New era, but no quick fix for Liverpool

JOHN W HENRY, his pocket £300 million (€342.6m) lighter than when he had flown into England earlier in the week, was handed a stark taste of reality at Goodison Park yesterday, a fast track lesson in the English Premier League and his new asset’s current position there in.

The goals from Tim Cahill and Mikel Arteta were the specific moments that condemned Liverpool and their new owner to another demoralising defeat in a local derby that was supposed to herald the start of a bright, new dawn in the club’s history.

But, applying the pinch of salt that needs to be poured upon Roy Hodgson’s assertion that his team turned in their best performance of the season and completely dominated the second half, Henry, a baseball fan and owner of the renowned Boston Red Sox club, will not have needed to be an expert on the beautiful game to see through his manager’s hollow claims and appreciate the mountain of problems mounting at Anfield.

It will have taken the new owners, seated in the Goodison directors’ box, just 34 minutes to appreciate the size of investment required if they are to fulfill their promise of turning their new property into a team capable of competing with the very best in England, let alone Europe.

That was the length of time required for Everton to turn a dominant first half display into a goal, one carved out by a superb run from young Irish midfielder Seamus Coleman who skipped past three challenges, the last a despairing lunge from Paul Konchesky, before pulling the ball back from the right-hand by-line for Cahill to beat Jose Reina with a stunning finish from six yards.

The second goal, five minutes into the second half, was even more memorable, a magnificent strike from Arteta after Leighton Baines’ corner had been headed to him on the edge of the area by Sotirios Kyrgiakos.

Arteta, inexplicably unmarked on the edge of the area, struck a superb first-time shot with the outside of his boot that soared past Reina in the Liverpool goal.

It should have, arguably, have been more comfortable for the hosts. By the time they took the lead, the only surprise was that it had taken Everton that length of time to convert possession and pressure into a goal.

In a physical and highly-emotional opening to the game, the first shot of the encounter came from Everton defender Phil Jagielka who scooped his effort well over from a promising position after 11 minutes; an attempt mirrored soon after by fellow centre-half Sylvain Distin who changed feet neatly in the area but still failed to hit the target from 15 yards.

Midway through the period, Everton were almost caught out as Liverpool launched their first concerted attack and Fernando Torres’ near-post header, from a Joe Cole centre, was turned over by the alert Tim Howard.

But that was a rare respite for the beleaguered visitors as Yakubu and Cahill soon launched a swift counter-attack culminating in the former chancing his arm with a shot from the edge of the area which Reina saved at full stretch.

The contest was decidedly shifting in Everton’s favour and, even when Raul Meireles saw a strong shot blocked, he blotted his copybook when hauling down Yakubu as he attempted to break towards the Liverpool goal.

Meireles was one of three first half bookings – Maxi Rodriguez of Liverpool and Cahill the others – although there appeared little consistency in Howard Webb’s officiating and several other players could count themselves fortunate not to have joined them in the book. Eventually, Torres and Jermaine Beckford were the only other names to be taken.

Leon Osman ended the first period re-asserting Everton’s control with Reina forced tog gather his sharp, stinging 20-yard strike and, while there appeared a momentary upsurge in Liverpool attitude and energy after the re-start, the optimism was short-lived for the visitors.

The second half opened with Rodriguez unleashing a fierce shot from the edge of the area, well held by Howard, but within five minutes, Everton had doubled their lead through Arteta.

There after, Yakubu failed to connect with a cross from Dimitar Bilyaletdinov moments later, as Everton looked to kill off the game, while Meireles tried a pair of hopeful long-range attempts which Howard dealt with easily, a sign of Liverpool’s growing desperation.

Jagielka volleyed wide from yet another Everton onslaught and substitute Jermaine Beckford had a strong penalty appeal rejected after apparent contact from Martin Skrtel and Liverpool’s frustrations were compounded as Torres saw a late, close-range shot well saved and followed up by being booked for an unnecessary trip on Cahill.