Blackburn 2-3 Liverpool

The game yesterday was crazy and it felt like anything could happen. King Kenny had chosen to let the key players rest for the FA-cup semifinal, so it felt like we wouldn’t even try to win. The starting line-up for Liverpool was Doni, Flanagan, Skrtel (c), Coates, Johnson, Henderson, Shelvey, Spearing, Maxi, Carroll and Bellamy Blackburn‘s line-up was Robinson, Orr, Dann, Hanley, Martin Olsson, Dunn, N’Zonzi, Hoilett, Formica, Marcus Olsson and Yakubu.

I think we started the game well and we played okay. I was wrong when I thought that we wouldn’t try to win because the lads looked really hungry for a victory. That’s something I have really missed for the last months. We scored two goals quite early in the first half, both goals by Maxi. I don’t understand why he doesn’t get more time on the pitch, he scores almost every time he plays. Halfway through the first half Flanagan made an idiotic back pass and the first one to get to the ball was Hoilett. Doni was all alone with the Blackburn player and he didn’t know what to do so he tripped him and got a red card. I felt sorry for him because he had waited so long to get the chance to play. Maybe he should have done nothing and just let Yakubu score, but I guess that’s not an easy decision to take as a goal keeper.

When Doni got the red card we had a 2-0 lead. Brad Jones came on for Flanagan and made his Premier League debut. The first thing he did on the pitch was to save a penalty from Yakubu, and when he had done that he pointed to the sky to dedicate the goal to his son Luca, who died in leukemia a few months ago. That was an emotional moment and I was really happy for Brad.

Before halftime Yakubu scored for Blackburn as he headed in a free kick. Liverpool defended badly and that was it. When the halftime came we had a 2-1 lead and that result remained to the 60th minute when Yakubu made it 2-2. It was a strange situation because Brad Jones kicked the ball straight on Yakubu and when the ball came back to him he failed to catch it, and in the middle of all that he pushed Yakubu and the referee blew the whistle. Brad Jones got a yellow card and Yakubu got a penalty. I have nothing to say about that, I’m just glad that Jones didn’t get a red card.

Just before the end of the game Carroll made it 2-3 as he headed the ball in the back of the net, finally. I think he had a good game and he looked quite sharp. It was a good team performance and we played most of the game with ten men. That isn’t easy so I’m proud that they did it so well, and glad that we finally got three points. Now it’s just to focus on the FA-cup semifinal and I hope that I will get to see the same fighting spirit and determination as the lads showed yesterday.