Merseyside Success!

Watching Liverpool play nowadays can give you a real heart attack! Firstly, you never know what team Rafa will start with; and even if you do, you never know how the team will play. Secondly you have players which are really worrying - Momo for one. And thirdly, since everybody knows how Liverpool tends to play, you will be left wondering how the goals would come. This evening's match against Everton is no different - a Merseyside derby with much pride at stake.

As usual, Rafa confounds everyone by choosing a peculiar player choice - Kuyt to partner Voronin, Momo and Mascherano with Gerrard over the right, Bennayoun on the left; what formation is it? No one knows. Apart from the first ten to fifteen minutes of the first half, Liverpool never really threatened. They didn't play too bad; it's just that things didn't work out in midfield. And the funny formation tried allowed Joleon Lescott acres of place to threaten the Liverpool right flank. Expectedly, they went behind at the break; unexpectedly it was a Hyppia own-goal, and one he would want to forget.

What did Rafa do at the break? Nothing that I could see. It was a show of faith in his players - and it paid off with Voronin clearing the lines and threading a pass to Gerrard to run into the Everton penalty box before Hibbert tugged him down. Well, it appeared that Gerrard's remonstrations convinced Mark Clattenburg to send Hibbert off for a professional foul. Anyway, Kuyt levelled the score, and it was Liverpool's game to lose.

And that they nearly did. Rafa again made the confounding choice of changes - first Bennayoun for Babel and then Gerrard for Lucas Leiva. Everyone could see the consternation and surprise on the skipper's face!! Also on the supporters' faces!! He actually took out the two playmakers of the team at a time when Liverpool was stuggling to breakdown the resolute Evertonian defence! Liverpool continued to miss a host of chances to win the game, while Everton looked they would score when they got forward; a single goal would evidently decide the match. Fortunately for Liverpool, it was Phil Neville who got the marching orders for a acrobatic save on the line (with his hands) to hand Kuyt his second goal from the penalty spot in added-on time. There was further drama at the death with Carragher appearing to pull Lescott down in the penalty box - well, it was worth a second look in my opinion, but the ref waved it away before blowing for the end.

It was a lucky win, but a win nonetheless. Coming on the back of some lacklustre performances and poor results, it would be morale-boosting. Praise to the team as a whole but Rafa is playing a dangerous game here with his rotation system, formation and choice of substitutions. On the bright side, let's hope that as Rafa puts it: a win here might change everything and give a major boost to the players' confidence. With Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United all coming up with results, we can't afford to drop points in the title race.

Watch out Besiktas and Arsenal!