Blue Is the Opposite of Blue
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- 25 Feb 2014
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The following gave us a chance to go back into the title race, but may not have been noticed due to the high profile incidents such as the Gerrard slip and Liverpool's capitulation at Crystal Palace.
1. Brendan Rodgers choosing to leave Daniel Agger on the bench against Crystal Palace
Liverpool were 3-0 up and cruising away to Crystal Palace when Damien Delaney was given too much space by Glen Johnson. But the man who is likely to be in Roy Hodgson's team didn't wake up to the danger and allowed Delaney time to shoot. It spooned up off Johnson and beyond the leap of Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet to bring things back to 3-1.
At that point, Rodgers' plan of action should have been to change something at the back. Liverpool were far too deep, as they had been on many occasions throughout the season in other near-collapses, and they conceded another very soon after, thanks to Dwight Gayle's side-footed finish. Then was the time to act. Things were desperate. Liverpool just had to keep on to the points and they just had to bring on Daniel Agger. But on came Victor Moses, and away went Liverpool's title hopes.
Liverpool's shaky back four were put under more pressure and Dwight Gayle was suddenly one-on-one with Mignolet inside the penalty area. We know the rest, and to be honest I think we all saw it coming, only one man stood in the Liverpool dugout - the man who makes all of the big decisions - wasn't aware. So thank you to Brendan. It meant City only had to take 4 points from two home games to win the league.
2. Julian Speroni's fantastic performance against Chelsea for Crystal Palace
With a win against Crystal Palace, Chelsea would have gone 5 points clear with 6 games to go. But Tony Pulis and his men had other ideas. Playing with a solid back line of 11 players, Crystal Palace were a tough nut to crack. Chelsea lacking that final ball, or perhaps that key striker, to truly make a mark on the wall Palace had placed in front of their own goal. Or a bus, whatever. They still lost.
Crystal Palace took the lead through a John Terry own goal after yet another one of those out-balls to Puncheon, Jerome and Bolasie turned into a fast attacking move. Chelsea then began to press and search for that equaliser, but one man is to thank for the result staying as it was. Julian Speroni made two wonderful saves from Eden Hazard to keep the score at 1-0 in the second half.
His first, a low save to his left to deny a deflected effort from creeping inside the left-hand post. The second, a shoulder-height save from close range after Palace had gifted a chance to Hazard. I said at the time that if we went on to win the title after that save I'd have to track Speroni down and kiss him on the lips. Somehow I don't think he'll let me. That result kept City in touching distance with two crucial games in hand.
3. Steven Gerrard's second half selfishness against Chelsea
We'll never forget the slip. We'll never forget that Gerrard said it wouldn't slip. We'll never forget Demba Ba streaming away from the helpless red-shirted chasers and slotting the ball under Mignolet and the Kop End. It was a huge moment in the title race, a moment that put the title race back in our hands with a trip away to Crystal Palace in the following game on Super Sunday.
But in order to make up for the mistake, Steven Gerrard tried to create another Olympiakos moment. Shooting from 40 yards and rushing Hollywood passes that went astray, causing anguish and groans to erupt from the Anfield faithful. It was the perfect performance from Chelsea, who went on to win the game 2-0 and put City in control of their own destiny.
But with the high profile moments you forget how much Gerrard wanted to be the main man on that day. His own selfishness got the better of him in that second half. There were better options at every point he chose to shoot, and space to find in the back of the net when he spooned a lofted ball out for a throw in. And for that, we are ever grateful.
1. Brendan Rodgers choosing to leave Daniel Agger on the bench against Crystal Palace
Liverpool were 3-0 up and cruising away to Crystal Palace when Damien Delaney was given too much space by Glen Johnson. But the man who is likely to be in Roy Hodgson's team didn't wake up to the danger and allowed Delaney time to shoot. It spooned up off Johnson and beyond the leap of Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet to bring things back to 3-1.
At that point, Rodgers' plan of action should have been to change something at the back. Liverpool were far too deep, as they had been on many occasions throughout the season in other near-collapses, and they conceded another very soon after, thanks to Dwight Gayle's side-footed finish. Then was the time to act. Things were desperate. Liverpool just had to keep on to the points and they just had to bring on Daniel Agger. But on came Victor Moses, and away went Liverpool's title hopes.
Liverpool's shaky back four were put under more pressure and Dwight Gayle was suddenly one-on-one with Mignolet inside the penalty area. We know the rest, and to be honest I think we all saw it coming, only one man stood in the Liverpool dugout - the man who makes all of the big decisions - wasn't aware. So thank you to Brendan. It meant City only had to take 4 points from two home games to win the league.
2. Julian Speroni's fantastic performance against Chelsea for Crystal Palace
With a win against Crystal Palace, Chelsea would have gone 5 points clear with 6 games to go. But Tony Pulis and his men had other ideas. Playing with a solid back line of 11 players, Crystal Palace were a tough nut to crack. Chelsea lacking that final ball, or perhaps that key striker, to truly make a mark on the wall Palace had placed in front of their own goal. Or a bus, whatever. They still lost.
Crystal Palace took the lead through a John Terry own goal after yet another one of those out-balls to Puncheon, Jerome and Bolasie turned into a fast attacking move. Chelsea then began to press and search for that equaliser, but one man is to thank for the result staying as it was. Julian Speroni made two wonderful saves from Eden Hazard to keep the score at 1-0 in the second half.
His first, a low save to his left to deny a deflected effort from creeping inside the left-hand post. The second, a shoulder-height save from close range after Palace had gifted a chance to Hazard. I said at the time that if we went on to win the title after that save I'd have to track Speroni down and kiss him on the lips. Somehow I don't think he'll let me. That result kept City in touching distance with two crucial games in hand.
3. Steven Gerrard's second half selfishness against Chelsea
We'll never forget the slip. We'll never forget that Gerrard said it wouldn't slip. We'll never forget Demba Ba streaming away from the helpless red-shirted chasers and slotting the ball under Mignolet and the Kop End. It was a huge moment in the title race, a moment that put the title race back in our hands with a trip away to Crystal Palace in the following game on Super Sunday.
But in order to make up for the mistake, Steven Gerrard tried to create another Olympiakos moment. Shooting from 40 yards and rushing Hollywood passes that went astray, causing anguish and groans to erupt from the Anfield faithful. It was the perfect performance from Chelsea, who went on to win the game 2-0 and put City in control of their own destiny.
But with the high profile moments you forget how much Gerrard wanted to be the main man on that day. His own selfishness got the better of him in that second half. There were better options at every point he chose to shoot, and space to find in the back of the net when he spooned a lofted ball out for a throw in. And for that, we are ever grateful.