Conversely, in a team better equipped to win a league title, Gerrard might not have enjoyed the same freedom that allowed him to thrive, star and earn his individual prizes. This kind of liberty is only usually afforded to great players and game changers and allowed Gerrard to focus his energy in the final third rather than attempting everything everywhere himself, as was the case too often throughout his career. There were no excuses for Scolari, who picked a far more experienced side than his counterparts from the other top-four clubs this week. We rely on advertising to help fund our award-winning journalism.
From an advanced central attacking starting position he would often drift out into the channel and then drop deeper to midfield, from where he was able to make late runs to attack the ball in the box or thread through-balls in to Torres, who prospered with Gerrard nearby.
Brian Jensen was the Championship side's hero in the shoot-out, brilliantly saving from Wayne Bridge and Mikel John Obi to spark wild celebrations in front of and among the ecstatic 6,100 visiting supporters. His contribution off the ball was phenomenal too, with Benitez utilising his engine and boundless running to lead the press.
The latter also lowered the average age of a department of the team that included the veterans Deco and Michael Ballack. • This article was amended on Sunday December 14 2008. Tue 9 Dec 2008 22.04 GMT This was a strong squad, as Gerrard himself reminisced in 2015: A post shared by Steven Gerrard (@stevengerrard) on Sep 2, 2015 at 1:44pm PDT. Injury meant Torres missed 14 games, something Benitez had prepared for with the signing of Robbie Keane. Cole had been unavailable for the defeats in the Premier League and his energy was ultimately important here, even it looked at first that he was slightly out of touch and might have been hurried back into premature service. Although Gerrard dropped into midfield to support and kickstart counter-attacks against strong teams, against weaker opposition he would sit behind Torres in a 4-4-1-1 defensive shape or beside him in a 4-4-2, making runs beyond the striker whenever the ball was moved forward. The only teams to win at least 86 points and not win the Premier League since its inception are Liverpool 2018/19 (97 points), Spurs 2016/17 (86), Manchester United in 2011/12 (89) and 1994/95 (88). Nuno Claro's credentials as replacement goalkeeper had not been inspected. The goalscoring responsibility was thus heaped on Lampard's shoulders but he was ruled offside as he slipped the ball into the goal from close range, and foiled by the near post with a corner-kick.
Cluj, indeed, had created a clear opportunity of their own. Didier Drogba came on to score the winner, showing that, despite all the injury worries, he can still be decisive. Gerrard was the star of this Liverpool team because the system was constructed around his particular abilities. The final was played at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on 27 May 2009. They avoided what might have been a killer blow when Branislav Ivanovic headed Florent Malouda's header on to the crossbar in first-half stoppage-time, and midway through the second half they capitalised on their good fortune. This latest failure means Chelsea have not won a shoot-out in a competitive game for 10 years. As if facing the bottom team in group A were not enough, there was further encouragement in the absence through injury of Cluj's first choice goalkeeper Eduard Stancioiu.
A re-analysis of Liverpool's brilliant talisman using modern data from seasons past, Every day this week, JJ Bull is using data to re-analyse the season during which an individual star of the Premier League was at the peak of his powers. Benitez wanted to squeeze as much attacking juice out of his captain as possible. Come back tomorrow for 2009/10: The year of the Drogba. Bordeaux were already slipping towards defeat in Rome by then, but it would be ignominious for Chelsea, last season's finalists, to depend on events beyond their control. Please review our, You need to be a subscriber to join the conversation.
Chelsea have other concerns because this was a second defeat in three home games, a significantly bigger blot on Luiz Felipe Scolari's copybook than Liverpool's victory here last month. It seems certain the Football Association will investigate the matter and last night the player issued an apology. But since Coyle was appointed last November Burnley have played a brand of football that is most pleasing on the eye while climbing to fifth in the second tier, and they brought that attitude here.
Frank Lampard reveals debt of gratitude to Chelsea fans, Scolari's toughest test may be marrying Drogba and Anelka. His services will be needed because Chelsea, as runners-up, could very well be subjected to a gruelling tie in the last 16. By that stage Nicolas Anelka had been shifted to a slightly deeper role towards the left, but there will still be an air of danger about Chelsea if he and Drogba continue to be on the field together. Their play was laboured for much of the night. The goal had been scored with the team's first attempt on target. Keane was a different sort of player more inclined to drop into the 10 space and link play than run off the shoulder of the last man and Liverpool's attacking output wasn't quite the same when he deputised: Keane managed five goals and four assists in 19 games before being sold to Tottenham in the January window. Drogba's coin-throwing echoed a similar incident involving Liverpool's Jamie Carragher against Arsenal in 2002. With defensive wingers, Benitez could offer more freedom to Gerrard in possession because these players were more likely to hold position and shape in the event of a turnover than trickier, more selfish wingers.
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