rodgers' inability to sign a true goal scorer over the summer break may well come back to haunt him as neither Suarez or Borini look likely to bag the 20+ goals a top team needs from a striker. Whilst their attack seems to be very toothless (just 2 goals from their first 3 games) it's the silly things that are really costing them, mistakes from Pepe Reiane, Martin Skrtel, Daniel Agger and Steven Gerrard have been all too common this season with a number of their mistakes being punished by goals. Whilst Raheem Sterling looks excellent the teenager cannot win games on his own and sadly for him the rest of the team are letting him down.
Arsene Wenger will have a lot to be happy about. Whilst he would likely have expected more from his first 2 games this was a pleasing result as they recorded not only their first Premier League victory but their 3rd successive clean sheet of the season. Once again Santi Cazorla looked brilliant, I thought at the start of the season that the Spaniard would fit right into the Arsenal philosophy and he has done just that taking the mantle from Cesc Fabregas. Sadly however their is still the boots of Robin Van Persie to fill and neither Lukas Podolski or Olivier Giroud look likely to fill them anytime soon. Whilst the German netted his first goal for the gunners the Frenchman missed 3 or 4 great chances to open his account for the gunners. Arsenal are a team with goals in them, any Gunners fans who have already written their season off (and I know a few pundits have) have done so far too early as they are an excellent team.
Sunday, 26 August 2012
Premier League Week 2-Write up Liverpool v Manchester City
Liverpool 2-2 Manchester City
After being thumped 3-0 on the opening day of the season many, including myself had real fear for Liverpool as reigning Premier League champions Manchester City came to visit in the late kick off on Sunday. Although City themselves hadn't looked particularly good on their opening league fixture they had managed to defeat Southampton 3-2 in a very fun to watch fixture.
Things started badly for Brendon Rodgers' side with Lucas going off injured inside the first 5 minutes however Liverpool showed a real unity and drive and looked like a team with a point to prove. Lead by the Midfield pairing of Steven Gerrard and new signing Joe Allen, Liverpool quickly looked like the better team and with their wing backs raiding forward it seemed only a matter of team before the Red's would take the lead. Liverpool would eventually take the lead in around 34 minutes into the game thanks to a rocket header by Martin Skrtel following a Liverpool corner.
Going into half time Brendon Rodgers would have felt the job was half done, Liverpool had not only taken the lead but bossed the game and looked to be in charge. Their lead was undone around 20 minutes into the second half as Carlos Tevez's cross was finished off by Yaya Toure thanks to some very poor defending by Liverpool who appeared to switch off and were punished as a result.
It would take Liverpool just 3 minutes retake the lead as a Luis Suarez free kick from just outside the penalty area was perfectly placed into the bottom corner giving Joe Hart no chance at all. It was once again looking like Liverpool were in charge and they came close to going 3-1 up on a number of occasions though couldn't finish any of the chances off.
With 10 minutes of the match left Martin Skrtel went from hero to zero as he passed to Carlos Tevez who had no issues in going around Pepe Reina to equalise once more. From then on the game turned into an end-to-end struggle with both teams attacking hard looking for a winner though no one could score the decisive goal to seal 3 points.
Liverpool fans should be very happy at the performance, it was a massive improvement from their opening fixture however they will also feel massively disappointed by taking the 3 points from the match. They were the better team and they created the better chances however they twice shot themselves in the foot for the 2 Manchester City goals which were pretty much gifts for city. It'll be a bittersweet day for both Brendon Rodgers and Martin Skrtel, however the positives were there for Liverpool. Gerrard, Suarez, Allen and youngster Raheem Sterling were all excellent and hardly put a foot wrong between them, the team passed wonderfully and looked much like the team that Rodgers would have been wanting them to be. If they continue to improve they could be a very good team, however if this was just a case of "playing up to the champions" then I'd worry, sadly however we won't know about that for at least another week.
For Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini he will be very happy at earning a point here, though he will certainly see this as a point given to them rather than one they truly deserved. Up front they look good, Tevez came close with a shot that rolled across the line and though the strikers rarely got solid chances as the Liverpool defense held them well they looked like they had goals in them. Yaya Toure was again impressive (then again when isn't he?) and after coming on Jack Rodwell, Edin Dzeko and David Silva all changed the flow of the game. Sadly however the talking point about City isn't there attackers but instead their defense which again conceded two goals. This will need to be tightened up and soon if City are going to retain the Premier League title, you simply cannot expect to score 3 goals a game just to win matches. If they can sort out at the back then they certainly should be able to retain the title, if they keep conceding then they are really going to be in trouble
After being thumped 3-0 on the opening day of the season many, including myself had real fear for Liverpool as reigning Premier League champions Manchester City came to visit in the late kick off on Sunday. Although City themselves hadn't looked particularly good on their opening league fixture they had managed to defeat Southampton 3-2 in a very fun to watch fixture.
Things started badly for Brendon Rodgers' side with Lucas going off injured inside the first 5 minutes however Liverpool showed a real unity and drive and looked like a team with a point to prove. Lead by the Midfield pairing of Steven Gerrard and new signing Joe Allen, Liverpool quickly looked like the better team and with their wing backs raiding forward it seemed only a matter of team before the Red's would take the lead. Liverpool would eventually take the lead in around 34 minutes into the game thanks to a rocket header by Martin Skrtel following a Liverpool corner.
Going into half time Brendon Rodgers would have felt the job was half done, Liverpool had not only taken the lead but bossed the game and looked to be in charge. Their lead was undone around 20 minutes into the second half as Carlos Tevez's cross was finished off by Yaya Toure thanks to some very poor defending by Liverpool who appeared to switch off and were punished as a result.
It would take Liverpool just 3 minutes retake the lead as a Luis Suarez free kick from just outside the penalty area was perfectly placed into the bottom corner giving Joe Hart no chance at all. It was once again looking like Liverpool were in charge and they came close to going 3-1 up on a number of occasions though couldn't finish any of the chances off.
With 10 minutes of the match left Martin Skrtel went from hero to zero as he passed to Carlos Tevez who had no issues in going around Pepe Reina to equalise once more. From then on the game turned into an end-to-end struggle with both teams attacking hard looking for a winner though no one could score the decisive goal to seal 3 points.
Liverpool fans should be very happy at the performance, it was a massive improvement from their opening fixture however they will also feel massively disappointed by taking the 3 points from the match. They were the better team and they created the better chances however they twice shot themselves in the foot for the 2 Manchester City goals which were pretty much gifts for city. It'll be a bittersweet day for both Brendon Rodgers and Martin Skrtel, however the positives were there for Liverpool. Gerrard, Suarez, Allen and youngster Raheem Sterling were all excellent and hardly put a foot wrong between them, the team passed wonderfully and looked much like the team that Rodgers would have been wanting them to be. If they continue to improve they could be a very good team, however if this was just a case of "playing up to the champions" then I'd worry, sadly however we won't know about that for at least another week.
For Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini he will be very happy at earning a point here, though he will certainly see this as a point given to them rather than one they truly deserved. Up front they look good, Tevez came close with a shot that rolled across the line and though the strikers rarely got solid chances as the Liverpool defense held them well they looked like they had goals in them. Yaya Toure was again impressive (then again when isn't he?) and after coming on Jack Rodwell, Edin Dzeko and David Silva all changed the flow of the game. Sadly however the talking point about City isn't there attackers but instead their defense which again conceded two goals. This will need to be tightened up and soon if City are going to retain the Premier League title, you simply cannot expect to score 3 goals a game just to win matches. If they can sort out at the back then they certainly should be able to retain the title, if they keep conceding then they are really going to be in trouble
Saturday, 18 August 2012
Premier League Week 1-Write up West Brom v Liverpool
West Brom 3-0 Liverpool
Having sacked Kenny Dalglish at the end of last season and brought in Brendon Rodgers expectations were high at Liverpool for this season, though as we all know things are never the way they should be for Liverpool where stunningly upset today in their league opener by West Brom.
Liverpool started well with the controversial Luis Suarez having a number of chances including an excellent headed chance to put Liverpool in the lead, though couldn't finish any of them. Instead of Suarez it was returning Zoltán Gera that opened the scoring with an excellent strike in the 43rd minute that may well be an early contender for goal of the season. The Hungarian let loose with a thunderbolt from outside the penalty area that gave Reina no chance.
In the second half West Brom had a fantastic chance to double their lead as Daniel Agger fouled Shane Long in the penalty area. Whilst Agger was given a straight red Long couldn't convert the penalty. It didn't take long however for West Brom to be given a second penalty after Martin Škrtel lost track of both the ball and Long. This time Peter Odemwinge stepped up to the spot and he didn't make the same mistake as his team smashing the ball into the bottom corner. The match was finally sealed around 15 minutes from time as Romelu Lukaku headed in a 3rd for West Brom.
Brendon Rodgers was expected to have a midas touch though signings Joe Allen and Fabio Borini both looked completely out of place on the pitch with the pair looking like 2 very expensive accessories. The combined £26 million spent on the two men is looking like a seriously bad move for Rodgers who will almost certainly get the fans on his back if he cannot turn things around quickly.
For West Brom's new manager Steve Clarke this must have been a dream start. Not only did he manage to defeat the team that got rid of him last year but he managed to make a real statement about his team, who will likely be expected to match last season's 10th place finish. The return of Gera (who had been out for 8 months) is a major positive for the Baggies and Lukaku is an excellent loan signing who will seriously give West Brom a threat up front. Don't be surprised if West Brom manage a number of upsets this year.
Having sacked Kenny Dalglish at the end of last season and brought in Brendon Rodgers expectations were high at Liverpool for this season, though as we all know things are never the way they should be for Liverpool where stunningly upset today in their league opener by West Brom.
Liverpool started well with the controversial Luis Suarez having a number of chances including an excellent headed chance to put Liverpool in the lead, though couldn't finish any of them. Instead of Suarez it was returning Zoltán Gera that opened the scoring with an excellent strike in the 43rd minute that may well be an early contender for goal of the season. The Hungarian let loose with a thunderbolt from outside the penalty area that gave Reina no chance.
In the second half West Brom had a fantastic chance to double their lead as Daniel Agger fouled Shane Long in the penalty area. Whilst Agger was given a straight red Long couldn't convert the penalty. It didn't take long however for West Brom to be given a second penalty after Martin Škrtel lost track of both the ball and Long. This time Peter Odemwinge stepped up to the spot and he didn't make the same mistake as his team smashing the ball into the bottom corner. The match was finally sealed around 15 minutes from time as Romelu Lukaku headed in a 3rd for West Brom.
Brendon Rodgers was expected to have a midas touch though signings Joe Allen and Fabio Borini both looked completely out of place on the pitch with the pair looking like 2 very expensive accessories. The combined £26 million spent on the two men is looking like a seriously bad move for Rodgers who will almost certainly get the fans on his back if he cannot turn things around quickly.
For West Brom's new manager Steve Clarke this must have been a dream start. Not only did he manage to defeat the team that got rid of him last year but he managed to make a real statement about his team, who will likely be expected to match last season's 10th place finish. The return of Gera (who had been out for 8 months) is a major positive for the Baggies and Lukaku is an excellent loan signing who will seriously give West Brom a threat up front. Don't be surprised if West Brom manage a number of upsets this year.
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