Praise for Carra

[Montse]

Good to see him getting the plaudits for a clean sheet rather than 3 goals the other end....

 

 

KOP LAUNCH PS3 AND IT'S GAME OVER

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUARTER-FINALS, 1ST LEG PSV 0 LIVERPOOL 3 SUPERB LIVERPOOL STUN EINDHOVEN IN EURO MASTERCLASS

David Maddock 04/04/2007

 

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STEVEN GERRARD and Jamie Car ragher rewrote a little bit of European history for Liverpool last night... but what the records books won't show is how utterly one-sided this bloodless victory really was.

 

Skipper Gerrard became his side's highest ever scorer in the European Cup, while Carragher passed Phil Neal's record for the most appearances in the competition.

 

Neither will have had many easier games than this. Put it this way, PSV were lucky to get nil. They weren't just beaten, they were embarrassed, humiliated even.

 

You really do wonder how the hell they managed to defeat Arsenal in the previous round. Make no mistake, next week's return leg at Anfield is a formality.

 

Where PSV were so poor, so incompetent, the English club were professional and accomplished, sticking masterfully to their tactical plan to first snuff out any vestige of a threat from the home side, before producing the torrent goals that gave them yet another fine victory on their travels in Europe.

 

Gerrard moved past Ian Rush's European Cup record with his 15th goal in his 50th game in this competition.

 

After the break, John Arne Riise and Peter Crouch finished off a hopeless Dutch side with two further goals. Perhaps the most damning statistic of all was that the home side had only one shot on target.

 

While the Reds revelled in a bold attacking display, it was Carragher who was once again the unsung hero on a night when his 58th appearance in this competition took him past Neal's record. Gritty, indomitable, determined. Initially, it was an evening for all of those qualities.

 

Despite the eventual scoreline, Liverpool coach Rafa Benitez set out to first contain PSV and silence their excitable support, and his centre half was a key element in such tactics.

 

He was everywhere, ushering ball and opposing attackers to less dangerous areas, tackling like a demon and screaming constantly at his team-mates.

 

He is so intense, so committed and probably the leading central defender in Europe at the moment.

 

His influence in this game could be felt during a pivotal passage of play midway through the first half.

 

For once, PSV broke swiftly in what was largely a pedestrian performance from the Dutch side. Diego Tardelli crossed deep from the right, and as the ball sailed over the head of Steve Finnan, it seemed that Mika Vayrynen's shot was goal-bound. Somehow though, the English centre half threw his body in the way and deflected the ball over the crossbar.

 

Had PSV taken the lead at that point, it would have been a very different - and difficult - contest for the Merseyside club. Instead, they marched up to the other end of the pitch and, on 27 minutes, scored the nerve-calming away goal that is so important in Europe.

 

It was a fine goal too, Steve Finnan galloping down the right to cross intelligently behind the first line of Dutch defenders, where Gerrard waited with intimidating menace to steer his header into the far corner of the net. It was a great goal, but without Carragher's contribution, it may never have arrived.

 

The defender had provided Liverpool's only other real moment of note in what was a pretty dour first half, when he met Xabi Alonso's corner with a powerful header that Gomes in the home goal did well to palm around his left hand post.

 

After the break it was even more one sided, and the Dutch team did nothing to trouble Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina.

 

Three minutes into the second half, Riise capitalised on more poor defending from home defender Timmy Simons and rammed a left foot shot from 25 yards into the net.

 

On 63 minutes the tie was over when Finnan galloped down the right to provide a fine cross that Crouch dispatched with some style. Benitez claims to be embarrassed by the clamour which greets his tactical prowess in Europe, but take nothing away from him or Liverpool, they made a side which knocked Arsenal out in the previous round look like a pub team. Here's to the semifinal.

 

PSV: Gomes, Kromkamp (Feher 68), Da Costa, Simons, Salcido, Mendez (Kluivert 51), Vayrynen, Cocu, Culina, Farfan (Sun 46), Tardelli.

 

LIVERPOOL: Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Agger, Riise (Zenden 65), Gerrard, Mascherano, Alonso, Aurelio (Gonzalez 75), Crouch (Pennant 85), Kuyt.

 

Well in Carra

 

Mirror

[Benitez]

bizarre really, cos there are so many games when Carra really does earn his corn, but that wasn't one of them, so toothless where PSV! Yet the great David Haddocks decides that this is a game to laud him in

[ManxRed]

Put it this way, PSV were lucky to get nil.

 

[Stevie H]

carragher plays like an italian in europe. such levels of concentration and determination not to let the opposition score. like watching f***ing baresi at the moment.

[fyds]

carragher plays like an italian in europe. such levels of concentration and determination not to let the opposition score. like watching f***ing baresi at the moment.

You mean he dives everywhere, cheats and commits 100 niggly fouls a game?

[ManxRed]

You mean he dives everywhere, cheats and commits 100 niggly fouls a game?

 

And calls your mother a whore?

 

He is OM and I claim my £5.

[dorgie]

It was a fine goal too, Steve Finnan galloping down the right to cross intelligently...........

 

On 63 minutes the tie was over when Finnan galloped down the right to provide a fine cross that Crouch dispatched .........

 

An indication of how limited Mr. Maddock is with the English language.

[Stevie H]

You mean he dives everywhere, cheats and commits 100 niggly fouls a game?

no.

[Bootle Buck]

carragher plays like an italian in europe. such levels of concentration and determination not to let the opposition score. like watching f***ing baresi at the moment.

 

 

Spot on mate! I was saying the same myself. His concentration is superb and he wants to get to every ball. There may be better individual CH's in Europe but none are as effective and consistant as Carra. I wouldn't swap him for anyone.

[Ostrich Man]

And calls your mother a whore?

 

He is OM and I claim my £5.

are you saying im Carragher or Baresi there?

[Guest PaulMcC]

Spot on mate! I was saying the same myself. His concentration is superb and he wants to get to every ball. There may be better individual CH's in Europe but none are as effective and consistant as Carra. I wouldn't swap him for anyone.

 

There isn't.

[Duncan Disorderly]

Teamsheet for return leg:

Carra

Carra Carra Carra Carra

 

Carra Carra Carra Carra

 

Carra Carra

 

Substitutes:

Carra

Carra

Carra

Carra

Carra

Carra