Liverpool 0 Stoke City 0:KENNY Dalglish bemoaned Liverpool's inability to part a resolute Stoke City defence and then scurried for the exit only to find himself unable to open the door of the press room. Blocked on all fronts, there was also no escaping the unpalatable truth that Liverpool's latest frustration on the home front was entirely self-inflicted.
Stoke City became the seventh visiting team to leave Anfield with a point this season and no inspired goalkeeping or catalogue of missed chances excused Liverpool on this occasion. For the first time since his suspension began Luis Suarez was sorely missed. But the latest draw at Anfield was not due only to the suspended Uruguayan.
From the moment the team-sheets arrived it was unclear as to where in the Liverpool line-up the goals would come from.
Dirk Kuyt, without a league goal all season, led the attack in preference to Andy Carroll but it was Dalglish’s decision to persist with the defensive tactics that sealed the League Cup semi-final first-leg win against Manchester City that determined a damaging afternoon for a team with Champions League aspirations.
Dalglish’s three-man central defence was rendered redundant before the teams left the changing rooms and could have been altered without curbing the marauding instincts of Glen Johnson and Jose Enrique on the flanks. But Dalglish, unlike Pulis, was not for turning.
The Stoke manager took one look at Liverpool’s team-sheet and promptly moved Jon Walters out of his attack and into a five-man midfield. Martin Skrtel, Jamie Carragher and Sebastian Coates were reduced to marking lone striker Peter Crouch. Liverpool, at home, were set up to contain Stoke. Stoke set out to contain Liverpool.
When the alterations finally came it was Carroll at the expense of Stewart Downing, and Craig Bellamy for Jordan Henderson.
Kuyt headed Liverpool’s one clear-cut chance horribly wide, Skrtel sent another into the floor and over while Carroll had a decent shout for a spot-kick refused by referee Howard Webb to Anfield’s audible frustration.
Guardian Service
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