Barclays Premier League – February 23rd 2008 – Result
| Liverpool 3 | Middlesbrough 2 |
| Torres 28, 29, 61 | Sanli 9, Downing 83 |
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Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez: “I was really happy with the performance. I think coming after a Champions League game the most important thing was to win, but we are now in the top four. We are in a good position. After we scored the third goal on the counter attack you could see that we could score more, but they put us under a bit of pressure because they have some good players in attack. The key for us was to win and we won.
“Fernando was really aware and ready and scored when they made mistakes. He has scored 21 goals this season which is really good in his first season with the club and he is enjoying his time here. It’s not easy for a foreign player to come into the English league and settle straight away in his first year, but he has done that so well.
“He has proved to be a great signing. Last summer we had 10 names we were considering, then it was down to three. But we went for Fernando because he was hungry and had the style to handle the Premier League. We knew that he was a player with power and pace, he can kill defenders with his pace. It’s always difficult to score more than 20 goals, but he has done it in his first season, well before the end of the campaign. Everything is possible now for him as he progresses in the game here.
“I didn’t have a target in mind for him, the main thing for a striker is to score goals, but they also need to give assists and create space for the other players. Torres’ work rate is good and everything is positive now for him and for the club.”
Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate: “We feel we have given Liverpool a hell of a game and we did enough, we felt, to have taken something from the match. It shows the progress that we have made because we are disappointed not to have got something out of the game. We win and lose together and that is why we have been on such a good run. We have pushed a top side on their own turf right to the end.
“We had the belief coming here that we could get something out of the game and we nearly did, but the sending-off came when we looked to have turned the tide with our second goal. An equaliser after that was always unlikely. That is a lesson for Jeremie (Alladiere, sent off for raising his hands to Mascherano). He is young and will learn from that. He hardly floored the opponent but you have to accept in the modern game that if you do something like that, and it is in front of a young referee, you will be sent off. The biggest punishment for him will be missing three games and knowing we now have plenty of competition for forward positions.
“There were spells in the game when Liverpool were edgy and we should have been able to take advantage of that, but we have several young players who are very down because they felt they had done well. We leave here, though, with plenty of positives.”
Liverpool: 25 Reina, 3 Finnan, 17 Arbeloa, 4 Hyypia, 12 Aurelio, 18 Kuyt (6 Riise, 73), 21 Lucas, 20 Mascherano, 19 Babel (11 Benayoun, 62), 8 Gerrard, 9 Torres (15 Crouch, 90)
Unused subs: 40 Martin, 37 Skrtel
Bookings: Reina 54, Finnan 79
Goals: Torres 28, 29, 61
Middlesbrough: 1 Schwarzer, 2 Young, 31 Wheater, 40 Grounds, 6 Pogatetz, 4 O’Neil (9 Mido, 59), 10 Rochemback, 3 Arca, 19 Downing, 11 Aliadiere, 17 Sanli (12 Alves, 69)
Unused subs: 21 Turnbull, 7 Boateng, 38 Hines
Bookings: Aliadiere 34, Sanli 35, Wheater 53, Rochemback 63, Young 90
Sent off: Aliadiere 85
Goals: Sanli 9, Downing 83
BBC Stats: (Liverpool – Middlesbrough)
Possession: 57% – 43%
Shots on target: 8 – 3
Shots off target: 5 – 3
Corners: 6 – 2
Fouls: 8 – 11
Referee: Lee Mason
Attendance: 43,612
3-2!
what a relief!
Torres is our Saviour
Did anyone else think Lucas had a terrible game? I’m normally a big fan of his but he didn’t do it for me today. Good to see Kuyt do well though, and of course Torres was sensational.
Great win but we do need a defence good job we had Hypia out there. I agree Lucas Levia was not on his game today I do think that Alonso should be the first pick over Lucas.
Once Agger, Skrtel and of course Carra are lined up in defence all we need is a left full back sorry I don;t see any of the current crop of defenders other than those three being young , skilled and fit enough to fill the post. Mind you Hypia is on top of his game and playing like a man possesed maybe we can get another season from him with Agger and Skrtel providing the speed and Carra the guts.
Torres has got to be the best buy that Rafa has made he was the reason we won today he has that striker instinct that very few can match.
Fairplay to Gareth Southgate. He did not look to excuse Alliadiere but I thought the ref overreacted. Neither Alonso nor Lucas can put in a sustained 90 minutes at the moment. Lucas is not yet strong enough physically and the effort of trying to concentrate on the midfield role means he has nothing to offer after 60 mins. Alonso is nursing his way back to full fitness. Boro are a good side. We stuttered at times, especially for 10m after Riise came on, but we got the job done and if we get 3 points this way from all our remaining games who will complain.
Yeah, good and needed win. Torres is sensational. Hope there is no truth in todays reports about the english and spanish players falling out over the manager.
And what a bonus!!! Chelsea get beat. And then have a go at the ref cos he blew the whistle. Bad bad losers. But still losers.