Sunday afternoon’s lamentable Premier League encounter only furthered the argument that neither Liverpool nor Manchester City deserve to make it into Europe’s most lucrative football tournament next season.
Opta Stats recorded only two shots on target (one from each side) in a game dominated by the fear of losing from two ultra-defense minded sides.
On an afternoon when Fernando Torres made his long-awaited return to action from injury, Liverpool should have been going for the proverbial jugular - a defeat of Man City on their home patch would have reaffirmed the Merseysiders credentials as top four finishers.
Instead Rafa Benitez chose the five-man midfield option, deploying a lone-striker in the hope of grabbing a goal on the break. That tactic may have worked (just) in the Europa League on the previous Thursday night but Manchester City looked just as frightened of losing and deployed the exact same formation. Stalemate ensued and boy what a stalemate. It is hard to believe two clubs who have spent so much money in recent times could serve up such a dreadful encounter.
For the first time since taking over the helm at Eastlands, Roberto Mancini is now facing intense scrutiny from his supporters and benefactors as his side were booed off for the second consecutive home match. An away trip to Stoke in the fifth round of the FA Cup is hardly the ideal fixture to get Man City back on track but that is the next challenge facing the Italian.
Top scorer Carlos Tevez’s enforced absence (due to his pregnant wife taking ill) is also telling with the Argentinean extending his stay in his homeland and Mancini apparently unaware as to when his striker will return. Mancini needs his 19-goal striker now more than ever and his decision to stay away could not have come at a worse time for City. One victory in their last four league encounters suggests City are struggling to maintain their interest in fourth spot but thankfully for them the erratic form of their closest rivals has kept them in touch.
Rafa Benitez has already gone on record to pledge that his Liverpool side will definitely finish fourth this season. “I have to believe. If the manager doesn’t have confidence it is difficult for the players. I think we have enough quality, Yossi Benayoun is coming back, Fernando Torres is coming back, and Glen Johnson will come back in the next week. So we are now bringing players back and the competition will be better for us and hopefully we can improve.“
Are these the latest ramblings of a manager on the way out or the determined, resolute defiance that Liverpool has so badly lacked on the field this season? Following Sunday’s dreadful performance, Liverpool are quickly running out of games to meet their manager’s promise. The Anfield club failed to win for the 14th time this term and a campaign that promised so much (pre-season) could end with Liverpool saying goodbye to their manager and Champions League football.
The Guardian’s Kevin McCarra best encapsulated the bore 0-0 draw between Man City and Liverpool at Eastlands when he wrote: “Both managers were happy enough with the outcome. It is just a pity that the paying public had to be involved. ”
The only winners from last weekend’s debacle turned out to be the Sky Sports TV subscribers. Punters enjoyed the good fortune of not viewing the re-arranged fixture (due to Liverpool’s early exit from the Champions League group stage) and thus nothaving to endure four hours of drivel on the regular Super Sunday afternoon prime-time slot.
The onus is now on the likes of the free-spending Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur to step up to the plate and make the coveted fourth spot their own. The current top three in the Premier League look certain to remain in those berths meaning the battle for fourth should be just that, a battle.
Yet what looked like an intensive four-way fight for the chance to earn the vast riches that come with being part of the Champions League is fast turning into a bore-fest with tedious, defense-minded football the order of the day.
Ger McCarthy is the author of Off Centre Circle, which chronicles the curious life of a West Cork League junior footballer.
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So because they played out one of the most boring games this season means neither deserve to finish 4th? Behave yourself will you. Does Utd’s capitulation at Everton, even with the so called ‘Best striker in the World’ (as some newspapers and pundits would have you believe of late) at their disposal mean that Utd don’t deserve to win the Premier league? Of course it doesn’t. Climb down off your high horse and give yourself a slap while you’re at it. Whoever finishes 4th does so based on their results over the course of the season, not 1 game. Where that lies in their own self assessment is another matter altogether. Just when I thought sports ‘journalism’ couldn’t sink any lower than Goal.com, take a bow Danger Here.
Our first 0-0 draw in over 2 years at Eastlands and were suddenly not worthy of European football. As I’m sure you checked the stats (and watched the match in full) before you wrote this piece, I’m sure you will be aware that City had scored in their previous 25 home games – a feat that no other Premier League club can match.
And Aston Villa who have scored the least goals out of any of the contenders do deserve it?!! What an unbeliveably stupid article this is.
Apologies, I admit this was a poor article. I was just hurting from Uniteds defeat at Everton.
Ger McCarthy
London
The other comments have said it all, this is just another example of the growing trend of knee jerk journos (or should it just read jerk journos).
Another point of order, the crowd boo’d the lamentable refereeing display
Great looking website … just a shame the content is s****e!!!
Typical of Scouse and Manc fans to respond to the slightest criticism with their usual drivel. Article makes a good point about having a more attacking team in the CL rather than usual boring boring liverpool or 43 midfielders across the middle City on tv every other Wed night.
Thanks for your well researched opinion Enrico. Be interesting to know who you support?
City on TV every other Wednesday night? 43 Midfielders across the middle City? Do you watch your footy on Planet Iggle Piggle?? Come clean on your team before you dish it out …
Senor Benarbia, merely pointing out that City have failed to live up to the hype surrounding all the money that accompanied their pre-season. Would prefer to see a better footballing team like Aston Villa in the CL, that’s all as they would be a more attractive option to watch on TV
My teams is San Luis of the Primera División de México
So you know lots about the Premier League then … Here’s an interesting statistic for you;
Goals scored this season – City 48, Spurs 46, Liverpool 43, Villa 37!!!
Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but surely scoring plenty of goals makes you more attractive to watch on TV?
After years of suffering in the lower leagues this is the first time for many years that Man City have an incredible opportunity to give some success to us long suffering fans.
So give us a break and stick to offering opinions about a league you know about, plainly NOT the EPL!
Oh dear!! Yet another moron (Ger McCarthy) given a platform to spout out his unbalanced & biased views…….. Was the internet really invented for this?!?!
Oh & Villa play this wonderful open attacking football??? If it wasn’t for set-peices, they wouldn’t score half of the goals they have. Go back & re-educate yourself before giving the world your footballing opinions.
Uh, as someone who attended the game, can I just point out that the dreadful referee (and his equally dreadful assistants) went a long way towards spoiling any free flowing moves in this game? And yes, chances were few and far between, but that does not mean that the fans who attended (rather than just read and regurgitated what the gutter press had to say) were deprived of any form of excitement.
It’s a pity that we in the UK seem to be moving inexorably towards the US model of sport, wherein anything less than a 41-40 scoreline is deemed to be utterly boring! Not a brilliant match by any means, but believe me, no one was in any danger of falling asleep.
P.S. The boos were for the referee, not either of the teams, please do your research!
@Enrico: 4-0 Real Madrid at Anfield last season, 4-4 vs Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last season, 2-1 vs Barca at the Nou Camp 2007, yeah proper boring Liverpool, you muppet.